Atish Raj

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Atish Raj (Urdu: آتش راج; Fiery Reign), was a seminal Industrial and avant-garde Pakistani rock band formed and fronted by eccentric Pakistani music journalist and writer, Nadeem F. Paracha. Even though the band only recorded two albums between 1994 and 1995 and distributed only a few thousand copies, the demand for these albums has grown among new fans of experimental music in Pakistan. Paracha's legacy and reputation as an iconoclastic and eccentric journalist and writer and the country's frontline music critic has further heightened curiosity and interest in the band's albums. In a recent development Paracha was approached by Zeeshan Pervez, leader of one of the country's fastest growing new art rock bands, Sajid & Zeeshan, for the remixing of two Atish Raj songs. Zeeshan who is also a respected young producer is currently working on two Raj songs, "Aftergod" and "War in Heaven." The songs, much to the delight of the Atish Raj fan cult will be launched on Pakistan's popular music website Bandbaja. Atish Raj was folded in 1996 when one of the three band members died of drug complications.

1 History
2 Members
3 Legacy
4 Albums
5 Sources

[edit] History

Atish Raj was formed by Nadeem F. Paracha in 1994 at the height of an underground rock movement in Karachi and Lahore. It was started as a project "to capture the sounds of various forms of psychosis." The band recorded in a small make-shift studios at Paracha's house and not only did they experiment by using electric instruments in various odd sort of ways, they made sure to be constantly intoxicated with various drugs while composing and recording. Not surprisingly, all band members were plagued by drug problems and when in 1996 Kashif Caan died of what is suspected to be a heroin overdose, Paracha folded the band. He returned to mainstream journalism while Rome K left for Canada.

[edit] Members

Nadeem F. Paracha (Electric Guitar, Bass guitar, Composition, "Synth-FX", Vocals)
Rome K. (Electric Guitar, Found Sounds, Synthesizer)
Kashif Caan (Drum Machine, Synthesizer)

[edit] Legacy

Atish Raj has always had a firm cult following and a diehard fan base that has gradually grown over the years. Ironically, most of these fans have not heard the two Atish Raj albums but a highly romanticized legacy and aura that surrounds stories about the recording and "psychotic sound" of the albums have helped the Raj legacy grow. In a recent development Paracha was approached by Zeeshan Pervez, leader of one of the country's fastest growing new art rock bands, Sajid & Zeeshan, for the remixing of two Atish Raj songs. Zeeshan who is also a respected young producer is currently working on two Raj songs, "Aftergod" and "War in Heaven." The songs, much to the delight of the Atish Raj fan cult will be launched on Pakistan's popular music website Bandbaja.