Tigerstyle - Ik Banere

Tigerstyle, whose music featured on the soundtrack of a video game called Project Gotham 3, will release their new single Ik Banere this Thursday. It is their second song from their upcoming EP Digibhang. 

The track is made up of Punjabi vocals set against a heavy bass background full of beats with a hint of summery harp and flute. The lyrics have a traditional Punjabi folk feel to them. A singer called Ms Rajni provided the vocals and was just 16 when she recorded them. Her vocals are powerful but dainty and make her sound even younger than she is.

There is a delicate balance between Ms Rajni's fragile vocals and the heavy bass underneath. Tigerstyle have got this balance right and this contrast between the innocent vocals and dark bass is what makes the song work brilliantly. Ms Rajni should be praised for her singing and I don't think this contrast would have worked with another vocalist.

Tigerstyle have been known in the past for their bhangra tracks, but this new single is very different. Raj said to Bobby Friction when it premiered on his Asian Network show that Ik Banere is Tigerstyle at their most creative. I agree and I'm tempted to class it as Asian Underground rather than bhangra as it sounds unlike any other track that Tigerstyle have produced. Some Tigerstyle fans who prefer bhangra have already expressed their disappointment with Ik Banere. However I love it and I like how Tigerstyle are making something different yet still incorporating some Punjabi style into their music.

Like their last single Kudi, Ik Banere has been remixed by three different producers and also comes with an instrumental version. Dub Sharma, Ranbir S. and Raxstar have all made Ik Banere their own and these remixes give the song a very different feel. Whilst these other versions are brilliant, I would have liked a minimalist version of the original without the bass. There is something special about the opening verse and how Ms Rajni's voice blends with the harp sequence. I think this combination would have worked wonderfully as a lo-fi remix.

There is a video for Ik Banere and the story line for it sounds unlike any music video I have seen. In the video illustrator Amandeep Singh, who also goes by the name Inkquisitive, is listening to Ik Banere and it inspires him to create a unique piece of art. This video is out next week.