HERALD
CAFÉ: Seeing you play at festivals has
become a rare phenomenon. What have you been up to?
ANISH SOOD: After
six years of being a festival circuit regular, I recognised the creative void
in the commercial spectrum and the need to reinvent and experiment. I spent
more time in the studio than on the road. This intense soul searching has led
to the creation and production of my debut all-original studio album, titled,
‘Future Perfect’.
HC: What is the
album all about?
AS: The album
draws heavily from my musical influences with a focused emphasis on the
melodies that I was exposed to during the formative years of my life in Goa.
The album was primarily written in Los Angeles and features collaborations with
a wide range of talented songwriters such as Jonita Gandhi, Zach Sorgen,
TRISHES and Cari Golden, bringing together a confluence of varied musical
styles and sounds. The album also features music videos that have been shot in wide
ranging locations from Italy to Turkey, featuring models such as Playboy
playmate Jessica Wall.
HC: How did the
name ‘Future Perfect’ come about?
AS: I believe
electronic music is at a very crucial juncture. It has been steadily growing to
reach that critical mass needed to cement itself as a genre alongside
traditional names like rock, jazz and country. While I started writing this
album a few months ago, it has been many years in the making and represents
what my vision of the future of electronic music is – hybrid and organic.
HC: Tell us about
the musical influences and inspiration that helped you shape this album.
AS: The album
draws heavily from my teenage years when I was listening to a lot of jazz, rock
and pop. When I decided it was finally time to write an album, I wanted a fresh
unique sound and exceptional songwriting. Hence I temporarily moved base to Los
Angeles with absolutely no expectations or pre-conceived ideas. I then got to
work with some of the best talent and I’m really happy with the end result.
While the primary genre is house, the album also embraces pop, funk, disco and
techno elements.
HC: What went
into planning the collaboration process?
AS: Most of the collaborators are
established singer-songwriters based in and around Los Angeles. The first thing
that struck me when I started working in the studio with them was how
professional and committed they all are. Some of the tracks took barely two
hours to finish and that’s exactly how I like to work as well; if the writing
process drags on for too long it’s going to sound like a forced product. The
two lead collaborators on the album are Zach Sorgen and TRISHES. Zach is a very
gifted songwriter with a great voice and has already put out a couple of big
records with Slander and Bobby Puma. The first thing I noticed about TRISHES
was the depth of her writing and vocal range. She sounds very Lana Del
Ray-esque and her live set involves very cool live looping as well.
