krishashok

A quick mashup of Led Zeppelin's Babe, I'm gonna leave you and Henry Purcell's Dido's Lament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido's_Lament). What connects these 2 songs (composed almost 400 years apart) is a descending chromatic bassline. 

The guitar parts were recorded on a Fender Stratocaster through a Boss ME-25 pedal. The bassline (on Strings) was programmed with a software instrument



Dido, I'm Gonna Leave You

When I first heard Lungi dance from the movie Chennai express, it's incredible peppy catchiness only meant one obvious thing - someone needed to make a Western classical remix version. Imagine frilly dresses, wigs, Austrian nobility and state-of-the-art Erode lungis. 

The Violin and Cello were recorded on the really impressive Yeti Blue microphone, which is so sensitive that if you listen really hard, you can occasionally hear the pigeon on my window sill making enquiries about the local availability of pretty single pigeonesses. 

In addition to the tracks I recorded on my instruments, some software layers were used to expand the soundscape to do justice to this most excellent song. 

Danse Macabre De Lungi

It's Republic day and when I heard Nigel Britto's beautiful classical guitar rendition of Jana Gana Mana (https://soundcloud.com/nigel-britto/jana-gana-mana), it struck me that @hariramnarayanan and me had done a minor key version of this song almost 4 years ago. 

Considering how touchy and armchair-patriotic many of us can be, I am loath to call this a "cover version" of the National Anthem. Just think of it as a minor key cover version of a major scale melody that happens to be used for our national anthem. 

The idea was that a minor key captured, with its natural sombreness, the less uplifting aspects of our country. 

Piano: Hari
Violin: Me

Jana Gana Minor

A small tribute to Pete Seeger (1919-2014). I grew up singing Hum Honge Kaamyaab in school and the song's simple, yet powerful ability to move people who are singing it together has always fascinated me. 

ps: I am still very amateur with the Cello so forgive the bowing errors. 

We Shall Overcome (Hum honge Kaamyaab)

A Carnatic classical remix of Daft Punk's Get Lucky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NV6Rdv1a3I).  The raga is Karnaranjani (well, approximately). 

Daft Pankajam

A Chennai recontextualized version of The Doors' Riders on the Storm, with lyrics by Gurunarayana Ravi (https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha). This song is about the Auto drivers on the Chennai storm, wreaking havoc on the roads but they too have their side of the story to tell, a story of poverty and exploitative usury. 

It also features a Carnatic violin lead in the Raga Karaharapriya (Dorian mode) and the quintessential sound of a Chennai auto recorded by @mdeii 

Guitar - Fender Stratocaster recorded through a Boss ME-25 with a vibrato effect
Violin - Electric violin through Boss Me-25 with a delay
Percussion, bass and Wurlitzer organ - programmed on Logic Pro X

Lyrics (with translation)

Autokaran naan (I am an auto driver)
Chennai Autokaran naan (A Chennai autodriver I am)
MGR peran naan (I'm MGR's grandson)
Baasha machaan naan (I'm the Badshah's brother-in-law)
Auto tune thaan (the pitch perfect sound of the autotune)
Enga engine sattham thaan (is the sound of our engine)

I'm a terror on the road 
Vaanga come aboard (Please come aboard)
Anna Salayil (On Anna road in Chennai)
Seerum morattu kaalai naan (I'm the rampaging wild bull)
Police paathaakka (If the police happen to see me)
padhugum paambu naan (I'm the slithering snake that evades them)

Rendu pullakutteenga (I have 2 young children)
Saettu vaddi thollainga (the local pawn broker bleeds me with high interest loans)
Petrol velai thaan (The price of petrol)
eri pochunga (has risen skyward)
Meter pottaakka (if you insist on metered fare)
Vootla patnithaanunga (my family will starve)

Manja colouril (Of yellow hue...)
senja thanga therunga (is my golden chariot)
Ulagam pooraga (all over the world)
namma vandi odumga (my auto will run)
Ella oorilum (in every town)
namakku nalla perunga (I have a good reputation)
Nambi erunga (believe me and let's go for a ride)

Riders On The Auto

A minimalist Piano and Violin version of Ilayaraja's How to Name it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz-MTrlIG_8). The violin recording was lying around for a while now so I added the piano score. This is an adaptation, so the opening interlude is extra and I've stopped where the Simhendramadhyamam stops and the Shanmukhapriya starts. 

Simhendramadhyamam is the raga (mode)the first part of this composition is set in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simhendramadhyamam. It then segues into Shanmukhapriya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanmukhapriya) in the original full version of this. 

How to Name it

An adaption of Ramin Djawadi's Rains of Castamere on the Violin and Cello. The raga is Natabhairavi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natabhairavi) although the phrases used sound like Bhairavi and occasionally Anandabhairavi. 

