Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ with a desi twist

KARACHI: ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ by Gotye has been that one song that nearly everyone remembers word by word to this day. The song brings back memories from 2011 and a song that was so simple with what it wanted to say, that it has stuck with us to this day. Artists from Pakistan’s beloved bands, Kashmir, Bayaan, Tamasha have collaborated with Tessa Hoyos and Maheen – The Globe to reinvent the song adding Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Ajnabi’ to curate a heartfelt rendition.

The backing track remains constant, providing the entire track with reliable consistency and metronome. It helps to have such a backing track considering all vocalists and musicians are collaborating from various parts of the world and are not exactly in the same place. The music gives more, by giving less. Omran Shafique’s lead guitar riffs not only add a tone to the entire song but also rhythm. His music sets the mood for the entire song. It does not really start until he strums his guitar.

Joined by Bilal Ahmed from Tamasha, and Asfar Hussain from Bayaan, Bilal Ali from Kashmir vocalizes Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, which soon fuses into ‘Ajnabi’, written by Shoaib Mansoor. They are also joined by Tessa Hoyos and Maheen Khan. The different parts of the video have been filmed in places like Chitral, Karachi, Seattle, and Austin, based on where the singers and musicians were based. The collaboration establishes musicians without borders with this one.

Although the song borrows from the two classics, it is refreshing to see how it maintains its uniqueness and experiments throughout the rendition. The music remains straightforward yet holds the listener’s attention in place.

The recent collaboration between Maheen the Globe, Kashmir, Bayaan, Tamasha, and Hoyos proves that music does not see geographical barriers and art finds a way.