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Young, unbridled and high on energy, Ritviz is a name that vibes well with millennials and young adults alike. The Indian pop artiste may not have had the best year, quite like most artistes in 2021, with the live gig scene having been lacklustre. However, things changed for the better towards the end of last year when he hopped on to the live music bandwagon and took a leap of faith to re-energise the after-hour culture in India. Excerpts from an interview
You became an instant hit with Udd Gaye. Did you ever think you would be so successful?
Udd Gaye becoming an instant hit still feels like yesterday. In 2017, I started working on what was supposed to be my next body of work at the time — a six-track EP titled ‘VED’. Somewhere along the way, we heard about a platform to promote homegrown independent music. We decided to submit a few demos from the EP. The song and video were finally released on a channel, which at the time had over two million subscribers. Over the next six months, I went on tour all across the country, promoting my music at clubs, festivals, campus events, you name it. Meanwhile, the song was climbing on every music chart and eventually getting picked up by other DJs around the country as it became the crowd favourite. It was mostly sheer word-of-mouth that popularised the song.
In this situation, how vital is it to keep live hotspots going?
It is these hotspots and club culture that has contributed to my success greatly. In today’s time, live music feels more necessary than usual. During the pandemic, much of the music went digital but live is surreal. There is no comparison. Performing live is a deeply emotional part of a creator’s life, a window into their way of thinking, a real connect with the audience and a source of inspiration.
What inspires you to create music?
For me, inspiration comes from within, to be honest. I find it really hard to create an environment or a zone for working. It is more about going with the flow and letting anything and everything inspire me — the good, the bad, as well as the ugly. This is perhaps why there is no fixed vibe to my music. I have experimented with electronic, pop, traditional and mixed genres.