Entity Paradigm (
Punjabi
Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan
* Punjabi language
* Punjabi people
* Punjabi dialects and languages
Punjabi may also refer to:
* Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
, , in English sometimes shortened as EP) was a Pakistani rock band from
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, formed in 2000. The band was founded by songwriter and guitarist
Xulfi, vocalist, songwriter
Fawad Khan and keyboardist and vocalist
Ahmed Ali Butt who were soon joined by Salman Albert on guitars, Ali Asad Khan on drums, Hassaan Khalid on rhythm guitars and Waqar Ahmed on drums, since then there had been many changes in the line-up the only consistent members being Ahmed Ali Butt, Salman Albert, and Hassaan Khalid. Their music is categorized as being associated with both
progressive metal
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
and
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
, yet having been heavily influenced by
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu m ...
and
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
music.
The band is one of the mainstream rock bands in the
Pakistani music industry, even though most of their fans mistakenly categorize them as a metal band. Their debut album, ''
Irtiqa'', released in 2003, is the first mainstream concept album to be released by a Pakistani artist. The album, produced by
Xulfi,
Fawad Khan and
Mekaal Hasan, was critically acclaimed in Pakistan.
In 2007, Entity Paradigm had an interview with a local newspaper in which they announced that the band would disband due to various members aiming to pursue different projects. Early reports from the band hinted towards an album release in late 2004. In 2009, the band announced their official comeback with Fawad Khan and Ahmed Ali Butt in leading positions. However, two of the main members of the band, Xulfi and Sajjad A. Khan, decided not to make a comeback due to work on different projects.
History
Early years (1996–1999)
Initially, Entity and Paradigm were two separate bands that were active in
Lahore's underground music scene.
[Entity Paradigm interview]
Retrieved on 14 May 2009 During the early 2000s, Ahmed Ali Butt, lead vocalist of Entity and Fawad Khan, lead vocalist of Paradigm, were working together for a popular television sitcom ''Jutt and Bond'' aired on
Indus Vision, it was then when the program's director suggested that the actor's bands collaborate and do a title track for the show. Led by
Zulfikar Jabbar Khan, aka Xulfi, lead guitarist of Paradigm, the two bands collaborated and within a week recorded the title song "
Hamein Aazma", which was played at the beginning and end of the show.
Formation (2002)
In early 2002, during this time
Pepsi's Battle of the Bands advertisement began to air on television; the competition called upon entries of aspiring bands from all over Pakistan. Since neither Entity nor Paragidm had any of their independent releases or compilations on the record, they decided to send "Hamein Aazma" to the competition as a collaborative effort. It was during this time Entity Paradigm officially came into being.
Entity Paradigm got together for the Battle of the Bands and went to
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
,
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
, to take part in the competition. The band first took part in the digital round of the competition, where the band went on head to head with two thousand bands from across the four provinces of Pakistan. The competition included competition bands like
Aaroh,
Mekaal Hasan Band and Mizmaar, which also, later on, became popular mainstream rock bands coming from the underground music scene. By then it was speculated that the band initiated the composing of two brand new and improved tracks never heard before, "Kahan Hai Tu" and a cover of the late Sufi singer,
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The band also performed a cover of "Face of Love" American musician
Eddie Vedder at the competition.
After a 16½-months hiatus, during which the competition was being aired on national, cable and satellite television programs, viewers polled for their favorite band in the competition. During this break, Abid Khan, bassist of the band, left to band to travel to England and fulfill certain filial obligations. Bassist, Sajjad Ali Khan was recruited as a replacement for Abid Khan. By then the results of the Battle of the Bands came out and it was told that two bands who made to the finals were Entity Paradigm along with
Aaroh. The band again went on to perform in Karachi to compete at the finals of the competition. Although the band lost to Aaroh by a narrow margin, the band did manage to entertain a strong audience of around 4,000 at the NRA Golf Club, where the finals were held.
