Sai Sanjit Reflects Life and Society in Debut Album ‘Retrograde’
Chennai-based musician and graphic designer Sai Sanjit Sridhar etches his first solo album, ‘Retrograde’ – a twelve-track expansive concept record exuding progressive rock elements and featuring a flamboyant talent pool of industry heavyweights. “‘Retrograde’ to me is a testament to the creativity and dedication that can emerge from a humble bedroom studio,” says Sanjit. Conceived…
Chennai-based musician and graphic designer Sai Sanjit Sridhar etches his first solo album, ‘Retrograde’ – a twelve-track expansive concept record exuding progressive rock elements and featuring a flamboyant talent pool of industry heavyweights.
“‘Retrograde’ to me is a testament to the creativity and dedication that can emerge from a humble bedroom studio,” says Sanjit.
Conceived over six years ago as a bedroom project, the bass guitarist imagined the album as a reflection of society, life, and shared experiences while seeping in his musical influences of English rock musician Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), India’s iconic alternative rock band Avial, American rock crew Tool, and the likes of Linkin Park, Incubus, and Radiohead.
Initially, this project was leaning toward a smaller compilation; however, upon earning positive feedback from his peers, Sanjit decided to shift course and deliver a full-blown 48-minute album, tracking compositions with and without vocals. He shared, “Once the ball started rolling, I wanted to do this justice, so I decided to finance the album myself by working a full-time job as a Graphic Design Lead and taking on numerous freelance projects.”
Using the power of social media and his existing connections, Sanjit has hauled in some of the finest musicians from India and around the world, his role models included, to collaborate on this project. It churns out a starry credit list that includes Grammy-nominated legendary producer Tim Palmer, his bandmate from Fish in the Sink – vocalist Riju Andrews Jacob and saxophonist Rahul Joshua Thomas, to name a few.
“I managed to have some of the most renowned musicians from India and across the world come on board to work with me. It’s been surreal,” he conveyed.
Picking apart ‘Retrograde,’ right from the opening score ‘Hypodermic Needle’ – caressed with guitar riffs via Aussie I Built the Sky – until Tim Palmer’s engineered edition of ‘Qualms of the Sheep’ as the concluding track, the soundscape is deep, resonant, ethereal, and will seamlessly engage with fanatics of the heavier rock sounds and progressive rock themes.
On ‘Qualms of the Sheep,’ you’ll hear the vocal prowess of Indian rock legend Uday Benegal darned with roaring guitars via Sujith Valiyaveetil (also Fish in the Sink) and pounding drums from Suyash Gabriel, who was the first to answer Sanjit’s call for collaborators. Next up is ‘From Under,’ which sees singers Riju Andrews Jacob and Sara Nishika Doyle sitting on vocal duties alongside singer-songwriter Sooraj Santhosh, who croons lyrics in Malayalam.
‘Ruminate’ flourishes with a pulsating hard rock tune elevated by bellowing horn segments via Rahul Joshua Thomas and shredding guitars courtesy of Moses Koul. On ‘Somewhere,’ Sanjit sculpts a synth-ladled intro underscored by a dark/gloomy string section building toward an alternative rock composition, while ‘Wither’ straps on strummy guitars and gravelly vocal segments. The album courses through with an instrumental rendition of each track.
‘Qualms of the Sheep’ aside, each track was mixed and mastered by one of Sanjit’s idols – Avial’s guitarist and producer Rex Vijayan. Praising his efforts, Sanjit expressed, “Rex is a benchmark in music production and songwriting, and working with him and every single one of the artists who came on board for this album has been more than a dream come true.”
Sai Sanjit also wheeled in works from animator Venkatram Viswanathan to craft the album’s artwork, along with sketches of each artist and artwork for each song. In tandem with the music, each illustration on ‘Retrograde’ portrays a situation of chaos, loneliness, regret, and a technology-addicted society. As with the title, the album’s cover displays the artist wired to a chimpanzee, representing a state of regression to avoid chaotic, unhinged, and disorderly advancement.
Album Credits –
Written and Composed by: Sai Sanjit
Produced by: Sai Sanjit and Sujith Valiyaveetil
Lyrics: Sai Sanjit, Palak Gupta, Riju Andrews Jacob, Uday Benegal,
Gowri Rekha, A.V Sreekumar
Mixing Engineer: Rex Vijayan, Tim Palmer
Drums : Suyash Gabriel
Guitar Solos: Moses Koul, I Built the Sky, Sujith Valiyaveetil
Vocals: Riju Andrews Jacob, Uday Benegal, Sooraj Santhosh, Sara Nishika Doyle, Ramalingam Sivasailam
Electric Guitar: Sai Sanjit, Sujith Valiyaveetil
Bass Guitar: Sai Sanjit
Synths: Sai Sanjit, Sujith Valiyaveetil
Acoustic Guitars: Sujith Valiyaveetil
Album Artwork: Venkatram Vishwanathan
Discover Sai Sanjit on: Instagram | Spotify
You May Also Like:
Karan Barnabas’ New Single Is a New Beacon for Progressive Rock
Sei Hek’s Debut Album Grips You With a Powerful Display
New Music Releases of July 2024: gini, Yohan Marshall, Tech Panda, Kenzani and More
