Phenom
Encyclopedia
Phenom is a progressive rock
group from Bangalore
, India
, notable for being one of the first Indian rock groups to release their work under a Creative Commons
license .
whose rock competition rules required them to perform at least one original song. They composed a song named Coloured for this World, inspired by Sashi's tastes in progressive rock
.
After Deepu left the group in mid-2002 after graduating from college, Gaurav took up bass guitar duties, quickly developing a uniquely identifiable playing style.
In December 2002, Phenom performed their first solo show, as the headline act at Linux Bangalore. From then on, the group went on to perform at shows and competitions several times each month, and developed quite a winning streak. By mid-2003, Noella graduated from PESIT and left the group as vocalist, but continued to coach Phenom in singing and harmonies.
In mid-2003, Phenom decided to record an album. Their manager, Atul Chitnis
, introduced them to a friend of his who had some experience in studio recordings, and who agreed to make Phenom was his first "product" to record in his recently built studio. In late 2003, Phenom recorded what would become their first album, Unbound. The recording sessions stretched from late November 2003 through February 2004, and often resulted in complete re-compositions of the songs, notably "A Little Step". By Spring 2004, the album was ready, having been mastered in the USA. Phenom began looking for a distribution contract.
During this time, the band could not participate in many shows due to their hectic recording schedule. Phenom did, however, participate in NLSIU's prestigious rock festival Strawberry Fields, which they won in the college category.
The group quickly realised that having a good product was not enough http://wearephenom.com/unbound/license.php. Indian music publishers showed little interest in Phenom's music, citing it to be too difficult to market. India had not yet developed a commercial market for English rock music, and even established groups were unable to find publishers.
Around this time, Mark Lazaro, whom Gaurav knew from another musical outfit, joined the band as vocalist. A formally trained vocalist with an extremely wide range, Mark competently relieved Gaurav of lead vocal duties.
The group played Strawberryfields again in 2004, after a five-month hiatus, but failed to repeat their success of 2003.
Based on interaction that Atul had with Larry Lessig in Berlin in June 2004, Phenom decided to release their album under a Creative Commons
license. Both Mrinal and Atul were staunch Free and Open Source Software
supporters, and the concepts embodied in the Creative Commons movement were very much in tune with their own ideologies. Use of a Creative Commons license allowed Phenom to freely distribute their music, without losing their rights as copyright holders.
On Christmas Day of 2004, Phenom released 'Unbound" on the Internet.
However, the rationale behind the Creative Commons licensed internet release, as explained by the group, was more practical than ideological:
...the real reason isn't so much the money, but that we are hoping that with enough people hearing our music, we will get noticed by some big music company that recognises both the quality and potential of our music, as well as the fact that so many people are listening to it, and are enjoying it! That cuts the traditional "element of risk" for a publishing company down to a bare minimum — a wholly acceptable value proposition! http://wearephenom.com/unbound/license.php
The effects of the release were significant. With thousands of downloads every month, Phenom "sold" more albums than most Indian rock groups before it. This appears to have encouraged other Indian groups to follow suit, as today the amount of Indian rock music available online under CC licenses is significant, and growing.
In February 2005, the new lineup of Phenom played back to back with equal billing with one of India's best known rock groups, Thermal and a Quarter, at a live gig organised by Bangalore's main FM radio station RadioCity
, in front of a packed audience. The show, held in the heart of Bangalore's famous Cubbon Park
, was promoted on radio, in print, and on the Internet.
The impact on the group's popularity was, understandably, significant. They gained exposure in a market that was more used to listening to Bollywood
music. Encouraged by the success of the show, RadioCity promoted Phenom and other rock groups over the next year, culminating in a huge event on the Bangalore Palace Grounds on 17 March 2006 — Phenom's biggest live performance to date.
commissioned the group Parikrama to write a song on programmers, the press quickly made the connection.http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1001566&CatID=2
station RadioVeRVe
.
In July 2006, Phenom announced that they were disbanding, as two of their members (Mrinal and JD) were leaving for the USA for higher studies. On 29 July 2006, the group performed for one last time, coincidentally on the birthday of one of their greatest influences, Rush
's bassist Geddy Lee
.
licensed music coming out of India.
The album was released under a Creative Commons
license, and contained five songs, all of which are freely downloadable from the internet:
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
group from Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, notable for being one of the first Indian rock groups to release their work under a Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license .
