Shri (musician) - Career

Career

Having previously played percussion in Indus Creed, a leading rock band in India, and bass in the jazz outfit Azure Hades (with which he recorded an album), he moved to London in the 1990s and collaborated, as a bass player, with the London-based Asian acts like Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney and DJ Badmarsh (forming Badmarsh & Shri).

Shri toured for 5 years with Sawhney, which led in 1997 to Shri's first solo album, Drum the Bass, produced by Sawhney and released by London-based label Outcaste Records. Later, Badmarsh & Shri produced two albums for Outcaste Records as a duo, Dancing Drums in 1998 and Signs in 2001. Shri released another solo album, East Rain, in 2005, with Drum the Bass Records. All of these albums mixed blended Electronica and Drum 'n' Bass with traditional Indian ragas.

Shri has also collaborated musically with theatrical productions - composing for Akademi's 2001 'Coming of Age' dance project at London's South Bank, the Builder's Association/Motiroti co-production 'Alladeen' in 2003, and Tamasha Theatre Company's 'Strictly Dandia' in 2005.

In 2007, Shri released 'Seven Steps' with Drum the Bass Records featuring his single, Just for a Minute. In 2011, Shri produced and performed bass and bowed bass on the track 'Quest' with Vivek Rajagopalan on the mridangam and kanjira, and Embar Kannan on violin and vocals. 'Quest' was released by Folktronic, a sub-brand of Day 1 (Sony Music Independent). Shri is also a composer for theatre productions.