BHX ChatBox | Music and Melancholy with Mayur Jumani at BHX Hills

Getting chatty with the Mumbai-based Music Producer Mayur Jumani and developing on his anecdotes and journey through BHX and what still stays with him in terms of his music after walking the off beaten path with our team in Nagaland-

1. Define your BeachHouse experience as a short story.

As a journey, there weren’t many expectations as to how things would unroll or how I would go about them. One could say I was looking for a time-out, indulge in my laziness but it’s safe to conclude that what transpired was the exact opposite- day zero into BHX, I look around and everything is buzzing. The interactions around me also condensed quick in time, everyone got comfortable on the first day itself and I feel that's important because it’s foundational to how the trip ensues. What also stood out for me were a few places we visited, the involvement and experiential residue still remain fresh, the awe is something I can always go back to. In that sense, BHX is nothing but a vast collection of stories stitched together!

2. Why was it important for you to apply for BHX? What was it that you were looking for?

I wouldn't presume it was important for me to apply to BHX. I was a clean slate, as I previously mentioned, no expectations but a keen intent to dive deep into whatever was about to come. It worked both professionally and personally for me- I was not very sure if this would help me but it ended up helping me in a lot of ways. It’s like exceeding a lot of expectations that weren’t even there to begin with. I was starting to get into a lot of different fields, within music, across different points on the spectrum. Owing a studio and working behind a client driven agenda was one, another was closer to becoming an artist in my own right and building things from ground up. These are again, polar opposites that I had to choose from. So there was certainly a need to clear my head out- not being a regular 9-5 person I have a lot of decisions to make.

3. What did you find?

It was an experimental space for me. I was seeking clarity, of course and it provided a good framework as to how I should go about evaluating myself. It’s something that pushed me forward to convert challenges into choices. I realized I am not an introvert anymore- the people around me were so smooth to talk to- putting shyness on the backseat.

4. How would you describe your tribe?

Enthusiastic. So positive, so optimal towards growth and cushioning new experiences.  

5. Mention your possibilities of growth and scope after BHX?

There were no other musicians in the group and I wasn’t expecting much primarily because I thought it would limit my collaborations. To my extreme surprise, it was such a diverse, immersive journey to undergo. These unexpected collaborations with writers, poets and people practicing various disciplines embedded the sweet ‘The world is your oyster’- so sublime! Specially with these sessions like Brains with Benefits where people came forth with their challenges, so open to listening- creating a network of learning, exchange and growth that’s plain priceless. I can already see my horizons getting widened in terms of what I can pursue from this point onwards!

6. As an independent artist, how are you finding a sweet balance between commercial work and work that you drive out of passion?

There’s a swing between the work I want to do and commercial music content that is a given requisite to my freelancing. My personal work was more on the periphery prior to BHX as most of my days were spent churning sounds for clients. Although I have consciously decided to work on my own stuff- discipline myself, devote some time of the day to myself and not make this a secondary pursuit.  

7. What were the possible outcomes in terms of work for you from BHX?

There were considerable takeaways in terms of expression and marketing. At the back of head, I always fostered some ideas as to how I would like to go about things- in terms of marketing my own songs/distributing them. And while some of those ideas were polished, I feel the entire understanding was crystallized. The more I talked about it to people, the more I saw a sliver of clarity in how I could make them actionable. It’s like making a flow-chart of ideas in your head.

8.What is music composing to you? And how do you think there is a shift coming in in the Indian market for new genres of music?

I like associating contexts with what I produce. I love experimenting with what people might resonate with. In that, it’s saying that my process runs as deep into personal as it does into my environment. There’s a lot of synthesis I derive from how a listener reacts to my music. Observing shifts in the music genre has been phenomenal- we are gravitating away from traditional and swaying in various niches as we move along. It’s become more accommodating if anything, more approachable, a shift in how accessible the peers are-thanks to technology and mostly how you can be doing absolutely damn anything and there would still be constructive reception. It’s almost like all paths are free to roam about!