Chaos and Calm
Chaos and Calm
Chaos and Calm
By Shaurya Saxena
30th Sept 2024
By Shaurya Saxena
30th Sept 2024
In an era where music often conforms to commercial construct and renunciation, Dohnraj stands as a rare alchemist, blending not only genres but emotions and identities. Their music goes beyond simple pleasures like David Bowie and Prince, rather than viscerating sounds like a form of liberation is looking for, Dohnraj seeks to create a sound against convention by incorporating multiple influences, which provide listeners with a portal to a supernatural, almost supernatural experience. Discussing their artistic philosophies, philosophical influences, music’s effect on culture, and its ability to communicate uncanny innate emotional style. We start off our conversation by unraveling the musician's philosophy
Initiating the dialogue about the approach of blending influences and constructing something uniquely own, the versatile artist sheds some of his learnings throughout their journey as a musician. Without feeling any distinct technique or attitude toward everything, Dohnraj explained that it's only after many trials of experiments and many undertakings it takes to discover the place where you feel convinced with what has taken place.
"I religiously maintain a journal which is where a lot of my song ideas or themes I want to explore spring from. I am very much intrigued and or fascinated with the idea of duality and our constant push and pull throughout our lives to find this home in between."
Following this ideology while recording his latest album, the artist shares how even though all the songs on the project stylistically go in many rooms on the very edge all of them lyrically and narratively drive on constant exploration of understanding emotions and the situations that both them. Beautifully detailing it, Dohnraj strongly believes that songs are just sonic photographs of the moments as you're discovering something about yourself and the world around you.
In an era where music often conforms to commercial construct and renunciation, Dohnraj stands as a rare alchemist, blending not only genres but emotions and identities. Their music goes beyond simple pleasures like David Bowie and Prince, rather than viscerating sounds like a form of liberation is looking for, Dohnraj seeks to create a sound against convention by incorporating multiple influences, which provide listeners with a portal to a supernatural, almost supernatural experience. Discussing their artistic philosophies, philosophical influences, music’s effect on culture, and its ability to communicate uncanny innate emotional style. We start off our conversation by unraveling the musician's philosophy
Initiating the dialogue about the approach of blending influences and constructing something uniquely own, the versatile artist sheds some of his learnings throughout their journey as a musician. Without feeling any distinct technique or attitude toward everything, Dohnraj explained that it's only after many trials of experiments and many undertakings it takes to discover the place where you feel convinced with what has taken place.
"I religiously maintain a journal which is where a lot of my song ideas or themes I want to explore spring from. I am very much intrigued and or fascinated with the idea of duality and our constant push and pull throughout our lives to find this home in between."
Following this ideology while recording his latest album, the artist shares how even though all the songs on the project stylistically go in many rooms on the very edge all of them lyrically and narratively drive on constant exploration of understanding emotions and the situations that both them. Beautifully detailing it, Dohnraj strongly believes that songs are just sonic photographs of the moments as you're discovering something about yourself and the world around you.
"Songs are sonic photographs of the moments as you’re discovering something about yourself and the world around you."
Getting deeper into understanding Dohraj's vision, it became very evident at this point of the conversation that the artist's creative approach revolves around playful exploration and constant growth, reflecting a balance between bold experimentation and staying true to their vision. When asked about how they push the boundaries of genre and style, the artist emphasizes that their process is driven by fun and learning. Each song becomes a journey of self-discovery, contributing to personal growth and enriching their understanding of the world. This personal fulfillment translates into their work, with the belief that a genuine, creative moment has the power to resonate with others.
In terms of style, our flamboyant musician's fashion choices are an extension of their desire to feel great. Their bold, sometimes eccentric, visual presentation is less about conveying a specific message and more about embracing individuality. They view dressing with intent as a powerful tool for self-expression, one that can uplift both the wearer and those around them. While some might see their style as "too much," the artist simply sees it as a reflection of their instincts and curiosity, hoping to inspire others to embrace their true selves and feel empowered in how they present themselves.
Thinking back on what they had learned from their previous work, namely about "beauty & bullshit" was how important it is to embrace uniqueness and creative instincts. At first, Dohnraj was apprehensive about the record's response and was taken aback by the good comments. Teaching that a project's importance determines its true worth. According to them, creativity should satisfy a personal need rather than being influenced by fads or outside validation. Their development has been greatly impacted by this lesson, which has strengthened the idea that accepting their style—no matter how unusual—is crucial to their artistic advancement.
"Songs are sonic photographs of the moments as you’re discovering something about yourself and the world around you."
Getting deeper into understanding Dohraj's vision, it became very evident at this point of the conversation that the artist's creative approach revolves around playful exploration and constant growth, reflecting a balance between bold experimentation and staying true to their vision. When asked about how they push the boundaries of genre and style, the artist emphasizes that their process is driven by fun and learning. Each song becomes a journey of self-discovery, contributing to personal growth and enriching their understanding of the world. This personal fulfillment translates into their work, with the belief that a genuine, creative moment has the power to resonate with others.
In terms of style, our flamboyant musician's fashion choices are an extension of their desire to feel great. Their bold, sometimes eccentric, visual presentation is less about conveying a specific message and more about embracing individuality. They view dressing with intent as a powerful tool for self-expression, one that can uplift both the wearer and those around them. While some might see their style as "too much," the artist simply sees it as a reflection of their instincts and curiosity, hoping to inspire others to embrace their true selves and feel empowered in how they present themselves.
Thinking back on what they had learned from their previous work, namely about "beauty & bullshit" was how important it is to embrace uniqueness and creative instincts. At first, Dohnraj was apprehensive about the record's response and was taken aback by the good comments. Teaching that a project's importance determines its true worth. According to them, creativity should satisfy a personal need rather than being influenced by fads or outside validation. Their development has been greatly impacted by this lesson, which has strengthened the idea that accepting their style—no matter how unusual—is crucial to their artistic advancement.
"The philosophy is to stay faithful to the songs as they are and yeah deliver the best performance we can"
Collaboration has also been a crucial part of Gods & Lowlifes, particularly in working with artists like JBABE, Komorebi, and Zalma. For them, these collaborations are about capturing the bond they share with these artists. Appreciating how these collaborators bring new ideas and layers to the music, turning it into something more than it originally was. Dohnraj finds the process humbling and inspiring, as it allows for artistic growth and adds special dimensions to their work that wouldn’t have been possible alone.
Ending our exchange of dialogues after a long intervention of ideologies and doctrines when asked about the plans stored for the music, Dohnraj shares his excitement by stating that his contentment lies way beyond even sharing about the work itself!
"Other than that there's a new song I am planning to drop before this year ends. It's called 'Dying To Begin'."
"The philosophy is to stay faithful to the songs as they are and yeah deliver the best performance we can"
Collaboration has also been a crucial part of Gods & Lowlifes, particularly in working with artists like JBABE, Komorebi, and Zalma. For them, these collaborations are about capturing the bond they share with these artists. Appreciating how these collaborators bring new ideas and layers to the music, turning it into something more than it originally was. Dohnraj finds the process humbling and inspiring, as it allows for artistic growth and adds special dimensions to their work that wouldn’t have been possible alone.
Ending our exchange of dialogues after a long intervention of ideologies and doctrines when asked about the plans stored for the music, Dohnraj shares his excitement by stating that his contentment lies way beyond even sharing about the work itself!
"Other than that there's a new song I am planning to drop before this year ends. It's called 'Dying To Begin'."
