Change, the essence of life.

Change, the inevitable part of life.

Change is life.

Do you remember those times when out of the blue you saw trends, situations, friends, family, places, all in all everything change?

Every once in a while these changes are so drastic that it is hard to keep up with them unless you are the learned who are well equipped with the vicissitudes of the world.

But if you are accustomed to your unaltered life and if changes precipitate on you like hail, you feel frustrated, no longer able to take control of your life. You can’t figure out the wrong from the right.

Now as I grow older, on the verge of becoming an adult, I face this volley of changes. And it is formidable. Very onerous, in fact.

The problem here is not the change but the total rapid change. The whole life as I knew it, well of course, changed.

In history we studied about the extremists and conservatives.

Conservatives believed in slow and gradual change.

Extremists were the ones who emphasized the idea of rapid change and when we all read it didn’t we feel that they were right? After all, if you’re doing the right thing why wait for it?

But now as I come face to face with these complete alterations in life I realize that change might be for the good but it is imperative that it comes slowly. That is how the general people, the common man will come to terms with it.

And if you look closely you realize that one of the causes of this indiscriminate use of resources, global warming, pollution and population is due to this rapid industrialization, the rash thinking and the haste.  The hurried change.

So if change is to be for the good, it should be unhurried. If it is for the common man it should be gradual.

So now my support for the conservative augments each passing day.

-Søren Aabye Kierkegaard

(Levelling in the process of suppressing individuality to the point where the individual’s uniqueness becomes non-existent and nothing meaningful in his existence can be affirmed. It is a form of Nihilism, which is the philosophical position that values do not exist but rather are falsely created, of which metaphysical nihilism is also a part. Metaphysical Nihilism in the theory that states that there might have been no objects at all, that is, that there is a possible world in which there are no objects at all—or at least no concrete objects.)

There were worlds, complements to each other, where on one existed the mass of finite things, and on the other, (which was in essence, a possibility; in and of itself merely an abstraction) after these finite things had been taken away, where there existed nothing physical. The eyes blinked twice in rapid succession and continued, saying that there were a number of concrete things in this world—but that they were finite concrete things, and that taking one away required no necessary replacement; take enough away— take everything away— and all you possessed were the universals— strikingly similar conceptual pattern in human beings that were consistent across cultures; members of the realm that existed outside the physical: the metaphysical.

She had glanced down at her hand then, briefly, and the sight of it had strangely tugged at her heart: it had looked to her so solid with its slender fingers and brown skin (Imagine a world without it! Would the idea of it ever be so solid, so slender?), that the eyes had seemed to her suspect in that instant, malevolent. But she had continued to listen.

There were of course arguments that there would always be concrete things; the world itself, for one, was concrete, and could not be subtracted. There had been those who had said that abstract thought occurred as a consequence of physical objects: could numbers exist without things to add them up? The eyes then had had the look of someone hastening through these arguments to the contrary, and had continued, in the same breath, that though these arguments were of course to be considered, it was the idea as a whole, without this pockmarked surface, that must be paid attention to.

She had walked home that evening, and had thought of what it all meant. On its surface, it could very well be something she might possibly come to crave: that sterility that announced the death of chaos, of everything she knew; that ether where no sound travelled, indeed, where there were no vocal cords to bring it into existence; that realm where greed, death, evil—and yes, even good—existed as merely abstractions with nothing that could turn them into tangible realities.

Was that where it had all started? Yes, she seems now to recall: that is how it started.

It had begun as a thought—merely interesting in the moment of its first conception— turning into an obsession: a microcosm of the idea, without its pockmarked surface, brought into existence solely by her, solely in her. It had appealed to her then because of circumstances perhaps: the chaos that had characterised her childhood, that continued to characterise her adult life. There were too many physical realties, the very ones she had mentioned earlier (greed, death, evil, good: a chant that she had been arbitrarily assigned) that she had had—and continued to have—to contend with— reality as she had come to understand it after twenty years of living it; reality that had seemed to her then so distasteful it had caused her to wrinkle her nose. Sterility, in that moment, was what she finally understood she craved; where dimensions, at least—the height, width and breadth of things, so mundane they was almost comical—would be reduced to merely the conceptions of them as 5, 2, and 3.

