Bombay Bassment, a band formed in 2010, can truly define the word cosmopolitan. This Mumbai-based band has members from Goa, south India and even from Kenya.
Bobkat [Bob Omulo] is a DJ from Kenya, while Levin Mendes [on drums] and Ruell Barretto on bass are from Goa. Chandu, aka Chandrashekar Kunder, is a DJ and co-producer. The band is all set to perform in the Capital today. Millennium Post caught up with them. Excerpts:
How did you guys come together?
Ruell: Bombay Bassment started out as a drum and bass outfit. We met Chandu and Bob through Jayesh [our ex-manager] and decided to work on stuff together not having a clue about which direction we want our music to head. But with time we figured it out and guess it worked for us. So here we are a four-piece drum and bass driven hip hop influenced funked up outfit.
What kind of music do you listen to? Which bands do you follow?
Ruell: We basically like listening to any music that sounds good, cheers you up and maybe even make a leg move. RHCP, Victor Wooten and Incubus
Bob: NAS, The Roots etc.
Chandu: Bob Marley, Arrested Development.
Levin: RATM, Porcupine Tree, Dave Matthews.
How would you define your music?
Ruell: We all have different infuences. Bob has his roots in hip-hop, Chandu loves reggae music, Levin likes funk/alternative, and I listen to funk, drum n bass as well as retro.
What would you be playing at the Rhino? Some compositions of yours?
Ruell: Yes. Mostly compositions. It’s going to be a mix of Hip Hop, Reggae, Funk & Drum n Bass.We’ve got a thumping set lined up for Rhino. Ladies, you’ll have to get off those high heels.
What makes your band different from the others?
Bob: Because of our diverse cultural backgrounds and our individual music influences, our compositions include a mix of all elements. We are not a one genre band. I feel this is the reason why we have been able to be slightly different from the others in terms of sound and production.
Coming from different cultural backgrounds, was it difficult to bond?
Chandu: It took some time for us to gel as a band and evolve the way we have. Bob, our frontman [originally from Kenya] has lived in Bombay for a long long time now to know how things work around here. Also he’s been a rapper since childhood, so musically it wasnt difficult either.
What is the best musical experience you’ve had while playing live?
Levin: We’ve performed at The Music Room in Dubai and the experience was awesome. We’ve also performed with Apache Indian in Mumbai a couple of years ago which was an amazing experience. We’ve done over 60 gigs overall and that’s a lot to really pick the best one.
How would you rate the Delhi crowd?
Levin: The crowd in Delhi is great. We’ve played in Delhi more than just a couple of times and we love the vibe. It’s different from where we come. It’s great.
What is your biggest achievement so far?
Chandu: We’ve won the JD Awards for the Best Emerging Act 2011 and have also been fortunate to play abroad.
DETAILS
At: RHINO,312, 3rd Floor, South Point Mall, Gurgaon
When: 25 August
Timings: 9 pm onwards
Bobkat [Bob Omulo] is a DJ from Kenya, while Levin Mendes [on drums] and Ruell Barretto on bass are from Goa. Chandu, aka Chandrashekar Kunder, is a DJ and co-producer. The band is all set to perform in the Capital today. Millennium Post caught up with them. Excerpts:
How did you guys come together?
Ruell: Bombay Bassment started out as a drum and bass outfit. We met Chandu and Bob through Jayesh [our ex-manager] and decided to work on stuff together not having a clue about which direction we want our music to head. But with time we figured it out and guess it worked for us. So here we are a four-piece drum and bass driven hip hop influenced funked up outfit.
What kind of music do you listen to? Which bands do you follow?
Ruell: We basically like listening to any music that sounds good, cheers you up and maybe even make a leg move. RHCP, Victor Wooten and Incubus
Bob: NAS, The Roots etc.
Chandu: Bob Marley, Arrested Development.
Levin: RATM, Porcupine Tree, Dave Matthews.
How would you define your music?
Ruell: We all have different infuences. Bob has his roots in hip-hop, Chandu loves reggae music, Levin likes funk/alternative, and I listen to funk, drum n bass as well as retro.
What would you be playing at the Rhino? Some compositions of yours?
Ruell: Yes. Mostly compositions. It’s going to be a mix of Hip Hop, Reggae, Funk & Drum n Bass.We’ve got a thumping set lined up for Rhino. Ladies, you’ll have to get off those high heels.
What makes your band different from the others?
Bob: Because of our diverse cultural backgrounds and our individual music influences, our compositions include a mix of all elements. We are not a one genre band. I feel this is the reason why we have been able to be slightly different from the others in terms of sound and production.
Coming from different cultural backgrounds, was it difficult to bond?
Chandu: It took some time for us to gel as a band and evolve the way we have. Bob, our frontman [originally from Kenya] has lived in Bombay for a long long time now to know how things work around here. Also he’s been a rapper since childhood, so musically it wasnt difficult either.
What is the best musical experience you’ve had while playing live?
Levin: We’ve performed at The Music Room in Dubai and the experience was awesome. We’ve also performed with Apache Indian in Mumbai a couple of years ago which was an amazing experience. We’ve done over 60 gigs overall and that’s a lot to really pick the best one.
How would you rate the Delhi crowd?
Levin: The crowd in Delhi is great. We’ve played in Delhi more than just a couple of times and we love the vibe. It’s different from where we come. It’s great.
What is your biggest achievement so far?
Chandu: We’ve won the JD Awards for the Best Emerging Act 2011 and have also been fortunate to play abroad.
DETAILS
At: RHINO,312, 3rd Floor, South Point Mall, Gurgaon
When: 25 August
Timings: 9 pm onwards