It’s my kind of music

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

: recently launched by musician Nikhil Mahajan and Bawa Mohit Singh along with Supermodel Joey Matthews is Audio Ashram. “It’s a platform for offbeat digital musicians,” says Mahajan, who has been in the industry for 12 years and is better known for projects like Sattyananda, Kalyug and Shiva Central. The label already boasts of international artists as well. London-based Pete Lockett, a multi-percussionist, is an example, who has worked with artists such as Robert Plant and Steve Smith but is finally releasing his first solo album in India on Gupta’s label. “It is important that the CDs become available in the stores and there is some sort of push and sales initiative to continue awareness of the release. Be it a smaller or larger label, it should get great distribution,” says Lockett, who is also releasing his albums with Music Today and Saregama later this year.

And it is this distribution network which the indie labels need to strengthen. While it’s a time consuming process, the answer lies in having harmonious tie-ups with bigger record companies. As the Mumbai-based Blue Frog records has tie ups with Sony BMG for distribution, IndiaBeat has collaborated with EMI and MDR has Times Music distributing and Raghu Dixit’s album was distributed by Saregama. “The music stores in India take your approach seriously only when you go via a distribution channel” says a hopeful Ramprakash, who admits to finally having tied up with Underscore records for distribution of their second release by the end of this year.