‘Spancking’ new

They have made a name for themselves as an actress and a DJ respectively, but now, Shazahn Padamsee and Ankit Kocher are exploring a new avenue — as an electronica duo project called Spanck. They are all set to drop their debut EP, Cold Comfort on February 4 worldwide on Guy J’s record label. Ankit, who is popular as underground electronica DJ, Ankytrixx, enthuses, “We’ve started the fire and now it’s just about spreading it.” The two interacted on Facebook for the first time five years ago and like Shazahn says, “It seems like the process is now but it’s been on for four years.” 

EXPLORING A NEW SOUND

Initially, Spanck didn’t know what sound they wanted to explore. Three years of travelling, attending music fests and hanging around at recording studios of music artistes to understand trends gave them some perspective about what they wanted their debut EP to sound like. Ankit states, “There is so much chaos in the world apart from too much speed in terms of people’s lives and thoughts. We were also told that the trend that will settle down is chilled out and slower music.” So, they created an electronica record that’s more dream-like and relaxing and will give the listener an escape from the current scenario. For the album, they set up studios at their respective homes and did music courses, piano and vocals classes and whatnot. “Shazahn learnt from ballad and opera singers. She will surprise everyone,” Ankit says. 

CHANGING GEARS

Ankit has been called the go-to party starter, but has taken the live act route. He explains, “Every artiste dreams of doing something bigger and having a more global presence. As a band, you play your own music whereas as a DJ, one also plays others’ creations.” Branching out from being just a DJ was the most challenging part for him. “But that fired me to put all that I had into this EP,” he states. The Housefull 2 actress has been a theatre practitioner for the longest time but has been making music full-time for the past four years. “Now, this is more me than anything else,” she points out, adding, “It can be really daunting when you change your arena but it was Dad (late theatre personality and ad guru Alyque Padamsee) who instilled the confidence in me to give this a shot. He said, ‘Do whatever lights up your soul’.”  She doesn’t regret not turning musician earlier. “Everything happens at the right time. My film career has given me great experience, learning, highs and lows. That has enriched my songwriting,” says she.

MORE MUSIC IS READY

Spanck completed Cold Comfort two years ago but are releasing it only now. Ankit explains the long wait, “We’ve planned everything in great detail. It’s an art form and you have to let it happen on its own.” Shazahn adds that the sound has taken different twists and turns till last year. “After understanding what’s trending and bringing our own flavour to it, the sound that has emerged is ours. We’re happy to have cracked it,” she says. Ankit informs us, “Whoever has heard the new material says it’s ‘super bomb’. The music is not just chilled-out, down-tempo but we have brought R&B and reggae into electronic to entice different kinds of listeners. The next ones will be more polished than the debut. We have graduated in terms of knowledge, singing and production skills.” 

The new sound can also be credited to Shazahn’s mum, singer Sharon Prabhakar. They do riyaaz and vocal warm-ups together every day. “We check out new genres and incorporate them into our sound to lend it more freshness,” she says, adding that she is listening to a lot of jazz and blues with her mum and that’s permeating into Spanck’s sound. They plan to do exactly what they did last year — wake up, stay holed up in the studio and make music because, as Shazahn concludes, “We get transported into another world.”