“Perfectionism as society sells it is a survival strategy to avoid criticisms” ~ Arjun
Music has been one of the go-to capsules for the being. The way it goes with our soul no matter in which mood we are in. It just makes a difference in the social and physical. With the same general flow, we interviewed Arjun, an artist and asked him to flow his heart out for his fans and readers.
1. Brief about yourself and your work field to our readers?
A- My name is Arjun, I go by the stage name of ARJƐ.
I’m a producer, rapper, singer/songwriter born in India, now based in Manchester, UK.
I bring together musical elements as well as languages of the east and west to express myself.
2. What interested you in the entertainment field?
A- I think doing what I love to do and being one of the best at it has always been the dream for me. I could do music all day, every day for the next whatever years. So why not build a career in it. All I need to do is focus on getting better and spreading love – everything else falls into place.
The entertainment field/industry itself doesn’t bother me. It is what it is and I know what I’m signing for up for – the good and the bad.
3. When and how was your childhood?
A- I was born in Kerala, India. My family moved around a lot because of my dad’s job. So I was in different schools in different places including Tamil Nadu and Delhi. We moved to the UK in my teens and even then changed places a few times. Looking back, it was a mix of a lot of cultures. I think that’s one of my biggest blessings – being moulded by multiple cultures.
I was not the greatest at school but managed to pass every year because of my family’s prayers lol. I always had a Walkman with me no matter where I went. I started playing the guitar after moving to the UK and then most of the time I was in a room, practising away.
4. Shifting from India to the UK, was there any sort of mental shift you had with it?
A- It wasn’t easy – it was quite a culture clash. It took some time for me to adjust to certain things. But on the other hand, since I moved schools a lot, making new friends was never a hard thing for me. I made friends from all different countries and cultures. Funny thing is, there weren’t many Asian kids in my class. I was the only Indian and the rest of the Asian kids were all Pakistanis. Getting to know each other and understanding how we are no different was a big bubble burst moment for me. It made me realise how silly people are to separate us based on borders. When we were put in a different land together, we had only but love and always had each others back.
5. How can you differentiate modern world music from classical music?
A- I don’t think one is better than the other. I think classical music is a guide to music in general. It’s like a university in itself when it comes to learning and understanding music.
But pop music will always evolve as we do. It will reflect the mood of our culture.
6. How do you see the future of the music producer in India?
A- I think the future is bright for current and future music producers from India. Speaking strictly hip hop, producers like sez on the beat and karan kanchan are paving the way. The quality of the sound and the melodies coming out are mind-blowing! I’ll always be rooting for them. There is also a lot more recognition for the producer now as opposed to how it used to be. People know who produced the track and not just the artist who sang it or the actor.
7. What is your favourite music genre and why?
A- I don’t have a favourite music genre as such. It all depends on my mood. I could swing from Bollywood or Malayalam songs to heavy metal. But I do have a soft corner for blues and jazz. Maybe it’s because of the guitar connection but there is something about that genre that just takes you to a different place.
8. What made you drag towards music to make it a career?
A- I feel like music has no bounds, you can spend a lifetime learning it and there is still so much left to learn. That for some reason gets me going.
Other than that, it’s an instant connection to another human being, no matter where they are from. Making music is also something that has kept me sane over the years through several mental battles.
So it’s only an honour to make a living out of something I am willing to do every day for the rest of my life.
9- How do you feel about getting featured in the Interview Times?
A- I feel great! I’ve always read interviews on the website. It is such an honour to be featured amongst all the great talent!
Follow me on
Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok – @arj3verse YouTube – https://youtube.com/c/ARJ3VERSE
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/0cYrgZjvRGhRAUlzJdWAZ5?si=JulSzIAhS7iUNqvGWaVH3g
INTERVIEWED BY- PRISITA DAS
