Chemirocha explore the depths of instrumental rock in their debut album

Instrumental rock albums are so uncommon in the Indian unbiased music panorama that when such an album comes alongside as soon as in some time, there may be behind it tales of perseverance and self-doubt. Chemirocha, who has simply launched their debut album Short Lived Fantasies of a Two Winged Dream, an instrumental album of progressive rock with a tinge of pop punk, additionally has such a narrative to share.

Banker Arjun J.Satheesh and sound designer Nitin started engaged on the album near a decade in the past. Both had been half of the lively unbiased rock music scene in Kerala in the mid-2000s, with Arjun being the guitarist for bands like Soulburn, whereas Nitin is the former bassist of metallic band Chaos. When they obtained collectively in Kochi in 2016, they come across the thought of engaged on an album.

“Both of us have similar music tastes. One of the ideas was to blend modern progressive rock with the pop-punk and similar genres of the 2000s, all of which evoked a sense of nostalgia in us. We began making these songs on acoustic guitars with no idea how it would turn out. It took several jamming sessions over the years to take shape, during which we almost abandoned the whole project. Later, guitarist Fredy Rocazaurus of the Old School Studio helped us at a time when we did not have much of an idea about recording songs. Some of the demo tracks we mixed initially were sent to drummer Nishanth Hagjer, who joined with us to make the entire album, which was produced by Adam Bentley,” says Nithin.

The eight tracks in the album don’t comply with the typical verse-chorus-verse construction, however progresses like a fluid lucid dream with the riffs repeating solely hardly ever. As free flowing as the music is, in addition they seem like the reactions of the musicians to particular happenings in their life, though each of them choose to go away the process of interpretation to the listeners.

“Although we did consider having a vocalist initially, later we thought this is the way to go. One of the strengths of instrumental music is that it is open to interpretation in so many different ways in different countries and cultures,” says Arjun.

In truth, the title of the band can be the consequence of such an interpretation. It was believed to be how the Kipsigis tribe in Kenya used to pronounce the title of legendary nation musician Jimmie Rodgers. A monitor recorded by a musicologist in the Nineteen Fifties of the tribe singing ‘Chemirocha’ is now on YouTube. Just like that story, the duo’s “two-winged dream” can evoke myriad interpretations and reactions, every in contrast to the different. But, in contrast to the album title, their music just isn’t going to be a “short-lived fantasy”.