KARACHI:
Dark was the Night, Cold was the Ground by Blind Willie Johnson is perhaps the greatest blues song ever written. Though covered by a bevy of artists over the decades, there is none that matches the original. No musician has managed to express the despair and ache that came naturally to blind and broke Willie Johnson.
From his guitar picking to the strange amalgamation of humming and melancholic moaning, it’s just magnificent.
It isn’t coincidental or surprising that the song has the unique distinction of being one of the 27 pieces of music sent to the Voyager Golden Record, which was launched into space in ’77.
But why are we talking about a blues singer from the ‘20s? Has the greatest generation of music passed us by or, to put it crudely, dead? To answer this question, we only need to hear the music.
Bob Dylan may have inspired countless bands around the world, especially in the United States of America, but he was inspired by the genius of Woodie Guthrie. Who is the Woodie Guthrie of music today? The jury’s still out.
Forgetting sales figure (since it’s a barometer of popularity and not talent) for a minute and focusing on music alone, some of the greatest acts are gone.
The era of The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, Elvis Costello, Jimi Hendrix and The Clash is behind us. The greatest days of Guns N’ Roses, who gave us mammoth records like Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion I and II, are behind us.
Kurt Cobain is dead and Nirvana no longer exists. The voice of the disenfranchised and the broken Kurt Cobain will remain one of the best singer-songwriters the world has ever heard. Though Dave Grohl made Foo Fighters formidable, he just doesn’t possess the magnetism that made Kurt so endearing or that self-loathing that made millions connect with him on a personal level.
REM, led by the incredible Michael Stipe, is thankfully alive but the band disbanded. U2 is around but the band hasn’t produced a timeless record like The Joshua Tree in years. The same holds true for other artists like Madonna and Prince. What was groundbreaking once upon a time is now meaningless and discomforting.
The mid ‘90s took Kurt Cobain away forever while Guns N’ Roses lost the plot. Artists like Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Tori Amos and Brit-acts like Radiohead and Travis made sense and redeemed faith in music.
In recent years, artists like Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Kaiser Chiefs, Jack White and his various bands as well as solo projects, Peter Doherty and his various band albums as well as solo records, MGMT, Chris Cornell have put the punch back in music. And they are many others I’m missing, so forgive me.
The rules of the music industry changed over a number of decades. Up is down. Down is up. Vinyl is obsolete, the internet has empowered musicians with the choice of simply making their music available to the world for free or at a reasonable price and Steve Jobs changed the way we consume music with the iPod and the iTunes store. Record sales go up with an artist like Adele but, by and large, record sales are down.
What happens now?
Perhaps the greatest era of music is over. How else can one explain the enormous success of acts like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, One Direction, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj? However, one thing that’s changed is the homegrown seen in Pakistan. While the focus is almost always on mainstream acts like Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar or Strings, there are musicians who have given Pakistan an alternative.
There are beatsmiths like Talal Qureshi, Dalt Wisney, Smax, Toll Crane, TMPST, Rudoh, Friedi, Alien Panda Jury, DynoMan, Dreadnaught, Noahs Heark and many more making music that is as global as it is gets. They are bold and courageous musicians who are unwilling to compromise on their sound, which is experimental and evolving.
Mooshy Moo, a net label launched by Dalt Wisney (Sheryar Hyatt) and Forever South, a collective of beatsmiths, have a roster of some fine artists. Most of these artists can be heard on Soundcloud and often release their albums for free. They are making their own rules as they go along. And as for the beats, they range from slick to tribal, organic, hazy, soothing, trip-hopping and ultimately engaging.
English-language bands like //orangenoise have introduced Pakistan to a whole new genre called shoegaze. Sajid and Zeeshan’s contribution cannot be missed with two solid albums under their belt. Poor Rich Boy’s Old Money is just a beautiful record and proof that songwriting is an art.
Mole’s debut album, We’re Always Home, released in 2008, mish-mashed genres from punk to indie, video games and much more, bringing to mind bands like Animal Collective, Boards of Canada and many more. Mole returned with another EP, Visiting I, a couple of years later and still play together whenever possible. Basheer & The Pied Pipers produced a jaw-dropping, heart melting self-titled album with breathtaking songs like Once Again, Circling Nowhereand Monsoon.
Over the years, Co-Ven’s line-up has changed. Once upon a time, the band featured Ali Noor. Now that spot belongs to the super-talented Hamza Jafri.
Some of these artists reside in Pakistan while some live abroad. But their collective input to the sound industry of Pakistan is nothing short of genius. As listeners, we just have to pay attention.
