23 Mar Alum in Focus: Abhishek Sekhri
GMI alums are performers, producers, educators, entrepreneurs, and creatives who thrive on and off stage throughout the world. The Alum in Focus series brings their stories to you.
Today’s Alum in Focus series highlights the work and artistry of Abhishek Sekhri, a music composer, mix engineer and founder of Kintsugi Studios. “An enjoyable aspect I like about music is jumping from complexity to simplicity, allowing me to experiment with many sounds while also maintaining some humility. I think my journey as an artist changes from each song. When I am listening to my composition or even other people’s songs, I tend to focus on the potential of the track.”
Abhishek’s journey with music began early in his teenage years and he continues to work towards experimenting with his sound. “My influences at the time were taken in by my father who would be listening to Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel. One particular song I was fond of was “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd which was around twenty one minutes long. I was confused about what I was listening to, but that sensability grew on me and I started enjoying it all.” While studying at Global Music Institute, Abhishek grew a liking towards composition and writing his own creative material. “I was always attracted to the creation aspect of music. I think a lot of the things I learned at GMI are still an aspect of my current life, especially when it comes to composition. Music education provided me with an instinctiveness to understand my creative process in terms of what works and what doesn’t.”
Beginning his journey as a guitarist, Abhishek knew little about the production aspects of music, that was until he first visited the Ferris Wheel Studio. “When I first visited the studio, that was my introduction to music production and recording. I got the opportunity to understand the process, learn about microphones, the importance of a studio and having a soundproof room. I wished to learn more and therefore did a few courses to understand more about production.”
Kintsugi Studio
Juggling between his engineering degree and studying music at Global Music Institute, Abhishek shares how he was in a dilemma to understand what his next steps were going to be. “By the time I ended college I was sure I wanted to pursue music. I wanted to be a producer, a mix engineer as well as a performer, and at that time I chose to open up a studio to take my practice ahead into a professional shape, Kintsugi Studio in early 2015.” The initial phase was quite difficult for him as he struggled to find clients and artists who would be willing to visit his studio, this is when the idea for Kintsugi Session emerged. “A series where I invited artists such as Komorebi, Jordan Johnson, Takar Nabam and GMI faculty Luiza Sales and Pedro Carneiro Silva, I would help them record and also shoot a video which helped the studio space quite a lot. The studio space has allowed to me work and collaborate with many more people, something I aimed for when opening the space. Artists like Easy Wanderlings, Shubh Saran, Mickey Singh and Tanmaya Bhatnagar. I learned more about production, recording, mixing and mastering, and importantly how to work with musicians and make them comfortable in the studio.”
Abhishek continues to expand on his dream of collaboration and networking with artists. He then introduced a new space built at Kintsugi Studios, Meraki. Designed for freelance content creators, mix engineers and music producers who like to DIY their process of content creation. “It is a room built specifically for people who lack the space where they can access the quality of sound by doing critical listening. The goal with the space was to create a comfortable environment for musicians, a space which almost resembles home. When an artist walks in the space, I want them to feel the vibe of the space and feel quite invited.”
The Artist – Goya
While establishing his studio space, Abhishek wanted to continue his pursuit of creating music and therefore meet his moniker, Goya. “It was the year 2019, when I released my first song as Goya called “When I Was A Kid”. I am working with other artists as a producer, recording or mixing and mastering. I always enjoyed composing and songwriting and so a lot of my creativity comes from a personal space and where I am in my mental journey. I start with things that make me feel a certain way to experiment how accurate I can be with that feeling and how strongly I can channel that into a song. One particular song I enjoyed working on was “Sleep to Dream” which came through a certain melody and the whole song was made in one day.”
Abhishek aims to take Goya forward and establish himself as a performer and producer. “I look forward to taking Goya forward as a live experiment. I have been doing gigs and am seeing a few progression with my artistry. I think for me, working with people I look up to and have been inspired by, I want to stay and work more with them.” Some of the venues where Goya has performed include Sofar (Goa and Delhi), Art Gallery in Bikaner House, House Concert in Delhi and opened for HVOB (from Austria) at 1 AQ, New Delhi.
“I am a little unsure about my music and its message. It has been a sacred space and something I do for myself. If I am showcasing my music to others, I need to be in my zone and really understand the message I am trying to put across. I want to create a space for myself where I feel the most comfortable and in doing so, I will make something that others can relate to as well. That is why I started Meraki as well, for people to have a space to be themselves and find comfort in the writing.”
Written and Interviewed by Naman
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