The one and only DJ Dev managed to catch up with the keyboard player from Jazzy B's live band for many years who has now fast making a name for himself as a producer. After releasing the albums Heavy Duty (which he is) and Larger Than Life (which he definitely is) he is back with a Bang; yes literally with his new album Bangin!

DJ Dev: For those not in the know - who is Popsy?

Popsy: Me, Well I started out playing keyboards when I was 12. Then it all started when I went to Uni in Birmingham. I was introduced to Ambi Bilga, who is Jazzy B's manager. He asked if I was playing keyboards for any band and the simple answer at the time was "no." He was also managing ESHARA back then. So he introduced me to Meshi, the lead singer, who was also a good mate of Jazzy B's and Sukhshinder Shinda. They all visited me in my halls of residence and I played a bit of keyboards and the rest is all history.

So really I initially played for Eshara and as time went on joined Shinda Paji on keyboards with Jazzy B.

In those days I used to finish Uni and go straight to the studio and meet up with Shinda Paji and just sat for hours learning how to produce music, and just generally getting to know the ins and outs of how music should be produced.

This was a massive learning curve from playing keyboards to actually learning to produce with some of the best engineers known to Bhangra such as; Pete Ware, Paul Civil, Jim Lantsbury and the list goes on.

Then a few years later I started work on my debut album called "HEAVY DUTY". This was the first time I'd been to a studio alone without Shinda Paji, and that's where the ball started rolling.

DJ Dev: You're about to release your third album. Your previous album was an improvement on your debut. But, to be honest I thought Heavy Duty only had one track that I could listen to numerous times. Is this going to be your best work to date? Popsy: Well Dev, as a musician I'll have to be honest, the first album "Heavy Duty" was big learning session for me and an experience. There were a lot of mistakes when I look back on it but I have no regrets because it's only by making that

Popsy

album that I was able to improve on "Larger than Life" - my second album. Also being an unknown producer and approaching the likes of "Kuldip Manak" wasn't easy at all.

I think over the years we all improve in some way or another. I really needed to sit back and think where I'd gone wrong on the previous albums. To be frank about it, I took a lot more time in my production; finding the right singers, lyrics and most importantly spent more time on each song trying to get it right for myself and feeling confident that each track is what I wanted it to sound like and not just trying to make a filler track for the album.

Bangin! is definitely my best work to date and I don't really want blow my own trumpet and say "ye man it's the best thing since slice bread"; I rather leave that to critics to decide. All I can add is that I've given it my 100% throughout the project and I will continue to learn and only improve what I produce.

DJ Dev: Which artists are featured on the album?

Popsy: Shin DCS, Balkar Sidhu, Lembher Hussainpuri, Ranjit Mani, Sucha Rangila, Sameera Singh and Parmjeet Pama.

DJ Dev: Balkar Sidhu is the name that strikes me there. Haven't really seen him feature on any other producers albums. How did that come about? Did you get to actually work with the man?

Bangin!

Popsy: Balkar Sidhu was on tour in the UK and I've been a big fan of his since he first came about. I approached him through a friend who arranged a meeting between the two of us. His first couple of words were "I don't really like singing for other producers because they use samples and mess songs up with bass lines and English beats." It made me laugh a bit but I could understand where he was coming from being an out & out folk singer. We spent two days in the studio recording his vocals, as he is an absolute perfectionist and only goes with his best and gives his 100%. On the second day he made me scrap all he'd done and said "Right Popsy, record all I've done again and hear the difference", the guy was off his rockers he started to sing in the G Key (for those of you who don't know the average singer sings in C# or D# and this guy went straight to G). Believe me if you're a musician that is unbelievable, seeing it being done. That is a very high note to sing on and only a few singers will attempt it. Bangin! is the first album that Balkar Sidhu has recorded on apart from

his own albums. Thanks to the guy for having the faith in my production.

DJ Dev: With so many albums featuring the same singers, was it a conscious decision to go for someone different?

Popsy: I know that many producers did try to get Balkar but for whatever reason it didn't materialise. The other singer I really wanted was Shin from DCS. Ah man the guys just wicked in the studio. He is very professional. Basically "Gut Te Paranda", that's the song that he's sung, was actually written by Satinder Kala from the USA who writes most of Jazzy B's tracks. Being a close friend of Shinda Paji, I approached Shinda and said that Shin had agreed to come on board with the Bangin project and that I needed a kick ass track. Shinda had actually written a few catchy lines and one of them was "Gut Te Paranda". Shinda then composed the track and made the melody and we sent the track over to Satinder Kala, who wrote and finished all the lyrics. I have to say it was hard work producing a track for Shin because he will only accept 100% from anyone; 99% is no good to him.

DJ Dev: The lead track is still by the ever-present Lembher though?

Popsy: There were no intentions of selecting Gidhe Vich as the main track. In all honesty there are four tracks on Bangin! that could have easily been the lead tracks. It just happens to be the one that the panel selected. No fault of mine.

DJ Dev: What kind of styles of music can we expect in the album? Popsy: 70% Desi/Bhangra, 10% Dance, 10% Reggae and 10% I'll let you guys decided what ever it is. I opted to have no MC's and no rappers on this album. No particular reason but every other album has it so I though I'd be that little bit different. The master of Indian Percussion	Popsy
"Sukhshinder Shinda" plays the dhols and dholak and I have also introduced Harry - a new and upcoming dhol player who played dhol on the Nachle Bhabiye track at the age of 15.

