The title of his forthcoming film, Ivan Vera Mathiri, for which he has scored the music, aptly describes him. Music director Sathya is different from the ordinary. When he first arrived with a slew of refreshing tunes for Engaeyum Eppodhum , it marked the entry of a musician who thinks out-of-the-box. No doubt, his foundation in Carnatic music has given Sathya the knowledge and experience to think differently when visualising song sequences.
“It all started when the producers of Engaeyum Eppodhum heard my compositions for Yen Ippadi Mayakkinai , which unfortunately remains in the cans, though it was completed in 2009. That Engaeyum Eppodhum did well at the box office has probably given director M. Saravanan the confidence to sign me up again for Ivan Vera Mathiri ,” says Sathya who has come up with some excellent compositions for the Vikram Prabhu-starrer.
Wide exposureWorking with directors such as M. Saravanan, R. Subramanian ( Sevarkodi ), A. C. Durai ( Ponmalai Pozhudhu ) and Sundar C ( Theeya Velai Seyyanum Kumaru ) has given Sathya wide exposure.
Having worked with Saravanan on Engaeyum Eppodhum , Sathya knew the director’s needs when it came to the songs and the background score for Ivan Vera Mathiri . “We share a terrific rapport and that helped us while creating music. For instance, the background score was integral to conveying the mood of each scene as there were very few dialogues in most of them. When the director was able to convey this to me, it made my work simple,” says Sathya. He mentions a 'heroic song', ‘Malaya Porattala’, which starts with hard rock riffs, switches to hip hop and dub step before ending again with hard rock. “When you see the picturisation, you will understand the magnitude of the scenes because of the way the music has been structured. In my view, the director's vision and the music director's interpretation should complement each other.”
Being a Carnatic musician and a harmonium player, Sathya could familiarise himself with the keyboard. He honed this skill by playing for live orchestras before venturing into film music direction. This and his affinity for technology helped him set up a recording studio where he could experiment with sounds and structures to come up with unique compositions. “I update the technology and equipment in my studio to keep abreast of world trends. And, I listen to different genres of global music to learn new styles and trends. All the same, I am still in awe of Ilaiyaraja and A. R. Rahman both of whom I look up to for inspiration,” says Sathya.
The six songs in Ivan Vera Mathiri have become a rage across Tamil Nadu, says Sathya. “I have just heard reports that in places such as Madurai and Tiruchi, there is a great acceptance of my music. Once the movie releases, the visual impact will add to the flavour of the songs. The styles are universal and therefore, I will not label them as belonging to any particular genre. For instance, for the song 'Enna Marandhein' sung by Madhushree, I have used a combination of Madhyamavati and Shree ragas to create a unique structure,” explains Sathya.
Ivan Vera Mathiri is releasing on Friday, December 13.