David Britto
Oct 05, 2020
New Delhi guitarist-producer Mansij Madaan. Photo: Volodymyr Karpyk
New Delhi guitarist-producer Mansij Madaan – who goes by his first name – is no stranger to the country’s independent music scene. The musician was part of the pop-funk group Red Shorts, with whom he released their 2015 four-track EP Shorts Season and has also been involved performing at gigs and studio sessions for artists from Mumbai and the capital. Of late, he’s been working on his own material and most recently released his latest guitar-based electronica track “Crack of Light.”
Ask the artist how “Crack of Light” came to be and Mansij explains that his music is usually influenced by how he feels. He says, “I was feeling quite anxious for an extended period looking at the widespread violence and hatred being perpetrated in this country followed by the pandemic that further worsened the situation for so many.” He adds, “So, the song naturally turned out somber for a large part but ends on a very bright and bold note and that’s for the sheer power and persistence of people who are striving to make things better even in the hardest of times.”
“Crack of Light” features a very chilled electronica beat while Mansij portrays pure emotion with his guitar skills which include pleasant melodic parts as well as a striking solo. The musician produced the song at his home studio where he feels most comfortable to write new material. He says, “I try to write all my melodies with guitar by imagining how a vocalist would sing over the chords and I tend to program a lot, especially the beats. I absolutely love making beats and grooves.”
The artist has kept busy during the lockdown working on his mixing and production chops as well as creating tunes for music library Audiojungle. More tracks are in the pipeline for Mansij as he hopes to get back to playing live soon. He says, “Once the music industry starts picking up, I would be interested in taking up more sessions and gigs as they come.”
Stream “Crack of Light” on Spotify below and on other platforms.
