Home Brewed Universe
"Fear Of An Obtuse Earth"
On January 25th Arka Sengupta aka Home Brewed Universe will release his fifth album "Fear of an obtuse Earth". While we are waiting for our pre-orders, it's time for an interview with the creative multi-instrumentalist from India.
I had the chance to do a pre-listening session and check out some songs from the upcoming record. After listening to them, I am pretty curious about the rest of the album. I am looking forward to the end of January when Arka will reveal the whole piece.
Anne: Hi, Arka! How are you doing today? Thank you for asking me for this interview!
Arka: Hi Anne! I'm doing good! And thank you for interviewing me. I hope your audience appreciates my music.
Anne: How are things over there in India? You must have had a pretty rough time during the COVID-crisis. Is it still so bad? I hope all of your family and friends are well, of course!
Arka: India is the second worst-hit country by the pandemic just after the US. So, we have had a pretty rough time this year. But fortunately, none of my family and friends was affected by it. We also see a decline in the number of cases in recent months, and the recovery rate is also pretty good. So, there's still hope.
"COVID-19 is the most crucial topic of our times"
Anne: I'm pretty sure at some point musicians like you are getting bored about Corona questions. So sorry for this one. Did the crisis put any effort into your work? Did it give you extra time to do more recordings? Are there disadvantages, too, like not being able to go on tour?
Arka: COVID-19 is perhaps the most crucial topic of conversation of our times. So, I'm not bored with such questions. I'm always happy to answer anything related to this crisis as per my level of knowledge. As for the work, I have been more productive as a musician this year because I am working from home at my day job, and I have an ample amount of time to devote to my music. Also, since I am entirely a studio musician and do not go on tour due to my taxing day job, I have recorded more.
Anne: Thank you very much for sending me your sound examples! They are pretty awesome, and I am looking forward to listening to the whole album! Have you already finished your work on it?
Arka: Actually, I had finished recording the album back in May 2020. It was the final mixing and mastering that took a little bit of time. But I was ready with the album in August 2020.
Anne: It must be pretty cool to know that you have an album ready to be released in the pipeline. Are you looking forward to January 25th?
"I am very excited about my new release"
Arka: Yes, I'm very excited about the album release. I have taken a new musical direction with this album and, so, I'm also a bit nervous about how well people will receive this album.
Anne: You told me that "Fear of an obtuse Earth" is about a human who is in constant fear of losing his intelligence because technology has made life convenient. Great concept for an album! How did you come up with it?
Arka: The concept of "Fear of an obtuse Earth" is inspired by my own experiences. At one point in my life, I suffered from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and paranoia. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit its early stages in India, chaos and misinformation spread everywhere. I observed how people reacted to the crisis and thought of creating an album on that theme. That is how the concept of this album came into my mind.
Anne: So it was also your experiences during the COVID pandemic that inspired you to do "Fear of an obtuse Earth". You said that it is almost a eulogy to someone that you can no longer be. Do you want to tell me what that was?
"My family helped me"
Arka: As I said earlier, I used to suffer from mental health issues at one point in my life. It was a big struggle, but I eventually overcame them to lead an everyday healthy life. This album is a eulogy to the person I used to be while suffering from anxiety, depression and paranoia. I can no longer be that person as I have overcome the odds, with a lot of help from my family and put that life behind me.
Anne: Should we all worry more about technology taking over our positions?
Arka: See, technology is like a double-edged sword. The more the advancement of technology, the more our lives become convenient. The more our lives become convenient, the more we (as human beings) stop learning. And that is what provokes stagnation in our intelligence. To answer your question: Technology can take away our positions, but we should always remember to adapt to the times and continue learning as much as possible. That is how we can maintain a healthy balance.
Anne: Post-Rock seems to be quite the best kind of sound to transport this message. In the past, you also did some excursions to Prog and Metal. Are there also elements of this genres on "Fear of an obtuse Earth"?
"Prog and Metal are important for me"
Arka: Yes. This album has more elements of prog and metal than that of post-rock. The theme of this album required it to be quite experimental and heavy. So, the influences of prog and metal were necessary.
Anne: With whom did you work together when recording it? Or did you do it all by yourself?
Arka: Home Brewed Universe is truly a one-person project. I play all the instruments, record, do the mixing and mastering, design the graphics and the album art, and do PR and digital marketing. It truly highlights most of the skills that I have acquired over the years as a professional.
Anne: I heard that you'd worked together with many talented artists in the past. Are there any exceptional musicians that you would like to mention in particular?
"I loved working with Jo Quail"
Arka: I would like to mention Cousin Silas and Jo Quail as they have been entirely instrumental in shaping my musical sensibilities.
Anne: You had the honour to play a piece together with Jo Quail in September. How was it working with her? As I am a big admirer of her music, I would love to know more!
Arka: Jo is an absolute professional and very kind human being. It all started when Jo requested various musicians to contribute samples for her track "The Parados Cairn" I was one of the musicians who contributed. A month after that, I approached her to do a one-off track with me, and she readily agreed to my surprise and delight. And that is how "Hikikomori" came into existence.
Anne: Did you two record "Hikikomori" remotely or did you meet her?
"I enjoy working by myself"
Arka: We had to work remotely as I stay in India and she in the UK. But these days, with the technology at our disposal, it is possible to do remote work even in music.
Anne: Remote recording is becoming more and more a thing. Not only due to the COVID crisis. Do you enjoy working like this?
Arka: Since I am a solo musician, I enjoy working by myself. I have a home studio where I have state-of-the-art equipment. It is candy-land for me in terms of music. You should visit sometime if you are ever travelling to India.
Anne: You've taught yourself to play instruments like the piano and the guitar. Congrats on so much discipline! What made you hold on to it? What would you say is the secret behind effective self-education?
"The constant thirst for knowledge is the secret behind effective self-education"
Arka: I play the piano, guitar, bass guitar and drums and I am very proficient in synth modulation. I help these instruments as I always wanted to be a musician who could do all the work by myself. I also don't like to depend on others for work. So, eventually, I learned everything required to produce music. And the rest is history. The secret behind effective self-education (in my opinion) is the constant thirst for knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge when required.
Anne: "Fear of an obtuse Earth" is already your fifth album. When did you start recording music?
Arka: I started Home Brewed Universe back in 2018. It was like a side project to my then moniker of Mixtaped Monk (ambient/post-rock) during its early days. But it has become my main musical endeavour.
Anne: After your album release in January: What's up next for Home Brewed Universe? Are there any new magical collaborations coming up like the one you did with Jo?
"I'm planning to record an ambient album"
Arka: I have something on the works with Mason Van Krayenburg of Three White Doves (US). Let's see when that gets completed. I also have a plan to record an ambient album for my Mixtaped Monk project.
Anne: Thank you very much for this interview! I really enjoyed talking to you and getting to know you! Let's keep in touch and all the best to you! Please stay safe! Have a good start in 2021!
Arka: I enjoyed talking to you as well! Those were some insightful and profound questions. Thank you for having me!