We Recently sat with Bunji Garlin to get the scoop on everything from the international success of Differentology to the current state of Soca music. Naturally we did it as only SCORCH can.. in the back of a van tray!

SCORCH: What’s the most unexpected achievement of Differentology?

BUNJI: Well last week I was in Point Fortin for borough day, just before I was about to go on stage I got a notification on twitter. When I check, it was a tweet from Anya (Ayoung-Chee) with a link to Guardian UK with their picks for the Top 7 Essential Summer Jams.. Differentology was the first song on the list. I was blown away by it!(http://m.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/may/02/essential-summer-jams-2013)

SCORCH: You probably got even more hype to run on the stage and flatten the place!?

BUNJI: Nah Boy… I was so in shock I had to kinda gather mehself yes… *laugh*

SCORCH: Did you honestly expect the song to go this far? Think about from when you sat in the studio with Sherif and Jarrod to now.

BUNJI: Well NO *laugh*! It was really something outside of my normal style… in fact it was one of the simplest songs I ever did when I think about it. Where the song has reached now is not really just because of me. Many people had a part to play yuh know, the list is too long to name everyone, from fellow artist to people in the industry to the fans locally and abroad.

It was just an all-round love from everyone, you just have to give thanks for it all. I look at it as a victory for everyone in the industry and for Trinidad and Tobago on the whole.Like seeing the the article in the UK press, it just took me back to everyone that came before who opened the door. Songs like Maximus’ Soca Warrior; it put Soca on the map the same way you know, in the UK and Europe, and that is just one of many. So I’m just proud and honoured to be fortunate enough to have a song that did that as well.

SCORCH: Nice! So about the Major Lazer Remix though? Whose idea was it? How did it come about?

BUNJI: Well it was really Jarrod that contacted (fellow Trini) Chris Leacock aka Jillionaire from Major Lazer. This was soon after we completed the song in November last year. Chris loved the song and said he will speak to Diplo about doing a remix, they messaged us a few weeks later for stems and the rest is history…

SCORCH: So how did it feel hearing the song on Major Lazer’s set and seeing the reaction of the crowd?

BUNJI: Well someone sent me a clip from Ultra in Miami this year.

SCORCH: … and you saw the forward!?

BUNJI: *eyes opened* Well yea, I was home at the time I saw the video, I was kinda shocked by it. I called Faye to show her, she just smiled and said WELL DONE. Is a really proud feeling to hear that from your wife and well fellow artist as well *laugh*

But is a little known fact Differentology really came after eh. The song that buss big out there first was “Tun Up”. This was about a year ago. Producer/DJ’s JusNow, who did Savage this year, did a remix of Tun Up that was on BBC radio and got a lot of love out there. Also big up DJ Baauer (of Harlem Shake fame) as well he used it to open his set and it got lots of love. Big up them fellas too.

SCORCH: Serious!? We will have to look that up; didn’t know that. Big up JusNow for real, they are part of the extended SCORCH family. Everyone is excited about the video for Differentology. What can you tell us about it, and did you incorporate the remix into it or it’s just the original song?

BUNJI: Yea man. Well, we took a more artistic approach to it, didn’t want to make it too literal. So it has a real story line to it, lil’ action scenes, the vikings of course, mud men, etc. We in the process of doing some final editing right now so it is gonna be out soon. (Since this interview was done the video came out. Check out our coverage here & here)

SCORCH: When we could expect, by next month?

BUNJI: Nah man. Sooner than that. We looking to get in out in the coming weeks.

SCORCH: Oh we’ve been meaning to ask, how you got the name “Viking”?

BUNJI: *laugh* It was a radio announcer from Sweden who said I approached the music with a certain agression, thats unique to soca … “You’re the Viking of Soca!” he said. When he say that a light bulb went off and I ran with it!

SCORCH: Look at that I am sure not many people know about that. So what’s next for The Viking? Differentology Tour?

BUNJI: *laugh* Well I didn’t even think about calling it that, but is work, work and more work. We grinding right now, we have dates booked all over!

SCORCH: Nice. Lastly, What do you think about the current state of Soca Music?

BUNJI: I think it is a very special time for us, I really can’t recall of anytime in recent memory when so many different artistes were getting that push out there internationally, all at the same time.

Now, a lot of things in the industry need to change, people are in a comfort zone, not just on the musical side of things but the business side as well. I think as more and more men (& women) step out from that and realize the kind of opportunities there are out there that will change… hopefully!

The world loves Soca Music, there is no need for us to change our style to be more like “them”. They want the raw version yuh know. This is what the Jamaican artistes have done, they didn’t try to water down their music. If we did that, it would be something else. The artist abroad have what they’re good at we have what we’re good at, so let them do their thing and we do ours…

To conclude the FULL HUNDRED interview we gave Garlin $100 and sent him into SuperPharm. His mission was to purchase items totaling $100 or less. Fat chance! His response was, “I eh know bout that nah, I have expensive taste!”Two minutes later and he had a tin of KLIM 3+ Milk, Pampers Baby Wipes and a 12 pack of Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars. He was already at the $100 mark. He decided to pick up some other items as well, but his first three clearly showed where his head was at. Stuff for his munchkin and health bars I guess to keep up with her! All in all it was one of the more fun interviews we ever did; the Viking truly lived up to his reputation as one of the coolest, down-to-earth people in the Biz!!!