Manj Musik stands in favour of AI in music industry

The world might be weighing in on the scope of artificial intelligence (AI) in the music world, but Indo-Brit composer and singer Manj Musik feels the technology advancement comes as a big scope for artists to take sounds and rhythms to another level.

“I think AI is a marvellous tool, we have no idea how powerful it is at this point. It might make the music industry easier to work in. Earlier, music producers would be running around trying to find samples, a guitarist or a tabla player to record. Now, you have platforms that allow you to download royalty-free samples,” says Manj, whose real name is Manjeet Singh Ral.

He adds, “People are releasing so many songs based on these samples and being creative. So, I think AI is just another tool that people will use to take music to another level, just like all the other tools have done in the past”.

He mentions royalty as a pro for AI, so we ask him how he looks at the whole royalty issue. To which, he responds, “Things have changed a lot since when we started out. Things are really moving forward. A lot of the labels are bending a little and they are looking out for the artists, writers, and singers. So there is definitely a change – in a good way. I’m very happy with that. We should see some amazing results later on. There is light at the end of the tunnel”.

Opening up about what is missing from the music scene, he says, “I don’t think anything is missing now. If you would have asked me this question five or six years ago, I would have said there are a whole lot of things missing. But now things are moving so fast with AI, the softwares, creative writers, music collaborations, and different genres of music coming up. I don’t think there’s anything missing. In fact, I think people need to slow down a little, there’s too much happening”.

Manj, who was earlier one-third of seminal bhangra group RDB, has made a place for himself in the industry over the last two decades, by striking a chord with his music, which comes infused with a desi touch, or a global hip-hop spin. He has composed songs for Bollywood films such as Namastey London, Singh Is Kinng, Kambakkht Ishq, Tanu Weds Manu, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Bullet Raja and Good Newwz. And he will soon be back with another number in Bollywood.

“Bollywood numbers never end. I’m always getting calls and messages from the producers and actors. I have given songs over to some production houses. I’m always giving songs to Akshay [Kumar] paaji. So you’ve definitely not heard the last of Manj Musik in the Bollywood scene for sure,” he concludes.