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 They’re fast and they’re furious. Ridiculously fast and tremendously furious. Oblivious to what is going on in the mainstream of music, these young guitarists, or shredders as we’d like to call them for their lightning speed and brutal strength, are the underdogs of Nepali music.

 Picking, tapping and sweeping across the fretboard of their guitars, this batch of young guitarists is extremely talented, technically perfect and musically astute. Some make music from their bedrooms and share it with the world on social media, while others for the time hide themselves behind cover bands, always wishing to break the shackles and go solo with their original music. Despite limited recognition and opportunities, these young guitarists have been thriving thanks to the access created by technology. This week, APEX brings you a selection of five young guitarists who’ve shredded their way to fame and who deserve to be even more recognized for their prowess.

Rupesh Pariyar (23)

 Rupesh is an aspiring musician who started playing guitar at 11, inspired by his uncles and their friends who he grew up listening to. Although he loves playing across different genres, Rupesh’s favorite is progressive metal. His life goal is to keep updating his skills, learning from others while sharing what he’s learnt, on his way to becoming a successful musician. “There is scope for a working musician in Nepal if you know how to balance things,” Rupesh says. “There is a lot of potential in music production, teaching and performance.”

Nishant Acharya (25)

 Working full time as a digital marketing manager in an IT company, Nishant is also popular among young musicians for his impressive guitar skills and for his stylish beard and moustache! “Playing guitar feels like an extension of my conscience. It is a form of expressing myself in a way I may not be comfortable doing in words,” says Nishant, who started playing guitar at the age of 13. Nishant has a unique finger-style guitar playing skill, a rarity among guitarists, and his strength lies in his immaculate transcription skills and the ability to dial a clean and pristine tone while playing live or recording. He plans to release his debut instrumental album in the near future and has already started writing songs for it.

Ridesh Tamang (22)

 Ridesh has an interesting story on how he got into guitars. Turns out, he was influenced by the 2008 Bollywood musical “Rock On” and learning the songs from the movie made him take up guitar. “I even thought actor Arjun Rampal who is a guitarist in the movie was actually playing the instrument,” he laughs sheepishly. But as time progressed, his taste changed. As he got into listening to heavier stuff, Ridesh developed a style for himself which he likes to call “modern progressive Djenty rock/metal.” How deep is that? Ridesh plays in a cover band in Thamel and teaches guitar to make a living. He is also planning to come out with a solo album which will be inspired by different styles of music, he informs.

Kshitiz Singh Pariyar (17)

 Last but not the least is Kshitiz, or Musichead Kshitiz as he’s popularly known in social media. Still in high school, Kshitiz started playing guitar at the age of 11 and within just six years has been able to create a following for himself. Currently a member of an ‘experimental core’ band, Kshitiz cannot name a particular style he’d like to be associated with but looks up to local heroes Sunny ST, Sunny Manadhar and Ridesh Tamang as well as international guitarists Guthrie Govan, Dimebag Darrel and Andy James for inspiration. PS: The boys have really worked hard to create backing tracks for their instrumentals and record it in a video for our audience. Make sure you follow the QR code in the article or search for “The Annapurna Express” on Youtube to witness them in action.

Apurva Chaudhary (23)

Attracted to music after attending numerous bhajan sessions in his childhood, Apurva not only plays guitar but is also a prolific singer. “I actually started as a singer in a band. I later got into guitar as it served as a guiding point for my vocal practice,” he says. “But now this instrument is a part of me. I look forward to getting the most out of this relationship between me and my music.” A listener of all genres of music, Apurva’s ultimate goal is to make a living doing something he is passionate about. “I was always an average student while I was in school/college,” he says. “I may not be the greatest guitar player but it still motivates me to get better each day. I never got this feeling while studying.”

 From its humble beginnings at Uttardhoka, Lazimpat 10 years ago, the Attic Bar has now shifted to its new lavish premises at Gyaneshwor (next to the German Embassy) and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. Started by a group of four friends looking for a place to chill, Attic swiftly rose to popularity among Kathmanduites for its delicious food, specialized service and all the good times it offers. Occasional guests became regular faces at the restaurant with its owners participating in every event and on every weekend to make the guests feel at home.

The new venue is a sprawling building that has plenty of options on seating arrangements, the same consistently good food, the service staff waiting to treat the guests like royalties, and the promise of more good times.

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Attic Chicken Chop,

- Grilled Herb Chicken,

- Royal Aaloo

Opening hours: 11 am to 10:30 pm

Location: Gyaneshwor

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 2,500

Reservations: 014417843

 Last week I had a front-of-house and back-of-house view of the new Kathmandu Marriott Hotel at Naxal. I can see the hotel from my bedroom window and it’s a somewhat sad looking, Soviet style grey block of a place. But it’s quite different when you get up close!

 If you are driving, you need to negotiate the small roads round Nag Pokhari. Unless you are familiar with the area, the first time might be a bit of a challenge. Once there, they have an underground car park. Entering through large glass doors the lobby is spacious with a very high ceiling. So high a bell the size of which would do any monastery proud hangs out of reach. The seating area in the lobby overlooks an inner courtyard that is open to the air, appropriately called Naxal Square. A couple of small water features and some greenery grace the courtyard. There is access from here to the infinity pool above.

