In 2003, RSJ’s annual Great Indian Rock compilation, which accompanies the Great Indian Rock festival, featured the song ‘Mindstreet’ by Kochi’s Motherjane. It quickly caught the fancy of all kinds of listeners across the country, with its ambitious prog-metal intensity sublimely driven forth by the Carnatic undertones that Motherjane’s sound came to be identified with. It’s an iconic song that is an intrinsic part of Indian rock history today, and one that is essential listening for the independent music connoisseur in the country. ‘Mindstreet’ helped Motherjane reach out to a far larger fan base, serving as an early stepping stone on the way to many further successes along the way.

Baiju Dharmajan, former guitar-player of Motherjane (1999-2010) and also one of the country’s finest proponents of the Carnatic-infused style of playing within the realms of rock music, co-wrote ‘Mindstreet’ and helped define the sound of the band with his unique approach to songwriting. To celebrate the legacy of ‘Mindstreet’, he has announced a tour with the Baiju Dharmajan Syndicate, where he will be performing at various venues across the country. The tour, titled the 10 Years of Mindstreet tour, presented by RSJ, will see Baiju’s vision in execution as he takes the stage, playing at the Hard Rock Café venues in Mumbai (November 14), Pune (November 21), and Hyderabad (December 5), enthralling audiences with his mesmerizing and truly unique sensibilities of carefully blending Carnatic and traditional Indian elements with rock guitar-playing. It’s a series of gigs that will feature the Syndicate performing their own songs as well as several Motherjane songs, including, of course, ‘Mindstreet’.

Watch a live, acoustic version of 'Mindstreet' by Motherjane below:

In addition, Baiju has also announced the release of a free ebook, titled Motherjane: Baiju Dharmajan Diaries, in conjunction with the 10 Years of Mindstreet tour. The book, a 30-page read with 14 chapters, has been narrated by Baiju to Arun S Kumar, and edited by Purushottam Koushik and Ashima Popli. It will release on November 10, and is about the many years Baiju spent with Motherjane, from 1999 to 2010. It charts the journey of the young band through the process of writing Insane Biography and Maktub, two fantastic albums that helped establish Motherjane at the forefront of rock music in India, and how the band discovered their very distinctive sound and sensibilities, through the eyes of Baiju, right from the very first time he met existing members of the band, all the way back in ’99 at a friend’s bachelor party. A free MP3 of ‘Karna’, which retains the Carnatic essence of Maktub, written by the Baiju Dharmajan Syndicate, accompanies the release of the ebook as well.

Click here to register for a free edition of Motherjane: Baiju Dharmajan Diaries and ‘Karna’ by the Baiju Dharmajan Syndicate, set to release on November 10.

10 Years of Mindstreet Tour

The Baiju Dharmajan Syndicate Live at:

Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai - November 14

Hard Rock Cafe, Pune - November 21

Hard Rock Cafe, Hyderabad - December 5