“Our dreams and visions are to entertain and be the best at what we do, keeping our cultural roots alive and staying true to what we believe.” M2K London-based music maestros, M2K, were born and brought up in the capital. From a very young age, the siblings - Manoj, 24, and Kamini, 22 - were exposed to the traditional sounds of Hindi music and Bollywood film, leaving an unmistakable passion that has influenced them throughout their lives.
As the duo grew older, their interest in music became more active as they started singing on a professional level. Manoj was keen to experiment further with the sounds and diversified his skills to incorporate DJing; mixing tracks and genres. Ten years ago, the duo started performing on a national level. Six months later, M2K found themselves under the international spotlight and were performing in South Africa and various parts of Spain.
Performing Bollywood tracks gave them an unmistakable high but, for the duo, something was missing. With much more to offer, M2K set about trying to place their individual mark on their performances. Inspired by an eclectic array of musical styles, M2K were not only able to perfect their musical performance but they furthered their passion for music through their song writing. They began creating an emotional sound whilst continually staying true to themselves. It was at this point in 2001, that Rishi Rich discovered the talented musical sensation.
Through their expertise and shared love for music, M2K joined forces with Rishi to work on their debut track ‘Hohne Laga Hai Pyar.’ The track featured on Rishi’s first solo album, ‘Simply Rich,’ that reached number one in the Asian pop charts in October 2002. “Smooth vocals provided by M2K on the track ‘Hohne Laga Hai Pyar’ and tight production will certainly give Bollywood a run for their money.” BBC Asian Lifestyle 2002 With the success of ‘Hohne Laga Hai Pyar’ came M2K’s drive to start work on their own material. Having approached various producers, a problem arose as M2K were unable to find a sound that suited their style, but unbeknownst to the group, their talents and music were about to take a drastic turn.
This prompted the decision by M2K to build their own music studio where Manoj could create the sound they had been desperately seeking. M2K were now able to offer more than just a singing sensation - writing, singing and producing their own tracks. Since then, the group have continued to go from strength to strength. In late 2004, the duo approached the infamous Don Dee. Spending days in the studio jamming and bouncing ideas off of each other, M2K and Don Dee realized they had something fresh and new to offer. They began working together to create an experimental fusion sound of RnB, pop, bhangra, Bollywood and dancehall.
In September 2005, M2K launched the single ‘Phenomenon’ featuring Don Dee. The track will be available on their first album – M2K Released set to be released in February. ‘Phenomenon’ has been very well received by the British public. It broke chart records by remaining in Club Asia’s Top 20 for four and a half months. It reached number one on Zee Music and was also voted one of the top 50 tracks of 2005. It has become so popular that M2K are still lining up gigs to solely perform the one track. M2K have always had music in their hearts and this is apparent to anyone that meets them. Ten years of experience behind them has allowed them to perfect the art of live performance, production and studio recording.
There is no definite style of production for M2K; they have no boundaries and will continue to create what is truly in their hearts. The album, M2K Released, has been entirely produced by Manoj. The duo provide both the lyrics and the vocals throughout the album with features by reggae sensation Don Dee. With such naked intensity and ambition, M2K are ready to take the music industry by storm!