Why be constricted to playing only one type of music when you can spice your sound up by sprinkling musical elements? This is evidently the stance that the members of Ape Echoes decided to go for when settling down to create their music. This Mumbai-based multi-genre band received acclaim for their music and creative skills ever since their first release. With time, they garnered enough traction in the scene to be able to push their first major release in the form of an EP (Ape Machines) which cemented their hold over its growing fan-base even further.
“Charlie Dreams of Escape” happens to be the band’s first full-length album and their second ever major release. Produced by Nirmit Shah and Sid Shirodkar, Charlie Dreams of Escape is a more collaborative effort than its predecessor, including writing contributions from band members Harshvardhan Gadhvi (guitars) and Sahil Shah (drums). The album also features singers Azamaan Hoyvoy, Shreya Bhattacharya and saxophonist Shirish Malhotra. The tracks in this album bear resemblance to their previous works, in that they continue to impress the fans by inculcating a sense of mystery in terms of what to expect next. The entire album exudes creative musicianship from each and every member responsible for its inception. Although the band’s work might seem like it’s an acquired taste, it doesn’t take long for one to realize how groovy and catchy the tunes are, and the listener finds himself wanting to explore further. Fortunately, the band hasn’t lost any of the captivating quality of its releases with the passage of time.
In perfect sync with their previous work, Ape Echoes manages to take elements of jazz, funk, R&B, electronica, pop and certain other genres to masterfully knead them into a pulchritudinous output. The individual members show their mastery over their particular instruments as we hear a whole wide spectrum of different sounds and tones previously unheard of to be interbred to create a whole new sound. With every new song in this album, the band manages to arrest the listener’s attention by delivering something out of the ordinary. Their penchant for out-of-the-box creativity is reflected in the art associated with their songs and albums, each telling a story contemporary to that release.
Ape Echoes has slowly started to make a name for itself in the music community with their exquisite and innovative sound. Although the variety of their sounds makes it difficult to associate a singular type with the band, perhaps that is what gives the band its character – the ability to sidestep people’s expectation and deliver something that will leave them spellbound.
