PATRICK NAMASIVAYAM SESHASHI’S journey in music began 15 years ago when he formed the band Pistah Few.
After winning several awards in the Tamil music industry, and championing Tamil hip hop for years, he reinvented himself in 2020 as Shesha and started a new label, Bimasakti Records.
“I started in the independent underground scene in 2005. But I officially released a song in 2012. Before that, I was mainly doing underground gigs. I don’t get into the underground gigs any more because there are not many hip hop gigs now,” said Shesha.
He explains that the golden age of the Tamil and Malay hip hop scene was between 2005 and 2011. And the evolution of the medium of music from physical to digital changed it all.
“It opened the doors for many new musicians. However, not everyone knew what they were doing at the time. They had no strategy. Some even shied away from signing up with labels because they were worried that the labels were going to change their image,” said Shesha.
In his experience as a producer, Shesha has encountered many young talents, some with innate abilities and others brimming with charisma. However, music is a talent that can be learned and a skill that can be polished.
“I encountered people who wanted to do a song or wanted to do an album. But they said they didn’t know how to record a demo, so we met in person. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell them that they do not sound as good as they think they do.
“I have gone through that feeling myself. When I was in a reality show, I was told that I was tone-deaf by a panel judge. I was ashamed, but I used that experience to learn what he meant and improve my deficiencies. It motivated me, but how many people would take it that way?”
The right way to do it, he said, is to advise young talents to continue their journey to learn and improve on whatever they lack, and to try again later and not to give up.
For aspiring young musicians, the best thing that they can do for themselves is to approach established musicians and learn from them, advised Shesha. There are many veterans of the industry that are always looking out for new talents and are willing to share their knowledge.
“Approach them, that’s what I did. I was young back then and they told me what I should do, and what I should improve.
“There is this three-letter magic word. If you want something, you have to do this. It’s ‘ask’. When you want something, you have to ask,” said Shesha.
In his own experience, Shesha has encountered two types of young talent.
“There are young talents that churn out beats like a factory. They are very good. But they are affected by timing, funding, and the lack of knowledge of the system.
“It took me a couple of years to understand what public relations meant before I walked into Universal Records. I learned that these are some of the things I needed to do to be successful. Beyond just making music.
“There are also young musicians who think that making music is just for fame. But that is just the wrong attitude,” said Shesha.
At the end of the year, Shesha is planning to release his first album under this new moniker. The album explores experimental concepts and features three different music styles and three different languages.
“The core of it is still Tamil hip hop. But we are trying a new concept. There is a story to it. Bintang is set in the K52 universe, something like the multiverse we see in comics and movies,” said Shesha.
Although the EP is listed to only have three songs, it has four tracks. Beginning with an introduction, the four tracks tell a story beginning with an exploration of space, the discovery of a new alien race, and an ending with a celebration.
The whole EP is also said to focus on digital sounds, with only one live instrument in the second track.
“I chose to go experimental because I talked to Rick Barker, the former manager of Taylor Swift. I was kind of lost. It is very difficult to understand Tamil music listeners because a lot of the music is coming from movies from India. They are spoiled for choice, thanks to all these film-based music.
“So when I was talking to Barker and after he did his research, he said that no one has tapped into this style of music yet in the Tamil music audience. That said, I designed this album to have mass appeal and not sound experimental,” said Shesha.
