Vocals rarely take centre-stage with As we keep searching; they’re never in your face. Ovotaar, however, boasts of more vocals, and Shankuraj Konwar’s singing is among the most emotive highlights of the track. In many ways, Aswekeepsearching’s new single Ovotaar, made in collaboration with Shankuraj Konwar, marks a key moment in Indian music. It brings together a cosmopolitan band that has made its mark on the global stage, with a musician who has found immense fame focussed entirely in his home state of Assam.
Hazy, reverberating sonic replications intertwined with sullen chord progressions build into an atmospheric crescendo as ‘Ovotaar’ winds itself up into a brooding vortex of sound. Its steadying percussive attack holds everything in place, gracefully leading the listener into an explosive finale that’s filled to the brim with dreamy post-rock promise. The sensational, but unobtrusive electronically styled percussive hits add intense depth as the track explodes into life as soon as Shankuraj Konwar’s pulsing haunting vocalisations come out into the ether. The luscious guitar progressions swirl in a magnificent undulating sweep through resonating refractions and echoing instrumentation. Instrumentally this track ebbs and flows through explosive bass-filled passages underpinned by mesmerisingly hazy guitars and stunning production that is steeped in an ethereal atmosphere. Simply stunning!
WWM – What is the song, ‘Ovotaar’, about?
As We Keep Searching – Lyrically, Ovotaar speaks of a protagonist, praying to the almighty to revisit the human realm in the form of an “avatar” and purge all darkness and chaos therein. This conceptually spoke to all of us and we spent the following months in a constant effort to get it to sound just the way we all wanted it to.
WWM – How did the collaboration with Shankuraj Konwar come about?
As We Keep Searching – In our last performance at No Binary’s FUSEFEST held in Guwahati, we had Assam’s homegrown favourite Shankuraj Konwar join us on stage, and that exhilarating performance naturally led to us working together, creating something truly unique yet inclusive of each of our stylistic eccentricities. We proudly present our collaborated work, ’Ovotaar’.
WWM – As collaborating artists, how do you work and write together tossing ideas around? In terms of the songwriting duties, was it more about you each bringing your own significantly developed tracks, or did you work together more democratically across all of them if that makes sense?
As We Keep Searching – For this collab, we worked upon our already developed song from our last album sleep. In an online meeting when we all sat to discuss on what can we do, out of 3-4 other songs that we played, we connected well with Glued. From there, we took the song to our computers and started reimagining it with vocals while changing most of the parts and even playing new parts for the same. After we received the vocal scratch from Shankuraj, we knew what we can further do to the song to make it sound Ovotaar.
WWM – The artwork looks very interesting. Tell us about its conceptualisation.
As We Keep Searching – The artwork is made by Tanaya Sharma. It depicts the transformative process of a man into a tree, making him the Ovotaar. Humans today are losing their very essence of life: humanity, letting their souls fall into darkness. On the other hand, nature goes berserk just to purge this darkness. We, humans, seek the light to guide us in this journey and as we learn the insignificance of human life when viewed through the grand lens of the universe, we pray to the avatar to show us the solution to this darkness residing within us. Unknown to us, the key fact that we have forgotten is that the light is within us and all the answers lie at the feet of nature. We are nature, we are the earth, we are the universe and if you want, you can be the OVOTAAR to put everything at peace.
WWM – What genres is the song influenced by?
As We Keep Searching – While the song has a wide spectrum of influences, We would like to keep it limited to Pop Rock
WWM – What’s one anecdote that you’d love to share about making Ovotaar.
As We Keep Searching – This is our first ever major & completely out-of-the-box collaboration. Every moment has been precious. Especially the fact that we managed to pull this off even while being in different cities and working online.
WWM – Do you have any upcoming performances you would like fans to know about? Is there anything else you would like to announce for your fans or anything you would like them to know?
As We Keep Searching – We will wait for doors to open again for entertainment so it is safe for each one of us to come under a live music environment. Until then, people can stream our new release, share, support and spread love.
Track Credits:
- Label – No Binary Records
- Written & Performed by aswekeepsearching feat. Shankuraj Konwar
- Production by Adhiraj Singh
- Mixing and Mastering by Adhiraj Singh
- Artwork – Illustration and layout by Tanaya Sharma
Follow – Aswekeepsearching | Shankuraj Konwar | Tanaya Sarmah | Adhiraj Singh
