Belly Of Paris Q&A

Your name: 

Daniel Cochran.

Where are you from? 

Originally from the North East of England although I spent last year in Saudi Arabia and now live in Bahrain in the Middle East.

Name of band: 

The Belly of Paris (I'm also the singer in UK art-rock band By Toutatis, who are on hiatus while I'm here).

Who else is in your band?

The Belly of Paris has managed to get musicians from all over the world. There are currently six of us: myself, guitarist Robert Prest (UK), organist and vocalist Yasmin Sharabi (US/Bahrain), drummer Sumit Sharma from India, Argentine bassist Carlos Villarroel and Szabolcs Nigo, a trumpeter and bassoon player from Hungary. Bahrain's a very small island so the musicians huddle together. It was easy to meet people.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

Originally it wasn't a million miles away from the baroque art-rock stuff I was doing in the UK, but working with people from around the world changes the way things sound. We're recording our debut album at the moment and it's still got a smoky barfly element but is a bit more rhythmic and unusual. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

I come at it from a folky background, I started over here doing that kind of thing. Saltburn-by-the-Sea is where the old band were based so there's a maritime/folklore edge to it, but also PJ Harvey, Shilpa Ray (we play similar instruments so it has a bit of that in there), Tindersticks...etc. Plus the rest of the guys bring their own influences. Sumit was in a post-punk band, Szabi is more classical. It's an interesting mix.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

We love to play, opportunities in the Middle East are limited so we aim to branch out to the UK and India from time to time. At the moment it's Bahrain, Dubai. The debut album is written and recording is under way; I'd like to see where it takes us.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

We're just beginning but we had one of our songs featured on a BBC radio documentary recently. Before this band I had music featured in the Sound it Out documentary and at mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art). I've been lucky enough to play shows with a lot of my favourite artists: RM Hubbert, Eliza Carthy, Richard Dawson, The Lake Poets, but the topper was playing on the same stage as Public Enemy at a festival last summer.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

Leaving the UK just as the By Toutatis debut album came out was a sterling piece of timing. We couldn't promote it properly and I felt really bad for the rest of the band. We managed to turn a profit for the label - a really cool independent called Tiny Lights, but it could've done a lot more I suppose. I wasn't really thinking clearly at the time.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

We've only released a couple as we're currently recording The Belly of Paris debut album. That's due in summer. That said There Was No Snake is a good early summation of what we do.

Where can we listen to it?

It's at soundcloud.com/bellyofparis

Where can we find out more about your music?

Our Facebook is facebook.com/bellyofparis / twitter is @thebellyofparis and Instagram is @bellyofparis 

Lee Negin Q&A

Your name:  

Lee Negin (sounds like 'Ray gun').

Where are you from? 

Originally the USA. I last lived in San Francisco. I left many years ago and have since lived in several countries, including India, the UK, Japan, Poland, etc.. I currently reside in Seoul, S. Korea.

Name of band:

Lee Negin.

Who else is in your band? 

Lee Negin (band of doppelgängers).

How would you describe yourselves? 

I'll only describe one of my selves this time. Upwardly bipedal, mobile (primarily), at times sentient humanoid; constantly moving happiness machine. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

The list is endless, in terms of artists, genres and cultures, and as of late I'm more influenced by visual artists and my life experiences, herbal blends and philosophical leanings. I create many genres of music (and fusions of them).

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Satori.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

The highlights are when the 'genie' appears - the moments when the sounds/concepts appear, with me acting as a conduit (could I be any more pretentious?). To put it into common parlance, the moments when I'm 'in the zone' both as a composer and a player.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

That Bar Mitzvah gig in Cleveland when I had to sing "Do You Think I'm Sexy" accompanied by two Rabbis wearing pastel leisure suits on clarinet, accordion and a Radio Shack Rhythm Box. After the set and three encores of' Stayin' Alive,' when the delirious crowd clacked their dentures in appreciation...well, money isn't everything, and you gotta pay your dues.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Not possible. Again, my 'catalog' spans many years and many genres (often in the same track). However, my new album, a Technopera called "The Cheeze Chronicles: Volume V" is representative of what I'm up to these days.

Where can we listen to it?

