Paanch – The Mixtape: Celebrating the diversity of Pakistan’s indie music scene

Chand Tara Orchestra and Sounds of Kolachi to collaborate on the first song of the project

KARACHI: Pakistan’s indie music scene continues to remain vibrant despite a smaller audience and a dearth of platforms supporting new music. Chand Tara Orchestra and Sounds of Kolachi are two acts that have garnered a substantial fan base in recent years. Their recent stint at Coke Studio 11 also brought them in the much-deserved limelight.

Sounds of Kolachi concert: The night was laced with Sufi beats

Following up on the momentum, the two ensembles have decided to work together on a new project titled Paanch – The Mixtape. It is the brainchild of ad film-maker and Chand Tara Orchestra guitarist Babar Sheikh. The venture is not merely collaboration between the two bands but rather an initiative which will involve five Pakistani acts.

“The basic idea behind the project is that it will be a split album (including tracks by two or more artists). This is a popular concept in the West but here, not so much,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “So, Paanch – The Mixtape will be a collaboration between five Pakistani independent music acts, coming together to release music on a single album.”

PHOTO: FACEBOOK/CHAND TARA ORCHESTRA

Among the Paanch bands, only Sounds of Kolachi and Chand Tara Orchestra are confirmed and the remaining line-up will be finalised by the end of the month. The project aims to bring five acts under one roof to release original tracks exclusively recorded for the project with no theme or genre limitations. “The purpose of Paanch – The Mixtape is to celebrate the diversity of Pakistani indie music and promote music publishing. Of course, with the digital age, all publishing is being done online but back then, we used to have a culture and that has almost gone extinct now.” Sheikh and his band are fresh off the Coke Studio experience and want to carry on in the same vain. “We want to carry on the same vibes and build a musical fraternity where there is inter-band harmony and this culture of collaboration thrives.”

The project will not be pitched to corporations to gather sponsorship and will operate on a Do It Yourself (DYI) basis so that the music of the indie scene can be celebrated. “The indie music scene is over and above the underground scene. But it’s still independent, and in my opinion, I feel there are many amazing senior artists working in the indie scene, including Sound of Kolachi and Chand Tara Orchestra. There’s a positive vibe here, lyrically and musically.”

Sheikh believes it is a beautiful time for the Pakistani music scene because artists are willing to experiment more. “Even the new bands are experimenting and yet they have a signature sound, an identity. Just like Sounds of Kolachi uses Sufi poetry, has a progressive rock sound, with often an orchestral arrangement. Chand Tara Orchestra also uses Sufi kalaam but has a totally different sound – a lot of 80s compression based music, 70s ambient sound with folk singing. There are so many more unique acts.”

PHOTO: PATARI

While Chand Tara Orchestra is looking to release their debut album by the end of the year, Sheikh has several plans to contribute to the indie landscape. He hinted that, depending on the success of Paanch, they might even continue it and turn it into an annual project.

As far as the selection of bands is concerned, Sheikh noted they can be anything in the realm of modern contemporary Pakistani music. “There’s a big spectrum. But most importantly, they should be open to new ideas because it’s a passion project as of now, not a business venture.” His vision includes translating the mixtape into music videos as well as live performances to reach a wider audience. So far, Paanch has three main stakeholders, Sounds of Kolachi music director Ahsan Bari, Wajiha Naqvi (who was seen as part of backing vocals on Coke Studio this season) and Sheikh.

Chand Tara Orchestra's rendition of Makki Madni will leave you spellbound

Bari too, was excited for the project and shared Sounds of Kolachi will be experimenting with a new sound for Paanch. “Definitely not a Sufi song,” he said. “We did an album where we tried something new but the album’s most popular tracks are Sufi ones. However, this time, we will venture into world music.” Paanch – The Mixtape is intended for a 2019 release.

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