Month: January 2023

At Williams College, winter study is a time to make new music in unconventional spaces | Berkshirelandscapes

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WILLIAMSTOWN — For the past dozen years, Williams College artist-in-residence and percussionist Matthew Gold has heralded in the New Year with I/O Fest, a celebration of adventurous new music for Williams students and the community at large.

Running Jan. 13 to 15, I/O Fest presents concerts and events across Williamstown at the Clark Art Institute, Williams College Museum of Art and the college’s ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance. The music is performed by Williams students and faculty as well as distinguished guest artists.

“The overall theme of I/O Fest is an opportunity to make music, to bring music to unconventional spaces that’s responsive to what’s around us, and give participants and audiences an immersive experience different than what they would have during the regular year,” Gold, the festival’s director, said during a phone interview. “During Winter Study [a month-long period each January when Williams students choose a single subject area to explore], when we’re outside of the regular context of things, we have time to really focus, to open our ears to new things. We bring in performers and composers and work that sets the tone for the new year.”

The festival will open on Friday, Jan. 13 at WCMA, beginning with a group sonic meditation in the galleries for anybody who comes by, Gold said, followed by performances, pop-ups, sound art — “a whole range of things” — over the course of the afternoon.

“There will be student compositions, and a work by Pulitzer Prize-winner Raven Chacon, a really fascinating composer. We’ll do a work for a turntable with a record played with skewers with microphones on them, and a piece by Myriam el Haik for four toy pianos. There will be music and sonic interventions throughout the galleries, transforming [WCMA] into a musical space.”

An evening concert at the ’62 Center CenterStage by I/O Ensemble will include works by composers Sarah Hennies and Katherine Balch, as well as by students.

Also at the ’62 Center on Saturday, Jan. 14, the student group New Music Williams will perform “Penelope,” an evocative 60-minute song cycle based on “The Odyssey” by Sarah Kirkland Snider, for a solo female voice and chamber orchestra, featuring Sara Stebbins.

“This is a huge project for them, it’s semi staged with lights,” Gold said. “It will be a really dramatic event, it’s a very powerful piece.”

The festival showcases a different visiting group each year. For 2023, the guest ensemble is GEORGE, a quartet founded by six-time Grammy-nominated percussionist and composer John Hollenbeck, longtime collaborator with new music pioneer Meredith Monk.

In addition to Hollenbeck on percussion, the ensemble is made up of Anna Webber on tenor sax and flute; Aurora Nealand on voice, sax and keyboards; and Chiquita Magic, who plays keyboards and sings. “It’s two winds, keyboard and drums which is a really unique sound,” Gold said.

“It’s a brand new group. They had their first performance this past March, and people were just raving about it,” he added. “This new project of his is really exciting.”

“They have an album called ‘Letters to George’ [where] each composition is dedicated to a different George,” Gold explained. “It began with George Floyd and the powerful emotional response John had to that, but also George Washington Carver, Georgia O’Keeffe, a whole range of Georges.”

This culminating concert Sunday, Jan. 15, 4 p.m. at the Clark is the festival’s only ticketed event.

Earlier that day at the Clark at 1 p.m., GEORGE will participate in the I/Out Loud interactive family concert, an annual festival highlight.

“My students and I will take part in one of [Hollenbeck’s] compositions called ‘Flock,’ it’s an open instrumentation work based on the movement of birds,” Gold said. “And we’ll lead the kids in an exercise with that as well.”

For the first time, the festival will include a film screening, the 2018 documentary “Full Mantis” about Milford Graves, shown at the Clark during the afternoon of Jan. 15.

“Milford was a great percussionist and composer and musical innovator who taught at Bennington College for many years,” Gold said. “He passed away in 2021.”

“This film presents the musical world and process and vocabulary [of] an extraordinary foundational artist we should know more about. The director Jake Meginsky will take part in discussions about the film and his life and work.”

Gold created the multi-day music festival back in 2010 with late faculty member Steven Bodner and then-music department chair David Kechley. The college’s landmark ’62 Center had just opened when Kechley approached Gold and Bodner.

