This was supposed to be a journey and not a mad rush to get to a point. But is it a trip if it ain’t reaching a place of consequence? The ride till now took us from looking at things around us to looking within.

Looked around and what did we see?

Ideas?

We caught them one by one and filtered jazz, electronica, Indian classical, rock n roll, funk, trance and techno through the looking glass only to splatter the electronica musicscape with a new sound. We just don’t get the variant to do its part- we are the variant that transcends.

The journeymen only added to the fun. Just can’t forget how once a dude just got off an airplane and rapped his way to a gig. Or the time when some got left behind allowing a new possibility. Traveling’s better when you move around with too much that simply can’t be left behind. The acts become more than the usual with sounds that result from the commingling of ideas along with the percussions, electric sitar, guitars and vocals that breathe.

We spoke the words, we scored the notes, we drove the rhythm, we moved to beat only to reach a place that feels like home. If the world’s a village then how big can our universe be? Only as much as we don’t want it to be. There is no end to our flight for boundaries that define cease to be when the stage’s set.

Pushing the barriers to hear what hasn’t been heard, traveling to see what’s not been heard, Phi Degrees is much more than a random act of methodical madness!

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- JOURNEY -

Phi Degrees has played in all the major cities of the country where they have introduced their fresh and unique take on live-electronic music. As strict as dance beats can get, the band opens up the format to sounds of improvisation and intuition, which adds a soul and charisma to make the sound alive! Some of the venues and events to mention where the band has performed:

- Blue Frog, Mumbai

- Soho, Kolkata

- Kala Ghoda Festival, Mumbai

- Blend, Chennai

- Global Groove Festival, Delhi

- Fosters Art of Chilling, Bangalore

- Ai @ The Love Hotel, Delhi

- NMIMS College Festival, Mumbai

- Aurus, Mumbai

With two core members: buone and DJ Mit, the outfit has seen a huge variety of line-ups to keep the music evolving in the live, as well as a studio situation. Different gigs have seen various avatars of the band. Sometimes they play straight DJ sets and on a different occasion the stage can involve an extravagant set of up to six musicians! The flavours of sound come from all the sensibilities they dabble in.

While AJ plays blues and jazz guitar riffs, MC Zen spits some free style verses that can leave audiences stunned with the rhyme and rhythm. BD unleashes his years of training in the Sitar along with all the rock 'n' roll and psy-trance stage experience from back-in-the-day to bring out a completely new blend of sound motifs. Pranam, the sonic guru and percussion mafia also dabbles with synth lines that just don't stop! Dhruv calls in the poetry to his singing with guitar rhythms and plucks. Aditi with her sensational star charisma makes a riot with striking vocal brilliance. All these artists along with buone and Mit, who are producers, performers and engineers, steer in to a zone of exploring the definitions of a live-set or a studio track.

These artists have come together at different times and places (sometimes virtually) to create moments of sonic personifications. The realm of electronica has made full contact to produce vibrations in a chillout space (The Ya Ya Parade), a couple of pop songs (Right Now / Maya), a few dance tracks (Flat Side of the Spoon / Access Axis / Be'er Sheva / Ein Shteim) and even switch to drum 'n' bass mode (Flight Trap). Loads of beats and sessions are on the shelf brewing at all times. Tours, vacations, transfers and the bohemian spirit carry the people around to meet each other to plug in and connect.

To put all in perspective, moments of deflection and indulgence have brought about a focus to create and perform dance music that strives to evolve and re-incarnate its spirit with each gig and each take. Phi Degrees is producing and performing to keep alive the birth of the continuum!