What was there to do? She herself owned a finite number of objects, perhaps she could start by giving them away. This she did. But it wasn’t nearly enough: She herself existed as a gritty reality. This was perhaps when the long hours spent in complete isolation began. It was simple, she realised—close your eyes for long enough and in time you hear yourself as nothing but disembodied thought. You are, then, merely the basic concepts that everything has in common.  This realisation served to transfigure those long hours spent in isolation—at that point merely semi-colons in her daily routine (1,2,3, and then she could move on to the next thing) into something bigger: the very text.

Close your eyes for long enough and the gritty reality is then defeated. The grimy surface is wiped at so furiously it falls away. We ourselves are, in our little circles and at that point, merely abstractions.

So without hurting their sentiments & sans delay, I present to you – for the very first time, the Political XI of IFPCL.

(My sincere apologies to the cricket stars whom I have superseded to accommodate these babus)

Political XI –

Rahul Gandhi: Who better than the Prince of Indian Politics to open with? He might be the one, who’d give the Prince of Indian Cricket a run for his money. And why not, he has everything that the Prince of Indian cricket possesses:  cars, money, adorable looks and add some khadi to it. His ability to flirt with danger and to put his hand into the lion’s mouth is applaudable. So expect some fireworks while he is on the field just the way you do when he steps out of a local train to collect some cash from the ATM.

Raj Thackeray: The Lion of Maharashtra would pair up with Rahul Gandhi to form the most explosive opening combination of all time. Line up some drama, action and excitement and a bit more of the same and you get what we call a Gandhi-Thackeray opening partnership. Thackeray’s Marathi manoos will be cheering him to his hundred while Gandhi will be on the other end crying away at a partnership gone all so wrong.

P. Chidambaram: At number three, comes India’s man of resilience. That impeccable English, stout frame and fiery eyes adds up to the appealing personality he is. He was India’s face when terror struck, and when disaster strikes and the openers are out for a poor score, PC as he is known will raise his hand up and be counted and will rescue his team like never before.

Manmohan Singh: What a team this is turning out to be! The humble and timid Sikh from Punjab will take up the position which generally India’s Bradman takes up. He will be the one who will face it all, bouncers, zooters, beamers and what not…but, still remain undeterred. He will be the calmness at the face of calamity and his words of advice will be more than acceptable. The sad part of it is that he will be retiring very soon.

Lalu Prasad Yadav: He won’t come out to bat alone would he? No, along with him will be a hoard of buffaloes, an army of milkmen, his arsenal of daughters and his ever loving wife. His cricketer son might just drop in for a pep talk – but trust me, Lalu ji’s company will make the opponent go wild. And you might as very well expect a few Harvard students waiting somewhere in the stands to write a thesis titled the Bihari and his bat.

Omar Abdullah: The wicketkeeper of the team has the unique capability of handling crisis situations. And this ability of his will be most required when the Political XI face volatile opponents. And if you ever get the inkling that he is failing, remind him of the situation in Kashmir and he’ll be bubbling with rage – most expected to destroy the opposition at that point of time. Besides, he will also be eye candy for the female viewers of the game.

Mamata Banerjee: She is the all rounder of the team alongside being a fast bowler. She will steam in like the Duronto and break down like the Janakauri. She will run for days together without food and drive out business personalities from her state like a pack of dogs. She will hold protests, rallies and dance on the tables of the District Magistrate. She has been at the receiving ends of the Maoists recently, so expect her to be at her best outfit sans those Hawaii chappals. Will didi deliver the goods?

The Bihar Woman MLA: Just like millions of times in Indian cricket, a talent has gone unnoticed. But, I will strongly fight for her case in the XI as the 2^nd opening bowler of the team. Did you see her workout during the assembly? Did you see her throwing arm? Did you see those flower pots flying all around the place? Yes my friend, it was this unknown piece of talent who did it all.

Pranab Mukherjee: Most likely, an off spin bowler, Mukherjee is India’s answer to Muralidaran. Give him a few tough accounting equations and a few complicated algorithms – you’ll see him solve it like a piece of cake. He will inflate the wounds of the opposition (as he loves inflation) and also rework the medical budget of his team members. He is someone to turn to when you don’t have enough money to pay the laundry bills.

