Not much, he says. Except "my mother, who was very anxious [about his future]. She wanted me to succeed, whatever that means. In her eyes, I am successful. I feel rested."

Rabbi rattles off more unlikely answers. He insists he is "not in the danger of becoming a Bombayite." He considers silence the biggest compliment. "Silence when the other person understands."

Next album? A little way off, he says, "though we have material ready for two more." He wants to play live, and trip on his creative dope — travel.

"Inspiration is a big word. For me, it's the need to write. Solitude is what I require. I get 'stoned' when I go to a new city. It somehow all falls together."

Can honest songwriting jostle for space with the remix rage and overproduced opuscula? Yes, he says. "Record companies need to have conviction. Not go so far away from art."