Intense

Punjabi music producer Intense has racked up millions of streams online with hitmaking beats that fuse Indian and North American pop in ways both deceptively simple and mesmerisingly catchy. Born Aneil Kainth and raised in Surrey, British Columbia, he grew up in a music-loving family and first garnered local buzz as a teen in the mid-2000s when he would make hip-hop beats, DJ at local weddings and share his Desi pop remixes with friends via instant messaging. His big break came with the 2014 regional hit “Launian Pehndian”, a collaboration with singer Jup Gill that combines layered bhangra drums with a dirty guitar lick and humongous synth bass. Eager to win over audiences in both India and the diaspora, Intense has since teamed up with Indian superstars like AP Dhillon and Diljit Dosanjh, deploying stripped-down beats, dreamy synth hooks and 808 flourishes to emphasise the vocal performances of hits like 2020’s “Toxic” and 2021’s “Umbrella”.