Indian Ocean- Showing the way forward for Indian indie music for over 3 decades
Updated on: 13 January, 2023 05:33 PM IST | Priyak Dhar
Indian Ocean are the biggest underground success in India. A cult band in its own right, the group has amalgamated Indian folk music with Western rock, the bandmembers denying any limitations to their personal craft that might arise due to the demands of hitting the mainstream. Indian Ocean have been savored by their listeners, and their small yet perfect body of work has made the experience of their music totally delicious.
Indian Ocean started in 1984 as an instrumental duo with Susmit Sen on guitars and Asheem Chakravarty on percussion. In 1991, Rahul Ram joined on bass and the band secured its first record deal. Their self-titled album debut was released in 1994 with Shaleen Sharma on drums. In the same year Amit Kilam replaced Shaleen and the present lineup was formed. In 1997, Indian Ocean released Desert Rain, an album recorded live at Mandi House, Delhi. Desert Rain quickly gained appreciation in critics` circles, and the band secured its second record deal. Kandisa, released in March 2000, catapulted Indian Ocean to national stardom and became one of the biggest-selling albums ever by an Indian band. After the group actively toured for the next three years around the world, Jhini was released in 2003 along with Indian Ocean`s first music video. Black Friday, a movie soundtrack, was released in 2005.