Breakthrough era (2002–2005)
On 13 August 2002, Entity Paradigm performed live at the Race Course Park in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...
opening for
Strings. On 20 September 2002, the band made their live debut at the
Lahore Grammar School, Gulberg. The boys were met by a very vocal and receptive crowd that stayed on their feet during the entire performance which lasted for more than an hour. On 1 October 2002,
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
signed Entity Paradigm on a year deal. On 6 October, after their explosive live debut performance at Lahore Grammar School, Gulberg, the band rocked a crowd of more than 600 at the Defence Auditorium. The concert was held under the auspices of Lahore Grammar School, Defence. On 13 October, the band announced that they will be recording their new songs in the studio after a week. The name of both songs were called "Waqt" and "Rahguzar
On 2 November 2002, the band headed off to Karachi to perform at the College of Business & Management. On 6 December 2002, Entity Paradigm released samples of "Waqt" and "Rahguzar". On 7 December, the music video of "
Kahan Hai Tu" was shot at
Walton Airport, Lahore directed by Ahmed Ali Butt, which was attended by a crowd of 150 people for the shooting. On 14 December, the band performed in Karachi again at the PAF Yacht Club. On 27 December, the band along with
Call performed at Lobelia School System, Gulberg in Lahore. On 28 December, Entity Paradigm performed at the Rock Music Festival, the biggest rock music event of Pakistan, held at Alhamra in Lahore.
On 11 January 2003, Entity Paradigm performed along with nine other underground bands at the National Rock Festival 2003 held at the Model Town Club, in Lahore. On 1 October 2003, after recording songs during the summers, the band released their debut full-length studio album, which was slated to be for a 25 September 2003, release date. ''
Irtiqa'', produced by Zulfiqa J. Khan, Fawad A. Khan and songwriter-producer
Mekaal Hasan, became a critical acclaim in Pakistan and became one of the first mainstream concept album released by a Pakistani artist. Singles like "Waqt", "Hamesha", "Aghosh" and "
Kahan Hai Tu" all topped the local music charts. The single "Waqt" also charted at top in India. ''Irtiqa'', meaning progression, revolved around a theme of evolution. The sound of the album is very melodic and doom paced, influenced by
heavy metal and
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
, heavily relied on fast keyboards and drums and heavy guitar riffs. The band also went on a tour all across the country to promote their debut album release.
On 2 February 2005, Entity Paradigm performed a charity concert for the
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami victims along with
Junoon,
Call and
Jal at
Alhamra Auditorium in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...
.
Disbanding and subsequent projects (2007–2008)
On 9 January 2007, Entity Paradigm had an interview with "Images" (Karachi's Dawn newspaper) in which they announced that the band would disband due to various members aiming to pursue different projects. Early reports from the band hinted towards an album release in late 2004, thus far ''
Irtiqa'' is the only album to be released by Entity Paradigm which is distributed by Lips Records.
After the group's breakup, Zulfiqar J. Khan and Waqar A. Khan joined
Call and Zulfiqar J. Khan directed a new single, "Shayad" which top the charts and
Call released their debut album ''
Jilawatan''. Later on Waqar subsequently left the band. Fawad A. Khan continued his acting career. He first appeared in the second highest-grossing film of Pakistan, ''
Khuda Kay Liye''. Salman Albert, Waqar A. Khan and Hassan Khalid accompanied Ahmed Ali Butt to form a new band,
Rubberband
A rubber band (also known as an elastic band, gum band or lacky band) is a loop of rubber, usually ring or oval shaped, and commonly used to hold multiple objects together. The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845 by Stephen P ...
and released a new single "Chall". Ahmed Ali Butt continued working on other projects like Rubberband and worked for television channels including
AAG TV and Wikkid.
Reunion (2009)
On 12 March 2009, Entity Paradigm announced its official return by performing for the first time in over four years. The performance was held at
LUMS LUMS or lums may refer to:
*Lahore University of Management Sciences
* London Universities Mooting Shield
*Lancaster University Management School
*Lum's
Lum's was an American family restaurant chain based in Florida with additional locations in ...
and was attended by an enthusiastic audience. Without Xulfi and Sajjad A. Khan, the current formation of the band includes Fawad Khan on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Ahmed Ali Butt on keyboards and vocals, Hassan Khalid on bass, Salman Albert on lead guitars, and Waqar Khan on drums. Unfortunately, the reunion did not make big news in the press and media.
