Bangalore-based contemporary funk band Cardboard Streets is here to change up the mood with their upbeat, unorthodox sound. The quartet consists of Sunil Manohar on the keys, Prajwal Sekhar, a skilled Guitarist & composer along with Aniket Thyagarajan as the sound designer and Rahul Badiyani on the drums and percussion. The Band draws influences from a vast array of genres such as Jazz. Funk. Soul/R&B. Blues. Electronic. Disco and Brazillian/ Afrocuban rhythms. Having been together since 2018, the band has finally put out their first EP.
The band’s debut EP ‘3 Not 4’ was released in December 2020 and plays to their strengths in every way possible. The five-track EP consists of rudimental soundscapes which are so easy to listen to, they’ll definitely cheer you up. While the core tracks ‘I Like It’ and ‘Take 304’ are essential funk tracks, the closing one ‘Why?’ takes a rather smooth jazzy approach. In all, the lack of vocals really brings each instrument out and enhances the listener’s experience. In fact, even the album art is an interpretation of the laughing Buddha who’s out there living his life, with a fork in one hand and a wad of cash in the other.
Cardboard Streets has taken inspiration from retro artists like Jackson 5, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Dirty Loops. Before joining the band, all four members of the band spent time studying contemporary music at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) in the culturally rich city of Chennai. Sunil also has experience in playing and teaching carnatic music. The band has also played a tribute to Queen in 2019 at Hyatt Centric Bangalore. They tell us that their main focus is on composing original music as well as rearranging theme music for various games and cartoons, lending to their funk aura.
