Hiss Sound - Taraf (2022)

Hiss Sound's debut album is a profound and exciting sonic journey on the crossroads of Indian & electronic music.

Soaring synthesizer melodies and basslines intertwine with expressive, moody dubchords and Indian classical instruments like the bansuri, tabla, sarod and sitar without compromise. 



The album starts with ‘Marphisa’, a dark atmospheric soundscape of guitar and experimental sound design in ‘alap’ style, which slowly develops into an electrified raga on an interesting electronic tabla-driven groove with a big bassline.
The dynamic climax comes when heavy distorted 909 drums increase the tension, but breaks off before venturing into full-on techno-territory.



A tribal percussion rhythm and raw organ chords lay the foundation of the clearly biggest dancefloortrack of the album, Scathach.
The catchy melodic phrases on guitar and synthesizer could originate in India or even Ethiopia, but form nonetheless a unique sonic sphere in combination with the dark bassline and hardhitting electro-drums.

It’s a persuasive take on electronic Indian dancemusic for contemporary dancefloors.



The third track catches the listener with an uncanny sample getting smashed by a massive hiphopbeat. In the world of Hiss Sound it makes sense that a sitar joins the fun in this nod to golden era Westcoast G-Funk.



Mishra Adelita signals a different musical direction straight from the start with an imagination-provoking electronic ambience. The synthesizer’s mysterious tones seem to ask a question, which gets answered by the bansuri, the North-Indian classical flute.
With great raw and organic-sounding drums and warm dubchords this intruiging track is as soulful as Indian music gets. 



The album picks up on the Indian electro-vibe in Inanna. The tabla is the main feature here. Although the track seems to move on a 4/4 grid, the tabla plays in a 7/8 kind of rhythm, which in combination with the electronic sounds create an unusual but interesting groove.

The interaction between tabla and synthesizer is refreshingly tight, and a captivating composition and performance unfolds, until it reaches an epic climax. 



Kali is the first and only track with voice. As the listener now starts to acclimatize to the unconventional approach of Hiss Sound to both Indian and electronic music, it is no suprise that this track too provokes and disrupts. After a hectic, electrified harmonium-solo-on-steroids we land in the warm bath of a male voice that takes us straight to our own image of India. A dark dubby bass and slow are the first clouds on the horizon of a fantastic imaginitive composition that climaxes on a freakish break, to continue undisturbed to another chapter .
Amusing and unique music that grabs you by the guts. 



Arawelo is a short but fierce abstract hiphop skit where Bollywood sample madness meats funky driving breakbeats. 



Rudrama introduces another Indian instrument, the sarod. Although the instrument is an adaption of the Afghan rabab, it is now widely accepted and loved within Indian classical music, and has an impressive range of sounds and expressions.

Together with analog synthesizers, intense percussion and heavy subterranean bass the sarod takes the listener on an introspective trip, which roughly follows a raga-structure. 



Digital- and CD-only bonustrack Sakhet is the occluding track of the album. The guitar is the main instrument here, playing Bollywood-like phrases in an almost teasing manner. Psychedelic synths alternate with the guitar on this bouncy, sometimes euphoric Indian-electro-rock banger.

Hiss Sound’s driving force is Dutch musician Olivier Schreuder, who is also behind Thai-Dutch collective Apichat Pakwan. Taraf is the result of collaborating together with some of the most skilled and knowledgable musicians who are based in The Netherlands and specialized in North-Indian classical music.