It’s my kind of music

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: From Blue Frog to Mummy Daddy. We are not talking about evolution, we are talking about the many independent labels that have been flooding the metros in the past few months. They are the patron saints of little-known musicians who are not singing Bollywood tunes or even the staple pop numbers. They are about music that goes way beyond mainstream tunes.

“All outlets of music today are restricted to Bollywood and indie-pop. And it is hard to believe that in a country as diverse as ours, people are not interested in listening to newer genres and fresh artists. Independent labels thus create a platform for the niche music to surface and be discovered,” says Amrish Kumar, Director, Mummy Daddy Records (MDR), which launched just last month with the release of its first compilation of independent artists — Jalebee Cartel, Shaa’ir n Func International, Bandish Project and Midival Punditz — from varied genres such as progressive house, rhythmic rock and even Indian funk.

“The Indian music industry is changing. It is moving towards a different business model. And independent labels are a key driver in this change — offering undiluted attention to their artists and audience,” adds Akshai Sarin, an Indian producer, composer and a DJ, who started Rebirth Records, to fill a major gap in the music economy — which lies between what a creator wants and what the bigger labels emphasise on doing.

Major labels by definition are those that own their own distribution channel and generally have a brand value in the market. This explains why they are more profit driven, with their focus on commercial music. “When a major label makes huge monetary investments in its artists, it is bound to seek returns. And returns come from mainstream music. However, the indie labels can take the risk of experimenting with newer genres of music since their initial investment is not as high,” explains Shatadru Sarkar, Artistes & Repertoire (A&R), Saregama.