Tale of band Oblique
Syeda Ashfah Toaha Duti
Two or three friends, one bought a guitar, and the other can render song. There goes the basic formula of forming a band. Forming a band, seems like one easy task. Yet, it isn’t easy to come up with creations that can touch hearts. It isn’t easy to keep the herd together to come up with more mesmerising creations.
Two good friends, studying in the same school, suddenly come up with a tune. They added vibrant lines to it, named the pair, Oblique. Thus, Oblique was formed. To music enthusiasts in Bangladesh, Oblique, the band is a known name. They started off with their very first song, Ojothai, which was massively praised by their friends in school. So, the ‘want to form a band project’ met reality. Then gradually, they started to come up with more tunes.
The formation story of every band is a story to be heard. Oblique came form the same background, where bands like Aurthohin, Shironamhin came. Guess what? They were all Laboratorians.
After the release of their very first album, they got to attend numerous shows including lives on spot and radio programmes. They belong to the rock/alternative genre. Throughout the years after the formation, they gained an abundance of fans of all ages. It is not just the tunes they play with, words they use to express themselves through music, is something huge to be appreciated. Surf through YouTube or soundcloud and you will find their records of Bhondo, Koishor, Stobdho, 71, Shunnota which are some hugely celebrated tracks of Oblique. They are planning on coming up with a music video of Bhondo, which according to the band, will surprise everyone.
Still, the band made a name for itself by playing in universities across Dhaka and the steady stream of live shows kept the band in the minds of its followers.
The band also made their first debuts in public radio in the form of a two hour acoustic live show in Radio Aamar followed by appearances in Radio Foorti and Radio ABC for interviews and live acoustic programmes.
In 2009, the band arranged a concert on its own named Alterfest with two other bands consisting of the band’s friends.
Muntasir left the band in mid-2009 due to personal differences with the band members. His void was filled by Mahbubul Akram Robee. Like the other 4 members of the band, Robee also studied in Government Laboratory High School and Notredame College.
Within a month of Robee’s joining the band, Oblique started recording for the first time in 2009 for an EP consisting of four songs. The songs were home recordings with poor qualities. The band released only 200 copies of the EP, titled Ojothai, which were given away to their friends and acquaintances in the Dhaka music community. The EP contained early versions of Ojothai, Shunnota, 71/13 and Bhalo Gaan. The EP was released in Wireless Sessions with help from Nafisk Ahmed (who also helped in recording the EP). Due to poor sound quality and lo-fi recording, the EP failed to make any mark in the music scene even though it had a good build-up to its release.
It’s been a year since they are working on this new project they named ‘Late night sessions’ where they are covering songs which happened to be better than the originals, according to listeners.
So, what is there for them in the future? Well, they are planning on roaming around minds with their music, as long as they can. Although suspense should be kept by keeping the secret, yet, news should come to light that Oblique will pretty soon come up with their very new album on which they are currently working on.
Emerging bands like Oblique, work as inspiration to groups of enthusiastic musicians, who one day, dream of creating a band of their own.
Present line up of Oblique:
Vocal: R Bashar Lisan, guitar: Arnob, drums: Robee Mazumder,
bass guitar: MK.
