“Unherd feels like a strong step towards pushing India’s alternative music scene in a different way. The Earth Below, Rainburn and Diarchy are arguably the ones who produce some of the most unique, forward-thinking music in the country right now and I’m looking forward to seeing how many minds get melted thanks to Unherd.”
ANURAG TAGAT (ROLLING STONE INDIA)
We’re thrilled to announce that this year we’re teaming up with UNHERD MUSIC, a brand-new, world-beating record label from Bengaluru that will seek to bring out the best in underground rock and experimental music from India.
Set up by Ramakrishnan Krishnan, founder of Unscene and one of India’s leading live promoters of contemporary independent music, Krishnan hopes that through his latest venture Indian artists will be given an opportunity to showcase their music to a wider global audience. Artists that have until now gone underrepresented and, well, for want of a better word, unheard.
“Unherd is a natural progression from what I’ve been doing for the last few years with the live gig series,” explains Krishnan. “There are a number of bands here that make amazing music but do not get the international audience they deserve, so Unherd was set up to try and keep at least some of them from giving up on making music. The artists focus on what they do best and the label works on every other aspect; operations, distribution, marketing/PR, production of physical media, merchandise. The deal is equitable financially and operationally which makes it a partnership where both artist and label have their skin in the game.”
Following the release of Resignify, the label’s inaugural album from flagship band and progressive titans, RAINBURN, at the end of last year, leading the charge into 2020 are two of India’s brightest young prospects.
In March, Unherd will release the sophomore album from Bangalore two-piece, DIARCHY. Inspired by bands such as Clutch, Karma to Burn and Kyuss the duo has played regular shows and festivals since their formation in 2015 (NH7 Weekender, Indie March, New Wave Asia) and made ripples internationally across the scene in 2017 with the release of their debut album, Here Lost We Lie. diarchy.bandcamp.com
“My love for Diarchy goes back to the very first time I saw them on stage. Their music wrought mayhem off stage, it was a riotous joy. I have seen them grow and evolve with time and it shows on this new album. Heavy, precisely directed rage,” says Krishnan.
Following Diarchy into the great unknown in April is THE EARTH BELOW, the solo project of musician Deepak Raghu; drummer/vocalist of Bangalore-based band Shepherd and one half of experimentalists, Rat King. With new album, Nothing Works Vol. 2 Hymns To Useless Gods, Raghu will pick up where he left off on his last EP – the beautifully psychedelic yet weirdly transmissionary, Dreams of A Thousand Stillness – to deliver his most complete vision yet. theearthbelow.bandcamp.com
“Deepak has a rare intensity, so much so it’s often quite scary. In The Earth Below’s music he adds to that intensity a vulnerability and a maturity beyond his age. To me he’s a very special musician, which is why I had started working with him on his new album months before I had even thought of starting Unherd. Once I did create the label, he was the first artist I talked with to sign up,” says Krishnan.
Over the coming months we will be announcing exact details about both releases while bringing you more information and music from Diarchy, The Earth Below and many more exciting new artists on Unherd Music. In the meantime however, check out Unherd Music via Bandcamp (unherdmusic.bandcamp.com) and Facebook (facebook.com/Unherd.Music).
Sheltered Life PR /// 