Top Indian Songs of the week 6th August 2023

1. Swinging Like a Pendulum

Performed by Mathangi Jagdish

Written by Mathangi Jagdish

Produced by KJ Singh

Language: English

Genre: Jazz

I played this EP called " Major Troubles in Minor Blues" and I had no idea or expectations about the artist Mathangi Jagdish. Within a few seconds I was smiling, with eyes closed and living an unforgettable moment of excitement and joy. If a diagnosis was done of these symptoms, the cause would generally have to be "listening to amazing music". True!

Mathangi is nothing short of brilliant and she straightaway reminded me of powerhouse performers like Vivienne Pocha and Samantha Noella. This EP is something that you should try straightaway and I loved all 3 songs, with special mentions for "Swinging like a Pendulum" and "Salt in My Kitchen". 

The magical Bombay Brass is on the horns section and you hear their delightful intro with Robin Fargose on Trumpets, ID Rao on Tenor Sax, Ramon Ibrahim on Trombone, Rhys Sebastian on Alto Sax and the Baritone Sax. The arrangements of the brass section are by Rhys. Mathangi makes a grand entrance with her phenomenal vocals and when you hear the line " At every corner, a twist and a turn" the delectable vibrato on the word 'turn' makes so much sense and oozes of style. 

The title line is beautifully composed by Mathangi like the entire song, as she goes " Im swingin' swinging like a pendulum". The Piano and drums are constant companions with Merlin Dsouza on the former and Jeoraj George on the latter. The entire production is by KJ Singh and he deserves a standing ovation just like Mathangi and every live instrumentalist, except that he is the director of this whole movie. Mathangi has written these witty lines and she performs with amazing zest. 

The bridge section is very nicely written, and Mathangi's genius comes alive again when the word "elevate" is sung with rising notes. Kudos! Singing with emotions is what many in the current generation need to learn, I can feel her weariness when she sings " cos I'm tired". The other song that is just brilliant is "Salt in My Kitchen", with the same roles played by all musicians, except for a few minor changes, there are no major alterations to the amazement. The song feels like Tina Turner's "Golden Eye" OST and here too the Bombay Brass is killing it. Joshua Rodrigues plays the Double Bass in the EP and it is Siddharth Talwar on guitars. 

Mathangi explores even deeper capabilities of her vocal structure in this song. She conveys so much in " All I wanna do is write my song Cos its been so long" because Mathangi has been such a famous playback singer in South Indian cinema with over 450 songs to her credit. She has sung for greats like AR Rahman and MM Keeravani and geniuses like Ilaiyaraja. I cannot wait for her to turn this debut EP into a start for something magnificent in the future. Towards the end Mathangi does a Carnatic styled " Oh it's been so long" and I was bowled over. This is where I heard a bit of Raag Bhimpalasi in the mix. 

The tracks are mixed by KJ Singh, with Mark Wingfield on mastering duties. The recording engineers are Mrunal, Leslie Charles, Adhithya Sivakumar and Hersh Desai. Asli Music is the label. 

@kjpahji @musicmerlin @everythingwedoismusic @saxontoast @idrao_official @trumpetrobin @ramonibrahim @crossbow191 @musicsoundart @jeoraj_george @mark_wingfield @stainedclassprod @lesliecharles @studioislandcity @pandalilikestopaint @punamsawhney @nehav07 @aslimusicglobal @mathangijagdishmusic @hersh.desai.9 @adhithya.sivakumar

2. Raahein

Singers: Shrishti Kedlaya, Parvatish Pradeep

Lyrics: Sushant Sudhakaran

Music Composed & Produced by Parvatish Pradeep

Audio Design: Sparsh Agrawal, Abin Thomas

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop

Time for a newcomer on this list, and that always gets me eager and excited. The composer we have here is Parvatish Pradeep, who has also produced this brilliantly. We hear the female vocals coming from Shrishti Kedlaya, and Parvatish also accompanies the lead vocals. Interestingly Parvatish has a classical Carnatic music background. 

