SINGLE REVIEW | KAPIL SESHASAYEE | THE GHARIAL

Kapil Seshasayee - The Gharial

Kapil Seshasayee won international critical acclaim for his album A Sacred Bore; a dense journey through traditional instrumentation and intricate math-y guitar work. The Gharial – named after a type of crocodile sacred in traditional Hindu mythology – represents a significant shift away from his previous sound into a comfortable electronic nostalgia. 

The guitar is still there, but it plays a supporting role in the tapestry of 16-bit synths and scattered percussion that makes The Gharial so compelling. Jittery riffs mingle with Seshasayee’s clean and precise vocals to create an interwoven soundscape which is as percussively electronic as it is luxuriantly organic. Glittering pad synths give the final movement of the track a vapourware lusciousness which perfectly belies the angularity that came before it.  

The Gharial will be the opening track on Seshasayee’s upcoming album, Laal, which will drop in 2021. Hearing a musician with the talent of Seshasayee experiment with wildly new sounds is always an exciting experience. If this track is prescient of Laal as a whole it’s not unreasonable to get your hopes up for a masterpiece.

Photo: Sean P Campbell