As The Sherp once said, “As one of the most popular and proficient female DJ’s and producers in India, Pearl can be easily be called The Wonder Woman of Dance music in the subcontinent. Simply because, she exudes all the qualities of DC’s Wonder Woman including fighting for justice and sexual equality (in the music industry). Particularly after she started a new clubbing property called ‘Steel’ dedicated at bringing India’s best female DJ talent together.”
Just in time for Women’s Day and to kickoff The Sherp’s new playlist feature we asked the lady genius to curate a mix of music that excites and inspires her, like a sort of soundtrack to her life. Here’s what she came up with.
“It’s impossible to narrow this list down to ten tracks from the thousands that form the soundtrack to my life so I’ll list the first precious few that come to mind. I have a personal playlist that’s on at all times when I’m not working. I almost stop functioning without music around me. Music, since I was very young, was like air around us at home and still remains so.” – Pearl
Isaac Hayes – By the time I get to Phoenix : This is one favourite I share with my father. I remember listening to his Hot Buttered Soul album every few weeks, picking our favourite tracks from the record. My dad and I had this little ritual of listening to this track with our eyes closed lying in front of the system while my mum shook her head at the two of us! She’d eventually join us too since she loves music just as much. Give this track a try.. it’s 19 minutes of pure bliss. Yes.. It’s a 19 minute long track!
Trifonic – Lies : I was very fortunate to be introduced to their sound and not a day goes by without me listening to them. Can’t get enough of their music. It’s genius, it’s emotional and you can’t listen to it enough. I have both Emergence and Ninth Wave and I feel something was amiss in my life before them.
Temper Trap – Miracle : This is a track that has to be heard in a car, with your best friends, preferably driving on empty roads, at night, with a city scape and streetlights. Yes. That’s how I heard it the first time and when you do, for those few minutes, there will be no conversation. I can promise you.
Porcupine Tree – Way out of here/What happens now?/Sleep Together/Lazarus/ : Porcupine Tree is my go to band for when I want to shake-off genre nazis. I call them Guardians of _______(fill the blank with whatever genre you like). You get a lot of that in our industry. It’s music and you can’t get territorial or close-minded about it. They need to calm down and look beyond their visors. 🙂
Air – All I Need : A French band that takes me back in time. I discovered them while in Europe and these tracks evoke those memories like I’m there right now. I can see every street, remember every moment. I love Air and I always will.
Phillip Glass – I love classical music. We call it Indian or Western. For me it’s just classical and all of it just magical. There is no greater gift than to be able to make that kind of music out of thin air. Again I grew up listening to it and I think this music is essential to strengthen your foundation in music. It reaches parts of my brain other music can’t and I need a dose of it every few days. I have a huge classical music collection and though Philip Glass may not be classical in the truest sense we know, he is a brilliant composer and currently what I’m listening to.
Alan Parsons Project – Time : No list of mine would be complete without including APP. They take me back to my years in Goa as a child and the early stirrings of the Goa music scene. There were beautiful parties on the beach with candles scattered along in little holes dug out in the sand… and the likes of APP and Emerson Lake and Palmer streaming through the speakers!
Tanita Tikaram – Valentine Heart: It’s incredible how many tracks are tied to specific times of my life. This is yet another one. Beautiful times with my two sisters. The older one introduced us to her. She was always scouring for new music and we’d just follow her lead.
Yello – This band’s music just puts me in a good mood.. like their tracks Bostich, Desire, I Love You. They make me laugh. They were seriously experimental and way ahead of their time. Again we’d do crazy dances as kids to their music. 🙂
Depeche Mode – Only When I Lose Myself : Their music always fascinated me. What I would give to have been able to see them in concert!
Melody Gardot – Because : My father introduced me to her not so long ago. She recovered from an accident that left her hyper sensitive to light and sound. She performs with dark glasses on for this reason. Please sit through one of her live performance recordings with a good sound system. It will change your life.
Diana Krall – My life would be quite empty without jazz. Enough said.