By Suhrid Manchanda
Indraprastha Extension’s very own Nikhil Kaul, a diligent matriculate of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and graduate of Hindu College, eschewed all his learnings years ago to pursue a musical path. Under the moniker Frame/Frame, he has been enjoying some increased exposure and recognition as of lately. He was selected by British-Indian music legend Talvin Singh to be his co-conspirator on an episode of M.T.V. Sync- with startling results. Meanwhile, 'Swimmers', Nikhil’s 2013 debut release as Frame/Frame landed him on Rock Street Journal’s list of Emerging Acts to watch out for and earned him a wealth of praise from Rolling Stone to The Guardian online.
Following the vogue of releasing a remix E.P., Nikhil has gathered some of his like-minded cohorts from around India onto this new release – available for free download here. He’s got a little tour set up to celebrate this release. Delhi is on Friday the 11th of April at Turquoise Cottage followed by Bangalore and Pune dates.
When it comes to the nuts & bolts of electronic music, Nikhil is a technically proficient producer continually exploring the intricacies of sound engineering in-depth. He is typical of a new generation of “bedroom producers” whose crafts have been enabled in recent years by access to technology, hardware & software. I once asked Nikhil why he doesn’t just make commercial music; he replied that although he could make a track like Gangnam Style in under 20 minutes {and I sincerely believe that he could}, it just doesn’t interest him. However, I would gather that it does interest him to spend 20 hours a day perfecting the idiosyncratic soundscapes he hears in his head. This is a good thing for humanity especially as these soundscapes increasingly take the form of songs- 'Pastels', the lead track off 'Swimmers', being a shining example.
Frame/Frame is on the right track. He is creating art that he can be proud of himself while giving listeners plenty to enjoy and get attached to. He’s filling the gap between producing electronic music in India and performing music with electronic elements live for Indians. We expect bigger and better things from him even before the year is out.
Find Frame/Frame on Facebook here.
Check out Frame/Frame on Soundcloud here.