Shrishti has this amazing tone, almost feeling surreal when you hear her and, there is no way a music lover can resist her voice, so we end up getting drawn into the song. Abin Thomas and Sparsh Agrawal are responsible for the fabulous audio design and we have to credit them with the exuberant and excellent sound. I do sense some Raag Hamsadwani right at the beginning when Shrishti's lines are up. 

The strumming of the guitars is accompanied by Keys and synths and the song gets a tremendous boost when she starts singing " Raahein". That is one brilliant moment which will throw you off your seat. The electric guitar solo comes into the interlude and some vocal interventions. This sound design in a few ways does remind me of Pritam and himonshu Parikh's 'Kesariya' last year. Parvatish joins in the stanza and maintains the beauty that Shrishti created up until then. I trust a lot of the song's great output is thanks to Sparsh, because to this day, "Colors" produced by him is one of the best Indie songs of 2023. 

The song gets better and better when the lines "baadal chaand ko dhoond rahe" when the lead vocalists sing in unison. I love the outro with Parvatish's aalap and the woodwind sounds slowly fading away. The tracks are brilliantly mixed by Abin and Prasad Maha with mastering by Prasad. 

@parvatish @abinthomasmusic @prasad_loud @kedu.archives @sprshagrawal @bliss_o_sopher @jateen_oswal_

3. Hoorata

Composed, Arranged and Programmed by: Charan Raj

Singers: MC Bijju (Rap) & Keerthan Holla 

Lyricists: MC Bijju & Kiran Kaverappa 

Programmed by Charanraj and Sujith Sreedhar

Strings arrangement: Rithu Vyshak

Indian vocal arrangement: Narayan Sharma

Language: Kannada

Genre: Classical/Hip-Hip 

It is exciting and thrilling for me to feature one of India's finest composers today Charan Raj, especially just a few weeks after I met with the man himself and chatted about music in his home/studio. Charan just doesn't disappoint come what may. He tries to be fresh, original and also combines it with creativity and boldness. I just have to get up and salute him and his close aide Narayan Sharma who has worked on the Indian vocal arrangements for this song( I met up with him too).

The opening Violins and Viola is just a kick in your rear end if you were ever listening to some mediocre music and making reels. Welcome to the world of good quality music my friends, we have none other than Rithu Vysakh who does the strings arrangements for this one. The Violins and Viola are played by Carol George, Francis Xavier, Herald Antony and Jose Jacob of Cochin Strings. These amazing strings combine with heart-thumping rhythms, and modern Keys and synth arrangements. 

MC Bijju writes and performs the Rap segments while Keerthan Holla sings the Indian vocals and these Kannada lyrics are penned by Kiran Kaverappa. The strings continue and they sound magical with the rap segments and the solid bass guitars by Napier Naveen. Vishnu Vijay is another brilliant flautist/composer who plays the flute solo and we can hear the underlying Raag Jog influence steadily flowing. 

That comes out clearly in the second interlude with the flute solo notes and the swaras sung by Keerthan. Narayan Sharma does all the additional programming and we have guitars and Mandolin played by Vagu Mazan. The song is an auditory treat and you better enjoy it. Sujith Sreedhar is the mix/master engineer at 2barQ studio and the recording engineers are Sujith Sreedhar, Aniketh Mohanty and Nikhil. Venkatesh G Bhat is the Music Supervisor. 

@charanraj27185 @narayan_sharma227 @vagu_mazan @keerthan.holla @mcbijjuu @rithuvyshakh @napier_naveen @vishnuvijay01 @rogerdatk

4. Sakhi Neelambari

Music Direction: Athul Anand

Vocal: Harish Sivaramakrishnan

Lyrics: Sreejith Achuthan Nair

Arranged And Programmed: Rex George

Language Malayalam

Genre: Semi-Classical

To imagine that the frontman of one of India's leading fusion rock bands would deliver a Carnatic-styled song with absolute efficacy might seem strange, but I just realised Agam the band was always deep into making Carnatic Rock. Still don't even bother taking any credit away from Harish Sivaramakrishnan for this irresistible performance. 

Athul Anand composes the music with Rex Goerge programming and arranging all the instrumentals. Biju's Veena makes the entry and we try and get out of this maze and spell of magic that Harish puts us through. If I am not wrong this song too is set in Raag Jog ( Naatai in Carnatic) and Sandeep Mohan's acoustic guitars take off where the Veena exits. To make matters more touching Manonmani whips you with the Sarangi solo. 