The College Years
Phenom began its life in 2001 as a college rock band, at the PES Institute of Technology. Originally formed to perform covers at competitions and college gigs, Phenom had a fairly rapid turnover of band members in its early days, and settled down with a lineup of Gaurav Joshua Vaz on guitars and vocals, Sashi Wapang on lead guitar, Mrinal Kalakrishnan on drums and guitars, Deepu Jobie John on bass, Jnaneshwar "JD" Das on keyboards and Noella D'Sa on vocals.First songs
In 2002, the group's first success came at a culfestCulfest
A culfest or cultfest is an annual event organized by colleges in India.-General format:Most college culfests last from two to five days...
whose rock competition rules required them to perform at least one original song. They composed a song named Coloured for this World, inspired by Sashi's tastes in progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
.
After Deepu left the group in mid-2002 after graduating from college, Gaurav took up bass guitar duties, quickly developing a uniquely identifiable playing style.
In December 2002, Phenom performed their first solo show, as the headline act at Linux Bangalore. From then on, the group went on to perform at shows and competitions several times each month, and developed quite a winning streak. By mid-2003, Noella graduated from PESIT and left the group as vocalist, but continued to coach Phenom in singing and harmonies.
First Album
"Coloured for this World" set the direction that Phenom would follow from then on, and the group rapidly began composing new songs, most of which were of the progressive rock genre, but some, such as CAP 5101 (famously named after Mrinal's car registration number), were straight rock and roll.In mid-2003, Phenom decided to record an album. Their manager, Atul Chitnis
Atul Chitnis
Atul Chitnis is an Indian consulting technologist. He is also the founder of FOSS.IN , one of Asia's largest FOSS conferences.-Biography:...
, introduced them to a friend of his who had some experience in studio recordings, and who agreed to make Phenom was his first "product" to record in his recently built studio. In late 2003, Phenom recorded what would become their first album, Unbound. The recording sessions stretched from late November 2003 through February 2004, and often resulted in complete re-compositions of the songs, notably "A Little Step". By Spring 2004, the album was ready, having been mastered in the USA. Phenom began looking for a distribution contract.
Knocking on doors
The group quickly realised that having a good product was not enough http://wearephenom.com/unbound/license.php. Indian music publishers showed little interest in Phenom's music, citing it to be too difficult to market. India had not yet developed a commercial market for English rock music, and even established groups were unable to find publishers.
Changes
By mid-2004, the group members graduated from college, and Sashi left Bangalore, leaving the band without a guitarist. With Sashi gone, Mrinal took over the guitar playing. The drummer throne was occupied by a friend from another group.Around this time, Mark Lazaro, whom Gaurav knew from another musical outfit, joined the band as vocalist. A formally trained vocalist with an extremely wide range, Mark competently relieved Gaurav of lead vocal duties.
The group played Strawberryfields again in 2004, after a five-month hiatus, but failed to repeat their success of 2003.
Release of "Unbound"
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license. Both Mrinal and Atul were staunch Free and Open Source Software
Foss
Foss may refer toPeople*Foss , people with the last name Foss*Foss Shanahan , New Zealand diplomat*Foss Westcott , English bishop...
supporters, and the concepts embodied in the Creative Commons movement were very much in tune with their own ideologies. Use of a Creative Commons license allowed Phenom to freely distribute their music, without losing their rights as copyright holders.
On Christmas Day of 2004, Phenom released 'Unbound" on the Internet.
However, the rationale behind the Creative Commons licensed internet release, as explained by the group, was more practical than ideological:
...the real reason isn't so much the money, but that we are hoping that with enough people hearing our music, we will get noticed by some big music company that recognises both the quality and potential of our music, as well as the fact that so many people are listening to it, and are enjoying it! That cuts the traditional "element of risk" for a publishing company down to a bare minimum — a wholly acceptable value proposition! http://wearephenom.com/unbound/license.php
The effects of the release were significant. With thousands of downloads every month, Phenom "sold" more albums than most Indian rock groups before it. This appears to have encouraged other Indian groups to follow suit, as today the amount of Indian rock music available online under CC licenses is significant, and growing.
More Changes
Still facing lineup issues, Phenom tried out several replacement guitarists for Sashi. In early 2005, Trinity "Tiny" D'Souza joined the group. Tiny had performed with Mrinal in a progressive rock band, Cryptic, several years earlier. He knew the style of guitaring that Phenom needed, and brought along his own style as well.RadioCity Live
Radio City (India radio station)
Radio City is a FM radio station in India. It broadcasts on 91.1 megahertz from Mumbai , Bangalore , Lucknow and New Delhi. It plays Hindi songs, English and regional songs. It was launched in Hyderabad in March, 2006 , in Chennai on July 7th 2006 and in Vishakapatnam October 2007...
