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Personal profile

Hello All, I have joined this community to interact with musicians, producers and labels. I am a multi talented musician with guitars being my main forte. I have been playing the instrument for the last 17 years and have been a part of various bands from the 90’s (‘Fantazia’, ‘Entity’) to the current year(‘kNuMB’, ‘Qayaas’). With an IT degree from Carnegie Mellon University (one of the best in the world), one would have imagined myself to be a geek but I am the total opposite. I not only recorded a whole instrumental album with my band ‘Cocytus’ in USA while doing my Masters but also performed regularly in the Pittsburgh circuit. After returning to Pakistan in 2003, I formed a progressive rock band ‘kNuMB’ (www.knumb.com) who are known for their live performances across Pakistan and are the only band in the country to play a unique mix of songs and guitar instrumentals. I have been a part of two G3 inspired guitar instrumental concerts featuring the prominent guitarists of Pakistan and have just finished writing material for the new instrumental album. I formed ‘Qayaas’ in the summer of 2008 to fulfill my desire to make Urdu songs in the alternative (grunge) and progressive domain and we have just finished recording our debut album. I also have a passion for audio production and have my own state of the art studio set up (Rootgate Studios) in Islamabad where ‘Qayaas’ and ‘kNuMB’ albums have been tracked. Having built my repertoire as a technical guitar player with solid theoretical knowhow,I am also a respected guitar teacher in Islamabad. I also work as an IT Manager managing international projects.

Company profile

My band, Qayaas is the first progressive alternative rock band from Pakistan, a country where traditionally music has been looked down upon rather than being celebrated as an art form. This gives our music a sense of rebellion and a rallying cry for pathos. We are confident that we’ll be able to start a new chapter in the country’s rock and roll history. Qayaas literally translated as deliberation is not only the name of our band but the essence that encapsulates the entire philosophy behind our music. It is the coming together of individual deliberation on inspirational moments, relationships or life in general that take the form of musical notes. Our music and the words that frame them are essentially a spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion. But that is just the beginning of the journey. The idea or feeling taking birth in one band member’s mind is developed and brought to fruition by collective deliberation or Qayaas by the whole band. Five different people, their different moods, outlooks and music philosophies harmoniously blend to form compositions that reflect a coming-together of creative energy. We strongly believe that this creative energy should flow through our compositions and reach our listeners; unadulterated in this wondrous journey by commercial concerns or other shortcuts. Our debut album comprising of 12 songs is complete and we are in the process of releasing more singles, teasers promos and brainstorming over videos. We realize that the while on the surface the situation in the country threatens art disruption, it is also breeding ground for rebellion. Historically, some of the most poignant criticism of war and violence has come from rock musicians and songwriters providing an outlet for the sentiments of public at large. The cathartic quality of rock music that has given voice to the anguish and torment of generations finds a most fitting context in our country. Music can be used as a motivation for the advocacy of a common cause. Our singles “Umeed”, “Tanha” and “Inquilaab” do exactly that. They utilize the ability of music as a potent medium of communication and a form of political activism. We feel that music can go a long way in healing the heartache of our war torn nation and emphasize the importance of unity and keeping a positive outlook in times of struggle (Umeed meaning hope), Anguish (Tanha meaning alone) and the way forward (Inquilaab meaning revolution).