Is this your first time playing in Mysore?
It is, yes. It was actually very easy getting here from Bangalore. Nice drive, nice roads… it’s a lovely city.

Have you been to Coorg?
I have, once, yes. Just for two days. It’s also very beautiful.

What kind of music are you going to play – is it “House” music?
Yes, that is what I play. That is what I specialize in — all styles of House music actually, from Funky to Tech; these days Minimal a lot of electro progressive sounds. Yea, a little bit of Trance thrown in towards the end.

I want to congratulate you — you have a new CD out? Why don’t you tell us something about the music…
Yea, thank you! This is quite close to my heart, this project, because, for one, is with one of the biggest labels in House music in the world, Defected Records, in the UK. They heard about Submerge through an artist, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, (Axwell). He’s a very famous House DJ. He played for us in Bangalore, and Defected heard about the Submerge parties in Bangalore and wanted to associate with us to enter the market. It just so happened that we were in London at the time and we had a meeting with them and there was a little collaborating that came out of it last December in Goa. At our Submerge sessions at (Zanzibar), in Goa, we have a week long event…

“Sunburn”?
No, Sunburn is different. The first time Sunburn was ever held was last year. We have Submerge parties on the beach for the past six years now which started with fifteen people and it’s now approximately fifteen thousand over a week. So they collaborated with us, Simon (Dunmore) was the owner of Defected. He played a few sets with us and we just had a casual talk about how we should take this further. And we did a tour with their artists, Copyright. They’re two DJ’s who call themselves Copyright. And to coincide with the tour we thought of a CD release — a compilation release, for the first time in India with Defected. I did one CD in that and one CD was mixed by Copyright.

So in the CD, you do not perform — you just mix the (tracks)?
Yea, yea, it’s like, I chose the tracks from their catalogue. Mostly they specialise in Funky House music with a lot of vocal and soulful music, which is not entirely new to India, because I used to play this eight to ten years ago but it’s now being reintroduced.

And where is it available? Is it in all the stores or one particular chain?
In all the stores, especially Planet M. It’s also available online at our website www.submerge.in.

And are you going to release your own CD, of your music?
Yes, eventually. But more than a CD or an album I’m concentrating right now on singles. I’ve spent many years trying to get the music into India. That was the initial intention when I started DJing — to bring the music that I heard and loved, into India. So I’ve basically been concentrating on that for many years and now finally, I’ve toned the touring down a bit so that I can spend more time in the studio producing and actually bringing my music out. So, that’s happening right now.

Speaking of your taste in music, how did you get into loving this kind of music? You’re basically from Goa, aren’t you?
No, I’m not from Goa. I’m from the North, but I’ve never lived in one city for more than a few years. I was travelling a lot and I was exposed to it, and I was exposed to the clubbing, DJs and to the music and I loved it. I grew up with a lot of music around me. Not any one particular style, but all sorts of music. So, already there was a base for music and I love it! And yeah, all the travelling just exposed me to House music. I couldn’t believe how amazing it was and how music just takes you in — if it’s played well, with the right flow, it can be magical. In India at the time there were very few DJs actually playing House. They were just trying a couple of tunes a night between the commercial stuff. Remixes were just about starting then, so it was a big hash and DJs were more like jukeboxes then. So the idea was to try and play music as an artist and not on demand, if you know what I mean. Yea, so I bought two records, I bought it for my friends, I bought some for myself. Before I knew it, I was training with some friends and yea, then I was in a club, I was helping out some DJs and it just started from there and that’s how it just rolls…

That’s how you started becoming a Dj…
Yea, yea, it snowballed from there.

How long have you been playing in India now?
Umm… I can’t put a finger on it, I’m not sure exactly because it was like a progression, it was a natural progression; but about eight to ten years. Eight years at least.

Now Submerge was formed by you, with Nikhil and another friend of yours…
Yes, Hermit Sethi.

Basically, apart from providing this kind of music, you also promote Djs…
Yes, we do.

