By Maliha Rehman
This ‘Sound station’ is yet to disappoint – churning out thumping, addictive, youthful mixes of electro-pop and playing them out against fascinating visuals. The lineup of artists that have been part of Velo Sound Station’s (VSS) successive seasons has boasted a prodigious mix of veterans and wunderkinds with huge fan followings. The name of the producer helming the show has also always incited as much excitement, if not more.
In 2020, there was Bilal Maqsood, in what was noticed as his first solo stint after the break-up of Strings. It was a debut season that had people sitting up and taking notice. Guided by Bilal’s vision, funky electric sounds were mixed with pre-recorded videos of artists performing to an audience in a club. There were neon lights, dance, smoke machines and props adding effect and the Pakistani music landscape was awakened to a new experience – where visuals played a major role in a song making impact.
It was an exciting first season heralding the resurgence of fast-paced, electronic music that you’d play out loud in your car or when friends came over. There were songs that you wanted to play – videos that you wanted to see – again and again.
And yet, the next season came after three odd years. This time, another renowned veteran – Rohail Hyatt – was on board, with Kamal Khan and Zeeshan Perwaiz as directors. The music was catchy and the visuals were really something else. Tech-savvy and very vibrant, each video showed artists performing in different parts of a club. They grooved and sang and flirted with the camera against multi-colored artistic settings and visual effects. It was fun and once again, an indication of the new wave of music that Pakistan wanted to listen to.
It was also markedly different from the only ‘other’ behemothian music platform in Pakistan – the longstanding Coke Studio (CS). Unlike many other contenders who had tried to blatantly follow in CS’ footsteps, VSS had, with just two seasons, created a marked identity of its own and attracted in a unique fan-following. At this fledgling stage, though, would the platform continue to be a success? Or would the hype and innovation fizzle out?
These were questions that did come to mind. Not every platform manages to be around for the long haul – some are short-term wonders. What would VSS’ fate turned out to be? It all depended on how the platform fared in the next few seasons – and rumor has it that the third season of VSS is in the works.
However, there has been no official announcement. Will the third season be releasing soon or will the makers take their time coming up with a format that is up to par with its previous counterparts?
Moreover, who will the producer be? Will Rohail be coming back again? Probably not. In that case, will another veteran from the music industry be taking over the reins? Or is it possible that a very unlikely – but exciting – name will be on board the Sound Station?
The latter may just turn out to be true. Rumor has it that, stepping away from the longtime music veterans, VSS’ third season will be orchestrated by filmmaker Bilal Lashari. This isn’t confirmed, although the notion is intriguing – and also, puzzling. Admittedly, creative, technically strong visuals have been VSS’ forte but it is ultimately a musical platform. Can a filmmaker understand the nuances of mixing and merging different sounds and balancing the creative side to music with commercial appeal?
Perhaps Bilal Lashari can. One recalls a conversation with Rohail Hyatt from some years ago when he had talked about the VSS experience, describing his role to be that of a ‘head cook overseeing the kitchen while the cooking was being done by someone else’. He had revealed that the younger producers and teams had played a significant part in the creative process and artists had been asked to suggest different songs. Once a song was finalized, the platform simply highlighted it.
Nevertheless, even this selection process requires a strong know-how of music – which leads one to wonder if Bilal, should the rumors turn out to be true, will be assisted by a team of expert music producers and directors?
As far as visuals go, one expects nothing short of the spectacular from Bilal Lashari. The filmmaker, screenwriter and cinematographer is best known as the mastermind behind The Legend of Maula Jutt (TLOMJ), veritably Pakistan’s finest movie in terms of storytelling, technical expertise as well as box office returns. However, even before TLOMJ stormed into Pakistani cinemas, Bilal had directed the trailblazing action-thriller Waar as well as multiple music videos, winning awards and rave reviews throughout.
And while his education and experience may be in the field of filmmaking rather than music, one does know that Bilal is a perfectionist with a wild, extraordinary creative vision. Throughout his career, when he has taken on a project, he has ensured that it pushes boundaries, makes impact and sets the bar very, very high. At this initial point, when nothing is confirmed, Bilal may seem to be an unlikely choice as VSS’ producer. However, with an accomplished team of music professionals on board, he could steer the platform into an exciting new direction.
Or perhaps the talk is merely hearsay and the new VSS producer will be a major name from the music industry after all.
Who could the rest of the team be? This is where the rumors stop – one doesn’t know yet. Will VSS’ thumping, electrifying run continue with the third season? Will Bilal Lashari – should he be on board – usher in a new wave of visuals to the musical stratosphere? Will the music also continue to make waves? Is the recording of the new season already in the works or is it in just getting planned at the moment?
We will know soon.
What do you think?