It’s almost impossible to not vibe to Sathi; a new song that released just three weeks ago, featuring the talents of music producers Nucleya and Ritviz. The song, which released on August 13, is already trending on most audio streaming platforms and has combined views of over nine lakhs on YouTube. But why is this exciting?
Well, mostly because everyone thinks the two music icons have collaborated before, when they actually haven’t. Pune-based Ritviz Srivastava (better known mononomously as Ritviz) is a popular name in most Gen Z circles across the country and is known for his 2019-hit Liggi that currently has over 131 million views on YouTube. Goa-based Udyan Sagar (better known by his stage name Nucleya), who won the Global Indian Music Awards in 2016 for best Electronica Single, is one of India’s most popular electronic music producers. The two artistes have known each other for a while now and Ritviz has also remixed some of Nucleya’s earlier tracks. We catch up with the duo on a call from Goa, where mobile networks are as unpredictable as the next monsoon swell, to find out more about the song and the ensuing eight-track album, Baaraat. Excerpts:
So, you haven’t collaborated before?
Nucleya: Who said it? No, tell me who said it? Bring him in front of me… (laughs) Just to clear the air, though, we’ve been working on music together for the past six to seven years now, but we’ve never put anything out… so, all these allegations that have been made are all incorrect, your honour! (mimicking a lawyer).Ritviz: Udyan and I have wanted to do something together for a long time now, because, let’s be honest, we’re too sexy together. Nucleya: Yup, there’s too much chemistry between us. Ritviz: But yes, I guess the confusion came about because I remixed a few of his earlier songs. That wasn’t a collaboration, more like me being a fan!
You both clearly have a great dynamic, tell us more?
Ritviz: What he’s not telling you is how awesome that demo was, I mean, I’ll obviously get excited. I think that’s what works for us; we get excited about each other’s music. I remember even when he released Lights (from the album Raja Baja in 2016), I begged him for the stems and I remixed it in a day. This doesn’t happen very often with me. You need to reflect that level of energy. Otherwise, sometimes you take years just to complete a song. So, a lot of my productivity levels with his work are actually because of him and the kind of stuff he does.