by Ryan M. Place

Local psychedelic band whisks listeners away on an introspective journey.

Sitting in drummer Roy Elturk’s living room in Ferndale and drinking delicious mint tea with Detroit band Oblisk, we kick the ballistics on their visionary music.  This experimental quartet, consisting of frontman and principal songcrafter Asim Akhtar on vocals and guitar, Roy Elturk on drums, Nick Baran on guitar, synths and random instruments like the occasional Glockenspiel and Dave Cheal on bass, creates dreamy space rock that sends listeners on a visual journey through psychedelic landscapes. Oblisk  formed in 2005, and, after a few incarnations, the current composition took shape in 2008. Currently signed to Philly-based indie record label, Candy Colored Dragon, the group currently has two full-length albums (Tune In/Tune Out and Weather Patterns) and will soon drop another full-length album (this summer).

And, no, Oblisk is not named after any kind of Egyptian Freemason occult trinket.

“Some of the songs reduce blood pressure, others do the complete opposite—try to give you a heart attack.”

“We had our first show scheduled and no band name, so I picked out a sweet random sounding word that would describe our sound,” says Akhtar.

Oblisk’s strong points include: eclectic personalities, autodidactic musicians and strength through multi-ethnic diversity (Akhtar is Pakistani and into world travel and cinematography, Elturk is half Lebanese and half Filipino and likes watching skate videos, Baran is white and likes math, and Cheal is half black and half white and enjoys making and fixing things).

“Dave is the go-to Mr. Fix It if your amp is distorted and needs to be re-tubed or anything,” says Akhtar.

Aside from collectively agreeing on Radiohead as a primary musical influence, each member has their own favorite. For Akhtar it’s Brian Jonestown Massacre, for Baran it’s Boards of Canada, for Elturk it’s Crystal Stilts and for Cheal it’s The Verve.

All of the group’s members were interested early on in music.

“Being an only child, you need to occupy yourself,” says Akhtar, “and I did so with music, ever since I used to record tapes on my old ghettoblaster! Listener appreciation grew into experimenting, and, after Micro Machines and vinyl with friends when I was little, I broke from the traditionally rigid Pakistani male upbringing and became a musician.”

Baran moved from South Florida to Rochester Hills when he was 15.

“I’ve always had a strong affinity for music. My dad played drums, and my childhood fascination with music morphed into experimenting with playing guitar when I moved up here,” he says.  “My musical interests gradually progressed into prog rock, space rock and so forth.”

Cheal, who grew up in the upper peninsula community, Misery Bay, Mich., says that he had his first guitar lesson when he was 12 years old.

“My taste quickly shifted to bass. Bass and guitar are mechanically similar, they just perform different functions,” he says. “I moved to mid-town Detroit when I was 18, was roommates with Asim in 2008, and have been with Oblisk ever since.”

Oblisk, while experimental and psychedelic, is “morphing into trip hop mode,” says Akhtar.

“Some of the songs reduce blood pressure, others do the complete opposite—try to give you a heart attack,” he says.

“We still have that rock pop core, crazy beats and modulation on pedals,” says Baran.

Known for their sonic storytelling live performances featuring visual effects, some of the group’s favorite effects include a projector, live video mixing on a laptop of travel footage in a visual collage and Matrix-ish type that shrinks and expands to the pulsing blasts of strobe lights (mostly done by their visual efx wizard, Rob Veresh).

The group’s ultimate goal is to “make interesting music [and] keep our distinct sound moving,” says Baran.

“Life is so busy and hectic, playing music is a great creative release. We just want to keep our live show appeal fresh,” says Elturk.

“We’re a band of friends [and are] not caught up in the rockstar celebrity nonsense. We just want every Oblisk album to be substantially better than the last, with our main goal being to tour overseas in the Far East and Europe,” says Akhtar.

Oblisk has some words of advice for struggling bands everywhere:   “You have to have a strong work ethic, regardless of your music style. Expect no handouts or bailouts,” says Baran. Cheal adds, “You’ve got to stay focused on the sound and friends, not the money.”

“You must above all have patience. No album is made quickly. The average album takes one to two years to make, so take the time to put real effort into making your albums,” says Elturk.

“You have to have a vision. Know where you want to go. Get motivated as a group. Each band has a certain personality,” Akhtar says, adding, “and always be respectful of boundaries.”

To purchase Oblisk albums, email Akhtar directly at [email protected]. Check out Oblisk on the web at: www.myspace.com/oblisk, www.last.fm/music/oblisk and http://www.facebook.com/oblisksound.