After being lauded for her innovative compositions in Oye Lucky Lucky! Oye and Love Sex aur Dhokha, Sneha Khanwalkar is back with unique project MTV Sound Tripping. The youngest female composer of Bollywood industry will produce the sound sourced musical outtake conceptualized and owned by MTV.
Lending an inventive approach to the well-versed day-to-day life, Sneha Khanwalkar with Radioandmusic.com’s Swagata Panjari shares her views on the unique format of the show and what the term sound sourcing means to her.
Excerpts
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How would you define the show Sound Trippin?
Sound Trippin is a fresh format which has never been tried before. The show will offer an innovative music to its listeners through the sound of unexplored India in a very unconventional way. The USP of the show is that it will capture those idiosyncrasies of the Indian culture, places and music which have never been explored before.
For me Soundtrippin is a rentless pursuit of authentic sound. The show doesn’t highlight some classic instrumental music but instead it depicts that how with a little help of technology a normal day-to–day heard sound can be transformed into music. I look forward for such music, I don’t fancy recording in a close format.
How did the idea of producing such a show come up?
I didn’t want to borrow any concept or show from anybody, instead I wanted to create sole, pure and fresh Indian format which others may like to borrow. Enthused on exploring the rural town of India, I thought of producing a show which will let common music lovers realize that even they can compose music without any training. So, I approached MTV with my idea, and the channel been always game for innovative approach readily agreed the concept.
I have also heard that the show will release an album.
Each episode will feature a particular place and at the end of the show a song produce with the help of sounds accumulated from that place will be played. Such 10 songs will be piled and released in an album on Times Music.
Is the concept inspired from International artiste who have been crowd sourcing music?
I have heard things from the west like Imogen Heap and Moby but they have done it in their own space or to their subject of the song. But I have to do it more democratically like showcasing India through this sounds.
Which was one place that you wanted to explore through the show?
There is a double-meaning Nautanki which takes place in Kanpur. I happened to come across it on YouTube and just wanted to explore the whole nautanki. I wanted to understand the whole procedure in terms of how they compose the whole act and make it pure entertainment.
Being a female composer in the male dominated industry, what has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
The biggest challenge of being a female composer is to convince directors and producers that I can do the job seriously and I can meet the deadlines. I think the attitude is just because people have this set female notion of being emotional rather than general. But I am proud of my emotional side because that is what distinguishes my music from others. And I think with my body of work I have proved that I can meet deadlines and do a good job.
How did you experiment with sound in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye?
There was sourced music in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye but it was more of voices than sound. I sourced various vocals of people and when it was put together it sounded almost like our playback singers. In Sound Tipping its more complex as I have to note that one sound doesn’t overcomes other.
Belonging to a Hindustani classical background, what allured you to do something different?
I was born in a family where Hindustani music was the only true form of music. They weren’t much open for other forms and I wanted to remove this discrimination. So instead of playing one typical form of music, I decided to form music which relates to everyone and has flavor of all kinds of genre.
I never wanted to associate my work to a particular criteria, I just want to work with those director who allows me to showcase my creativity. I wanted my music to be opened for all rather than just being bollywood or contemporary.
Which are your forthcoming ventures?
Currently, I am focusing on my show and after that I will be composing music for a Hindi crime film Gangs of Wasseypur which is directed by Anurag Kashyap.
