H ow did System 04 come into existence?
Benjamin was on the look out to form a band when he met Ashwin. I rolled in next with bass guitar soon after. We needed only a drummer and finally got the crazy Akshay Ganesh double pedalling his way into the line up.
Why System 04?
We had a problem with the name initially. Eventually fixed on System 04 because each of us had our individual ideas and that shaped the music we play. One band + Four Guys = System 04.
Tell us about the band members.
Ashwin has innumerable riffs in his mind. He just has to find the correct one when we’re composing our songs. Skill is his middle name. I’m the man with the grooves; the guy who has the biggest ideology and ideas. I'm always ready to nail our shows one after the other. Akshay’s drumming has been our basic foundation; something all of us fall back on. Breakdowns are his cup of tea. Ben has loved singing since he first heard The Beatles. He knew that one day he wanted to be able to sing alongside a group that he could call band mates; most importantly his brothers.
What are your challenges when composing?
When we started, we needed to put a finger on what exactly our genre was going to be. Since each one of us had our own musical tastes, we had to find a parallel plane where we could meet on and compose our tracks. It worked out for the best as we gave our inputs and created different songs.
Your upcoming projects
We are working on it but our aim is to make a good appearance on the music scene, meet musicians and spread the music of System 04.
What about support from friends and family?
All our families have been great and it is definitely thanks to them that we can do what we love to. Akshay’s father, Ganesh Rajagopalan, is a Carnatic musician and has been a great support to us.
What is the band’s goal?
Each of us has our own notions but, on a collaborative scale, we want to reach different people and see how far we can go.
Your most unforgettable experience.
For me it would be the awesome trip to Bangalore, where we met many musicians and had an amazing time.
Benjamin: It was the time we caught a train early in the morning, right after a gig the previous night, because we were participating in a college culturals. We were running late so we didn’t buy the train tickets but we clambered on. And that evening we won the best song for the culturals.
Ashwin: Stupid things are always happening on stage, which we will never forget.
Akshay: Ashwin, coming from Tambaram, carrying his gear for our jam sessions.
A message to fans.
We are new to the scene and love to spread our music far and wide. Please support us on Facebook and anywhere else you can catch us. It is definitely you guys we’re playing for.