“He said, ‘we’d like to do something in the black box theater different than what we do in our own space’,” Gold recalled. “That’s pretty much all we needed to hear. Using unconventional spaces has always been really important to me. And we just ran with that.

“The ’62 Center is an incredible space to work, but being able to go out to WCMA and the Clark is a means of connecting with the public in different spaces and places where they might not expect to hear music. It’s interacting in a different way, listening to a museum instead of just looking at it.”

The title, I/O Fest, recalls both one of Jupiter’s moons and the idea of Input/Output, Gold said.

“It’s two weeks at the start of the year when we immerse ourselves in this music and plan different kinds of events in different spaces. It’s about taking in everything around us — the music, spaces, culture, people we’re working with — and at the end of the process the music comes out.”

The festival, Gold said, “aims to create experiences for audiences and musicians that are immersive, participatory, thoughtful, engaging, often challenging, nonconventional experiences of live music. That’s really what it’s about. And bringing people together to share in this experience.”

IF YOU GO

What: I/O Fest 2023 — three days and nights of the music of now

Who: Williams College department of music

When: Jan. 13-15

Venues: ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance, 1000 Main St., Williamstown;  Williams College Museum of Art, 15 Lawrence Drive, Williamstown; Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown

COVID-19 Policy: Masks required.

More information: music.williams.edu 

I/O FEST 2023 SCHEDULE

Admission: Free except as noted. Masks required. 

Full listings: music.williams.edu

FRIDAY, JAN. 13

Noon to 4 p.m., I/O Ensemble at WCMA: I/O pop-ups and interventions all afternoon in the galleries. Music by Raven Chacon, Myriam el Haik, Kazuo Fukushima, and Williams students.

7:30 p.m., Friday CenterStage: I/O Ensemble performs adventurous new music from the edge of tomorrow at the ’62 Center.

SATURDAY, JAN. 14

4:30 p.m., Film screening at The Clark: “Milford Graves Full Mantis,” a 90-minute documentary on avant-garde jazz percussionist; discussion with director Jake Meginsky

8 p.m., “Penelope” at CenterStage: New Music Williams presents “Penelope,” a 60-minute song cycle by Sarah Kirkland Snider, featuring Sara Stebbins and chamber orchestra in the ’62 Center’s CenterStage Theater.

SUNDAY, JAN. 15

1 p.m., I/Out Loud Family Concert, featuring GEORGE: New Music performs a family concert with I/Out Loud, Kids 4 Harmony, and special guest GEORGE. Concert is in the Michael Conforti Pavilion at The Clark. Gallery admission is free. 

4 p.m., GEORGE in Concert at The Clark: Genre-crossing jazz and new music ensemble GEORGE, featuring composer and percussionist John Hollenbeck, performs music from their forthcoming album “Letters to George.” Tickets required. $5, general admission; $3, Clark members; $2 for students and under 21.



Music Reissues Weekly: George Martin – A Painter In Sound

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The Ray Cathode single was issued seven months before The Tornados’s equally unearthly “Telstar” and was, in time, recognised as a ground-breaking combination of studio-created sounds and pop music. The Ray Cathode handle masked a collaboration between the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s Maddalena Fagandini and George Martin, the EMI employee overseeing Parlophone, the label which issued the single. The Radiophonic Workshop-theme-tuned Doctor Who wouldn’t reach TV screens until late 1963, and its title music was released as a single in February 1964. George Martin and Parlophone were musical pioneers.

That wasn’t it for George Martin and Parlophone’s idiosyncrasies. The label had issued many oddball records, chief amongst which was a stream of comedy releases. In March 1962, before “Time Beat” was out, New Musical Express ran an article headlined George Martin: The A&R Manager Behind the Comedy Successes Forecasts Cribbins, Drake, Sellers, Milligan, Bentine Have Bright Disc Futures.

