P∆G∑ SHARES ITS NEW CHAPTERS

The band (from left) is Amrik Sidhu, Emily Sewell, Grant Naauao and Paul Bajcar  PAGE PHOTO

The band (from left) is Amrik Sidhu, Emily Sewell, Grant Naauao and Paul Bajcar P∆G∑ PHOTO

Local shoegaze progrock band P∆G∑ (pronounced PAGE) has given Honolulu just a handful of small but powerful live performances in the past two years, leaving fans in limbo awaiting their next gig.

The band recently emerged from the studio with exciting news: Its next performance is Saturday, Aug. 29, at Downbeat Lounge. Better yet, it’s a double album release party where they’ll perform their pair of recently completed recordings, The Arrows Path and Dark Matter in full, from start to finish.

Here, P∆G∑writes a guest column, detailing how they formed, the concept behind their music and their upcoming performance:

P∆G∑, on one hand, is the acronym for Paul (Baj-car), Amrik (Sidhu), Grant (Naauao) and Emily (Sewell). On the other hand, a page is one side of a piece of paper in a book. In that sense, we are storytellers.

We started off as a conceptual group with an idea to write a set based on a story with a soundtrack from start to finish. Having a story guided our type of sound based on what we were trying to depict. In a sense, all the things we do, we do with meaning and honor to what was born from.

All of us have been in bands prior to P∆G∑, but creating music this way was very foreign and exciting. We have not been overly aggressive as a band, but it has been quite powerful to see what form our music has taken in the juxtaposition of our own art and the public’s perception.

If there was an appropriate name to the type of sound we have, we’d like to think it’d be something along the lines of “atmospheric dream rock.”

The first album, The Arrows Path (chapters 1-8) tells of a journey and experience of following your heart and intuition. In our first song, Dreamer’s Escape, our character is dreaming of a utopia she hopes to find, a home … a sense of peace. Our last song, The Shore, is the physical place she saw in her dream. As artists and musicians, we made sure the notes of both songs were the same, but played differently, sort of a prelude to the climax. Everything in between the first and the last song is her journey to get there.

And then there’s Burial Grounds, the bridge between the two albums where our character makes it to her utopia, only to find out that it’s not what she thought. This song sets the tone for our second album, Dark Matter (chapters 9-13). Conceptually, there is a program switch to a story that could all be a dream, to a reality that can be quite harsh and emotional.

Both albums are very different but also very cohesive. The Arrows Path is white — light in concept, ideals, and around the essence of dreams and hope. Dark Matter is black — a reaction to the reality of life and its trials. In this sense, we write about life as ying and yang, day and night, dreams and reality.

We genuinely wanted to share this personal and intimate project with Hawaii. For us, it’s an opportunity to share an experience through our stories. It will be the first time we play a set with all of our songs, and in order, from start to finish.

There will be various P∆G∑ items for purchase, all of it done DIY, made with tons of aloha and in limited quantities. We hope our fans, family and friends will join us. Everyone can have the opportunity to own P∆G∑ merch and take the albums home to enjoy.

But above all, the experience we want to share with everyone is simple … good times with good people.

For more on the band, visit facebook.com/PAGE.Honolulu.

Roger recently turned his blog into a record label: alohagotsoul.com.