UK Asian super producer Rishi Rich has always been a bit of a mystery.
Rightly respected by his producer contemporaries for his thankless knob twiddling with the likes of Mary J Blige, Britney Spears and Misteeq, his mainstream profile over here has nevertheless remained static. Always the playmaker but never the scorer.
In 2003 he formed the Rishi Rich Project, a collective aimed at showcasing new artists, such as R&B singer Jay Sean and his Rishi produced debut album Me Against Myself which spawned two UK top ten singles and multi-platinum sales in India.
One year in the making, Rishi’s second long play album The Project includes collaborations with some of the UK’s hottest urban talent (MOBO award winning rapper Sway) and up and coming international artists (including Reggaton chap Mr Phillips and Norwegian Pakistani vocalist Rafaqat).
They say:
Time Out: “Rishi never lets the occasional Indian trademarks overwhelm the flow.”
Play Valley: “You’ll be on the next plane to India.”
We say:
Fortunately having more in common with Timbaland than Craig David, The Project maps out a labyrinthine vision of modern hip hop where traditional Indian music meets urban beats.
After a brief cut ‘n’ paste intro, the album takes flight with the head bopping bhangra cum dense alien fuzz of ‘Flipmode’, and it doesn’t take a degree in music technology to see why Rishi is held with such high regard in producer circles, with his elaborate hooks and cerebral production at times matching the experimental verve of the Neptunes.
What’s more, The Project sees Rishi expanding his trademark bhangra flavoured palette to encompass Bollywood, chutney, dancehall and reggaeton, all twisted into the most extraordinary shapes, as well as featuring lyrics in French, Hindi, Punjabi and English via the incredible pool of vocal talent.
It’s a multicultural melting pot of sounds that deserves more than cult status, but it’s probably too strange to achieve it.
Like this? Try these:
Missy Elliot – Missy E…So Addictive
Jay Sean – Me Against Myself
Dr. Dre – 2001
RELEASED
7th August 2006
LABEL
2Point9 Records
POSTED...
Thu 3 Aug 2006 at 3:31pm
