Chennai alternative/electro rock band The F16s have (like several other Indian independent artists) taken their time to carefully tweak and add finishing touches to their debut album Triggerpunkte for a long time, including changing studio personnel. The patience and willingness to hold on to your material for nearly a year after its intended release date often seems like a delay tactic, but the attention to detail definitely works in the favour of the band on their first full-length release.
Triggerpunkte features nine tracks of shimmering modern indie and alternative rock. Naturally, they have choice words for lovers and former lovers and friends. Coming from the gig-parched city of Chennai, there is a bit of rage, a lot of dejection juxtaposed against bouncy synth, bass and drum lines. For instance, one of their earliest compositions for the album, ‘Palladian Park’ is a laid back tune featuring vocalist-guitarist Josh Fernandez pretty much singing a plea the whole five minutes. Guitarist Abhinav Krishnaswamy, drummer Shashank Manohar, bassist Vikram Yesudas and keyboardist Harshan Radhakrishnan get incredibly groovy with their phrasing on the math-like ‘Cannibal Life II’ and turn to experiments in electronica on ‘Caddilak’. They swerve completely on ‘Digital Dead’, matching aggro guitar riffs over fast-paced dancey drums.
On ‘Lunazep’, there’s a hint of their earlier melodic sound off EPs Nobody’s Gonna Wait and Kaleidoscope , but it surprisingly fits well with the rest of the EP’s ever-changing mood and tempo. Fernandez, of course, hits the best notes, proving why he is one of the most distinct voices in Indian rock right now. They build it up on ‘Plastik Like Skin’, guitars just threatening to explode over the drum rolls – and when it finally does, you bet it is massive enough to make an arena jump.
Triggerpunkte is as current and contemporary as indie/alternative music gets, which puts them on an international standing – if people were to hear this album, they would probably put it on par with bands from all over the world. And that’s probably worth the wait for both, the band and their fans.
Get the album on thef16s.bandcamp.com
