Shri

Born Shrikanth Sriram in Bombay, India, the multi-instrumentalist known as Shri grew up in that city, where he studied tabla in the classical tradition from childhood onward. During his teenage years a growing interest in jazz, especially the fusion work of John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius and Joe Zawinul, prompted him to adopt a more groove-driven style and to take up the bass guitar. He went on to play percussion with Indus Creed, one of India’s most successful rock bands, and later joined the jazz group Azure Hades on bass, recording an album with them. That recording led Simon Dove of the Yorkshire Dance Centre to invite him to the UK for a project with Talvin Singh; Shri subsequently returned to India to participate in a contemporary dance production. His performances in Nitin Sawhney’s live band secured a recording contract with Outcaste Records, resulting in the 1996 debut album Drum The Bass. On that release Shri merged his distinctive techniques on percussion, bass, flute and additional instruments with the textures and methods of UK dance music, yielding a set of evocative, atmospheric pieces. The 1998 follow-up, Dancing Drums, was a joint effort with DJ and producer Badmarsh that leaned toward drum ’n’ bass and breakbeat aesthetics; its title track together with Shri’s “Meditation” appeared on the Outcaste compilation Untouchable Outcaste Beats. The pair’s second collaboration, the 2001 album Signs, moved away from club-focused material yet remained a strong collection of tracks. Shri’s next major project was the solo album East Rain, issued by Remote Control at the close of 2005. Beyond his recorded output he has worked with numerous other artists, partnered with contemporary dance companies and theatre ensembles, and fulfilled multiple commissions for radio and television.