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Rising like a phoenix from the ashes

Aurthohin’s new album to release in December
AL FAZLY RABBY & ZARIN TASNIM
After almost six years, Aurthohin will finally be launching a new album, titled Phoenix Er Diary-1 , sometime in December of this year.
With the album’s release drawing ever closer, we sat down with the legendary band to discuss what fans can expect from the much anticipated album.
What can fans expect from “Phoenix Er Diary-1”?
Bassbaba Sumon: We will be introducing a whole new genre with this album. In our albums, changes usually take place in terms of our musical arrangement. In Phoenix Er Diary-1 , we tried to do the arrangements in a diverse manner, so much so, that even we couldn’t define the genre by the end. It will be something new altogether.
This new genre that you’re talking about, will it be some form of fusion or will it be something new entirely?
Sumon: In this album, listeners might get the flavour of an early 90’s vibe--incorporating a bit of jazz and funk. Currently, we are still working on the album. So, after we finish, we’ll be able to say with certainty which direction it leans towards.
Mark Don: We have so much to offer on this album. There was no pressure to maintain a structure or conform to any particular styles. So, we have been able to really showcase our creativity with this record.
Sumon: The senior musicians of our country have worked tirelessly to establish this industry. So, we have the responsibility to establish a style of music that we can call our own. This album is an attempt at achieving this goal.
When you are making a song, do the lyrics set the direction of the music, or is it the other way around?
Sumon: We develop both parallelly. Of course, the lyrics sometimes require certain emotional principles that reflect in the music.
Mark: When Sumon bhai discusses the lyrics with us, we try our best to resonate the same emotions through our instruments.
Mahaan Fahim: It is crucial for us to do our best to relate the lyrics with our music.
Shishir Ahmed: Every note has the capacity to carry a certain emotion. What gets tricky, is finding the exact notes to convey the emotions required, so that it is one the same wavelength as the lyrics. A song is a journey, and it is the combination of music and lyrics that get us to the final destination.
When you’re performing on stage, do you usually improvise on existing songs?
Shishir: There are times when I will experiment a bit with the notes I use on stage, shifting away from the original notes we used when recording the songs. However, I am careful to ensure it harmonises with the rest of the band.
Sumon: At the beginning of this year, our first show was at ICCB. A record number of people showed up, and the security team were not able to close the gates. Suddenly, I decided to pick up the acoustic guitar and began playing Jodi Konodin-- a song I last played on stage in 2008. After a while, I stopped playing and let the audience carry on singing the song. In my 32 years in the industry, I have never gotten that kind of response anywhere. It was amazing and I was truly blown away!!