Deafkids’ Sarine has used plenty of unusual sounds throughout his work, but one particularly interesting piece of his setup is a traditional Indian tabla that has appeared across both Deafkids and his solo material.
A tabla consists of two drums: the higher-pitched Dayan and lower-pitched Bayan. The drumheads use a mixture of rubber, starch, water, and iron powder that allows them to be tuned to specific pitches. The Bayan can also produce pitch bends and slides by applying pressure with the wrist.
“It is very much a language of its own,” said Sarine. “Each of the different sounds it produces is categorized mnemonically by syllabi called bols (such as Na, Ge, Te, Ke), which are then organized onto words, phrases and texts.”
Sarine’s interest in the instrument comes from his connection to Indian music, including Hindustani and Carnatic classical traditions alongside non-classical styles. Owning one in Brazil, however, is a little unusual.
“The gear itself is not weird, but the fact that I own a pair down in Brazil (a country that, despite its cosmopolitan musical tradition, doesn’t have much cultural exchange with India) is unusual, at least.”
How he actually got the tabla is even better.
Ahead of Deafkids’ 2018 European tour, Sarine started searching second-hand websites in the UK for an inexpensive tabla. After finding one on eBay, he asked a friend to buy it because he didn’t have an international credit card. Another friend living in London would then hold onto it until Sarine arrived.
There was just one problem.
“Both were taking part on the auction, but since I’m as dense as a sack of rocks, I forgot to warn them of each other,” said Sarine. “In the end I ended up paying roughly £15 more for it, as they were betting against each other!”
Fortunately, the accidental bidding war resulted in an instrument that’s gotten plenty of use.
Sarine played the tabla extensively on “Profecia” from Deafkids’ recently released Cicatrizes do Futuro. It can also be heard throughout his solo material, including “Corsário de Si” from the Vento Febril EP and “Asas Terrenas (Exordium)” and “…Of Midnight Delights (Terminus)” from the Asas Terrenas 12-inch.
Deafkids’ Cicatrizes do Futuro is out now through Neurot Recordings on vinyl, CD, and digitally. The band will also tour Europe throughout October and November.
10/2 OUT.FEST – Barreiro, PT
10/3 DINAAMO – Barroselas, PT
10/8 Stapeltor – Duisburg, DE
10/9 Soulcrusher Festival – Nijmegen, NL
10/12 The Globe – Glossop, UK
10/13 The Tin Music and Arts – Coventry, UK
10/15 Coughtan’s Bar – Cork, IE
10/16 Bello Bar – Dublin, IE
10/18 Boom – Leeds, UK
10/19 Strange Brew – Bristol, UK
10/20 New Cross Inn – London, UK
10/21 Klub9030 – Ghent, UK
10/23 MS Stubnitz – Hamburg, DE
10/24 Inkost – Malmo, SE
10/25 Monument – Goteborg, SE
10/27 Råhuset – Copenhagen, DK
10/28 NeueZukunft – Berlin, DE
10/30 Circolo Gagarin – Busto Arsizio, IT
10/31 Rote Fabrik – Zurich, CH
11/1 Cave12 – Geneva, CH
11/2 La Poudriere – Belfort, FR (w/ Eyehategod)
11/3 Schungfabrik – Luxembourg, LU (w/ Eyehategod)
11/4 Glazart – Paris, FR w/ Eyehategod
11/5 Magasin 4 – Brussels, BE
11/6 Le Guess Who? – Utrecht, NL