Mohd. Azharuddin: the Congress roped him in to increase their popularity and I rope in this new Member of the Parliament as the chief tactician of the team. Although he won’t play his original role of the opener – he’d open up the defense of his opposition by throwing in some wrong ‘uns and a whole lot of difficult spins. When bookies are around, he will be the one to turn to.

The Unknown Naxal: He will bowl with the speed of a tracer bullet and employ guerilla tactics to take his opposition by surprise. And when he is tired, he might as well turn to the AK-47 that he carries within his kit-bag. The only problem is that he might have frequent clashes with didi.

Let us begin with the origin then. The earliest traces of soccer hold your breath now; can be traced back to about 2BC from the Han Dynasty in China where players used to play with a leather ball! The evolution of the modern day soccer took place from England during King Edward III’s reign and as gruesome as it may sound, the first ball played with was reportedly the head of a Danish Brigand!

As frivolous as it may sound, some eccentric rulers during the monarchy reign in England passed many laws against the game which border on the line of insanity. Some of the famous ones being: in Scotland, King James I, in 1424, proclaimed in Parliament, “That na man play at the Fute-ball” (No man shall play football/soccer). Similarly, Queen Elizabeth I of England, had a law passed which provided for soccer players to be ‘jailed for a week, and obliged to do penance in church.’

‘Soccer’ as we know it today officially kick-started on December 8^th 1863 with the formation of the the Football Association at Freemason’s Tower. So, why is it then called Soccer?! As time passed the word association was abbreviated to assoc., which eventually gave way to the word soccer, the game’s common name in North America.

Now, let us delve into some common rules which every person associated with the game should know:

When the ball is in play, the rules of soccer are fairly simple and do not require much application of the brain! During the course of the match, the ball cannot touch a player’s hands or arms intentionally except by the goalkeeper.

At the start of the match, half time, extra time or after every goal scored there is a kick-off from the center circle. At the kick-off all of the soccer players must be on their side of the field (the side they are defending). Only the player kicking the kick-off is allowed inside the center circle.

After kick-off, the ball will be in play until it goes out of bounds or the referee calls a penalty. Other ways of restarting include:

Throw-in: The term used when the soccer ball has gone out of bounds. The team that last touched the ball loses the possession and the opposing team gets to throw in the ball from the point where the ball crossed out of bounds.

Corner kick: The term used when the defending team last touches the ball and it crosses the goal line (and not scoring a goal). The opposing team gets to kick the ball from the corner of the field. There is a good chance of a corner resulting into a goal. So always be ready to witness some drama when the corner is being taken!

Goal kick: The term used when the offensive or attacking team last touches the ball before it crosses the goal line. The goalkeeper gets to kick the ball from the goal box.

Penalty kick: An extremely critical situation in the game which is awarded when a foul takes place inside the penalty area. The offensive team gets a penalty kick which is in most situations converted into a goal.

Soccer Fouls

Soccer fouls can be any number of unfair advantages taken by a player that are signaled by the referee. Fouls include tripping, pushing, and touching the ball with the hands. A foul outside the penalty area results in a Free kicks and a foul inside the penalty area as pointed above results in a penalty kick!

Unsportsmanlike or unruly behavior may result in a Yellow card or a Red card which are different forms of caution. Yellow card is shown when a player commits a foul which is not very serious in nature but worthy of a caution like a two footed tackle, pushing, tugging at the opponent player’s jersey or purposely obstructing the opposition team player. Red card implies a straight ejection from the game and is usually shown when the foul committed is very serious in nature like unruly behavior such as spitting at the opponent, engaging in a physical duel with the opponent, purposely tripping the opponent, a career threatening tackle and so on…

Also, two Yellow cards shown by a referee during the match proceeding result in a Red card which again results in the ejection of a player from the game

Offside Rule: To simplify this rule considered by many as ‘complicated’, it involves signaling offside by raising the flag present with the assistant referee when the attacking player goes past the last defensive player on the opposing team (not including the goalkeeper) without the ball.

Do not get nonplussed after reading the above rules which may seem a bit tedious at the first glance but in-fact are really easy to follow. The pulsating pace of the game and the finesse of the players associated with the sport who are revered as idols and role models all over the world make it a real treat for the eyes. So, what are you waiting for?! Tune into the world’s most popular sport and enjoy the beautiful game!

