RJ Rohit caught up with Indie artist Rounak about his new track ‘Enlightened’ and his musical journey so far.
Rounak Maiti is a singer-songwriter and multi- instrumentalist who has self produced multiple SoundCloud demos, sound art and full length albums over the last 10 years. His work primarily focuses on issues pertaining to identity, family and selfhood in the age of technology. Rounak is known for creating timeless music, which is underscored by his deeply personal lyricism and omnivorous genre palette.
Rounak believes that his record “Enlightened! is a love song, but also a coming-of-age song. It captures my restlessness to ‘become something’ or achieve some kind of greater, higher purpose – if there even is one – while at the same time acknowledging that this pursuit can often distract you from focusing on the ones you love and the ones you truly care about. I think ultimately I try to make peace with the fact that there isn’t some greater meaning to uncover, but just love that persists in the end. I tackle my relationship with memory as well, which is a fraught and fragmented thing and is highly influenced by the historical artifacts of my life I keep close to me – photographs, videos, letters, and old text messages. This was one of the first songs I wrote when I moved back to India in 2019, and I think coming back home allowed me to confront aspects of my identity I had put aside while living in America. I wanted the song to embody nostalgia, and a longing to understand the past while reckoning with a potential future.”
The song ‘Enlightened’ is also accompanied by a music video which Rounak directed himself, with the help of Surabhi Chawdhury. It was shot by Jayant Parasher, edited by Rana Ghose and features Rounak’s sister Rohini Maiti. Her presence in the video lays emphasis on the themes of memory and family, which are already prevalent in the song.
RJ Rohit had a chat with Indie artist Rounak about his new track, ‘Enlightened’, his musical journey and so much more! Check it out!
–Riya Sohini