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{{about|the musician|the hockey player|Charanjit Singh|the politician|Charanjit Singh Atwal}}
{{about|the musician|the hockey player|Charanjit Singh|the politician|Charanjit Singh Atwal}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->

| name = Charanjit Singh
⚫
'''Charanjit Singh''' is a musician from [[Mumbai]], [[India]], who performed in numerous [[Bollywood]] [[Bollywood songs|soundtrack]] orchestras in the 1960s and 1970s,<ref name="guardian_2010"/> working with [[filmi]] composers such as [[Shankar Jaikishan|Shankar-Jaikishan]], [[Sachin Dev Burman|S.D. Burman]], and [[Laxmikant-Pyarelal]].<ref name="deccan_singh">{{cite news|last=Vijayak|first=Rajiv|title=Coming to the foreground|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/255757/coming-foreground.html|accessdate=22 June 2012|newspaper=[[Deccan Herald]]|date=8 June 2012}}</ref> Singh led a wedding band and recorded and released a number of albums [[Cover version|covering]] popular [[Filmi|film songs]].<ref name="discogs_singh">{{Discogs artist|Charanjit Singh|Charanjit Singh}}</ref> These were a form of [[instrumental]] [[elevator music]], some of which have since been re-released by [[Sublime Frequencies]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Bollywood Steel Guitar CD SF043|publisher=[[Sublime Frequencies]]|url=http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/item.asp?Item_id=46&t=Bollywood-Steel-Guitar|accessdate=2011-06-08}}</ref> such as his [[steel guitar]] renditions of "Manje Re" from ''[[Bandhe Haath]]'' in 1973 and "[[Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne]]" from ''[[Yaadon Ki Baaraat]]'' in 1975.<ref>{{Discogs release|1261979|Bollywood Steel Guitar}}</ref> In 1981, he produced [[synthesizer]]-based [[Electronic music|electronic]] renditions of the ''[[Silsila (film)|Silsila]]'' soundtrack in his record ''Charanjit Singh: Plays Hit Tunes on Synthesizer of Silsila''.<ref name="discogs_singh"/>
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = <small>[[Mumbai]], [[India]]</small>
| death_date =
| death_place =
| instrument = [[Bass synthesizer]], [[drum machine]], [[electronic keyboard]], [[Roland Jupiter-8]], [[Roland TB-303|Roland {{nowrap|TB-303}}]], [[Roland TR-808|Roland {{nowrap|TR-808}}]], [[synthesizer]], [[steel guitar]]
| genre = [[Acid house]], [[Music of Bollywood|Bollywood]], [[Disco]], [[Electronic dance music|Electronic&nbsp;dance]], [[Elevator music|Elevator]], [[Experimental music|Experimental]], [[Filmi]], [[House music|House]], [[Indian classical music|Indian&nbsp;classical]], [[Indian pop|Indi-pop]]
| occupation = [[Composer]], [[guitarist]], [[session musician]], [[songwriter]]
| years_active = 1960s-1980s
| label = [[Sa Re Ga Ma|Gramophone Company of India]], [[Sa Re Ga Ma]]
| associated_acts = [[Shankar Jaikishan|Shankar-Jaikishan]], [[Sachin Dev Burman|S.D. Burman]], [[Laxmikant-Pyarelal]], Raju Singh
| website =
| notable_instruments =
}}
⚫
'''Charanjit Singh''' is a musician from [[Mumbai]], [[India]], who performed as a [[session musician]] in numerous [[Bollywood]] [[Bollywood songs|soundtrack]] orchestras from the 1960s to 1980s,<ref name="guardian_2010"/> working with ''[[filmi]]'' composers such as [[Shankar Jaikishan|Shankar-Jaikishan]], [[Sachin Dev Burman|S.D. Burman]], and [[Laxmikant-Pyarelal]].<ref name="deccan_singh">{{cite news|last=Vijayak|first=Rajiv|title=Coming to the foreground|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/255757/coming-foreground.html|accessdate=22 June 2012|newspaper=[[Deccan Herald]]|date=8 June 2012}}</ref> Singh led a wedding band and recorded and released a number of albums [[Cover version|covering]] popular [[Filmi|film songs]].<ref name="discogs_singh">{{Discogs artist|Charanjit Singh|Charanjit Singh}}</ref> These were a form of [[instrumental]] [[elevator music]], some of which have since been re-released by [[Sublime Frequencies]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Bollywood Steel Guitar CD SF043|publisher=[[Sublime Frequencies]]|url=http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/item.asp?Item_id=46&t=Bollywood-Steel-Guitar|accessdate=2011-06-08}}</ref> such as his [[steel guitar]] renditions of "Manje Re" from ''[[Bandhe Haath]]'' in 1973 and "[[Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne]]" from ''[[Yaadon Ki Baaraat]]'' in 1975.<ref>{{Discogs release|1261979|Bollywood Steel Guitar}}</ref> In 1981, he produced [[synthesizer]]-based [[Electronic music|electronic]] renditions of the ''[[Silsila (film)|Silsila]]'' soundtrack in his record ''Charanjit Singh: Plays Hit Tunes on Synthesizer of Silsila''.<ref name="discogs_singh"/>


