We catch up with Singer/Rapper Intenso to talk about his journey into music and his new single 'Aashiq'!

Briefly talk about your musical journey from start to present

Ok, so I began my musical journey back in 2000 when i was a teen. The UK Garage sound had just blown up in the UK & i became a resident MC at a weekly venue in Manchester which hosted the top names in the scene. I continued this for 4-5 years playing up & down the country & abroad. In 2001 i collaborated with Bobby Akhiyan & released "Akhiyan Akhiyan" which went to No.1 and became a smash hit. Further collaborations with the likes of Metz & Trix - Soni Soni Kurri Kurri, Surinder Rattan - Bollywood Queen, Jinx - Tera Aashiq, to name a few, followed. After a break i returned to the Bhangra scene & was signed by Moviebox & am now in the process of working on my debut album "De-Ja-Vu" with "Thenu Thakia" & "Aashiq" being the first two releases from it.

Why was the Single named Aashiq?
Were there other song titles you had in mind?

I thought quite hard about the title & i wanted the name to reflect the feel & lyrical content of the song. I played with alot of names such as "Tere Bina" Nai Lagda" Dil Mera" but they had all been used alot by other artists in the past and were very generic. I just felt "Aashiq" was fitting as it described my feelings in the song & felt quite catchy & memorable.

How was the concept of the music video born? Was this something you had worked on personally?

I always work on my videos personally. That was the case with "Thenu Thakia" & also "Aashiq". Even when i write my lyrics i try to envision the video & incorporate certain elements of this into my writing. I believe if you look at the end picture to begin with you come out with a well rounded, thought out product. With the "Aashiq' video i wanted to do something completely opposite to the last video. With "Thenu Thakia being so bright, colourful & everything on a grand epic scale, i wanted to go back to basics with this video & add a much more personal touch to it. I wanted to make it very intimate & had the black & white theme in mind from the very beginning, & hopefully, this was achieved.

You worked with Roach Killa on this Single. Do you feel his approach to the Single taking into consideration his style of production was what you wanted?

Yes of course. Roach & I have very similar taste in music anyway & this was just an evolution of our professional relationship. We both massively respect each other as artists & his unique sound was something I had always wanted to incorporate into my own work. He actually produced this record 2 years ago & I told him when i first heard it I loved the sound & wanted to do something with it in the future. I refer to him as the 'melody king' & I knew his style of production would give me the platform to show my versatility as an artist. He has not done any collaboration for a while & from the feedback i have received, everyone has been more than impressed with the chemistry we both showed on the record.

Your Last single "Thenu Thakia" reached the Top 3 of the iTunes chart and so did "Aashiq" - how does that feel?

It's amazing. The response & support has been overwhelming. I never imagined both tracks to have the impact they did but I’m grateful they did, as it has given me the extra motivation I needed to continue doing what I’m doing. I want to relate to the fans with my music & want them to feel it & i believe this is a big reason why they have done so well & long may it continue.

You are active on twitter and we see that you take your fans seriously. What do your fans mean to you?

I'm quite 'old school' in this respect & i have always held my fans close to my heart. I truly believe without the fans you are nothing. I do my best to always reply back to tweets, emails & messages, to show my thanks to those fans that have got me to where i am today. I always get the same response from them when this happens & the common thought from them is that i am a very humble & down to earth guy which is exactly who i am. No matter how far i get in my career, i know i would never change & would always be thankful as that is how i was raised.

We have heard that you maybe releasing another single in 2013 - can you tell your fans abit more about it please?

I am very excited about my next release. The song has been produced by Vee who produced Roach's "Hey Luv" song & he is an immensely talented guy in his own right. It features the vocals of Javed Bashir & has a Sufi/Kawali touch to it. The main reason I am excited about this song is that i feel all the elements are perfect. Vee's production, Javed's vocals & my delivery sound amazing together & the song also brings my career full circle. It has a hard straight rap element from my side & takes me back to how I originally started my musical journey, on the UK Garage stage. I hope everyone enjoys hearing it as much as i enjoyed making it. I believe it is the perfect fit for an Urban Asian song. The video will be shot in the next few weeks with the single being released sometime in August/September.

We heard your vocals in Panjabi with Aashiq - was this a taster of whats to come in your future music projects?

I certainly hope so. I like the fact that I can bring a sense of versatility with what I do. Thenu Thakia was Soft Melodious rap, Aashiq had Panjabi singing incorporated within it & the next release is fast rap with Asian elements, so I am trying to tick all the boxes. I will definitely be releasing a similar song to "aashiq" again which has me singing panjabi as my main aim is to appeal to a large group of fans out there & show my versatility & uniqueness as an artist.

Which other Music Producers do you wish to work with and why?

I will be working with my long time friend Surinder Rattan on my album so I am excited about that. He's a hugely talented guy & my album wouldn't be complete without his touch. Other producers that I admire & would like to work with one day are guys like Dr Zeus & DJ Sanj. Both very talented in their own right. I also like the Urban beats of Tazzz.. I love his sound & hope to work with him in the future also.

If there was one vocalist you could collaborate with who would it be and why?

Unfortunately he's no longer with us, so it could never be... the legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The next best thing in my eyes would be his student, a man with a voice to match Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Tell your fans what your goal is for 2013

My goal is to keep doing what I’m doing and not stop. I want to keep releasing songs that appeal to the fans & songs which have meaning & something they can relate to. In 'musical time" I was away from the industry for too long & have to make up for lost time now. My album is over a decade in the making & is a reflection of my life, my experiences & of me as a person. I just hope everyone enjoys & appreciates it.

In 3 words describe your music

Timeless, Melodious & Innovative