MUMBAI: One of the finest jazz drummers in India, Tarun Balani explores electronic music in his solo project, Seasonal Affected Beats. Referring to what he does as ‘improvised electronic music’, as Seasonal Affected Beats he brings the finesse, controlled volatility and discipline of jazz and merges it with malleability of electronic beats.

 Imagined as a trans-media electronic project – that was launched in 2018 – Seasonal Affected Beats sees Tarun make music through the prism of his reality, formed by his experiences of the world around him. Themes like mental health, climate change, rapid urbanisation, socio-political issues and digital existentialism play on his mind, and find their way into his lush and tactile productions that pulse with emotions.

Watch here:

https://open.spotify.com/track/1YEw7Q5yJdXRKW56oiySQ6

2 ° (2 degrees), his new EP, releases on March 13, and was the musical output outcome of his thoughts and experiences of living in a “dystopic, apocalyptic world” (read Delhi’s pollution levels) and the impending dangers of climate change. The name, 2 ° (2 degrees), in fact comes from the Paris Agreement.

On Friday, he released a new track called Prelude, from his soon-to-be-released EP, 2 ° (2 degrees).

 “The music of 2° (2 degrees) is composed like a suite, with each piece leading into the other and to be considered as separate movements within the suite,” says Tarun of the EP. “The song ‘Prelude’ introduces the listener to the sonic landscape of the EP, from spacey and minimal, to complex and disorderly. I hope to evoke a feeling of intrigue and leave listeners wanting more,” he adds.

The slow crescendo of synths on ‘Prelude’ conveys the urgency of the situation and, perhaps, of Tarun’s state of mind.