''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'', an album of original electronic [[disco]] compositions Singh recorded in 1982, was a commercial failure at the time of its original release, but its re-discovery in 2002 and re-issue in early 2010 garnered attention due to its resemblance to music from the [[acid house]] genre of the late 1980s.<ref name="guardian_2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/10/charanjit-singh-acid-house|title=Charanjit Singh, acid house pioneer|date=10 April 2010|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Pattison|first=Louis}}</ref><ref name="guardian_2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/may/10/charanjit-singh-acid-house-ten-ragas|title=Charanjit Singh on how he invented acid house ... by mistake|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Stuart|last=Aitken|date=10 May 2011}}</ref> Since then, certain commentators in the [[music press]] have hailed Singh as a pioneer of [[acid house]].<ref name="guardian_2010"/><ref name="guardian_2011"/><ref name="ra_raga">{{cite web|title=Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|publisher=[[Resident Advisor]]|author=William Rauscher|date=12 May 2010|url=http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=7445|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> He also used the same [[drum machine]] and synthesizers for his [[Experimental music|experimental]] electronic [[Calypso music|calypso]] record, ''Experiments in Calypso''.<ref name="mojo">{{citation|title=Future trax|author=Ian Harrison|work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|issue=201|date=August 2010|url=http://zavrel.home.xs4all.nl/jpg/Charanjit-Singh_Mojo_August.jpg|accessdate=2011-06-13}}</ref> His son Raju Singh is also a musician, composing music for films and television shows.<ref name="deccan_singh"/>
''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'', an album of original electronic [[disco]] compositions Singh recorded in 1982, was a commercial failure at the time of its original release, but its re-discovery in 2002 and re-issue in early 2010 garnered attention due to its resemblance to music from the [[acid house]] genre of the late 1980s.<ref name="guardian_2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/10/charanjit-singh-acid-house|title=Charanjit Singh, acid house pioneer|date=10 April 2010|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Pattison|first=Louis}}</ref><ref name="guardian_2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/may/10/charanjit-singh-acid-house-ten-ragas|title=Charanjit Singh on how he invented acid house ... by mistake|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Stuart|last=Aitken|date=10 May 2011}}</ref> Since then, certain commentators in the [[music press]] have hailed Singh as a pioneer of [[acid house]].<ref name="guardian_2010"/><ref name="guardian_2011"/><ref name="ra_raga">{{cite web|title=Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|publisher=[[Resident Advisor]]|author=William Rauscher|date=12 May 2010|url=http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=7445|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> He also used the same [[drum machine]] and synthesizers for his [[Experimental music|experimental]] electronic [[Calypso music|calypso]] record, ''Experiments in Calypso''.<ref name="mojo">{{citation|title=Future trax|author=Ian Harrison|work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|issue=201|date=August 2010|url=http://zavrel.home.xs4all.nl/jpg/Charanjit-Singh_Mojo_August.jpg|accessdate=2011-06-13}}</ref> His son Raju Singh is also a musician, composing music for films and television shows.<ref name="deccan_singh"/>
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| Released = 1982, 1983, 2010
| Released = 1982, 1983, 2010
| Recorded = 1982
| Recorded = 1982
| Genre = [[Acid house]], [[Music of Bollywood|Bollywood]], [[Disco]], [[Electronic dance music|Electronic&nbsp;dance]], [[Experimental music|Experimental]], [[Filmi]], [[Indian classical music|Indian&nbsp;classical]]
| Genre = [[Acid house]], [[Disco]], [[Electronic dance music|Electronic&nbsp;dance]], [[Experimental music|Experimental]], [[House music|House]], [[Indian classical music|Indian&nbsp;classical]], [[Indian pop|Indi-pop]]
| Length =
| Length =
| Label = [[Sa Re Ga Ma|Gramophone Company of India]], <br> [[Sa Re Ga Ma]], <br> Bombay Connection<ref name="discogs_cd"/>
| Label = [[Sa Re Ga Ma|Gramophone Company of India]], <br> [[Sa Re Ga Ma]], <br> Bombay Connection<ref name="discogs_cd"/>
| Producer = Charanjit Singh
| Producer = Charanjit Singh
| Reviews = *''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="mojo"/>
| Reviews =
⚫
*''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' {{Rating|9|10}}<ref>{{citation|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=August 2010|volume=26|issue=7|issn=0886-3032|title=Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|author=Andrew Hultkrans|page=88|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7bCBYl1V2xAC&pg=PA88|accessdate=2011-06-04}}</ref> |
| Last album = ''[[Silsila (film)#Music|Charanjit Singh: Plays Hit Tunes on Synthesizer of Silsila]]'' (1981)
| Last album = ''[[Silsila (film)#Music|Charanjit Singh: Plays Hit Tunes on Synthesizer of Silsila]]'' (1981)
| This album = ''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'' (1982)
| This album = ''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'' (1982)
| Next album = ''Experiments in Calypso''
| Next album = ''Experiments in Calypso''
| Misc =
| Misc =
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="mojo"/>
| rev2 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
⚫
| rev2Score = {{Rating|9|10}}<ref>{{citation|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=August 2010|volume=26|issue=7|issn=0886-3032|title=Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|author=Andrew Hultkrans|page=88|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7bCBYl1V2xAC&pg=PA88|accessdate=2011-06-04}}</ref>
}}
}}