The stanza is beautifully composed, but it is enhanced multifold thanks to the vocal abilities of Harish. The vibrato, his ability to emote through the delivery of the notes and the high-pitch singing is all pure mastery. The Veena by Biju and Nadaswaram by Akhil form the second interlude. Rex needs to be praised for this visionary set of arrangements and programming. Arjun B Nair does the mix and master of the tacks and the recording engineers are Dil Vinu, Sanjay Sukumaran (Sonic Island Kochi) and Avinash Satish (20 Db Studios, Chennai). The Swathithirunal Krithi Vocals are by Ranjith Jayaraman. 

@musician_athul @hsrkofficial @gouri_vineeth_ @muzik247in @sonic_island_studio @rex_george @manonmanisarangi @avinashsathish 

5. Barkha

Singer: Sunidhi Chauhan

Composer & Music Producer: Arijit Singh

Lyrics: Irshad Kamil

Language: Hindi

Genre: Classical-Pop

There are some vocalists and playback singers who have made attempts at music composition, and it is not easy to make the transition. There a very few who have succeded and excelled just like actors who venture into movie writing and direction. Every time I hear a new single by Arijit Singh, I get a feeling that he is one of those who have achieved the crossover quite well. 

One of the finest singers of our generation Sunidhi Chauhan delivers this with incredible poise and perfection. The combined effect of ZIA's Piano and Tapas Roy's Strokes is something that cannot be expressed in words but just has to be heard and experienced. Sunidhi can energise a crowd with her powering vocals, but here she gets the briefing to stay subtle and she delivers it, touching our hearts. The flute solo by Nirmalya Dey is like an afternoon walk in the breeze, giving us the motivation to carry on even on a rough day. 

That aalap just at the start of the stanza just calms our minds, and even though the stanza is brief, one cannot question this thanks to the beauty laden in the interludes, Sunidhi's vocals. Arijit makes a foray in the second interlude with his alap and here I have a feeling there is some influence of Raag Khamaj. Aditya Shankar plays the guitars, and the brilliance in the composition comes here when the second stanza is quite different from what we heard the first time around. Sunidhi grabs your attention with a slightly more vigorous delivery of flowy notes. The stroke instruments by Tapas just act like the perfect garnish. 

Sunny M.R. has mixed and mastered the tracks at Chordfather Productions, the recording engineers are Sukanta Singha, Kirti Prabar Das and Anirban Sinha Chowdhury. R Nitish Kumar records all the additional stroke instruments at PlayHead Studio. 

@kamil_irshad_official @sunidhichauhan5 @sunnymr @mandolintapas @jesuisnikki8adi @humtoo1 @shashankdogra @elisha_mayor @rishav_for_you @arijitsingh @saregama_official

6. Deva Raja

Singer: Arya Dhayal 

Lyricist: Kalyan Chakravarthi 

Music composer: Vijai Bulganin

Keyboard programmer: Sathish Sebastian 

Language: Telugu

Genre: Carnatic-Electonic Pop

Vijai Bulganin is one of the best Indian composers out there and I have said more than a few times. Vijai keeps coming up with excellent indie singles, but this time it is a movie album called "Baby" and two songs have already been featured from this very lovable EP. This is a semi-classical fusion number sung by Arya Dhayal. Everybody on YT knows how talented she is, and she is proving it beyond a shred of doubt in this song. 

This is going to be one of the best vocal performances of 2023, and I feel this is set in Aabheri Ragam. The singing is steeped in Carnatic classical music with keys and rhythms being 100% westernised. Sandilya Pisapati plays the solo Violin in the interlude in his usual flamboyant style and we have Abin Sagar on guitars. We do hear the female chorus in the background and it is Pavani, Sonu Komanduri and Aiswarya. Though Arya is stunning in this performance credit must go to Kapil Kapilan the vocal engineer, and Anudeep Dev for vocal arrangements and Lakshmi Meghana who sang the track for presentation. Kalyan Chakravarthi is the lyricist. 

