MUNDU
MUNDU is an r&b singer/songwriter/producer from London.Influenced by artists such as Pharrell and Daft Punk, MUNDU is a very unique and genuine artist. After releasing his EP ‘Qollapse’ and his mixtape 'Things That Float’, MUNDU shares new songs and new covers on a daily basis. With his #MUNdays Youtube sessions, he showcases his great vocals and creativity.
Having the ability to write and produce his own music, MUNDU is not afraid to experiment new things with his music. Innovative and imaginative, the 22 year old artist has a promising career.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Name. Location.
Well, my name is MUNDU. I’m a 22-year-old singer and producer from South London, and I’m big on experimenting with different sounds and having as much fun as possible.
When did you start making music/singing/writing songs?
I started making music super young – like around 9/10-years-old I think – when me and my friends would pretend to be in rap groups and stuff. I actually started off rapping at that age and I was crap at it, but I was convinced I’d change the world of Hip-Hop forever haha! I started singing when I got a bit older and joined a church youth choir, and I’ve been going ever since.
Do you remember your first musical moment? When did you know you wanted to make music?
The earliest time that I can remember musically was watching people like Lil Bow Wow, Snoop Dogg and Craig David on MTV Base after school as a kid, and then occasionally going to some of the other MTV channels and watching people like Basement Jaxx, Coldplay and Daft Punk too. I knew something was weird with me because I thought I was only supposed to like Hip-Hop because that’s what my friends were into, but I enjoyed all types of music just as much as Hip-Hop and I felt a deeper connection with music that I couldn’t put into words. That’s when I kinda knew that it would be a lifelong thing.
You sing, write and produce your own music. What do you like to do the most? What’s the hardest thing about it?
That’s a hard one. I’d probably say singing because there’s so many ways to experiment with voices that I think I’m yet to discover. So many harmonies, tones, scales, stuff like that. I’d say the hardest thing about doing all three is probably just turning the idea in your head into a final product, and keeping 100% of the magic in the original idea alive in that final product. Then again, that’s the beauty of having so much creative control; you’re essentially keeping magic alive through music, and then sharing it with the world.
Listen to Sorry, ‘Can’t Make It’ by Mundu
How would you describe your style?
I’d say my style is super imaginative, fun, euphoric, and genuine. Again, I take musical inspiration from a bunch of different types of music so a lot of the type I’m mixing in different sounds to create something fresh. I do tend to keep a lot of electronic elements in my music, as well as bass and atmospheric harmonies a lot of the time. That’s just the stuff that feels right to me no matter what I’m creating.
Who’s your biggest influence?
Damn, another hard one haha! I think my biggest influence – both musically and in general – would have to be Pharrell, mostly because he’s so free with the way he creates and the way he thinks. Like, I think that he’s forever present with himself and that finds its way into his music. That’s one thing that I’m learning more and more. To be ever present and to let your music reflect that is beyond essential to create dope stuff and living a dope life. Kid Cudi is a very close second though. Daft Punk, close third.
Where does your artist name MUNDU come from?
It’s literally a combination of my first and last name: Michael Kiggundu. Nothing crazy haha! I went through a slew of stage names as I was discovering who I was as an artist, and I decided that keeping it simple would be the best thing for me going forward.
Describe us your writing/production process.
It varies all the time really. I tend to begin with some sort of idea – in the form of a voice note, a written line or two, an experience etc. – and I just kind of start from there. I usually start with a rough version beat, then I go on to lay a hook down and then I go back and forth between the production, writing and recording stages until I have something that I’m in love with.
'Monday Service’ is a great record, incredibly written. What made you write this song? How was it to collaborate with Malick IV?
Thanks! I won’t go too deep into the story, but what I will say is that I had to attend a funeral that happened to be on a Monday, and the gospel song ‘It Is Well’ was stuck in my head since that funeral for whatever reason. A few days after that funeral, I was at work and this song was still in my head but this time I had an idea to use it for a beat that would then become Monday Service (aptly named, I know haha!) When I was close to finishing the song, I knew that Malick IV’s wordplay and voice would fit perfectly on it. His lyricism is obviously second to none, but the tone of his voice really sat beautifully in all the textures of the beat and what not. Plus, the transparency in his music was something that I really loved.
Listen to ‘Monday Service’ by Mundu feat. Malick IV
What do you like the most about music?
I love that fact that music is almost like a supernatural thing. It has the ability to make you feel any way you want it to, it can literally save and change lives, and I honestly don’t think the world would be able to survive without it. It’s literally the love of my life.
What does creativity mean to you?
For me, creativity is simply being open to different perspectives and ways of doing things. I don’t think that it’s restricted to arts really, I just think that that’s the industry where it’s emphasised and treasured the most. It’s literally just understanding that you don’t have all the answers, and being willing to experiment and try new stuff out.
What is the best advice you have been given?
The music always comes first. No amount of marketing, PR, industry relationships or novelties can disguise bad music. Yes, this is very much a business but the product being sold is the music and no-one will ever be happy with a bad product. I feel like that really influenced the way I create now; I don’t really care whether I get the most radio play or if win a billion awards as much as I did when I was a kid. All I care about is if the music sounds dope and if it does, I’m good with that.
What would you say to someone who wants to pursue his dreams?
There’s so much! The main thing that I’d say is stop waiting for your situation to be perfect for you to get up and chase your dreams. I’ve seen people want to pursue music and other creative paths, and there’s always a hesitancy to get started because they don’t have a massive studio or major labels fighting over them. Who cares! I literally make everything from start to finish on an average Toshiba laptop, a cheap interface and mic with some cheap earphones. You’ve just gotta get started with what you have right now and the more you put that dedicated energy into the universe, the closer you get to where you want to be.
Mundu covers ‘GOD.’ by Kendrick Lamar
What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated to make music?
Creating music is literally the only thing I care to spend my life doing. Everything else is either branching off or that or just a waste of time. I’m lucky in that I knew from way early that I loved putting words together and playing around with sounds and stuff, and I just literally don’t care to do anything else. Even as I find my way through the industry side of music and see how sketchy that can be, I just love the fact that I can cut all of that out and do what I actually love to do with no-one in my way.
What do you want to accomplish in this world?
I’d love for people to remember me as the kid that just wanted to spread peace and love, make everyone have the most fun and create the most beautiful music ever. Everything else is a bonus.
Photo credit: @NXSH Instagram/Tumblr
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