Artist Abhishek Bhatia, or Curtain Blue, has always found himself fusing genres, instruments and cultures while making music. He started paving his path by drawing inspiration from the likes of Flume, Radiohead and Charles Mingus at a time when the music landscape had a scarcity of experimental sounds. He recently released his four-track, multi-genre EP S.T.R.I.P.E.S via Export Quality. So, we conversed with Curtain Blue to know more about his music and creative process.
Tell us a little about your journey with music.
I’ve been making music ever since I was in school. A couple of years ago, I was in a band called The Circus — I used to sing. From there, I got into producing my own music — understanding softwares to figure out how to make music on a computer. My friends and I used to exchange notes on music and production, and learnt from each other. Ever since then, it's been an ongoing journey.
Have you always been inclined towards electronic, and other unorthodox, sounds?
I’ve always been experimental. Even if I pick up a guitar or play the piano and sing, I can’t stick to one format. That’s how I’ve always been. So I treat it like a fun process, where I keep adding and subtracting elements and have to wait to see how it’ll turn out. That’s how every track of mine becomes a sound and style of its own.
What subcultures have influenced your sound?
I’ve always liked the Australian label called Future Classic and their artists, including Flume and other indie artists. I find that sound extremely inspiring. When I was touring the UK too, everything was a mix and match of sounds and less of a defined subculture. In fact, there was a lot of overlap of cultures. People were playing Indian instruments with the juxtaposition of Western sounds. As a whole, in terms of the sound, I’m much more inspired by the Indian scene. I love Indian instruments like sitar because they can sound quite eerie if you want them so. Working and hearing these instruments comes easy because it's a sound that belongs to you.
What was your creative process for your latest EP, S.T.R.I.P.E.S?
I’ve actually been sitting on some of these tracks for four years. The process was very inclusive since it came together during the pandemic — there weren’t any distractions, I didn't apply much pressure, let things flow. That’s why all four tracks have a different sound and it's a multi-genre EP.
How would you describe your EP in a sentence?
Musically, it's an indie pop EP, and there’s a story around it. The production is mostly electronic but I’ve added orchestral and jazz elements as well. If I don’t talk musically, this EP feels like finally embracing yourself and becoming comfortable in your own skin. So really, it's very fluid and organic, and overall an easy listen.
What do you have planned for the future?
I’m planning out more releases soon. I may go on tour after the festival season. My idea is to take my live set outside, which is me and this amazing trombone player and drummer, so it's a very interesting live set up because it’ll be a hybrid electronic-acoustic mix. It’ll be challenging but I’m looking forward to it.
Text: Nandini Chand
Date: 08-12-2022