Goodbye, for now.

Greetings, universe!

Few things in this world are more enjoyable to me than writing about music and attempting to share a part of this beautiful world with those who care to explore it. But to put it simply, life comes in the way and what is life, if not a series of tough choices?

It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to pause this blog series. As heavy as the heaviest metal song there ever was. Maybe heavier. Anyway, I digress.

Not that I ever wrote with a regular cadence, there was always a certain expectation I placed on myself to put content out in this format. After some reflection, there has come a point in my writing journey (and personal journey) where I stop being hard on myself (there's a That's What She Said joke in there somewhere) and free up some mental space to concentrate on other challenging pursuits that deserve my best self.

Creativity is like a dam. Dam son, when did I get so deep? As deep as the water in the dam, maybe I'll see Adele rolling in there. I digress, yet again. Let me retry.

Creativity is like a dam. One can only control its flow so much. And rather than let it leak in a million places, I think it might be better to have a steady, targeted flow that does the farmlands some good. I will continue writing long form articles on Medium.com and creating cover videos for my YouTube channel. In addition, I have a couple of exciting projects in the works.

Ultimately, I guess I am happy and excited for what's to come. Some farms have been left dry for too long.

-Sagar

YouTube // Bombay2Bay

Medium // https://medium.com/@SgrGrnn

Twitter // @SgrGrnn

One Touch And I Ignite!

Track: Ignite

Artist: Alan Walker, K-391 feat. Julie Bergan & Seungri
Album: Single

Year: 2018

Genre: Electronic Dance Music



For the longest time, "Faded" was the only Alan Walker song I knew. The beautiful piano intro made it stand apart from the run of the mill electronic music, lending it a human touch in a universe of machine generated beeps and booms.

I was subsequently introduced to "Darkside" and "The Spectre". At this point, I was ready to brand Alan Walker as an artist with a musical sensibility that is rarely seen with the button-pushing, bass-drop-is-God, random-screeches-are-music-too strata of DJs. Yep, there are far too many of those.

So, I ended up at Alan's concert, and the opening act was exactly the kind of DJ I just described. Unimpressed, I was questioning myself whether this was the best use of my evening. Those doubts were soon laid to rest the moment this song came on.

Everything about "Ignite" screamed "playlist" to me. I was hooked. The lyrics were well thought out, providing a sense of comfort and hope to all of us that wonder, "Is this as good as it gets?". The human imagination is an extremely powerful tool that has the ability to catapult us to a place where our dreams and reality converge. Nothing is impossible, nothing is out of reach.

So, indulge in everything that sparks joy within your being and watch it take you to amazing places!

There's a reason we're discussing Slipknot in 2019.

Track: Spit It Out

Artist: Slipknot
Album: Slipknot (self-titled)

Year: 1999

Genre: Nu Metal

Energy. Chaos. Catharsis.

If someone asked me to summarize a Slipknot concert in three words, except no one did, I'd choose these. And that is just from videos available online. I expect I will have no words left once I experience it myself. Come on 2019, prove me right!

Now, this song isn't their best one by any stretch of imagination. The only reason I chose it to showcase Slipknot was this powerful moment around 7:06 where the crowd kneels and jumps up in unison. 

The song came out in 1999. This video is in 2009. We are in 2019 now, and Slipknot have a new song out (All Out Life). Though a crucial part of their act, if you keep the masks and antics aside, you'll find music (no, it's not noise and yes, I don't care what you think) that appeals across generations and lyrics that real people living real lives relate with. None of the fluff and bling of pop and rap.

A genre-defining band, there is absolutely no limit to what they can create. With Joey Jordison acting as a puppet-master from his throne, his beats command every note, every riff and every word that the band "spits out" (Hehe, see what I did there?). Corey raps like a God, and has the crowd on his little finger. Not many things in this world can get so many people together to a single location with a single purpose. Just makes you pause and realize how powerful music can be.

The Formula1 Theme

Track: Formula1 Theme

Composer: Brian Tyler

Year: 2018

Genre: Classical / Orchestral

We are midway through the winter break in the world of Formula1 (F1) and I can't wait for the lights to go out at the Australian GP on March 17, 2019. Looking back at an action packed season, if there is one thing that gave me goosebumps each time, it was the F1 theme song composed by Brian Tyler.

What a boon Liberty Media has been to F1 ! The sport has never been as engaging as it is today and a major chunk of the credit goes to them. From regular video uploads on multiple platforms, spanning highlights packages, radio messages and history refreshers, F1 has finally become a modern sport capable of generating new fans and appeasing the loyalists.

Brian Tyler is a Hollywood veteran, composing music for some of our favorite movies and franchises. And he has delivered an impeccable soundtrack that captures the adrenaline and frenetic pace of F1. That soundtrack has been my de facto alarm clock every race weekend last year, with races in Europe starting at 5AM/6AM. Because, immediately following it were Crofty and Brundle introducing the circuit and the starting grid. Minutes to lights out!

Fans of orchestral music will appreciate the massive sound in this track, played by the London Philharmonia in the video. The racing fans will appreciate the engine sounds interspersed and blended in.

Good job, Brian!