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Aditya’s second single, “3AM”, explores the inner and outer states of our collective neuroticism and will be released next week on the 12th of September, shortly followed by an introductory episode from his upcoming podcast series focused on his album.
We’re very excited to be speaking today with acclaimed award-winning vocalist Aditya Prakash; greetings and salutations, Aditya! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, how has your summer of ‘23 been treating you?
Summer 2023 has had its ups and downs for sure, but right now I’m inspired and excited to be working on creating the LIVE solo show version of ISOLASHUN, which is set to premiere in 2024 at UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.
Major congratulations on your upcoming debut solo album ISOLASHUN which is set to be released this October 13! Starting from the top, what was the inspiration for this gem of an LP?
Thank you!
The starting point was the pandemic, and the solitude that that brought me as an artist. With engagements canceled, being forced to stay in one place, unmotivated, uninspired, fed constantly by the news, I was forced to see the realities that I had conveniently ignored, both within myself and in the world around me.
Something that seemingly united us all, the pandemic brought forth even more pronouncedly the social inequities and division throughout the world. The political happenings in my two homes — India and the USA — made me painfully aware of the one-sidedness of history that I was taught since childhood: how Indian “classical” art forms are glorified as infallible and divine but [are] built on discrimination and oppression. It made me aware of my apathy, made possible by my privilege, that until now had allowed me to look away from my own complicity in these systems.
The research and work of my mentor TM Krishna, coupled with the investigation of my own personal and artistic choices, made me aware of the tension in my identity. On one hand, I am a brown artist trying to find accessibility and assimilation in a white world. On the other hand, I am an upper-caste practitioner, claiming ownership of the Karnatik form which is steeped in social hierarchy and caste-discrimination.
Were my choices in the aesthetics of sound a product of my identity? Did I need to fuse Karnatik music with Western musical styles to make it appealing, accessible, and worthy of acceptance? Could I trust the power, depth, and layers of my Indian musical training without presenting it through a Western lens?
That compelled me to dig deeper into my Indian Music: Was music only about upliftment? Were the aesthetic sound constructs of beauty and refinement able to also reflect the tension, violence, and messiness of my reality? Was it going against the form to open up a space for the abrasive and jarring to coexist with the melodious?
In asking these questions through my musical explorations, I began to see the complexity, nuance, and multiplicity in my histories, my identities, my notions of beauty, and my emotional response to the world around me.
Who was your producer on ISOLASHUN and what did the collaboration between artist and producer look like in the studio?
I am the producer of ISOLASHUN and it all happened in my little garage studio with one microphone and my interface. This is the first project that I really saw through from the very start to the very end in all aspects – composition, arrangement, performance, recording, and even mixing, as I pre-mixed the album before giving it to the brilliant engineer, MT Aditya Srinivas, to take it all the way to the finish line.
New Amsterdam Records is the record label behind ISOLASHUN. What makes New Amsterdam the perfect home for you and your music?
New Amsterdam Records is “dedicated to supporting new music by composers and performers whose work transcends traditional and outdated genre distinctions” and this is what makes ISOLASHUN the perfect fit.
In your humble opinion, what differentiates ISOLASHUN from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music scene?
I believe ISOLASHUN occupies a challenging space that does not fall into the known or the comfortable. This is what differentiates the album, but also what makes it an album that isn’t consumptive; maybe it won’t get those mass repeat streams, and I am ok with that. It does require patience and an attentive and active listen rather than a passive listen.
What makes ISOLASHUN the best and only choice to see release as your very first solo LP? Do you feel that this album represents who you are as an artist and as a person in 2023?
This is my most honest work yet. It is a glimpse into my inner journey as a person, navigating the complexities of identity.
Who inspires you musically?
TM Krishna and RK Shriramkumar (my music mentors), Akram Khan, Mythili Prakash, Vincenzo Lamagna, Radiohead, Tigran Hamasyan, TOOL, Nils Frahm
On the heels of the October 13 release of ISOLASHUN, can fans look forward to catching you on the performing/touring circuit?
The first live performance of ISOLASHUN will be on October 4 and 5, 2024 at UCLA – which has been a co-commissioner of the work. It’s a long ways away but I have a feeling it will be worth the wait 🙂
I hear so many delightful jazz undertones in ISOLASHUN. Is there any chance that one fine day you might work on a music project that is strictly jazz-inspired? Is that something that would interest you?
My previous album with my band Aditya Prakash Ensemble titled Diaspora Kid, is more heavy on the jazz side. I am very influenced and interested in jazz.
You were born and raised in Los Angeles. How do those roots inform you as an artist?
Los Angeles gave me exposure to so many different cultures socially, starting from elementary school. I was one of the few brown kids at school, and so I saw many other cultures, but also found it hard to find relevance and authenticity in my own culture. Media at that time was also culturally one-sided, with a predominantly Western lens. But access to great artists from different disciplines was the greatest gift. Some of my best friends from college are world class jazz musicians and being in their company taught me a lot and has informed my own roots. I am grateful for the diversity I grew up around in Los Angeles.
At the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving ISOLASHUN copious plays on their respective turn-tables?
I want ISOLASHUN to make people feel something deep at their core; to feel something which goes beyond intellectualism. Whether it be a disturbance or a joy or a feeling of peace – I want that emotion to be felt in a very deep, visceral way – because that is how I felt as I created this work.
