Behind the tunes

KOCHI: Vivek Thomas, a familiar name to independent musicians in Kerala, recently bagged the Indian Recording Arts Academy award for producing ‘Khoj’, Malayali band When Chai Met Toast’s album

Remember Kochi-based band When Chai Met Toast’s ‘Khoj’? The multilingual song treads on happy notes towards forming an identity, all the while granting strength as you become who you want to be. Longstanding indie and film music producer and former vocalist of bands ‘Soulburn’, ‘Vidwan’ and ‘Motherjane’, Vivek Thomas, recently won the Indian Recording Arts Academy award for producing ‘Khoj’, which became widely popular across the nation. 

“The idea behind ‘Khoj’ was to retain its authenticity and keep it organic -- it comprised two different languages and subsequently distinct cultures -- we didn’t want the song to have artificial sounds,” says Vivek, who has been working with WCMT for a long time. Vivek is also the producer for the band’s first album ‘When We Feel Young’.  For someone who has been producing/mixing/mastering for the past 10 years, Vivek’s priority lies in making the artist comfortable. 

“I began producing songs when I was with Motherjane and realised that I enjoyed the process much more. Eventually, I began producing songs for several bands across India. When the artist is comfortable and in their element, they have the right emotional space to share their content. I have a studio in Kochi called VTP (Vivek Thomas Productions), an acoustically-treated setup wherein the artist can play, record and have fun. The end result is a combined effort of what the artist has envisioned along with our feedback. Eventually, we reached a point where we’re content with the product,” he says.

Vivek has also been involved in producing the soundtrack for movies - his latest offerings being upcoming films ‘Saajan Bakery Since 1962’ and ‘Tsunami’. “Personally, I’m more aligned towards the electronic genre along with a bit of metal,” he quips. A newbie interested in music production needn’t shift through the most expensive piece of equipment - a soundcard, laptop and a good pair of headphones will suffice, says Vivek. 

“Back when I entered the field, we didn’t have many sources or the tech. Things have considerably changed now. A prime example is artist Billie Eilish who won Grammys for songs that were produced at home. Anything is possible with minimal gear as long as you know what to do,” he adds.  Vivek is also the chief faculty at VTP Sound Academy and conducts courses on music production, mixing and mastering with Palee Francis and Dave Mathews.