The segment after her long aalap, when we hit the 3.40-minute mark is pure delight as Arya performs tongue-twisting and mind-numbing swaras at break-neck speed. Subhani handles all the string instruments and Sathish Sebastian is the man behind the brilliant keyboard programming. Balu S does the mixing, Roshan Sebastian does the mastering and Musthan Vali is the recording engineer. Kudos to Vijai for the vision and composition, and Arya Dhayal for executing it to perfection. 

@vijai_bulganin @aryadhayal @kalyanitipirneni @roshansebastian @singerpavanivasa

7. Baat Kya Hai

Singer & Music Composer - Samira Koppikar 

Lyricist - Shellee

Music Production & Arrangements - Tubby

Additional Music production - Siddhanth Mishra

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

It is so heartening and refreshing to see two amazing women musicians who not only are singing but also composing the music as well, appear in the top 5 songs of the week, from across the nation. I had even featured Samira Koppikar as one of the brightest women composers in India. 

She has composed the melody and sung the vocals with Tubby on music production. I am a huge fan of his work and he is one of the most dependable and respected producers out there. The tune is not run-of-the-mill as within seconds we get an expected turn and the notes give us a surprise or two. After the line "Sochte hi saath jaise jeeyein", the line that follows " sau adaayein mehki se teri" is a welcome shuffle. Shellee has written the sweet lyrics. 

Kalyan Baruah adds style with the bassline, Tubby handles all the programming and arrangements with another rising musician Siddhant Mishra on additional music production duties. We already are enchanted by this sombre melody and then comes the highlight- the chorus segment with an outrageous line "ooo oo aai yehh, muskuraaon ooo aai yehh". 

Shankar Tucker's delightful Clarinet solo covers up the interlude, and there are minor traces of the Charukeshi scale that I heard here when Sahankar improvises. The stanza is melodious, made even better by Samira's vocals and the production which has these mild drums and strings section in the background. The outro is just fantastic with all the vocal harmonies and then the guitar notes. Overall I believe there is Raag Bilawal influence in the melody. 

I am yet to listen to the EP "Sang Baarishon Ke", but I am certain I'll find a couple of more gems in it next week. Ajinkya Dhapare has mixed and mastered the tracks at The Sonic Station, with Vrat Bhushetty assisting. Shadab Rayeen does the Atmos Dolby mixing and mastering. 

@samirakoppikar @tubbys_music @koo_ba_koo @kalyanbaruah @shankartucker @siddhant581 @ajinkyadhapare @shadabrayeen 

8. Mallah

Composed and performed by: Agnee

Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya

Vocals: Mohan Kannan

Guitars and Music Production: Koco

Language: Hindi

Genre: Classical Rock 

One of the premier rock bands in India is back here with a fantastic new single. Just this year we had Indian Ocean come out with an EP, and now to see another hugely popular and established band 'Agnee' return brings glee and hope. Mohan Kannan the lead vocalist is performing at the peak of his vocal powers and Koco the other original founding member of the band sizzles on the electric guitar and produces this track. 

Interestingly we have the famous Amitabh Bhattacharya, writing the lyrics and that is always a welcome treat for the avid listener. Mohan introduces this very classical style of singing and this fusion of the vocals along with the heavy rock style of instrumentation is a recipe for excellence. Hrishikesh Datar is playing the drums and gives a lifeline of beats and rhythms to the song and all this is connected through an amazing style by bassist Chirayu Vedekar. 

I love the moment when Mohan just improvises and sings the title line around the 1.40-minute mark and here you have to surrender to the man's vocal prowess and skills of execution. Koco then takes over and tells with his guitar solo " Anything you can do, I can do too" to Mohan just through the strumming. The drop in tension is visible in the stanza when the acoustic guitar dominates and the drums fade off at least in the start. After that, we get a nicely written melody in the stanza. The recording engineers are Abhishek Khandelwal, Gino Banks, and Dileep Nair. Abhishek is also the mix/master engineer. 

