About Tabla Untabla
Tabla Untabla is a studio album by Indian tabla virtuoso and composer Bickram Ghosh. Released on October 23, 2013, the album represents a fusion of traditional Indian classical percussion with contemporary electronic and global rhythmic elements. The work was distributed in digital media format, with no physical release confirmed in available records.
Ghosh composed and produced the album independently, blending tabla with synthesized textures, ambient soundscapes, and cross-genre experimentation. The project spans ten original tracks, each exploring interactions between acoustic tabla and electronic production techniques. Notable compositions include Bodydrum, which integrates bodily percussion with layered tabla patterns, and Tablaman Visits Groovefactory, a piece combining rhythmic improvisation with funk and breakbeat influences. The track Untabla deconstructs traditional tabla phrases through digital processing, while Kathakology incorporates rhythmic motifs derived from the North Indian classical dance form kathak.
Other tracks such as Robo Tabla employ robotic or mechanized percussion sounds alongside Ghosh’s live tabla performance. Bol-Scat features vocalized rhythmic syllables (bols) interwoven with scat singing, creating a dialogue between percussive and melodic phrasing. The album also includes narrative-driven pieces like Tablaman’s Jungle Adventure and The Unlikely Tablaman, which use thematic storytelling to frame the musical exploration. The closing track, The Spirit of Kolkata, pays homage to Ghosh’s hometown with a fusion of Bengali folk rhythms and urban electronic elements.
The release date coincided with a promotional event on October 23, 2013, though specific details of the event’s location or additional performers remain undocumented. No commercial label affiliation is recorded for this release, suggesting Ghosh retained full creative and distributional control. Critical reception and chart performance data for Tabla Untabla are not widely archived, but the album is recognized as part of Ghosh’s broader efforts to expand the expressive range of the tabla in contemporary music.