Nagaland EDM artiste Mozzey on his debut album, Japanese influence and independent Indian music

One of the finest upcoming EDM acts from Northeast India, Mozzey is trying to break the shackles of mainstream music, one tune at a time. His debut album, Bedroom Stories EP, is influenced by jazz, blues and some funk mixed with elements of dance music accompanied by sublime vocals. Talking about the inspiration behind his latest project, Zhimo Vitolu says, “I saw a video of GRiZ and Big Gigantic playing electronic music fused with funk and motown, it was something I had never heard before but it sounded so good.” Motivated by the peculiarity of what he witnessed, he started messing around with his musical tools for over a year, hoping to achieve something different and the result was Bedroom Stories. A former drummer for the northeastern band Polar Lights, Zhimo feels that an unbiased approach towards different genres of music at a young age and inclination towards Japanese culture led him to make unique sounds. “Japanese people are so creative that they can make a weird thing blow up in the industry and make it an icon,” says the 25-year-old producer-turned-DJ. He further gives the example of how anime artist Kei Garou created the concept of teal-haired schoolgirl Hatsune Miku an internet sensation simply by using an audio software that lets songwriters enter melodies and lyrics, then transforming them into a recording by a voice actress.

Against the popular belief, Mozzey is stern on his opinion that electronic dance music is not a fad and the bubble will not burst despite what people say. “Its infusion with pop songs just goes to show how versatile it can be in the hands of the right artist. With the advancement of technology and quick availability of facilities, EDM is going to get even bigger than what people imagined in the beginning,” mentions the resident of Kohima, Nagaland. However, he still struggles to receive support even though the Indian circuit is starting to realise the potential of the $7.3 billion industry now (as reported by  International Music Summit). He expresses his dismay and goes on to say, “The Record labels are not signing artists based on the quality of the music but the number of social media followers and connections.” A self-taught musician, Mozzey puts expressing himself with his music over and above producing a radio-friendly track just to be another face in the crowd. “We are musicians. Our focus is to prioritise artful musical contents but investors and labels have sidelined that quotient in order to run a business. If a major share of the industry is given to popular brands of different segments then there won’t be any motivation left for actual musicians to develop good stuff. This is where we are lagging behind, honestly," he signs off.