Alboe is short for A Little Bit of Everything, aka Vedant Chandra, a New Delhi-based electronica producer and Indian classical singer, who has been producing and releasing music since 2020. His music comes from an India-inspired sound with modern electronic music production. It is in this eclectic mix where Alboe truly finds himself. His new EP is called Love Languages and has six tracks that veer towards dance floor material. Alboe blends dance music and Indian classical quite seamlessly. Tracks are in Bengali, English, Hindi and Punjabi, all tied to the theme of long lasting love. Alboe gives us a sneak peek into its making and his journey.
To begin with, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born in New Delhi, and studied in Vasant Valley School till grade six, after which I went to The Doon School, Dehradun where I finished my high school. For my undergraduate, I went to DePauw University, Indiana (US) where I studied Economics and English.
During my high school and college days, music was solely a passion — usually a break from academics. Although I was involved in serious musical pursuits such as the university chorus or conducting the school orchestra, I never looked at it as a potential career. My aspirations back then were to be involved in the environmental sector in the hope to solve the climate problem. Things took a turn later…
When and how did your romance with music begin?
The romance with music began with long car journeys with my family. We used to play these ‘anthems’ cassettes in the car which featured artists like Pink Floyd, The Scorpions, Michael Jackson and more. These are some of my earliest memories of feeling music. I was lucky to be born into a musical family, where my mom and dad both enjoyed Indian classical and rock music. My mum is a kathak dancer and my dad played the flute, so I was naturally introduced to Indian classical singing at a very young age. I picked up the tabla followed by the drums thereafter. Around when I was eleven is when I started listening to music with my friends instead of family. This introduced me to artists like Coldplay. In the years that followed, I grew tremendously fond of bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Maroon 5, and even artists like A.R. Rahman. By the time I reached college in the US, electronic music took over.
How would you describe your sensibility to someone who is new to your music?
I think my music is relaxed, yet intended to provoke thought. I like to look at every song as its own individual story. Like my favourites do, I aspire to take the listener from their current mood and drop them in another mood. I like music that flows melodically and inspires different perspectives. Although most of my songs feature singers, my focus is usually the music and the tune more than the meaning of the lyrics.
Is there a story behind finding your moniker?
Alboe is short for ‘A little bit of everything’ . I was thinking about what kind of artist I would like to be, and I couldn’t come up with one single answer. This moniker allows me to be fluid with the genres of music that I compose.
When did you first experiment with marrying your classical roots with your electronic beats?
I was introduced to the concept of fusing musical cultures in high school. Our teacher in Doon School was not afraid to experiment with his orchestra, which brought out brilliant results and unexpected combinations of classical music mashed with rock music. That was when I realised such partnerships can exist and blossom.
Is there a raga that you love practicing the most?
I love practicing raga Malkauns, it is a raga meant for the evening and uses only five notes in the scale. Whenever I sing this raga, I completely disconnect from everything else happening around me. It somehow energises and refreshes me.
I love practicing raga Malkauns, it is a raga meant for the evening and uses only five notes in the scale. Whenever I sing this raga, I completely disconnect from everything else happening around me. It somehow energises and refreshes me.
How did the idea of your latest EP, Love Languages come to you?
Love Languages was born when I was practicing Indian classical music — riyaaz — one morning. But instead of using the harmonium, I was practicing on a midi keyboard. This allowed me to hear the raga as sung on backing synth chords. I experimented some more with it, and before I knew it, it became a full-fledged song called Malx. After that, I dived into such experiments and came up with six songs that worked for me.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 30-05-2023