 Still on the ground floor, we can find the Kathmandu Baking Company, or KBC. Offering cakes, donuts, cookies, pastries, coffee and juices to take-away or eat-in, this is a welcome addition for anyone who lives locally (aka me). Later when going behind the scenes I learned that the pastry chef at KBC spent many years in the Hyatt in both Kathmandu and Chennai. Next door are several nooks and crannies belonging to the Thamel Kitchen. This promisingly named restaurant offers, as they describe it, authentic multi-cuisine from the interactive kitchen.

 For those who love modern pan- Asian food, Edamane Restaurant upstairs offers live Yakitori ( Japanese skewered meats cooked over charcoal), other Japanese delicacies, and dishes from around Asia. The décor here is particularly intimate and attractive, overlooking the open courtyard. Also with a cosy yet sophisticated feel is the Roxi Music Bar, which has live jazz on the weekends. With an outdoor seating area complete with gentle waterfall, this could be the ultimate chill-out spot. Meantime, for those who prefer a little more action, the gym and pool are at hand. The pool is the standard hotel-size, with a smaller, shallower pool for children. This one contains another water feature: stone lions, the likes seen in the Durbar Squares, stand guardian over the water. The gym is set up, with the spa area coming online soon. Along with hotel guests, the gym, pool and spa will be open to those who wish to become Marriott fitness members.

 Membership is limited so get along soon! I was told they have not decided yet whether the pool will be open to non-members, but it seems likely they will have a Saturday lunch and swim deal. Also for non-Nepali guests a casino will be open around August 2019.

In case you have visiting friends or clients, the almost 200 deluxe and king guestrooms are larger than the norm and fitted with the usual quality furniture and fittings you would expect from the Marriott. Bathrooms are spacious, with separate bathtubs and showers. I found the suite rooms a bit disappointing as with the room divided they take on the appearance of being smaller than they actually are. But for those who like their sitting and sleeping areas separated (by a reversible large flat screen TV) then it’s good. *Plus point: they have two accessible rooms for guests who require a wheelchair or have similar needs.

The huge banquet space, with amazing contemporary chandeliers, and smaller meeting rooms, all with state of the art AV equipment, are available for conferences, meetings and events. If you are thinking of getting married, Shaadi by Marriott is a specialised wedding planning facility, taking care of every detail for your big day.

With a French manager, international management team, Nepali chefs and front-of-house staff, all of whom have served in some of the best hotels around the world, the standard of service is high. Backof- house they have their own staff training facilities as well as motivational murals and posters along the corridors to inspire and educate. Something a lot of hotels in Nepal really should have. With the final touches due to be in place by end of July I certainly intend to be back very soon.

The ‘underground’ music scene of Nepal is dominated by metal and punk bands playing extreme music to small audiences at obscure venues. Seldom do we associate ‘underground’ with electronic music—which is, at best, considered dance music confined to clubs and discos.

 Spektrum, a musical venture initiated by a small group of young music enthusiasts, is working to change that perception. “Electronic music is not necessarily dance music,” says Rishavh Shrestha, one of the founders of Spektrum. “People can just sit down and enjoy the variations electronic music brings to them and chill or lounge about.”

 “The idea came to us after attending electronic music festivals in India,” adds Saroj Joshi, another co-founder of Spektrum. “Back in 2012, we were really impressed by a music producer at an Indian music festival. We invited him to come perform in Nepal and he agreed. It took us a few years to get him here though. But the first ever show we did was a success and from 2018, we started Spektrum to organize more electronic music events.”

 Spektrum celebrated its first anniversary this April. Even in this short time, it has already hosted electronic acts from India such as Tarqeeb, Zokhuma, Su Real, SickFlip, Spryk, Smokey, Madstarbase, EZ riser, Kone Kone and Rafiki. Notably, Spektrum’s events give equal space for local acts to share the stage and create a niche for themselves in the Nepali electronic music scene.

 The music that Spektrum features, however, is noncommercial. It is not the music that is played at clubs and discotheques of Kathmandu and other Nepali cities. The music producers associated with Spektrum create new sounds in the sub-genres of trance, house, techno, drum and bass, and other forms of electronic music. The community they have formed in Nepal is small, but strong.

We’re not doing it for money. If we were, we would’ve shutdown by now

Rishavh Shrestha

 “We’re not doing it for money,” says Rishavh. “If we were, we would’ve shut down by now.” The events that Spektrum organizes are focused on bringing together performers and listeners of electronic music under a single roof. Creating a strong community of people who appreciate non-commercial electronic music and to provide a platform for Nepali creators to share their music is the goal. The funding for their events is arranged through the same, tight-knit community.

 About criticism of their inability to bring in “international” acts instead of just Indian music producers, Saroj replies, “The Indian music scene has developed and is so advanced right now. Why should we look farther when we have a market next door?” It is also about the cost of getting an artist from abroad, Rishavh adds. The Indian electronic music community is supportive of the scene in Nepal. Indian music producers are willing to come to Nepal even for small events and the organizers in India are already creating a space for Nepali artists to perform at their events.

 “Now that we have crossed the one-year mark, we are looking to expand to bigger events and venues,” says Rishavh. “We will include a whole new spectrum of sounds and music, all non-commercial of course.” Spektrum has signed Ranzen and YNZN.P, both prolific music producers of Nepal, for official representation both at home and abroad.