The Ska Vengers don’t really need an introduction. They came into being in 2009 and since then, they’ve kicked up quite a rumpus across the country. Why? Because as a band, they rarely shy away from theatrics, and always make a sound statement, musically and politically. Their latest album XX, the first one after their debut, is no different. Although you won’t get a private SoundCloud link like we did, we caught up with Delhi Sultanate and keys man Stefan Kaye to give you a lowdown on what to expect of their album and their show in Bengaluru on July 16 at The Humming Tree.
Bengaluru is no stranger to their sound and the band too, isn’t, to it’s openness. “People here are very open, they don’t necessarily want to hear commercial music and they respect musicians trying to create something. I remember once playing at a hotel, it was raining slightly but people didn’t mind and all danced and played, everyone got wet. The vibe was great,” recollects their lead vocalist, Taru Dalmia aka Delhi Sultanate, nudging us to wear suitable footwear to jump around in.
If you are acquainted with the band, they blend ska rhythms with elements of dub, punk, rap and jazz to concoct a sound that is refreshingly original, energetic and highly danceable. They believe with their new album, XX (pronounced double cross) they have really grown.
“Mostly because we understand the recording process better,” says Delhi Sultanate. They did many takes, added instruments, changed tracks and re-recorded vocals several times – a process that took three years, to achieve a raw, real sound. Speaking of instrumentation, with the band’s keyboardist Stefan acting as the main producer, they’ve added everything from theremin and dholaks to tumbi and glockenspiel to add colour to their sound.
“We even recorded a vacuum cleaner with the air passage being manipulated by hand to create different tones. This is quite low in the mix though so you probably would not notice!” says Stefan, letting us in on it, virtually fascinated by 50s ‘exotica’ pioneers like Martin Denny and Les Baxter. “Their studio experiments I find quite fascinating as seemingly incongruous instruments were blended to help create textures in the music,” he says.
Their music, you can say, is a reflection of our time. They are known for their social and political commentary and in their latest album, it’s only more pronounced if anything else. “We are more explicit in this one,” shares Delhi Sultanate.
“The violence is more visible, repression has reached prime cultural and educational institutions in the country. There is a worldwide resurgence of fascism coupled with destructive and life threatening capitalism. This has been happening for a long time, but we in the centre, the privileged have begun to feel this more than before. The war in Bastar and in tribal regions of the country is also making more news than it has before. People sense something is going awfully wrong,” he says.
After their gig here, they’ll pack their bags with energy and head for an eight-week tour of the UK. Will it be different? Sure. But, “People respect if you do whatever it is you do well,” says Taru.
