Mekaal Hasan, known as the founder of the Mekaal Hasan Band, is a skilled music producer who has to his credit a number of thrilling records. Currently in Lahore, where he is wrapping up work to ensure that his upcoming releases (which include a terrific live album) emerge as planned, Hasan, unlike other industry veterans, is aware of the music scene and what’s happening in it.
SoundBytes
The revered producer on new ideas in music.
Mekaal Hasan, known as the founder of the Mekaal Hasan Band, is a skilled music producer who has to his credit a number of thrilling records. Currently in Lahore, where he is wrapping up work to ensure that his upcoming releases (which include a terrific live album) emerge as planned, Hasan, unlike other industry veterans, is aware of the music scene and what’s happening in it.
When Hasan sat down with Instep earlier this month for an extensive interview, he pointed out that quality music is not coming from mainstream corridors but from the indie/alternative scene that is brimming with talent.
“The actual original stuff coming out is from the indie artists who are doing good work,” shared Hasan. “Red Blood Cat, Takatak, Keeray Makoray, these are good bands. But these guys have been playing for a while now so they’re not brand new. They’ve been around.”
Legends everyday: Mekaal Hasan, Ahsan Bari and Faraz Anwar exchange notes in this BTS image prior to the MHB/Sounds of Kolachi show that took place in Karachi during Tabeer Tour 2016 and had music fans riveted.
He added that though people are writing new songs, they need to be marketed properly. “People are writing new songs. The issue is they don’t market well. You have to do it. We too are an indie band. We do everything ourselves. We make our own albums, music videos and artwork. We don’t get any corporate help.”
While the Mekaal Hasan Band has undergone a transformation of sorts with Sharmista Chatterjee and Humera Channa taking on vocal duties that once belonged to Javed Bashir, Hasan is still doing remarkable things as the chief architect of the MHB sound and is happy to be in the company of these accomplished women.
“I’m working more and more with women,” he agreed. “While in Canada on tour, we played with Haniya (Aslam) and her band. We did her set and then we did our set. Haniya has also written a brilliant song for Dobara Phir Se.”
Hasan’s alter ego in music, the music group MHB will release a live album as well as the group’s third studio album, Andholan later this year while the producer in him is also active. Having worked with artists as eclectic and diverse as Sounds of Kolachi and Poor Rich Boy in the studio, Hasan lends his expertise without judgment.
“The records immediately sound different when people are playing,” he told Instep. “Sounds of Kolachi’s Elhaam is a great example. You can’t sequence that. It has the sound of a band because it is a band playing. SOK album had a lot of people performing on it. You can’t do that with loops so that was a completely different experience.”
Expanding on why music groups are important, he further stated, “People need to decide why they want to form a band. Do they have the players that they want to work with? It is expensive to run a band. Everyone has to be paid; it involves a lot of people than just one guy sitting with a keyboard.”
Poor Rich Boy, the Lahore-based music group who has put out several beautiful songs (and albums), is another name that Hasan is associated with but he maintains that the credit for PRB songs belongs to Zain Ahsan.
“Poor Rich Boy is Zain Ahsan’s vision. He decides on the sounds and what the mix should sound like. I just mix for him. I don’t make that many creative suggestions with Poor Rich Boy because he’s already got it figured.”
