By CHIN JIAN WEI

If you look Tarimosi up on social media, you will be greeted with imagery far from what one would expect from a typical rock band. Surveillance cameras, riot gear, and control centres form Tarimosi’s visual identity. According to Tech, the band’s drummer, creative director, designer, and producer, Tarimosi is a five-piece alternative rock and post-hardcore band that serves as an “Auditory Rescue Unit”- here to rescue and uplift their listeners with the power of energetic music and chase away their stresses and worries. Besides Tech, the band comprises Ayin, Mal, Tim, and Jack.

They are relatively new to the scene, only having started as a band during the pandemic. “The pandemic inspired me,” Tech says. “You know the phrase ‘music is the best medicine’? I took that phrase literally and made the band’s concept as a United Nations department that rescues people with music. I think for most of us, since high school, music has always been our escape. When we are sad we listen to music that heals us. Over time, that music attaches itself to particular memories in your life. So it’s kind of like therapy.”

Their sound is diverse, taking influence from a range of genres. “The main genre is post-hardcore,” Tech says. “But we play a bit of shoegaze, a bit of alternate rock, not too heavy.” This is likely because each band member is influenced by different musical acts across many genres. Tech himself is a universal listener, in his own words. “I listen to really heavy stuff like black metal, but I also listen to super soft stuff like ballads, soft jazz and lo-fi music. I don’t want the band to stick to one genre, that’s boring, you know. I think audiences now are really mature. Back then, people were stuck in their lanes. If you play grunge, you have to only play grunge. Now, everyone is a bit more agnostic in terms of music,” Tech says with a smile.

Tech also asserts that he and the vocalists, who wrote and composed the music, want listeners to interpret the music in their own way. “I would say our music is about human connection. There’s love, there’s spirituality between us and God, asking for forgiveness and stuff for that. We might be talking about God, but people might think of their mom, for example,” Tech explains. “It’s not clear-cut. What I think the band wants is for people to experience the music first. The melody is the first stage, the lyrics are the second. We want people to vibe with it first, then look into the lyrics and discover more meaning behind it. When we play live, it’s more about the energy and the emotion.”

Regarding the imagery and branding Tarimosi has chosen to represent their band, Tech has assured BASKL that it was chosen very deliberately. He says, “With my previous band, there wasn’t a concept at all, just a bunch of guys playing music. So for this band, I’m trying something new. I want to do things more professionally. We want to plant this idea in people’s heads, ‘Okay, these guys are like this.’ In the 90s music scene, all the bands were trying to come up with the most unique concept. You had Slipknot and Limp Bizkit, everyone was so unique. That was cool, so I’m trying to bring back those kind of ideas.” The multitalented Tech is in charge of not just the band’s graphic design and branding, but will also put his film-directing experience to use in directing their upcoming music videos.

“If possible, we want to do this full-time, so I wanted to do it the right way. We have plans and timelines, and we do things accordingly,” Tech says. Tarimosi is only now making their presence known. They have been working on their album for the past two years and only started their social media account in January of 2023. At the time of this publication, they have only played two shows in public. Tech estimates that their debut album will be released near the end of 2023.

Follow Tarimosi on Instagram to get the latest updates on the band!

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