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A musician from Plaistow is tipped to become one of Britain’s ”hottest new acts” after releasing a critically-acclaimed debut album.
Shammi Pithia has received a string of rave reviews for ‘Audio Descriptive’, a collection of 16 tracks that fuse both Eastern and Western influences.
The 25-year-old has also built a significant fan base across much of America, Australia, India and Europe since the album’s release last week.
Shammi, a composer and producer, spent two years crafting the LP that is designed to ”reach listeners on an emotional level”.
It follows the success of his first EP, ‘Cinema for the Ears’, which was released in 2008.
Talented Shammi said: ”The album is an extension of my first EP – ‘Cinema for the Ears’ – which I released in 2008.
”In every sense it is bigger and bolder. It took me two years to complete and I worked with some incredibly talented artists along the way. I also got to do recordings in both Mumbai and Hamburg.
”Though I don’t really like the label ‘world music’, the album is very international in flavour and will appeal to people from all different walks of life.
”That’s one of the reasons why much of my music does not contain lyrics. There are some tracks with lyrics but I wanted to treat the voice as an instrument, transcending language barriers.”
Shammi, who cites Anglo-Indian musician Nitin Sawhney as inspiration, said his passion for music began as a child.
But his love quickly developed into a ”full blown affair” by the time he reached his teens.
His first EP was an instant hit, but his latest album – released digitally and on CD on April 9 – has won the hearts of fans and critics alike.
The tracks incorporate traditional Indian music, in addition to urban genres such as R ‘n B, dub and hip hop as well as some classical influences.
With the aid of 23 musicians, including rising Asian artists Ash King, Aggi Dukes and Japjit Kaur, the album was recorded in his east-London studio over the last two years.
The result is an ”eclectic” mix of vocals, guitars, strings, percussion, and the bamboo flute (Bansuri) – some of which is played by Shammi himself.
”The album is rich in content and is quiet broad. Each song is unique with its own purpose,” he said.
”Some songs are there to tell a narrative, such as ‘Pacifist’, which displays the sounds and emotion of a war scene, from the point of view of a conscientious warrior.
”Other songs look into evoking an emotion or atmosphere such as ‘Forthcoming’. Whatever the purpose, each track has an individual character which anyone can enjoy.”
”As a musician, I am passionate about exploring the relationship between music and emotion. I like to create moods and atmospheres that people can interact with – to reach listeners on an emotional level.
”Some of my compositions try and touch the listener in a specific way while others set up a mood or a feeling which allows people to draw from and evoke their own personal emotions.
”In that sense, it is very cinematic. I love movie scores and I named the album ‘Audio Descriptive’ to suggest how images can be ‘painted’ by sound alone.”
Shammi has received airplay on the BBC Asian Network and on broadcast stations across America.
But despite ”ongoing” interest from music labels, the musician has chosen to continue his journey independently.
Shammi, a music graduate, said: ”I want to release music I want to hear, not something a board of directors says sells the most copies.
”Though there are advantages to working through a label, I would have to sacrifice control and become more of a businessman than a musician. That’s not what I’m about.
”If my album can take people on emotional journeys then I am satisfied. The cult of celebrity can be for someone else.”
Audio Descriptive is available as a download via iTunes and all other major digital outlets. CDs can be ordered from www.shammipithia.com, priced £10.