Week on Week: The VICE India Mixtape

Attempting to keep up with new releases is exhausting. And the never-ending quest to discover an act before they hit >1000 plays on Bandcamp is all but rewarding. Having given up full-time music writing a little while ago, more often than not, I find myself feeling a mix of FOMO and IDGAF about new local music while compiling my Spotify playlists. With this feature, we (that, is I) aim to put together a weekly mixtape—without being judgemental assholes.

This week we’ve got the peeps behind Noosphere Network—a collective of like-minded individuals that includes musicians, curators, graphic artists, illustrators and performers from India and across the world—to curate, pick out and recommend their tunes for our Friday playlist to make your weekend better!

“I was a bit late in getting hit by the Aphex train but, oh boy, did it hit! There's too much
music of his that I like and even while picking this track, I thought of others (names
known or melodies remembered) that might have been a 'better choice' but after a
colossal consultation with the consortium of Aphex aficionados, dis be de one. Also,
I remember listening to this particular track around the time I was working on my EP.
I was going through one of those Aphex phases where it was pretty much all I was
listening to. Old stuff, his newer stuff, stuff I hadn’t heard. This was definitely one of
those tracks that I always came back to.”
—Shantam, 1/3 rd of FOPCHU; check out his music here

“I picked the title track, but I mean the whole album. "The End" almost feels like a celebration of the apocalypse. Yes, the world is ending, but I’m going to sit down on this couch, light one up and wait for it to happen. The sound is dark, ambient and moody; sometimes drifting towards smooth and chill, and at other times, disjointed and unnerving. The low fidelity of the sonic palette further adds to the feeling of decay as most of the songs feature heavily saturated guitars, synths and delays. The whole mix almost sounds like it's coming from a slightly broken cassette player on the verge of a complete breakdown. This album is a beautiful mess of a journey where the listener chooses their own adventure. Are you falling downward or upward? It’s an emotionally-heavy project that doesn’t exhaust you completely. And might even leave you with a sense of hope for the future.”
—Abhimanyu Mullick is the embodiment of an angry and confused young man from India who expresses himself more accurately through music; more here

“This is one of my favourite tracks on the Secret Rhythms album. In fact, there are six volumes of Secret Rhythms, and each of them is a different showcase of Burnt Friedman’s flawless signature style. What makes this a little more special is his collaboration with percussion legend Jaki Liebezeit, who was known for his flawless drum grooves in his band, CAN, back in the late '60s. I’d recommend checking out some CAN as well, they’re a kraut rock band from Germany whose tunes are an assortment of funk/psychedelia/punk and rock. Burnt Friedman, also German, comes from various avenues of music. His collaboration with Atom, known as Flanger, is worth looking into as well. Secret Rhythms Vol. 1, or any for that matter, is a wholesome audio experience. An intricate balance of electronic and acoustic instrumentation and super fine sonic sculpting makes for a yummy palette, soothing not just your ears, but your speakers.”
—Siddhant Subramaniam aka Siddh, 1/3rd of FOPCHU

“Lapalux has managed to sonically recreate that feeling of calm resignation and acceptance of a love that was! The slow tempo, melancholic chords, and the pitched-down vocals, with intricately layered instrumentation, are hauntingly beautiful. Listening to this track leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. No matter how sad, it leaves you with the feeling that you’ve come out of this stronger!”
—Ishani Dasgupta, label friend; podcasts & original content at JioSaavn

“Although not a tune I sink into often (as I honour the healing capacities), it anchors a deep resonance within my mental/emotional/spiritual self—a facile ability to ‘reset’ my inner self and, therefore, my outer world. Through the boundless reaches of everything that is LOVE.”
—Tre Munroe, marine safety officer/ co-founder at Noosphere Network

“This track from Badun’s first album has stuck with me since the first time I heard it all those years back, off my friend's hard drive, hidden between a whole lot of Scandinavian psychedelic music. The entire album—over 12 years old now—is so well-written, intricate and articulate. The sound design is extremely detailed and almost mischievous in its story-telling. It brings a sly grin to my face every time! So old, yet so fresh and forward, and truly, a timeless approach to experimental jazz and electronic music. Denmark’s finest!”
—Arnav Singhal, co-founder & antique beat-collector at Noosphere Network

“Are we having a baller of a summer yet, or what? We’ve got so many new albums in this fortnight, I’m finding it hella hard to stick with each of them right now. Tyler, The Creator, dropped the sickest albums of the year on May 17, and I’ve not had enough of it just yet to throw in a recco. Coupled with this gorgeous single dropped by Flying Lotus, prior to his entire record (which is out now), this is a sign of knowing that Steven Ellison isn’t going to set us up for disappointment.

Heard best in the capacity of a dual release, "Takishi" takes off so well from where "Spontaneous" featuring Little Dragon leaves off. You almost know FlyLo wanted you to rave to this at 2 a.m., not just as a banger, but as a song you’d want to go back to and play (a few times over). The chord changes, the time shifts and overall mood of the song oscillating from a slow-burner into a breakbeat, disco saga unfolding, had me hooked literally the first time I heard it, and continue to do so. The weekend is ripe for immersive listening, thanks to FlyLo.”
—Naman Saraiya, Producer @ VICE Asia

Check out previous editions here, and all of it on Spotify here.