Udyan Sagar, a.k.a. Nucleya, is among the most successful and inventive independent musicians in India. He speaks to Priya Singh about his sold-out shows and his new album.
Udyan Sagar, an independent musician who performs under the stage name Nucleya, is known for his unique stylistic mix of Eastern and Western sounds. He has coined a new genre which is difficult to pin down. It includes elements of EDM, folk and film music, and it has made Nucleya an artiste of international renown. In the run-up to his performance at the second edition of the Riders Music Festival in Delhi this Sunday, he spoke to Guardian 20 about his journey and how he managed to attain global success with his music.
Q. How would you categorise your style of music?
A. My music cannot be categorised in a particular genre, as it is a mix of different styles of music. The whole idea here was to mix different sounds. I remember my father was a huge fan of Hindi songs from ’50s and ’60s films. He used to listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. And that is how I was introduced to these different genres of songs in my childhood. Music kind of runs in my family and subconsciously they [these songs] got into my brain and that is how I was able to do what I am doing today. I usually go for one genre, listen to it, pick up a bit, and then switch entirely to a different genre.
Q. How did you come up with your stage name Nucleya?
A. I wish I had a very interesting story to tell you here but unfortunately I don’t. The name might sound interesting to some people but not to me. It sounds very boring to me. I was quite lazy, so my email password was “nucleya” back then, and without giving much thought to it, I chose this name. Fortunately, it clicked with the audiences.
Q. Mixing different genres of music was not exactly fashionable in the Indian music scene back when you were starting out. Did that work as an advantage or a disadvantage for you?
A. I think it worked as a disadvantage as my music is not designed for the mainstream. For instance, my music is not designed for the radio which has a particular format to it, like in 15 seconds you should get your first chorus and if you get the attention of listeners in 30 seconds there is a possibility that the song will work. But in my music, the song intros are usually a minute-and-a-half long at the least. But I think people do like my songs and it has worked out well for me.
Q. How do you curate your setlists before live performances? And how do the crowds in India differ from those you have played for overseas?
A. If I talk about India, I am often asked to play just my own music tracks. Like if I am in Kolkata, I would pick out tracks, which have Bengali influence somewhere, and if I am DJing as well, I have to play the visuals accordingly. But on the other hand, when I am performing abroad, the process changes drastically. Since most people there don’t understand Hindi or Punjabi, I play instrumental versions of my songs.
Q. When was the first time you performed on stage in front of a live audience? And what was your experience like?
A. Actually, it was very long back. I was supposed to play something but I completely froze because I was very nervous looking at people. And I actually didn’t do anything then, I just stood there. I remember it was at Alliance Française, a language school in Ahmedabad.
Q. Technology now plays a huge role in the music industry. How important would tech literacy be for the musicians of the future?
A. Technology has made things simple for a lot of people in the music industry at the moment. For me as well. So many of my songs happened in collaboration with different artistes. And many a time these collaborations have happened without me sitting with the collaborator. It is like I am sitting here and they are in a completely different part of the world, we communicate, we vibe and feel the same sort of music and we end up making something which people like. My music is different from techno music, which is 90% electronic music. But my music has so many live elements to it, like singing and live instrumentation and so on.
Q. You have composed music for Bollywood films as well. Now that the film industry is opening up to independent musicians such as yourself, what does it mean for the future of film music?
A. I think in the film industry, the whole idea is to reach out to bigger audiences. I just happen to be in this place that my music is working right now, and that is the reason that a lot of the guys from the film industry want me to work with them. I don’t think it is about acceptance of my style of music in the film industry. It is only about whatever works in general, whatever the younger audiences like would be capitalised by the people from the industry. At this moment, it just happens to be my music and we never know tomorrow, someone else could be at this place.
Q. Do you have any advice for budding musicians who want to find their space in the independent music scene?
A. I always tell people that they should first learn music and learn to play some sort of instrument. Only then can they gain the knowledge of melody, scales, notations and everything. Once you are aware of all that then you would be able to mix and add a kind of soul to your music.
Q. What else is keeping you busy these days?
A. At present, I am in the process of releasing my album, Tota Myna. After that, I have a radio show coming up soon on BBC Asian Network that I would host. Then there are some film projects also that I can’t speak about at the moment.