Mymensingh’s independent music scene has come together on a single record, bringing six local bands, six original songs and a tribute to some of Bangladesh’s most influential rock acts into one project.
Titled Mymensingh 2200 – Band Mixed Album 2026, the album was released on 28 August by Mymensingh-based independent label FakeStudio after almost a year of work. The project also went through two postponed release dates before finally reaching listeners.
The album features Scar, Demon Wolks, Rushtracker, Bad Neighbours, Excalibur and Music Knights. Its opening section gives each band space to present an original song. Scar contributes Obolohito, Rushtracker appears with Otripto Chitkar, and Bad Neighbours features Mukhosh. Demon Wolks contributes Pagol, Excalibur presents Shekol Bondi, while Music Knights completes the first part with Rajar Khela.
The structure then shifts for the second half. Instead of focusing on original material, the album turns towards Bangladesh’s rock heritage with a collective tribute to several influential acts. The list includes LRB, Artcell, Aurthohin, Miles, Cryptic Fate, Bay of Bengal and Nagar Baul James. Much of the reworking was carried out by musicians from Mymensingh’s own music community, allowing the tribute material to take shape through a local musical perspective.
The album was launched at Metro Beans, where four of the participating bands performed live. The event also featured guest performances and several surprise appearances. Rather than functioning simply as a formal release event, it created a more intimate space where musicians, collaborators and listeners could meet around the project before the album reached its wider audience.
At the heart of the initiative is Ariyan, an audio engineer who has worked behind the soundboard for Bagdhara, Owned and Level Five. He is also the guitarist of Roman Sacrifice, a band known within Mymensingh’s music community and recognised beyond the city as well.
The idea for the album emerged while Ariyan was working around other musicians and their recording sessions. A broader question began to take shape: what might Mymensingh’s music scene sound like if its separate bands were brought together on one record?
Rather than leaving the idea as a concept, Ariyan began approaching bands individually. Most of the initial connections came from the local music community, and the project gradually expanded until six acts were working towards the same release. The aim was not to replace the individual identities of the bands, but to place them alongside one another within a shared musical project.
The production itself required a substantial amount of coordination. Every track was eventually mixed and mastered at FakeStudio, the independent label responsible for the release. Much of the work continued late into the night after the musicians and production team had completed their other commitments. The album’s release date was changed twice during the process, but the delays did not derail the project.
Tashfeeq Ankur joined the tribute section as co-producer. He helped shape the concept of the tribute portion and was also involved in vocal direction and drum programming, adding another layer to the collaborative production process.
The inspiration for Mymensingh 2200 also connects with the experience of a generation of Bangladeshi music listeners who grew up with compilation albums such as Rock 303 and Rock 404. Those records brought different bands together and offered listeners a wider picture of the country’s rock music. The Mymensingh project takes a similar basic idea and applies it to the music community of one city.
Collaboration extended beyond the musicians officially credited on the album. During different recording sessions, people who happened to be available often remained to provide whatever help was needed. Some played instruments or sang, while others assisted with mixing or filming. At times, simply staying through long nights of studio work became part of the collective effort.
That shared involvement is central to the identity of Mymensingh 2200. The project was not conceived simply as a showcase for six individual bands. It was an attempt to capture the character of a local music community by allowing its members to contribute to one common record.
After months of recording, production work and repeated adjustments to the release schedule, the album finally arrived on 28 August. Its significance lies not only in the songs it contains, but also in the decision by Mymensingh’s musicians to present their diverse work as part of a shared musical identity.
For a city with its own active network of bands and musicians, Mymensingh 2200 offers a collective snapshot of that scene: six original voices brought together on one release, followed by a tribute to the artists and bands that have shaped Bangladesh’s rock tradition.