, in front of a packed audience. The show, held in the heart of Bangalore's famous Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park is a landmark 'lung' area of the Bangalore city, located within the heart of city in the Central Administrative Area. Originally created in 1870, when Major General Richard Sankey was the then British Chief Engineer of Mysore state, it covered an area of and subsequent expansion has...
, was promoted on radio, in print, and on the Internet.
The impact on the group's popularity was, understandably, significant. They gained exposure in a market that was more used to listening to Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
music. Encouraged by the success of the show, RadioCity promoted Phenom and other rock groups over the next year, culminating in a huge event on the Bangalore Palace Grounds on 17 March 2006 — Phenom's biggest live performance to date.
In the News
An instrumental called "Linux Can!", a tune originally written by Mrinal and Atul half a decade earlier, was modified by Phenom into a rock instrumental http://wearephenom.com/downloads/mp3/linuxcan-phenom.zip. Phenom first performed it at Linux Bangalore/2002. In 2005, when MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
commissioned the group Parikrama to write a song on programmers, the press quickly made the connection.http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1001566&CatID=2
Today
The group continued to perform live, as well as collaborating with other artists and groups. Having graduated from a "college band" to one of the more senior bands in the circuit, Phenom spent a considerable amount of time coaching and promoting upcoming groups. Professionally, three of the members (Gaurav, Mrinal and JD) work in the IT industry, Mark is a graphic designer and 3D animator, and Trinity is a professional guitar coach and performer. In addition, Gaurav also performs with the Raghu Dixit Project, and is also co-founder of internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station RadioVeRVe
RadioVeRVe
RadioVeRVe is an internet radio station operating out of Bangalore, India. It differentiates itself from other FM and internet radio stations by focusing exclusively on independent music from India....
.
In July 2006, Phenom announced that they were disbanding, as two of their members (Mrinal and JD) were leaving for the USA for higher studies. On 29 July 2006, the group performed for one last time, coincidentally on the birthday of one of their greatest influences, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
's bassist Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
.
Creative Commons
On January 26, 2007, Phenom's album Unbound was included on the CD distributed at the Creative Commons India License launch, in recognition of it being the first Creative CommonsCreative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
licensed music coming out of India.
2006 Lineup
- Gaurav Joshua Vaz - Bass and Backing Vocals
- Mrinal Kalakrishnan - Drums and Backing Vocals
- Jnaneshwar "JD" Das - Keyboards and Backing Vocals
- Trinity "Tiny" D'Souza - Lead Guitar
- Mark Lazaro - Lead Vocals
2004 Lineup
- Gaurav Joshua Vaz - Bass and Lead Vocals
- Sashi Wapang - Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals (left group in June 2004)
- Mrinal Kalakrishnan - Drums and Backing Vocals
- Jnaneshwar "JD" Das - Keyboards and Backing Vocals
2002 Lineup
- Gaurav Joshua Vaz - Guitar and Backing Vocals
- Sashi Wapang - Lead Guitar
- Mrinal Kalakrishnan - Drums and Backing Vocals
- Jnaneshwar "JD" Das - Keyboards and Backing Vocals
- Noella D'Sa - Lead Vocals (left group in early 2003)
- Deepu Jobie John - Bass (left group in mid 2002)
2004: Phenom Unbound
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license, and contained five songs, all of which are freely downloadable from the internet:
- "Unbound" http://wearephenom.com/unbound/unbound.php
- "Coloured for this world" http://wearephenom.com/unbound/coloured.php
- "CAP 5101" http://wearephenom.com/unbound/cap5101.php
- "Resurgence" http://wearephenom.com/unbound/resurgence.php
- "A Little Step" http://wearephenom.com/unbound/littlestep.php
External links
- http://wearephenom.com - Official Website
- http://wearephenom.com/unbound/ - Debut Album "Unbound"
- http://www.swaroopch.info/archives/2005/12/03/linux-can/ Video of Phenom performing "Linux Can!" at FOSS.INFOSS.INFOSS.IN is a Free and Open Source Software conference, held in India. It is the successor of the FOSS conferences known as Linux Bangalore , and is one of the largest annual FOSS events in Asia...
/2005 - http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1001566&CatID=2 Article about Phenom's "Linux Can!"
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2006/01/21/stories/2006012102750300.htm The Hindu reports on Phenom