Charanjit Singh is best known for his 1982 release '''''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat''''', an album originally intended as a [[Fusion (music)|fusion]] of [[Electronic music|electronic]] [[disco]] music with [[Indian classical music|Indian classical]] [[Raga]]s. Some music journalists have speculated that it is perhaps the earliest example of [[acid house]] because it pre-dates [[Phuture]]'s seminal "[[Acid Tracks]]" (1987) by five years.<ref name="guardian_2010"/><ref name="guardian_2011"/>
Charanjit Singh is best known for his 1982 release '''''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat''''', an album originally intended as a [[Fusion (music)|fusion]] of [[Electronic music|electronic]] [[disco]] music with [[Indian classical music|Indian classical]] [[Raga]]s. Some music journalists have speculated that it is perhaps the earliest example of [[acid house]] because it pre-dates [[Phuture]]'s seminal "[[Acid Tracks]]" (1987) by five years.<ref name="guardian_2010"/><ref name="guardian_2011"/>


Since its 2010 re-release, the album has been critically acclaimed in the [[music press]]. Besides comparisons with acid house, some have also described it as an early example of [[house music]],<ref name="bombay_releases">{{cite web|title=Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|publisher=Bombay Connection|url=http://www.bombay-connection.com/en_GB/site/page/1/releases|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> [[techno]] <ref name="soul_kitchen">{{cite web|title=Charanjit Singh : Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat|author=Fred|14/05/2010|publisher=Soul Kitchen|url=http://www.soul-kitchen.fr/14144-charanjit-singh-ten-ragas-to-a-disco-beat|accessdate=2011-06-03}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.soul-kitchen.fr%2F14144-charanjit-singh-ten-ragas-to-a-disco-beat Translation])</ref><ref name="geeta_ragas"/> and [[acid techno]], and compared it to the work of contemporary [[electronic dance music]]ians such as [[Ceephax]], [[Phuture 303]], and [[Aphex Twin]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Compilations and Re-Issues Of The Year|work=Bleep Magazine|year=2010|url=http://bleep.com/index.php?page=dynamic&module=top10compsreissue_2010|accessdate=2011-06-13}}</ref> This has led some to regard Singh's record as being "far ahead" of its time.<ref name="guardian_2011"/>
Since its 2010 re-release, the album has been critically acclaimed in the [[music press]]. Besides comparisons with acid house, some have also compared it to [[house music]],<ref name="bombay_releases">{{cite web|title=Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|publisher=Bombay Connection|url=http://www.bombay-connection.com/en_GB/site/page/1/releases|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> [[techno]],<ref name="soul_kitchen">{{cite web|title=Charanjit Singh : Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat|author=Fred|14/05/2010|publisher=Soul Kitchen|url=http://www.soul-kitchen.fr/14144-charanjit-singh-ten-ragas-to-a-disco-beat|accessdate=2011-06-03}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.soul-kitchen.fr%2F14144-charanjit-singh-ten-ragas-to-a-disco-beat