Shortly after their reunion, they went on performing in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
at
Ramada Hotel
Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. As of December 31, 2018, it operates 811 hotels with 114,614 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand.
Name
The ''Ramada'' name derives from ...
on 1 May, where the band debuts their new song "
Shor Macha". They also announced that their second album will be released in December 2010. On 28 June, Entity Paradigm was going to make the long-awaited comeback at
Lok Virsa Theater,
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capita ...
, but did not play at their gig at the concert which created chaos among fans. In response to the violence, Fawad Afzal Khan, the lead vocalist of the band, responded that it was due to mismanagement of the organizers the band was not able to perform at the concert.
Ushering a new revival (2010–2015)
On 13 February 2010, Entity Paradigm along with Bilal Khan performed at
Lahore Grammar School (Defence Phase V Branch) in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...
. In February, news broke about Entity Paradigm taking part in the
Coke Studio the third season and were found jamming with
Arif Lohar at Coke Studio in Karachi. It was also reported that they are going to perform a song together. On 20 February, the band announced that they will be shooting the video of their new single "
Shor Macha" and through Facebook invited fans to take part in the shooting of the music video. On 26 February, Entity Paradigm again performed at
Lahore Grammar School (Johar Town Branch) in Lahore. On 21 March, EP performed at the Battle Field Arena and then on
Pakistan Day, 23 March, the band performed at
LUMS LUMS or lums may refer to:
*Lahore University of Management Sciences
* London Universities Mooting Shield
*Lancaster University Management School
*Lum's
Lum's was an American family restaurant chain based in Florida with additional locations in ...
one year after their reunion there.
On 15 May, the lineup for Coke Studio confirmed that Entity Paradigm will feature in the third season along with many well known artists and bands like
Noori,
Aunty Disco Project
Aunty Disco Project ( in English sometimes shortened as ADP) is an indie rock band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, formed in 2006. ,
Karavan,
Abida Parveen and many other successful musicians. On 8 June, it was confirmed that EP will perform at the Coke Studio second session along with
Noori,
Zeb and Haniya, Amanat Ali, Fakir Juman Shah and Rizwan & Muazzam. On 20 June, EP paid tribute to
Sajjad Ali
Sajjad Ali (born 1962) is a Pakistani semi-classical, pop and rock singer, poet, actor, film director as well as a film producer from Karachi, Pakistan. by performing the song "Bolo Bolo" at the Coke Studio third season second session, "Will".
On 24 July, Entity Paradigm performed at the
Saint Mary's Academy, it was the first time that the band performed after their reunion, in
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
. On 2 August, the band went on to perform at BMUN (Beaconhouse Model United Nations) 2010 held in the capital city,
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capita ...
. On 7 August, the band performed at the
Carlton Hotel along with
Overload and
Strings in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
. On 13 August, Entity Paradigm released "Shor Macha" as the first single from their upcoming second studio album, the music video of the song was a dedication to all Pakistanis. The music video of the song was sponsored by
djuice and directed by Bilal Lashari. On 7 October, the band released the first teaser of their upcoming documentary, ''
Kuch Shor Macha - The Documentary'', directed by Syed Atef Amjad Ali. Two days later, the band released another teaser of their upcoming documentary. On 26 December, in an online poll by Dawn News, the band's video for their single, "Shor Macha", was voted as the second-best music video of 2010.
On 24 May 2011, Entity Paradigm confirmed, through their
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
page, that they are working on new tracks and will release a new track "Ajab Tamasha" soon. In September, EP's music video for their single "Shor Macha" directed by
Bilal Lashari
Bilal Lashari is a Pakistani filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter and occasional actor. He made his directorial debut with '' Waar'' (2013), which at the time of release became Pakistan's highest-grossing film (currently 11th highest). His ...
was nominated for the "Best Music Video" award at the
Lux Style Awards.
