Trend of remixing old songs won’t reach a saturation point: Bhushan Kumar

PTI, May 13, 2020, 3:51 PM IST

Mumbai: Producer Bhushan Kumar says the trend of remixing old classics is a way of keeping the songs relevant and the trend is here to stay.

The indie-pop scene in early 2000s featured both, original soundtracks and remixes of popular retro numbers.

The trend, which had virtually faded except for remixes of songs within a movie’s album, bounced back in prominence with T-Series releasing a number of recreated singles in recent years.

A recreated track is now a norm in every other Bollywood album, and Kumar said that’s a way to make the song popular for young generation.

“The songs that are getting recreated by us or fellow industry friends are because these songs were gold in their time and needed to be heard even today.

“Remixing them is a way to make them popular to the youth of today who haven’t heard them before. I don’t believe that remixes will reach a saturation point,” Bhushan told PTI.

But not everyone is in favour of this trend of rehashing old songs.

T-Series latest recreation, “Masakali” had come under heavy criticism from the listeners as well as the original makers, including composer AR Rahman, lyricist Prasoon Joshi and singer Mohit Chauhan.

But Bhushan said that the chain will continue.

“It’s a cycle, 20 years down the line, they will remix today’s songs for the youth to listen to at that time. Remixes also appeal to the older generation who get to revisit their past through these songs and after all, music is loved by all, so the more music, the happier people are.”

The producer said coming up with consecutive chartbusters means there’s a “lingering pressure” to deliver but it only pushes the label to “work harder and pump out hit songs one after the other.”

Bhushan is currently elated with the IFPI Global Music Report which recently released its list of top 10 music albums and songs from the country, where T-Series leads with five out of ten in the respective categories.

The songs include, singer Dhvani Bhanushali’s “Vaaste”, “O Saki Saki”, “Pachtaoge” featuring Vicky Kaushal, “Bekhayali” and “Dheeme Dheeme”.

While the top albums included in the list were “Luka Chuppi”, “Kabir Singh”, “Batla House”, “Bharat” and “Pati Patni Aur Woh”.

Bhushan said leading in the report left the team “happy and thrilled” and is gratifying for the amount of hard work which was put to create “such varied music content.”

“A ‘Luka Chuppi’ and a ‘Pati Patni’ OST is very different from a ‘Kabir Singh’ and a ‘Bharat’ OST, and with all of them being acknowledged, it’s a win-win situation for us.

“To be recognised on such a level and with so many albums and singles; that’s exactly what we tirelessly work for. We are trying our best to give our audiences what they demand for and will continue doing so,” he added.