Recently, Amen had the pleasure of interviewing the Mundey In Black which consists of the duo Mandeep Sandhu & Navi Jagpal. The Canadian pair have just released their brand new album released on the Music Minds label in the UK, namely 'unbreakable.'
1) How did you guys get into DJ'ing/Producing and who inspired you?
We both started DJ'ing since the mid-90s… we love all types of music, and being able to play to a crowd of people, and seeing them have a great time was the driving force behind becoming a DJ. This later stemmed off to an opportunity to mix our own tunes, which later matured into us producing our own music. Not only do we play other peoples music, now as producers/djs we can actually play our own music in the mix of things. Bottom line… people love music… love to dance… thus we are now involved in the music process… and we are responsible for making people dance!! Our biggest inspirations are our fans, family and friends, because they are the ones that encouraged us to release our first CD, and keep motivating us to do something new.
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2) When you guys are not banging beats in the studio, what are you doing in your spare time?
It's rare… so we take it for what it's worth and relax. We'll go hang out with our friends, play some ball… or even go watch a movie… we love watching movies.
3) Are there any artists with whom you would really like to work with?
Loving all types of music, we would simply like to work with and collaborate with as many artists as we can… honestly, whether it's an emerging artist or an establish name… no matter who we work with, we will always learn something new.
4) How do you feel about the sudden surge of bhangra into the mainstream?
We think its fantastic, and hope that its not just a fad and that its here to stay. |
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5) It has been said by many that there are alot of desi music artists in North America that are nothing more than average, what makes you any better than the norm?
We aren't in it to compete… we do it for the love of music and our fans. Since industry resources are very limited in North America, the sad part of it is that North America actually harbours a lot of "hidden" talents. Take Jazzy B, Manmohan Waris, Sarbjeet Cheema, and Harbhajan Mann… these were all North American artists. I'm sure it can be said by many that there are alot of desi music artists in the UK that are nothing more than average… but that doesn't mean that there isn't any decent talent. We don't compare ourselves… we believe in ourselves… we simply look at if companies are giving us a chance, making music videos for us, and that the public is speaking out by supporting us and emailing us from all parts of the world… we must be doing something right… we may not be the greatest, but we love what we do, and appreciate it that our fans love it too!! We've been in the game for over a decade now… players usually don't last if they're not real to the game!!
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6) What do you think of the Asian music scene in the North America? How does it compare to the desi music scene in the UK?
From where we're based, Vancouver, the scene is very desi and non-experimental… if the track is not watered down, it's not that popular. Although the UK is a very traditional "bhangra" based market, the scene is experimental as it supports and adapts to new modern sounds. The scene seems to be more commercialised in |
| the UK, in terms of they're being a lot of Bhangra parties, club nites, etc… In North America, punjabi's primarily reside is Vancouver, Toronto and California. Toronto and California definitely have matured its desi nite life, while Vancouver still seems to be struggling to develop a scene. Since Punjabi's are a minority in the US, the Hindi dance scene is quite popular in most major cities. |
7) What is your opinion on mp3 downloads? What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of them? How do you think they are affecting the industry?
MP3 technology is great… and the download of such music is phenomenal. It allows a sound, an image, and a brand to be exposed to a global community. Our music is being downloaded in markets that we never imaged it to reach… we know this by the emails that we get. But at the same time, the download of music does come at a price. In my recent visit to the UK, after visiting a lot of music shops, the common setback they all expressed was that buying market has declined. With a growing South Asian population, there is no doubt that the number of artists in the industry keeps growing… so one would only expect the buying market to be gradually growing… but in fact, it seems it has taken a turn in the opposite direction. Even our distributor back in North America said the days when his shop used to be full of students after school are no more. My personal view is, with less people buying because they are downloading, there will obviously be reduced funding making its way though the system… and unfortunately its artists that will be greatly affected by this, especially new and upcoming artists. Perhaps as a result of all of this, it seems that an emerging trend that some Record Company are adopting is that they are making artists fund their own marketing, production, and even distribution, whereas they should be paying their artists. In closing, we are all for free downloads… but keep in mind, nothing in life is truly for free... there is always a cost down the road.
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8) What do you think of the use of samples in Asian music these days?
If it works, why not… but one must keep in mind that credit should be given where its deserved… samples are being used endlessly in the mainstream markets, so what's the harm if they are used in the Asian music scene? Even mainstream artists sample from Desi's… so if the fans love it then that's all that should matter. If the sample stands good on its own, it'll only add to benefit a mix once used effectively. But at the same time an artist/producer should not limit their potential. They should explore and be creative to produce their own sounds. |
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9) What should we expect from "MIB" in the near future?
After the release of UNBREAKABLE, we began work on various compilation and collaboration projects. In parallel we have also began production on our next release. We have also been is talks with various promoters discussing possibilities to perform at various UK, and European venues in the upcoming months… so hopefully, u'd be able to check out the MIB at an upcoming event.
10) Do you have a final message for the thousands of desitunes4u visitors all over the world?
Always count on DesiTunes4u to bring you the most up to date info, so keep it locked here. We can't thank the people that have supported us enough… big ups and thanx to you all.
That concludes the interview, firstly a big thanks to Mandeep & Navi for taking some time out to chat to us. Their album is their best release yet so make sure you check it out. Also, keep an eye out for future mixes from the Canadian pair.
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