Dualist Inquiry recently played at Counter Culture, as part
of the recently released album Doppelganger’s promo tour. “The gigs in Chennai
and Bombay were mad. There were long lines waiting to get in,” said the
singular entity, Sahej Bakshi, standing by the counter where CDs and related
merchandize were being sold. It soon appeared the buzz is just as hot here in
Bangalore. More than the average number turned up who would travel to Whitefield
and spend Rs.1,000 to support an indie act.
To begin with, the dark room lit by the visuals, had a third
of the turn out accepting an invitation to stand around in front. They stood as
though slightly stunned by the DJ in a penguin t—shirt who would leave his sequencer
on autopilot whenever he felt like picking up his electric guitar to launch
into rocky, ambient sections. An installation with a pair of clouds dangling
between two stacks of white boxes filled up with a splashy, mapped projection. As
though in accordance, a short but hopeful spell of rain decided to smother many
months of dry heat, ushering the sizeable crowd in to cozy up with some soulful
electronica that would follow. The set consisted elements of dub-step, disco,
hip-hop, house and trance, though the core material always tended
to fall back on guitar based refrains full of calming melody. The variety of
sounds and styles sometimes compromised flow between tracks, but the strong
groove in the beats was mostly glitched near to contemporary perfection.
By the time Sahej Bakshi
started running through Doppelganger, everyone was standing before the stage,
moving as they softened, so excluding dinner tables was a good call by the
management. The album features the signature Dualist trait of swinging from an
almost meditative, emotional optimism to something hip. The thick, bass wiggles
run alongside pop-rock beats and riffs. The visual spectacle occupied the mind
from the constant swaps from analog to digital and psychedelic to cyborg. If
the lack of enduring allegiance to any specific form grants something for
purists to complain about, it’s countered by never being intrusive or defiant. In
short, the mood invites you to play it over.
By the time Sahej Bakshi
started running through Doppelganger, everyone was standing before the stage,
moving as they softened, so excluding dinner tables was a good call by the
management. The album features the signature Dualist trait of swinging from an
almost meditative, emotional optimism to something hip. The thick, bass wiggles
run alongside pop-rock beats and riffs. The visual spectacle occupied the mind
from the constant swaps from analog to digital and psychedelic to cyborg. If
the lack of enduring allegiance to any specific form grants something for
purists to complain about, it’s countered by never being intrusive or defiant. In
short, the mood invites you to play it over.
“Dualism is a concept that anyone can understand and
everyone can relate to,” says Bakshi. “I try to create the feeling of a
rollercoaster,” he adds, regarding the thematic blend. Once the album was dealt
with, the set got heavier, with a mount in bpm and breakier beats. There was
even a possible drum and bass moment in there, when the evening’s tempo peaked.
Coldplay and Skrillex covers were played along with originals, with something
to please most pop demands of the day. Whether funky, energetic, happy or
chilled out, Dualist Inquiry’s music borders on feel-good. By the time the
two-hour list was finished, the rain cleared for departure, as the crew began
to take apart the traveling set.
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