You can hear samples at: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LeeNegin

Where can we find out more about your music? 

http://passingphasemusic.com

http://www.facebook.com/LeeNegin1

http://leenegin.com

https://twitter.com/umeboshiroshi

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LeeNegin

http://www.youtube.com/user/passingphasemusic

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lee+negin&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Alee+negin

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lee-negin/id357053891?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

That should get you started!

Anything else you’d like to say that I forgot to ask?

Thank you for the opportunity. 

Tathagata Ghosh Q&A

Your name:

Tathagata Ghosh. Friends call me Tat.

Where are you from?

Calcutta, India.

Who else is in your band?

Only me. I am a solo musician.

How would you describe yourself?

I am a guitarist. Other than guitar I also play bass, keyboard, drums. All the instruments in the solo albums, I play myself. I don’t like to be restricted in a single genre. Thus my songs vary from genre to genre. The only thing common between them is they are all instrumental guitar music.

Who are your main influences musically?

Obviously instrumental rock music is my first love. All guitarists of G3 are my most favorite. Then I heard Dream Theater. Again more the instrumental progressive music blew me away. I also liked Blues, Jazz and Country music. But that G3 and DT stuck on my head. More recently I came across Post-rock and Electronica music. They made a great impact on my music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

My music is instrumental. I want my music to speak words without speaking words. I want my music not only to be heard but to be felt. I want my music to be loved.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Being able to connect with international audiences through different social sites. Also discovering new music and getting inspired every day.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Being with my previous band. (I am not against bands. In fact I am forming a band right now.)

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

No single song can represent my music, since all my songs are different from one another – in style, genre, sound and techniques. The title track of the album “It’s Not Real” is definitely the best song of the album with respect to techniques. The second album “A LONELY TREE” was totally different from the first album. In this album I emphasized on melody. The song “We’ll Run Away Together” from this album is definitely a good song to listen to.

Where can we listen to it? 

http://tathagataghosh.bandcamp.com/track/its-not-real

https://soundcloud.com/tatgee/well-run-away-together

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Bandcamp:       https://tathagataghosh.bandcamp.com/

Soundcloud:     https://soundcloud.com/tatgee

Myspace:         https://myspace.com/tatgee

Twitter:             https://twitter.com/tatgee_music

MTV:               http://www.mtv.com/artists/tathagata-ghosh-tat/

Youtube:          https://www.youtube.com/user/MrTatgee

Reverbnation:   http://www.reverbnation.com/tathagataghosh

Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/TathagataghoshTatgee

Google+           http://google.com/+TathagataGhoshTatgee

the Koniac Net Q&A

Your name:

David Abraham.

Where are you from? 
Bombay, India.

Name of band:

the Koniac Net.

Who is in your band?

David Abraham (myself): founder, composer, lead vocals, guitars & keys

Jason D’Souza: Mixing engineer (on my solo release and our new EP), guitars, and back vocals

Ishaan Krishna: guitars, and back vocals

Adil Kurwa: Bass

Karun “K-Pilly”: drums & Continuum

How would you describe yourselves?

We are an indie / alternative / hard rock band. Our goal is to not only promote our own music, but we do our best to showcase indie and alternative bands that are unheard of as well.

Every song I write is more or less a tribute to the various music genres that I love and respect. My main focus: melody (whether vocal or instrumental).

Who are your main influences musically?

Deftones, Helmet, Clutch, Toadies, Superdrag, Catherine Wheel, Teenage Fanclub, Swervedriver, Smashing Pumpkins, the French Kicks, Engine Down, the Revolution Smile, the Stills, Starfucker, Manchester Orchestra, Solar Powered People, Peter Rock, DeVante Swing.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Something that no Indian band has done: international success as an indie band. At the moment though, the biggest dream and goal of mine is to be signed to an indie label (in the US, UK, Canada or France), and therefore start touring and playing live globally. I especially want to play live in the cities of the radio stations and blogs that have and will support my music.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Considering my first album was done entirely by me (the band was formed six months later after I started getting numerous requests from radio personalities to start working on touring in their respective countries), and that I had to network and promote the album by myself, I have been very fortunate to have gotten my music onto over 100 radio stations across 28 countries, numerous blog features praising my album (and now our EP), features by GQ Magazine, Rolling Stone Mag., Vogue, U&I Music Magazine (Ireland), Revolution 360 (New York), MTV, VH1, my songs used by Australia’s drama/comedy series FLAT WHITES, and much more.

