Indie band T. R. A. P. turns a decade old
It all started when a group of four music enthusiasts, in their late teens, wanted to form an ensemble and create music. The experimental rock band from Kolkata, T.R.A.P (The Radical Array Project), turned a decade old last month and celebrated their anniversary in a noble manner — planting 1000 mangrove saplings in the Sundarbans. The band, currently comprising Bhaswar Sen, violinist and founder of the band; Suanjita Dutta, drummer; Arijit Paul, vocalist; Swapnabha Roy, bass guitarist; Darpa Das, guitarist; and keyboardist Anupam Pyne, sits for a chat with us. Excerpts:
How has the journey of T.R.A.P. been?
Bhaswar: We started as an instrumental band, and what made us immensely popular was the way we covered the theme songs of popular films and web shows like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones through instrumental music. It was just the passion for music that drove us to form this band. Growing up, we wanted to give our fullest and the band to give us sustenance. This particular line-up of the band has been working together since 2017, and we have waded through the pandemic, keeping our promise that T.R.A.P is our only identity. We wouldn’t collaborate with anyone else to sustain. T.R.A.P has always been a student’s favourite and they love our original tracks and mash-ups of Bollywood and beyond. And definitely, the last decade has been full of sacrifices. For us, T.R.A.P. has always been our priority. Whatever happens, getting up on the stage and performing is the biggest kick that we get. Our initial dream — that we would be consistently travelling and that we would call the airports our second home — is coming true slowly.
Are live performances the biggest USP of the band?
Arijit: We make video content and put it up on YouTube or social media to give the viewers a vibe as to what they can experience in our live performances. Our originals and an instrumental album are already live on these platforms, but this year, we plan to make it live on other music listening platforms. We are also gearing up for our next phase.
What can the audience expect from you in the next phase?
Swapnabha: Along with the live performances, which we have already taken a notch higher, we will be releasing a lot of original singles in the upcoming one-two years. We have been creating originals from 2019 and saved them to release when the time was right. From June to September, we reworked all our old originals. Another dream of ours was to perform all over India, and we have performed in 25 states already.
How do you maintain unity as a band?
Darpa: There are days when we end up hating each other the most or fighting like crazy. But since our early days, there is only one thing in our minds — nothing is beyond the band. Whatever happens, we try to sort it out as soon as possible, so that it doesn’t affect our work. The band is not recognised by any individual, which kind of pushes us to keep our egos at bay and move forward.
How do you blend the violin with drums, guitars and keyboards?
Bhaswar: I have always been playing the violin. When at school, I have also received comments like, “We don’t want to collaborate with you, violin is not cool”, but I always knew that I could make a difference with this instrument. And today, T.R.A.P. is one of the very few bands in India, that has a violinist. Violin is a very important part of the band, it forms the sound of T.R.A.P. It’s not about blending one instrument with the other, it’s all about creating a new soundscape, and people do look forward to something new, always.
