About Ajob :
The subtle verve floats from the drift-away voice of Gourab as the rhythmic guitar playing of Harold and Bariul creates the subtle backdrop for the next new age musical troupe to strike both the spiritual and the musical chord of Dhaka’s variety-hungry audience. Ajob, literally meaning ‘Weird’, is not just another intrigue-junkie fusion band with no teeth. Almost all the songs of their upcoming self-titled album exude musical experimentation of the finest order. Starting from the spiritual ambience of Bhobo Taney, layered with the distinct slice of transient divinity, to the mellow and groovy beats of Adorer Manush, their music is not just new — it’s good music.

New Line-up: Gourav (Vocals) Resalat (Bass) Bariul (Guitar) Harold (Guitar) Momtaz (Tabla) Saion (Drums)

Band Line-up:
Harold Joins Ajob: Like a banyan tree shading the young saplings, and sometimes even vice versa, Harold Rashid of Ujan-fame has joined hands with the young artisans to rediscover the enchanted elixir of music that he has been looking for all his life. And maybe even as a torch-bearer of Harold’s life’s devotion to the art of music is the fact that the Resalat, the band’s bassist, is considered as one of the most promising guitarists of the country.

Creating Music:
‘To put it simply, we love music. No compromise when it comes to creating it.‘We have been doing music all our life. We have, literally, grown up doing music. Almost all the band members are childhood pals. So doing music comes naturally to us,’ says Bariul.

Our Music:
We work on each and every song over and over to bring out exactly what we wanted it to be, says Gourab, who is the vocal with other traditional instrumental credits to his name. While the melodies of Ajob’s songs are its skeletal backdrops, which they claim to be a collaborative effort, the rich, folksy lyrics may as well be termed as the skin that radiates life. Other than Adorer Manush, written by Bariul, and the Lalon renditions, the rest of the lyrics have been written by Gourab.

Harold's word of Inspiration:
‘While Ujan was something out of my personal passion, this (Ajob) is my attempt to do music with the next generation. The most amazing aspect that I find with these musicians is that they are not just talented but so dedicated. I have seen in front of my own eyes, how they have listened to the best music from all over the world, and yet they eventually turned to their roots to do serious work,’ says Harold. He adds, ‘They make me proud.’

Achivements :
We are extremely indebted to Ektaar, our label, to have been so patient with our almost irritating demands. A New Album is coming out in May, 2005 with title Ajob.

Edited by Nahidul Haq
Courtesy:
Ajob & New Nation