Studio Sound Garden
By Shamma M. Raghib and Zeeshan B. Rahman
No my dear musical friends, this article is not about some band called 'Sound Garden'. For those of you who are still in the blue, this familiar name is the name of a very popular and progressing song-recording studio; a name, which we often see in album-covers of artists and bands alike. Recently, thanks to recorder Durey, we at the Rising Stars got a chance to explore the mystifying cubicle, inside which many prolific artists recorded their best and most famous albums.
Located at Hatirpul (opposite the kitchen market), the recording studio is nothing extraordinary from the outside on first sight, but in the inside, it is a whole new story. When we first saw the studio's office we were a little surprised that it wasn't as grandiose as we expected. But the magic of Sound Garden lies not in its office but in the studio. The studio is divided in two parts. One of these parts is where the mixing/recording takes place. 
This part consists of all the recording instruments the mixer, the recorder and a computer. There's also a sofa at one corner of the room. Sound Garden uses a 'Sound Craft - DC 2000' mixer which is capable of receiving mixing audio from 24 inputs at a time. The other part of the studio is a sound proof cubicle where artists have to sing or play their instruments. The cubicle only consists of a 'Precision' drum kit. The bands have to bring their own instruments besides that.
As we talked to Durey bhai, we learnt that Imran Ahmed Mobin first started Sound Garden studio in the year 1994. The studio is owned by Golden Music and run by studio manager Porimal Da. Several prolific bands often do their recordings here; bands such as Feelings, LRB and Miles need no intro. It's the same for the popular bands of this generation like Artcell, Black and Cryptic Fate. If you stand in front of the studio long enough on some hot summer afternoon, you might as well be lucky enough to get a glimpse of the members of or whole of any well-known band. We had the opportunity to meet Shafin, the drummer of the band Shironamhin. This is what he had to say about the studio 'Sound Garden is undoubtedly one of the best recording studios in Bangladesh. As a drummer I can also say that the drums input here is of exceptionally good quality.'
As we talked with Durey bhai, we learnt that the recording process takes several steps. The exact details of the recording session costs could not be known, however, we found out that the half sessions usually last for four hours, while the full session lasts for eight hours. At the start of the recording session, the drums are recorded, followed by the guitars, base, keyboards and lastly the vocals. Each instrument is recorded separately in magnetic tapes in the recorder. After that, the audio input is transferred to the computer and digitally mastered. Mixing is the crucial step here, since the output of the whole song depends on it. In this case, Durey bhai is the maestro, dealing with every song as delicately and attentively as if it were one's child.
For the avid music-heads, we may let out a bit of secret. Sound Garden's upcoming releases are as follows: the debut album of the band Scarecrow, a band mixed album: Haatiyar and also the 2nd album of Shironamhin: Ichheghuri.
All in a day's work, we departed from the recording studio with a whole new feeling of respect for those who work so hard to entertain us. Thanks are in order to Durey bhai for giving us his precious time and also to the staff of Sound Garden for delivering to us the sweet sound we call 'music'!
Gokhra's Pick
Review By Gokhra
Inspector Jacques Clouseau became famous as the accident prone French detective played by the oh-so-hilarious Peter Sellers in the classic "Pink Panther" series. Steve Martin acts in the newer and more accident prone version.
The new "Pink Panther" isn't a remake, but a kind of prequel about the start of Clouseau's Parisian career, set in present time. Jean Reno plays Clouseau's new sidekick: deadpan, resourceful gendarme Gilbert Ponton. Their case includes the theft of a "Pink Panther" diamond ring and the televised murder of its owner, Team France soccer coach Yves Gluant (Jason Statham), slain by a poison dart at a match between France and China.
The suspects include Gluant's lover, pop goddess Xania (Beyonce Knowles), team trainer Yuri (Henry Czerny), Chinese dignitaries and French soccer team celebs; the locales range from Paris to New York. But the mystery, as always, is relatively unimportant. Clouseau is assigned to the investigation by the devious Dreyfus. You see the junior inspector is already a famous idiot and Dreyfus wants someone sure to foul up the case so he can rescue things and win a Medal of Honor. Everyone is busy playing their angle.
That plot resembles the originals gag-happy attitude. Martin's Clouseau has been made into a sweeter and even smarter guy, decked out in ill-fitting clothes--tight top, loose pants and a ridiculous Pepe Le Pew beret. This "Pink Panther" really doesn't have to achieve the heights of the original; it just has to be funny on its own terms.
Martin is out-and-out terrific delivering the sort of focused, funny performance we haven't seen from him in some time. Martin is a funny guy in a silly mustache, cutting up and making us laugh. No sooner does Clouseau take the case than furniture gets broken, vases are smashed, and large metal globes go rolling into the streets to take out the front line of the Tour de France.
Beyoncé Knowles, as the dead man's ex and the prime suspect, stands there looking lovely. Knowles, for her part, acts with her singing voice and her big, brown eyes, which is enough to bowl over Clouseau and at least half of the audience.
But the reason to see "The Pink Panther" is Martin. Whether wrapping his tongue around an outrageous French accent or creating mayhem with some inspired physical comedy, Martin outdoes himself.
You compare this with the original and you just may be a little disappointed. Seller's Pink Panther had an old world charm that cannot be replicated in the new movie. What you need to do is watch the new movie as just that, a new movie. Very occasionally, the new "Panther" approaches the droll hilarity of the original movies. Worst is that the script makes the mistake of letting Clouseau solve the case legitimately rather than bumble serenely to victory, and that goes against everything Sellers and the old "Pink Panther" movies stood for.
In the end the movie provides a poise between idiocy and refinement. Not a GREAT movie, but certainly a good one!
Cast:
Inspector Clouseau - Steve Martin
Chief Inspector Dreyfus - Kevin Kline
Xania - Beyonce Knowles
Gilbert Ponton - Jean Reno
Nicole - Emily Mortimer
Yuri - Henry Czerny
I must tell you first. I am a sucker when it comes to soccer fashion. Actually scratch that, I a sucker for fashion in general but its just that when both fashion and my favourite sport on the planet combine together, its almost too enticing to ignore.
That is why I always sit by eagerly whenever my favourite (or even not so favourite) club or country announces their new jerseys for the year. As with all other things, sometimes I groan in despair, other times I am delighted to have two years to fashion savvy externality.
And its not just me who thinks along these lines. Most sports manufacturers do so as well. Be it Adidas, or Nike or Umbro or Puma the year 2006 is going to be big for all of them.
Why?
Because the World Cup is coming to a town or in our case a TV station near you and what better way to market your product than to showcase it on the biggest players on the planet in front of a worldwide audience of a couple of billion. Revenues just keep coming in!! Shrewd business!
So sit back and enjoy as we exhibit for your benefit some of the kits that you will see on display about three months from now.
