PMH:

Seems like your music has influences ranging from jazz, late 80's hip-hop to 60's psychedelic to My Bloody Valentine. Was there any one in particular that influenced you growing up?

KOUSHIK:

My Bloody Valentine are one of my essentials in life. I’ve listened to ‘Loveless’ I don't know how many of thousands of times, and I’ll never get close to being sick of it. Every time I still hear different things, it does new things to me and gives a real comforting feeling. I think you're the first person to ask about them. Nobody ever really asks me about that kind of shit, but MBV, Spiritualized, Stereolab, Boo Radleys, Verve and some other early 90s rock stuff holds such a special place within me. Probably partially since it was music that I became really obsessed with when I was like 14 or 15. I guess that music really sticks with you.

I’ve listened to such an insane amount of diverse music growing up, and continue to, that I couldn't really pick out any one main influence. When I was younger I heard everything from Beatles and classical Indian music to hip hop and Chicago house, Detroit techno, Kraftwerk, Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, Stone Roses, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, in with Axelrod, Funkadelic.

Besides, I never think of any music in terms of influences or anything, it's all just stuff I enjoy listening to. Having said that, I agree with the Buddhist way of thinking that everything influences everything else in one way or another, but not too much. So I’m not denying that groups that I’ve listened to loads & have affected me greatly have no doubt influenced my own music.

So I guess some music that I’ve listened to the most and have moved me greatly are Sly Stone, Beach Boys, My Bloody Valentine, George Harrison and Beatles, Dilla, Primo, Large

Prof, Marley Marl, Madlib, Spiritualized/Spacemen 3/Spectrum, Axelrod, Funkadelic, Chris Bell, Mizell Bros, Augustus Pablo and many, many, many, many more.

As far as current stuff, the only people that I constantly get really excited about are Dilla, Madlib and Doom. I'm sure there's lots of people doing great things; I just haven't heard much of it.

Did you start with the arts at an early age? Play any instruments when you were a kid?

Yeah, I used to play piano and I'm trying to play again right now. And I guess everybody took recorder lessons at my grade school. I use to go to singing classes with my mom and do classical Indian singing, but that was nothing seriously intensive or anything. And went to art class. Oh I use to play tabla just for a little bit, I wish I kept up with that.

You mentioned that you went to art classes when you were a kid, do you still paint, draw, etc.?

Not as much as I'd like right now.

What visual artists are you into?

Lots. First thing that comes to mind is this book of Cuban poster art that I strongly recommend. It really blows me away. Think it's called 'Revolucion!'

What do you think of Bollywood in hip-hop today? And what's your outlook on that?

I thought it was pretty amazing that cats like Dre were listening to Asha Bhosle or Just Blaze doing that 'React' track for Erick Sermon. It's crazy to imagine these big producers sitting around having their minds blown by some R.D. Burman or checking for Kalyanji Anandji. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. That's because a few years before, there was that whole Indian drum and bass scene. At the time it didn't really do it for me and I would have rather just listened to a straight up Indian record.

Are people still sampling Bollywood stuff?

Hope so, there's a lot of room and potential for further crazy shit. Actually, my favorite instance of western music incorporating Indian music is probably My Bloody Valentine again on a song on their 'Tremelo' EP.

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Who do you think is incorporating it well with hip-hop?

Timbaland, for sure, the stuff he does with Indian music is just crazy. Madlib I've heard a bunch of stuff using Bollywood things. He's got this one using 'Shalimar', that thing's crazy. It's on an old beat tape but hopefully something comes from it.

But the best I've heard doing that recently hasn't been in hip-hop, it's been dance hall stuff. A lot of those rhythms are similar to Bhangra right now.

Name your top 5 hip-hop albums of all time?

This isn't my definitive list by any means. I'm sure I'll think of others that I'm forgetting right now. But here goes my top 10 hip-hop albums, that I can think of right now. Not it any order or anything:

What do you like doing when you're not making music?

Hiking. Getting more into gardening. Other hippie shit.

Listening to music.

Any current TV shows that you follow?

Currently, not really. Right now I get like 2 channels and one of them is Fox. Simpsons, Arrested Development was dope but I'm not even sure if it's still on. If anyone has episodes of Welcome Back Kotter please contact me.

What's up next with you? What are you working on now?

I'm going on tour with Four Tet for a few weeks (starting September 2005). Finally finishing up my album. I'm relieved to be excited about doing new stuff once I'm finished my debut album ("Out My Window" out next spring on Stones Throw) because I was kind of worried about finishing it. I've put absolutely everything I could into it and was kind of worried about burning myself out and not being able to do stuff after it.

How did growing up as a first generation in Canada influence your music, or did it?

I don't know if it influenced my music or anything. My first memories of music, this doesn't have to do with being first generation, just having Indian in me. The first musical memories are Indian music and the Beatles. I definitely heard a lot of Indian music growing up. And went to a lot of shows, like functions and recitals. I'm not sure if the first generation part really has to do with it. Cause 1st generations Indians are a weird species. A lot of them seem to be confused. I'm sure that relates to their parents being confused, being in a different country and stuff.

Do you have any favorite artwork off record covers?

Yeah, this record JK and Company, sort of psychedelic, mellow... mellow kind of psychedelic kind of thing. And the cover is just incredible. It's kind of a photography collage. The albums called 'Suddenly One Summer.' On the back if you look at the credits it says photography something something PhD. I'm pretty sure they just gave him the PhD just for that cover, really amazing. There's one I have up on my wall called 'Tree Music' by Paul Chihara. It's just a drawing of a tree and these birds and stuff, its really nice. Those are two that come to mind right away.

Who did your album covers?

'One In A Day', B+, who's this amazing photographer. He did the picture and Jeff did the design. Jeff's the Stones Throw designer. 'Be With' I helped design it. They did a cover that was really good, but I didn't think it fit the music for the EP. So I just took it up myself. It was a picture of a wall with some children's drawings on it.

Do you have any final thoughts?

Thank you. And I just want to clear some shit up. The compilation that's out now is not a proper album. It's a compilation of EPs and a sort of precursor to my album that's coming out next year. Also, please support artists that you like so that it'll be easier for them to release more music that you'll hopefully like.

Oh one last question, what's your favorite food? And the best place to get some food in Toronto?

Damn, now we're talking. BBQ, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Ethiopian...

I LOVE FOOD. I've never actually lived in Toronto so I'm probably not the best person to be asking. There's a lot of food there though. What's coming to mind right now is Albert's Jerk Chicken, Roti Huts, India town on Gerard Street has got spots for sure, the street spiced lime corn there is on the level, Swatow in Chinatown, Amato's Pizza, there's so much more but I'm bad with names.

Hamilton area, it's outside Toronto, closer to where I'm from: Peace To Red Rockets, Montford's, Super Sub and Le Chinois.

Some places around here in Vermont:

River Run, Vietnam Restaurant, Tiny Thai, Pennycluse, A Single Pebble, Tratoria Delia, Goodman's Wood Fired Pizza in Ludlow and Stone Soup. This is making me hungry. Out.

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