“With Bernard Cribbins’ ‘Hole in the Ground’ bounding up the best-selling list and Charlie Drake’s ‘Boomerang’ flying high in the American charts, British comedy records are certainly maintaining the popularity they have won in years past,” noted writer Alan Smith. “But most of all it’s a boom year for the man who’s done more than anyone else in putting our own brand of disc comedy well and truly on the map, Parlophone recording manager George Martin. Reel off the comedy stars George has recorded and, apart from Bernard and Charlie, the names include Peter Sellers (with Sophia Loren), Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine, Donald Swann and Michael Flanders.” Martin was dubbed an “astute star-finder”.

The Beatles would come along in summer 1962 and broaden this perspective without altering the “star-finder” aspect, but it’s clear George Martin was no marginal figure before “Love me do” was released. As well as the Fabs, he also went on to work with Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer, Cilla Black and more – mod band The Action too. All of this was covered by the 2001 six-CD set Produced by George Martin: 50 Years in Recording. His jazz recordings were included, alongside Matt Monro, Shirley Bassey, classical material and Seventies work with America, Jimmy Webb and others.

Now, the four-CD slipcase set A Painter In Sound – Pre-Beatles Productions & Classical Influences has arrived. Each disc is themed. The first is titled In All Directions. Disc Two is Experiments With Pop, Disc Three Comedy Surrealist and Disc Four Classical Influences. Both sides of the Ray Cathode single are present but as per the title The Beatles and anything later are not. Despite this, it’s not so different in outlook to Produced by George Martin.

A Painter In Sound is a dizzying tribute to this musical polymath. Innovative contemporaries like Joe Meek and Phil Spector never went this far. The first five tracks on Disc One are The London Baroque Ensemble with Karl Haas playing Dvořák’s “Serenade for Winds in D minor”, “Little Red Monkey” by Frank Chacksfield`s Tunesmiths, Kenneth McKellar’s “Corn Rigs are Bonnie”, The Kirchin Band’s “Bandbox” and “Honeysuckle Rose” by Cléö Laine with the Johnny Dankworth Seven. Bert Weedon crops up, as do The Vipers Skiffle Group, The Temperance Seven and The Alberts. Although pinning down George Martin stylistically is impossible, the thread running throughout is to push boundaries: every recording is as much about the studio and its possibilities as it is the song and the artiste. He shied away from pop singers of the Cliff Richard, Adam Faith, Marty Wilde ilk. No wonder The Beatles flourished.

In the booklet, Martin is quoted as saying “’When I joined EMI, the criterion by which recordings were judged was their faithfulness to the original. If you made a recording that was so good that you couldn’t tell the difference between the recording and the actual performance, that was the acme. And I questioned that. I thought, OK, we’re all taking photographs of an existing event. But we don’t have to make a photograph; we can paint. And that prompted me to experiment”.

Correspondingly, A Painter In Sound Pre-Beatles Productions and Classical Influences catalogues pivotal groundwork in the development of modern recorded sound. Without this and George Martin? It’s a moot question.

@MrKieronTyler



Burning Me Up: Rising Pacific Northwest-based pop artist bubblegum boyfriend sees her looking for love on only one – Independent Music – New Music

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Taken from the recently dropped 10-track Indie Exxdlena album, bubblegum boyfriend returns with the splendid new single to slow dance with all night called only one.

bubblegum boyfriend is a 27-year-old Texas-born music producer and pop artist who makes music to gain traction and encourage others to construct fun melodies to be satisfied inside.

”when you want a new dedicated boyfriend, bubblegum boyfriend could be your only one.” ~ bubblegum boyfriend

With merch for days and a cool cat vibe which shows his progression up those slippery ranks of fame, bubblegum boyfriend has dropped a passionate single to get seduced inside. Finding someone worth the effort despite all the noise outside, this is a hugely impressive track to place on repeat.

only one from the Pacific Northwest-based indie pop artist and music producer bubblegum boyfriend is one of the hottest songs available right now. Sung with romantic energy which shows us how to meet the one, we find a superb track with a happy story so many will be motivated by.

When your eyes lock into a soulmate, all other distractions disappear forever.