Translation])</ref><ref name="geeta_ragas"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Joel|title=A Bollywood Composer Invented Techno in 1982 and Nobody Knew About It Until Now|url=http://gizmodo.com/5506825/a-bollywood-composer-invented-techno-in-1982-and-nobody-knew-about-it-until-now|publisher=[[Gizmodo]]|accessdate=1 August 2012|date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> [[acid techno]], and the work of contemporary [[electronic dance music]]ians such as [[Ceephax]], [[Phuture 303]], and [[Aphex Twin]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Compilations and Re-Issues Of The Year|work=Bleep Magazine|year=2010|url=http://bleep.com/index.php?page=dynamic&module=top10compsreissue_2010|accessdate=2011-06-13}}</ref> This has led some to regard Singh's record as being "far ahead" of its time.<ref name="guardian_2011"/>


===Production and release===
===Production===
Singh produced ''Ten Ragas'' using three [[electronic musical instrument]]s made by the [[Roland Corporation]]: the [[Roland Jupiter-8|Jupiter-8]] [[synthesizer]], [[Roland TR-808|TR-808]] [[drum machine]], and [[Roland TB-303|TB-303]] [[bass synthesizer]].<ref name="guardian_2010"/> It was one of the first records to use the TB-303, a machine that has become synonymous with acid house. Singh had bought his TB-303 in Singapore soon after its introduction in late 1981. He didn't know much about the three machines at first, so he spent much time in figuring out how to use them, and eventually discovered that it was possible to synchronize the TR-808 and TB-303 with the Jupiter-8 keyboard. According to Singh: "At home I practised with the combination and I thought 'It sounds good – why not record it'."<ref name="guardian_2011"/> While the TB-303 was originally designed to fill in for a bass guitar, it was awkward when it came to reproducing conventional basslines, so he found a different way to employ the machine, particularly its [[glissando]] function which made it suitable for reproducing the Indian [[Raga]] melodies.<ref name="ra_raga"/>
Singh produced ''Ten Ragas'' using three [[electronic musical instrument]]s made by the [[Roland Corporation]]: the [[Roland Jupiter-8|Jupiter-8]] [[synthesizer]], [[Roland TR-808|TR-808]] [[drum machine]], and [[Roland TB-303|TB-303]] [[bass synthesizer]].<ref name="guardian_2010"/> It was one of the first records to use the TB-303, a machine that has become synonymous with acid house. Singh had bought his TB-303 in Singapore soon after its introduction in late 1981. He didn't know much about the three machines at first, so he spent much time in figuring out how to use them, and eventually discovered that it was possible to synchronize the TR-808 and TB-303 with the Jupiter-8 keyboard. According to Singh: "At home I practised with the combination and I thought 'It sounds good – why not record it'."<ref name="guardian_2011"/> While the TB-303 was originally designed to fill in for a bass guitar, it was awkward when it came to reproducing conventional basslines, so he found a different way to employ the machine, particularly its [[glissando]] function which made it suitable for reproducing the Indian [[Raga]] melodies.<ref name="ra_raga"/>

