Over 2 years ago I reported on a brand new Asian boy band ‘3MIX’ as they emerged into the scene with their hot debut single ‘Put It On Me’. The track created a lot of hype and 3Mix launched with a bang of talent, bringing a fresh new concept to the Asian music market. Almost like a teaser of what was in store the trio Karim, Myan and Usman soon had a break from the scene have been away in the studio boiling beats and developing their sound. Leading their music in a whole new exciting direction, 3Mix now return with their debut album ‘Headlines’ and a fantastic brand new single ‘Nachle’ which features the talented Navin Kundra. I catch up with the trio to find out more!
For those who haven’t heard of 3MIX tell us a bit about yourselves, how did the group form?
Karim: 3mix are 3 young dynamic individuals who met by chance during an audition for the West End musical Bombay Dreams. It wasn’t until they all first got into the studio where they realised their incredible chemistry and drive to make good music. Over the years 3mix have developed their friendship going from show to show and studio to studio learning the ropes of the music industry. Through performing demo’s to coproducing our own album, 3mix has come to life.
Usman: At the time, Myan and I were still in school. We both had a passion for performing arts, during one summer holiday, me and a friend decided to form a theatre group, where kids from all over could have their moment to shine… Myan and myself came together for a few performances, that’s pretty much where we caught the "stage buzz"… this soon became the testing ground for the early 3Mix performances.
Although you been in the music scene for 2 years, you have had a break from it for a bit… what have you been away working on?
Karim: We’ve been reflecting on and developing our sound and really focusing on where we want to take our music. We started off with a young and fresh sound but now were our music tells a story of experiences, hopes and dreams. Our debut album ‘HEADLINES’ is a collection of hard hitting club anthems, slow jams and even some dirty dub step. We feel this album will connect with audiences of all backgrounds and that’s what we aim to do, fuse cultures and break down conventional barriers. We don’t feel you have to pledge allegiance to one type of sound and the album has a personality of its own.
Usman: We been locked away in the studio, working hard on our debut album, it’s honestly something we're very proud of, and we can’t wait for the world to hear it.
Has your style changed or evolved in any way?
Karim: Naturally, our style has developed musically and aesthetically. Our
Younger image oozed fun loving-optimism but over the years the waters are running deeper and we feel we’ve got more to offer than ever before.
Usman: yes it has, before we had a very pop like element to our image and sound… however, now, its a little more edgy, a touch darker… and 100% us
Which artists would you say have influenced your music?
Usman: For me there’s only one artist who has ever influenced me… the late, great, Michael Jackson. In my eyes, he'll always be the greatest performer to ever get on a stage. No other artist comes close.
Karim: On reflection, I have always been a fan of Michael Jackson but in hindsight it is only now that I truly appreciate the genius that he was. Brian McKnight to me has always been one of the greatest songwriters and I love his vocal diversity and delivery. I admire groups such as Boys To Men and Jameriquai.
Myan: Michael Jackson. Prince!
Your latest single ‘Nachle’ features Navin Kundra, tell us a bit about the track, what was it like working with Navin?
Karim: The song is an upbeat dance anthem that fuses Rnb vocals and a Punjabi hook. The message is simple, dance and let your self go. Working with Navin was great; he’s such a talented artist and has a very bright future in this industry.
What was it like shooting the music video, how did you come up with the concept?
Myan: Shooting the video was excellent. We had a great team working on the shoot. The concept was fairly simple…We are singing about a making love to a girl on a dance floor, so we thought we would give it a go. Lol J
Karim: Shooting the video was a fantastic 22hour marathon of lights, camera and action. Nach le means dance so it was imperative that the video was full of dance and energy.
Tell us a bit about the tracks you have been working on for your forthcoming album?
Myan: We are very fortunate to be in a position; we can not decide what the next single is going to be. The album is something we tried to perfect to the best of our ability and every song is a serious contender being released as a single. There is definitely something for everyone on the album.
Karim: Our forthcoming album headline consists of electro pop love sounds, ballads and summer jams.
Are there any surprise collaborations to look forward to?
Myan: Our first single features Navin Kundra… however apart from that we don’t have any other collaboration on the album. We wanted to focus on bringing the best out of the 3 of us. However, we are planning some remixes with various producers and have been approached to feature on other artists songs. This is something we are very keen to do…you will be the first to know!
Karim: 3mix definitely enjoy working with fellow talented artists so watch this space.
Being a boy band, is there a lot of pressure on your dance routines, do you find yourself needing to make a lot more effort as opposed to solo artists to work as the perfect package?
Karim: Absolutely, 3mix understand that to become superstars you have to be an all round performer which includes being a great dancer and naturally the more members there are of a band the more work there is needed to sync everyone’s rhythms. Thank God its 3mix not 7mix although you may be surprised to know we’re still asked how many mics we need for a performance!
What has the rest of 2011 got in store for you? Can we catch you performing anywhere in the near future?
2011 promises to be a busy year for 3mix with performances around the UK. We look forward to doing the European Mela circuit and spreading our debut album ‘Headlines’ to as many corners of the globe as possible.
Where can the B4U fans find out more about you?
Fans can find out more from 3mixonline.com. Thank you for your love and support!
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