Breathing Under Water Burn (Shankar) Easy (Shankar)
(Shankar)
Context Anouska Shankar: daughter of Ravi Shankar, brought up in London, Delhi and California, studied sitar
with her father, first three albums were Indian Classical performances, first fusion album = Rise
Breathing Under Water album: grew out of improvised sessions between Shankar, Kale + Delhi
musicians, released in 2007, some programmed tracks + much live playing, main collaborator = Karsh
Kale (Indian musician/composer, co-founder of Tabla Beat Science, contributed dance music
textures/technical expertise + played table/drums/guitar)
Performing Sitar: main sonority, solo, English vocals (soulful jazz/R+B Sitar: fluid, solo, dialogue +
Forces + playing line based on vocal line style), cinematic orchestral articulated pedal Db,
of Sea Dreamer, heavily uses strings, sitar + sarangi (bridge, independent/detailed, meend,
Sonority
meend/kan, characteristic resembles human voice, rich) acciaccaturas, glissandi
Western and
Indian shimmery resonant sound, Guitar: understated plucked
instrumentation mainly an octave range until Programmed percussion beats ostinato-like accompaniment,
very skilfully bass clef at refrain 3 (simple snare patterns in verse, simple, twangy contrast
handled + mixed (contrasting sonority) demisemiquaver hi-hat in chorus, Piano: subtle understated, high
together Strings: mid-range block dance beats), Indian percussion chords in verse 2, inverted pedal
chords, higher register in 3rd (manjira = finger cymbals, high Db
section, lush basis for sitar pitched bell like shimmery sound), Vocals: relaxed R&B style, low
Wordless vocals: delicate, add synthesised bass + analog-style tessitura, vibrato, melisma,
warmth, link the string + sitar synthesiser lines (repeated bass portamento, stylistic tension with
timbres by singing elements of pedal C#s with octave leaps + fluid sitar
each, link to second main solo wide portamento give a jittery Electronic drums, synth bass
section, low as a harmonic effect) emphasising guitar ostinato lines,
filter in the second section, Solo cello + flute at end shaker/majira (bright)/ drums
high descant to third section, added in link
final resolution
Keyboards, table, cello at end
Structure Verse 1, refrain 1, middle 8, Intro 1 + 2, verse 1, chorus, Most conventionally structured
Embraces link, verse 2, refrain 2, verse 3, bridge, verse 2 (similar to verse 1), Intro (4 bar sitar melody repeated
Western song refrain 3, coda verse 2 extension, bridge, link 1, with slight variation), verse 1,
structures Instrumental paraphrase of verse 3 (exactly the same as verse verse 2 (piano/synth bass added),
Indian: Alap song Sea Dreamer immediately 1), link 2, verse 3 extension, link (sitar solo + vocals),
(free), Jhor after it (acts as an extended chorus, coda instrumental (sitar solo), middle 8,
(pulse), Jhala intro), exact order of elements Orchestral strings from intro verse 3 (new vocal material), coda
(rhythmic)
is different repeated underneath verse 2 +
, instrumental
Texture Sitar accompanied by Intro: orchestral strings provide Focus on sitar/vocal line
Indian music homophonic block chords (mel slow-moving chordal texture under Homophonic textures feature
employs three dom hom) sitar with some melodic material + heavily (warm pad chord, piano
textural Vocal: short monophony when independence (mel dom hom) chords, guitar + synth bass)
elements: enters, sings a melody mainly Verse 2/3: more polyphonic More complex textures: vocal in
melodic doubling the strings, then acts elements, dialogue between sitar polyphonic dialogue with sitar
instrument/ as descant in short polyphonic + vocals lines (e.g. link, middle 8 + verse 3)
voice, rhythmic
phrases with the sitar in verse Final chorus: most polyphonic,
accompaniment
+ drone
3 three vocal lines, string
countermelody, sitar + rhythms
Tonic pedal texture of synth bass
used extensively
Tonality Db major for majority of piece C# minor (enough use of raised 7th Transposed Mixolydian mode on
No obvious use Middle 8: tertiary modulation (e.g. sitar) to suggest true Western Db
of Indian to Lydian-inflected A major, minor, not strictly, anchored by Equivalent of Rag Khamaj
Classical raga or then returns after voice enters pedal textures) Consistently flattened seventh (Cb)
functional Coda: passing modulations of A
tonality minor + F major
Asian-inflected
non-functional
tonality
Harmony Most chords have added notes, Intro: all chords have same notes Harmonies derived from
Western-style e.g. verse 1 (oscillates between + rich harmony (C♯madd4/G#, A transposed Mixolydian mode (no
chords + chord Bbm(add 9) + Ab(sus 4) (VI-V) + maj7(#4), C#m(add9)) dominant chords, as no true
progressions, but coming to rest on an Dissonance freely used with no leading note of C)
very far from inconclusive Dbsus4 chord) conventional Dominated by a three-chord
conventional Middle 8: modally inflected A preparation/resolution sequence with inversions giving a
functional with adjacent chords of B, A Dominant chords, but effect strong stepwise bass (Bb, Cb, Db)
diatonic harmony
and G#m7 in various orders, diluted by sounding of 4th or – Gbsus2/Bb–Cbsus2–Dbsus4
Pandiatonicism –
harmonies built
uses slash chords, maj 7ths + a omission of 3rd Middle 8 reorders this sequence
freely from any dim chord (e.g. D#o/F#) Verse/chorus/bridge 1: static Sus4 chords: often sound 3rd at
note of the scale Coda: Gbm6 used in coda with harmony C# pedal chord, C# same time creating dissonance,
Indian: tonic + repeated IVm-I progressions articulated pedal, lead vocal using give tonal ambiguity reflecting the
subdominant (variation on plagal cadence first six notes of C# minor, lead lyrics telling of ambivalent feelings
drone, rag common in pop), Fb + Cb used synth using mainly C#/F#/G# towards love
scales prominently in sitar line similar to Indian raga (all notes of Ends on unresolved Dbsus4