Just spoke to Rohan Solomon of Cyanide , these guys just put out there new EP.. pretty good stuff , I’ll review that later.

1.Firstly how did the name cyanide come up???

Ans: Well … The name was given while I was still in school, i think i was in the 10th. We were just a school band who were in awe of bands like Metallica, GnR, Iron Maiden etc. We just wanted to play without any concern to what genre etc …. I guess Cyanide just sounded cool to us …. and we just kept that name going even though all the original band members are not in the band anymore except for me

2.How was it working on the EP?

Ans: Working on the EP was a tiring …. very exhausting and frustrating experience ….. Simply because we had been trying to get it done for the last 3 years. But now when we look back at the whole record making experience, it is really fulfilling to see that the music is finally out and that feels awesome. We hope the fans are just as excited as we are about getting this EP out.

3.How did you guys end up playing as a band?

Ans: The Delhi Rock Circuit is a very close and friendly circuit. As Bharat left the band, all we had to do was put the word out that we need a new member and met a bunch of people and eventually figured that Nikhil suits the feel of the band the most. Plus he’s a modernite … thats a plus point … lol … Just kidding

4.What prospect do you think rock music has in India..and I mean it seriously?

Ans: Well … in India to play in a rock band as your sole career is risky, im not saying it’s not possible. Our drummer Srijan plays for 3 bands: Parikrama, Half Step Down and Cyanide …. This is his sole career. But many of us, need a main career to keep us financially stable and hence enable us to continue playing music. This way, it stays about the music and not that much about making money.

5.Now because of the scene..a lot of record labels have come up..does it make a difference?

Ans: Definitely, I think it’s great to have more and more independent labels coming into the scene. It gives a platform to more independent bands to get their music into the market, at least in the rock circuit. Labels like Counter Culture Records, Demonstealer Records, RSJ Records really concentrates on and promotes a lot of bands. In this circuit, the more you can get your music heard, the more people will appreciate your shows. Any person in the audience loves to hear something familiar. What the labels offer is to make their originals familiar to the public, which will make them enjoy their shows a lot more.

6.So you guys gonna go out play gigs in other cities??

Ans: We would love that. We are trying to work out a tour this summer, but nothing is official as of now.

7.What’s next for cyanide…

Ans: Next would be exactly what you asked in the previous question. As we have got our EP out now. We want to go and play as many cities and distribute them at our gigs. We are really excited to play some new cities this year and all the cities that we play on our last tour in 2008.

8.I listened to the songs on myspace..how do i get the CD??

Ans: We are still trying to work out a distribution chain … Since the CD’s are free of charge, a normal retail outlet won’t work. We want to encourage distribution of the CD’s at our gigs, so that more people attend our gigs. But a way to provide easier access might work out. We will keep everyone informed about anything new with us and the EP on our twitter and facebook pages.

Aniket: So Starting off tell us about how Slain started off…give us a history lesson..

How did you guys meet..the band members???

Naresh: After his 2nd PU results, Judah knew he was destined to a life of music. He started this affair with his energetic brother Freddy(who plays the drums). They both practically had music in their blood, and having lived under the same roof for so many years they could read each others minds! I had played bass for a metal band in college and soon after we stopped performing, I heard Judah was starting this initiative and needed a bass player. We just met up and things clicked, we started jamming and composing material soon after.

Manek: Through college Bryden was my partner in crime and guitaring- we played in the St. Josephs band Shamans for a year- and both moved eventually to join the rest of the guys in Slain, as if fate had it all planned. There were quite a few lineup changes and difficult gigs during that whole process, but it all worked out fine. Dillu, Jonathan, our budding keyboardist, was again a common friend- who Judah had been trying to convince to join Slain for several years then I believe, haha! But it was not until he saw all us charming lads that he actually joined the band for good. It took a decent couple of months before we stabilized and started gigging quite alot in and around Bangalore- but once it really started, we just ran for it and didn’t look back!

Aniket: Well You guys opened for (Iron)Maiden ….How did it feel???

