Interviewing Steve Chandra Savale (Chandrasonic) is like listening to an Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) track. Filled with rage, fast-paced and politically charged.

The ace guitarist\vocalist\programmer is miffed about a lot of things in the world, but more recently, about being misquoted in a newspaper and the effect technology has had on the world. The path-breaking group from the ’90s mixes a variety of genres including reggae, rap and Indian samples laid down on banging junglist tunes.

The collective’s first ever gig in the city has them playing fresh music from their unreleased album, History of Now which will be out in February. Chandrasonic stops for a not-so-happy interview:

What is your upcoming album, History of Now, about?
A lot of our songs are in relation to technology. We have explored how it has changed the way we relate to our environment, how it has altered our interaction with people. We are looking at this through both a bird’s eye view and a worm’s eye view.

What is your worm’s-eye-view of this?
Future Proof is about this time when I was taking care of ADF’s online presence. I had to keep getting on to all the new platforms that were being created every other month. There was a time when I just said ‘No more!’. Now I have other people handling it for me.

Have you changed direction from writing music influenced by politics to personal issues?
Why does it have to become like ‘Oh, so now you are writing about this?’. It’s only journalists who say that we make politically charged music. Why do you have to define music with these overly arched adjectives?

So, what do the other tracks talk about?
We have a song about the effect of TV – reality shows and all that. Then there is one on how Shanghai will be the next capital of the world – first Paris, now New York. There is one obviously about the Crash, asking where all the money is gone. Then there is one about the rise of India and China in the world. There is other stuff too.

You wrote Naxalite about over 10 years ago, talking about the issue. Now its come up again. Do you feel that political issues keep moving in circles?
Hmm. I don’t know if this answers your question, but someone said ( Karl Marx) that when history repeats itself it is a tragedy, if it happens a second time, it is a farce.

What happened to the Asian Underground movement?
How do you define what the Asian Underground is? I hate the term. Honestly, I don’t think we were part of that movement. It was driven by the fashion industry which was a DJ-based scene. They wanted certain DJs to play at certain clubs. Our music reached far wider areas. We played with the likes of Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine. I don’t think anyone form that scene did what we did. So I don’t like to be classified with them.

What can we expect in Mumbai?
Our sets are not like a DJ’s, although we might have a few elements from it. The best way to describe an ADF set is that its exciting and its gutsy. We will throw a good party.