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"We're a music production duo. Our style is a mixture of electronic and organic music." – Taha Malik
As the debut video of Kostal makes way from the Internet to the airwaves, Instep catches up with Taha Malik of Kostal…

By Maheen Sabeeh

 

Instep: What can you tell me about Kostal?
Taha Malik: Kostal is Taha Malik and Omran Shafique. We're a music production duo. We first met in 2002 while working on many side projects. During the recording of Mauj's debut album at my studio in Houston, Omran and I would write dance and hip hop style records. As our library of ideas grew, we decided that we should compile the best and make an album of them. Of course, Kostal is much more than that now. We are currently writing/producing for other artists, movies, commercials, and any other projects we can get our hands on. The collective manifoldness of our musical backgrounds allows us to experiment with all types of styles and genres, from French rappers to rubab and tabla, to jazz-fusion, rock, Arabic… anything really. We love it!

Instep: The single, 'Jaan Jaye' has been around for quite a while. How has the response been to the video?

TM: 'Jaan Jaye' released online for quite some time. We are extremely pleased with the response we've gotten from all over the world. It's been playing on radio in Pakistan (I was surprised to hear that it was #1 for months and was most requested, even more than Timbaland's and other Top 40 tracks), on BBC and other radio stations in the UK, United States, Dubai, Holland, Hong Kong, and pretty much all over the world, thanks to the Internet. I've heard it at weddings, and my friends tell me things like, "Oh, my cousin was jamming to 'Jaan Jaye' in Australia! That's your song? No way?" It is a funny video and we've got a little surprise in the intro and outro. Uns Mufti and Ali Jafri at Rola have been really cool.

Instep: How would you describe Kostal's genre?
TM: There's no one specific genre. My interest, though not limited to, has been in electronic music for years. I play the bass and keys. Omran's been the rock and roll guy all his life. I guess if I had to forcibly define it, our style is a mixture of electronic and organic music. There's sampling involved, but we use many live instruments, too. We may sequence the drums and bass lines or record them live. Some tracks have a gospel choir vibe, while others may have club energy or just some straight up '70s funkiness with a crisp breakbeat.

Instep: You also worked with Omran on Mauj's debut record, Now in Technicolor…
TM: Yes, it was a great experience. I was the producer and audio engineer of Now In Technicolor. I'm really happy with how the album turned out. Omran is an amazing guitarist and songwriter, and it was a pleasure to work with him. Also, shouts out to: Atif, Dennis, Shuja, and Agha!

Instep: How does Kostal work with you in Houston and Omran in Karachi?
TM: Kostal works in mysterious ways, really. We exchange WAV and project files over the Internet. We fly to Pakistan or Houston when necessary. This is collaborative music 2.0. Artists and clients send us vocals and music beds from all over the world. Sometimes I find myself Skyping with someone in Paris or downloading a file sent from New Delhi containing a rough hummed melody. Whatever works. This is our business model.

 

 

 
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