Dindūn is an indie Bangla-Sylheti synth-folk/alternative-folk outfit, comprising Kolkata-bred musicians Sourjyo Sinha, Proiti Seal Acharya and Rohit Ganesh It bursts onto the scene recently with its eponymous debut EP. This home recorded project features lyrics that alternate between Bangla, written by Acharya, and Sylheti, written by Sinha.
The album opens with the very melodic and soothing instrumental opener, ‘Nongpoh’. The track serenades with an upbeat melody and violins that resonate with a unique melancholic charm. Minimalistic shoegaze profoundly inspires the melody.
The track, ‘Jekhane Alo Pore’ loosely translates to “Where the sunlight falls”. The track picks up the baton and runs with the same melodic aesthetic conceived in the opener. The soft vocals describe a reclusive person who refuses to reveal himself in the light. When it’s daytime, he shuts the curtains to keep the light out. The melody unconditionally forces the listener to empathise with him with its gentle and moving instrumentals which almost prevent the listener from noticing the absence of drums.
‘Megh Daakher’ is a more stripped back and catchy track with its titular refrain which loosely translates ‘into under the clouds’. It tells the story of how everything the protagonist had built up until now broke down and washed away when the rains came pouring down. The narrator proceeds to contemplate the necessity to try and rebuild after the catastrophe. The track builds on top of the melancholic lyrics layered on top of soothing instrumentals’.
The closing track, ‘Chandor Tolay Dekha Hoibo’ is an interesting track which conjures up a surreal image of a campfire in the rain. The song delivers an emotional and impactful experience using very subtle guitars, slick keyboard blemishes and an atmospheric synthesiser which hangs in the background.
At four tracks and 14 minutes, it is a beautiful, melodic and minimalistic EP which delivers the emotional brunt of loss and isolation without overindulging itself. The lyrics are introspective, direct and are incredibly endearing even to someone who has no idea what they mean. The dreamy, monsoon inspired aesthetic bodes well with the bleak and gloomy contents of the vocals. It is a perfect example of how music can transcend linguistic and racial boundaries when it comes to conveying a set of strong and visceral emotions.
Dindūn features a very detailed and nuanced production quality with intricately layered instrumentals and a dark subject matter conveyed in a manner reminiscent of a mother speaking to her baby in its cradle. It is clear that the project has a lot to bring to the table and will hopefully, continue to do so with its eagerly anticipated future releases.