DJ Dev: So, when's the album out? Can we expect any more delays?

Popsy: The powers to be my record label say 1st April '05, but who knows what god has in stock for us.

DJ Dev: What's your opinion on the lack of original songs in the bhangra industry? A lot of songs that come out seem to be recycled versions of past tunes. For example Guru Nalon Ishq on your last album.

Popsy: Dev I'll be really honest on this topic. Songwriters will generally only give their best songs to the well-known and established producers. We can all go to writers and say "Uncle Ji I need a hit Bhangra song" and they'll probably look at you and say "ye right here you go son, take this one, it's gonna be a hit" and realistically that's how it is. Sorry for you guys who had other thoughts?

I agree "Guru Nalon Ishq", was definitely the wrong choice and again a lack of experience from my side.

DJ Dev: You have also done quite a bit of work with Sukhshinder Shinda and Jazzy B. Tell us about your involvement with these two huge superstars.

Popsy: Dev words can't explain how much these two and the other band members have helped in my music career.

Shinda Paji in fact isn't my Ustaad; he is a great and true friend who has guided me through music production and playing keyboards for the past decade or so. I really put it down to Shinda that I'm still performing on stage today and also producing. To this day, I still visit Shinda at home and polish up on my keyboard playing.

Popsy in video shoot in Dehli

Jazzy B - what can I say about this guy; he's a diamond geezer and a very close friend. I've played keyboards for him for over a decade and he is without doubt one of my biggest critics. He says things as they are. He has helped in my producing career greatly and is probably the one who helped me maintain my integrity and honesty in the Bhangra industry. The Jazzy B band is not a group of musicians that play for Jazzy B but in real terms the band is better known as a close knit family. In contrast, as we have seen with many bands, a small feud between each other

can easily split a band. But we all treat each other as equals and that is the best way.

DJ Dev: What's your view on ghost productions?

Popsy: Sickening, I can't believe it that if you have money; you pay some one to the donkey work and they then take the credit and say we're badd ass producers; it's a load of bollocks. Mind my French but it really pisses me off.

DJ Dev: Do you think there's the danger of people believing your work could be Shinda's doing, considering your close relationship with him?

Popsy: Definitely NO! Shinda's got a unique sound, which only he can create. Being a friend doesn't mean he would produce my work. It would just never happen. Hand on heart his style of music does have a big influence on my projects, but I don't think they ever sound alike. Just listen to Heavy Duty and Larger than Life; do they sound like a Shinda production?

Shinda has played the percussion on all three albums including Bangin! But Shinda normally comes into the studio does his stuff and is gone. The guy hasn't got time to mess around and help me to produce an album. The thought just makes me laugh if that's what people were to think.

DJ Dev: What's been your funniest moment when touring with the likes of Jazzy?

Popsy: I remember a couple of years ago we went on tour with the Bollywood stars to Jazzy's hometown Vancouver. Ah man; the whole stadium was packed and there were about 25,000 people. Anyway to cut along story short it was time for us guys to go on, so I got on stage not realising that a fight had broken out back stage amongst the bouncers and the promoter's mates (typical desi thing). Well, I was the only band member on stage as the rest had got stuck in the changing rooms. The compeer announced Jazzy B and I started the first intro music. Also on stage at the same time, where Sarbjit Cheema's band who were only supposed to stand behind their instruments; but not play. The crowd went a bit hyper and so did these musicians from India. They had obviously heard the Naag song and started playing along with it. The dholi decided to take centre stage and started doing his acrobatic dhol movements in the middle of the stadium until he slipped and fell, I just went up in stitches and couldn't play any more.

DJ Dev: Where would you say the best crowd is? Which country? Popsy: It's hard to choose between the two; Yuba City Mela - California USA and New York Mela USA they just love their Bhangra big time out there. DJ Dev: So where did the name Popsy come from? Popsy: I've had it since childhood; I think it was one of my sister-laws who gave it to me.

Popsy on tour

DJ Dev: Now you look like a guy who enjoys his food. Tell me is it Aloo Paranthe
or a Full English that does it for you first thing in the morning?

Popsy: Ah man you're getting me hungry yaar. My mums Aloo vale paranthe are the best with achaar and a hot cup of Lechian vali cha does the bizz and keeps the doctor away. LOL

DJ Dev: What else can we expect from Popsy in the future?

Popsy: For the next couple of months I will be promoting Bangin! up and down the country at gigs and weddings, radio etc etc. I'm also launching the Bangin! album with the new PoPsY road show. And hopefully, if all goes well, I should be back in the studio by late this year.

DJ Dev: Any final words for the Desitunes4u readers?

Popsy: Firstly I'd like to say thanks to all of you who have supported me in my previous albums and also whilst playing live on stage. I can only say that Bangin! is by far my best piece of work to date, and the response you guys are sending and emailing me from the promos you've heard will only inspire me to continue to make music which hopefully you will enjoy and have many hours of entertainment from.

Love, Respect and Peace.

POPSY

A big thanks to Popsy for doing the interview with us. The album is all set for release on the 1st of April so make sure you check it out. Make sure you check out his website at www.popsyonline.com now!