Listen up on Spotify. See more energy on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen



Alex Lustig Creates an Ambient Wonderland on New Single “Fade” with Sølv

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First listening to ambient music as a way to deal with his anxiety, producer, Alex Lustig, has come a long way in his pursuit of tranquility. Releasing his debut album, Fate, in October of last year, the budding artist plans to enhance his recent release with a brand new complimentary album, Fate (B- Sides). “Fade” is his first single from the forthcoming venture.

A delicate vocal performance from Sølv immediately establishes the peaceful ambience of “Fade,” lightly cascading over filtered chords and a deep kick. Flexing his production prowess, Lustig is able to achieve impressive dynamic contrast through so few elements, adding and removing instruments to take the listener on an atmsopheric journey.

Alex shared his thoughts on the new track, adding:

My goal is to always add depth to whatever sound I’m trying to create, to get lost in that world. ‘Fade’ is an introspective glimpse into the insecurities of a relationship and the way love makes you vulnerable. It encompasses the duality of fear and faith, two polar opposites which are both experienced simultaneously when you open your heart.

You can stream “Fade” at the link below. Enjoy!

Alex Lustig – Fade (ft. Sølv)

Long Beach Baroque chamber orchestra Kontrapunktus ‘brings new life’ to 18th-century compositions

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Long Beach’s nine-member Baroque chamber orchestra Kontrapunktus returns with five performances of “BACH & HANDEL: Soli Deo gloria,” a series of early 18th-century musical compositions written “in praise of God alone” by two master composers of the Baroque era.

The classical music ensemble will be performing in Long Beach on Friday, Jan. 13, at the Grace First Presbyterian Church – the third concert of its winter concert season.

Kontrapunktus (Latin for “counterpoint,” a structure in music composition) was formed in Long Beach in 2015 and began recruiting musicians for live performances in 2017, under the leadership of Executive Director Raymond Jacobs.

The nonprofit orchestra performs a “unique repertoire of Baroque music intended to inspire people from all walks through their exemplary execution and sublime artistry,” the Kontrapunktus website says.

“You don’t have to be a classical music lover to enjoy our performance, which is what makes our concerts so unique,” said Jacobs. “You really just have to appreciate music and be prepared to be swayed by the emotional power of our performances.”

Led by concertmaster Hannah White and featuring soloist Aubree Oliverson, “BACH & HANDEL: Soli Deo Gloria,” will comprise works from contemporary German composers George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach, who are arguably two of the most influential composers in Western music, according to a Kontrapunktus press release.

Each production is created to  bring new life into 18th-century masterpieces and turn them into contemporary Baroque treasures, according to the press release.

“Our technical ability combined with our artistic prowess as a chamber orchestra is engaging and sublime on so many different levels,” Jacobs said. “This fact is what sets Kontrapunktus apart from other classical groups, big or small.”

Some of the numbers Kontrapunktus will be performing include Handel’s “Trio Sonata in G Minor, HWV 1041,” and Bach’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041” – a piece Jacobs said is excited for audiences to experience.

“We want to bring something fresh to the table – taking the music and turning it into our own with a little flare of Baroque music taste to it,” said Hannah White, 23-year-old acclaimed Sphinx Competition First Place Laureate and concertmaster.

At age 7, White took up the violin and grew a passion for performing. By age nine, White performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and she has become a featured performer on stages across the globe ever since.

As a featured artist at Carnegie Hall, White performed twice to sold-out audiences. She has since soloed with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Noir among many others.

She graduated from the Colburn Conservatory and is pursuing her graduate studies with renowned teacher, Robert Lipsett, with whom she presently studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music.

White joined Kontrapunktus in May 2022, this will be her second season with the ensemble.

Jacobs said he “took a risk” in appointing her as concertmaster – which is essentially the leader of an orchestra or chamber group – but her talent and the way she brought the group together as a family more so than a music unit made her the right choice.

“She’s the soul of Kontrapunktus,” he said.

White is excited for audiences to hear each one of the orchestra’s compositions, especially Handel’s “Admeto Overture” which Osheen Manukyan, cellist and co-artistic director, did a special arrangement for to make it work for the group to play, she said.

