Atomic Forest

Last updated

Atomic Forest
Origin Mumbai, India
Genres Psychedelic rock, heavy Rock
Years active1971–1979
Labels Music India, Now-Again Records
Past members

Atomic Forest was a popular Indian psychedelic and hard rock band from Mumbai, active in the early-1970s, formed by Neel Chattopadhyaya, with Keith Kanga, Valentine Lobo and Madhukar C. Dhas. The band's lineup changed over the years, as members left and others took their place. It was thought that they had recorded a single album, Obsession '77 However, since 2011, two LPs have been reissued by Now-Again Records, Obsession, [1] and Disco Roar (a rediscovered first-album).

Contents

Background

Atomic Forest only recorded one album, which was not released until after the band had dissolved, in 1981. [2] Obsession 77 was re-released in January 2011 by Now-Again Records, a Los Angeles-based label. It caught the attention of collectors [3] as it was the only psychedelic rock album that was ever produced in India. [4] The group also featured in Abhimanyu Kukreja's rockumentary, Evolution of Indian Rock. [5] The band is also famously known for performing with English rock band Led Zeppelin. [6]

Members

Original Atomic Forest Line-up

First Phase of Subsequent Members

Second Phase of Subsequent Members (around 1976)

Third Phase of Subsequent Members (until around 1979-80)

This lineup later changed names around 1980, to become the band "Hope", and they were the backing band for the rock opera "Tommy" in which Dheena also acted.

Other Members

Notes

Madhukar Dhas joined the band in 1971. [7] Also that year, Jazz musician Joe Alvarez played with the band at Blow-up in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. [8]

Nandu Bhende, a former member of the group, died of a heart attack on 18 May 2014. [7] [9] [10] [11]

Discography

Albums
TitleLabelYearNotes #
Obsession '77 Music India 2392 5801981LP
Produced by Sharon Prabhakar
Obsession Now-Again Records NA 508720112LP
Compilation
Disco RoarNow-Again Records NA 5188LP2019LP

[12]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebula (band)</span> American rock band

Nebula is an American rock band formed by guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano upon departing Fu Manchu in 1997.

The Deep Freeze Mice were an English new wave band active between 1979 and 1989. They were based in Leicester, England, and consisted of the core members Alan Jenkins, Sherree Lawrence and Mick Bunnage. The band had two different drummers over the years, Graham Summers and Pete Gregory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zakary Thaks</span> American garage rock band

The Zakary Thaks were an American garage rock band from Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, which formed in the mid-1960s.

Leaf Hound are an English hard rock band formed in 1970, which formed out of a heavy blues rock band called Black Cat Bones. Their 1971 debut album Growers of Mushroom, is cited as a mixture of heavy metal, hard rock, psychedelic rock and stoner rock, and influenced those genres. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal, hard rock, psychedelic rock and stoner rock. They disbanded not long after recording the album. Vocalist Peter French reformed the band with a new lineup in 2004 and they released a studio album in 2007 and a live album in 2014.

Magic Carpet was a pioneering British psychedelic folk band of musicians that first appeared in the early 1970s.

Atomgods were a UK heavy rock band from late 1980s. The band were formed by former Inner City Unit guitarist Judge Trev Thoms, the first recording lineup consisting of Hiro Sasaki and Kofi Baker. They were signed to GWR Records producing the 1988 album WOW! and the 1991 album History Re-Written.

Dheena Chandra Dhas is an actor, singer, voice over artist and sound engineer. He is the youngest of 4 brothers and the younger brother of the well-known 70s musician Madhukar C. Dhas. He lives in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India, and does Voice Overs in his home-studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nandu Bhende</span> Musical artist

Nandu Bhende was an Indian singer and actor.

<i>Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus</i> 1972 studio album by Jacula

Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus is an album by the Italian rock band Jacula. The album was recorded in Milan, Italy. Gualtiero Guerrini and others helped with the recording in Studio Angelicum, which had a church organ. After the limited release of the album in 1972, the changed its name to Antonius Rex, maintaining the same lineup of Jacula. "U.F.D.E.M." reappears in remixed form as "Morte Al Potere" on Antonious Rex's 1977 Zora album, the new version featuring newly recorded overdubs with the original 1972 version as the basic track. He did not record again as Jacula until Pre Viam in 2011.

