‘BOLLYWOOD ONLY COPIES NEW TRENDS’

UKbased singersongwriter and music producer Dr Zeus says it’s independent music that has always defined what kind of music will rule the charts

Dr Zeus is all for independent music, and its prosperity. One of the few big artists to have stayed away from Bollywood collaborations, he feels that independent music has always paved the way for setting new trends in the industry, and that film music, despite its wider reach, only copies such trends.

“You look at recreations that are happening right now. That was started 20 years ago by independent musicians when people called it remixes and what not. But they, too, were essentially recreations,” says the United Kingdombased singer-songwriter and music producer, who had earlier told us that he never wanted to work in Bollywood because of its “selfish people”.

Zeus, who began his music career 20 years ago, and has since collaborated with a slew of musicians, adds, “[Back then] you saw pop acts become so big; they were all becoming big names in the industry. Film music existed, but it had taken a back seat, because all these singers and musicians had a very unique sound, and were setting new trends. And Bollywood has always copied these trends.”

He elaborates giving an example of the rise of Punjabi music and Punjabi rap in the film industry. “A Honey Singh or a Badshah or Raftaar became huge because of their music, which they released independently... Musicians, who have made a name for themselves, have all first entered the space of non film music, and later they went to Bollywood.” That’s the reason why the musician believes that the independent circuit helps a musician express themselves and explore the kind of “sound” they want to create.

“It’s all about who started it first. Bringing back the example of Badshah and Honey Singh, they were the ones who started off with mixing rap with Punjabi music, and that’s how the trend became big. It all happened in the independent space,” he says.

There’s no denying that Bollywood widens a song’s reach, taking it across the country. And Zeus agrees with that, but reiterates that “creative freedom and self expression only exist in the space of non film music.”

An independent artist, Dr Zeus is known for songs such as Kangana, Woofer and Lado Rani