Naresh: Maiden was quite an experience- it was rather overwhelming to play on the same stage as musicians who we’ve grown up listening to and learning from.The event ofcourse was in India though, so we had our fair share of issues that day, with timings, with sound, but we just having so much fun there was hardly scope to complain Our show went off well, then there were a bunch of great acts like Kryptos, Cyanide Serenity and Parikrama… and Maiden brought the day to a dramatic end with a tight, loud, heavily inspiring set!

Manek: I think the biggest disappointment for me was having to wear those sponsor t-shirts, we were playing because of a competition the previous night, and the sponsors were picky that we wear their branding. Which really just shot down all the pretty glam dressing I had planned for the day!

Aniket: Tell us about your jam sessions.. whose the joker??

Manek: We practice in a small cozy under-ventilated room directly below the church near Judah’s house. We practice opposite a all cozy under-ventilated chaat/bajji shop. It’s really the best of both worlds. Our practices are on an average more than 5 hours long and often go well into the next morning.

Of course the amount of that time that can actually be counted as ‘practicing’, as per the dictionary definition of the word, is rather quite a small percentage. Before we start there’s a pre-practice round of junk food, its a sacred ritual and must not be overlooked under any circumstances. Then we head to the jam room, tune up our instruments perfectly, and mentally prepare ourselves for a productive session. It’s hardly planned but sooner or later Freddy, the joker of the band to answer your question, will imitate random, stupid mannerisms of famous celebrities and we’ll all burst out into fits of hysteric laughter, and there’s no stopping us once we start- wise cracks, rude remarks, farm-animal noises, you name it. That’s part of the reason we don’t allow the public to visit our jam room: can’t risk making complete fools of ourselves and tarnish our rocker image.

Naresh: And that continues until approximately an hour or so before we had planned to disperse, when one random band member suddenly gets very serious and starts screaming at everyone else for taking things so lightly! Judah holds the record, Manek comes in a close second place.

Once we’re in the mood for some rocking music though, nothing distracts us- playing through our songs, jamming on some favourite covers or new songs one of us learned- it goes on and on, and generally is quite satisfying. Especially since the reward for a good practice is running across the street and stuffing our faces with oily fatty hardly-hygienic foods, that would probably be the death of us some day soon

Aniket: Would you date a fan???

Manek: but only if she idolizes Slain and worships the very ground I walk on.

Naresh: Pardon him, I think the roadside food we stuffed ourselves with last jam session is taking it’s toll. To be honest, it hardly matters if someone’s a fan or not, I mean it’s great that people like our music but really there’s more than that when it cometo our relationships with people, we’re definitely more picky when it comes to dates/girlfriends- being friendly with tonnes of people is all fine but it’s only worth  going that extra mile for someone you can connect with on a bunch of levels. So date a fan? Yes. Date her because she’s a fan? No.

Aniket: Does being in a rock band live up to the hype??

(Naresh and Manek both in discordant harmony: NNOOOOOOO!!!?&^@#!)

Manek: The trouble is, in India it’s hard enough surviving as a rock musician, and while there’s quite a big market for this kind of music, the sad part is there are only a handful of people/companies/institutions willing to invest in putting up a quality concert. So from the band’s point of view, the pay isn’t great, and quite often organizers don’t know what a band really does so you have to put up with alot of misinformed people, that could get irritating. Most people have a certain glamourized image associated with being a rock star, but atleast in India, the reality is far from that, it’s not all one big comfy party.But it’s not all bad either, we’ve had some swell times, you get loads of free rides and delicious food now and then, and ofcourse, there’s the thrill of going crazy performing infront of thousands of screaming rock fans. Yea, that’s definitely a plus point.

Aniket: What inspires the song writing process???

Naresh: Inspiration comes from everywhere. On certain days, something as simple as a truck horn could inspire a smash single
On other days, even watching back-to-back Whitesnake concerts won’t help get the creative juices flowing. But lately it’s been quite experimental, with Freddy laying a groove down, something he was working on maybe the previous night- or a riff that Bryden just picked off the top of his head- or a chord that Dillu invented by pressing all the keys he could find simultaneously. It always starts somewhere simple. If it sounds like something with potential, we start off immediately- each excitedly throwing in their own musical ideas and inspirations, Judah’s what you would call our producer- though there are so many options and ideas, it’s great to have someone to really shape the music, he gives a certain direction and flow to the song structures. It’s a brilliant beautiful experience for all of us really, because the end result is you have our songs that each sound so different and varied but still somehow have that connecting factor of Slain.

