EDM is one of those unique genres that our country is slowly chiming into. Given the right company and sphere you will have the time of your life. In Bangladesh, it is still a novel concept. However, it is exciting to see that there is a trio that is spearheading groovy EDM music all over the country.
With melodic creations and flavourful renditions, The Apeiruss trio, Samee, Shafi and Andy, have carved their own distinct sound as well as a niche. Unlike mainstream music, EDM is a set of percussive electronic music genres with a profusion different music types intertwined in one. If you are a party person, EDM is the best genre of music.
Being relatively new in the Bangladesh music scene, the members of Apeiruss tells us how they engage the crowd. “People who come to a party do not want to understand the genre; they just want to enjoy the music. The components of EDM are so dynamic that anyone can find comfort in it,” say the members. “EDM is already recognised internationally. The local guests, on the other hand, explain they prefer music that is new. Anything new catches on very quickly so that’s a plus point,” says Shafi. “We aren’t DJs, although many people confuse us as such!” adds Shafi. We compose a song; create or recreate it. Hence, we do everything that needs to be done to add our originality to them.”
Apeiruss came in the limelight with their brilliant performance at the event Close Up Voltin 2014. “It was officially the beginning of our journey as Apeiruss and it was wonderful performing in such an illustrious platform,” adds Andy. The big names of the music industry performed there such as Nemesis, Bassbaba, etc.
“Sharing the stage with stars such as Nemesis and Bassbaba among others gave us a feeling of accomplishment. That spark of confidence brought on by the cheerful crowd helped us unbelievable.” One of the defining moments for Apeiruss was the Dhaka Comicon performances which really helped them in their formative years to gain recognition into the larger audience.
While Apeiruss has its own unique sound, there have been quite a number of artistes who had influenced them. “To us, musical inspirations are flowing all around. Our very own Fuad Almuqtadir has made a huge impact on us. International artistes such as David Guetta, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Linkin Park, RedOne have also served as influences to our music.” they said.
They feel EDM is a genre inclusive of various styles and sounds. “Other genres such as rock or pop, to an extent have certain limitations. But with EDM, you can explore limitless possibilities. According to the trio, EDM is constantly evolving and experimentation is an ongoing process. “The sound that was trending five years ago in EDM may be obsolete by now. “We could add sounds or vocal chops or music that people may not be familiar to here. Even something simple can sound very rich and intricate to the listener. It is almost like magic. It’s the versatility that creates a huge demand for EDM music among the youth.”
Apeiruss has worked with various international icons such as Atif Aslam, Arko Pravo, Amaal and Armaan Malik as well as Sri Lankan artiste Stephan Neera. Co-working with various international acts, Apeirussays they have learned much across the borders. “Singers only sing while guitarists only play the guitar. A singer will not breach his/her freedom and creativity. When we start to work for a song with a Bollywood artiste, we get the vocals and guitars. We add our own sounds such as bass, synth to them. The result sounds amazing. Normally in Bangladesh people download presets but we make it a point of not downloading or using those presets.
We have done about four Bollywood tracks so far namely Zindagi Aa Raha Hoon Main (Amaal Mallik, Atif Aslam) Buddhu Sa Mann (Amaal Mallik, Armaan Mallik), Sau Asmaan (Amaal Mallik, Armaan Mallik and Neeti Mohan) and Dariya (Dance Mix) [Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Sukriti and Pakriti Kakkar]. We are still getting more offers where they want us to produce more music for them. Next projects on the way coming up in 2017 will be with Arko Pravo Mukkherjee, Dabboo Mallik, Amaal Mallik, Armaan Mallik and others.’
Similar to their new and inspiring music, Apeiruss wants to explore new dimensions of music in the future . “We may do lots of collaborations with different genres or make melodic renditions. It is still too soon to say whether we would collaborate with rock artistes or so on. Their recent track with Tahsan titled Bhalobeshe Nirrudeshe had a great response. “If you look at the genres, each of them had been different such as Nao Charie De featuring Palbasha, Hold Me Down featuring Amid and so on. Recently Apeiruss has also produced a song for IBA’s 50 year’s celebration along with the famous pop rock band Shunno. In 2017, we hope to deliver fierce new sounds like last year for both the national and international audience.”
Nusrat Jahan Pritom catches up with the EDM trio Apeiruss
Photograph by Sakib Muhtasim