Salim- Sulaiman have truly nurtured my musicality over the years: Raj Pandit

Of late, a lot of Indian musicians have been taking time out for independent music for creative satisfaction. And the latest to join the bandwagon is musician Raj Pandit. After working on several Bollywood projects, he has now come up with his first single. Titled ‘Vibe’, the eclectic track has great production and visuals. Saachibaat.com caught up with the talented musician to discuss the single and more. Excerpts from the interview:

Raj, tell us about the single and its vibe.

‘Vibe’ is my debut single and it’s super close to my heart, as all the ‘firsts’ are! It’s an old-school funk track, fused with the new age sound that talks about love-at-first-vibe! It’s really groovy and the video is like a big party with a lot of fun choreography.

How long did it take to materialise?

I made this song about two years ago and have had it with me since. It was always on my mind to release this as my first independent single, so I chose to wait for the right time to be able to do it well! Finally after a locked down 2020 when things started to open up, it made a lot of sense to start the new year with a bang. So we put it all together, within a month!

How did the idea come about?

I was on a flight to Australia for a tour with Salim-Sulaiman, when the hook melody and this line “I’m high on your vibe” came to me. I recorded it as a voice note and made a basic groove on my phone. That itself excited me enough to come back and build the whole song around it.

Who helped you put it together?

Kunaal Vermaa, who wrote the lyrics of the song, really understood the style of writing that I was looking for and we had a great time collaborating on Vibe. For the video, I couldn’t think of anyone else to choreograph and direct it apart from my friend Shazeb Sheikh, who really understands this genre of music and the kind of moves that would go with it. And of course, my mentors Salim ab and Sulaiman along with the team at Merchant Records, who gave it the perfect platform to help me and my music reach out to the world. I strongly believe that ‘team work makes the dream work!’ and that’s exactly how this dream of mine also turned into reality.

You share a close bond with Salim-Sulaiman. What role have they played in your musical journey?

It’s been almost a decade that I’ve been closely associated with Salim Sulaiman and I couldn’t have asked for more! They’ve truly nurtured my musicality over these years and have always pushed me to do better. Their constant aim for perfection with every project is something that I’ve tried to imbibe and working with them has been truly life changing for me. I’m thrilled that the start of this new journey is also on Merchant Records.

You’ve also sung for Bollywood. What do you intend to focus on more – film music or independent music?

Honestly, I just intend to focus on music, without having to compartmentalize it. Film Music is something that I’ve grown up on and I really enjoy working on film soundtracks and even background scores. Where as independent music is something that I want to continue doing, to express myself as an artist. The aim is to try and keep the balance intact and enjoy the process of making music.