Comments (0)
Interviews |  29 Jan 2021 19:07 |  By Tolika Yeptho

Antariksh is 'honoured' and 'privileged' to work with legend Marty Friedman

MUMBAI: Premier Prog Rock/Fusion/Hindi-Rock project based out of New Delhi, Antariksh released “Quest” featuring the living legend of guitar Marty Friedman.

Radioandmusic got in touch with composer, vocalist, guitar player & founder of Antariksh, Varun Rajput in regard to the latest first ever track with lyrics in both Hindi and English and

Check the interview below:

What is the song story?

Thank you so much! The lyrical theme of Quest is inspired by my experiences and learnings from a meditation technique called Vipassana, as well as a bit of Alan Watts’ philosophy. Much like a lot of Antariksh’s previous releases, Quest has introspective lyrics, questioning the true cause of our existence as humans, and how our ego, lust for money, power and greed make us feel that we are in control of our situations and decisions, while there are barely moments in life when we are truly in control. Most of the time we are only just responding to stimulus around us. We don’t even know why we exist or where we come from and where we go, while in the little time we have here, the control and power that we feel and tend to exercise is merely an illusion. Musically, the song is set in a Prog-Rock space where I’m trying to fuse my love for both eastern and western styles of music in a coherent manner.

Watch here:

How was it collaborating with international guitar legend? Any particular memory that you would like to share?

Not only is Marty an absolute legend, but also one of the humblest and kind people I’ve come across. It was an absolute honor and privilege to be able to work and interact with him. The collaboration bit was an absolute breeze - It was as straightforward as sending him the backing track and tempo of the song and Marty responding with an incredible take of the solo in merely 4 days. The phenomenal musician that he is, the solo rests so beautifully in the space of the song - so unique, that you can tell its Marty right from the first note and I absolutely love how he’s played in the context of the song without even understanding most of the lyrics as they’re written in Hindi. During our interaction and communication for Quest, he referred to Antariksh’s sound as ‘well thought out’, ‘unique’ and put together ‘with a lot of care for detail’ - I will definitely never forget his graciousness and kindness in this lifetime.

What is the one goal of your band in 2021 and what is the one thing you wish to leave behind 2020?

The goal for 2021 is to continue exploring various styles of music and releasing new singles, culminating in the release of a new album early this year. I do hope to leave behind our solely virtual existence in 2020 and get back on the road, touring and playing for people all over.

Games