Inalab

Inalab is an Experimental / Electronica / Orchestral act from New Delhi, India. Starting out as a solo project by Gaurav Balani (Bassist / Composer) in 2016, Inalab has collaborated with artists like Shubha Mudgal, Apeksha Dandekar, Jai Row Kavi and Keshav Dhar to release various independent singles. Fusing gritty electronica with a live ensemble has been the main theme behind the band’s sound.

As of 2019, Inalab turned into a band consisting of Archit Anand (Keys), Shashank Singhania (Flute), Shruti Dhasmana (Vocals) and Suyash Gabriel (Drums) along with Gaurav Balani.

Their debut EP – ‘The Commons’ was released on 15th April 2020. Despite not being able to tour (due to the pandemic), the EP received numerous accolades ranging from being placed at # 6 by ‘Rolling Stone Magazine’ in the list of ’10 Best EPs of 2020′ to being awarded the same position by ‘A Humming Heart’ in their list of ‘Best Independent Debuts (2020)’.

The Commons | INALAB | Official Music Video

The group just released a new single titled ‘Sitaron Se Aage on 12th of July, 2021. The song was written for Sonam Sherpa but it turned into something bigger once the pandemic hit us the second time around. We’ve decided to dedicate the song to all the people who’ve lost their lives during this horrible time. The song features Dhruv Sangari on vocals (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab’s last student). 

Musicmandir is super pleased to talk to Gaurav Balani to get a little insight into the new single.

Musicmandir – Can you tell us about the song Sitaron Se Aage? 

Gaurav – ‘Sitaron Se Aage’ was written after we lost Sonam Sherpa but it turned into something bigger once the pandemic hit us the second time around. We decided to dedicate the song to all the people who lost their lives during this horrible time. The poem written by Allama Iqbal which we’ve adapted as lyrics for the song speak about different worlds that exist beyond our current realm. Writing a song like this helped us make some sense of this crippling situation we’re dealing with globally.

Listen to the track below

Musicmandir – The music has so many distinct influences and styles, how challenging is it to make fusion music like this?

Gaurav – That’s precisely the reason why Inalab is a collaborative setup. It helps us achieve a different sonic spectrum than we’re capable of using our own ‘tools’. Having said that, we as musicians have such varied influences, that it seeps into our music in one way or another. 

Musicmandir – The track features Dhruv Sangari who is amazing, how did this collaboration happen?

Gaurav – Getting to work with Dhruv Sangari was an amazing experience. The artist collaboration was curated by a common friend of ours – Manu Saksena. Dhruv is a seasoned artist who has such a rich musical heritage. Our song wouldn’t have been what it is without his incredible contribution. He learnt from the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saheb and those influences are evident in his work all over.

Musicmandir – Is there new music on the horizon?

Gaurav – Yes, absolutely. If things hadn’t come to a standstill due to the pandemic, then we would’ve released our second EP by now. In the current situation, it makes more logistical sense for us to release singles till things get a little better, at least in terms of touring. Our next single features the playback singer, Aditi Singh Sharma. This song is also inspired by the pandemic but we’ve taken on a happier spin for this song to help let go of the misery that surrounds us. It’s got a happy disco vibe, which is something that Inalab hasn’t dabbled with before.

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