He had a point to prove and Prashob P. is walking on air after his first big break in music industry. His first composition, Chemmanam , is garnering appreciation since it was released a couple of days ago on the YouTube. What makes Chemmanam stand out is that it is an EDM (electronic dance music) track – “except for the guitar no live instrument has been used to compose the melody”, states the press release.
“I never went to a studio for its recording. Other than an acoustic guitar, every note has been made on my laptop. This is perhaps a unique venture in Malayalam independent music,” says the 21-year-old. Prashob has also written the song, which he says is “about dreams and aspirations of ordinary people.”
The spark for creating the single was his not-so-happy experience with a band. “I did my graduation in computer science in Bengaluru where I was guitarist with a band. I moved out of the band when I found that some of them were in it just to make money. So once I came back I decided to prove myself as a musician. What came handy was my interest in computer programming and thus this EDM was born,” says Prashob, a native of Palakkad. He got the support of Sujith Nair and Nimmi Chakkingal who have sung the duet, which has been released by Muzik 247.
EDM is not an easy genre as many people assume it to be. “It is time-consuming. We have been working on this for many months. The beauty of making an EDM is that it keeps surprising you. We were pretty clear that the lyrics should be simple, something that both the young and old can enjoy,” he adds. Meanwhile, he admits that some people have observed that the lyrics are too simple. However that hasn’t deterred him and his friends from working on more songs. “We are very clear about what we want to do next,” he says.
An inspiration to try EDM has been Avicii, the Swedish musician and DJ, says Prashob. “Once I started listening to his tracks, I felt that I should also give a try. So I started doing research about the genre. My objective has always been to create a new music style in Malayalam.”
Except for some training in guitar, he is a self-taught musician who also plays the drums and piano.
Now that he has decided to become a full-time musician, isn’t he worried about how to stay put in the industry that is teeming with aspiring composers and singers.
“Not at all. I am not competing with anyone. The driving force is my passion for music. Chemmanam is part of a music project, Megham . It’s not that we will create only EDM. We keep creating music that people like,” he signs off.
