You have carved out a niche for yourself as someone who can envision unique and large-scale collaborations and then actually make them happen, how have you made that happen ? And how important was ‘Slowly Slowly’ in marking the beginning of an era of collaborations that turned into huge hits ?
Growing up in Dubai definitely helped me dream Big. Dubai is a synonym for creating everything larger than life. Also musically, Dubai being at the centre of the East and the West – my music inspirations was always an amalgamation of sounds from different parts of the world. Dubai is a potpourri of different cultures and I have always tried imbibing that into my music productions. When I started producing music, I always wanted my productions to be an extension of the music I played as a DJ. While mixing songs in the club – it would always be a mix of Bollywood and Commercial sounds – even my remixes and mashups had this vibe. So when I decided to produce my own songs – I wanted to have an Indian singer and an artist from the West on the same song. Dreaming about it was the easier job though. Working on it took years of travelling, meeting managers and labels from different parts of the world, getting inspired by different sounds – and finally getting two artists from different mindsets to jump on one particular beat that I created. All this was moving Slowly Slowly (pun intended) when the big breakthrough happened. Even though I had worked on collaborations in the past – this one truly helped establish myself in the music scene and set a foundation for more collaborations to happen.
Tell us a little bit about your journey as a DJ. What made you decide to transition to a career as a Music Producer ?
While studying in University – doing my Bachelors in Computer Science Engineering, I realised that I wasn’t born to be an engineer. There was music running in my blood and I wanted to do something related to music but wasn’t sure in which field. I started off working in Events and that’s when I saw a DJ perform and I immediately knew that this was something I wanted to try my hands on. A few years later into it, I realised this wasn’t just a hobby that I wanted to pursue – but wanted to make it my career. I had started travelling the world as a DJ but I wanted my music too to travel the world – and hence got into productions. I wanted the crowd to understand what kind of music I would be dropping and it was essential to create my own sound for that.
What is your most important take-away from working with some of the biggest musicians and stars in the world ?
Music is a field where you keep learning, and when you collaborate with different musicians and stars – you not only learn about music, but also imbibe their energy into yourself. Also one thing I have learnt from the biggest stars is their humility and that’s the reason they have been able to sustain their stardom for these many years.
You’ve had an interesting stint on an Indian reality show called ‘Raw Star”, what made you decide to embark on such a unique project and how was that experience for you ?
Raw Star was my first stint in a TV reality show, and I was definitely Raw in that field when the opportunity came to me. It was definitely a learning experience and to be on stage with Yo Yo Honey Singh – was an amazing experience. But with the amount of retakes I had to do, I realised how tough it can be to be in front of the camera.
What are, in your opinion, some of the stand out songs and remixes of the past decade ?
Some of my favourite remixes which have stood the test of time are :
A. Jay Sean – Stay
B. Tera Saath Hai Kitna Pyaara
C. Aashiqui 2 – Tum Hi Ho
D. Banna Re
The remix I did for Stay actually stayed in the top charts of BBC Asian Network for a long time and helped me gain popularity outside of Dubai. Tum Hi Ho was a remix I had released on my own Youtube but T-Series loved the mix so much that they decided to release it as an official remix.
How do you find inspiration for your music ? Are there any genres or specific influences that play a part in your music ?
Travelling is definitely the biggest inspiration. Meeting people, hearing their stories, listening to local music there, watching different artists perform helps me open up my mind. The core theme of the music of Casanova came to my mind when I was partying in Tulum.
Are there any artists or music producers that you look up to, Whom you might want to emulate in your professional life ?
David Guetta has been my inspiration always. The music and legacy he has created is something I would love to emulate. At the moment, I do follow Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike – and love their energy.
What is in the pipeline for DJ Shadow? what future projects are you most excited about ?
Lots of music coming your way. I have two big collaborations coming up, one featuring Jason Derulo and the other Rick Ross. I also have my own HipHop album coming up which targets the younger Spotify crowd.
Which is your favourite spot in Dubai and why ?
I love Sky 2.0 and if it has be one of the regular spots that I perform in, then has to be Mantis.
