7 months ago
3
Gig organisers and Bengaluru stone country regulars Vishwas Karanth and Avishek Dasgupta are present to dispel the conception that set civilization is connected the wane successful India. While Vishwas’ level Gigital India often spotlights new, autarkic artistes and Avishek fronts prog set The Pulse Theory and runs the events institution Dogmatix, the duo person teamed up to motorboat Higher Ground Music Festival. This indoor festival volition instrumentality spot from October 10 astatine The Raft successful Koramangala.
The lineup is driven by the extremity to get bands to execute astatine fashionable and sought-after venues successful the city. Day One features stone bands, No Neighbours Around and Simplemanradio alongside singer-songwriter Aanchal Bordoloi, portion Day Two has a ‘breakthrough stage’ lineup based connected implicit 50 applications from caller and upcoming artistes and bands to execute astatine the fest.
Vishwas says, “Choosing conscionable 5 was pugnacious due to the fact that truthful galore of the submissions were incredible. We yet focused connected bands formed successful the past mates of years and made our choices based connected the audio and video files they sent us. We privation we had abstraction for more, due to the fact that truthful galore of these bands genuinely merit a spot connected the lineup.” Avishek adds, “The emerging artistes showcase is the halfway ethos of this festival.”
Simplemanradio | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
To that end, alternate prog stone set Perception Delta from Chennai, alt-rock set OrchidEyes, stone enactment Rocktooth, the Ahin Viswam Project and singer-songwriter Tarita volition execute connected the breakthrough stage, headlined by metallers As Oceans Flatline. The festival closes with The Pulse Theory, stone set Rascals of the First Order and acoustic creator Abhinav Varma performing connected Day Three. In between, a rooftop sundowner league volition besides diagnostic seasoned singer-guitarist Noel D’Gama.
Avishek notes that this is simply a DIY event. “Our superior intent was to physique a niche abstraction with a premix of established section acts and upcoming endowment who often don’t person opportunities to showcase their music.”
Chennai enactment Perception Delta, who precocious released their debut single, ‘Haunt You’ are playing successful Bengaluru astatine what vocalist Antara Arvind calls, “their archetypal out-of-town ticketed gig”. “It is particularly 1 that is not lone committed to giving autarkic euphony a spotlight, but besides 1 that gives caller bands similar ours a changeable to play our material,” says Antara.
Drummer Shrikar says they are presently successful the process of making euphony and uncovering their sound, arsenic good arsenic gathering a acceptable list. Guitarist Nirav Adrian says for an upcoming set similar themselves, the attack is simple, “The close stages for america astatine the infinitesimal are the ones consenting to person america there! We are excited to amusement everyone what we’ve been moving on.” Bassist Kurian John highlights that they volition execute their debut single, ‘Haunt You’ arsenic good arsenic songs that “tie into larger societal themes.”
Aanchal Bordoloi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On Day One, Aanchal Bordoloi performs with guitarist Piyush Chhetri, soon aft releasing her caller Bossa Nova-inspired opus ‘Brazilian Girl.’ She says, “It is simply a opus that astir instantly gives maine hope. The lyrics unit maine to imagination and sway to immoderate euphony playing successful a faraway land — the opus revolves astir the themes of flight and belonging.”
Aanchal volition besides treble up arsenic the big astatine the festival, presenting artistes. As idiosyncratic who was introduced to genres specified arsenic progressive stone aft proceeding metropolis bands similar Rainburn, The Pulse Theory and Space Remedy perform, the Chennai-based artiste (originally from Assam) says she has seen the city’s unrecorded euphony abstraction alteration rather a bit.
She is besides going to beryllium performing successful Bengaluru connected November 9, arsenic portion of the Femme Music Global and Nyima Records’ showcase astatine Fandom.
As for The Pulse Theory, Avishek promises they volition beryllium ending with a “high octane set” of their songs. “This would people our past acceptable of shows for the twelvemonth earlier we instrumentality with marque caller worldly successful 2026 on with our upcoming album.”
Vishwas and Avishek some hold that determination are “constraints” successful the existent strategy of unrecorded euphony successful the city, particularly for autarkic bands, but they anticipation the Higher Ground Music Festival tin marque a dent. “The effect truthful acold has been great, and we are adjacent reasoning astir doing it doubly a year,” Vishwas adds.
Higher Ground Music Festival takes spot connected October 10, 11 and 12 astatine The Raft, Koramangala. Tickets, priced ₹499 per time and ₹999 for each 3 days, are disposable connected SkillBox.
