The voice of Aaron Swartz guides the narrative of the opening song of Reminiscence , ‘There is no justice in following unjust laws’, as thick synths shiver delicately in the distance, slowly building up to that point just before a surge. Then the voice sort of takes over again, before Swartz’s death is announced while the strings at the back wither in deference. It’s a gentle, flowing tale, much like all of Riatsu’s music.
Every song Shadaab Kadri, who creates ambient music as Riatsu, writes has a story behind it, each with a personal significance. “I saw The Internet’s Own Boy [the 2014 documentary on programmer and Internet activist Swartz, who committed suicide in 2013], and I was almost left in tears,” says Kadri. “ Yeh banda kya sahi tha ; isko scam kar diya government ne . [He was a really cool guy, but the government fixed him.] He’s truly an inspiration to me.” Swartz’s story propelled Kadri to create an entire sonic soundscape around Swartz’s voice. That’s how he tends to write; it’s an interesting way of working, as he usually finds a speech or a spoken sample that rouses him, and then builds music to fit that context.
Really, Kadri’s always just immersing himself and consuming different forms of art, forever seeking inspiration to craft music around. Strangely enough, he cites as his biggest inspiration Valentino Rossi, the Italian MotoGP racer. “He’s 37, and he’s giving guys 15 years younger a run for their money. It shows me age is not a limiting factor. If you have passion for something, just follow it.” Now 30, Kadri’s been part of the indie music community for over a decade. He’s been part of Scribe’s management and worked at Blue Frog, Mumbai, where he programmed gigs, handled social media and digital marketing, and set up their video department. Kadri’s also the guitar player for instrumental/post-metal band Pangea.
There’s no hidden cynicism or apathy in his words. In fact, the guitarist has an almost childlike enthusiasm in his demeanour that pierces each conversation as he discusses his music, artists he likes or listens to, sparsely attended gigs where the audience and the performers seemed to connect, Valentino Rossi or Leonardo DiCaprio, being depressed and aimlessly watching an episode of Hannibal, only to get a flash of inspiration that led to a new song and a new perspective, choosing happiness over money and a corporate life (“It’s that feeling… 50 people losing their sh*t at a gig is more important to me than having those big numbers or making big money”), and how it’s been pouring in the capital this past week while Mumbai is humid at some 36 degrees.
An optimist
Kadri’s sincerity is rare in the arts community. There’s barely a murmur of a complaint. He seems insistent on turning everything he’s faced with into inspiration, to remould obstacles to fit his optimistic worldview.
While the seeds of the music were sown a couple of years ago, he started Riatsu as a solo project in the second half of 2015, after encouragement from friends and fans. Until then, he’d been content writing guitar parts, accompanying ambient structures around them for Pangea, and toying with the idea of writing music on his own.
He released his debut EP, Reminiscence, in February this year. It’s a five-song effort of soulful, often meandering ambient creations written on the Native Instruments Maschine, forgoing the guitar pretty much entirely for the comforting swells of electronic synth sounds. Each song exists in its own universe, driven by the voices: whether it’s a speech about happiness, a riff on climate change, or the disturbing tale of serial killers Fred and Rose West on 25 Cromwell Street which became a bit of a personal obsession for Kadri. It’s a term that’s been much abused of late, but Riatsu’s music is actually cinematic, not just as a platitude or in terms of the sound, but even the story and its construction.
In a few days, June 5, Kadri makes his live debut at the latest edition of the REProduce Listening Room sessions to be held at the TIFA Working Studios in Pune. He is, in his own words, a “nervous wreck” [since it’s his first ever solo performance], frantically trying to put together a set which will include four songs from Reminiscence and a handful of others. He’s got enough people listening to his music and sending him messages of appreciation from time to time, but performing live is a different story. The Listening Room gig is a one-off since it’s been established as a series of gigs where audiences actually pay attention to the music being played. So that comes as a big relief to him.
He’s a little wary of performing to less discerning audiences. “There’s no space for this music, not in the conventional performance space for sure,” he says. “My music is too intense and personal; if I’m playing an ambient set and people are laughing or talking at the back, it might kill my vibe entirely. Public bhadak jaayegi . [People will get angry with me].”
As for his process, Kadri likes to take his time with music. There’s difficulty shifting gears from Riatsu to Pangea’s far grittier space. “I’m like a Fiat Padmini. These boys are damn patient with me. Sometimes it’ll be days before I touch the guitar even. But it just happens, man. All it takes to get me motivated to practise or write is one good jam or recording session.”
The band, he tells me, wants to put out their next album hopefully by the end of this year, plus he’s also got a very interesting concept planned for the next Riatsu album, although he’s only willing to speak about that off the record. “I know I’m not a phenomenal musician,” Kadri says, speaking about what drives him and gives him the enthusiasm that’s practically ingrained in his personality. “But I’m a hardworking musician. I love what I do, and I believe in it.”
Riatsu’s music is available on Bandcamp. Pangea’s music is available on Soundcloud. Visit tifa.edu.in for tickets to REProduce Listening Room at the TIFA Working Studios.
The author is a freelance writer
Age is not a limiting factor. If you have passion for something, just follow it