“I’m mostly enjoying and looking forward to performing with the group again,” White said, “because everyone pushes each other and the energy is good and fun.”

She also hopes people who attend take away what they need to better their day from the Kontrapunktus performances.

“I think music is so personal,” White said, “I’m hoping that the audience has their own personal needs that this music we’re bringing to them can help them with.”

Tickets are available for the Long Beach performance at the Grace First Presbyterian Church on Friday, Jan. 13, on Eventbrite or at kontrapunktus.com.

General admission tickets start at $24.95 and are discounted to $19.95 for senior citizens, veterans and students.

Kontrapunktus will also be performing on Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Laguna Presbyterian Church in Laguna Beach and on Sunday, Jan. 15 at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Pasadena.

©2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit dailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

‘George & Tammy’ Star Jessica Chastain Reveals Which Country Music Singer She’s “Obsessed” With

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Jessica Chastain’s Incredible Career Evolution

Jessica Chastain is currently portraying country music icon Tammy Wynette in the miniseries George & Tammy. But the Oscar-winning actress revealed she recently met a current queen of country music, and the singer clearly made an impression.

Jessica spoke to Audacy’s 103.7 KSON in San Diego about her role in the new miniseries. She explains that she feels very protective of Tammy Wynette, “I just love her. I love what she stood for…I visited her resting spot many times in Nashville and every time I go there’s more pictures that fans have drawn of her, and cards from families, and pictures from grandchildren. It’s really a testament to the incredible woman she was.”

The hosts of John & Tammy in the Morning ask, “You have a dinner party, there are 6 people at the party. Who is at the table?” Jessica agonizes over the question. She says, “I want it to be a wild dinner party.” The actress finally settles on her George & Tammy co-star Michael Shannon, French actress Isabelle Huppert, Oscar Isaac (who starred with Jessica in Scenes from a Marriage), Anne Hathaway, and artist George Condo. That leaves one spot, and Jessica chooses country music superstar Miranda Lambert. And, it turns out, the two have met before.






© John Shearer
Jessica Chastain and Miranda Lambert at the 2022 CMA Awards

Jessica tells John & Tammy, “I met Miranda Lambert at the CMAs and she offered me bourbon in a red solo cup, and I ‘m obsessed with her. She would be a fun addition to the party. It has to be people that are going to bring it, you know?”






© Leah Puttkammer
Jessica and Michael presented the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award to Luke Combs

We’d certainly love to get an invite to this party! In the meantime, we’ll be catching up on George & Tammy on Showtime. New episodes air stream every Friday on the Showtime app and Paramount+ with on-air releases scheduled for Sundays at 9 P.M. on Showtime.

Jan 14 – Meet Harold and Maude Musical Composer at Birmingham Village Players Performance

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Jan 14 – Meet Harold and Maude Musical Composer at Birmingham Village Players Performance

Birmingham, MI – Meet the Composer! Joseph Thalken is the composer of the musical Harold and Maude which will be performed Jan. 13 – 29, 2023, at Birmingham Village Players.

We are thrilled to host a free talk back session with him immediately following the Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, performance.

This is a rare opportunity to have a discussion directly with the composer of this wonderful production. Don’t miss it!

Get tickets to the show and the free talk back at BVP100.com.

For more things to do, visit the Oakland County Times Event Page! 

To submit event info email editor@oc115.com .

Thank you to Jim Shaffer & Associates Realtors for sponsoring this section!

 

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Iggy Pop Names His Favorite Song from ‘Raw Power’

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Iggy Pop reflected on pushing the Stooges’ most acclaimed album to completion despite knowing the band was disintegrating at the time.

Raw Power, released in February 1973, became a landmark work of punk rock. In a new interview with Uncut, Pop marked its upcoming 50th anniversary by naming his favorite song from the eight-track title.

“‘Search and Destroy’ has become very popular,” he said. “My personal favorite, though, is ‘Shake Appeal.’ Because that was the only three minutes of my life when I was ever going to approximate Little Richard. It’s practically impossible for me to hit a sustained high tone like that and scream that sort of hyped-up, crazy hillbilly rock thing that I always liked.”

