Q. Can you tell us what has changed with the film music scenario overtime from the overall point of view?

Dhrubajyoti: There is a definite growth in the ability of the listener to see beyond the melody the lyrics and the singer which was not the case earlier today’s listeners are aware of the arrangements.

They are aware of the quality of the mix and can many times point out if a software like auto tune is used to enhance the vocal. This never happened earlier. The guitarist or the drummer were as popular as the singer but that doesn’t happen now. One of the reasons for that is the surge of synth and electronic music.

When you look at the change from a compositions point of view the hook-line towered over the overall composition till sometime back. Free flowing songs without a hook-line and no repetitions like Gudi Pataka from Highway emerged, but they were more of an aberration than a norm.

Musical trends and tastes change very rapidly. Earlier, singers like Lataji, Rafi Sahab or music directors Lakshmikant-Pyarelal ruled for decades, but that hardly happens today.

The listeners we come across today are restless. Young listeners lack the patience to listen to a 5-minute song. A bit over 3 minutes and they switch themselves off. But then, they comment on the quality of the mix and often ask us to eliminate or add the reverberation in the song. This is a far more aware listener base we are catering to. The music lover has eclectic taste and is in-sync with technology. This I think is a very big difference in the way music is consumed today.

 

Q. One of the features of your work is blending traditional instruments with the modern sound culture. Can you take us to the mean you have achieved so beautifully?

Dhrubajyoti: For me music is artistic sound. A folk or a western or an acoustic instrument, each have their own beauty. For me the contrast in the sound makes it unique and ethereal. I started off as an acoustic music student but was also interested in synth music which has its own charm and intensity.

 

Q. Do you think the think instrument can match the emotional depth of an acoustic instrument?

Dhrubajyoti: I think there are electronic instruments today that carry every emotion strongly. In fact, I would like to add that there are cases where I find electronic music emotionally richer than acoustic music. That is my theory. The point is electronic instruments have also added to the plastic artificial sound of the earlier days and can move seasoned listeners. As an arranger, you may depend on your musicians to do the needful provided they are good.

 

Q. What has your learning journey as a music arranger/ programmer/ composer been like?

Dhrubajyoti: I started off with the Tabla, moved on to Hawaiian Guitar and to get a good grasp of the theory of western music took Piano lessons. I’m more of an overall contributor to the song. Grammar, to my mind restricts creativity. All great work in any art form has been about breaking the prescribed grammatical format. You see language came first. Grammar came much later. Grammar was a means to analyze. Had they concentrated only on grammar the language would have taken much longer to evolve. The same, I think, applies in the case of music too. Music grammar comes next. Evoking emotion through music is primary for me.

 

Q. You are both a music composer and a music arranger. How do you draw the line between the composer and the arranger?

Dhrubajyoti: I think both the arranger and the composer are independent creators and equally important. I do not see one bigger than the other they are complementary. It is only that the scope changes at different times. One could master both the areas for better results.

 

Q. Can you tell us the difference between a music arranger and a music producer? Is there a very thin line between the two or are they completely different functions?

Dhrubajyoti: In the past the music arranger did a variety of functions like composing music parts, conducting the musicians, writing music pieces, and handling the recording session. They were then known as the music arrangers. With the role of computer technology getting into recording, engineering also became an important part of the whole process of recording. Audio-engineering is an indelible segment of the current music producers job sheet. That is the major differentiating line I think between the music arranger and music producer. My engineering background helped me play the dual role – both the technical and the creators. On a personal level I thoroughly enjoyed this change.

 

Q. What do you think are the intricacies of sound design?

Dhrubajyoti: Sound design is basically the emotion of the song that needs to be conveyed in the best possible manner. It is the pivot of the song. Sound design includes the musical parameters as well as the audio engineering aspect of the process. It is important to intricately know the melody, rhythm, and the range of the instrument. In many cases it also helps to know the ability of the player to get the best from their talent by using their strength. It is a combination of all these factors that eventually offers a great sound output. Sound Design for a film is also about the overall music; about the sounds used in the film and may not include background music. Sound design also involves creating a sound complementary to the film’s milieu. It could include altering sounds, tweaking synth and acoustic sounds; mixing them differently, to take it closer to the film’s requirement. So, as I said, sound design also involves engineering output on the part of the arranger/composer.

 

Q. To strike the difference between the purely aesthetic and the aesthetic yet commercial music must have been a journey of sorts. How did you make the transition from Assam to Mumbai?