Besides [[Music of India|Indian]] raga music, he also took inspiration from contemporary [[Music of Bollywood|Bollywood music]], or [[filmi]] music, specifically the Indian electronic disco scene that had only just become popular in the early 1980s (sparked by the success of [[Pakistani pop]] singer [[Nazia Hassan]] and Indian producer [[Biddu]]), at a time when disco's popularity had declined in much of the [[Western world]] by that time. In parallel to the [[Euro disco]] scene at the time, the continued relevance of disco in India and the increasing reliance on [[synthesizer]]s led to experiments in [[Minimalist music|minimalist]], [[Hi-NRG|high-tempo]], electronic disco, such as [[R.D. Burman]]'s "Dil Lena Khel Hai Dildar Ka" (''[[Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai]]'', 1981) which had a "futuristic [[Electro music|electro]] feel" and [[Bappi Lahari]]'s "[[:File:Disco Dancer - Yaad Aa Raha Hai.ogg|Yaad Aa Raha Hai]]" (''[[Disco Dancer]]'', 1982). Such developments eventually culminated in the work of Singh, who increased the [[tempo]] up to a "[[techno]] wavelength" and made the sounds more minimalistic, while pairing them with "mystical, repetitive, instrumental Indian ragas" using his new equipment setup to produce a sound resembling acid house.<ref name="geeta_ragas">{{cite web|author=Geeta Dayal|publisher=The Original Soundtrack|accessdate=2011-06-03|title=Further thoughts on ’10 Ragas to a Disco Beat’|date=April 6, 2010|url=http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/2010/04/further-thoughts-on-ten-ragas-to-a-disco-beat/}}</ref><ref name="geeta_disco">{{cite web|author=Geeta Dayal|publisher=The Original Soundtrack|accessdate=2011-06-03|title=‘Studio 84′: Digging into the History of Disco in India|date=August 29, 2010|url=http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/2010/08/studio-84-the-history-of-disco-in-india/}}</ref><ref name="ra_raga"/>


{{Listen
{{Listen
|pos=left
|pos=right
|filename=Charanjit Singh - Raga Bhairavi.ogg
|filename=Charanjit Singh - Raga Bhairavi.ogg
|title="Raga Bhairavi"
|title="Raga Bhairavi"
|description=A sample of "Raga Bhairavi" from Charanjit Singh's 1982 album ''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'', notable for its resemblance to [[acid house]]. This track is an [[Electronic music|electronic]] rendition of the [[Bhairavi (Hindustani)|Bhairavi]] [[raga]] in [[Indian classical music]].
|description=Sample of "Raga Bhairavi" from ''Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat''. It is an [[Electronic music|electronic]] rendition of the [[Bhairavi (Hindustani)|Bhairavi]] [[raga]] in [[Indian classical music]].
⚫
|filename2=Charanjit Singh - Raga Bhupali.ogg
|format=[[Ogg]]
⚫
|title2="Raga Bhupali"
⚫
|filename2=Charanjit Singh - Raga Bairagi.ogg
⚫
|description2=Sample of "Raga Bhupali" from ''Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat''. It is an electronic rendition of the [[Bhopali]] raga.
⚫
|title2="Raga Bairagi"
|filename3=Charanjit Singh - Raga Bairagi.ogg
⚫
|description2=A sample of "Raga Bairagi" from Charanjit Singh's 1982 album ''Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'', notable for its resemblance to [[acid house]]. This track is an electronic rendition of the [[Bairagi]] raga.
|title3="Raga Bairagi"
|format2=[[Ogg]]
|description3=Sample of "Raga Bairagi" from ''Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat''. It is an electronic rendition of the [[Bairagi]] raga.
}}
}}