He allowed that “Search and Destroy” was the “record’s masterpiece,” continuing: “I knew it when we did it. I felt a sense of relief that it made me artistically secure. But I knew I was still socially fucked.”

The band, with a new lineup, had relocated to London to make the record at the invitation of David Bowie’s management company, MainMan. “I realized that there was almost no one in the world who wanted to save the Stooges,” Pop said. “I knew that there were a few malcontented, strange people out there who were actually going to like this, but there was no apparatus to gather them up.

“I knew our management didn’t want it, I knew that radio didn’t understand it and I knew that most people wouldn’t get it. On top of that, we were all one step away from becoming junkies and the ones that weren’t junkies were completely out of touch with reality. I knew what was going to happen.”

Pop insisted that MainMan had represented the band’s “best shot to do something,” and reported they’d been well-treated during their time in the U.K. “They respected us and left us alone. We were given every artistic requirement – a place to rehearse, and a good studio. The band had a nice house to live in. When I couldn’t come up with the lyrics and live with them at the same time, they put me in the basement of Blakes Hotel. I’d stick my head out and see Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret. ‘Oh, I say, it’s Iggy Pop!'”

Despite the Stooges’ disintegration months after Raw Power was released, he added: “I had the faith that if we did our best, things would come around. Of course, they did. We were very well rewarded for that record, later. … All three Stooges albums are equal to me. But Raw Power is the high-priced spread when you’re talking about the Stooges. That’s the big one.”

Listen to Iggy and the Stooges’ ‘Shake Appeal’

Top 10 Punk Albums

You’ll find some familiar names, but also bands that didn’t sell as many records while having just as much impact.



Metro Boomin Shares Vaulted “Gang Sh*t” Track With 21 Savage, Project Pat

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So, this is rather interesting.

Although he recently topped the charts with his Heroes & Villains album, Metro Boomin continues to gift fans with music. The producer shared the original version of his Certified Lover Boy cut “Knife Talk,” originally titled “Gang Sh*t.” This version is actually Drake-less, with an extended introductory verse from Project Pat and an extra verse from 21 Savage.

“I sent [Drake] that song, like, two days before [CLB] came out,” 21 said in a recent interview. “Swear to god. A day before the album came out, he did his verse … I had that song. That song was supposed to go on Savage Mode II … I’m glad it went the way it went, ’cause I feel like it woulda just been another song on Savage Mode II.”

Metro Boomin Shares Vaulted “Gang Sh*t” Track With 21 Savage, Project Pat was last modified: January 5th, 2023 by Meka



BYD Atto 3: Observations after a day of driving

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The BYD Atto 3 has an ARAI claimed range of 521 km and as per NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) the range is 480 km. Both these tests are done on a dynamometer and do not reflect the real-world range. In real-world driving conditions, you can expect a range of ~ 400 km.

Driving the BYD Atto 3

Before we get to the driving part, let’s get some basics right. There are 3 main components in an EV – the battery, the motor, and the controller/charger. The battery is what stores the energy and the motor is what uses that energy to move the car. The controller/charger converts the energy from the battery into a usable form to power the motor. In more technical terms, the power grid from your house or a charging station is usually an AC. The lithium-ion battery can store electric energy in DC form. So while charging, there’s an AC/DC converter that will convert the power grid’s AC into DC and store it in your car’s battery. The DC fast chargers that you see usually have the AC/DC converter inbuilt, which is how they can charge your car’s battery faster.

It’s important to note that the Atto 3 is built on an EV-specific platform and is not based on an IC engine platform like most conventional EVs. Hence, the design of the batteries and powertrain has been done keeping the EV-specific requirements in mind. For starters, the Blade battery has cells that are made in a honeycomb-like structure. So, each cell serves as a structural beam to withstand force. Combined together and after placing high-strength panels on the upper and lower side of the pack, the rigidity of the structure is increased. This does affect the dynamics of the car. Next up is the powertrain – the Atto 3 uses an 8-in-1 electric powertrain system. What does this mean? 8 components of the powertrain which are usually placed separately are combined into one component to optimize space and energy efficiency (also lesser cables). The components that are grouped in the Atto 3’s powertrain are – VCU (vehicle control unit), BMS (battery management system), MCU (motor control unit), PDU (power distribution unit), DC-DC controller, on-board charger (explained above), drive motor and transmission. Since all these components are compressed together, this reduces the load on the front axle significantly. How does this affect the car in terms of driving? Read on to find out.

