British hip hop producer and DJ Bobby Kang is the subject of 'The Art Of Less', a short documentary by Dialogues of Diaspora. The film explores his relationship with hip-hop, Punjabi music and sampling, following the influences and musical curiosity that shape his production. Kang also discusses his identity as a Punjabi hip-hop producer and the creative skill involved in building new sounds from existing records.
British producer and DJ Bobby Kang has an eclectic relationship with music that spans genres and generations with a sound built around hip-hop, soul, funk. He's perhaps best known for his production work with Punjabi rapper Raf-Saperra, including tracks from 'Ruff Around The Edges' and 'Modern Mirza' and '5 Deadly Venomz', where Punjabi folk and hip-hop come together through his sample-driven approach. His own project, Soulquarius, is a seven-track homage to the Soulquarians, the collective of musicians and producers associated with D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and Q-Tip. With guest mixes on Rinse FM and Foundation FM, appearances on BBC radio and a monthly show called Thirty By Thursday, Bobby has spent years developing an approach to music that comes down to an instinct for finding the right sounds and knowing what to do with them.
His practice now shows up in 'The Art Of Less', a short documentary by Dialogues of Diaspora, a creative production house that explores South Asian stories through films, talk shows and print publications. Founded by Sanvir Singh Chana and Ramneet Baidwan, the platform has previously explored the lives and work of South Asian artists, musicians and cultural figures through projects like 'Mastané' and 'Renaissance In The Realm'. The Bobby Kang film follows him through his musical journey, offering a glimpse into the influences, experiences and personal philosophies that inform his practice.
The film is a snappy but intimate ride-along with Bobby as he talks about his curiosity for music, his relationship with sampling and the importance of trusting your taste. He gets into how sampling works and the skill involved in breaking a track into its components, picking out the pieces that speak to you and making them fit in your own vision. Against the perception that sampling is a way of stealing music because you don't play an instrument yourself, Bobby makes a case for the work and creative decisions that go into the process. We also get to hear him talk about his identity as primarily a hip-hop producer who just happens to be Punjabi. He recalls discovering Punjabi music through his mum's CDs playing in the car when he was young, an early introduction that would eventually become part of his musical vocabulary.
In under 10 mins, the film takes us inside the mind of an artist who's devoted to his music, especially when that devotion comes down to spending time listening, developing your taste and following your curiosity. The Art Of Less gives us a glimpse into the person behind Bobby's production, and the many influences that find their way into his sound.
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