The second season of the well-acclaimed talent IP NEXA Music – The Lab saw 24 promising talents chosen by A R Rahman. What the fans may not know, is the phenomenal work that Bann Chakraborty, the man in our spotlight today has done. This Mumbai-based composer worked as the composer, producer and mentor for the chosen singers. 15 of the 24 final tracks of the album were produced by Bann and it showed the experience he brought being in the music business field for a decade now.
Chakraborty has composed in ad-films with brands like Cadbury’s, Colgate, Britannia, etc. You might recognise his most notable campaign – ‘Jaago Re’ for TATA tea. Some of his latest works also include music for the Netflix Original ‘Plan A Plan B.’ Apart from scores, the composer has also worked on songs like ‘Talli’ with Sunidhi Chauhan and ‘Keh Do Ke.’ His song ‘Mar Jayian’ from ‘Vicky Donor’ was also nominated for ‘Best Upcoming Composer’ at the 5th Mirchi Awards in 2013. His influence in pioneering India’s now thriving indie music landscape as the founder of the band Orange Street (1996-2007) gained international acclaim with performances at the UK’s Nottingham Festival, Slotsfjell in Norway, and Peace and Love in Sweden.
With over 2400 + entries for this season of the NEXA Music Project, the top 24 selected artists worked closely with AR Rahman as well as Bann Chakraborty. Here’s what the latter had to say about his experience working on the album:
How was it working and mentoring the selected artists for this season? Were there any experiments and explorations?
It was definitely exciting and with very tight deadlines, the challenge was real. The Top 24 artists were chosen on the basis of a large curation of voices in varied genres of Pop music, a category that has been a huge influence in my life as a musician and songwriter. I loved the opportunity of playing various roles of a mentor, producer and composer because this is where I was able to explore and bring out the best in the artists through a collaborative process.
As a composer/producer, what do you think you have brought to the Nexa Music Season 2 – The Lab?
It was this very thought that I started with on this project, I believe, I have been able to bring about an aesthetic that feels relevant in the context of the respective artists and their choice of genre in a strictly collaborative manner. I also believe (which was also one of my primary objectives) that I have been able to make this season sound different from the previous one in the larger context of its sonic soundscape.
Did you spot any emerging trends in the indie music scene during the course of this project?
I would say that I observed a mix of aspirations. Most of them felt very focused but one common factor was their confidence and desire to have songs that would showcase their skills while catching the attention of the listener. For me, it was a good, positive approach and made my job easier to understand their respective artistic identity.
If you could describe the album in a few sentences, what would it be?
This album is a showcase of Indian Indie talent in the world of English Pop music. Sonically it is ready for a global audience.
