Meet the Delhi-based electronica artist whose new love song is logging more streams in India than a BTS member

For a musician to get more popular than anything or anyone associated with BTS, the biggest K-Pop band in the world right now, is a feat. With his latest love song, 20-year-old Sanjog Bhushan, or Trix as his music avatar is known, has managed to consistently clock more streams than BTS member Jin.

‘Be With You’, which released on December 2, has approximately 13,000 more streams than ‘Abyss’, a solo track that Jin released late on December 3, a few winks before his birthday. The streams are on SoundCloud, a platform that has worked incredibly well for Trix. “I’ve had international artists reposting my music here even before Indian audiences got hooked,” he says, referring to celebrated house DJ (and his number one inspiration) Kygo, and American electronic duo The Chainsmokers, who have supported him since he began his career three years ago.

The rise of chill tropical

Bhushan believes that creating music that is “fresh-sounding rather than something that has been done before” could have something to do with his rising popularity.

This is also why his musical leanings are towards chill tropical house, a sub-genre that is less explored in India, compared to trap, drum n bass and, of course, trance. That, and the fact that he explores themes of love and heartbreak, definitely adds to his universal appeal. ‘Now That You’re Gone,’ released and produced when Bhushan was only 17, sounds like a love-bruised anthem perfect for a sundowner set.

His newfound love is at the centre of ‘Be With You’, a soaring track that you want to wake up to. “Love may very well be the most profound emotion we’ll ever experience,” he adds, sounding more a poet and less like the ruthless killer he can be on the mobile version of ‘Call of Duty’ (COD).

Two worlds collide

A top gamer who plays under the name Infinity, Bhushan has already won a following for his fragging skills (a term for when you kill an opponent in a first-person shooter game) and holds the numero uno position for COD Mobile. Sometimes, he is mentally scoring music for the game he is playing, and considers COD Mobile to have a fantastic background score. “They change it up every month and yet, they deliver the perfect score. Games are focussing more than ever on providing better and enhanced music, which adds to the vibe and the groove,” says Bhushan, who divides his day between game practise and meeting music deadlines.

Infinity and Trix often find a point of connection, he says, adding, “Over the past year, I have been working on increasing gaming culture in Indian households. I take the opportunity when I’m approached at tournaments and on Mobile World Chat on COD. This hustle is mentioned in my upcoming track ‘Fireflies’, which comes out via Warner Music soon.”

Besides new releases, he will retool his older track ‘Spaces Between Us’, a new version of which will be released early next year. He plans to add live elements and vocals to the track by teaming up with long-time collaborator, American vocalist Nathan Brumley (who also features on ‘Now That You’re Gone’).

Family ties

It definitely helps that there’s music in the family. Bengaluru folk rock band Swarathma’s bassist Jishnu Dasgupta is Bhushan’s cousin — and sounding board. “I usually send him all my tracks way before anyone listens to it. I even show him my artwork,” says Bhushan, whose upcoming track ‘Favourite Mistake’ has been somewhat inspired by a Swarathma song titled ‘Pyaar Ke Rang’. “I love the positivity and the rhythm in that track,” adds the young artiste of the track that is one of five upcoming releases in 2021.

It was also another family member who reached out to an associate working with ace American talent manager Scooter Braun to get a nod for Bhushan to work on a remix for one of Braun’s A-list artistes — popstar Ariana Grande. Bhushan was thrilled to hear that Braun was impressed with his remix of ‘One Last Time’, also slated to release sometime next year. “I wanted to make it really smooth and the melody had to be something that corresponded with the vibe of the track. As usual, I’ve used flutes and plucks that are composed of five layers of stacking to get the original Trix sounding drop,” he explains. Before the ARMY (short for Adorable Representative M.C for Youth), the group of BTS fans across the world, figures out what’s going on, Trix might just up his game.

Trix’s music can be found on SoundCloud.

- Prof. Lalitha Suhasini Vakkalanka, Academic Specialist – Journalism and Mass Communication

(Source: https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/on-sanjog-bhushan-aka-trixs-music/article33364511.ece)