High ‘freak’qency

Rishi Rich, Jay Sean and Juggy D made waves in the Asian underground music scene with their number Nachna Tere Naal – Dance with you. They were new to the industry then, and were applauded for creativity. As a result of their initial success, their fan following surged and the three artistes — each pursuing solo careers — became successful musicians in their own right.  

It has now been 12 years since they first burst onto the scene and the artistes have reunited for a brand new track called Freak for the Rishi Rich Project.

“For many years, we have pursued our careers individually and the three of us have our own identities. We have been talking about collaborating for some time now and when Juggy D came down to Kolkata, things just started to roll,” said Rishi. “We have worked together before, so when we came together for Freak, it was even more exciting. As artistes go, we bring out the best in each other and our chemistry, as we make music, is interesting.”

Rishi explained that this single was about getting people to let loose and essentially get their “freak on”. “The music is sexy and mature. It has RnB in it with Juggy’s musical influences as well. When you listen to it, you’ll feel nostalgic and pumped up at the same time. If you are a fan of any of us, this single, I would say, is the best of all of us,” he added.

Unlike planned meetings and composing sessions, this single started with a unique sound called the mandolin hook. “I was working on the music with Jay — his beats are quite different and that was when he heard the mandolin hook. This led to an impromptu jam session with all of us in attendance and everything came together,” Rishi said.

From being trained in Indian classical to the music that he currently produces, Rishi’s musical journey has been an interesting one indeed. “I have always loved the music I make. When you love the music and put it out there for people, they surely enjoy it if they feel it’s right. I enjoy my career and I feel that not all the music I make must end up being a hit,” he said.

When it comes to Indian music, R.D. Burman is his favourite, said Rishi. “I always felt that he was ahead of his time. I consider him the ‘King of Fusion’ — his music had everything, from jazz and blues to RnB,” he said.

Now that Post Universal Music is releasing Freak in India, Rishi, Jay and Juggy are also looking forward to planning a tour to meet their fans here.