Aniket:What do you think of the Indian Rock music scene???

Manek: If we were to assume the rock scene in India started approximately 20 years ago, with bands like Parikrama and Indus Creed opening the doors to a whole new type of music this country was only beginning to accept, then I’d say we’ve come a long way. Those bands obviously did something special, but it wasn’t until maybe 10 years back that original music in India really started getting a loyal support. Till then it was almost taken for granted that a musician was required to play plenty of popular covers to please their audience, who were a mass of starved rock-enthusiasts who had mostly only seen large concert festivals of their favourite international groups on television. That changed because of two things: International bands frequenting India, and local bands getting their act together.

Naresh: It’s heartening to see so much activity in the music scene these days, with larger event companies and several of the IIT’s across India pulling down high-quality international acts, the concert-culture is slowly growing. What’s even better is that Indian bands in every genre areworking towards being as good as those International acts. Musicians are working so hard to get their quality up, whether its recording or equipment or live performances, or stage antics or what not- we’re growing as a community, learning from each other- I think it’s just a matter of time before Indian bands really make their mark on the global rock scene.

Aniket: How do you deal with the fan following..especially the girls….

Naresh: I think we really do make an effort to talk to each fan of the band(yes, the males as well), get to know them a bit- we firmly believe that personal interaction makes the band so much more ‘real’ for fans. It gives the feeling that we’re all the same, behind our under-polished guitars and silver studded belts, we’re also just regular guys going through the same life each of them do. The whole connection between the band and our audience is far more personal that way, whether we’re on-stage or off. I think that’s brilliant.

Manek: Call me crazy but, by the tone of your questions, it seems you’re under the impression we have some massive uncontrollable female fan following, this major kvlt of women chasing after us just all the time, around the clock!

As a matter of fact, yes, we do

Aniket: How did your parents and family react to you guys being in a rock band??

Manek: Oh we have the best families in the world, and even though we’ve messed up a lot of things at college(hint hint Bryden) being too involved in the band, they still give us that support. I think it’s because they see how much we love what we’re doing, and while they’re indeed worried about our individual futures, they’re just real chilled-out open-minded people, and we’re truly grateful.

Naresh: Ofcourse that doesn’t mean we get away with anything, our parents really give us a piece of their minds now and then, there’s alot to be learned about time management. Guess each person has their responsibilities and as long as they manage to balance all the spheres of their life, nothing in the world can stop them from getting what they want.

Aniket: Where do you see slain in the coming years???

Manek: At the rate it’s going with the amount of delays and excuses we find not to do any work, I think 2 years from now we’ll still be trying to release the same album we’ve been planning for the past 2 years

Naresh: Hopefully not! If everything goes as ideally as we have it imagined in our heads, we should be flying from country to country played packed arena’s every other day, and lounging in our personal
tour bus where we’ll watch repeat telecasts of ourselves acting pretty receiving the Grammys.

Realistically though, we’re currently looking out for sponsors and labels who really want to push this kind of music, I think once we start building our crew and have the right sort of financial backing, things should go pretty smoothly.

Aniket: What exactly are your feelings about the kinda music slain plays??

Manek: Our music? We love it! And so should you!

There’s a lot of pressure of musicians these days to write something that your audience will like or accept. Somehow we’ve stumbled upon just the right sound for us, and luckily… luckily it’s worked miracles and gotten us this far. We don’t think of what we want to sound like, just trusting your intuition is good enough most times, and certainly more fun. It’s a great feeling to just follow what you think sounds absolutely rocking- if you put enough passion into it, no doubt there’ll be people all over who think it’s absolutely rocking as well.

Naresh: Though admittedly we often have such a hard time playing it, there’s something very convincingly simple about our music, it seems to appeal to quite a variety of people from wildly different backgrounds, and we’re glad for that. Also, strangely there aren’t alot of Power Metal bands in India, such a fascinating sub-genre! Either way, we love what we’re doing and we ain’t gonna stop doing it any time soon- though the flavours we add to our music may vary drastically- there’s definitely always gonna be something Slain about it!

Aniket:Local College Crowd or International Arena?

