A journey that took flight in 2016 through synchronised bond, shared interest and a striking friendship has created music that touches the soul of thousands. A new taste to Nepali music industry, this independent band majorly creates bilingual songs with most of them in English language. The immersion in two languages with multiple genres, the band ‘Phosphenes’ shares pure introspective value with the music they create.
From EPs ‘Know This Time’, ‘Simit Yaad’, and album ‘Sullen Days’ with breakout hits like ‘Yestai Nai Hola’ and ‘Eklai Huda Ta Jhan’, and the new album ‘Sleep On The Grass’, by every new release, Phosphenes introduce the listeners with music that feels both fresh and familiar. They blend elements of indie folk, alternative pop, and indie-rock which connects people with their own emotions and helps them find comfort.
The band’s eclecticism shines through Indie Folk & Pop, Electronic & EDM, Psychedelic & Sci-fi rock in their songs. Phosphenes band member Prajwal Aryal says, “We believe music is not supposed to be restricted in the same genre; it is to be explored and we have similar views on it which is why our dynamic works.” Their musical evolution reflects years of experimentation and their musical inspirations in their different life phases. Likewise, the lyrical part of their songs are inspired from their love for literature; emotional depth and philosophical perception are resonated in their songs with their own way of shaping stories.
In this rapidly changing world, where preferences and dynamic changes, the band has been going through different transformations. They have been tapping other genres as well as expanding it.
They say, “Our genre hasn’t completely changed but we’re leaning more towards a new sound.” For them, their latest album ‘Sleep On The Grass’ is an outcome of their exploration and visions throughout their musical journey. It is also the result of years of expansion and growth which has the essence of their earlier songs along with the new evolving approach to music. The usual genres and inclusion of Space-Rock, Sci-fi stories, capitalism, are the addition to the album. Abhishekh Pokhrel says, “In the future, our music might be different from what we have been making, in a sense we are trying to create a prism, where we are the glass structure, our co-creativity is the single beam of white light, and the music we make is the rainbow spectrum of different genres and sounds.”
The band rewinding moments of nostalgia and emotional intensity that transport listeners back in time has been 10 years. In this journey, the band followed Bob Dylan’s way of “the stream of consciousness” to let the lyrics and rhythm have a direct, unfiltered mirror of thoughts with a natural flow rather than being confined by structure and preciseness. The raw feeling from their music leads people to find relatability and signifies perseverance of individuality. “When we used to have intimate shows, people came up to us and asked to never stop making music. They said our music healed them. Thinking of this makes us really emotional and knowing that our music resonates with others inspires us to keep creating.
Our listeners are at the heart of what we do”, they share.
They dedicate the line, “I hope I’ll be mine.” from the song ‘Sleeping On The Grass’, to every lost soul who is searching for a place to belong; searching for themselves. They express one’s spiritual plea to awaken their inner innocence and escape the chaotic, materialistic distractions of the modern world with the ending poem from the same song:
Deep in the forest, I can hear my soul
Breathing, in a mist, wavering around the sun
While the flowers bloom and the Bloomberg is playing around
Without making any noise, till someone came and distorted the vision
Walt Whitman can you hear me?
My soul is drenched in a gutter, in everlasting chaos
Wake up my child, the child within me.
Text: Bijaya Shiwakoti
Photos: Sanjay Maharjan
