It’s been 3 years since your last album release Steel Bangle. What has changed since then in terms of your own music, the industry and your life itself?NOTHING MUCH, IM STILL IN THE LAB ALMOST ALWAYS AND APART FROM THAT IM DOING SHOWS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT MORE DOWN LOADING GOING ON. Do you think it is a wise step for artists to have a big gap between albums, where as we see some artists throwing out albums quicker than the bin men come around?WELL THAT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY BUT IT IS NOT WORTH RELEASING ANYTHING THAT IS NOT READY. SOME TIMES TRACKS TAKE A MINIUTE TO SOUND LIKE YOU WANT THEM TO. I CAN IMAGINE WHY ARTISTS WOULD RELEASE MANY TRACKS IN A SHORT SPACE, IN ORDER TO GET MORE EXPOSURE, AND THAT’S GOOD AS LONG AS QUALITY DOES NOT SUFFER What was behind the naming of the album? By delaying it, were you just staying true to the title or was it a marketing stunt?
INDIAN TIMING CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE ALBUM COMING OUT IN INDIAN TIME.. AND THE DELAY WAS TITTLED THE ‘OFFICAL INDIAN TIMING DELAY’ Your album features 20 tracks, are you compensating for the time gap or is it a sense of the customer will be getting more for their money?NONE OF THE ABOVE. I CHOOSE THE TRACKS FROM AROUND 45 THAT WHERE ORIGINALLY MADE In a statement from yourself regarding the album, you stated that this album was "perfected on club sound systems and PA's at festivals in all continents with crazy diverse crowds". What type of reactions did you receive from the crowd and which track seemed the most popular?I PERFECTED THE ALBUM AT GIGS MEANS THAT I BASICALLY TRIED THE SONGS IN FRONT OF THE CROWD AS DUB PLATES OR EXCLUSIVE TRACKS, THEN I CHOOSE THE ALBUM SELECTION IN ORDER TO WORK ON THEM FURTHER, SNAKE CHARMER ALWAYS BLEW THE ROOF OFF , PANJABAN ,KEE LAG DA AND MOST OF THE OTHERS ARE ALREADY CLASSICS You seem to have a very close relationship with Surinder Shinda, using him quite often in a lot of your albums. What do you think is his unique trait that you won’t find in other more popularized vocalists such as Lehmber or Malkit Singh?NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BUT HE’S GOOD AND STILL RETAINS HIS ABILITY DESPITE HIS AGE. A TRUE LEGAND OF THE ART Apart from Surinder Shinda which other vocalists can we expect to blow our ears away on the album? We have heard a lot of mentions of Jelly Manjeetpuri tell us a bit more about him?JELLY IS A GOOD SINGER FROM PANJAB HE PLAYS INSTRUMENTS AND WRITES FOR ALL THE TOP SINGERS AND STUDIOS IN PANJAB. When I first heard Snake Charmer, I was truly amazed as you hardly hear the use of the Bheen in UK Bhangra. It’s a crazy track to say the least, how did you come up with the beat and concept?I WAS IN THE STUDIO IN PANJAB AND I NEEDED A SNAKE CHARMER SO I GOT ONE FROM THE STREET, HE HAD A SNAKE AND THE SNAKE WAS IN THE ROOM DANCING WHEN THE BEEN WAS RECORDED Have the tracks that you released as promos a few moons ago such as Jagga and Snake Charmer been manipulated since then as from the promos we can sense a slight change in vocalists or instruments?DONT THINK SO BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHICH PROMOS YOU HEARD You used the sample of Knight Rider to your advantage in Mundian To Bach Ke, will we see anymore expert usage in the new album?