There are a number of other moments: I would have to say the three months I sat in my bedroom composing and recording my first album One Last Monsoon (2012), and releasing it immediately it was mastered. In addition, I go into an almost euphoric state when blogs, magazines, or radio stations reply back to my e-mails and simply consider my work for a feature or airplay.

Meeting radio personalities and bloggers from around the world… many of them have become Facebook friends that I keep in touch with regularly. No better feeling than to share a common passion and obsession for music with people from various countries.
I even had a 14 year old girl who msg’d be two years ago telling me how much she loved my music, and wanted to use a couple of my songs in one of her book reports for school. That left me tremendously flattered & shocked (that someone so young actually liked my music to this extent).

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I would have to choose two actually: “Once, I Ruled by Myself” and “Another Point of View (A Halcyon Place To Be).”
Once, I Ruled by Myself: even though I wrote this song, every time I play it live, my hair stands. It perfectly represents what I love in music… the intensity of melody. I love creating vocal & guitar melodies that play with each other in the most beautiful of ways, therefore (and hopefully) evoking one’s own powerful passion for music through the song. 
Another Point Of View: this also perfectly describes what I love doing in music, and how I love to compose. I enjoy creating “happy” songs (chord progressions that are sort of joyful & upbeat), and then halfway through the song, I change the mood to something more serious & far more vigorous. And even though the vocal melodies & flow of the song produce that intensity, creating a powerful guitar lead part in the midst of the other melodies is very important to me too… to make that whole section of the song the pinnacle of emotional potency & manipulation … the absolute crescendo of that composition.

Where can we listen to it?

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thekoniacnet

ReverbNation EPK: http://thekoniacnet.reverbnation.com

Myspace: https://myspace.com/thekoniacnet

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/koniacnet

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekoniacnet

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/thekoniacnet/videos
iTunes (UK): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/the-koniac-net/id502142812

OKListen: http://www.oklisten.com/thekoniacnet  (you can buy all my music for VERY cheap here)
My music is also available on Amazon.com, Spotify, iTunes etc. (worldwide) 

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

My debut album One Last Monsoon was composed, performed, and recorded entirely by me. I released in 2012, and after five months of radio airplay and positive reviews from around the world, I decided to transform my project from a solo act to a full-fledged (eventually five-piece) band.
Our new EP Abiogenesis (2014) was the first time all five members contributed to the writing and recording process. In addition, all of the songs from the album & EP (and our future second album) were written by me between 2000 and 2010. 

Jute Roots Q&A

Your name: 

Amit Vyas.

Where are you from?

Jodhpur (Rajasthan) , India.

Name of band:

Am not part of any band right now, but have a page named Jute Roots.

Who else is in your band?

I collaborate with different artists around the world. 

How would you describe yourself?

I am an engineering student having affinity towards music and I love playing my guitar and recording some songs when free.

Who are your main influences musically?

I love blues Mainly some of my favorite musicians are SRV , Jimi Hendrix , BB King, Robert Johnson. But at the same time i love highly skilled guitarists such as Steve Vai , Joe Satriani , John Pettrucci....I love old music mainly the old blues and old rock songs. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I don't have any big dreams , But I wanna get some sort of formal education in music like a diploma or graduation in guitar. After that if I end teaching music at the end in a school or a music college i would be more than happy.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Well I am a engineering student i have performed at my college festivals have won some awards through my college, I have performed with some of the well known artists of my town at five star prestigious hotels and resorts. In short am no big guy I simply Love Music all i want is to have Music as my career whether i end up teaching at some place or end up in the music industry , anything would be good for me until there is music in my life.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Well till now I haven't experienced any tough time i try to enjoy every bit of my life.

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Well I would simply select one of my own song Way To Mississippi it's no big song very simple to play. I love the work of great Robert Johnson and blues has almost vanished nowadays. This song simply brings back that old aura of Mississippi Delta. The Raw form of music filled with simplicity and feel.

Where can we listen to it?

http://www.reverbnation.com/amitjuteroots

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://www.reverbnation.com/amitjuteroots

I won't Bombard You with all the links. You can access all my other social network pages through ReverbNation page. All my covers and originals are uploaded over here.

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

I just wanna thank you for checking up on me my friend, was happy to answer all these questions. Lots of love and blessings to you. \m/