MUMBAI: In November 2015 at the IndiEarthXChange in Chennai, EarthSync collaborated with The Queensland University of Technology to organize Indie100 – a program that shortlisted 10 emerging independent musicians to be recorded, mixed and mastered by Lachlan ‘Magoo’ Goold and Yanto Browning, two of Australia’s top producers. Now – the final compilation is ready for its worldwide debut.

“The focus of Indie100 is on bringing the community together and capturing a living history of the local scene each year” says QUT music lecturer Kristina Kelman, founder of the project, “Indie100 International – Chennai is promoted through the 'Independent Music Project Facebook' page which currently received tens of thousands of views. The album will be released at indie100.bandcamp.com and distributed through MGM distribution”.

The CD Compilation features a diverse array of original music recorded on location at XChange, and showcases sounds emerging from Chennai’s next generation of performing artists. The project offers a valuable platform for Indian independent musicians, while also providing incredible opportunities for international exposure and touring. “We hope to build a platform for emerging artists participating in Indie100 to showcase at future IndiEarthXChanges and to create exchange opportunities for young Indian artists here at the BIGSOUND festival in Brisbane” continues Kelman.

The CD launch will involve an upbeat, fun listening session of the final CD with bands like Kaber + Tenma, Bjorn Surrao, and Varshita Ramesh present at the event. “I was really impressed by the rhythmic accuracy of many of the young Indian musicians” says world renowned producer Yanto Browning, “Perhaps this is due to the influence of Indian classical music training, but the strong sense of rhythm also had very positive influences on the bands doing western styles. Many of the artists we worked with incorporated traditional Indian rhythms into what were effectively western song structures, which to me gave them added interest and complexity”. “As an organization dedicated to strengthening the intercultural dialogue between India and Korea, we believe that music has the ability to lead people on journeys of discovery, dissolving divisive boundaries and irrevocably transforming hearts and minds, meaningfully and powerfully” says InKo Centre, Director, Rathi Jafer. “In all our projects, contemporary soundscapes, which manifest both the local and the global, are of particular interest. As such, we are delighted at the opportunity to support EarthSync’s project Indie100 CD launch to showcase sounds emerging from Chennai’s next generation of performing artists”.