MUMBAI: It’s a busy and musical December at the Banks household. Just a week after collaborating with his father, legendary jazz musician Louis Banks for fusion album ‘Diya’, drummer Gino Banks released the first music video – Shinobi – from his upcoming debut solo album titled ‘Logically Speaking’.
One of the busiest drummers in the country (strictly considering the diverse projects and weekly gigs), Banks Jr. plans to release the album called ‘Logically Speaking’ in February 2017.”It’s a drummer’s album,” replies Banks, when asked to define the nature. “’Shinobi’ means Ninja, and similar to the characteristics of a Ninja, the song possesses the quality of being calm and composed. However, when necessary, it can escalate into an aggressive and fierce force.”
Listen: Shinobi
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The music community is aware of Banks’s contributions through ‘drums’, but ‘Logically Speaking’ will reveal some unknown amazing qualities of Banks as a composer and an all-rounder musician. From keys to bass (programmed), Banks has worked from the scratch – a process that took quite some time for understandable reasons. “I guess, the first composition from the album was written in 2005. I have been working on this album since then. In fact, Shinobi is the latest track I have composed. I had studied piano as a kid. This album acts as a good documentation of my music,” added Banks. The drummer informed the approach involved creating a pattern from the scale he liked, and that approach extends throughout the album. “The drums were recorded at the end, for every track.”
Mumbai-based progressive metal band Pangea’s guitarist Kuber Sharma recorded the drums for Banks’s latest single, while ever reliant Neil D’Souza mastered the song. “I have learned a lot from the people that I have associated to throughout the years, and finally I thought I would execute it, sitting in my bedroom,” said Banks on what finally inspired him to put out the decade-long idea. Shot on the roof top of a house in the outskirts of Mumbai, the 5:20 minute long features Banks on drums through various angles and textures, a result of Kaustubh Joshi’s direction and editing.
“I did not speak a lot about this album because I wanted to announce it with the release of its first video. Now, I am just waiting for the album art to be out,” said Banks.
At a time when musicians share the year’s best moments for the fans to relive the moments, Banks has already announced his yet another busy start to the upcoming year. The much awaited shows with British ace guitarist Guthrie Govan and the performance with BlackstratBlues at Mahindra Blues Festival highlight Banks’s schedule in February. However, the two shows follow a biggie in the form of a live collaboration with Ustad Zakir Hussain in Dubai in January.
Banks will hit the studio again to work on another project for an album with The Louiz Banks Guitar Synergy, featuring Louis Banks, guitarists Kush Upadhyay and Rhythm Shaw and bassist Mohini Dey (who will also accompany Banks and Guthrie Govan on the latter’s India tour in February).
