Kraftwerk + Daft Punk = glass of lassi
By Mathures Paul
When members of Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk or Beastie Boys leave their bands, which group can they join? Lychee Lassi. Uninhibited, crazy, serious… the quartet plays unlike any other band you have heard so far. Diverse influences have made the team of Beat (bass), Berger (guitar), Roy (drums) and Illvibe (scratching, faderboard) a force to be reckoned with, a name that cannot be ignored. Their promo photographs have them wearing orange bubble suits bouncing across unknown territories, something their music focuses on. Finding Lychee Lassi at their colourful best in Tokyo makes sense. But India? Jalebee Cartel, another electronica outfit based out of Delhi, made them understand the Indian music industry's level of maturity. Instead of a lychee sorbet, the team members share a cup of coffee with Unplugged at the Atrium Café of The Park. The Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan-organised concert at Tantra was not less exciting than the WWE Royal Rumble!
We started with an obvious question ~ why Lychee Lassi. Beat says, "We tried the drink at an Indian restaurant in Berlin in 1998 and found that it had all the ingredients. The exotic drink inspired us and intoxicated us enough to call ourselves Lychee Lassi."
At various points in time the members met. "We have stuck together through thick and thin. Sometimes we have fallen apart only to regroup again and again. Groups centred around vocalists usually split, except for the Rolling Stones! On a serious note, instrumentalists have to stick together because we have ‘less’ options."
Lychee Lassi refuses to categorise their music, which is a mix of jazz, punk, electronica, etc. or Beastie Boys meet Chemical Brothers. "Change is constant. We keep on improvising and that lends an edge to our music. Since improvisation is our strength, we usually don't practise for long and pick up on the stage."
Groups such as this are niche; they have a loyal following. Illvibe says, "It's difficult to market our music because there are a few labels around. Broadly, the music industry has big labels and independent ones. We stick to the latter. Our contracts are short, like life. It's not just finding a label that matters, it's about finding good producers."
An interesting group should be promoted through innovative creatives. Lychee Lassi has a "fifth" member in the form of Philipe Hillers, who comes up with the graphics. He also creates videos for the group. Hillers is well versed in Maya, 3D Max Studio and similar software packages.
One of Lychee Lassi's more popular albums is Out Now. "The vibe was there and it was easy working on it. Once producers put together a few pieces, we start editing and that's that. Don't call us rappers or hip-hop artistes or songwriters. We are instrumentalists. Our music has nothing to do with jazz.”
Every member has an interesting background. For example Berger has a PhD on Jimi Hendrix. "Being a Hendrix buff, I always wanted to do this. I try to play like him. My PhD talks about his techniques and impact on society." Illvibe is a DJ who turned musician. "Call me a scratch artiste. DJing means quick money and that's important. Playing with Lychee Lassi has been a great experience. I started DJing in 1996 and joined the group in 1998-99. Being the ‘old type’, I use vinyls to mix." Beat also scores for films, dance and theatre productions. "The approach is completely different. According to plots I have to compose. When I work for dance productions, I need to come up with music that makes your body move. I have done two theatre productions with which I am not satisfied."
Playing in Germany day after day can be a bit tiring. "We want to tour and Tokyo would be a great venue. I have a nice time playing in Germany but members in the crowd know us, our music. Abroad we get 500-600 people at our concerts. That calls for good music."
Interpreting the music of Lychee Lassi is simple. "It has all kinds of messages ~ love or political. When you have a story to tell, say it with music." Maybe it will be years before Lychee Lassi comes back to Kolkata but surely The Goethe Institut can bring in more such groups, which are ready to experiment.
When members of Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk or Beastie Boys leave their bands, which group can they join? Lychee Lassi. Uninhibited, crazy, serious… the quartet plays unlike any other band you have heard so far. Diverse influences have made the team of Beat (bass), Berger (guitar), Roy (drums) and Illvibe (scratching, faderboard) a force to be reckoned with, a name that cannot be ignored. Their promo photographs have them wearing orange bubble suits bouncing across unknown territories, something their music focuses on. Finding Lychee Lassi at their colourful best in Tokyo makes sense. But India? Jalebee Cartel, another electronica outfit based out of Delhi, made them understand the Indian music industry's level of maturity. Instead of a lychee sorbet, the team members share a cup of coffee with Unplugged at the Atrium Café of The Park. The Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan-organised concert at Tantra was not less exciting than the WWE Royal Rumble!
We started with an obvious question ~ why Lychee Lassi. Beat says, "We tried the drink at an Indian restaurant in Berlin in 1998 and found that it had all the ingredients. The exotic drink inspired us and intoxicated us enough to call ourselves Lychee Lassi."
At various points in time the members met. "We have stuck together through thick and thin. Sometimes we have fallen apart only to regroup again and again. Groups centred around vocalists usually split, except for the Rolling Stones! On a serious note, instrumentalists have to stick together because we have ‘less’ options."
Lychee Lassi refuses to categorise their music, which is a mix of jazz, punk, electronica, etc. or Beastie Boys meet Chemical Brothers. "Change is constant. We keep on improvising and that lends an edge to our music. Since improvisation is our strength, we usually don't practise for long and pick up on the stage."
Groups such as this are niche; they have a loyal following. Illvibe says, "It's difficult to market our music because there are a few labels around. Broadly, the music industry has big labels and independent ones. We stick to the latter. Our contracts are short, like life. It's not just finding a label that matters, it's about finding good producers."
An interesting group should be promoted through innovative creatives. Lychee Lassi has a "fifth" member in the form of Philipe Hillers, who comes up with the graphics. He also creates videos for the group. Hillers is well versed in Maya, 3D Max Studio and similar software packages.
One of Lychee Lassi's more popular albums is Out Now. "The vibe was there and it was easy working on it. Once producers put together a few pieces, we start editing and that's that. Don't call us rappers or hip-hop artistes or songwriters. We are instrumentalists. Our music has nothing to do with jazz.”
Every member has an interesting background. For example Berger has a PhD on Jimi Hendrix. "Being a Hendrix buff, I always wanted to do this. I try to play like him. My PhD talks about his techniques and impact on society." Illvibe is a DJ who turned musician. "Call me a scratch artiste. DJing means quick money and that's important. Playing with Lychee Lassi has been a great experience. I started DJing in 1996 and joined the group in 1998-99. Being the ‘old type’, I use vinyls to mix." Beat also scores for films, dance and theatre productions. "The approach is completely different. According to plots I have to compose. When I work for dance productions, I need to come up with music that makes your body move. I have done two theatre productions with which I am not satisfied."
Playing in Germany day after day can be a bit tiring. "We want to tour and Tokyo would be a great venue. I have a nice time playing in Germany but members in the crowd know us, our music. Abroad we get 500-600 people at our concerts. That calls for good music."
Interpreting the music of Lychee Lassi is simple. "It has all kinds of messages ~ love or political. When you have a story to tell, say it with music." Maybe it will be years before Lychee Lassi comes back to Kolkata but surely The Goethe Institut can bring in more such groups, which are ready to experiment.
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