What is Kal? Or rather, what does it mean? Kal is a Hindi/Urdu word meaning both yesterday and tomorrow. It is used interchangeably. In its very existence then, it highlights an important truth about how the languages we use influence our perceptions and thoughts about time itself. Kal blurs and challenges Western notions of time, smudges our yesterdays and tomorrows, and yet is also acutely aware of the interconnectedness of time.
This word perfectly sums up Korwar’s latest work, which is rich in polyrhythmic layers, trance-infusing soundscapes, and immersive dark depth.
After recording his prior album, the critically-acclaimed KALAK in only a day and a half, this album, he tells me, is built up of additional material they came up within that time. It is uncut and rougher in production quality than KALAK, but all the more authentic. In typical Korwar style, by releasing these works after his more polished album, he rejects linearity, the creation of a finished ultimate ‘product’, and truly lives out this contradiction of predictable, logically containable time.
KAL (Real World), like the album before it, is a deep-dive into time, nature and unknowability. It is not for the faint-hearted listener, but rather one who wants to be transported into what I can only describe as a primordial soup, that murky, eternal empty warmth at the beginning (and therefore end) of all things.
Korwar’s background as a musician perhaps helps us connect the dots as to how he got to where he is now. Born in the US, and then growing up in Ahmedabad and Chennai in India, his musical influences are as infinitely varied and layered as his music is. He is, at heart, a drummer, and began playing tabla at age 10, but soon fused this with the Western drumkit and electronic influences when he moved to London and entered the lively UK Jazz scene.
The result? A harmony between organic and synthetic electronic sound, intricately planned, and yet simultaneously improvised, creating a sort of musical oblivion that is distinctly his own.
Sarathy Korwar is playing at The Crescent on 13th April from 7.30-11 pm, supported by Elsa Hewitt. Tickets are £13 (+booking fee) when booked in advance here. Tickets are also available at the door. Find out more here.
Vision interviewed Korwar on his latest work and ideas for our next print issue. This will be available to pick up for free on campus in Summer Term. Don’t miss out.