Shri (born Shrikanth Sriram) is an Indian-born British composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Shri specializes in acoustic, electric, and electronic-based live performances and incorporates traditional Indian instruments into his music.[1]
Shri Sriram | |
|---|---|
 Shri performing in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shrikanth Sriram |
| Born | Bangalore, India |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | Badmarsh & Shri |
| Website | shri |
Biography
editShri grew up in Mumbai, India in a musically inclined family. His father plays the sitar, and his mother and sister play the Carnatic violin. He trained as a classical tabla player for about fourteen years at Pandit Nikhil Ghosh's school in Mumbai. Tired of the rigidity of classical music, Shri went on to teach himself bass, guitar, and flute.[1] His trademark instrument is one he handcrafted and designed himself—a fretless bass guitar suited towards his unique approach of playing bass with a bow.[citation needed]
Career
editHaving previously played percussion with the Indian rock band Indus Creed and bass in the jazz outfit Azure Hades (with whom he recorded an album),[citation needed] he moved to London in the 1990s and collaborated as a bass player with musicians such as Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney, and DJ Badmarsh, with whom he recorded under the name Badmarsh & Shri.
Shri toured for five years with Sawhney, which led in 1997 to Shri's first solo album, Drum the Bass, produced by Sawhney and released by London-based label Outcaste Records. Later, Badmarsh & Shri produced two albums for Outcaste Records as a duo, Dancing Drums in 1998 and Signs in 2001. Shri released his second solo album, East Rain, in 2005.[2]
Shri has also collaborated musically on theatrical productions—composing for Akademi's 2001 Coming of Age dance project at London's South Bank, the Builder's Association/Motiroti co-production Alladeen in 2003, and Tamasha Theatre Company's Strictly Dandia in 2005.[citation needed]
In 2007, he released the album Seven Steps, which featured the single "Just for a Minute".[3]
In 2011, he produced and performed bass and bowed bass on the track "Quest", with Viveick Rajagopalan on the mridangam and kanjira, and Embar Kannan on violin and vocals. "Quest" was released by Folktronic. He also launched a new collaborative project, titled ShriLektric.[4][5] The same year, the musician was featured in season 1, episode 5 of The Dewarists.[6][7]
In 2015, Shri published the album Just a Vibration, a collaboration with Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band.[8]
Discography
edit| Year | Album | Main Artist | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Drum the Bass | Shri | Outcaste Records |
| 1998 | Dancing Drums | Badmarsh and Shri | Outcaste Records |
| 2001 | Signs | Badmarsh and Shri | Outcaste Records |
| 2001 | Swarm (12" Vinyl) | Badmarsh and Shri | Outcaste Records |
| 2001 | CSI (soundtrack) | Badmarsh and Shri | Hip-O Records |
| 2005 | East Rain | Shri | MSI Records |
| 2007 | Seven Steps | Shri | Drum the Bass Records |
| 2008 | Heavy World (EP) | Shri | Drum the Bass Records |
| 2008 | Just for a Minute (EP) | Shri | Drum the Bass Records |
| 2009 | Barah Aana (soundtrack) | Shri | Shringar Films Pvt. Ltd. |
| 2010 | Striker (soundtrack) | Shri | T-Series |
| 2011 | Quest | Shri feat. Vivek Rajagopalan | Folktronic |
| 2011 | Google Chrome "Tanjore" (soundtrack) | Shri | Folktronic |
| 2016 | Just a Vibration | Shri feat. Hammonds Saltaire Band | Drum the Bass Records |
| 2017 | Bank Chor (soundtrack) | Shri | YRF films |
| 2020 | The Letter | Shri | Jazzland Recordings |
References
edit- ^ a b "ShriLektric set to rock Delhi". deccanherald.com. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "Shri: East Rain". ethnotechno.com. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ Miller, Chris. "Shri - Just for a Minute (Drum the Bass Records)." Music Reviews, News, Festivals & Interviews. Daily Music Guide, 7 September 2008. Web. 18 July 2012. <http://www.dailymusicguide.com/Reviews/shri_just_for_a_minute_single_review_08092008_1212.aspx>[dead link]
- ^ "ShriLektric Returns to India". rollingstoneindia.com. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "ShriLektric Announces 4 City India Tour Starting 24th May '12." ShriLektric Announces 4 City India Tour Starting 24 May '12. India Infoline News Service, 17 May 2012. Web. 18 July 2012. <http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/ShriLektric-announces-4-city-India-tour-starting-24th-May-12/5419153586>.[dead link]
- ^ Yasin, Fozia (8 November 2011). "'There's no need to ape the West'". Asian Age. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Kulkarni, Reshma (4 December 2011). "A long and winding road-Shrikanth Sriram interview". The Hindu. Visakhapatnam. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Shri Sriram: Just a Vibration Review – Indian Classical Meets Big-band Brass". theguardian.com. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2022.