5 Artists That Surprised us at Bacardi NH7 Weekender Pune

ARTISTS THAT SURPRISED US!

As most of you might already know, we had the pleasure of attending this year's Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune and we came back quite surprised at how good it went, given even International Festival standards. In our previous article, we talked about the different aspects that made the festival so good but in this article, we're going to talk about 5 Artists that completely surprised and floored us with their performances!

1. SAPTA

[caption id="attachment_7571" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Picture by FLECK Media[/caption] I had heard about Sapta and their live sets a lot from friends who had watched the group before but had never experienced it first hand. And ohhh boy did they not disappoint. A stage filled with a rack of Modular Synths on one side and the Drum Kit on another, combined with an enthralling live show and solid sound made the performance really mystical. You could feel the low end of the Drums hit your heart with every single beat. If that wasn't enough, they bought on Orchestra players to fill in the space in the middle and create an otherworldly sound. The songs were brilliantly executed from start to finish and all in all, it was one of the tightest and most exciting performances of the entire festival! Bow down. If Sapta's playing in your town anytime soon, you know what to do!

2. NOTHING ANONYMOUS

[caption id="attachment_7583" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Picture by Jishnu Chakraborty (The Indian Music Diaries)[/caption] There's nothing anyone can say that would persuade me from not watching these guys live again. Talk about a vibe that grabbed everyone's attention immediately. Hiatus Kaiyote sadly had to pull out but Nothing Anonymous made it feel as if that void of RnB, Jazz, Soul and eclectic Electronic Sounds with a powerful lead female voice was never there. They don't have any music out as of now and I don't even know why? BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO THEIR MUSIC. It is nothing short of exemplary and that word essentially summed up their entire performance. Exemplary.

3. APE ECHOES

[caption id="attachment_7574" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Picture by Sonous Visuals[/caption] Ape Echoes probably shook me the most. I wasn't expecting the level of musicality and prowess that I witnessed. Take Snarky Puppy and sprinkle some steroids on that, and that's what you get from Ape Echoes. From soulful RnB sounds merged with Soul and the eclecticness of Electronic and Jazz music, you get a combination that is bound to blow you away. Their small set made everyone groove throughout and the backdrop of the Bacardi Vivid Stage with it's insane animation was just the cherry on top.

4. DCF Shapes

[caption id="attachment_7575" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Picture by Fleck Media[/caption] Following the insane set played by Ape Echoes, the next band really had their work cut out in terms of the quality of musicianship that came from Ape Echoes. But the next artist DCF Shapes shocked me even further. Their drum n bass inspired sounds moulded with the wonders of synth wave sounds and beats took the evening to another level. Harshit Misra is known for his work with a lot of artists and primarily as a Bass player, but this project certainly shows off his level of musicality in a completely new light. Another set filled with tight beats and syncopated DnB parts, this was a joy to watch.

5. I M U R

[caption id="attachment_7576" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Picture by FLECK Media[/caption] Out of the various International Acts that played the Weekender, the one that surprised me the most was I M U R who came all the way from Canada. Their loop based music was the very definition of a chilled out afternoon with the Sun hitting the side of your face. The bassist alternated between playing the bass and an electric violin whilst the vocalist delivered one infectious melody line after another! They just played Magnetic Fields yesterday and are going to play another show in Delhi at the OddBird Theatre which I highly recommend people should check out. Their music feels very familiar but is very unique at the same time. So those were the 5 artists that surprised us at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender Pune 2018. Did you watch any new bands/artists that surprised you? Let us know!