It was in 2017 that Ritviz made a splash in the music scene with the earworm 'Udd Gaye'. In the last five years, the singer, songwriter and record producer has formed quite a fan-base for his music with its intimate melodies and compelling narratives. His debut album Mimmi, released on September 2, brings together a number of genres.
With a US tour coming up in October and some Bollywood/OTT projects in the pipeline, Ritviz believes it’s an epic time to be making music. Excerpts from an interview:
Tell us about your new album and how it came about?
Mimmi is my mom’s nickname and this album is dedicated to her. The eight songs came out of conversations that I had with mom. The album is sort of a parallel between my adult life and my childhood self. It’s focusing on the love that I received as a child which was so unconditional versus the love I get in my adult life which is conditional, whether it’s romantic relationships or friendships.
This album is basically my quest to find unconditional love. There are a number of realisations I have throughout the album, the final one being a conflict of sorts. If I am expecting unconditional love, that itself makes me conditional in a way. So the finale really is that I have to focus on the process without thinking of the reward. The process is the reward. I wrote the tracks with my mother who has taken care of the lyrical side of it.
You have mentioned in an earlier interview that you have tried to experiment with a new sound with Mimmi. So is this Ritviz 2.0?
I would like to say it’s a new Ritviz. In fact, the whole of last year has been very 2.0. As I am evolving as a person, the music is also a reflection of my realizations. The experience of this album is a deep-dive into my mind. It is very 2.0.
Three of your tracks featured in Ms Marvel this year. How was the experience?
'Sage' and 'Thandi Hawa' were part of my existing catalogue and 'Aavegi' was a brand new track that I wrote especially for them. It’s just such a flex to say that I made it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe! (laughs)
More than anything, to be part of that soundtrack where the South Asian representation was happening on a global scale was really epic.
Your early training was in Hindustani classical music but then you also discovered electronic and techno music. How have these different worlds of music contributed to what we know of your brand of music?
I think it was a very subconscious effort into making music. I was consuming Indian classical and in the west, I was also listening to VH1 top 40. The culmination of all that in my head led to some sort of format. It is not a conscious effort to make a song sound like something. I still don’t know what box to put my music in. As long as I am consuming various things, there is going to be some sort of processing that’s going to happen and the output will be according to that.
Your first EP 'Vizdumb' came out in 2014. From then to now, how would you describe your evolution in desi EDM?
When I started off, I was testing the waters with a soft launch. In 2014, I knew I wanted to sing but I also wanted to produce. I wanted complete control of the music that I put out. So I made my debut with that understanding. I took a deep dive into the production side of things in 2015 and it was only in 2017 that my vocals also joined in. That’s when we did 'Udd Gaye' and the big break happened.
The last five years since 'Udd Gaye' has been a journey of vocal and production-heavy music. I think I have been heading towards a minimal side. With this album especially, I have shed a lot of electronica off me. Mimmi is lyrically-heavy and has a very singer-songwriter vibe. Having said that, this progression is going to have its extremes. I feel my next project will be very complex in nature, purely because my project right now is so minimal. I live in extremes that way.
You have a US tour coming up in October. Are you excited to perform in front of a new audience?
I am extremely nervous! (laughs) The five minutes before getting on stage are the absolute worst. I am so anxious, but once I’m on stage, there’s an energy transaction and I feel euphoric. I’m excited to see how people respond to the new music. It’s the first time I am going to the USA, so I am feeling the first-time jitters.
Any new collaborations in the pipeline?
Collaborations have happened when like-minded people have come along. Everything is so organic and that’s great because the music comes from the heart. Great conversations have led to great music. I don’t have anything planned. There are a lot of epic people I would love to work with but I think I’m mostly excited about where this road is taking me.
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