The Band

Asyst was formed in 2001 by a group a friends with a range of musical influences that all agreed on what eventually became their signature sound – heavy guitars, heavy grooves and melodic vocals. Their diverse influences are showcased on their first full length CD “Destined to be Damned”, released in 2006. “We have so many ideas and we aren’t afraid to stray in different musical directions” says their drummer, Mike Silva, “we’ve actually been criticized for that but we think that is actually what helps us stand out. Through all of it we still sound like ourselves.” Asyst has performed as a three piece for most of it’s existence but recently added Tim Sankar on guitar to help add an extra dimension to the sound. “We’re big fans of adding a lot of texture to our music in our recordings”, Dipendra says, “and now with Tim we can achieve those sounds live too.” Asyst is currently working on a new CD for release this year and playing shows as much as possible in between.

Mike Silva (drums/vocals)

Beginnings:

Mike started playing drums at 15 in a grunge rock garage band in 1994, pulling his chops from some of his favorite artists such as Dave Grohl and Danny Carey. Mike and his cousin Brian Zorra started the band “Mikita Warriors” in the mid 90′s, performing shows all over Santa Cruz and Monterey County.

In 2001 Mike and a good friend Erik Horner recruited Dipendra Bagchee and Victor Rodriguez to  start a new project. Not really sure what to make of it all since the music taste of the four members was quite a bit different they hashed it out in the studio for a good few months and Asyst was born.

Pushing a lot of influence from groups such as Tool, Deftones, Nirvana, and STP, Mike developed his drum sound to give Asyst that pulsing rhythm they have today. Pounding on a Mapex five piece pro series kit with Sabian cymbals and Axis pedals helped drive his sound through the mix. Pro Tools is his choice of recording equipment. With a little help from Roland’s SPD-S Mike creates a surreal percussion ambiance to breath new life into their songs.

Gear:

• Drums: Mapex drums, Sabian cymbals, Axis hardware, Roland SPD-S

Dipendra Bagchee (guitar/vocals)

Beginnings:

Inspired by his older brother and good friend who both played guitar, Dipendra started briefly on the bass before moving to the guitar. He was heavily inspired by Metallica & Pantera along with classic bands like the Rolling Stones as well as some 80′s bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure and INXS. His previous bands include 8 on the Richter, Cold Rolled Coil, Serrated and Onset.

Other Influences:

Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Jeff Buckley, Far, Down And Above

Gear:

• Guitars: ESP LTD EC1000, Schecter C1+, Jackson Performer PS-4, Fender Mexi-Strat, Seagull S6 Acoustic
• Amps: Line 6 Vetta II, Mesa Stiletto, Blackstar Ht-5
• Effects: Line 6 M13, PodXT, DL-4

Tim Sankar (guitar)

Beginnings:

Tim decided to pick up a guitar after listening to Judas Priest’s Defenders of the Faith and Ozzy Ozbourne’s Bark At The Moon at a friend’s birthday party. Pretty soon Iron Maiden’s Powerslave followed.

Other Influences:

Metallica, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, The Beatles, Chris Poland

Gear:

• Guitars: PRS EG4, PRS Custom 22, Ibanez 540P
• Amps: Anything goes but mostly Line 6
• Effects: Roland VG 88

Victor Rodriguez (bass/vocals)

Beginnings:

Vic always played around  with a bass, but never took it seriously until he was recruited into Asyst.  The band  knew he lacked musical experience, but they liked his dedication and work ethic.  His musical tastes and influences have always clashed with the band since his preferences have always leaned  towards the darkest and most extreme ends of the musical spectrum.  Nevertheless, they have always found some way to include them into the bands’ overall sound.

In 2007, due to musical and creative differences, Vic left Asyst to pursue bands closer to his musical tastes, (the short-lived thrash metal outfit Broken Path, and the notoriously violent death-metal act Blood Print). Realizing home is truly where the heart is, Vic re-joined Asyst in 2009, and has stayed since.

Gear:

Vic’s music gear is also a reflection of his groove heavy playing style, “Keep it simple, stupid.”  He plays an ESP Viper and uses a Gallien-Krueger 800RB amp and a Trace Elliot 4×10 bass cabinet.