Together known as Studio Fuzz, Delhi-based Arsh Sharma, Srijan Mahajan and Nikhil Malik are the men behind the trippy soundtrack of the movie M Cream.
It is not just the movie that created a buzz, but even its music, that ranges from rock and jazz electronic music to folk-fusion, has won accolades from both the mainstream as well as Indie musicians. In an interview with Metrolife, the trio shares more about the tracks, their music and future projects.
Excerpts:
How did you guys come together?
Srijan With sugar, spice and everything that isn’t nice. It was very random and we came together initially on a project to project basis which eventually led us to working together full time. It helps that we kind of like spending time with each other.
Nikhil We did the music for about four short films and then a big TV project came through. For the next year and a half we did more TV projects and we actually felt like long lost brothers from the Kumbh Mela! We actually gelled pretty well (touchwood) and thus decided to create Studio Fuzz.
How was the soundtrack made? Tell us more about it.
Srijan Composing the soundtrack for this film was one of the most fun experience for us! We immersed ourselves into it completely for about six months, where for an average of 12 hours a day, we had the film on our screens and were just noodling with our instruments watching it. The soundtrack captures the essence of the journey of the characters and the places shown in the film.
Arsh The soundtrack is a collaborative effort. We had also got a brief from (director)
Agneya. We spent a lot of time watching the early footage of the film which gave us a lot of inspiration on how the soundtrack needed to be paced.
Nikhil Agneya had a very clear idea about the kind of music he wanted. Our job was just to replicate his feelings through music. We connected with the message of the film and that was the most important thing. Of course, there was a lot of editing involved. We had to cut the music to the scene. After about two million revisions (more like 20-25), we got to the final versions.
At a time where Bollywood music is ruling, how far do you think such tracks can survive?
Srijan Good music will live forever no matter what the state of affairs of music in this country or the world.
Nikhil I feel every kind of music has its own audience. The Beatles wrote Hey Jude in 1968 and everyone still seems to love it! This project didn’t require us to play “item song” game where one song will get viral just to be overtaken by another song in a short span of time. We are currently not moving faster than the speed of light, so there’s some hope of true art surviving.
What importance does this project hold for you?
Nikhil We have learnt a lot from it. Writing close to 20 pieces of music in a span of six months not only improved our skills as musicians but also brought the three of us closer. In the process of composing music, we realised that we were discussing the project lesser and discussing our personal lives more. I feel because of this bonding, the music just became a byproduct of our chemistry with one another. I would define this project as a life changing experience.
Tell us more about the music you make.
Arsh In studio Fuzz, we mostly write music for films and television so our entire philosophy is always of trying to do what's the best for the film or the project. Besides Studio Fuzz, I also play in the alternative-rock band The Circus and the electronica act FuzzCulture.
Nikhil I write music mostly for women. I believe women have a great ear for music and provide the best critique too. Every time I write a piece of music, I send it to my secret group of female friends who send me feedback and I take it forward from there.
Any Bollywood project in pipeline?
Nikhil We’re in talks with some directors. Although I secretly wish Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar or some great director or producer happens to stumble upon this article.
What next are you working on?
Srijan At the moment, we’re reading through some scripts and trying to figure out the next project that excites us in the same way that MCream did.