RANJ X CLIFR

RANJ and CLIFR, the Bengaluru-based singer-producer duo comprising Ranjani Ramadoss and Chlipher Christopher, have built an audience like few other independent artists. Their songwriting, characterized by grooves and hooks that draw from hip-hop, jazz and more, spawned hit tunes like “Attached” and a dynamic live set to boot. The duo effortlessly cover a spectrum of moods, often about the rules of attraction and elsewhere, about changing situations and perceptions with pop culture references just packed in. Their 2021 EP 593 Vol. 1, a collaborative with producer Issamood aka Samudra Dasgupta, served as a beacon of positivity during challenging times, offering listeners a much-needed escape. At the heart of their collaborative projects lies a deep friendship and camaraderie, which shines through in their art.  

Read our interview with RANJ and CLIFR below: 

You both have a wide variety of sounds, what was the kind of music both of you were exposed to growing up? 

CLIFR:  I grew up in a Christian household, playing in church a lot and a lot of gospel music. I grew up in that kind of environment and developed. I also listened to a lot of rock and hip-hop and R&B music. 

RANJ: My parents played a lot of A.R. Rahman and I did Carnatic music for several years but then I had a whole pop and R&B revolution finding out about artists like Beyoncé, and being like, ‘Wow.’  

I recall coming across your music when the 593, Vol. I EP came out, how long were you both working together before that record came out?  

RANJ: We were writing before that, but we would just make these side songs and then the lockdown happened, and we weren’t able to meet our band. So the three of us, CLIFR, Samudra and me were living in the same place and we all got COVID together. We were just like, let’s just do something and were very inspired by all these Twitch streamers who would just stream non-stop. That’s how we kind of began. 

What’s the dynamic with the duo when it comes to songwriting? 

CLIFR: I start putting down some ideas and then I send it across and she puts down some ideas, and then I spend some time, or sometimes we just both sit and build that and certain songs take years to complete and certain songs are done in one session. So for each song, it’s like a different way, whatever naturally comes through. And we can add horns with the live band and things like that. That’s all a goal, to constantly play like that.  

What stands out for you so far in your career as artists?  

CLIFR: We played NH7 in March 2022 and the sun was killing us and we had an early slot. Our laptops died during the set so we couldn’t even do soundcheck because of that. Somehow I swapped my keyboard laptop to the track laptop and played all my keyboard parts on the guitar on the spot. We just pushed through that set. 

RANJ: Everyone there was so passionate and I feel like that kind of set hadn’t really been done before in the indie space, so everyone was really excited about it. 

What do you have coming up this year? 

CLIFR: We have some singles in the bank and maybe some Tamil songs.  

RANJ: Our last release was hip-hop and now we’re going back into our pop and R&B space but with a whole different sonic identity. 

What according to you is the Future of Music? 

CLIFR: We don’t know, honestly. We are in a very different time and age where trends pick up very quickly and then they die down and then something new comes out of what died down. I think live music is the future. 

RANJ: Now things have changed so much, I feel like electronic music has a new boom. Maybe that will slowly shift back to the value that live music had in this country, especially. 

Rolling Stone India rectifies its error of not styling the names of RANJ X CLIFR in capital letters. The correction for the same was made on April 10th, 2024.