Sounds of ‘Rage’Audio production house Rage Records, began their journey launching three albums on August 24. Rock musicians Babna, Russell (ex-Warfaze members) and Romel Ali released their album Shantir Bornon, band Re-Dhun with Roj Roj and solo singer Ishtiaq released his debut album Ebong Paharer Gaan on the day.
Shantir Bornon
A creative mix of all popular elements – scintillating pop, jazzy progressions, latino expressions, stellar dance-rock hooks and so much more, which would comfortably travel from sassy dancefloors, atmospheric bedrooms up to exhilerating live gigs. The songs ride on groovy piano, melodiously moody vocal works, flamenco guitaring – all soaked in a CD with the label ‘must listen’ on top. Tempting eh?
Title track Shantir bornon would give you a hefty kick once you have realised how versatile, although preserving their old signature sound, our ex-Warfaze brothers, Russell and Babna, along with Romel have become. The flamenco guitar played here is almost as gorgeous as a unicorn running through a battlefield full of soldiers, waving a white flag.
Niceee…nah? Wait till you have heard the amazing mid-life crisis murmuring piano playing in Jolly’r gaan and Payer dhoni. Payer dhoni sports a sweetly teasing glimpse of Miles, hinting how much we still love this band.
And then start swaying your head with happy gesture, invite Pentagon on the dance floor, tap your feet and set your mood for a carribean blue water holiday where minds don’t fly and hips don’t lie. Senorita yaba has something to offer with a smile.
Therefore, let’s hope that this compilation streams with heavy rotation from your favourite FM stations.
Re-Dhun with Roj Roj
When this band’s first song Mon haralo was released in a mixed album, they caught the attntion of listeners with their almost ‘mushy, butter-smooth with a tinge of mustard’ vocals and straight-down-the-line acoustic guitar sound.
I absolutely love them for producing Aka in this album. The creative guitar intro, power riffs and the high flying solo throws and punches makes a very good song…as good as a tasty grilled cheese burger with surprising toppings of iceberg lettuce and a slice of smoked pineapple.
Track number one Keu janena and number two – the re-released Mon haralo and title track Roj roj are great songs.
But if a winner needs to be declared, its track number nine Neel with thought provoking composition and a very psychedelic and melancholy keyboard playing in the background. But to spoil this winner, the band had to use synthetic drum sounds of the most horrible proportion. Not just Neel, almost all the tracks needed proper acoustic drums but in the end, kudos to the members for a good effort.
Ebong Paharer Gaan
Yes! He is the man behind folksy Citycell jingles which we hear so often. He voiced songs like Ei shohor nangyan rangamattya, used as the jingle for introducing Citycell’s service in Chittagong Hill Tracts and composed Ailo ailo ailore, rong-e bhora Boishakh abar ailo re. The reason these tunes became so popular is that we urbanites always look for an escape in the mist of hills, pure green, the sea or the rippling sounds of the rural river. And Ishtiaque’s voice and overall composition of the songs, full of interesting sounds of ‘pleasant surprises’, beautifully reverberates the urge to seek refuge in a rural atmosphere. For example, his rendering of the songs Mon amar dehoghori or Shadher lau, although covered and re-mixed a thousand times before, quite frankly, stands out because his voice captures the magnetic essence of ‘gram-Bangla’.
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