MUMBAI: Delhi-based contemporary band ‘Shadow and Light’ recently released its second album 'Elements'. The album features self-taught musician Anindo Bose on music arrangement and Pavithra Chari on vocals. Chari is a disciple of renowned singer  Smt. Shubha Mudgal.
 
The album’s music arrangement has distinct sounds, textures and approaches. The vibe is contemporary and cinematic. This new album is different in terms of direction as well as bolder in expression compared to their earlier album 'Shadow and Light'.  The musical duo introduced a fine amalgamation of Hindustani classical, pop, hints of jazz, lounge, Rnb, and electronic together and is much soothing.
 
When we had a talk with the soloist, she said she has been taking Hindustani Classical training since childhood and keenly interested in western classical as well. “Our first album was more about personal stories along with dark emotions, but Elements has less to do with personal things, it is more intense and passionate and most of the songs are centred on varied perspectives of love’’, says Pavithra.

                                                                                                                                                                Artwork Credits - Konspire

The song ‘Saavre’ is about intoxicated love, while ‘Tum’ is concerned about a steadier form of love. ‘Baras’ is a piece of music portraying parallel stories set against the backdrop of rain. ‘Dheemi’ and ‘Elements’ contain the idea of happiness. ‘Viraha’ is a meaningful Bandish style masterpiece with a distinct classical effect. ‘Dua’ is one song which portrays the meaningful state of mind and is layered deeply with poetry. It presents the subtle line between need and want. While listening to the songs, one can understand that some of the songs are the reflection of the composers’ state of mind. “I have certainly tried to push myself out of my comfort zone in this album. There are plenty of synth and piano solos, which reflect my musical influences and my immense love for bass, in  particular, has motivated me to experiment a lot more with moving bass lines,” says Anindo Bose.

A keen admirer of Ustad Rashid Khan, Shubha Mudgal and a trained classical dancer, Pavithra wishes to collaborate with several musicians, dancers and painters for her next project. “This album is a representation of a change in my mindset and my perspective on the things in my life. It is more specific than the first album and I would consider it an emotional step forward. I've explored ragas of higher intensity and taken more risks while also holding back when it was needed.  I hope for this music to reach as many people as possible. And we wish we collaborate with artists for movies and documentaries,’’ says Pavithra Chari.