By Prasanta Phukon
His ‘Northeast Cypher 2020’ in 2019 registered 16 lakh views on YouTube, catching the attention of the international hip hop community. Shillong-born multilingual rapper Mrinal 
Paul aka MOKSH has now come with a four-track extended play (EP) that could be his best creation yet.
Mrinal, now based in Guwahati, has released ‘At Your Service’, his third EP since ‘21’ and ‘Blackout’, both produced in 2019. The latest EP is based on the varied experiences of life and his style can be defined as fearless, transparent and emotionally charged.
The four tracks consist of ‘Rose’ and ‘Gadbad Hai’, ‘Bharat’ and ‘Rehne De’.
According to Mrinal, ‘Bharat’ the lead single of the EP is dedicated to the people of India and their fighting spirit. He says that the song calls for nurturing an inclusive environment. He hopes the song — the EP too — has a positive impact.
“I shall be releasing a music video as well on ‘Bharat’, and this song would also be a crowd-sourced music video,” he said.
A trailer video on the EP was recorded and shot at various locations in Shillong. The trailer was directed by Sumeet Ngangom, who had previously directed the music video for ’21’ by MOKSH. All the songs were recorded at The Sound Clinic studio in Guwahati before the second wave of the pandemic hit.
Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, various artists have been stepping up to help within the entertainment industry and beyond. With ‘At Your Service’, MOKSH would embark upon a new journey as the EP has been made exclusively available as a fundraiser on Skillbox from August 1. All proceeds from its sale have been going to the COVID-19 relief work of Impulse NGO Network from Shillong.
Mrinal said all the songs in the EP were either recorded as singles or for some other projects. Out of all his unreleased music, the selected ones were in alignment with the COVID campaign. Impulse NGO Network has also made it clear that they would be happy with any amount contributed, while Mrinal says he is only trying to do his part as a tiny droplet does in the making of an ocean, and hoping to do much more in the days to come.
The songs in the EP have been produced by Guwahati based Flamesmagic (credited for his work with Kaysee and Mack Varpe), Basshole (holds the credit of producing for Papon, Kaysee and Kidshot) and Agartala-based Kabir Jamatia (member of the indie-rock band Yesterdrive).
Mrinal said: “One great thing about life is its uncertainty. Amidst the unpredictable course of life, we live to give shape to our dreams and ambitions. It all came to a partial standstill when the pandemic hit us, it got even worse when I tested positive for COVID 19 along with my 
grandparents. It was a mental challenge more than physical but we successfully overcame it. This would not have been possible without the support of genuine, honest and generous people, many I have not met before, who helped us in various ways. This whole incident led to an epiphany: we are here to stand by each other in the most vulnerable times. Irrespective of our socio-economic status, it is the thought that counts. Music has given me a lot over the years and now it is my turn to put my music to purpose. That’s ‘At Your Service’ for you.”
With the release of “At Your Service”, a lot is on the line for artist MOKSH with most of his big breaks due in the form of collaborations after his successful solo releases of ‘Twenty One’ and ‘Blackout’. This may be his next big break with this EP, but for the moment it has been a moderate turn up after the first month of its release. Three out of the four tracks in the EP may remind one of the vibes similar to most of the modern independent Hindi Hip Hop releases in India but when it comes to ‘Bharat’ it makes up for the rest of the EPs to keep one grooved and entertained. The music video for ‘Bharat’ is a well scripted and directed one, which young Shillong listeners/viewers could relate to. This time, Moksh may have pulled a total defiance of expectation by loading this EP up with ‘Bharat’.
