MUMBAI: Electro-funk band Shaa’ir + Func will be releasing a compilation of acoustic covers of their own tracks under the name ‘Re:cover’. Dewarist anchor Monica Dogra and Pentagram’s lead guitarist Randolph Correia are set to release their fourth album in nine years. After working on the album for a year now, they will be launching it on 14 February. With album artwork created by Randolph, the compilation hopes to be the soothing sound which replaces the loud of the night with quiet healing the morning after. The band also plans on releasing a video shortly.
Monica Dogra, a.k.a. Shaa’ir, spoke to Radioandmusic.com about the concept behind the upcoming album, “We have been jamming on acoustic versions of our own songs as an exercise and realised that they sound really good and so we decided to lay it down and put it out as something special dedicated to our fans. This is our first recorded acoustic electronic jam.”
Revealing a bit about the idea behind naming the album ‘Re:cover’ Monica said, “Initially, we thought to name it only ‘re’. Since the process of creating this album included re-tracking, re-producing, re-writing, re-discovering… And they are covers of our own tunes. So it is a double entendre. Get it?”
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The album seems like a remedy for recurring illnesses that S+F is only too familiar with. “We are a generation dedicating much of our energy to the dance floor, to late night raves, to roaming the earth with no agenda but to discover, and we all understand how crucial it is to allow our body to recover. Maybe you have danced too much or you cannot remember a thing from the previous night. Play our record. It will do your body good.”
The duo believes there is a “natural progression” to the way their sound is reinventing itself. “Our sound is becoming increasingly analog. We seem to be drifting towards working with more organic sounds. It is probably the natural progression, of things to go in this direction after writing so much bass heavy electronic music. We have written over 100 songs, learned how to pack dance floors and get people jumping…but ever still, there is magic in stillness…in a unifying quiet.”
But the band cannot decide which they prefer; their originals or acoustic versions. “Songs are like children. You can never choose your favorite. When you are rediscovering your music, you just play, you just sing, and the music guides you. Certain songs stuck out as being the strongest and the most beautiful interpretations, worth capturing and worth sharing.”
S+F has grown and transformed over the years and functions like a well oiled machine. “We are stronger, more intertwined, more experienced, obvious things that years lend. Also we now are a four piece band with Pman and ox7gen. We also have the same engineer, Div row Kavi.”
Their previous albums were released under the blueFROG records but now S+F plans to release this album independently. “We will not have a label involved for the release of this album. We plan on releasing this independently through iTunes. There is no need for label backing these days really,” she said.