Dhrubajyoti: I was into commercial music, even in Assam, despite which I had somehow never come to respect commercial music from my heart. Mumbai changed all that. I realized that commercial music is what is going to help an artist survive. It is not easy to make commercial music that everybody likes. Your music has to be reaching out to all classes of people. Van Gogh, the painter, because of his stubborn art for art’ sake attitude, lost out on a lot. It is important to understand this differentiation. I think the post-internet music listener is far more aware than the pre-internet music connoisseur. Musical tastes have changed. There’s more exposure to world music. As a creator you’ve to know the musical preferences of the masses. These hit-makers may not be the most intelligent creators but the more successful ones. I learnt this important lesson only after I made the shift to Mumbai.

 

Q. Is it important to have an understanding of all genres of music to enhance your growth as music arranger?

Dhrubajyoti: I can say that commercial film music is a vast genre. Folk, classical, Western, Jazz, Blues and every known genre comes under its ambit.

 

Q. How do you adjust to the style of each composer you work with?

Dhrubajyoti: Over the years I have worked with a plethora of composers each with their own style and musical taste. From Jatin-Lalit to Nadeem-Shravan to Ankit Tiwari and Pritam today- I have worked with all. It also meant that I had a lot to learn from them and their individuality. As an arranger there are times when you do not exactly have the same taste as the creator, but then you cannot let that cloud your judgement. You’ve to offer your best irrespective of your personal musical preferences. I study in detail all the works of the music director I work with. This, I believe, went a long way in helping me attune to their requirements.

 

Q. How do you choose the right manner/process to start with while arranging your track to bring the song to life?

Dhrubajyoti: The first thing I do is try and make the decision about what I think is the songs main requirement. If it requires a groove to embellish, I go with that but if the song has a strong construct of melody, I go by chord progression. In some cases, I’ve also gone by sound effects. Like there was a song in which I used the sound of a moving train as a base, looped it and created the orchestra around it. To have a composer open to experimenting is a great asset in such situations. In one case, for a telefilm, I used a delay and automated it through the song. In another, I made a groove out of an operating handpump. As an artist it is important for me to not loose myself into becoming the functional commercial creator. This kind of experimental work helps me fire-up & stir the music creator inside me.

 

Q. Working for background scores and songs are entirely different categories of work what do you think is the main difference and meeting points between the two?

Dhrubajyoti: Over the years, songs have been used as a trailer to rope in theatrical audiences. They were the biggest draw before the film release. The job of the background music in any film is to enhance emotion. The onus of attracting film buffs was never on the background music, but these days with lip sync almost out of films, songs are used as background music in the film. This is a big change.

 

Q. How do you translate Indian music to foreign musicians who are performing on your arrangements if the songs have an Indian base?

Dhrubajyoti: They’re easy to work with. They follow written music and do a good job with it. Everything happens online. They’re all great professionals. While London has great players, the talent fees they seek are prohibitive. Prague and Budapest have great musicians and are affordable too. Nashville and LA also have great musicians. The hit “Budtameez Dil” had foreign musicians. This musician, Emir, who with his team played the horns in the song is one of the best musicians I’ve worked with.

 

Q. Tell us about your national award-winning film Panchakki. How was the experience?

Dhrubajyoti: Panchakki was an experimental film for which I recorded folk musicians from Himachal interiors on my Nokia handset. I did all the music activity on the film including composing, recording, arranging, mixing the music though was credited as a composer and loved it.

 

Q. Any work of yours that you would like to mention as notable?

Dhrubajyoti: Kaante was one film that remains special for me. The producer gave me a free hand and gave me extra time for getting the results I wanted. “Tu Hi Meri Shaab Hain” sung by K K. and composed by Pritam also remains close to my heart.

 

Q. What is the software you use for your work?

Dhrubajyoti: The software I use is DP (Digital Performer). Hardly anybody uses it today as most have shifted to Logic which is faster, and has readymade tones and sounds. I’m most comfortable with DP and its workflow. It was way ahead of its time when compared to innuendo and others and continues to have some unique features even today. It is an expensive software and lacks a sound library of its own which perhaps
deters users.

 

Q. What would be your advice to aspiring composers and arrangers?

Dhrubajyoti: My advice to aspiring arrangers would be to constantly keep updating oneself about all technological changes. I’d like to say that grammar limits creativity and that you should stay away from the trappings of grammar. Follow your heart to judge your creative work. Keep listening to music for as long as you can as it can be a great teacher.