Gentle genre-bending is something I’m very fond of. What I mean by that is simple: I enjoy it when an artist manages to weave together strands of different styles and traditions without having to resort to cacophony or eccentricity to get their point across. Today’s premiere is one of those rare gems to be dug out amongst the carnage.
On his latest single “21 Rote”, Amit Rai Sharma (of Ex Libras fame) fuses elements of post-rock, jazz, electronica, and world music in a way that evokes Radiohead, The Cinematic Orchestra, Four Tet, and The Album Leaf without feeling like a wrinkled carbon copy of those household names. Rustic beats mingle with what sounds like a pitchy harpsichord and glitch aesthetics to lay the acoustic foundation for a moving guitar pattern and sound effects. There’s an emotional resonance to these sounds and how they’re carefully, gradually stacked to become a stunning piece of music.
The song breaks out of its timid shell by the 3-minute mark, ready to dazzle with its kaleidoscopic refraction of the sounds that were introduced in the previous movement. That’s when Amit Rai Sharma begins to add his voice to the mix, and I’m won over completely. The thud and twinkle of this music box-esque beat skillfully underlines the yearning tone of his singing, while an almost disruptive scratching noise invades this blissful piece – elsewhere, it might’ve thrown me off, but somehow it fits this song quite well.
I also like how the vocals aren’t immediately made the focal point of the composition once they’re introduced; instead, Amit Rai Sharma uses them as a texture, a brushstroke, a different color to fulfill a certain role. It’s a beautiful way to underscore the importance of the instrumental without sacrificing the emotional impact of this very human contribution. “21 Rote” is a very special kind of song, and I think you’ll come to appreciate its charms as well once you’ve spent some time with it.
“21 Rote” follows previous singles “Spells and Charms and Broken Homes” and “Pieces”, which all point towards the release of Amit Rai Sharma‘s full-length album Bnju later this year. You can check out his music, including these singles, on Bandcamp; I’d also advise you to follow the man on Twitter and via his website if you want to stay in contact with his musical endeavors.
