Percussion & Rhythm Design
I layer Cajon, shakers, and electronic rhythms with traditional tabla to build the groove your track actually needs.
A demonstration of how I can build a full rhythm section for a track. I move between the Cajon for a bass beat, the tabla for intricate patterns, and shakers for texture, all within one project.
This video gives a peek into my remote recording process. I am using Ableton to create a groove with my own tabla samples and then jamming over it, showing how I build layered, high-quality rhythm tracks for clients anywhere in the world.
My love for Carnatic music comes from my guru Vidwan S Sekhar. Here I'm having fun with a tambourine that I modified to sound like a Kanjira, showing my versatility across different Indian percussion styles.
A special piece for World Music Day with fellow musicians. I am playing tabla alongside others on cajon and various hand percussion, creating a rich, multi-layered rhythmic conversation.
About Beyond Tabla: Percussion & Sound Design
When we work on your rhythm section, I don't just record and send files. I ask for your melody and chords first, so I can build a groove that supports the song rather than fighting it. Whether we are layering a Cajon for that earthy kick or syncing Ableton loops with live tabla, my focus is to make the rhythm feel like a natural part of your composition, not an afterthought.
The beauty of percussion is how it fills the space around a melody. I often find that a track, whether it is a modern pop song or a fusion arrangement, feels incomplete until the rhythm section is fully grounded. While the tabla is the heart of what I do, adding auxiliary percussion like a Cajon, shakers, or even a tambourine played with a Kanjira technique adds a texture that standard digital loops cannot capture.
I treat production as a collaboration. For remote projects, I deliver clean, dry stems—giving you or your sound engineer full control during the mix. If you want that specific 'kya baat hai' moment, we focus on the dynamics, ensuring the bass of the tabla does not clash with your bassline.
I use Ableton Live to manage my sessions, ensuring all takes are grid-aligned to your project's BPM. Whether you need a subtle, organic feel or a complex, layered production with hybrid electronic elements, I approach it with the same discipline I learned from my Guru, Pandit Sunil Banerjee. It is about rhythm that breathes.
Unmesh Banerjee
I’m Unmesh, and for me, music is a conversation that keeps evolving. I’ve spent my life mastering the tabla, but I love the challenge of mixing it with genres like hip-hop and jazz to create something fresh.
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