Dealing with Dualism

Ever since Sahej Bakshi became Dualist Inquiry three years ago — one of the youngest and most popular names in the Indian electronica dance music (EDM) scene — there is one question that chased him,haunted him and to some extent even irritated him. Fans and friends would often ask Bakshi when is he releasing an album,and the reserved artiste would get away by flashing his trademark smile. Finally,he has more to tell them — his nine-track album,Doppleganger,will release on March 15 at Blue Frog,Mumbai. “It’s difficult to define the overall sound of the album,but I’ve realised that my music is open-ended. So there are multiple genres that are part of it — glitch hop,ambient,experimental,electronica and traces of progressive rock,” says the 26-year-old,who is known for his experimental mash ups.

Like his artiste name,the album’s title too deals with the concept of identity and its many faces. “I have been travelling so much this year that it really affected my studio time,which is why the album took so long. The album is all new material that I have been working on for the last five-six months and it reflects my mood at that time,” says the Delhi-based artiste. The first single,Specter,for instance,has a faint progressive-rock sound and a passive aggressive quality to it — something that wasn’t quite there in his earlier tracks. Soleil surprises the listener with its dreamy,chilled out sound and Isoterra reminds one of Bakshi’s EPs from about a year-and-a-half ago. One of the most interesting tracks in Doppleganger is 6 AM,which gives a glimpse into the experimental streak in Bakshi. “One night I just couldn’t sleep and when I checked the time it was 6 am. So,I jumped out of bed and began work on a track and by 8 am it was over. I was on a musical high that time,which is why I called this track 6 AM,” explains Bakshi.

Apart from music,the album art by US-based artist Harikrishan Panicker is an added attraction. While the album is available for free download on Bakshi’s website and physical copies can be purchased at the gig venues,there is no established label backing it. “All the EDM labels I spoke to have a fixed sound and I don’t want to do that,which is why I came up with my own record label,Dualism Records,” he says. After launching the album in Mumbai,Bakshi goes on an eleven-city tour,which includes Delhi,Chennai,Pune,Chandigarh and Bangalore among others. “The aim is to reach out to as many people as possible,and not just stay limited to the metros,” says Bakshi.