Out on the landscape of sound

With seven solo albums and a range of live projects, EPs, remixes and collaborations to his name, Karsh Kale is today one of the most versatile and multi-talented artists in the world of music. But there once occurred a low phase in his life, a perspective from where all these future successes seemed impossibly out of sight. There was a sense that he’d bitten more than he could chew. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the musician is quoted as saying that there was a time, many years ago, when he was forced to ask himself questions like “Who the hell am I, and what the hell am I doing?”

Getting rid of the blues certainly took some doing. And Karsh soon outgrew his phase of confusion and self-doubt, producing some of his most remarkable pieces in collaboration with great musicians like Anoushka Shankar, Sting, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, and Zakir Hussain among several others. An Indian who grew up in America, Karsh seems to have imbibed the multicultural ethos of his adopted country. Then, there was also the significant role played by his father, who gave him a solid grounding in the musical traditions of both the West and the East.

Seeing that his son was developing an interest in drums at an early age, Karsh’s father allowed him to explore alongside the drums the complex rhythmic patterns of the tabla. And from here on, there was no looking back. A series of musical collaborations followed, and his curiosity for different styles and genres enabled him to break new grounds and to discover, within himself, fresh capabilities. 

The key to productivity, for a creative artist, lies in his or her ability to draw inspiration from the everyday world — the world we live in. “I always have to wait for a spark of inspiration,” Karsh tells Guardian 20. “But some muse or story always reveals itself in order, opening a clear path ahead. If I just sit down and start playing a million things come out. The difficulty is stopping time and seeing very clearly the landscape you want to create and then taking a step-by-step process to achieve it. I have to go into many modes from writing and idea (scratches), finding the sonic palette (sounds and instruments), producing and programming and then performing on the track with very specific mentalities required for each instrument. As I say all of this, I don’t think about any of it as different phases. It all becomes one fluid process I go through.”

His excellent grasp of the tabla has given his listeners a fresh perspective on the instrument that is believed to be the toughest to master in the world. But Karsh’s music doesn’t simply restrict itself to charting the complexities of the tabla, it brings to the fore the real versatility of the instrument. Karsh was once part of Tabla Beat Science, a musical group created by the renowned tabla player Zakir Hussian and American bassist Bill Laswell.

The sphere of creativity is enriching but strange. The urge to revise something you did long ago is part of this strangeness. After completing some work, one often tends to feel like going back in time and redoing it. But Karsh tells us that he is more or less immune from this impulse. “I try not to look back,” he says. “In fact, I don’t listen to UP  [his latest album which was released earlier this year] anymore, unless someone else puts in on. I have heard it so much while creating it that I become more excited about the next thing. Once an album is released it belongs to the people.”

His excellent grasp of the tabla has given his listeners a fresh perspective on the instrument that is believed to be the toughest to master in the world. But Karsh’s music doesn’t simply restrict itself to charting the complexities of the tabla, it brings to the fore the real versatility of the instrument. Karsh was once part of Tabla Beat Science, a musical group created by the renowned tabla player Zakir Hussian and American bassist Bill Laswell. Up until now, he has worked on three projects with the group, namely Tala Matrix(2000),  Live at Stern Grove (2003) and Talaman Soundclash, Live at the Filmore (2004).

“The tabla,” he tells us, “offers so much to the musician and the listener since it is tonal, rhythmic, and a speaking drum from both the male and female perspectives. The traditional repertoire even imitated spoken syllables. And like any art form that one studies, once the fundamentals start to reveal themselves, you realise how you can apply those concepts to other contexts.”

Besides the tabla, Karsh is also enviably good with a number of Western instruments, including the piano. So is it necessary for a composer to have an advanced understanding of multiple instruments? “No, I don’t think that is essential,” he says. “One can get some basic understanding of the instruments’ range and capability without learning to play it. Many legendary producers played no instruments at all. However, in my case, I believe my knowledge of instruments and understanding of the physicality of playing has allowed me to find unique ways of expressing my ideas. I don›t have to depend on a lot of other musicians to create a big sound, because I play a great deal of instruments myself.”

His understanding of a variety of instruments has naturally sent him in various directions, creatively speaking.  His musical influences are as varied as his taste in music. He says: “I listen to Peter Gabriel, Rush, Yes, Sting , The Police, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Hans Zimmer, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Prince, Stevie Wonder and a few others.”

This, no doubt, is a daunting list of influences. Does the burden to match the high standards set by these musical figures not get too much for him at times? What about the musical equivalent of a writer’s block? Has he been afflicted by this condition? “I have learnt over the years to just stop when things are not working out,” he says. “I used to obsess and torture myself to squeeze out some inspiring idea. Sometimes it just doesn›t come and the best thing to do then is shut down, and take my dog for a walk. As long as one is open to it, inspiration can come at the most unexpected times.”

Alternatively, inspiration often strikes while you are touring the gig circuit. Karsh was recently in Mumbai to perform at a gig organised by Red Bull, where a live show was staged on the roof of a bus. Playing alongside him were ace musicians like Warren Mendonsa on guitars, Pandit Ajay Prasanna on the bansuri and Jai Row Kavi on drums. The entire performance looked like an electronic/classical concert, presented like a DJ set.

“Any new platform and concert scenario that is fresh will always attract a new audience,” Karsh says. “I like the idea of the bus because here one gets the feeling like the music is literally rolling through town.”

Technology plays a significant role in Karsh’s music — not just on the production level but also as something that aids the performance. Still, he doesn’t think that extreme reliance on technology should be the way forward for musicians. “There is no one way to make music,” he says. “It is a varied process, combining human inspiration with technology and organic instruments and sounds that will never change. Technology changes but music doesn’t evolve with technology. Music evolves as the artist evolves. Technology is just a tool…like a hammer.”