Atish Raj
| Atish Raj | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Genres | Industrial rock, Progressive rock, Art rock |
| Years active | 1994–1996; 2006–2007 |
| Associated acts | Sajid & Zeeshan |
| Past members |
Nadeem F. Paracha Rome K. Kashif Caan Zeeshan Parwez |
Atish Raj (Urdu: آتش راج; Fiery Reign, also spelled, Aatish Raj), was an industrial and avant-garde Pakistani rock band formed and fronted by Pakistani music journalist and writer, Nadeem F. Paracha.
The band only recorded two albums between 1994 and 1995 and distributed only a few copies.
History
Atish Raj was formed by Paracha in 1994. The band recorded at Paracha's house and they made sure to be constantly intoxicated with various drugs while composing and recording. Not surprisingly, all band members were plagued by drug problems. They disbanded in late 1996.
Relaunch
In a recent development Paracha was approached by Zeeshan Pervez, leader of Sajid & Zeeshan, for the remixing of two Atish Raj songs. Zeeshan worked on the 1995 Raj song "War in Heaven." The song was relaunched in February 2007.
Members
(1994–96)
- Nadeem F. Paracha (Electric Guitar, Bass guitar, Composition, "Synth-FX", Vocals)
- Rome K. (Electric Guitar, Found Sounds, Synthesizer)
- Kashif Caan (Drum Machine, Synthesizer)
(2006–2007)
- Nadeem F. Paracha (Guitars, Bass, Drum Machine, Synth-FX, Music, Words)
- Zeeshan Pervez (Synthesizer, Keyboards, Cello, "Found Sounds")
Albums
Hard Tar & Black Bile (1994)
Hard Tar & Black Bile is Atish Raj's debut album, a predominantly instrumental one. A cult favourite in Pakistan, the album was recorded in 1994 as a concept to "capture the sounds of various types of psychosis."
In 2007, two songs from the album, "The Aftergod" and "War in Heaven" were picked up by Pakistan's rising art rock act, Sajid & Zeeshan and remixed.
Baaghiraja (1995)
The second album by Atish Raj, Baaghiraja, was recorded in 1995 as a second phase in the band's experiment to replicate sounds of various kinds of psychosis.