Eashwar Subramanian’s latest EP TheReclusive Mural explores grief and solitude

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, that transport the listener to an oasis of lush green lands and gentle breeze.

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.”