Kathir is a band member of Rudra, which was formed in 1992. The hard metal influence of the West and the base in Singapore has not made the band members forget their origin. Rather they have created a different genre of music altogether – vedic metal.
Rudra as a band is believed to have built up a completely different genre of heavy metal rock – vedic metal. How is it different from the traditional rock music?
The difference lies in the modalities that we employ in composing our music. They are largely note progressions of the Indian classical music and traditional melodies. And, most importantly our lyrics and theme are about the ancient Vedas of India – particularly Vedanta philosophy.
Rudra is based in Singapore and yet popular in India. How do you explain the success of your band in a country where rock music caters to a niche segment?
This is probably because of our ethnic affinities to both origins and the theme of our albums. As much as we are Singaporeans by nationality, our ethnicity, culture and creed comes from India or Bharatavarsha. And, we do take our culture very seriously. Perhaps this is the reason why people all over the world take us seriously.
How was Rudra formed? What kept you all from getting lured by the other more lucrative career options?
The band was formed way back in 1992. All of us were campus mates and had something in common, which was the desire to form an extreme metal band. And, we haven’t looked back since. Playing metal is our passion but it does not feed us. All of us have other full-time jobs to make a living. It is impossible to have a career in music while living in an expensive city like Singapore. Rudra will always remain a passion for us more than a career. Keeping it this way also helps us not to dilute our non-commercial vedic metal for commercial success.
Staying together after attaining success seems to be a problem with many rock bands. How is the equation among the members of Rudra?
We never had such problems because we never considered ourselves successful in the first place. Our fan following is getting bigger with each album but our egos are not getting affected, partly because we have been through thick and thin together for almost 15 years. Even if we were to become successful someday, I doubt this would be a problem, as we truly believe that our ethics will keep our egos in the right place.
Do you believe that the Indian version of rock music is different from the Western version?
Yes, of course. Native Indian music has its uniqueness and when fused with the Western rock it breeds something very unique to India. I have always found rock bands in India very unique. One such band is Indian Ocean.
Which are the other countries where you have performed? Do you feel the audiences are different in the Western countries? How do they respond to the vedic touch in your music?
We have performed in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and we are heading for the USA in the next few months. All the people from all the places we have played have held us in respect for what we have offered the metal world, which is the vedic metal. People have always been very receptive.
Do you think the rock band industry in India has seen changes since 1992? How do you expect the market to change in future in the entire South and South-east Asia?
In 1992, the only Indian phenomenon known to us was Rock Machine. Thereafter, in 1998 I discovered a thriving rock scene in India but primarily limited to the college circuits and most of the bands were obsessed with playing covers. Our first show in 2001 showed us a new trend of Indian bands focusing more on original songs. And, today we see so many bands releasing albums, which are top notch. One band that has captured our attention is Demonic Resurrection. They are world class! And, I believe that the market will slowly start turning towards bands that play such original music and a new metal or rock industry will be born.
