“The city of Mumbai is all about the ‘Grind'”: Ashwin Shriyan and Somesh Panicker on Zygnema’s “Iconic” EP and blending traditional Indian music with modern groove metal

Zygnema, a Mumbai-based metal band, have released their latest EP, Iconic. This EP blends traditional Indian music elements with modern groove metal, showcasing a unique fusion of konnakols (vocal percussion) and ragas with heavy metal grooves and riffs. Each track on the EP highlights this cultural blend while maintaining Zygnema’s signature energy and style. Iconic also pays homage to the city of Mumbai, capturing its vibrant spirit and resilience.

Ashwin Shriyan, who tracked the bass for this EP, shared insights into his setup and the choices he made for this recording. “I used my ESP E-2 J5 for this album, with heavy gauge D’Addario strings,” he explained. “Plugged it into my Great River ME1NV preamp, with an RME UCX sound card. Also used the Darkglass VST plug-in since it sounds very close to the actual pedal. I’ve used the same bass on multiple metal releases before and have always liked the sound of a Jazz bass in metal. The E-2 J5 sounds really appropriate for heavy music. I believe that it’s not the bass, but your playing that makes an instrument blend with whichever genre you’re playing, and I tried to do just that.”

When asked about the specifics of his gear selection, Ashwin emphasised simplicity and effectiveness. “I kept it very simple. Bass plugged into the preamp, which then goes into the line input on my sound card. I also sent along a DI bass track without the tone print, for more flexibility to the mix engineer. A hard attack with new and bright strings always shapes the sound in a more favourable way, especially for modern metal music.”

Somesh Panicker, who joined Zygnema as a full-time member after the recording was completed, discussed the fusion of traditional Indian music elements with groove metal on Iconic. “It’s a new approach with respect to the band’s previously released albums,” he said. “The fusion with Indian elements has given it a chance to reach a wider and more diverse audience. The songs are connecting with people who are into different genres of music as well.”

He also touched on the challenges and rewards of this creative process. “The main challenge was to change the mindset and to compose it with a traditional approach that brings out the culture of India. To adapt to a new approach made by the band and to also contribute in a way that complements the music was a different learning experience, which is always rewarding as a musician.”

Reflecting on how the EP captures the essence of Mumbai, Somesh explained, “The city of Mumbai is all about the ‘Grind’. The song ‘Grind’ is the perfect representation of the city’s life and how people from different parts of the country come to Mumbai to get the rewards for their efforts. The aggressive bass tone represents the drive, passion, and hunger of the people of Mumbai to become what they desire to be. The grooves are the happiness or celebration that they get after achieving their goal.”

Discussing his role within Zygnema and the broader metal scene in India, Somesh emphasised the importance of energy and cultural representation. “The approach is very straightforward. To play tight sets and with lots of energy so the audience can connect with it. It’s all about conveying the energy from the EP to the stage and also visually representing the culture of India to the audience. Wearing a dhoti and using the colours that represent Indian culture on stage, I feel, make a definite connection to the Indian elements in the EP.”

The EP Iconic by Zygnema is out now.