Bangladesh’s music scene has experienced many evolutions and revolutions. As the years pass by, many artists are working tirelessly to introduce new genres of music to their listeners and broadening their taste buds in the process. Tonmoy DG is one such artist who has been pioneering Bangladesh’s underground techno scene. A marketeer by the week holding a full-time corporate job and a bonafide dj/curator over the weekend, he has been actively working to shapen house & techno music landscape in Dhaka for over a decade now.
Like most kids growing up in the 90s, Tonmoy too grew up listening to rock and heavy metal and was immersed in the culture. “I saw a lot of iconic bands perform live both home and abroad and always yearned to contribute to the scene someday somehow,” Tonmoy stated. He always had a natural inclination towards music and was always curious to explore new artists and new genres. “I remember walking into CD stores and spending hours browsing through different genres of music & that’s how I got hold of my first electronic music album. The first albums I bought were by Creamfields, Paul Oakenfold & Tiesto – at that time trance was creating waves globally. I still have them,” he recalled.
He was introduced into a new world and in 2015, he got the chance to merge his love for electronic music and his wishes of contributing to the music scene. “I started getting involved with the scene as a curator of gigs along with my friends. Notable early influence was – attending Strictly’s event , MidNyt Run with whom I started a Soundcloud page called ‘ Your Soul Theory’ & Farmhaus crew,” Tonmoy elaborated. His big break came during lockdown when he got stuck in Mumbai during a work trip. When the whole world was in a standstill, Tonmoy’s musical aspirations started moving forward. “I used to join live stream shows hosted by house/techno labels like: Lost & Found, Bunker Session by John Digweed, All Day I Dream & Anjundeep along with my friends and slowly those sessions transitioned into me mixing for them,” he stated. Tonmoy’s involvement kept on reaching newer levels as he continued to overcome the steep learning curve.
Once Tonmoy returned home post covid, his friends opened the door for him to perform in gigs and events and he excelled. He quickly adopted his own sound identity which was very well received by audiences and ravers alike. “I got extremely lucky to have the support of my friends and also constant encouragement from audiences through their reception. I don’t want my sets to be me fixated into one genre as I see them as a living experience which needs to evolve and fuse in, to create memories. I dabble with are – electronica, progressive house, house, indie and melodic breaks –
His journey has seen him become a pioneering figure in Bangladesh’s underground house and techno scene as both a promoter and artist. “The scene is experiencing a massive growth and is spreading from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar. There is an influx of young and aspiring artists who are trying to push the envelope and take the dancefloor by storm,” he stated. Tonmoy is also transcending international borders as he has become a regular fixture in India’s electronic scene as well. “I shared the stage with giants of their scene such as ke Sanjay Dutta & Weird Sound Dude at the Music Alley Festival in Nahldera, Shimla. I was humbled by the positive reaction from my global audience. I also got invited to play for CME, India at Raasta Mumbai alongside MANA & D-minor. I will be returning sometime in November again”, he explained.
Tonmoy is spearheading a new revolution in our music industry that has seen the rise of the event culture. “We now have a wide array of artists playing different genres, number of house/techno music events have also increased, and young people are joining the scene both as curator and DJs. The industry is heading in the right direction. In today’s digital world exploring music has become more accessible, all you need to be is to be open to new ideas. I also urge everyone in the scene to travel and attend music festivals so that you can soak in and get perspective on how the global scene is evolving and bring it back here with a new twist”, he added to his concluding notes.