We got to drive the Atto 3 on the streets of Mumbai and it felt right at home. Start the car, shift to ‘D’ mode, take your foot off the brake pedal and the car gets off the line in the smoothest way possible. You also start to hear faint music from the speakers while driving around at low speeds. It’s more like ambient music which is also played on the outside of the car to let the pedestrians know that there’s a car coming. It’s not very loud and can be heard when you’re about a meter away from the car. We saw some very confused people wondering why the car is playing soothing music on the road. Build some speed and the music stops.

If you primarily drive around in the city, you will appreciate the Atto 3’s smoothness. The power delivery till part throttle is linear and predictable. No jerks from gearshifts and no engine sound means it is an extremely refined experience. Our preferred setting while driving in the city was Eco Mode and with the highest level of regeneration. It felt adequate for driving in the city and keeping up with the traffic. Something worth mentioning about city driving is the size of the car. It has a broad footprint and it doesn’t easily mask its width & length. You have to be careful when maneuvering the car out of tight lanes and might even have to use the 360-degree camera.

Floor the A pedal and you will be greeted with instant acceleration. The car is fast and the 310 Nm torque is available right from the get-go. BYD claims a 0-100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds and we don’t doubt it. You’ll definitely be ahead of most of the IC engine cars when the signal turns green. If you enjoy instant acceleration and are experiencing an electric car for the first time, this car might just make you a convert. If you’ve driven some of the other EVs, you will notice that the acceleration is very similar to others in this range. As mentioned earlier, the weight on the front axle is less and BYD has made sure that the power delivery is a little more linear. Otherwise, this would result in a lot of wheelspin under hard acceleration.

Out on the highways, the Atto 3 is just as good as in the city. Getting up to 80 / 100 km/h is effortless and so is maintaining it. Want to make a quick overtake, no worries there. Just bury the accelerator pedal and you will zoom past the car ahead with ease. You’ll hit silly speeds effortlessly and not even realize it due to the lack of drama (engine noise, etc.). Remember that single-gear EVs don’t have the higher-end punch above 120 km/h that geared turbo-petrol cars have. The top speed of the Atto 3 is limited to 160 km/h. If you drive hard, the range will drop faster. This is also why you will see EVs that are driving longer distances sticking to the middle lane and cruising at 80-100 km/h (which is the best cruising speed for the current lots of EVs).

There are 3 driving modes to choose from and unlike some other cars, these aren’t gimmicky. They’re mapped specifically for different driving styles and also change the steering weight.

  • Normal Mode : This is the default mode to drive in and works well in the city as well as the highway. It is a good balance of power and economy. The steering is light in this driving mode.
  • Eco Mode : When you want to extract maximum range, this is the mode to engage. The throttle response is dumbed down which results in a smoother drive. However, you never feel that the car is lacking power. There’s still enough power on tap to keep up with the traffic and make those quick overtakes. We found this mode to be the best for driving in the city. The difference in steering weight from normal mode is very little. It almost makes the Normal mode redundant.
  • Sport Mode : Want to show your friends the EV acceleration, scroll down to this mode, and off you go. The throttle response is sharp and the car feels ready to fly. It feels a little too jerky for day-to-day city driving and also eats up battery faster. Best to use this mode on the highways when you want to have some fun while driving. The steering weighs up slightly, but not as much as enthusiasts would enjoy.

