SINJINI GHOSH
Dream Pop Duo taking over town ,
Parekh and Singh :: The partial Indian Ghosts
You may not have heard of Ocean , Parekh and Singh ’ s 2013 Western Indie album . Inspired by acts ranging from Simon & Garfunkel to Marvin Gaye the duo re-released the now viral video for “ I Love You Baby , I Love You Doll ” under their new name and new British indie label Peacefrog . The video has been since dubbed Wes Anderson-esque , with the man himself having personally appreciated Parekh and Singh ’ s suits in the video . It has since its released gathered 7,53,476 views on YouTube and counting- a feat impressive for an Indian indie duo . With Nischay Parekh ’ s singing , guitar and synth playing accompanied by Jivraj Singh ’ s drumming and percussion effects , their music is of whimsical quality and unique sound . The album has now seen more singles being released from it , “ Philosophize ”, and very recently- “ Ghost ”, in the May of 2017 .
The tracks are of a cosmic , dream pop variety , and currently quite the pride of the Indian indie scene . The two have been friends since they were teenagers , and their music is reflective of childhood- tinged with the nostalgia of imagination and the fantastical peculiarity that only dreamy children can muster . “ We just want to make pop songs in whichever way seems natural ”, says Parekh , and their content is organic and genuine , more than anything . Friends from the start it ’ s perhaps this comradeship and bonhomie that allows their vision to be so unified , and ultimately achieves the sound , music and photography that they shoot for .
It ’ s not however their music alone that has heads turning and chins looking up- it ’ s their aesthetic . With poker faces , wry humour-laced suits and quirky cinematography , the band ’ s music videos have themes and palettes that absolutely delight . Picture this : Wes Anderson having a pastel conversation over tea with Woody Allen and Kubrick in a Kolkata coffeehouse . This is the aesthetic that Parekh & Singh channel in their videos . Shot by Misha Ghose and scripted by Parekh himself , the video is undeniably art- be it the mysterious bouncing blue ball that follows the duo around , or the hauntingly retro royal palace the video is shot in .
A year later , ‘ Ghost ’ came out just this May , and has over 3,41,000 views on YouTube . Avid consumers of pop culture themselves the boys are odd , spinning the cliché perspective of a dated India , their videos instead emulating a new world-class image of the modern , sharp , fashionable Indian . Their music and aesthetic appeals to and caters not only to the new batch of global but rooted Indians , but also carries international influence . Parekh and Singh ’ s unorthodox , floaty and creative sound and imagery is finally grounded in the landscape of Kolkata , lending a fresh breath of air in a time when item songs and desi rappers own the airtime and the ringtones . Parekh and Singh to put it simply , are a twosome that are serving more than niche audience for once , carrying a hitherto never encountered flavour- and they are here to stay .
With singles that could very well be the soundtrack to your daydream , if you haven ’ t seen their visually delicious music videos on their YouTube channel yet , what are you waiting for ?
The Score Magazine
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