Ambient Soundscapes Episode 4: ‘The Music Around You’ *If you haven’t gotten your headphones/earphones, pause and put them on? Please?* The initial plan for this episode was very different. We wanted to travel to the Rann of Kutch (the white salt desert in Gujarat). Kutch is spectacular, because you can see the sun set and the moon rise at the same time. Imagine ambient music on the salt flats.. On a full moon night, sandwiched by a sunset and a sunrise. The idea was to metaphorically relate this to the challenges one faces. You know - the sun setting and you having to plod through a dark night hoping to make it to the sunrise. Episode 2 was the plunge, 3 was about exploring, so it made sense for 4 to be about over coming challenges (forgive the predictability here). But thankfully, life is not so predictable. Or let’s just say we made some state of art logistical blunders that contributed to life’s unpredictability. Long story short, we realised we wouldn’t be able to make it back to Ahmedabad in time for Teja’s NID interview if we were to stick to our plan. True, like the script for the episode, we could push and plod through this one, but that was risking a lot - particularly the interview, and also the output of the video. We were in a pickle, sitting in our hired car, heavily deliberating. That’s when we chanced upon the signboard that said Udaipur was just 260kms away (Kutch was around 470). We grudgingly let go of the Kutch concept and decided to see what we could do with Udaipur. You’ve seen the rest. Did you like the episode? This was something we always wanted to try, to make music with actual ambient noises and I’m glad the situation forced us into this new terrain. ‘Surrender’ is not so bad sometimes - but believe, alright? True, there will be times where we’ll need to push through, I’m not denying that, but be sensitive to the music around you, and sometimes, see where it leads you :) Links to the rest of the series : Episode 1: https://youtu.be/HRDpPEUpKXc Episode 2: https://youtu.be/rhn0NZUnpbE Episode 3: https://youtu.be/X5amlXIJ-sg Episode 4: https://youtu.be/LL1DGQp4_08 Episode 5: https://youtu.be/05_TMn1MVJc Teja's Vimeo page : (https://vimeo.com/tejasv)

This was the start of something new. Not that we realised it back then (I’m writing this after reviewing our 5th episode). That morning, we were just pursuing something we knew we loved. Waking up real early, heading across town to a quiet hillock Teja knew would suit a track that I had composed. We wound up in an hour and got back to our daily lives (work, etc). I’m still not sure why we called this an Episode.., or ‘Episode 1’. Probably ‘cos we enjoyed it and we knew there’d be more… Only, there was no way of predicting Episode 2 would be about one of our biggest decisions so far.. :) I'm leaving the initial note that I had written, at the bottom, untouched… so that you can see how, with every episode, this series evolved.. into something more... conceptually, visually and musically. It became the story of our lives. Producers will probably wince at the lack of consistency in our formats (sorry guys).. but isn’t life such… unscripted and not always consistent..? Initial Note : Here's an attempt to create an ambient 'sound'scape. What you are hearing is me playing a Line6 Variax guitar through a podHD500. TejaSv is the master behind the lens. ---------------------------------------------------------- Links to the rest of the series : Episode 2: https://youtu.be/rhn0NZUnpbE Episode 3: https://youtu.be/X5amlXIJ-sg Episode 4: https://youtu.be/LL1DGQp4_08 Episode 5: https://youtu.be/05_TMn1MVJc Teja's Vimeo page : (https://vimeo.com/tejasv)

