‘The
Project’ is the ultimate showcase for Rishi’s diverse production
style, and is a testament to his ability to both nurture new talent and
collaborate in fresh and innovative ways with established artists.The culmination of a year in the studio with an global roster of artists, the album includes collaborations with some of the UK’s brightest stars (So Solid Crew hype man JD aka Dready, Baby Blue and J2K) and introduces a new line-up of international talent (including Reggaeton artist Mr Phillips, French-Canadian R&B vocalist Chhaya, Bajan singer Alison Hines, USA singer Mana from Timbaland’s camp & Norwegian-Pakistani vocalist Rafaqat). With ‘The Project’ Rishi’s trademark fusion of bhangra, traditional Indian music and urban beats has been extended to take in dancehall, reggaeton and soca, alongside lyrics in Punjabi, Hindi, French & English.
How do you feel about the success of Push It Up?
It only came out on digital download and I’ve heard that it’s doing really well and on the Asian scene it’s number 1 on all the charts. For me it’s always been about the album which is out on 7th August which has been promoted everywhere. We’ve got two more videos coming out soon and nearer the release we’ll be doing signings at record shops like HMV.
What was it like filming the video?
It was really good experience, we went to Puerto Rico for two weeks with the Luny Tunes.
Some people think there are too many girls in the video, what do you think?
At the end of the day it’s just a normal video and there’s nothing much different to other videos. Some people look at your stuff more than other artists and scrutinise a lot.
What do you think the next single will be?
Stomp will be the next video which features JD, Jay Sean and Mr.Phillips from Luny Tunes, then after that we’ll have a couple more singles out this year.
Can you describe the album to us?
There are 17 tracks on the album with different artists from different backgrounds singing in Hindi, Punjabi, and JD brings in the UK urban thing, there are also a lot of new artists on there as well.
What are your favourite tracks on the album?
I listen to them all differently but one track that stands out is Please Me which is one of my favourites. They all have different vibes so I can’t really judge them in that way.
Describe Bhangraeton for people who don’t know…
It’s a combination of what the Luny Tunes have done in America working with Daddy Yankee and people like that and also our sounds from the Indian vibe fused together.
Why do you think Asian music has become more popular in recent years?
There’s always a population of Asians everywhere you go and people from America using samples has also helped to open the doors for other Asian artists.
What’s it like to be in a team with Jay Sean and Juggy D?
It’s great, we started working separately at first but hopefully we’ll stay working together for years to come.
What is your creative process when you make a beat?
I like to get a vibe while in the studio and work on some beats. Sometimes the song is already there so I’ll be working around the melody and lyrics. A song can take from a day to a week, it all depends.
‘The Project’ is released on 2point9 Records on August 7th
www.2point9.com
By Rashmi Shastri - Jun 2006