Yoga flow, dancing, walking meditation — this upbeat modern mantra chant album has the power to move you in the right direction.
Photo by Susanna Marsiglia on Unsplash
Following one of the most epic pre-release campaigns of the year, MANTRAS, Album 1 (iTrap Records, 2023) drops worldwide today, delivering a massive 17 tracks co-written and performed by Indian Trap and polygenre artist S. J. Jananiy.
A fusion of musical influences, ancient traditions, and Jananiy’s alluring vocals result in a new age chant album that will entertain and inspire J2’s club audience as well as those of the yoga flow and meditation mindset.
The energetic album is a harmonic blend of diverse musical influences, drawing inspiration from Spirituality, Hip Hop, Trap Music, World Rhythms, and Traditional Indian and Bollywood sounds.
Colourful textures arise in Jananiy’s powerful voice as she delivers an empowering, soothing, and unforgettable vocal performance fusing Ancient Indian vocal techniques and mantras. Currently, Jananiy is a 5x finalist in the ICMA Awards for singing, producing and composing.
The hypnotic beats throughout are driven with Indian flutes, drums, melodic synths, Indian temple bells, sound healing instruments and 808 basses, to name but a few elements.
Kicking off the album is one of seven soulful Bija mantras (pronounced beej) mantras focused on the seven chakras, which are nestled amongst ten primary tracks that celebrate gods and deities including Shiva, Durga, Parvati, Vishnu, Gayatri, Saraswati, Krishna, Lakshmi, Ganesh, and Kali.
The project debuts with several tracks already streaming in the tens of thousands, thanks to the robust release campaign supporting the singles with publicity and social media promotion.
Multiple reels, stories, videos and lyric posts for each single featured Jananiy performing the mantras alongside mesmerising animations of each deity; the singles were released to correspond with each deity’s Hindu festival.
Such an intense and ground-breaking approach is not new for the innovative LA-based producer/DJ J2 (aka Indian Trap), who has produced and remixed songs for many reputable artists including LL Cool J, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, and Madonna to name a few.
“I feel today’s music is losing the magic of what once was and does not have the same earth-moving, society-shaping effects as that of the past,” J2 noted.
“Just like Plato remarked that Music is medicine for the soul, I wanted to create music that has all the mantra elements in a modern-day sound that will appeal to everyone of all ages including the next generation. It is my honour to share this divine musical gift, I hope it is received in good health and peace,” he continued.
Mantras are practiced and used everyday by millions of people all over the world, to train their minds, better their lives, and to bring about positive changes, whether healthful, financial or personal. According to Chopra.com, “At the end of the day, the mantra is meant to bring you back to simplicity.”
Jananiy adds, “Working with Jay for this very special album was highly explorative, fusing the Vedic Mantras, his Indian Trap music, and many vocalisations,” said S. J. Jananiy.
“The songs have at least 30 different vocal layers, along with a unique collage of taans, aalaaps, swaras, and improvisations that blend beautifully with harmonies for Jay’s amazing tracks!” she concluded.
MANTRAS by Indian Trap and S. J. Jananiy has been accepted for consideration in the 66th Annual GRAMMYⓇ Awards in the New Age, Ambient, or Chant category. You can now stream MANTRAS Album 1 on Spotify.
