Phatcowlee's Cinematic Sounds

Kathmandu producer Rajan Shrestha discusses Nepal’s nascent music scene, his debut EP ‘Cinema’ and the meaning behind his bizarre moniker

- Urvija Banerji

FOR A BEDROOM ELECTRONIC PRODUCER, Rajan Shrestha is surprisingly well-groomed—unlike plenty of his contemporaries, who Skype into interviews with lazy scruffon their chins and barely-hidden pajamas. In comparison, the 35-year-old Nepali is a breath of fresh air, speaking into his recording mic from his Kathmandu living room outfitted in a natty T-shirt, with immaculately swooped hair and an impressive hipster beard and moustache to match.

It’s no surprise that aesthetic sensibilities come naturally to Shrestha, who actually just returned to music a couple of years ago after taking a two-year break to pursue a career as a photographer. He’s taken a course in photography in Bangladesh, and freelances as a video editor to make money. Even his unusual musical moniker, Phatcowlee, was derived from a photo of a “big-ass cauliflower” (which he pronounces “cow-lee-flower”; check inset) which he layered on photoshop with a picture of a cow. “I named the cow Lee,” jokes Shrestha.

His debut EP under the moniker is called Cinema, a four-track which is, well, pretty cinematic. It doesn’t sound anything like an original soundtrack, however—no Hans Zimmer or Alexandre Desplat vibes to be found here. Rather, Shrestha creates sonic emotions and moods that immerse the listener in complex, curious worlds of his own conjuring. “I usually made music during nights I couldn’t sleep,” says Shrestha.