The notes of Natabhairavi match with the Western Natural minor scale. For fans of the book, think of it as a Dornish version of what they would like to do to the Lannisters



Rains Of Castamere

This is a Tamil adaptation of Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang" from the soundtrack of Kill Bill. 

Lyrics: Subhashini Vinay (https://twitter.com/neelavanam) 
Vocals: Archana Sundarachari (@maidenofrohan)
Guitar, Cello, Violin and arrangement: @krishashok
Mixing and Mastering: @maheshshankar

Photo credits: Denise Rowlands (https://www.flickr.com/photos/denise_rowlands/4331736018)

மழைச்சாரலின் சிறைச்சாலையில்
Mazhaicaralin Siraichalaiyil
உறவு வளர் அந்தி மாலையில்
Uravu VaLar andhi malaiyil,
நிழலிலா நெடும் சாலையில்
nizhalilla nedum saalaiyil,
நனைந்தது வானவில்.
Nanaindhadhu  vaanavil

இணை இணை நம் கண்களில் 
Inai inai nam kaNgaLil
சில பல என கனவுகள்
sila pala ena kanavugaL
சுடும் சுடும் தீக்கனலென
sudum sudum theekanalena
ஒரு முறை, நீ என்னைக் கண்டாயே
orumurai nee ennai kandaaye

மின்னலில் சுருங்கிய நிலவென
Minnalil surungiya nilavena
நின்றேனே இளம் தளிரென
Nindreane iLam thaLirena
எங்கிருந்தோ வந்தாயே 
engirundho vandahye
நிழலென அருகில் நின்றாயே.
Nizhalena arugil nindraye

இணை இணை நம் கண்களில் 
Inai inai nam kaNgaLil
சில பல என கனவுகள்
sila pala ena kanavugaL
சுடும் சுடும் தீக்கனலென
sudum sudum theekanalena
ஒரு முறை, நான் உன்னைக் கண்டேனே
naan unnai kandaaye

உறவுகள் ஒன்றிணைந்தது
UravugaL ondriNaindhadhu
முகிலென தினம் வளர்ந்தது.
Mugilena dinam valarndhadhu

இன்று, நிலவிலா வானம்  நான்
Indru nilavilla vaanam naan,
மழையிலா மேகம் தான்.
mazhaiyilla megam thaan,
நீ இல்லா வாழ்கையில் 
nee illa vazhkaiyil,
நான் கருமையான வானவில்.
naan karumaiyaana vaanavil

இணை இணை நம் கண்களில் 
Inai inai nam kaNgaLil
சில பல என கனவுகள்
sila pala ena kanavugaL
சுடும் சுடும் தீக்கனலென
sudum sudum theekanalena
இம்முறை, நீ எங்கு சென்றாயோ!
Immurai nee engu sendraayo?

English Translation

On a wet dusky evening,
Imprisoned in an endless steady drizzle,
Down the shadeless miles of an empty road,
Walked a drenched rainbow. 

The first time we met,
our glowing eyes did connect,
like embers that gleam,
You saw me as the rainbow of your dreams.

Like a moon shrunk by lightning, 
I stood shelterless in tenderness,
From where did you come, my savior?
The slayer of my nightmares.

The first time we met,
our glowing eyes did connect,
like embers that gleam,
I saw you as the rainbow of my dreams.

Like clouds that gather in an united wish,
A life we lived in marital bliss. 

Today, I am a moonless night,
A wandering cloud in search of life,
The days that arrive have no hue,
I am a black rainbow, without you. 

The first time we met,
our glowing eyes did connect,
in the embers that gleam,
Why did you vanish from my dreams? 

Inai Inai

A Violin, Cello, Guitar, Keyboard and Drum machine remix of Massive Attack's Teardrop blended with Thyagaraja's Brova Bharama (video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGXIc3iwEM8&feature=youtu.be)

Key: A
BPM: 77
Raga: Bahudari (for most part)
Guitar tuning: Open-D (tuned to D major)
Song meaning and lyrics: http://www.karnatik.com/c1002.shtml

Poster credits: Original by Simon Stratford (http://www.simonstratford.com/portfolio/illustration/teardrop/)

Teardrop Bahudari

A Carnatic adaptation (and improvisation) of Adele's Skyfall from the Bond movie soundtrack. The raga is Keeravani. The instrument playing a solo around 4:05 is a bass guitar. 

The chords are Cm Ab F Gsus4 and G

ps: The chap in the photo is not entirely Daniel Craig. It's mostly Sanjay Subramanyan (https://twitter.com/sanjaysub)

Skyfall Keeravani

A kutthu remix of the Game of Thrones theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53c8reh_uh0)


krishashok

Ajit Kamath