@agneelive @mohankannanofficial @theofficialkoco @hrishidatar @merchant_records @amitabhbhattacharyaofficial @salimmerchant @ishika.musical @abhishek.1281 @ginobanksofficial @dilipnair_ @royalewithcheese88 

9. Zindagi Kya Hai Tu

Composed, Produced & Performed by Joell 

Lyrics - Chinmayi Tripathi 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Blues-Pop

Joell is one of my favourite musicians because he understands how to captivate his audience, and also he doesn't stick to just one genre and style. He has created beautiful pop fusions with Ghazal poetry-based music and now we have a wonderful Blues-Pop song. The collaboration with Chinmayi Tripathi continues for Joell as she has penned the lyrics and Joell Mukherjii composes, produces and sings this number. 

The Piano, acoustic and electric guitars, drums and Keys keep covering up all the spaces and they make for some wonderful listening when they combine in the interlude. I can also hear an Organ Piano, and things become even more bluesy with the introduction of the Trumpets and Trombone. They constantly play in the background in two layers and well done Joell for fabulous arrangements. Ninad Lad is responsible for the sound design and mixing of the tracks. Mastering is done by Donal Whelan. 

@joellmukherjii @akankshalad @ninad.lad @hafod_mastering @chinmayitripathi

10. Pareedumo

Composed and Produced - Arun Thomas

Co-Arranged by Amal Varghese

Singers - Evugin Emmanuel & Zeba Tommy

Lyrics - Anwar Ali & Amal Varghese (English)

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Folk/Pop

Arun Thomas is the composer and producer of this sensational song, and he brilliantly nails it. Zeba Tommy has been featured a few times for indie singles as well as songs in Mollywood albums. This is straight down her alley and the way Zeba sings the English lines with amazing gusto and oomph. Evugin Emmanuel makes the transition into Malayalam but retains the impact. Anwar Ali writes in Malayalam, while Amal Varghese pens the English lyrics. 

Zeba is on fire, singing in falsetto and it feels like listening to Celine Dion at her peak. Durwin D'souza is a champion guitarist and he shows you why with his blazing electric guitars. Abhijith Sudhi is the bassist. I was intrigued by the ethnic vocals in the interlude sung by Anju Brahmasmi and it combines well with the Saz and Mandolin by Akash S Menon. Durwin is playing the Ukulele in the song. Kudos to Anjut for those scintillating high-pitched vocals. 

Arun Thomas consolidates all elements well and his vision is evident with this brilliant composition, production and arrangements. RET have done the additional synth production. We have experienced engineer Vivek Thomas on mixing and mastering duties with assistance from Sibin M Wilson on mixing. The studio session has been assisted by Vignesh Suresh. The recording engineers are Reniel K Reji and Nithin Koottungal

@arun_thomas_official @evugin_emmanuel @zeba.tommy @anvarali113 @lenaasmagazine @vs_abhilash_ @durwin_dsouza @akashsmenon @vivekthomasproductions @anjubrahmasmi 

11. Manasu Bereya Dikkali Saagalu

Singer: Sanjith Hegde

Lyrics: Nagarjun Sharma

Music: Judah Sandhy 

Langauge: Kannada

Genre: Pop

When you get a good composer and a fantastic performer, you get a melody to cherish and play on a loop multiple times. Judah Sandhy has been in my reviews so many times and he is one of the best there is in the Kannada music space, and he gets Sanjith Hegde on board to make a killing. 

The song is all about Sanjith's amazing vocals, and he coats with such an amazing tone, and the vibrato that he brings about is just about perfect. The song reminds me of AR Rahman's " Kurukku Siruththavale" from the Mudhalvan album and maybe that is why I hear a Raag Vaasanthi in the mix. The keys are spot on and we have Judah arranging the instrumentals. Nagarjun Sharma is the lyricist. 

The interlude has the woodwinds and vocal harmonies combining, beautifully. The stanza takes the most unexpected turn when he sings " kadalaladha muthondhanu" , and that is fantastic cmposition. The strings section and Keys become a very important component of the song's lovely tone. The second interlude is dominated by a nicely arranged Clarinet. The mixing and mastering is done by Judah. 

