Even spherical 15 years previously, paying attention to a Bangladeshi band’s stout discography wasn’t as simple as opening YouTube or Spotify. Within the event you had been lucky enough to enjoy the album, colossal. In every other case, you might well maybe derive your self whizzing thru piracy websites, or settling for regardless of aired on the radio or TV.
In consequence of of this puny derive admission to, heaps of my technology grew up believing Bangla band songs had been appropriate recycled narratives—infinite tales of romance, riot and nihilism, with the occasional glimmer of hope.
Aurthohin, although, felt considerably diversified.
Sure, their tune touched on these topics, nonetheless for childhood like me, who would return from college only to derive the ceiling fan needless on account of no electricity, their lyrics hit another way. While you heard lines like, “chaite paro shara raat ar shara din, hobe na je kokhono ar load shedding,” it felt as although the tune spoke on to us.
Their phrases weren’t a ways away or summary; the songs had been relatable, refreshingly simple, and simple to grab. It became as soon as tune that felt like home, grounded in the identical experiences we lived thru every day. Or no longer it is nearly as in the event you might well maybe well presumably additionally derive that system in a band whose name literally interprets to ‘meaningless.’
“The lyrics come straight from existence,” acknowledged Saidus Khaled Sumon, the founder, lead vocalist, and bassist of Aurthohin, better is understood as ‘Bassbaba Sumon.’
He continues, “One component about me is that I will’t write fraudulent lyrics. Every line displays the real fact—truth that all of us behold in our on every day foundation lives. I grab these realities and turn them into lyrics, as soon as in some time in allegories, as soon as in some time as metaphors.”
Uncouth, or appropriate sooner than their time?
Fancy most Bangladeshi bands, Aurthohin hasn’t been proof in opposition to lineup adjustments over the years. The most modern became as soon as the departure of their longtime guitarist Mahaan Fahim, who stepped away on account of clinical points, as presented on the woefully organised ‘Legends of the Decade’ concert closing Saturday.
Yet, Bassbaba remains firm in his perception that these shifts have not affected the band’s quality. He insists that he chooses members no longer for his or her technical capacity or reputation, nonetheless for his or her mentality—whether or not they play for the treasure of tune, for the followers, or with ulterior agendas.
This, he believes, is why their tune has incessantly maintained its frequent thru evolution and became as soon as even plucky enough to inform, “I’m no longer bragging, nonetheless regardless of who joined us, I’ll state that every and every album of ours became as soon as sooner than its time. Our albums incessantly polarised listeners. One neighborhood liked it, any other neighborhood hated every discover of it.”
Bassbaba pointed to 1 notably infamous display screen from Aurthohin’s 2016 album ‘Cancer er Nishikabyo’—’Nikrishto 3’. The nicest phrases in my vocabulary to introduce this like a flash paced, fiercely heavy tune to the uninitiated is that or no longer it is a ways the appropriate message for a toxic ex.
The lyrics don’t withhold encourage, bluntly calling her out for the pain and trauma she introduced about, while unapologetically slut-shaming her. But it also speaks of taking a judge about forward to raised things ahead. Or no longer it is raw, confrontational, and no longer for the faint-hearted.
“We confronted unbelievable backlash for that tune,” Bassbaba recalled.
“At some level of a radio interview, I even overtly challenged and predicted that in a pair of years, members would recognise Nikrishto 3 because the final discover display screen on the album. Now, taking a judge about encourage, followers are calling it exactly that.”
Bassbaba, sticking to his stance, cited examples of state self-discipline matter in contents that Bangladeshis had long gone on to revere. He identified Humayun Ahmed’s contemporary ‘Nishithini’ had rude texts.
He referenced Metallica’s tune ‘Final Caress’ from their 1998 album ‘Garage Inc’ the set the lyrics read “I’ve got one thing to inform, I killed your toddler this day; I’ve got one thing to inform, I r***d your mom this day,” only to call out members on their double requirements.
“Folks in Bangladesh hail Humayun Ahmed as nothing short of a god. Metallica is current because the steel gods of this day. Nobody had points with these nonetheless couldn’t grab it as soon as we did the identical, despite the real fact that we had censored every rude lyric. Like none of us ever resorted to such thoughts and expressions out of arouse and agony?” he retorted.
Bangla “Nu-Rock”
When requested referring to the longer term for him and the band, Bassbaba’s response became as soon as stout of pleasure. Despite all the pieces he’s been thru, he’s aloof driven to derive one thing original. This time, or no longer it is no longer appropriate about new tune—he’s aiming elevated. He’s working to introduce a totally new genre, which he’s dubbed ‘Bangla Nu-Rock.’
“There is a memoir forming in my thoughts for our upcoming album, ‘Phoenix er Diary 2,” Bassbaba shared.
He continues, “With every album, our sound adjustments, nonetheless this time, the tune shall be drastically diversified as well. The truth is, we’re aiming to derive a total new genre with this album, which we’re calling ‘Bangla Nu-Rock’. I’ve already had discussions with Spotify about introducing this new genre and getting it featured on the platform,” he published.
Increasing on the album’s storyline, Bassbaba explained that this can merge right-existence stories with the theme of the phoenix’s rebirth. He envisions that if a phoenix continuously goes thru the cycle of spontaneous combustion and rebirth, it would doubtless discontinuance up in a deeply distressed psychological assert.
In his gape, a phoenix that rises to colossal heights, loses all the pieces, after which regains all of it, would inevitably turn out to be an egomaniac, any individual consumed by hubris.
“After we reach abundant success, reputation, or wealth, we ceaselessly lose regulate and act crazy. Folks embezzle billions from banks and launder it in another country, leaving the banks drained. These items occur all spherical us in right existence,” Bassbaba remarked.
Bassbaba’s largest contribution to band tune?
Support in the day, Bassbaba had a studio reverse Dhanmondi’s Abahani self-discipline which arguably produced extra tune for diversified Bangladeshi bands than for Aurthohin or Sumon’s solo projects. Musicians from over ten diversified bands, in conjunction with Artcell, Sad, and Nemesis, recorded there every day, freed from price.
When requested why he equipped his studio for free, Bassbaba merely responded, “In consequence of I desired to alternate the tune scenario. The band tune scene became as soon as going haywire with many huge names transitioning in the direction of solo careers. We needed to shield what became as soon as ours. I desired to uplift the underground tune scene.”
Sumon personally funded the recordings, usually paying Tk12,000-15,000 for mixing. He’d then grab the carried out tracks to G-sequence for album manufacturing, with bands like Nemesis and Cryptic Destiny releasing albums this form, although he by no system sought credit for it.
As our dialog came to a discontinuance, I requested him one closing ask—became as soon as he winning in his are attempting at holding band and underground tune afloat? This led to a short replace:
“Develop you watched Aurthohin, Nemesis, or Artcell might well maybe additionally hang a stadium this day if they desired to?” he requested.
“Sure, utterly,” I spoke back.
“Then you might well maybe well presumably additionally comprise gotten your solution,” Bassbaba concluded with a happy smirk.
