“I discover myself returning to a extra production-heavy model—intricate, layered, and detailed, paying homage to my early work. It seems like a full-circle second, as I reconnect with the sound that originally impressed my ardour for making music,” stated Ritviz, reflecting on his almost decade-long journey.
Ever since his breakout hit Udd Gaye in 2017, the singer-songwriter, digital musician and document producer, has carved a definite and dynamic house within the nation’s unbiased music scene.
On this unique dialog with indianexpress.com, he spoke about his inventive journey, his distinctive method to mixing Hindustani classical with digital music, his ideas on the function of Synthetic Intelligence (AI) in music, the affect of short-form content material on artistry, and extra. Edited excerpts beneath.
Q: How has your music advanced from Udd Gaye to your newest releases?
Ritviz: Earlier than Udd Gaye, round 2013, my sound was way more complicated—each by way of manufacturing and composition. I centered on intricate preparations and heavy layering, which continued till 2017. Writing Udd Gaye shifted my method; I began prioritising vocals over instrumental complexity. Now, in 2025, it has come full circle. After eight years, I’m drawn again to a production-heavy model—extra detailed and layered, like my early work. It’s thrilling to reconnect with the sound that first impressed me to make music.
Q: What are the important thing sources of inspiration that drive your music?
Ritviz: My music has all the time mirrored my life. Earlier, after I had fewer private experiences to attract from, I relied on creativeness; it was extra desire-based. Now, my songwriting is rooted in lived experiences reasonably than hypothetical situations. I now not chase concepts—I give attention to dwelling totally and actually, permitting music to observe naturally. That means, the songs really feel as actual because the life they arrive from.
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Q: Your music is understood for mixing Hindustani classical with digital beats; how do you method music manufacturing?
By bringing music and style collectively, it celebrates self-expression and authenticity, which aligns completely with my artistry and what my model represents,” shares Ritviz, on the Blenders Delight Style Tour 2025. (Credit score: @vizdumb/Instagram)
Ritviz: I don’t consciously plan the fusion. After I create, I’m going by feeling reasonably than a set components. Solely after a monitor is full do I realise how completely different influences have formed it. My sound is solely a fruits of every part I’ve listened to and absorbed through the years. So whereas I don’t have a definitive course of, the mix simply occurs organically.
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Q: With the rise of AI in music manufacturing, do you see it as a risk to originality or a device for increasing inventive expression?
Ritviz: I see AI as a device—helpful for execution however not ideation. Creativity ought to lead, and AI ought to complement it, not change it. I haven’t explored it deeply, however from what I do know, I can see it being useful for sure points of manufacturing. Nevertheless, in terms of producing concepts, I consider that ought to all the time come from the artist.
Q: Has the rise of short-form content material platforms like Reels and YouTube Shorts influenced the way in which artists method music manufacturing immediately?
Ritviz: I’m positive short-form content material has influenced how some artists construction their music. However I haven’t consciously tailored to it—I nonetheless create the way in which I all the time have. For me, music ought to come first, and platforms ought to adapt to it, not vice versa.
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Q: Trying forward, is there an artist—Indian or worldwide—you’d like to work with sooner or later?
Ritviz: The one individual I all the time aspired to collaborate with—and did—was my mother. That was an enormous second for me, each personally and professionally. I don’t actively search collaborations, however I deeply admire AR Rahman. Simply being in a studio with him or watching him work can be unbelievable.
