We propose in this article the interview to a one-man project that we had the pleasure of listening to recently, we welcome Arka Sengupta a.k.a. Home Brewed Universe.
Hi how are you?
I am good my friend. I hope you are good too.
With your project you propose Progressive Metal sounds with Post-Rock contaminations and more, how would you describe your sound?
See. I Progressive Rock/Metal is my 1st love when it comes to music. But I love incorporating different elements of various genres into my sound. That makes it more interesting for me as a composer. So, essentially, the sound of Home Brewed Universe borders around progressive rock/metal, post-rock, space rock and shoegaze.
Your sounds are sought after, where does your passion for this musical genre come from?
I really don’t know whether my music is sought after or not. So, I don’t think I can can comment on that. But I can tell you where my passion for progressive rock/metal comes from. I grew up in the 90s listening to psychedelic and progressive rock from the 60’s and 70’s. Bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Rush, Yes, etc, were always on loop on my stereo system. Later on, during my late teenage years, neo-progressive bands such as Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Tool, Riverside and Oceansize made my otherwise chaotic life a bearable one. So, when it comes to creating my music, I inclined towards this genre quite naturally.
You are a poly-instrumentalist [playing guitar, bass and keyboards, how did the idea of creating this one-man band come about?
I had been a part of two bands before starting my solo project. And one thing I always observed is that adapting to the opinions and egos of several individuals can become quite difficult. That’s why bands end up dissolving all the time. And that’s also why I decided to learn to do things by myself and not depend on others to create my own music.
In 2022 you are releasing several singles, is there a full-length scheduled in the future?
I have an album coming up very soon. But I can’t tell anyone exactly when it will release because I want it to be a surprise.
Tracks powerful and technical at the same time, being separate singles, do they have a common theme?
Thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate it. And no, they do not have a common theme. But the singles which I have released this year do have themes attached to them though.
You have the ability to combine more classic sounds of Prog Metal with more modern ones, how does the creative and compositional process of your music take place?
I actually believe in creating soundscapes, even though they are quite heavy. And that is why I always imagine a story playing out between characters while trying to create a soundtrack for it. That is how my creative process starts.
Some guests collaborated on your project, what did they bring to the sound and how did they contribute to the composition?
I have always collaborated in a way that the person I am collaborating with knows what each of our responsibilities are. That allows a smooth workflow and timely results. I have always expected my collaborators to bring in their perspective to the table. That is what creates something beautiful.
Many fans and our readers will ask themselves if with the problems of the pandemic there will be the possibility to listen to your music live, do you have any plans for it?
I have a full-time job that is quite taxing. So, I am totally a studio musician as of now. Other than releasing my albums, I also take up creating background scores for documentaries, games, etc. And I am quite satisfied with the way it is going now. So, I have no plans of going live.
Today’s music market offers less refined and more commercial sounds, what difficulty (if any) does a project like yours encounter in proposing your music?
The biggest difficulty I have faced would be to reach new listeners every time I release an album. I get’s quite difficult to figure out the algorhythms of different music platforms. But reasearch and study definitely helps. And I guess I can safely say that I am at the stable place in terms of music currently.
What advice would you give to young artists who try to emerge by proposing a musical genre closer to your sounds?
I would say, “Know your market. Identify the right set of people or companies to work with. Network well. And never shy away from experimenting with your sounds.”
Do you have other passions or artistic projects outside of music?
I do create digital art sometimes. I am also into game creation a bit, at least the 3D animation part of it. That’s all the creativity I can muster in me.
The last question, as always, I leave it free to be able to talk about any topic not covered in the previous questions, feel free to talk about what you want.
I think we have covered everything, don’t you?
JV: Yes we have covered everything.
Thanks to Arka a.k.a. Home Brewed Universe for the interview and availability, wishing him the best for the continuation of his musical career.
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