Interview with Bruce Lee Mani

Thermal and stage act?

Music is so universal and beyond, it unites thermal and a quarter completely on stage. Nervous excitement slowly fades into electro positive vibes.

Thermal compositions and formulas?

Musical Compositions are adhered by no formulas. We keep it organic and innate, we let the process flow. Composition just falls out for us, its just happens for us, we cant explain the process. Sometimes it's the lyric that leads us to create originals. Frankly It's all about belief that steer us to compose.

Musical periods to journey?

Musical periods have been continuously evolving. The spaces are changing. As vernal progressive musicians we have ripened into funky jazzy musicians. Our melodic journey has jaunted quite a distance, which is surely and truly surreal. Our approach to music is natural, we let it come about and capture us, for which our growth has been exuberant. Odd time grooves has always excited us, it's challenging. our recent album have a few examples of odd time signature. Our basic root is carnatic, so we are interwoven and embellished with complex melody, harmony and rhythms. Our composition may sound simple but within those opus dwells composite yet crystallized musical composition.

Originals and notations?

We have composed ninety originals and beating it down to musical notations is still not the need of the hour. We do read and write notations and are very familiar with these concepts. Thermal and a quarter is a brand by itself.

Process and learning?

Realizing our potential and exploring ourself to the fullest has always been the strength and sagacity for thermal and a quarter. We are self taught musicians. We all had an small jaunt with global teachers in bangalooru. Playing together and jamming regularly for twelve years and also citing and cogitating many bands has aided us raise our skills

Band and survival?

As we senesce as parents our responsibility and understanding gets reasoned for survival. My guitar institute keeps me refreshed with new ideas and cognition. Part time jobs gets our earthy bills paid. In spite of all our commitment we are extremely dedicated to rehearsing at least three to four times a week. We are not furcate, we believe in practicing as united one.

Thermal soul to uniqueness?

Thermal and a quarter sound is distinguished by many souls within India and across borders. We are unique, because "we are what we are".

Musical directions and creative ideas?

Direction has chosen us, music has become bigger then the three of us frankly. We have our own energy and its own flow to where it's going. We are happy to be on the ride. "Let the songs write you and let's not try to control what you are writing" quoted by Rzhude. These creative juices that flow we need to have control on them to make the best happen. Sometime it is possible sometime it is not. They are no rules to anything. We have been as true to ourselves as possible, as natural as possible and also to the observation we make, political, social and personal. We are trying to stay true to this, we are not writing originals because certain themes are popular.

Faith and openness?

I am agnostic, i don't conceive in a particular organized religion. There has always been a quest for knowledge, it's all about the openness to the entire situation. Certain things do get the individual to the foreground for progress. To find and search balance one needs to ascertain the sense of self existence.


Thermal and Gear?

Recently i have been using parker fly guitar, leading of with a tansen guitar, now i drill on custom start guitar custom built by a very close friend of mine in bangalooru. As for processor, i have a line 6 pod xt, also use a vocal processor for my vox, helping us fill the gap for sure. Rzhude drills on ibanez five string and a washburn four string.


Fear and joy?

We have our own bright and dark days. We enjoy the dark and the bright days too, providing us all the verve and forte to confront life. Doing stuff we trust is our niche, do stuff you are passionate about is all i can say.

Music and divides?

My fragmentation is musical it divides and unites teaching, thermal and session, which really makes a lot of sense. Session with Raghu Dixit stretched the way i would wish to. Jazzy solo in gudugudiya really enlivened my spirits, such solos would have never been arranged in folk meets rock kind off structure.


Music and survival?

Music can get desperate i guess, survival is so difficult. Internet space and music industry been hit in many ways, its becoming harder to make something out of what we are. Some souls are lucky enough to achieve it with minimum modification to who they are.

Band and adjustments?

Last month we played twelve gigs, touring to Jakarta and five cities in India. The last league was tough, my dear son and wife had chicken pox. It's been tough for us and my voice was no where close to where it should have been. With all this in my head, i had to let it recede and go for it, to my surprise we managed to set hard rock cafe on fire.

Highs and lows?

Gigs is everything, it's a all time high. Without gigs life can get as low as possible and all types of feeling set in. To be busy with tons of gigs is the way thermal and a quarter combine natural musical forces.

Band is a blessing?

Band is very crucial. Having a band is blessing, it's amazing to work with bunch of musical freaks together for a very long time and frame up musical ties. There is no substitute for going out and seriously playing your originals. Keep doing it don't get disturbed by obstacle face it, do something with you life. It's very important to say, "WE DID IT". Bands are not made by great musicians, it's all about finding a great combination.