@judahsandhy @sanjithhegde @pranitha.insta @vikas_pampapathi @kazokudesignstudio @ramanaavatara 

12. Aao Zara

Singer - Garvit Soni, Priyansh Srivastava

Composer - Garvit-Priyansh

Producer - Garvit Soni

Lyricist - Priyansh Srivastava

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

It is becoming a habit these days to feature this sensational musical duo of Garvit-Priyansh. Just 2 weeks ago I featured their fantastic single "Chal Bhool Jaa", and now we have this to experience and enjoy. The duo composed the melody and both have lent their voices with Priyansh writing the lyrics, Garvit turning producer. 

We hear the lead vocals, but not without an additional layer deep beneath this. The Keys and Synths elevate the song and give it a modern touch. Garvit and Priyansh always ensure a song is held together by a pure melody and that is the reason the songs are always enriching and great to hear. No decorative production can save a bad melody. 

I also love how both singers have great vocals, and they have varied textures and tones, only making the combination work amazingly. The production and sound design is equivalent to what you would hear in some of the country's best music industries. Priyansh plays the guitars, and it comes to light at the beginning of the stanza. The melody continues to be heartwarming in the stanza and it reminds me Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's "Koi kahe kehta rahe"

@garvitsoni_ @garvitxpriyansh @priyanshhhsrivastava @pallavimahara @rutuujaaj @rushhmii @thegaganverm @sevenentertainment 

13. Slow Motion

Singer: ALL OK

Rap: Sharrax

Lyrics: Sree Ganesh Parashuram

Composed, Arranged and Programmed by: Ritvik Muralidhar

Additional Programming: Gokul Abhishek

This track woke me up from my slumber when I hear it in the morning at around 4 am, how ironic! The song talks about doing everything in slow motion, but it sure shook me up and energized me. Listen to the line " snana naale madena", and that tells you the message and story. The artist 'All OK' has been doing quite well in the Kannada indie space, and I have featured him before.

The song is composed, programmed and arranged by Ritvik Muralidhar and it is one crazy ride. The main vocalist is ALL OK, with the rap segment performed by Sharrax. I love that all-male humming right at the start, and then the trumpets, Keys and guitars get me on my feet. The notes are beautiful with an added Carnatic classical touch, you hear it when ALL OK sings " No tension". 

Babu plays the trumpets, and the humming and chorus are by Chethan Naik and Nikhil Parthasarathy. Sumesh Parameshwar is groovy on the bass guitars, and the acoustic and electric guitar interventions are by the brilliant Ritwik Bhattacharya. The interlude is extremely stylish with guitars, trumpets and keys overlaying and we get a rap segment. Sree Ganesh Parashuram has penned the witty lyrics. 

A big round of applause to Ritvik for the arrangements, which elevate the song. BR Naveen Kumar is the mix/master engineer. The last line is "Alarm off maadu", but I'm wide awake.

@all_ok_official @ritvikmuralidhar @parameswarsumesh @sharrax @ritwikbhattacharya @nipasa_singer 

14. This Is Haryana

Singer: BADAL

Lyrics: Badal 

Music: Yeah Proof 

Language: Haryanvi/English

Genre: Alt Hip-Hop

I have never featured the producer Yeah Proof before but this one deserved to be on my weekly list. BADAL the musician does have a good sense musically and this song has some Alt Hip-Hop, and some nice humming melody, but the standout element is the production and the keyboard and rhythms programming.

It is not just the rapping segment but also the other singing segments where BADAL does well, and this comes out in the stanza. The way the English lyrical segment comes out surprises me and the overall composition too deserves some credit. A Shock does the mixing and mastering. 

@badalmusic @yeahproof @ashock_music @tmmusic 

15. Tu Hi Tu

Artists: Ezu & Jay Sean 

Music: Ezu 

Lyrics: Ezu & Jay Sean 

Punjabi Lyrics: Prince the artist Singh 

Language: Punjabi/ English

Genre: Alt Hip Hop

Haryana and Punjab are regions where Hip Hop is a famous genre of music for listeners and performers. So with the previous song being a Haryanvi special, here we have Alt Hip-Hip from Punjab. Ezu composed the music, and he works with the famous Jay Sean writing and performing the track. The vocals, Keys, Rhythms, and overall production are fabulous and make for some very interesting listening. The title line is very addictive.

@ezuworld @jaysean @viprecords @360_worldwide @jeremyskaller @princetheartistsingh