Mohalenyane Phakela

PRODUCER, Paul “Dr P” Mokhothu, says he has finally emerged from the sidelines with the launch of his sophomore album, Kingdom Deep, last week.

In an interview with Xpress People this past week, Dr P said the 14-track offering marked his return as a recording musician after a long hiatus. The album is a compilation of soulful House tracks such as Let the Music Play, Don’t Let Them Go and Ke Kopa Chelete. It has already become a prominent entry on the songlists of local radio stations such as Ultimate FM, KEL, PC and Tšenolo FM.

The Mabote-born muso said after the lackluster performance of his 2008 debut album, Mokhothuland Boys, he decided to take a back seat to understand the market.

“I am someone who is very open to criticism, and I had to stand back and see what appeals to the current market,” Dr P said.

“I then realized that computer-generated music does not work anymore. So, together with the team I work with, we decided to play musical instruments in the latest album.”

The live instruments consist of drums, a piano, trumpet, bass guitar and lead guitar.

“Live instruments create a more mature and appealing sound, and they appeal to everyone, be it young or old,” said Dr

He said Let the Music Play and Ke Kopa Chelete had been previously recorded some years ago.

“But then, people did not the appreciate that deep sound back in the day hence our decision to rework them and feature them in Kingdom  Deep,” said Dr P adding that the songs were in contention for the Ultimate Music Awards next month.

The album was released under the NBT Records label, of which Dr P also serves as director and co-owner along with Lekaka, Kinetic Soul and Lineo Mabuli.

With a career in music spanning over a decade, he said the road had been far from easy with passion for his craft egging him on to persevere.

“When I started off in the music industry, House music was not as popular as it is now. So I tried my luck with Kwaito but fell flat on my face,” Dr P said.

“After I released my debut compilation, Mokhothuland Boys, which sold only 50 copies, I decided to shelve it after hearing complaints about the quality.

“I am very open to criticism, even if it hurts, because it helps me rectify mistakes.

He called for more collaboration among artists, adding that disunity was the music industry’s undoing.

“No lone dog can make it to the top. If only we could learn as artists that we need each other regardless of the genre we specialize in,” added Dr P.

“There are also those who join the industry because someone they know is doing well and think they can do better. Music requires passion and dedication, otherwise I would have given up a long time ago.”