Originally from the city of Kolkata, Aritra Das aka Aritra takes inspiration from various genres of music such as Pop, RnB, and Alternative rock mixed with Jazz blues elements and electronic sounds to attain a unique taste in his music. Chiefly known for his storytelling ability, Aritra incorporates it perfectly with his luscious smooth vocals while keeping that shady vibe in check which is a rare find in this generation. Aritra has always been fascinated by old-school rock & roll and metal, and he likes to compliment his catchy vocal phrases with raw fry screams which goes far away from mainstream R&B that gives it a new form altogether. Often termed as the next The Weeknd, this young lad has not only maintained a steady flow of new music that constantly strikes the boundaries of modern-day rock throughout his career but also appears to have no intention to stop at nothing when it comes to evolving his music and getting fresh sounds to surprise his audience every time he sets his foot on the stage.
Here is Aritra in a conversation with GOGO Magazine.
1) When did your journey as a musician begin?
Ever since I was a child. I remember I was 5 when my mom started teaching me sa re gaa ma. I really did not have much idea back then. All I knew was, that I could imitate what she was doing. Guess that already started showing signs for the future haha.
2)Tell us more about the experience of expressing your thoughts and feelings through music.
I personally am a very big fan of storytelling. I was never really into mainstream Bollywood music. While every other artist sang about how life is so good, I drew a negative perspective on it. As opposed to the light, I like to see myself as a shadow. People often tend to not talk about their darkest secrets and their deepest desires. That is where I come in. To every coin, there’s a flip side no one really talks about and everyone keeps looking at the brighter part. I try to convey through my music that it is okay to talk about your feelings, addictions, and guilty pleasures which they thought they never could. I want them to know that they are not alone. I am that voice that helps them.
3) Which has been your first track?
My first track was Numbness which I made alongside my very close friend Abhishek Mishra aka Mishraman.
4) Who has been your inspiration?
Definitely the Weeknd! He has been my all-time inspiration ever since I was a teenager. I could really go on and on about this and never stop so let’s just leave it here haha.
5) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Well, it’s really hard to judge since life is so unpredictable but taking into consideration how everything is going, I guess I’ll be somewhere noteworthy for my friends and family to be proud of me. I have plans to go international very soon so you can expect some really big things coming your way. 2022 to be precise is gonna be a badass year. I can feel it in my bones!
6) How would you describe your music?
Dark, ambient, and twisted. That’s how I’d like to describe it. Drawing a fine line in the perspectives as I earlier talked about, I compliment them with ambient pads, mellow synths, and hard-hitting drums to really bring out that liveliness. While some people think it’s a song to headbang and dance on, they soon realize it’s far deeper when they hear the same thing at midnight. You know why.
7) Which has been your most memorable song or project?
Definitely Karma! It was my first ever music video as well and I am really proud of it. Big ups to my buddies Jerry Martin and D-Psycho for making the song happen, this wouldn’t have been possible without them.
8) What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Never stop chasing and give up on your dreams. Always remember that everything’s a phase, be it good or bad it shall pass eventually. The only thing that separates you from your dreams is the will to make them happen. Believe in yourself and shall make the impossible happen.
9) Share some of your achievements with the magazine.
Well, last year my song Honey Trap was featured on M90 radio which is one of Argentina’s biggest radio stations topping 150k streams in real-time during the premiere. I was even featured on multiple platforms such as ED times, Zee5, Asia News, and Daily Hunt to name a few. ED Times even gave me the title of ‘the next Weeknd’ which was HUGE. Very recently, I and my friend Jerry Martin were even acclaimed by Salim Merchant himself for our latest music video.
10) How’s life after the covid-19 pandemic?
I started my journey as an independent musician during the 1st lockdown so you can say that is when my life actually started haha. Things have not 100% returned to normal yet but slowly and steadily it’s happening. Live shows are again back on the roll so hell yeah!
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