Seasonal Affected Beats' 'Frozen North' attempts to address climate change through live music
"I was surprised by how many people like myself, feel the burden of climate anxiety, the urgency to act and want to engage with the subject of the climate crisis."
From jazz drummer to beat maker and ‘improvised electronic’ musician, Tarun Balani has been morphing into his alter ego Seasonal Affected Beats.
The New Delhi-based artist has just released the single 'Frozen North' which comes to our attention ahead of his sophomore album which will see two singles being dropped over the summer, before getting a full release by the end of September.
The single was a highlight at ‘2°’, the title of Balani's spring tour from earlier this year; Seasonal Affected Beats took a live audio-visual experience conceptualised around climate change across India, which was made up of improvised acoustic, live electronic music and live visuals by Parizad D.
Prior to the 2° tour, Seasonal Affected Beats also showcased his sounds at Magnetic Fields 2022, back in December last year. Watch below.
Speaking to Mixmag Asia, Tarun says, "'Frozen North' was a part of the setlist on the tour and it was wonderful to perform the track live. Since most of the music is improvised, I already have an alternate version of Frozen North which will be a part of the upcoming album."
He continues, “For me, the most rewarding part of the 2° tour was to be able to interact with the audience after the concerts. Especially for the theatre shows like BIC and NMACC where the audience was aware that 2° is an audio-visual show about climate change, it really gave them a context for the music and the visuals. I felt this further allowed them to experience and immerse themselves in the sonic and visual experience of the show. And the post-show interactions were really touching as I was surprised by how many people like myself, feel the burden of climate anxiety, the urgency to act and want to engage with the subject of the climate crisis."
Effectively coupling the discipline and finesse that is demanded of him in the jazz world, together with a forward-thinking context for music, Seasonal Affected Beats sees Balani loosen his guard and open his repertoire to a new and convicting form of expressionism.
Seasonal Affected Beats ‘Frozen North’ is out now. Have a listen below and follow the artist here for updates on his forthcoming album.
Arun Ramanathan is Mixmag Asia’s Director. Follow him on Instagram.