Regenerative Braking

BYD has kept it simple with regenerative braking. There are only 2 levels – Standard and High. The Standard level is barely noticeable and if you have the car in this mode, you might end up using the brakes a lot. The High level very much resembles engine braking in IC engine cars. It’s not very intrusive and you won’t be getting a head nod every time you lift off the accelerator. It’s great for driving around in the city as well as on the highways. People wishing to do hypermiling with the Atto 3, will wish for stronger regeneration from the motor.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

As is the case with EVs, the Atto 3 is also super quiet. There’s no engine or gearbox to make any noise, so the overall driving experience is silent. At low speeds, the car’s pedestrian warning system music is heard on the outside and inside too. Inside the cabin, this might be irritating for some people as it plays in the background even when you are playing some music.

At highway speeds, the wind noise is well controlled, but the tyre noise, at 100 km/h, is very much audible. The motor spins silently at high speeds and the whine is very well controlled.

Range

The BYD Atto 3 has an ARAI claimed range of 521 km and as per NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) the range is 480 km. Both these tests are done on a dynamometer and do not reflect the real-world range. In real-world driving conditions, you can expect a range of ~ 400 km. Given the rising demand for EVs, there are plenty of charging stations popping up everywhere, which ought to take care of range anxiety as well. There are many apps and websites like pulseenergy.io, plugshare.com, etc. that list out all the charging stations near you. At the end of the day though, remember the golden rule = EVs are best charged where they are parked (either at your office or home).

Charging

When you buy a BYD Atto 3, you get a 7 kW home charger with the car (with installation) that can charge the car in 9.5-10 hours. If you’re traveling and need a quick refill, an 80 kW DC fast charger can juice up the battery from 0% to 80% in 50 minutes. You also get a 3kW portable charger that can be plugged into any 15 Amp socket (the larger 3-pin sockets used for ACs and fridges), but that would take a very long time to charge from 0-100%. If you ever run out of battery, you can always contact BYD’s roadside assistance. You get 6 years of roadside assistance with the Atto 3.

The BYD Atto 3 has a drag coefficient of 0.29Cd:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Atto 3 gets a MacPherson strut suspension at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear. While the first thought might be that the setup is sporty considering it has independent suspension all around, it’s not. This Atto 3’s suspension setup is very comfort-oriented, and it does the job well. Low-speed ride is good, and the car absorbs small to medium-sized bumps quite well. Passengers will appreciate the absorbent nature of the suspension and will be comfortable at the front and rear too. The suspension also works silently at city speeds which is a good thing. Big potholes do register themselves inside and you will have to be careful while tackling them. The recommended tyre pressure is a rather high 36 PSI and at this pressure, you do feel a lot of the road. We dropped the pressure to 32 PSI and there was a noticeable difference. You get that added bit of cushioning which makes the ride more comfortable. If you are primarily going to be driving in the city, keep the pressure at 32 PSI and fill up to the recommended 36 PSI on the highways. Also note that the TPMS warning doesn’t come up at 32 PSI, so you’re good.

Handling & Dynamics

In a straight line, the Atto 3 feels stable and it doesn’t feel nervous even at 120 km/h. Going over some undulations or expansion joints will result in a fair bit of vertical movement though. As mentioned earlier, the suspension setup is tuned more for comfort than sporty handling. There’s a fair bit of body roll in corners and you even get some understeer. This is a car that does not like to be pushed hard in corners. Also, the lighter front end doesn’t really inspire confidence while turning in.

Quick lane changes at high speeds are something you should avoid in the Atto 3. While most of us are used to driving heavy front-end cars, this center-heavy car might catch you off guard. The car has a pendulum-like effect at speed where the rear sways a bit, which gives an uncomfortable feeling. Better to give gradual and slow steering inputs at high speeds.

Steering

The electric power steering is a nice unit and easy to operate as well. It is very light at city speeds which makes it very user-friendly. The steering weighs up on the highways, but we wished that it would weigh up some more. You can switch to Sport mode for a little heft, but it’s still on the lighter side. It’s vague in the centre and doesn’t feel very connected as well.

Braking

The Atto 3 has ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the rear. All in all, the car has good stopping power and emergency braking situations are handled well too. On the other hand, the brake pedal does feel a little spongy, and takes some time to get used to it.

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