We interviewed the new project Non Solo, formed by PAWAS and Anurag on the occasion of their new release Sarang EP.
Hello Non Solo! To begin with, could you share a bit about your beginnings in electronic music, like a Non Solo?
Anurag: I started my musical journey as a flute player with deep-rooted training in Indian Classical Music at the age of 9. I had my debut performance on Indian National Television (Doordarshan) at the age of 12. I have also had the privilege to perform regularly for All India Radio as well as various music festivals in India and Sweden.
My life journey brought me to Sweden in 2006 and since then I have been surrounded by the vibrant music scene (especially house and electronic) that Stockholm is known for.
Pawas and I have been friends for over two decades, we decided to merge our musical knowledge and skill set in Stockholm back in 2008. Pawas frequently visited Stockholm, playing at renowned clubs and immersing himself in the city’s vibrant music culture. We discussed the intricacies of various music genres over “Swedish fika” sessions.
During one of those “fika” conversations, I shared my observations about the richness of rhythmic layers in house and electronica but the limited exploration of melodies. That’s when the idea struck us—to bring together the melodic depth of Indian classical music and the rhythmic layers of house in a musical duet, a jugalbandi.
In traditional Indian classical music, you are trained as a soloist, mastering a single instrument and each instrumentalist has a deep understanding of the common syntax and rules of engagement that produce some brilliant duets. Both Pawas and I have been pursuing our respective solo music careers and mastering the craft. However, ‘Non solo’ brought us (soloists) together to collaborate on something that has not been done before in this way, so two soloists came together and formed Non Solo.
That’s how Non Solo was born!
Pawas: It’s a long story which began in the winter of 1997, the year when I started DJing in my hometown Pune, India. Discovering artists such as Daft Punk, Armand Van Helden, Phats & Small and many more through the CDs/compilations brought home by a few of my traveling friends, later on moving on to the realms of dark, tribal, progressive house, hard house, speed garage & 2 Step in the early 2000s and eventually producing and releasing my own music in 2007 would summarize my beginning and current journey in electronic music.
Where were you born and how did you get introduced to this world? In which city or place do you currently reside? How does your environment influence your artistic work?
Anurag: My move to Stockholm introduced me to the intriguing world of house music, and trips to Germany to visit my friend Pawas broadened it further. I was eager to explore new frontiers beyond Indian classical and wanted to create a blend of rich Indian classical compositions and the throbbing beats of house and electronica.
This project was born out of an intense desire to innovate and merge these two previously unmet genres and create something unique out of it. The throbbing music scenes of Stockholm, Cologne and Berlin may have added their own flair to it since we have been living in it. However, when it comes to creating new music, it is always going back to the basics and searching and digging inside that works for us. The outside environment is useful in getting the feedback and shaping it to get the desired effect but the inspiration always comes from within.
Pawas: The introduction to electronic music was by “Around the World” by Daft Punk. I heard this tune in a club which I had gone to visit after my gig and was mesmerized by it. India in the 80s and 90s was all about mainstream pop and rock music, hence this track was a breath of fresh air !
My environment or mood does not influence my work, it might help in shaping it. Music comes from within, it’s deeply rooted and if you believe in it and what you do then you don’t need to be influenced by anything, you have to let it happen!
Let’s talk about your discography. Is this your first project?
A&P: Yes, it is our first collaboration. Thanks to Masala Movement for releasing this on their new imprint and Shantanu Suman for the amazing Logo/Artwork.
What other future releases do you have planned?
A&P: We are working on some tracks and do plan to release another EP, but when exactly, we can’t say yet. We are looking forward to hearing from our listeners and aficionados about our current release first.
In addition to your studio work, do you perform as DJs or do live acts with your own material? How is your collaborative working process? In other words, how do you produce music together?
A&P: We will be performing Live as a duo but at the moment focusing on finishing our compositions. Since Anurag is a trained musician, he sets the “Raga” or scale and I create a simple groove with a basic chord for him to experiment on. Once the flute is recorded, we find the parts that we both like the most and start putting them together.
Lastly, is there any exciting news or upcoming project you would like to share with us in advance?
A&P: At the moment we are working on new material for the next releases. We do have some ideas which we are planning to explore. We will continue to bring out the melodies from different traditions, genres and geographies, be it classical or folk, while creating our own blend and merging them with the rich rhythmic layers of house and electronica. We start with a clean slate every time and don’t know what direction it will take or what sounds we may explore. Stay tuned and be ready to be surprised together.