Besides [[Music of India|Indian]] raga music, he also took inspiration from contemporary [[Music of Bollywood|Bollywood music]], or [[filmi]] music, specifically the Indian electronic disco scene that had only just become popular in the early 1980s (sparked by the success of [[Pakistani pop]] singer [[Nazia Hassan]] and Indian producer [[Biddu]]), at a time when disco's popularity had declined in much of the [[Western world]] by that time. In parallel to the [[Euro disco]] scene at the time, the continued relevance of disco in India and the increasing reliance on [[synthesizer]]s led to experiments in [[Minimalist music|minimalist]], [[Hi-NRG|high-tempo]], electronic disco, such as [[R.D. Burman]]'s "Dil Lena Khel Hai Dildar Ka" (''[[Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai]]'', 1981) which had a "futuristic [[Electro music|electro]] feel" and [[Bappi Lahari]]'s "Yaad Aa Raha Hai" (''[[Disco Dancer]]'', 1982). Such developments eventually culminated in the work of Singh, who increased the [[tempo]] up to a "[[techno]] wavelength" and made the sounds more minimalistic, while pairing them with "mystical, repetitive, instrumental Indian ragas" using his new equipment setup to produce a sound resembling acid house.<ref name="geeta_ragas">{{cite web|author=Geeta Dayal|publisher=The Original Soundtrack|accessdate=2011-06-03|title=Further thoughts on ’10 Ragas to a Disco Beat’|date=April 6, 2010|url=http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/2010/04/further-thoughts-on-ten-ragas-to-a-disco-beat/}}</ref><ref name="geeta_disco">{{cite web|author=Geeta Dayal|publisher=The Original Soundtrack|accessdate=2011-06-03|title=‘Studio 84′: Digging into the History of Disco in India|date=August 29, 2010|url=http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/2010/08/studio-84-the-history-of-disco-in-india/}}</ref><ref name="ra_raga"/> According to Singh: "There was lots of disco music in films back in 1982. So I thought why not do something different using disco music only. I got an idea to play all the Indian ragas and give the beat a disco beat – and turn off the [[tabla]]. And I did it. And it turned out good."<ref name="guardian_2011"/> The first track "[[Bhairavi (Hindustani)|Raga Bhairavi]]" also features a [[Speech synthesis|synthesized voice]] that says “[[Om Namah Shivaya]]” through a [[vocoder]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Geeta Dayal|publisher=The Original Soundtrack|accessdate=2011-06-03|title=Thoughts on ’10 Ragas to a Disco Beat’|date=April 5, 2010|url=http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/2010/04/thoughts-on-10-ragas-to-a-disco-beat/}}</ref>
According to Singh: "There was lots of disco music in films back in 1982. So I thought why not do something different using disco music only. I got an idea to play all the Indian ragas and give the beat a disco beat – and turn off the [[tabla]]. And I did it. And it turned out good."<ref name="guardian_2011"/> The first track "[[Bhairavi (Hindustani)|Raga Bhairavi]]" also features a [[Speech synthesis|synthesized voice]] that says “[[Om Namah Shivaya]]” through a [[vocoder]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Geeta Dayal|publisher=The Original Soundtrack|accessdate=2011-06-03|title=Thoughts on ’10 Ragas to a Disco Beat’|date=April 5, 2010|url=http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/2010/04/thoughts-on-10-ragas-to-a-disco-beat/}}</ref>


===Release===
The album was released under the label [[Sa Re Ga Ma|Gramophone Company of India]]<ref name="discogs_1983">{{Discogs release|2247646|Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|type=album}} (1983 LP)</ref> (now Sa Re Ga Ma), having been recorded at their [[Sa Re Ga Ma|HMV Studio]] in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1982.<ref name="discogs_cd">{{Discogs release|2136045|Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat|type=album}} (2010 CD)</ref> Following the [[LP record]]'s release in 1982,<ref name="allmusic_ragas">{{allmusic|class=album|id=r1818735|label=Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> it garnered some interest in India, finding its way onto [[All India Radio|Indian national radio]], but it became a commercial failure and was largely forgotten until recent years.<ref name="guardian_2010"/> However, Singh may have played a role in popularizing electronic music in Bollywood at the time,<ref>{{cite web|author=Adam MacGregor|work=Dusted Magazine|title=Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|date=January 3, 2011|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6094|accessdate=2011-06-04}}</ref> and a somewhat similar "techno-sounding interlude" had later appeared in Lahiri's song "[[Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki]]" from the film of the same name in 1984.<ref name="geeta_disco"/>
The album was released under the label [[Sa Re Ga Ma|Gramophone Company of India]]<ref name="discogs_1983">{{Discogs release|2247646|Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|type=album}} (1983 LP)</ref> (now Sa Re Ga Ma), having been recorded at their [[Sa Re Ga Ma|HMV Studio]] in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1982.<ref name="discogs_cd">{{Discogs release|2136045|Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat|type=album}} (2010 CD)</ref> Following the [[LP record]]'s release in 1982,<ref name="allmusic_ragas">{{allmusic|class=album|id=r1818735|label=Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> it garnered some interest in India, finding its way onto [[All India Radio|Indian national radio]], but it became a commercial failure and was largely forgotten until recent years.<ref name="guardian_2010"/> However, Singh may have played a role in popularizing electronic music in Bollywood at the time,<ref>{{cite web|author=Adam MacGregor|work=Dusted Magazine|title=Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat|date=January 3, 2011|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6094|accessdate=2011-06-04}}</ref> and a somewhat similar "techno-sounding interlude" had later appeared in Lahiri's song "[[Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki]]" from the film of the same name in 1984.<ref name="geeta_disco"/>


