Tracks I have collaborated with other folks led by @krishashok.  Other featured collaborators in this set include raghuthaatha, @suryaragunaathan, @indian_music_fan, @ashwinvinayan, @ranjani-shanker, @hariflute, @sarthakdev and @anu-mccartney

collab

An ambient/rock/string quartet cover of AR Rahman's Aaromale from the OST of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. 
Vocals: Ashwin Vinayan
Synth, Kanjira, Drums programming, Spacey Guitar: @mediumcoffee
Acoustic guitar, violin, cello, lead/rhythm guitar, mixing/mastering: Krish Ashok

Aaromale

A cover of Keane's "Somewhere only we know" with @anu-mccartney on vocals and @mediumcoffee on slide & organ.

Somewhere Only We Know

An adaptation of Ilayaraja's "En Iniya Pon" from the film Moodu Pani with fellow Raja enthusiast @mediumcoffee . This project is called "Le Rogeur" and the idea was not to do a literal cover but improvise liberally while still retaining the semblance of the original song. Here we take Raja's original harmony/chord structure & use more jazzy variants. The other improv happens in the interludes, where we start out sounding like the original interlude but wander off into different territories. We hope to do a few more of these under the "Le Rogeur" moniker over the next few weeks. And oh, another thing. For this project, in recognition of the technical challenges of Ilayaraja's golden years (the 80s), we will only use real instruments live-recorded without any software programming. 

Piano, Tonewheel organ - @Mediumcoffee
Vocals, Cello, Guitar, Bass - @krishashok

En Iniya Pon

A moderately Chennai tamil revolutionary adaptation of Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit 

Lyrics: Raghuthaatha (https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha) & @krishashok
Drums & percussion sequencing: @mediumcoffee & @krishashok
Violin, guitars, bass, vocals: @krishashok

Ration arisi, queue la ninnu (Ration rice, we stand in a queue)
Vaangarom, vera vazhi illa (to buy, we have no choice)
Fulla Kushtu, black la ticket (fully drunk, tickets in black)
eduthu, padam paatha (we buy & when we watch the movie...)

Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo ayyayo x 3
Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo

TASMAC kadaila, appan mabbu (Dad's drunk at the TASMAC bar)
Kelvi ketta, periya thappu (if we question, it's a problem)
Current cut, yeppo padippom (power outrage, when do we study?)
Kerosene light la padicchu mudippom (we will study in the light of a kerosene lamp)

Naanga ezhai (We are poor)
eppadi vaazha (How do we live)
Kelaya pudichu (holding on to a branch)
Yeri vaarom (we will rise up)
Yeah, hey, yay

College Saentu, edho padichi (we joined college, studied something)
kizhichi, kadla potu (hit on girls)
vela thedi, gaandayi, (searched for jobs, frustrated)
Ola cab ottina traffic jam (drove Ola cabs only to get stuck in traffic jams)

Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo ayyayo x 3
Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo

Nirutthi ottina, horn tholla (If we drive slowly, everyone honks)
rash-a ottna, mama tholla (if we drive rashly, the police trouble us)
adaki vaascha, pammureenga. (If we stay docile, we are oppressed)
nimundhu keta, amuthareenga (If we question that, we are oppressed)

road-u illa (there are few roads for us)
medu pallam (roads full of obstacles)
ellam thaandi (we will cross all those)
yeri vaarom (we will rise up)
Yeah, hey, yay

Mayila pudchu, kaala keela (if you catch a peacock)
odachu aada sonna (break its leg & ask it to dance)
Kuyila pudchu, goondla geendla (if you catch a songbird)
adachu, paada sonna (cage it and ask it to sing)

Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo ayyayo x 3
Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo


Aana ippo Murattu Kaala (But now we are raging bulls)
Seeri paanja, merusal aava (as we pounce, you will be dazed)
Cykil gap la, Auto pola (in a narrow gap for cycles, we will drive an auto)
nozhanju vaarom, odhungi nillu-a (and come through, give us way)

Vasadhi illa (We have no opportunities)
Asadhi illa (No laziness)
muyarchi senji (but we will try)
yeri vaarom (we will rise up)

Yeri Vaarom x 9 (we will rise up)

Smells Like Kerosene

An acoustic arrangement of "Raah mein bicchi", a thumri that originally featured in the soundtrack of the Shyam Benegal movie, Sardari Begum

Vocals: @suryaragunaathan
Acoustic Guitar: @mediumcoffee 
Classical Guitar: @krishashok
Flute: @indian_music_fan (Vijay Kannan)
Piano, Bass, Violin, Arrangement, Mixing & Mastering: @krishashok




Raah Mein

An alternative arrangement for James Vasanthan's hit "Kangal Irandaal" from Subramanyapuram. 

Vocals: @ashwin-vinayan
Percussion & backing vocals: @mediumcoffee
Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, Arrangement, Mixing, Mastering: @krishashok

Kangal Irandaal

An ambient adaptation of Ilayaraja's "Mandram Vandha" (Cheeni kum hai in Hindi) from Mani Ratnam's Mouna Ragam 

@mediumcoffee - Electric guitar, Keyboards, backing vocals
@krishashok - Cello, classical guitar, bass & lead vocals

Mandram Vandha

A minor blues adaptation of Ilayaraja's "Poo maalai vaangivandhaan" from Sindhu Bhairavi 

Keyboard, lead guitar: @mediumcoffee
Vocals, rhythm, bass, violin: @krishashok

Poo Maalai Blues

An ambient adaptation of Ilayaraja's "Elangaathu Veesudhe" 

Keyboards, Bass, Cajon, Kanjira, Percussion Arrangement: @mediumcoffee
Vocals: Easwar Prasad
Guitar, Violin, Mixing & Mastering: @krishashok

Elangaathu Veesudhe

A Tamil adaptation of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love
Lyrics: Subhashini V (twitter.com/neelavanam)
Vocals: @ranjani-shanker
Kanjira & Cajon: @mediumcoffee
The rest: @krishashok

வேண்டும் நீதி, உலகம் பூர்த்தி
போதும் மெளனம், தேவையில்லை சலனம்,
நிமிர்ந்தாளென்றால் வானமே கிரீடம்.
பெண்மையே ஒரு வரம்
பெண்மையே ஒரு வரம்.
 