I WOULD NOT REALLY LIKE TO USE KNIGHT RIDER AGAIN BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED THE IDEA TO ME AND I WAS THINKING OF DOING AND ENGLISH VERSION!! The weirdest thing you`ll see on a Desi album, the use of a Hebrew song by Ofra Haza. Where did you get hold of the "Im Nin'Alu" track, was it on your travels to various countries or did you just think damn this sounds hectic?OFRA HAZA AND IM NI ALU WAS THE FIRST VOCAL I EVER HEARD THAT WAS MIXED WITH A HIP HOP BREAK. IT IS THE TRACK ‘PAID IN FULL’ THAT INSPIRED ME TO GET INTO MUSIC PRODUCTION AND WRITING RAPS. IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLESURE TO TAKE THAT INFAMOUS TRACK BACK TO THE ARABIC BEATS, As your name itself mentions, you’re famed for your rapping. Did you first start off as a producer or a mc? Can we expect more rapping for yourself or any other artists on the new album?YES I STARTED OFF AS AN MC ,YOU MAY AND YES THERE IS. I AM RAPPING ON SO CAN WE, IM NI ALU WHICH YOU MENTIONED, ALSO IM RAPPING ON CHIPS AND INDIAN TIMING PLUS MORE, ALSO I HAVE SHARP AND STIMULI RAP VOCALS On your album you tend to have a lot of meaningful lyrics compared to other artists for example your tracks aren’t all about dancing, drinking and girls. You seem to base a lot of your music on folk legends such as Mirza, Jeona Morh; Do you think artists should be encouraged to experiment with a wider variety of topics or do you believe the tried, tested and successful method is the best way forward?I DON’T THINK LIKE THAT. I JUST DO THE MUSIC FIRST
For many you personify how a Desi, hip hop orientated artist should sound. Who were your musical influences as well as worldly figures when you created the sounds on your album?
I LISTENED TO JAMES BROWN, MANAK ,LAL CHAND, AS WELL AS RAKIM ,ICE-T For an industry that started pretty much at the same time as Hip Hop, where do you think we as an audience or as musicians and of course record labels have gone wrong?LABELS ARE NOT GIVING A F### ABOUT MUSICIANS ,THAT IS NOT THE WAY FORWARD. PMCRECORDS.COM IS A LABEL THAT WILL As with all accomplished artists they will have made enemies, one name that seems to stand out more than others is Kray Twinz. Shall we let you put them in place or do we just ignore their existence when it comes to them making crude comments?I THINK THAT MANY ARTIST ARE FUSTRATED WITH THE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, THAT IS WHY THEY MAKE CRUDE COMMENTS.. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT VERY TALENTED ARTISTS THAT HAVE BEEN TREATED LIKE S##T What are you views on the issue with the Kray Twinz if you want to clear that to all the readers as we keep hearing nonstop from the duo that they were behind the hit classic Mundian To Bach Ke?
BACH KE WAS PRODUCED BY PANJABI MC FULL STOP You`ve released so many hits in the past from Dhol Jageero Da, Kori, Jind Mahi, Mirza, Yaara Kolo Sikh, Bheer etc. We can seriously go on forever, but which is your personal favourite out of your massive collection?I REALLY LIKE MIRZA PT2, CAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THE BHANGRA CROWD RAP BACK TO ME.. THAT IS WHEN I REALISED THAT MUSIC COULD CROSS OVER INTO OTHER MARKETS AND HAS A UNIVERSAL APPEAL A lot of Asian youngsters are increasingly listening to the Bassline/Niche genre. Have you ever thought of dabbling your hands into an ever popular segment of music or are there other styles you yourself are listening to at the moment?I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE ‘BHANGRA NICHE’ ALBUM .. I AM WORKING WITH DS1 AND OTHER PRODUCERS ON THE ‘INDIAN TIMING REMIX ALBUM You have started an interesting project called "Family Tree" with PMC Records. Can you explain to us what it’s about and what you hope the end product will be?NOT ALL OF IT , BUT FAMILY TREE WILL ONE DAY BE A LABEL THT IS OWNED BY THE PEOPLE. THAT MEANS THEY WILL BUY 1 COPY OF AN ALBUM, BEFORE RELEASE ,AND THAT MAKES THEM THE PRODUCER. SO THEN WE CAN DECIDE WHAT SORT OF MUSIC TO MAKE ON THAT ALBUM! IF ENOUGH PEOPLE BUY IT, WE COULD MAKE A MAINSTREAM ALBUM FOR A TOP ARTIST LIKE 50 CENT You`ve mentioned that you have your own label up and running, for those not familiar PMC Records is the name. Who runs the actual label itself and which artists do you have under your wing?
GOT MANY SHOWS HERE AND THERE, I AM ALWAYS IN THE LAB WORKING SO WATCH OUT FOR MORE INCLUDING THE PMC MIX TAPE! ALSO REMIXES FOR INDIAN TIMING AND WATCH OUT FOR THE INEVITABLE MAINSTREAM RELEASES!
Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to respond to these questions! Hope the release goes smoothly and the end product is how you wanted it to be.
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