<i>Growers of Mushroom</i> 1971 studio album by Leaf Hound

Growers of Mushroom is the debut studio album by English hard rock band Leaf Hound, and re-released the following year in the U.K. by Decca as Growers of Mushroom in 1971. It is the only album by the original line-up of the band. Consisting of original material, the album is often cited as a pioneering example of heavy metal, hard rock, psychedelic rock and stoner rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhukar C. Dhas</span> Musical artist

Madhukar C. Dhas is a singer, songwriter and performer of Indian origin, based in New York City. He is best known for his performances as lead singer of the Indian Rock band Atomic Forest in the 1970s, and for his portrayal of Jesus in Alyque Padamsee's production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless Boogie (band)</span>

Endless Boogie is an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Brooklyn, New York. The current line-up of the band consists of Paul Major, Jesper Eklow (guitar), Marc Razo (bass) and Harry Druzd (drums). The band takes its name from John Lee Hooker's 1971 album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action Woman</span> 1967 single by The Litter

"Action Woman" is a song by the American garage rock band the Litter, written by their record producer Warren Kendrick, and first released as the group's debut single on Scotty Records in January 1967. The song also appeared on the band's first album Distortions. Although "Action Woman" never broke out on the national charts, it is now revered as a classic piece of the musical genre of garage rock. Accordingly, the composition has appeared on several compilation albums – most famously as the opening track on Pebbles, Volume 1, incorporating a skip in the recording – and has been the subject of cover versions.

Weird Owl are an American psychedelic rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. Their first recording, Nuclear Psychology, was released in 2007. Their debut studio album, Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed, was released in 2009 by Tee Pee Records. Their second album, Build Your Beast a Fire, was released in 2011, and received generally positive reviews. Their mini-LP Healing was released in 2013, followed by the album Interstellar Skeletal in 2015.

<i>Nuclear Psychology</i> 2007 EP by Weird Owl

Nuclear Psychology is an EP by the American psychedelic rock band Weird Owl, released on February 21, 2007.

<i>Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed</i> 2009 studio album by Weird Owl

Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed is the first studio album by the American psychedelic rock band Weird Owl, released by the label Tee Pee Records on February 17, 2009. The album was released following their 2007 EP entitled Nuclear Psychology.

<i>Its Psychedelic Baby! Magazine</i> Slovenian online music magazine

It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine is a Slovenian online music magazine dedicated to psychedelic and progressive music news, band interviews and album reviews. It was founded by Klemen Breznikar in October 2010, and was originally based in Ljubljana; it is currently headquartered in Prebold. The webzine has covered an extensive range of music over the years, from electronic to heavy metal, but generally focuses on psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, progressive rock, progressive metal, krautrock, art rock, garage rock and space rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Market Karma</span> British rock band

Black Market Karma is an English rock band from London, now residing in Dover, Kent. Formed in 2011, they are known for their prolific discography with 11 studio albums, including 1 collaborative album to date.

<i>4</i> (The Telescopes album) 2022 studio album by The Telescopes

#4 is the fourth studio album by English noise rock band The Telescopes composed and recorded between 2002 and 2004. It was initially released on CD by their own label Antenna Records in 2005, later reissued by Weisskalt Records on vinyl in 2022 on a limited edition of 300. To commemorate its 20th anniversary on the basis of when recording began, the album was manufactured by longstanding Australian pressing plant Zenith on translucent red vinyl at 45rpm to draw out the subtleties and expansiveness of the sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Burke (musician)</span> Australian psychedelic rock musician

Rick Burke is an Australian psychedelic rock musician, best known as a founding member and songwriter of the instrumental dark heavy psychedelic space rock band Comacozer and his moniker Tropical Sludge for his solo work in electronic music.

References

  1. Rathbone, Oregano. "FALLOUT BOYS - Record Collector Magazine". Record Collector Magazine. Record Collector Magazine. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  2. The Caravan , 1 July 2012 - Flashback | Forest of Sound
    An author reflects on hazy days in the Bombay rock scene - Simon Frank
  3. Egon. "Unearthing Five Lost Gems From Psychedelic India". NPR.org. NPR Music. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. The Hindu , 28 December 2012 - MUSIC, Atomic Forest - By JANAKI LENIN
  5. Ghosh, Devarsi (24 August 2019). "'Rockumentary' film chronicles the highs and lows of Indian rock through eight decades". scroll.in. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  6. July 2015, Rob Hughes 23. "Led Zeppelin in India: the true story behind the secret Bombay sessions". loudersound. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 Breznikar, Klemen (10 September 2012). "Atomic Forest interview with Madhukar Dhas (aka Madooo)". It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine . Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  8. Mid-Day , 30 Apr 2015 - Famous Personalities , Mumbai's Jazz musicians recall their first performances, Joe Alvarez by Suprita Mitter
  9. Mid Day, 19 May 2014 - The Rockstar: A tribute to Mumbai's rock legend Nandu Bhendu
  10. Indian Bands Hub - Atomic Forest (1)
  11. DAS FRÖHLICHEWOHNZIMMER - Dinosaurs: "Sinister Purpose" (1970)(3)
  12. Discogs - Atomic Forest, Discography