வேண்டும் உலகத்தின் லவ் (4)
 
பெண்கள் என்றால், அழகும் அன்பும்,
Misuse செய்தால், எரியும் எரியும்,
அவள் கண்ணில் பெரும் தீ
உள்ளம் இரும்பென, நீ அறிந்தால் 
பெண்மையே ஒரு வரம்(2)
 
வேண்டும் உலகத்தின் லவ் (4)

Vendum Ulagatthin Love

A Sanskrit adaptation of St James Infirmary Blues, a 200 year old song made famous by Louis Armstrong's version in 1928.

Piano, bass & guitar: @mediumcoffee
Vocals, Cello, Violin, mixing, mastering: @krishashok
Lyrics: Translation/Adaptation by @krishashok
Sanskrit expert consultation: Vaishnavi S & SP Suresh (twitter.com/vajrabhrt)

चिकित्सालयं गतवानहम्
I went down to the infirmary
तत्र मम प्रियाम् अपश्यं 
I saw my lover there
सुप्ता सा विस्तरे अजीवा
Lying she was on a bed
शिशिरा गौरी मधुरा 
Cold, Fair & Sweet

विमुञ्चस्व मङ्गलं भूयात् 
Let her go! God bless her
यत्र कुत्र वा भवतु 
Wherever she may be
मार्गयतु सर्वां भूमिं 
She can search the whole world
मां इव कान्तम् न प्राप्स्यति
She's not going to find a lover like me

artwork: Ria Munk on her Deathbed by Gustav Klimt

Shishira Gouri Madhura

TR would like to have a few words with all you on the recent & historical interference of North Indians into Tamil culture. He suggests that you stop being a Raghuthatha and embrace the "boiling over" (Pongal) of Tamil passion instead. 

We have a guest keyboardist on this track: @mediumcoffee

Ambududhaan Hai

An ambient adaptation of Mirza Ghalib's (1797-1869)"Har Ek Baat Pe" from the soundtrack of "Mirza Ghalib", sung originally by Jagjit Singh.

Vocals, arrangement, mixing, mastering: @krishashok
Flute: @indian_music_fan
Piano: @mediumcoffee 

हर एक बात पे कहते हो तुम की तू क्या है
तुम्हीं कहो के ये अंदाज़ ऐ गुफ्तगू क्या है?
At everything I say, you interject with "what are you?"
You tell me what is this kind of cosy conversation?

रगों में दौड़ते फिरने के हम नहीं कायल
जब आँख से ही न टपका तोः फिर लहू क्या है?
That blood that merely flows in the veins is not worthy of anything
It's only when eyes cry tears of blood that it's worthy of praise

जला है जिस्म जहाँ दिल भी जल गया होगा
कुरेदते हो जो अब राख जुस्तजू क्या है?
The fire of love consumes both the heart and the body
what are you doing poking around in the embers trying to rekindle an old flame 

ये रश्क है की वो होता है हमसुखन हमसे
वगरना खौफ ऐ बदामोजी ऐ अदू क्या है?
My envy is that he converses with you,
not the fear that he might mislead you against me


न शोले में ये करिश्मा न बर्क में ये अदा 
कोई बताओ की वो शोख ऐ तुन्दखू क्या है?
Neither the flame has this miracle, nor the lightning this grace,
Will anyone tell me, what is this ill-tempered mischievous/coquettish one.

ps: Urdu purists, please excuse my South Indian accent and likely mispronunciations.

Har Ek Baat Pe

A tribute to Chester Bennington of Linkin Park

Piano: Sarthak Dev (@sarthakdev)
Electric Piano: Suresh Raju (@mediumcoffee)
Violin & Cello: @krishashok

Numb

A Neocarnatic adaptation of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "My Heart, My Life" from the album "Night Song" 

Guitar, Synth, Kanjira: @mediumcoffee
Violin, Vocals, Arrangement: @krishashok

My Heart My Life

An ambient instrumental adaptation of Ilayaraja's "Nee Paartha" from Hey Ram. 
Violin, Cello: @krishashok
Piano: @sarthakdev
Pads, Bass: @mediumcoffee
Arrangement: @mediumcoffee & @krishashok

Nee Paartha

An instrumental psychedelic rock adaptation of Tyagaraja's "Nada Tanumanisham" (Raga: Citta Ranjani)
Lead guitar, rhythm guitar, electric violin: @krishashok
Keys, bass, arrangement: @mediumcoffee
Artwork: Original by mmmmmr on Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/art/Shiva-with-veena-501583189

Nada Tanumanisham

A Tamil adaptation of Rag'n'Bone Man's "Human"
Lyrics: Chenthil Nathan (https://twitter/com/chenthil_nathan)
Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, keyboard: @krishashok
Lead guitar, backing vocals: @mediumcoffee

Manushan

A minimalist Flute and Piano adaptation of Ilayaraja's Kannan Vandhu from the soundtrack of Rettai Vaal Kuruvi
Flute: @indian_music_fan
Arrangement: @mediumcoffee & @krishashok

collab

MediumCoffee