'Bloodywood' is about a thriving sub-culture

Pentagram has released its fourth album, Bloodywood. DNA caught up with the band when it was in Bangalore recently.

What are the characteristics of ‘Bloodywood’, the sub-culture that you are talking about?
Vishal Dadlani: The thing is that across the country, or even the world for that matter, only the Indian mainstream is heard. But there is a viable, strong alternative to that, a sub-culture that is vibrant, edgy, razor sharp, innovative and beautiful. And that alternative is finding its own strength. It’s people with an irresistible passion and a hunger for change, who are just beginning to find their voice.

How much of Mumbai does the album possess?
Vishal Dadlani: There are songs like Mental Zero and In My Head and Tomorrow’s Decided where the beat of the bass line is directly derived from the street sounds of Mumbai. Then there are tracks like This Could Get Ugly, Nocturne and Think I Get You, which are from situations that Mumbai creates in your head. Nocturne is about the noise of a city and even when it’s quiet at night, it’s still buzzing in your head, it won’t let you sleep.

The night is kind of heavy and you reflect a lot more in that empty space. During the day it’s a loud, busy city and then it goes so quiet after say 1 am, it’s literally like a ghost town. That sharp contrast kind of freaks me out but is also inspiring.

If you were to compare working on this album to working on your first album (We’re Not Listening) what would say are the changes you notice?
Randolph Correia: Our sound in the beginning was very creative, very experimental, it was the need to create something big, and it was the need to create something interesting. Now it’s a lot more defined as a band of 17 years, as us four guys coming together and apart as musicians.

You’ve been evolving as musicians and this also shows in the sound of the band. How do you think you’ve evolved as a band over the years?
Vishal Dadlani: Everything has changed. It’s normal. The only thing that hasn’t changed is it’s the same guys and the same band. Life around us has changed, the city has changed, people have changed. There are more clubs, more venues and a greater acceptability of indie music. There are more festivals, more organisation and all of that, but on the city front there is more chaos, more disorder. It’s like there is a sharper divide between people. We are trying to look at the positivity, the energy, the upside of it all. The album is very true; there was no thought process or filter.

How has the band been able to stay together for 17 years? How do other projects that band members are involved in, influence the band?
Vishal Dadlani:  That’s a pretty long time for a band anywhere, not just in India. For us, the most important thing is passion. We love doing what we do, and we enjoy each other’s company thoroughly. It’s a relationship that goes beyond the band and beyond the performances. For me personally, these guys — Randolph, Shiraz and Papal — are my family and there is no question of being without them. I depend on them and I’d like to believe it’s the other way around as well.

What’s the idea behind Penta TV, the online show on your website?
Randolph Correia: PentaTV is something we wanted to start so that our fans could see what Pentagram was all about. People think we are this huge and inaccessible band, and we wanted to change that. We’re regular musicians who love music and it’s at the forefront of whatever we do. So PentaTV is an inside view about what we’re about and it’s a way by which we can connect with our fans.

Despite this proximity to their audience, indie music is far from being an established industry that can support musicians financially. What changes do you think are necessary for this transition to happen?
Vishal Dadlani: I think the most important thing is that bands are writing their own material. They are starting to evolve their own unique sounds. That’s just starting to happen now.

Something we’ve been doing for a long time. I’m glad to see so many other bands, so many others singers and songwriters doing it. I think this is where it really starts. The way the scene is now, the way it’s developing now, and it’s going to go ballistic from here.