Eashwar Subramanian
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Eashwar Subramanian’s latest EP TheReclusive Mural explores grief and solitude, building on a minimalist style of ambient music with an engaging mix of piano, strings and synths that transports listeners to a soothing environment. The EP opens with ‘Joy of Being’ — a track that captures the beauty of being alive, with soundscapes that blend a gentle piano-based melody, with violin sections. The standalone melody is embellished with rhythms of the tabla, taking the listener to an oasis of lush, green lands and gentle breezes.Hailing from Bengaluru, Eashwar has added more than 500 compositions to his Soundcloud page, over the past five years. He considers all his pieces to be sonic experiments that vary from monochrome ambient soundscapes to rich, lush soundscapes showcasing a global confluence of Asian, Middle Eastern and Western tones as well as Indian ragas.Eashwar shares his journey as an ambient music producer and the struggles of ambient music artistes in India.Eashwar’s first album Ambient Hamlet, which released in 2018, debuted at #10 on the Apple Music Indian Independent list. It was an album that came out from a deeply personal space. “That was the time when I was going through a personal crisis and I wanted to channelise my energy into something that would bring me peace; my music became my safe space and something that made me happy.”When Eashwar started producing ambient music, his main aim was to create pieces devoid of conventional musical grammar and structure. “For me, creating music in an ambient way is more about listening to my heart rather than focusing on the theoretical aspects of music. It all starts with an idea and what kind of a mental state I am in — that evolves or translates into the music that I make.” Despite its popularity the world over, ambient music in India has been relegated to a certain audience, says Eashwar. “We have ambient music in our classical instrumental traditions, whether Hindustani or Carnatic, which focus on minimal instrumentation. Unfortunately, if you ask the present generation, they would probably be more interested in popular contemporary music.”Eashwar notes that ambient music in India suffers from poor marketing, and hence is yet to gain momentum. “Ambient music doesn’t have a market here because people generally assume that it is in a monochromatic space, as unlike traditional popular music, it lacks melody.”However, he does agree that in recent times there has been an audience for it, especially among those who have discovered its therapeutic side. “There is a surge of wellness apps that use ambient music as do hospitals as it helps one detach from the outside world, making listeners feel more calm and peaceful.”“A patient suffering from a terminal disease wrote to me saying how my music had helped her. Parents have told me their child sleeps better after listening to my music. I believe an ambient music movement is taking shape because of its ability to make an impact,” says Eashwar.For independent artistes in this field it is a long struggle for recognition, says Eashwar. “Many a time, when an independent artiste reaches out to the larger community or the mainstream, they are perceived as someone without bargaining power. Art of any kind needs to be duly credited; that is what will help emerging talents stick to a creative career.” Published – March 10, 2025 12:10 pm IST
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