Two back-to-back EPs within the span of six months, a number two spot on Apple India’s Top Dance Albums, and over four lakh streams on Spotify — for experimental musicians Rusha & Blizza, 2020 has been the year of music.
The Delhi-based duo brought out its second EP Sutra, after the success of its first one titled Mudra, in July. The best received track of Sutra is ‘Kaise’; its bass heavy lines holding up catchy vocal loops, something we have come to expect of the duo. Mudra with its earworm ‘Kaka’ married Indian folk (melodies like vocals and flute, and the tabla) to house music. Perfect for dance floors of nightclubs — if those existed this year. However, with the six-track Sutra, the duo is attempting something different.
“When making Mudra, we experimented with a fusion sound for the first time: merging Indian vocals and elements with our electronic style,” says Paurush Kumar, (‘Rusha’, one half of the duo with Aman ‘Blizza’ Khare). “For Sutra, we tried to show more of our experimental side while keeping the fusion theme going. That is how it evolved.”
For instance, though Sutra’s ‘Hoye’ and ‘Anth’ lean heavily on percussive techno, its ‘Barse’ includes the tabla bol, which is intrinsic to Hindustani Classical. For these two EPs, they were forced to purchase vocal samples owing to the pandemic; however, they hope to be recording their own again from this month.
The origin story
Though this is only their second EP, Rusha & Blizza have been performing together since 2014, and been collaborating since 2010. Interestingly, this decade-long collaboration was the result of a chance encounter at a gym. “We would go to the same gym in Delhi, and we would both take turns making the workout playlist there. We liked each others’ choice of music, and so decided to connect and try making something together,” Paurush recalls.
Music, both say, is an “overwhelming part” of their lives. While Paurush envisions the music and directs it, Aman is the man at the desk, producing songs and working on them for over 10 hours a day. The two balance their careers in music with day jobs: Aman runs a family business and Paurush is a lawyer.
Despite being regulars at the performing circuit in Hauz Khas between 2015-16, Rusha & Blizza went on a hiatus from live gigs to upskill their production. “The gig scene was occupying a lot of our time. But yes, 2020 has helped with that. We are not usually in the same city, and have to coordinate over the phone by sending each other samples. This year has been by far the most promising one,” says Paurush, adding that they have already produced 50 tracks that are ready to be released later; eight videos are also in the works and will follow ‘Kaise’.
Their SoundCloud stats show that their audience is niche and based in cities like California, London, Paris, Berlin and Moscow. Mudra, with its classic melodies, helped them break into a new Indian market. “We did folk electronic mainly for the Indian market, but our signature is in experimental sound design with future bass and elements of hyper pop,” says Paurush, adding, “We keep on changing our sound. So I don’t know what we will be making in two years. We are genre-fluid, we just like to be eclectic.”