Qaran’s new song, Hope You Don't Mind, has a unique soundscape 

I wanted to make sure that it stands out sonically from anything else on the charts
Qaran
Qaran

Heavily influenced by R&B and hip hop, singer-record producer Qaran who catapulted to fame with the 2018 hit number Tareefan, dropped his new song - Hope You Don’t Mind. Qaran, who grew up in Indonesia, Singapore and London and honed his music skills at the University of Westminster, intends to elevate his sonic evolution with this song. He challenged himself and the result is a unique soundscape. Hear it from the musical talent whose other hits include Haaye Oye and Ki Kehna, an international collaboration with DJ & Producer R3HAB. Excerpts:

How has the response been since its release?

I always consider myself fortunate to have a platform to make my music reach the masses. Getting an overwhelmingly positive response at that scale for this song is something that is very fulfilling.

The music of Hope You Don't Mind is groovy. Tell us more about it.

With HYDM, (Hope You Don’t Mind) I wanted to enter what I call “Phase 2” of my sonic evolution as an artist. I try to create a brand new sound with every record I release but with HYDM, I wanted to make sure that it stands out sonically from anything else on the charts while still maintaining commercial viability. A challenge I gave myself with this record was to make the organic instruments sound synthesised and the synthesised instruments sound organic. I wanted to combine the spacey melodic elements with a bouncy Afrobeat rhythm to create a unique & rhythmical soundscape.

Tell us about the song and its making.

To distinguish myself as an artists, I make sure that I always write my songs as honestly as I can. In order to do that I have to draw from my own life experiences. This song is no exception to that rule. I wanted the lyrics to sound like a long text message to an estranged lover while still being catchy. This record came together extremely organically right from the songwriting stage to the eventual master.

What other collaboration can we expect in the coming months?

One of the positive impacts the pandemic has had on me over the last year was the ability to spend as long as I want in the studio - uninterrupted - to make music. Thankfully, the fruits of that labour will be visible and audible in 2021 as I will be releasing a lot of that music along with a few other Bollywood collaborations.

An artiste whom you follow for his/her music?

I listen and appreciate anything and everything but lately, I’m a big fan of the Toronto urban music scene. The way they put their city on the map by carving out their own sound and integrating it into pop culture is something I have been working on from as far back as Tareefan. Some of the artistes I appreciate from that scene are PartyNextDoor, Majid Jordan & Roy Woods.

What is your kind/taste of music?

I’m heavily influenced by R&B music & hip hop but I have immersed myself into almost every genre. Living across various continents also gave me the opportunity to absorb a lot of world music. All these influences amalgamate into my current musical tastes.

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