Ritviz Srivastava, better known by his stage name Ritviz, shot to fame with his track ‘Udd Gaye’. He has two big projects in the pipeline — a youth-centred music festival, YUV Fest, and his debut album, Dev. The 23-year-old DJ, singer and Hindustani EDM producer talks to Metrolife about his hopes for these projects.
When did you decide to pursue music?
Since I was seven or eight, I had a strong inclination towards music. I remember waking up to my mother singing every Sunday and I used to join in. I was never asked or forced into it; it was such a seamless process. As I grew older, it became clear to me that this was something I wanted to pursue.
When did you switch from Hindustani music to EDM?
Growing up ,there were only Indian classical music around my house because my mother is an Indian classical singer and my father plays the tabla. When I became a teenager, I was introduced to the top 40 hits and hiphop. Around 2013, when I wanted to produce my own music, I discovered electronic music.And that really helped me shape my sound.
It wasn’t a conscious switch, I was just getting influenced from different places and it all happened very seamlessly. ‘Udd Gaye’ was your big break. Did you ever imagine that it would get so much attention?
I did not. In fact, right before the release I remember telling my manager that I thought the song was going to be a failure. But that’s just how I am with all my songs, I guess.
Which of your songs is your personal favourite?
(Laughs) My songs are like my kids; I can’t choose. I listen to all my songs but at no point have I felt that one was a favourite. Every new track that I work on just grabs my attention, like ‘hey dude you just made me’ (laughs) that attention is always there till I release the song. Post release I think that every song has its own special place.
What can fans expect from ‘Dev’, your debut album?
They should expect ‘me’. The thing is that with my earlier stuff people put me in a box. I really wanted to put out this album so people understand what my music is really like. It’ll solidify my sound and they’ll get to know me better.
What are your hopes from YUV Fest?
One of the really important aspects of YUV is that it’s home-bred and everything that we do is homegrown. The music is Indian, it’s Hindustani in its flavour. More than anything, the entire festival revolves around expression and liberation. We are trying to find a new sound and culture that is truly Indian and encourages the youth to be what they want to be.
How do you feel about opening for Katy Perry and Dua Lipa?
I am really excited. When I was told, I thought it was insane. I grew up listening to Katy Perry and I’m a huge fan. Dua Lipa’s music is also really good. So I’m looking forward to it and I hope a lot of people come out and have fun.
Do you have any other projects coming up?
I have a bunch of projects in the pipeline, including Bollywood projects. I cannot talk about it, but it’s very exciting. There’s a lot of collaborations on the way.
Any dream collaborations?
Straight up AR Rahman, I don’t have to think about it.