Artist of the month: DOT.
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Dot. during her performance for Sofar Sounds. (Image via Dot. / Facebook)[/caption]
At the fag end of February, a young musician went viral on Facebook, crooning about her love for salsa while others only grooved to techno. The secret to the song's virality were the singer's incredibly strong vocals, quirky lyrics, a catchy, bluesy piano composition and striking screen presence. Everybody Dances to Techno had tattooed itself on everyone's minds.
Four months later, in June, Dot. played her first gig to a sold out hall in Delhi, hosted by the Delhi NCR edition of Sofar Sounds.
"Hands down one of the finest singer-songwriters I've come across in the longest time! Her music cannot be described in words and you have listen to her melodic & dreamy tunes for yourself. Her music will just put a big smile on your face and leave you wishing for more," wrote Raghav Srivastava, Artist Relations Manager at Sofar Sounds Delhi NCR, describing her performance on Facebook.
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Come July, Dot. played her second gig, yet again in Delhi, with Jayant Manchanda on Double Bass and Aditya Dutta on drums. This time, the fervour to watch Aditi Saigal perform was such that her managers at Rock Street Journal had to make last minute arrangements to host not one, but two shows. Aditi was performing as part of RSJ's new Tiny Big Scene series "that aims to showcase new music and artists across different genres to provide an all inclusive Indian contemporary music experience." RSJ, India's pioneer Rock magazine, was founded by Amit Saigal, who funded and launched many young artists through the 90s and subsequent years. Aditi's performs her song See You When I See You at Antisocial in 2015, in a tribute to Amit Saigal. Dot's music, found mostly on her YouTube page, has spread like wildfire in the space of six months. Her tracks are an addictive mix of jazzy, bluesy, soulful tones, coupled with some terrific writing. Rarely does one find a composer who pens their own lyrics, and masterfully so. In this time, Dot. has also earned enthusiastic recommendations from Singer-Composer Vishal Dadlani, Shaa'ir and Func singer, co-founder Monica Dogra, and ThemClones founder Surojit Dev, among others.
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Dot. began writing music at the age of 13, and has been singing and playing the guitar since she was a mere kid. Her father bought her a piano once he realized her interests. Some of her major influences include Pink Martini, KT Tunstall, Fiona Apple, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others. Her monicker 'Dot' comes from her philosophy that "a dot has the potential to be something but it doesn’t try to be something it’s not.” Speaking to Scroll.in in an earlier interview, Dot. had explained the story behind her curious name. "Once my mum and I were colouring in a colouring book... and she started making dots outside the lines. I asked her why and she said ‘Dots never hurt anyone and they make it look so interesting'."Meanwhile, Dot. has already started inspiring fan art. (Source: YouTube)
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Dot. inspired Fan Art[/caption]
One of Aditi's quirkiest songs is her recent upload Asymmetrical. "Basically I took a psychology class with Mrs. Pearson... we learned that the number one biological criterion for being attractive is having a symmetrical face. I looked in the mirror and realized how asymmetrical I was because I only have one dimple and my smile kind of tilts to one side.. so I wrote this song!" she wrote, describing the song.
I love how, at a time where their imperfections throw people into pits of depression, this 18-year-old is taking inspiration from her's and making music so wonderfully jovial and soulful.
The song I find most riveting, though, is Reassure Me, a gospel, folksy composition. The song stands out through Aditi's intense vocals, booming and mellowing down with her piano riffs. And the piano bits seem completely in tandem with the urgency of the lyrics. "I wish I didn't need, Anyone but me, To reassure me," Dot announces as the crescendo ends and her stirring bits on the piano quiet down.
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After that second gig, Dot. undertook a brief India tour this month, performing in Goa, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune, and another two shows in Delhi. Mumbai gave Dot. a rockstar reception, complete with a ton of screams and loud cheers, and every audience member happily mouthing the lyrics, as she began keying Everybody Dances to Techno on her piano. Aditi returned the favor by adding a surprise bit from Singing in the Rain, much to the joy of the audience. In Goa and Bangalore, Aditi featured two new tracks -- Alcohol and Fool -- and both packed her characteristically fresh sound and a tinge of humour. And her subsequent return to Delhi yet again received a magnanimous we-will-have-to-add-another-show response. So, if you've somehow managed to stay unaware of the magical world of Dot, I suggest you spend some time getting cued in. I'm a fan, I'm sure you already figured as much, and I guarantee that by the end of that playlist, you will be too. Source: Dot. / YouTube #1 #2 Dot. performing Fool in Bangalore. #3 Dot. performing Alcohol in Goa. #4 Dot. performing her song Ship’s Got No Sail at a competition in 2014. Source: Dot. / YouTube 
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