Aurthohin: The Phoenix still soars

Walking into a “Cyberpunk 2077”-themed café in Bassbaba Sumon’s residence, it was clear that the SEA legend had ventured into another passion after checking every bucket list item possible for a musician. He started his career in his teens, becoming a cultural icon while revolutionising how the bass, as an instrument, is perceived in Bangladesh, and later collaborating with international musicians like Frank Gambale, Bob Franceschini, and Bubby Lewis.

The conversation with Aurthohin took an instant detour with the mention of me being a fan of ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ as well. “I’ve invested 1,400 hours in the game,” said Bassbaba, who has, by now, become a symbol of resilience. “I have modded the game to oblivion, finished every ending, and used every build humanly possible,” admitted the visibly passionate bassist.

The story writes itself—Bassbaba, who has battled cancer, recovered from a life-threatening accident, and has had 36 surgeries, being fascinated with a game where you undergo surgeries to get “chromed up.”

 Does he ever feel like “ditching” the bass, a very physically taxing instrument on-stage, in light of his health struggles? “Never. Never-ever. Sometimes, I thought I’d just stop singing and focus on the bass,” he said, confirming his love for the instrument that earned him the moniker in the first place. When asked how he could become so proficient in the instrument, his reply was rather unconventional: “At one point in time, I locked myself in a room for 27 days. During that time, all I did was play the bass—and that was enough. That concentrated period of time helped me immensely. I never had to really ‘practice’ for a long stretch after that.”

As we finally managed to steer the conversation back to music, Aurthohin members Shishir Ahmed, Adnan Atique, and Sheikh Reaz chimed in. Shishir was iconic in Aurthohin with both the guitar and keyboard before taking a break. “I think I needed that break, and when Sumon bhai wanted me to join again, I was more than glad to get on board,” he said.

“Phoenixer Diary 2”, the band’s latest album, has made inroads into the playlists of music lovers everywhere, with tracks like “Phoenix 2”, “Nikkrishto 4”, “Cactus” (featuring Bassbaba’s son, Ahnaf Salehin), and “Shikari”. The band remains adamant about wanting to reinvent their sound on every batch of songs they produce. “When we did ‘Guti’, people didn’t understand it,” asserted Sumon. “It took a few years for people to catch on. The same happened with ‘Nikkrishto’ and ‘Phoenix 1’. We were ahead of the times, and I can guarantee that the same will happen with ‘Phoenixer Diary 2’.”

Thanks to the wild success of the film “Bonolota Express”, “Chaite Paro 2” is right at the forefront of popular media. “Tanim Noor has done an excellent job in integrating our music into the film. We congratulate him for his deserved success,” says Bassbaba.

As of now, Aurthohin plans to do a solo show in Chittagong. I was, however, curious as to whether there is a chance of a “reunion” concert where the previous members will join. “We did have a plan to do a reunion when Piklu (Minhaz Ahmed Piklu) was still alive.” However, it does not seem imminent. Despite that, Sumon hopes there will be a reunion show sometime in the future.

Sheikh Reaz, who is one of the founding members of the heavy metal band Mechanix, has recently joined as Aurthohin’s drummer. “It is truly a privilege to play with a band that has paved the way for our country’s music,” he says. Adnan Atique, a relatively new addition, has earned high praise from the band leader, who admires his chemistry with Shishir Ahmed. “At the moment, I am doing my best to live up to what Aurthohin means to its fans,” says the humble Adnan.

Fans are, indeed, the lifeblood of Aurthohin. “We’re pushing on for our fans,” says Bassbaba. “Whatever we’re doing is for our Odbhuts—and for them, we want to surpass ourselves.”

As we reached the conclusion of the interview, it seemed increasingly apparent that Aurthohin has found new life under this solid lineup, and the phoenix will soar for an unforeseen amount of time.