Photoelectric Effect - Cumulonimbus

'Photoelectric Effect' surfaced from Karachi sometime ago, with the release of an EP titled 'Cumulonimbus'. It's an ambitious effort, to say the least. Whereas a little more scrutiny on the mixing/mastering processes for a couple of the tunes could've greatly enhanced the overall sound of the offering, I'm not complaining. The minimalist/orchestral/piano based Post-Rock tunes composed by Asad Hussain and Ehsn Suri are indulgent, and border on the ethereal at times. Some of them revel in the musical possibilities brought on about using samples, which is always something to be appreciated. The tune that's featured here is also called 'Cumulonimbus', and has been described by the composers to be a 'journey through a storm cloud.' Subverting the duo's overt obsession with nubulous vapours, it comes across as a symbiosis between an organic creative process and a synthetic usage of instruments. The vacsillation between the calm/urgent dichotomy perhaps reflects the theme of the tune, which still manages to present itself as firmly situated under the auspices of 'Post-Rock' (Or, the variant of the genre touched upon by the likes of the brilliant Japanese instrumental trio Mouse on the Keys, at any rate).

6LA8 - The Future Doesn't Care for You

This blog entry is about a duo who call themselves 6LA8, and is way overdue. The rate at which these guys produce music is mind-boggling: a quick glance at their bandcamp page reveals around twelve compilations, including collaborations and recordings of improvisation sessions. I remember talking to someone once who was vehemently asserting that this band has been very 'honest' when it comes to composing music, and hasn't shied away from experimentation. That is perhaps true. With an oeuvre that might be difficult to digest for many, the band has meddled with everything from experimental drone/ambient to post-rock.

This tune is called 'The Future Doesn't Care for You', and is taken from 'Chaos/Solipsism/Self-Projection', a joint release with 'Aus Rine'. The composition is drawn out flat, and different elements make their entry one after another. The ambient keys eventually morph into a beautiful wall of sound that engulfs everything within itself.

Orangenoise - Hopeful Creatures

//orangenoise's last release, 'A Journey to the Heart of Matter' is a continuum of sorts. The entire album is woven around a uniform archetype using the same fabric. Perhaps it reflects a conscious assertion of control and an envisioned direction. It shies away from randomness, and merely oscillates around its mutually agreed-upon core. The two tunes that stood out for me upon an initial listening were 'Children' and 'Hopeful Creatures'. Perhaps both are going against the grain. Or perhaps, both exhibit a direction that might've been snubbed. 'Children', for instance traverses from the obliviously saccharine to the precariously doubtful. While doing so, it touches upon areas visited by the likes of Deerhunter or even Sonic Youth. 'Hopeful Creatures' is an impelling display of complex-time signatures. Quite a lot of math involved there, I'm sure.

Chi.Boss - IslamabadVice

Here's something interesting. A roughly-hewn bassline. A kick-snare combo making a foundation for a basic beat. Hi-hat hits flirting and swirling against flanged electronic debris. An awkward clearing that gives way to sinister/sleazy keys. Escalation, escalation, whitenoise, whitenoise, a complementary synth-line. Slippery when it comes to immediate intuitive grasp, it took me a few listens to absorb it fully. The tune is aptly titled 'IslamabadVice', and is composed by 'Chi.Boss': yet another musician to join the roster of the collective known as 'Forever South'. (Yes, they do crop up like steroid-fed mushrooms). The last few siren-yielding minutes of the tune are constantly pulsating. The pixelated cover art featuring a fat-bellied chillar/thulla just makes things better.

Placebo Laal - Meander

Poor Rich Boy's Zain Ahsan joins forces with Lahori beat-maker Imaad Munzar in the guise of 'Placebo Laal'. The results are nothing short of spectacular. The tune that they've created is called 'Meander', and I've been listening to it repeatedly since it came out. I'm not sure how to define it. It's a laid-back loungy/chillout tune that has been accentuated with the use of minimal percussion and Derek Trucks-y slide guitars. The tape looping and additional keys ensure a lush, well-crafted soundscape. Seen from a slightly different vantage point, I can also imagine a slightly melancholic Pelican sharing his tales of woe to passers-by on a hazy Saturday afternoon at a dock.

Naveed Ahsan and Hassan Iqbal - Djentlemen from Lahore

'Djent' is a relatively obscure sub-genre of metal, and is generally defined by low-tuned, poly-rythmic guitar chugging. Many have traced its origins to the Swedish extreme metal band 'Meshuggah', and over the past couple of years it has proliferated into the metal mainstream, spewing forth many bands that rely on similar song structures/techniques. Surprisingly enough for many, India has a brilliant 'Djent' scene that is slowly gaining recognition and is being embraced by a global audience.

Keshav Dhar's band 'Skyharbor' is an excellent case in point. What started off as a one-man project is now a functional band that has collaborated with the likes of Marty Friedman. Another heavy-weight is Vishaal.J.Singh, and his band called 'Amogh Symphony'. Vishaal has been making fusion-tinged technical/progressive metal since 2004, and his compositional acuity/guitar-wizardry comes through in a lot of his tunes. What these men are producing is nothing less than phenomenal, and coming from this part of the world makes it even more laudable.

It natural to wonder about Pakistan's state of affairs. Recently, I came across some guys in Lahore producing  music which has a similar 'Djent' ethos. These embryonic stirrings depict a growing interest in a genre which has probably never been explored in Pakistan.

Consider the following two tunes. The first one is called 'Riddle of the Sphinx', and has been composed by Naveed Ahsan. He calls it 'Oriental Djent', and once you hit the play button, you'll be able to see why. He has incorporated 'Oriental' percussion and strings with low-tuned chugging guitars in seemingly odd-time signatures.The second tune is called 'A Grand Cluster', and has been composed by Hassan Iqbal. While it is clear that Iqbal is trying to replicate a sound that was forged by the likes of Tosin Abasi, his playing might lack the requisite jazz-fusion undertone/discipline required to give it that extra edge in this tune. Maybe i'm being a bit too harsh. I've heard some of his other stuff, and I'm sure he has the ability to pull it off. However, I'd still give him credit for composing this tune. The genre in question isn't easy to pull off. I really hope to see the day when something like Animals as Leaders emerges out of Pakistan. Here's hoping that musicians like these actually make that happen.

Foreskin - THVG Anthem

Guest post by Daniyal Khan

"Thvg Anthem" is a track from the upcoming Thvg EP by the Lahore based crossover thrash metal trio Foreskin. The song starts at a moderate tempo riff and soon transitions to a faster thrash tempo. Vocalist Hassan Umer is spewing venom on this track: the sharp edges have not been filed off the lyrics or the vocal delivery. The song is clearly meant to be and manages to be an unrestrained punch in the face and stays unapologetically true to the thrash ethos. But if you think this is all form and no substance, think again. Sheraz Ahmed and Amar Ali are ripping on the guitars, from the solos and the "good time" riff at 1:46 to the breakdown outro. This song has it all: fast tempos, heavy riffs and a spoken word. Bottom line: this song is both a statement of intent and a sign of good things to come. Pakistani metal fans should be looking forward to the release of the band’s upcoming EP. I missed their live set at the Youth Performing Arts Festival at Peeru’s Café this past October; big mistake.