Namit Das + Anurag Shanker is an exploration of poetry and Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent, revived through a sonic palette of ambient jazz-rock. The music traverses several moods and emotions to create a world that lifts these treasures of writing for a more immersive listening experience.
Namit is an established actor, both in the theatre and film space in India and hails from Mumbai. However, his legacy is that of music and with this project he takes it forward in a completely new light by composing and performing material that integrates his roots with his contemporary outlook. Anurag is a producer and guitar player from Delhi who has been working out of Mumbai for the past few years. Through this collaboration with Namit and his work, Anurag has come upon a world of sound that allows for the projection of Indian culture in a current avatar.
The collaboration took place over various sessions of going through the unreleased song book of Sri K.Pannalal, which was a family heirloom of the Das’ household. Various ideas sprouted and the first experiments resulted in the form of the 2014 5-track ‘Din Gaye EP‘ , a road test that was well received by critics and gained the project their first bit of following. A fair number of live performances followed between 2015-2019 with the band taking stage at various music festivals across the country including NH7 Weekender, Into The Void, Taalbelia, Repertwahr, Backyard Beantown Festival, St+Art and more. This is in addition to several indoor/club gigs at stellar venues like Flea Bazaar Social, The Quarter, Bflat, Nine Fish Art Gallery, etc.
The live set evolves with every show and currently stands at an intense yet minimalistic experience that throws emphasis on every note and word alike. Ralph Menezes(bass) and Shivang Kapadia(drums) complete the current live full band lineup along with Namit and Anurag on Vocals and Guitars respectively. Namit and Anurag also perform the occasional duo electro set which features the two of them along a laptop triggering samples on Ableton Live. After putting out two singles in 2019, the Covid-19 lockdown saw the band put out several versions of their music from home along with an official live release of the electro duo set called ‘Live From The Insides‘ which was taken from their special performance from home for the Liverpool Soundcity/Horus Music UK showcase in October 2020. The EP was also featured on the BBC Asian Network ‘2020 Wrap Up’ on their Asian Residency show.
The project is now moving forward with their sound and their current 100+ minute full featured set has come a long way from the first EP. The music and arrangements are more coherent, structured and intentional without losing the impulsiveness of jazz and Indian classical sensibilities. Their sophomore studio release – a full length album is currently in pre-production and should arrive in the music market by mid-late 2021.