Arnab Sengupta

Musical expression and meditation have always been inextricably linked. For the listener, music suspends their daily mind traffic. It transports them to another place and time. It can exorcise demons and calm the senses. For musicians, this meditative effect is even more profound. Hendrix, Davis, Lamar, Downie, they all lose themselves in a trance when they perform, channelling the power of a land beyond to transfer their music to our world. The inspired animated feature Soul had a great representation of this, having musicians literally appear in the afterlife (“heaven”) when they hit that transcendent melody. Therefore, it only makes sense for musicians to gravitate towards the practice of meditation. The Beatles famously sought out their mantras from the Maharishi in '67. Animals As Leaders technical metal virtuoso Tosin Abasi espouses the benefits of meditation in helping his incomprehensibly complex guitar lines come to fruition. Even in the world of film, David Lynch credits TM for helping him discover his most reality-bending story ideas.

Maestro Arnab Sengupta aggregates a distinct sonic signature by blending world, classical, and experimental music with a solid jazz foundation. His songs are reflective and honest, yet always emanate intrinsic jubilation. Sengupta honed his chops at the illustrious Berklee College of Music where he also found many of his future collaborators. Now taking up residence in Sydney Australia, the artist takes great inspiration from the learning and regular practice of Vipassana meditation. His latest record Leap of Faith is the culmination of five years of study, devotion to his craft, and life experience.

A snappy shuffle and slinky descending chords welcome you to the proceedings. Dynamic jazzy chanteuse Anshu Jha shows her chops amid peppy horn hits. Sengupta takes over in the second verse with Jha providing lifting backups. Their lyrics sew a slightly surrealistic through-line, treating self-discovery as a game of Where's Waldo on 'Face In the Crowd'. Jha's percussive scatting bridge further elevates the song's lively mood. 'This Way' bubbles with a bulbous suitcase organ tone overlayed by smooth guitar licks. Building chorus vocals burst into a sexy sax solo. The track has a deep old-school funk, Daptone Records kind of vibe.

Sengupta's love of the theatrical comes out on 'Drudgery Train'. A tune with the whimsical cadence of a Disney centrepiece musical number full of accordion-like synths, exuberant hands claps, and boisterous borderline operatic vocals. Yet the themes running through the piece are decidedly more sinister than the song portends. The artist regales of the chagrin and malaise of fighting the same fights over and over again seemingly gaining little ground. A realization that overwhelms as the years advance. To quote the great 20th-century philosopher Steve Harwell: “The years start coming and they don't stop coming/Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running”. Sengupta embraces his repetitious purgatory with a healthy heap of irony and sarcasm performing with a Broadway-worthy panache. A Mad Hatter-style celebration of the world's merry-go-round cycles.

The title track expands into prog territory drawing some influence from the power bands of the 70s. Soaring guitar, bounding bass, and expressive drums that lurch in time with the vocals rather than holding down an altogether straight beat. The penultimate track impermanence is the album's most exposed. A delicate piano that skirts the line between classical sonata and late-night lounge jazz. Sengupta again draws on musical theatre stylings for the record's final act think-piece.

Leap of Faith demonstrates an impressive musical prowess and a deep love for the craft. That love leaps out of every track with Sengupta's dramatic, emotional delivery. A masterfully composed fusion of jazz, classical, musical theatre, and other transcendent musical forms from around the globe.