Manek: I don’t want to choose one over the other see they both have their own advantages and… no that’s all rubbish, international arena for sure, with all our college friends front row! But it’s fascinating, to see how different environments can change the mood and the general emotion of the show. At events like Rock Ethos or Rock n India, you’re concentrating on the magnitude of it, this vast open space to rock out in, a wild energy takes over you and everything seems larger than life.

Naresh: In a college fest, or for that matter, any smaller scale show- you feel all this tension packed into one place, the energy is on par with any major festival but it’s condensed to fit the hall/basketball court- and so everything much more sensitive- its less mad, but more sincere. You can actually take time to look each person in the eye individually and tell them a story, as I said before, it’s all about connecting with your audience on a personal level.

Aniket: Jon Bon Jovi or Iron Maiden??

Manek: Bon Jovi

Naresh: Iron Maiden. Though there’s an unwritten rule against using the exact same chord progression in every single song from every single album, and Iron Maiden seem to have conveniently ignored that. But heck, they’re Iron Maiden.

Aniket:What about the new album??

Manek: Our debut full-length album Here and Beyond will feature 12 tracks that we’ve worked on over and over, spent hours on in the studio, hours rewriting things, shifting parts around, experimenting with new sections, all to make it sound just right. Each song has taken a sort of journey of its own, starting off as an idea and slowly maturing and evolving as the band gets comfortable with it- we’re really happy with the outcome! Each of those 12 songs have their own styles, their own stories, their own character- while the heavily melodic symphonic elements have remained a constant. We’re hoping this album can give people a solid idea of where Slain is heading musically.

Naresh: While you’re waiting though, you can support the band by downloading our 4-track EP for free at
www.gimmesound.com/slain

Aniket: Words of advice for people who dream of making it as big in rock????

Naresh: We’re really touched when people come to us, when musicians come to us and say that they were inspired from our performance- there are a lot of compliments that an entertainer can get but knowing that you’ve inspired someone out there to find their own musical path, that’s something amazing, and quite an honor.

Manek: Practice hard, and keep trying new things with your music. Don’t worry about pressure to ‘find your unique sound’, that’s an endless gradual process- just listen to your heart and most certainly your ears, you’ll most definitely get what you want from your instrument… I mean, eventually.

Thanks so much, Judah and Freddy and Dillu and Bryden all send their love!

Slain has contributed many songs towards the DRCD project at http://dfuse.in/drcd

Aniket:

Wilbur:Blog Song was composed while I was doing a field Trip in Tokyo Japan.  At that time blogs were very popular and the most famous quote on the internet that people would say to each other was “Please Check My Blog”!  I decided to write a song on this topic…this is a great example of making a common phrase extra ordinary.

All this started by just enjoying the music and doing what I love doing!

Aniket: People are saying that you are not real , but I have enough reason to believe you are real and not just a viral marketing thing….Tell us more about yourself….

Wilbur:What is the meaning of real? I think I am alive and real?  No?  Hmmm  I am not sure how to answer this question.  This would be like asking Michael Jackson why he wears sunglasses, gloves and pants that dont come down to his ankles.  Was he real when he wore his outfit or was he real at his residence.  The same goes for the Lady Gaga  I am very comfortable to be who I am Wilbur Sargunaraj while on video, or at the bazaar or while at the tea stall!   This is my willingness to be honest about who i feel I am.

I can tell you for sure this is not a viral campaign….This is a campaign for people to enjoy my music!

I am based in Madurai, Tamil Nadu but I also consider Canada as a second home as I do a lot of  music production there as well.  I have family living in the Middle East and Canada so I often make trips to visit them.   I am considering moving to Toronto, Canada in the near future.

Aniket: How does it feel to be so very popular…I mean so many people just love what you do….how does it feel.

Wilbur:I hope I can inspire people to be better human beings!  If I am doing this while people are having fun my goal is being accomplished! I want to use my popularity to spread the message of peace and unity!  Its very important!

Aniket: how do come up with the whole idea of the song..the dance ..the lyrics?