Revision as of 06:52, 1 August 2012

This article is about the musician. For the hockey player, see Charanjit Singh. For the politician, see Charanjit Singh Atwal.
Charanjit Singh
BornMumbai, India
GenresAcid house, Bollywood, Disco, Electronic dance, Elevator, Experimental, Filmi, House, Indian classical, Indi-pop
Occupation(s)Composer, guitarist, session musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Bass synthesizer, drum machine, electronic keyboard, Roland Jupiter-8, Roland TB-303, Roland TR-808, synthesizer, steel guitar
Years active1960s-1980s
LabelsGramophone Company of India, Sa Re Ga Ma

Charanjit Singh is a musician from Mumbai, India, who performed as a session musician in numerous Bollywood soundtrack orchestras from the 1960s to 1980s,[1] working with filmi composers such as Shankar-Jaikishan, S.D. Burman, and Laxmikant-Pyarelal.[2] Singh led a wedding band and recorded and released a number of albums covering popular film songs.[3] These were a form of instrumental elevator music, some of which have since been re-released by Sublime Frequencies,[4] such as his steel guitar renditions of "Manje Re" from Bandhe Haath in 1973 and "Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne" from Yaadon Ki Baaraat in 1975.[5] In 1981, he produced synthesizer-based electronic renditions of the Silsila soundtrack in his record Charanjit Singh: Plays Hit Tunes on Synthesizer of Silsila.[3]

Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat, an album of original electronic disco compositions Singh recorded in 1982, was a commercial failure at the time of its original release, but its re-discovery in 2002 and re-issue in early 2010 garnered attention due to its resemblance to music from the acid house genre of the late 1980s.[1][6] Since then, certain commentators in the music press have hailed Singh as a pioneer of acid house.[1][6][7] He also used the same drum machine and synthesizers for his experimental electronic calypso record, Experiments in Calypso.[8] His son Raju Singh is also a musician, composing music for films and television shows.[2]

Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat

Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Mojo[8]
Spin[10]

Charanjit Singh is best known for his 1982 release Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat, an album originally intended as a fusion of electronic disco music with Indian classical Ragas. Some music journalists have speculated that it is perhaps the earliest example of acid house because it pre-dates Phuture's seminal "Acid Tracks" (1987) by five years.[1][6]

Since its 2010 re-release, the album has been critically acclaimed in the music press. Besides comparisons with acid house, some have also compared it to house music,[11] techno,[12][13][14] acid techno, and the work of contemporary electronic dance musicians such as Ceephax, Phuture 303, and Aphex Twin.[15] This has led some to regard Singh's record as being "far ahead" of its time.[6]

Production

Singh produced Ten Ragas using three electronic musical instruments made by the Roland Corporation: the Jupiter-8 synthesizer, TR-808 drum machine, and TB-303 bass synthesizer.[1] It was one of the first records to use the TB-303, a machine that has become synonymous with acid house. Singh had bought his TB-303 in Singapore soon after its introduction in late 1981. He didn't know much about the three machines at first, so he spent much time in figuring out how to use them, and eventually discovered that it was possible to synchronize the TR-808 and TB-303 with the Jupiter-8 keyboard. According to Singh: "At home I practised with the combination and I thought 'It sounds good – why not record it'."[6] While the TB-303 was originally designed to fill in for a bass guitar, it was awkward when it came to reproducing conventional basslines, so he found a different way to employ the machine, particularly its glissando function which made it suitable for reproducing the Indian Raga melodies.[7]

