Loud music, cannabis and free love; these are the elements most associated with underground music. Whether they are the right picks or not, is a debate worth having.

Industry experts contradict this very narrative, pointing out how underground music is a platform to tell the truth, a place where good music is produced; the scene could be deemed free of the influence from the often prejudiced mainstream commercial music industry.

Even looking at the local underground music scene, one can see that the truth is not that which has been projected so far. Even though most of us donot get to see the bands performing, Dhaka has a thriving and popular underground band universe with non-stop competitions and live performances, and the passion stems more from the love of music than the added, often nefarious, elements.

We talked with two upcoming bands to get the profundity of the circumstances. 

When Druto initiated his band 'Otolanto' with a group of friends and associates, he never imagined that the band would get such tremendous response.Already having been a member of two bands before 'Otolanto', Druto was slightly sceptical, not setting larger than life goals for hisnew band, rather consideringit, as anefficient structure, helping the band members stay connected to their one true love -music. 

"Before Otolanto, I was involved with the 'Nefarious Sentinel' and '432'. The band members ultimately got busy with their lives, studies, jobs and the dream never materialised. 

The next band idea for Otolanto came up with like-minded friends. I don't know what the future holds for us, but we'd definitely pursue it as long as we can," said Druto.

We asked Druto, whether he hoped to pursue music as a profession or follow the fields of physics, which he is currently studying at Dhaka University, and leave behind the dreams. 

His beaming face was reassuring and his response even more so. "Together with a few friends, we have set up a production house, 'Chaka', where we provide a platform for emerging artistes and good music. My plan is to make Chaka a permanent objective in my life." 

Talking more about his ambitions he added, "I also have a plan to study sound engineering abroad and return to Bangladesh, to help create musical magic and the perfect tunes."

Delving deeper into our conversation, we learned that Otolanto was inspired by famous bands like 'Mohiner Ghoraguli', 'Monoshoroni', 'Doors' and 'Pink Floyd'. 

"For us, there is no hard and fast rule behind genre selection; our inspiration comes from these bands but we might as well follow other genres of music based on popularity," Druto remarks.

'Steel Born', a rock-metal band, formed in 2015, might have had a very short lifespan, but a closer look reveals that the band members have known each other almost all their lives. 

The members, all childhood friends, pursued different genres of music before 'Steel Born'. And as fate would have it, they united, formally as a band, only after an online announcement for the coveted – 'Underground Battles' had been made on social media sites. 

After their unexpected win and sprouting popularity in the online world, 'Steel born' decided to select Hard Rock as their preferred genre to tail. 

Influenced by the 90s Hard Rock bands of Bangladesh like 'Feelings' and 'Warfaze', the band appears motivated enough to recreate music as good as the legends. 

"After the 90s; the Bengali music industry failed to produce anyone playing seriously for this genre. We felt the gap, recognising the potential and huge demand. Our hope is to meet the expectations flamboyantly," says Basil, the drummer of the band Steel Born.

Inquired about the venues Steel Born practiced their music, Basil revealed some exclusive information. 

"Contrary to popular belief that most underground bands practice in garages, we actually practice in leased professional practice-pads, available around the city." 

Looking optimistic, he added, "It is no longer like before; people recognise bands and respect them equally. The music industry of our country is gradually booming, offering many facilities and provisions to the upcoming artistes."

If we take a moment and notice closely, we would be able to see that a whole generation of Bangladeshi kids, each younger than the other, is living, breathing, and dreaming to be a 'rock star' when they grow up. 

If it soundsslightly condescending, then, we must turn our pages backwards, helping us remember our past — thebrazen days, when we were just like them. The field was empty, but the profession, not approved by most. 

But today, thought processes have changed largely, the field is packed, the path – trying, but definitely glorious. And the profession, well, it's no longer considered a racket for sure!

By Mehrin Mubdi Chowdhury

Photo: Collected