Ever been that guy torn between passion and profession? This mini music video (the second in the series) is about us taking a significant step (back) from our corporate careers. A lot of introspection was followed by, what to some of you would seem sudden, a plunge…into the unknown. Re-wording the above in non dramatic speech: we’ve both let go of our reasonably well off jobs to spend time with things we love. If you are the kind that reads - and if you are interested in knowing how my journey unfolds - scroll down for the link to my blog! Don't worry, this is not gonna be a pretentious ‘follow your passion’ speech. There sure is a lot of sense in ‘following your passion’ , especially if you are good at it. But I’d rather let the ones who’ve succeeded make that statement :) I’ll use this break to explore where I can be most impactful and develop my skills in those areas. I’m hoping music and media are gonna be my major players :) About this particular piece, what you’re hearing, again, is just the Variax guitar through a PODHD processor. Would it be too much to ask you to pull out your headphones for this one ? When listening to ambient music, I’d like to find a quiet corner, put on a nice set of headphones and.. and then just let all the reverbs and delays hit me. Will put out a longer track next time to justify your effort. On the video front, Teja weaves his magic using his Lumix(s), do follow his Vimeo page for more (https://vimeo.com/tejasv) Blog - https://www.sober.one/single-post/Introspection-and-the-Plunge __ Links to the rest of the series : Episode 1: https://youtu.be/HRDpPEUpKXc Episode 3: https://youtu.be/X5amlXIJ-sg Episode 4: https://youtu.be/LL1DGQp4_08 Episode 5: https://youtu.be/05_TMn1MVJc Teja's Vimeo page : (https://vimeo.com/tejasv)

**Important (as always): You are likely to miss a few sounds if you don’t have your headphones on. Please put them on.. you wont regret it. Hopefully.** This is our final soundscape. For a while atleast. And considering how mainstream media goes all out on finales, we tried to aim a little higher too (literally atleast). What we scaled though, is far from the real deal (the tallest mountains are more than twice as high ) and I’m hoping pro-mountaineers will forgive the hype we’re creating here. For us southern city folk with questionable fitness (mildly put) .. this is pretty high (again literal) and pretty cold.. and this sure was a tough video to make. Ask Teja, who, chasing the perfect shot, carried heavy and expensive gear all the way to the summit.. or me, who spent panicky hours in a hospital with elevated heart rates (post sampling/mixing my heartbeat for the audio). So.. What is your mountain? What is it that you are chasing after? Or to quote our melodramatic intro reel : ’What does your heart beat for?’ It’s great to work hard and smart, chasing the summit, but, if we were to dial back for a bit and re-asses what we’re chasing after.. is it something that lasts? Or is it something that, after providing a temporary high, will soon be overshadowed in pursuit of the next mountain. And how would all these mountains be perceived.. in the light of eternity? I mean, how would I live life if I perceived it as less than a blink in the light of eternity. These are some of the questions we’re wrestling with, as we maneuver through this season of our lives. I feel the need to recalibrate my spiritual compass, while Teja plans to re-visit his drawing board to plot out the bigger picture. Stay tuned though, there is more coming. Not an ambient soundscape, but, in due time, a conclusion to the themes we’ve presented through this series. Links to the rest of the videos (and their stories) : Episode 1: https://youtu.be/HRDpPEUpKXc Episode 2: https://youtu.be/rhn0NZUnpbE Episode 3: https://youtu.be/X5amlXIJ-sg Episode 4: https://youtu.be/LL1DGQp4_08 Teja’s Vimeo page : (https://vimeo.com/tejasv)

So what happens when you decide to embark on your journey (post plunge - see/read Episode 2) There’s a mix of contentment and excitement as you set out. Sometimes, if you are fortunate enough, you chance upon something incredibly beautiful and thrilling. There are, of course, the moments of uncertainty too, and these add to your adventure. Did the track take you through these 'sections’? Or did it altogether mean something else to you ? ;) The music features a lot of layered guitar echoes (repetitive notes that get layered on top of each other to form a rhythmic sequence). I think its pretty rad for Teja to tell the story through multiple layers complimenting the music and NOT through an overdose of scenic cinematic shots. Doesn’t decision making have layers of thought and actions involved, rippling through one’s story? Deep stuff. By now, you might have realised, these are mini episodes attempting to metaphorically explain the journey one takes, with some major parallels drawn to our own storylines. Episodes 4 and 5 are in the works. Do stay tuned :) Must say that there was a lot of travelling involved and that we’ve been re-living paragraph 1 through each of these journeys. Episode 1: https://youtu.be/HRDpPEUpKXc Episode 2: https://youtu.be/rhn0NZUnpbE Episode 4: https://youtu.be/LL1DGQp4_08 Episode 5: https://youtu.be/05_TMn1MVJc Teja’s Vimeo page - (https://vimeo.com/tejasv)