Ok, so now, do you all promote female DJs too?
Uhh, we would love to, and we have actually. I spotted someone recently, her name is Priyanjana. She’s from Calcutta and now based in Bombay. She was playing at a residency that I took up in Bombay at a new club, and she was actually really good. The only problem is that it’s not easy to get exposure when you’re starting out. So Submerge is the perfect platform for it and I actually took her from Bombay to Bangalore which seems to be now, the headquarters for Submerge. At least crowd - wise. And there’s also (Mafaiza) who’s been playing regularly at our events.

What’s different about your music, than the other House music? Being a female is there some advantage or disadvantage to the kind of music that you like?
Musically, I’m not sure…

How easy or how hard is it for a female DJ to break into the mainstream? To be a paid DJ?
Hmm… I’d say it’s difficult for any DJ to break into the mainstream, weather male or female. There are fewer females, so I’d say that men actually have a tougher time because there is a lot of competition now. There are a lot of DJs mushrooming everywhere; not just in India, but all across the world. A very small percentage of them are women and I would say that once you do take the decision to become a DJ, there’s a lot that goes into it to actually get established and get exposure. The only way to do it is to actually play and play and play as much as you can out to a crowd.

Is being a DJ, especially a female DJ, a good career choice for someone who’s interested in music and who wants to be a DJ? Is it really hard?
Yea, that’s a tough one to answer because, you know, going by my own experience, and I can only talk from my experience, it’s been a bit of both. It’s been really good and at times it’s been really frustrating and it’s been like, “Uh! I don’t know if I can do this, if I’m meant to do this…” And I think every DJ has that — has those moments when they just throw their hands up and say, “No, this is just not for me.” Because it can be a very tough journey actually to break into the DJing world.

How does it feel to be known as the best DJ in India today?
I don’t know who gave me that title… did you?? (laughs). Well, I don’t know, it’s definitely not something I claim to be but yes, I do feel honoured that a lot of people feel that way. I feel like there’s a lot more to be done and there’s a lot more to do. Yes, I definitely don’t feel like I’ve reached somewhere in my career if there’s a lot more to do.

I saw an article in a French newspaper, with your photograph and Sania Mirza’s and they made it seem like you are the new faces of India — female faces of India.
Yea, I remember that one (laughs).

How does it feel… I mean, Sania Mirza, fine! But you never expect, you know, seeing a DJ representing India…?
Yea… you’re really good with you research, you know! (laughs) I remember that article very well. A lot of the world is very fascinated with how India is changing and of course, sports is given its due weight in India and I’m very happy to see that. You know, a sportswoman like Sania Mirza is just changing the image of our country a lot, but there’s a lot of other women doing a lot in the country and constantly trying to break that glass ceiling and the world is sort of noticing it and they’re very curious about it because the image of India and the Indian woman is very different outside from the way we perceive it, living relatively normal lives here. What they see outside the country, is a very different image.

Do people feel surprised that you’re actually Indian when you go and play abroad?
Yes, they do, they do. For one, that I’m an Indian; two, that I’m a girl playing House music; three, that I’m a DJ and four, that I’m an Indian girl DJ playing House music! They just can’t put them together. It’s quite surprising for them, yes.

You’ve played all over the world, right?
Yes.

So which is the best place you’ve played in?
Goa, without a thought. I love it. I love the crowd and of course, that would have to have a tie with Bangalore because the crowd is just incredible — the response. They’re really open to new sounds, they’re very very good with music and I always get a good… it’s just the perfect audience to play to, in Bangalore. There are a few gigs coming up that I’m really looking forward to. I’m going to be playing in Tokyo for the first time, on the 20th of this month, and there’s my first ever, in the Ministry of Sound in London coming up and also (Patcha) and Ibiza on the 29th of this month so, yes, it’s a very exciting time ahead.

Have you been offered any Bollywood work?
Yes, I have. No, I haven’t taken any because that’s not what I specialise in. And I feel if you just play and make what comes from the heart then you can do justice to it. And I completely respect people who do play Bollywood music and who produce it, they’re doing a brilliant job these days. No, I won’t do it. It’s like telling a House DJ to produce HipHop or a HipHop DJ to produce House, you know, if you don’t have too much really in-depth understanding of it and if you haven’t been consistently playing it to a dance floor for many many years… you can produce it for the sake of producing it but, it’s just something you maybe don’t wanna do.

Part 1 | Part 2

Vikram Muthanna
Courtesy: Star of Mysore

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