On 18 May 2012, Entity Paradigm confirmed, through their Facebook page, that lead vocalist,
Fawad Khan have left the band to pursue his acting career and also, the band confirmed the departure of drummer Waqar Ahmed Khan who moved to Islamabad from Lahore. The three remaining band members, Ahmed Ali Butt, Hassaan Khalid, and Salman Albert confirmed that the trio are working on new material and will shortly release a music video of their new single, "Ajab Tamasha".
On 1 December, Entity Paradigm released their single "Ajab Tamasha" which featured
Overload's vocalist and drummer
Farhad Humayun on drums. The song was released as a celebration of EP's 10th anniversary as a band.
Afterward the band started launching a promo for a new song titled "Zaher", but its release had to be delayed due to members working on different projects. The song along with the music video was released in 2015 featuring
Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch and
Ahmed Ali Butt on vocals and
Salman Albert on guitars and was not released as an EP song. The band went into hiatus and a question mark was put on all EP projects.
Recently in 2017 at ''
Pepsi Battle of the Bands'' season 2, EP made a surprise comeback in this year's installment, leaving the audience longing for more. Hits such as ''Kahan Hai Tu'' and ''Waqt'' were amongst the fans' favorites.
Music style and influences
The band is heavily influenced by
western music rock artists like
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...
,
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wi ...
,
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked b ...
,
Rage Against the Machine,
Tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
,
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and dr ...
and
Oleander. Entity Paradigm is one of the first bands in Pakistan to have two vocalists and two drummers and up to eight members in a band. Their music is a fusion of different elements like
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
and
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
, all of which merge in unique consonance to create a raw, new sound, never heard before in Pakistan. The band works on the belief that their music, their lyrics, should tell a story, tender a philosophy and above all else – inspire and instigate change. Inducing metamorphosis in thought and perception is what the band aims for through its music. The band's tracks are characterized by dark, melancholy, ambient preludes and interludes, pulsating drum beats, electronica, like scratches and other sound-effects, reverberating vocals and raw, scathing guitar riffs backed up by delicate string work on the rhythms. All of which makes for a very magnified soundscape – a creative effort that thrives on the diversity, dissonance and varying backgrounds that each of the members of the band bring to it. Their music consisted of themes of self-reflection and existentialism.
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Irtiqa'' (2003)
Videography
* ''Irtiqa Live & Plugged DVD'' (2005)
Band members
;Final Line-up
*
Fawad Afzal Khan – rhythm guitar, vocals
(2000–2007, 2009–2012, 2017)
*
Ahmed Ali Butt – vocals
(2000–2007, 2009–2015, 2017)
*
Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan – lead guitar, vocals
(2000–2007, 2017)
*Salman Albert – lead guitar, percussion, drums, vocals
(2000–2007, 2009–2015, 2017)
*Hassaan Khalid – bass guitar, rhythm guitar
(2000–2007, 2009–2015, 2017)
*Sajjad Ali Khan – bass guitar
(2002–2007, 2017)
;Former
*Asad Ali Khan - lead, rhythm and bass guitars, drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2000-2002)
*Waqar Ahmed Khan – drums, percussion
(2000–2007, 2009–2012)
Timeline
Awards and nominations
, -
! colspan="4" style="background:#bfd7ff",
Indus Music Awards
, -
, 2004
, "Aghosh"
, Best Alternative Song
,
, -
, 2005
, "Waqt"
, Best Rock Song
,
, -
!style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="4",
Lux Style Awards
, -
,
2006
, "
Irtiqa"
, Best Music Video
,
, -
,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, "
Shor Macha"
, Best Music Video
,
See also
*
List of Pakistani music bands
The rise of musical bands in Pakistan began in the 1980s when cassettes first came into Pakistan bringing in a wave of Western rock music. Western-influenced rock music began to feature in underground concerts all across the country. In the 19 ...
References
External links
Official Facebook page*
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 2000
Musical groups disestablished in 2007
Musical groups reestablished in 2009
Musical quintets
Pakistani heavy metal musical groups
Musical groups from Lahore
Progressive metal musical groups
Rapcore groups