Wilbur:I make music for people to enjoy!  So they can dance and sing along!  I write music with a purpose!   My lyrics are simple and the messages are things that people can relate to no matter where you are in the world.  I grew up listening to Boney M.  That is where I get all my disco influence from.  My cousins used to bring back tapes to India of George Michael, Wham,  Lionel Richie…these  people were inspirations for  my singing.  Let us not forget one of my greatest influences for rhythm and dance.  Mr Michael Jackson.  Wonderful singer, dancer and the beats were first class!!! I also love a singer from Miami , Florida called Willy Chirino…amazing voice!  These days I am listening to Solitudes and Nature music to give my ears a rest from the constant throb of dance music.

I have worked hard to understand computers and how to make music on it.  This is where most of my music is produced.  Ideas come very quickly.  For example I wrote the Blog Song in less than 20 minutes.  The second album that is coming out (top secret release date) was mostly written on a 18 hour flight from Chennai to Toronto. When you are passionate about something it comes quickly!  The key is to let it come naturally and not force to write a good song!  Love Marriage came from deep within my soul.  On my team for a live performance there is just one drummer who travels with me although I am looking to get some dancers for my live show at the moment.

Aniket: And who does all the music…do you use auto tune..??? When did you start playing the drums??

Wilbur:I do all the music and production.  With the second album I got the help of some amazing sound engineer in Canada called Nicholas Hayes to mix it.  Yes I like the auto tune effect but I  took vocal coaching and I don’t use it that much anymore!  People will be surprised at the vocal quality in the second album!

I started playing on my amma’s pots and pans when I was a very little boy.  I started playing drum set when I was 15.  I would like to thank the following Drum companies for helping me in my musical dream.  Epek Drums, Vater Sticks, Evans Drum heads and Istanbul Cymbals!  All first class companies!

Aniket: How did the Chennai Super kings rap happen??

Wilbur:I was exploring the style of RAP and I decided to write the short anthem for my favourite IPL team!

I composed a rap (here is another example of making the common extra ordinary as I am stepping into a genre that is new and extraordinary!)  for the Chennai Super Kings and yes I am a big fan….but not only of the super kings but cricket in general!  I love cricket and love educating people about cricket hence I wrote a song on my first album that was called CRICKET.  It explains the sport and Universal Music Australia chose this song to be part of a compilation CD for the 2009 Ashes tournament. Maybe God willing this song can become a theme song for cricket!  Some of my favorite cricket players from past and present are Krishnamachari Srikaanth, Adam Gilchrist (very nice gentleman) , M.S Dhoni, Dale Steyn, Breet Lee and of course Sachin Tendulkar.  I always wanted to be a cricket player , even trying out for the Tamilnadu under 15 team.  I was not selected but now I am using music to share my passion for cricket!

Aniket: I loved the travel videos you made..like that Burger king one..so will you (if given a chance) make a movie on the tamil way of exploring the western world??

Wilbur:Yes if the opportunity presented itself and a movie director or prodcer approached me I would consider doing this!  What a great way to develop the CQ (Cultural Intelligence)

Aniket: When is the next album coming out ?

Wilbur:A brand new Single is coming out this year and most likely the new Album will be released end of 2010 or beginning of 2011!  It is so amazing and first class!!

Aniket: Your success story has inspired so many..how does it feel to be famous..?

Wilbur:I like to have the same perspective on life before I was in the public eye! Fame is the dangerous thing that can affect a persons life!  I want to use this platform to help others as much as I can!  I thank God everyday that I can do what I love doing!  He has given me this ability and I am so thankful!  I am a normal everyday person who you may see drinking tea at the local tea stand.  I wanted to experience different things that seemed extra-ordinary and make them appealing for the common man.  Making tea is common, dancing to music is common, traveling is becoming common these days, work is common.   I wanted to show people that when you really do things with passion and put your energies into it the most common chore or task,  they can become extra-ordinary!  It is all in the way you perceive things. I am not scared to interact with people no matter who they are and how important they think they are!  That being said I also like to make the extra ordinary….common!

Aniket: I know you like chicken 65 , what else do you like to cook or more importantly eat??

Wilbur: I do like to cook some Mushroom soup and I also like the cuisine from Thailand.  Pad thai!

Aniket: When are you going to tour INDIA????

Wilbur:Cross India tour 2011.  February ,March or April!  It will be posted on the websitewww.wilbur.asia

I need all the support of the fans to raise awareness so I can break some down to a packed place of dancing