Besides Indian raga music, he also took inspiration from contemporary Bollywood music, or filmi music, specifically the Indian electronic disco scene that had only just become popular in the early 1980s (sparked by the success of Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan and Indian producer Biddu), at a time when disco's popularity had declined in much of the Western world by that time. In parallel to the Euro disco scene at the time, the continued relevance of disco in India and the increasing reliance on synthesizers led to experiments in minimalist, high-tempo, electronic disco, such as R.D. Burman's "Dil Lena Khel Hai Dildar Ka" (Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai, 1981) which had a "futuristic electro feel" and Bappi Lahari's "Yaad Aa Raha Hai" (Disco Dancer, 1982). Such developments eventually culminated in the work of Singh, who increased the tempo up to a "techno wavelength" and made the sounds more minimalistic, while pairing them with "mystical, repetitive, instrumental Indian ragas" using his new equipment setup to produce a sound resembling acid house.[13][16][7]

According to Singh: "There was lots of disco music in films back in 1982. So I thought why not do something different using disco music only. I got an idea to play all the Indian ragas and give the beat a disco beat – and turn off the tabla. And I did it. And it turned out good."[6] The first track "Raga Bhairavi" also features a synthesized voice that says “Om Namah Shivaya” through a vocoder.[17]

Release

The album was released under the label Gramophone Company of India[18] (now Sa Re Ga Ma), having been recorded at their HMV Studio in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1982.[9] Following the LP record's release in 1982,[19] it garnered some interest in India, finding its way onto Indian national radio, but it became a commercial failure and was largely forgotten until recent years.[1] However, Singh may have played a role in popularizing electronic music in Bollywood at the time,[20] and a somewhat similar "techno-sounding interlude" had later appeared in Lahiri's song "Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki" from the film of the same name in 1984.[16]

Track listing

Both the original 1982[19] and 1983[18] LP records and the 2010 CD[9] and LP[21] re-releases contain the following tracks:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Pattison, Louis (10 April 2010). "Charanjit Singh, acid house pioneer". The Guardian.
  2. ^ a b Vijayak, Rajiv (8 June 2012). "Coming to the foreground". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b Charanjit Singh discography at Discogs
  4. ^ "Bollywood Steel Guitar CD SF043". Sublime Frequencies. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  5. ^ Bollywood Steel Guitar at Discogs
  6. ^ a b c d e f Aitken, Stuart (10 May 2011). "Charanjit Singh on how he invented acid house ... by mistake". The Guardian.
  7. ^ a b c William Rauscher (12 May 2010). "Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  8. ^ a b Ian Harrison (August 2010), "Future trax", Mojo, no. 201, retrieved 2011-06-13
  9. ^ a b c Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat at Discogs (2010 CD)
  10. ^ Andrew Hultkrans (August 2010), "Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat", Spin, vol. 26, no. 7, p. 88, ISSN 0886-3032, retrieved 2011-06-04
  11. ^ "Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat". Bombay Connection. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  12. ^ Fred. "Charanjit Singh : Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat". Soul Kitchen. Retrieved 2011-06-03. {{cite web}}: Text "14/05/2010" ignored (help) (Translation)
  13. ^ a b Geeta Dayal (April 6, 2010). "Further thoughts on '10 Ragas to a Disco Beat'". The Original Soundtrack. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  14. ^ Johnson, Joel (March 31, 2010). "A Bollywood Composer Invented Techno in 1982 and Nobody Knew About It Until Now". Gizmodo. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Top 10 Compilations and Re-Issues Of The Year". Bleep Magazine. 2010. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
  16. ^ a b Geeta Dayal (August 29, 2010). "'Studio 84′: Digging into the History of Disco in India". The Original Soundtrack. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  17. ^ Geeta Dayal (April 5, 2010). "Thoughts on '10 Ragas to a Disco Beat'". The Original Soundtrack. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  18. ^ a b Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat at Discogs (1983 LP)
  19. ^ a b Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  20. ^ Adam MacGregor (January 3, 2011). "Charanjit Singh - Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
  21. ^ Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat at Discogs (2010 LP)

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