What better season than that of love to spark creativity? This Valentine’s day too saw a spurt of creative work launched to the public. I was particularly impressed with the thumping beats and catchy lyrics of singer Shally Rehal and producer KULTARGOTBOUNCE’s song ‘STEP’. Released on February 14 by label Snakes x Ladders, this Punjabi song seamlessly blends R&B beats and a South Asian sound for an interesting and memorable result. Shally Rehal is an Indo-Canadian singer and songwriter based in Surrey, British Columbia (BC), Canada. He is known for blending different sounds from Punjabi, Hip Hop and R&B genres. His versatile inspirations include Drake, J Cole and Chamkila. Rehal started making music when he was seventeen and released his first single ‘Top Gear’ in April 2020. Shortly after that, he met KULTARGOTBOUNCE and they came together for their first release ‘Nakhra’. With smooth vocals and sharp song writing skills, Rehal is one to watch for in the Punjabi music scene.
KULTARGOTBOUNCE
is a producer and mixing engineer from Surrey, BC, Canada. He has collaborated with Juno nominees Powfu and Manila Grey, as well as award-winning poet Rupi Kaur. In just two years he’s accumulated over 14M streams across his production and mixing work. KULTARGOTBOUNCE has developed a diverse catalogue of Hip-Hop, Pop, Indie Pop/Rock, R&B, Punjabi music, and scoring through his practice.
On the occasion of the release of their new song STEP, the artists join Sunday Guardian for a candid chat. Excerpts from an edited interview:
Q. What is your new song about?
A. SR (Shally Rehal): In a few words, this song is about asking someone to come and dance with you while praising their beauty.
KGB (KULTARGOTBOUNCE): ‘STEP’ is about coming together through song and dance. The world just went through a rough moment with Covid making us distant from one another. We wanted to create a song that gave an inviting feeling of harmony. ‘STEP’ makes you want to drop everything and just dance.
Q. How did this collaboration happen?
A. SR: We started working together after I listened to KGB’s work. I reached out to him to mix and master a song, and we’ve worked together on everything ever since. This song is one of the many gems that we have created.
KGB: Shally hit me up on Instagram back in April 2021. He had a record he needed to get mixed and wanted me to handle it for him. I was originally supposed to just mix and master the song but I could tell the vocals that he had recorded needed some work. We ended up re-recording it and when I heard his vocals in person, I instantly knew I had to produce my own records for him. In the coming months we worked on several records together but it wasn’t until October 2021, that we produced and recorded ‘STEP’. This record made us both step out from our usual box (pun intended) and discover new ranges in vocals and production.
Q. How does this song differ from the other songs you both have worked on together?
A. SR: This song exists in its own realm and we knew it the day we first recorded it. We have released music with smooth R&B and soul vibes like our recent release ‘MIDNIGHT’ and now we break into a new style with ‘STEP’. The song crosses boundaries, catches people’s attention and makes them want to dance.
KGB: ‘STEP’ has fun and energetic sonics that are very different from our previous release ‘MIDNIGHT EP’ which was a collection of dark and moody R&B tracks with classic Hindi samples on some of the outros. With ‘STEP’, we knew we wanted to show our fans a contrast in the sound and visuals. We actually had ‘STEP’ recorded well before any of our other records but we both agreed we would release it when it felt right.
Q. What is the concept behind the video?
A. SR: The concept was KGB’s idea which he proposed shortly after recording the song. It transitions through three different and distinct eras. The video is funny, cool and it puts a smile on your face when you watch it and I really feel like it captured the energy of the song.
KGB: The concept of the video was to prove just how timeless this record feels. The video journeys through the aesthetics of the 1970s, 90s and early 2000s. You’ll see us in vibrant clothing, rocking hairstyles from the 70s. You’ll also see Shally in a traditional kurta chadra paying homage to our legends of the golden era. Finally, you’ll see us arrive in the early 2000s with classic basketball jerseys and oversized clothes.
Q. What are you working on next?
A. SR: We have so much music coming in 2023. After the release of ‘STEP’, we’ll be continuing the flow of music with some Punjabi and English collaborations, another song with the team at Snakes x Ladders, and much more.
KGB: We’re super excited for the next single. I won’t give too much away but someone will be joining us for the next record. 2023 is locked and loaded with releases. We’re so privileged to be in the position we are in with many records ready for the world to hear. This year you will hear a lot of music from Shally and KGB.
‘STEP’ is available for streaming across all music platforms.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.