Indian representation has been a sorely underrated element of 2024’s media waves. In terms of film, the directorial debut film of Dev Patel titled Monkey Man would be my top pick. In terms of music, I’d say: keep your ear to the ground as Sunsetter by Positive Reptile prepares to crawl to your eardrums by Decemeber and deliver a pleasant brand of Indian funk with a modern twist.
This 16-minute EP is meant to be listened in a continuous streak and the result is an exciting run of tracks that blend together what I pick up to a sitar, an Indian-flavoured electric guitar, smooth analog synth progressions, throbbing synth-bass and various types of percussion ranging from electronic drum loops to sampling Tabla rhythms. The songs all approach a cinematic feel to them, and hearing them morph and venture on to new progressions and soundscapes was a psychedelic and ear-cleansing experience worthy of a good time for all listeners, complimented by sequencing and production that does its best to mesh together the traditional soundscapes with modern touches and bringing the two together over its runtime.
The solo artist based in Seattle, Washington self-produces Indian funk music, and on their debut EP under the Positive Reptile moniker in the form of Sunsetter, they do a rather impressive job meshing together that underrated genre with elements of synth-funk, dubstep, electronica and even reggae touches with certain progressions; all done with the flair of someone who clearly loves their craft as it resonates with their melodies and helping it stand out from the usual conventions of the genre. If you give in to the vibe of this project, there are definitely moments of distorted and psychedelic brilliance, especially with the guitar solos as riffs attack with full force and wah-wah pedals to compliment them as they trudge through a delightfully catchy chord progression that becomes rather vibrant if you’re listening in well-tuned sound systems and blasting all the way through, only to realize you have to loop it because at a brisk quarter-of-an-hour runtime, it sure does leaving you wanting more.
While I can see the argument that this EP is more akin to a modern revitalization of the Indian funk genre and that might be a tad daunting to the traditionalists, IK do think that this is a good gateway entry to both the genre and to Positive Reptile as one thing is for certain: they really know what they’re doing—especially when they get out of their own way and let the music breathe. It’s nothing short of impressive, especially for a first effort that leaves one wanting more.
Follow Positive Reptile
About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
