MW chats with the effervescent R&B star, Reshmonu about mobile phones, music and his funky hairstyles.

 

 

What kind of phone do you own?
I have an old Palm Treo 650.

Do you still like it?
Yes, of course. To me a phone is just a phone. I will only change when it breaks down.

Which new phone has caught your eye?
I quite like the HTC Touch. The design looks different. It looks small and does not look complicated.

Do you have your songs as your ring tone?
Nah. I’m just using the old school ringing tones. That is good enough.

How many contacts do you have in your phone book?
Well over a thousand numbers. (chuckles)

Are you into mobile games?
No time lah.

 

Do you give out your mobile numbers to eager fans?

That is a big no-no. They can approach me anytime and anywhere but I don’t give out my number. I don’t think it is necessary.

What do you think of music phones?
I’m more of the CD-buying crowd. To me, music phones are not a necessity and the sound quality is severely compromised with high end distortion. It doesn’t do justice to the songs and being a sound engineer I like to listen to the highest quality possible.

 

Do you think mobile phones will add to the music piracy woes?
The digital culture is well established in US but people still like to buy CDs. For us, we are just catching up and majority of people are not in the urban areas. Right up to last year cassettes were still selling and only now we are slowly phasing that out.

But with the advancement of music phones, don’t you think illegal distribution will be a problem?
Look at it realistically, how long do you play around with a new phone? A month perhaps and that’s it. After that it becomes just a phone.

On average how many SMS do you send a day?
I sent SMS frequently. It is like the best solution after email. It helps me to keep track of ideas as well.

 

Do you MMS?
MMS is wicked! I have a brother and sister in UK so we MMS often. We keep track of each other’s lives and special moments.

How has it been like in the music industry?
I have been in the industry for four years and it is great. I survived purely on shows. I started a record label and talent management company. I think to make it you should have a unique sound and a lot
has to do with timing.

Any experiences with weird fans?
I think it’s our culture to be a bit restrained. In urban areas people do stay clear but our shows in the rural areas have a totally different crowd but it is controllable crazy. Maybe it is little different for female celebs. For me I just go on doing what I have been doing before becoming a musician.

What is your typical day like?
If I am in the recording phase, I’ll spend most of my time in my studio which is at home, go to the gym and of course have some family time. Other times I am occupied with A&R, directing music videos, pre and post planning, production scheduling, helping design my website and album package. I also help out with the recording of a band’s album that is under my record label so my plate is full.

Wow! How do you unwind after work?
I hit the gym, spend time with my family, go swimming with my boy and watch DVDs. There is never a dull moment.

What were you doing before this interview?
I was actually in India directing and shooting a music video for my second single ‘The Way It Makes You Move’.

Tell about the video.

It shows me performing the song in an 8 feet deep pool of water with scenes of 5 different dance culture. ‘The Making Of’ will be on TV soon.

What do you look forward to do in the future?
I want to create a network of musical contacts and get Malaysian music out to the world. I believe I’ll be involved in the industry past retirement age.

How do you maintain your hair?
I stand under the shower (laughs). I undo the braids every three to four days and get back to it after a couple of days, if not I’ll be bald by now. These braids can take four to seven hours of work.