Born in Bangalore and brought up in Chennai. I was born into a Jain Marwari business family. I moved to Mumbai in 2003 to pursue a career in the diamond industry. I am a trained gemologist from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) who had the privilege to work for a few of the biggest diamond houses in the world. I also own a Diamond trading company called Diamante.
DJing was always my first love. I started getting into it around 1999-2000. My first gig was a birthday party for a girl whom I had a crush on, and since then, I’ve never looked back. It’s been slow and steady growth, but the journey has been fantastic, and I will always be grateful to all the people who have supported me. Especially, my artist management agency (Rage Entertainment), which has played a pivotal role in shaping my career in the music industry.
Apart from music, I am quite interested in cooking, pickleball, tennis, snooker, gym and travel. I live with my parents and a younger brother, and I’ve got a simple aspiration in life that is to try and excel in whatever I do.
Stimuli Life’s Outlook: It all comes down to perspective. We only have one shot at life; let’s make the most of it. Life is calling; where are you?
Q1. How have you brought a new dimension to the electronic music scene in India?
I believe I was one of the first few DJs who started incorporating indie dance/dark italio disco into my sets around 12/13 years ago. This was the time when EDM was heavily commercialized and was in full swing. The electronic music industry is a field that will always demand sound. However, I always believed in delivering something fresh and unique that would enhance the experience of my audience, and I would go back and say, “We heard something new, and it was magic.”
Q2. In this industry, what distinguishes your performance from others?
I think we are all DJs who are the same yet different. We all try to push ourselves to the extent we can. Like all things, we have our ups and downs, but at the end of it, we all strive to be the best version of ourselves. We all try to be the best at our art and showcase our canvas to the world, which we paint through our sound. We all tell our stories through music and create new stories for our audience every time we go on the stage. Music is timeless yet always evolving, and as a DJ in this industry, evolution is going to be a major factor that sets you apart from the rest.
Q3. How would you describe your music style and evolution over the years?
I would like to believe I am a very versatile artist because I don’t play only one genre of sound. I started my career by playing morning psy; from there, I shifted to techno, and I have constantly been evolving. I now perform a variety of genres, including drum & bass, breakbeat, indie, nu-disco, progressive house, raw hypnotic techno, and house. I always believed in creating magic in my sets by telling stories and taking people on a journey through my sound.
Q4. Can you elaborate on the use of cutting-edge, minimal, melodic, and atmospheric sounds in the sets?
Actually, no. I think only when one comes to hear my set will one understand what this statement means. But to sum this question up, I like to say I enjoy playing sounds that have a soul to it, which has a groove and bounce with the sound. Also, it tells a story with a flow that my audience can relate to.
Q5. How has your love for sound influenced your music career?
My sound has been a major influence on my decision to become a DJ. My sound is everything to me, and because of my sound, I am wherever I am. It’s given me hope and direction for navigating my career in this industry. The more I played, the better I got, and for me, it’s a constant learning process. Every time I am behind the console, I learn so much. But I am also a rebel, I love to experiment, and I love to push myself to take new chances. I guess, as an artist, I believe in the abstract.
Q6. After working in this field for sixteen years, what lesson have you learned?
Like any other industry, this one too has a dark side, and that is brutal. There is jealousy and negativity, and it’s a fame-hungry industry. I was also a victim of this because, when you are young, you want to succeed. But I realized that in a short period of time, there are no shortcuts, and we all have to go through the grind. It takes time, patience and character. Your time will come, and one day you will get the reward for the time, effort and patience you’ve put in. Just focus and do the best you can, and the rest will follow.
Q7. How do you innovate and push the boundaries of electronic music during the performances?
It is critical, in my opinion, to comprehend how your message sounds and how the audience interprets it. It also depends on the energy you create and the way you manage the crowd. I make sure I perform as per the time, slot, and environment. I always play what I want to play, and as a DJ, I strongly believe that my job is to take people on a trip with my sound because it’s also an added pressure as people have spent their time, money, and effort to be there and listen to you. So, I always add extra elements to create that energy through effects and seamless transitions that resonate with people and enhance their sound experience.
Q8. Do you feel that there is enough support and resources available for emerging artists in the electronic music industry, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds?
I come from an era where finding music itself was supremely difficult. Extremely slow internet connection and no downloading or informative websites that would give you information about new music or even an introduction to new music. No YouTube, no Spotify, no SoundCloud, no Beatport, and no Instagram. You had to do everything to find music, and everything was super expensive, and that is not the case today! Everything is available on the internet, and there is unlimited access to information and material that blows my mind. You can download any track from anywhere and get all the equipment in the world to make music and pursue DJing. You can post about your skills on social media and become a star, and so much can happen there. The possibilities are endless; you just have to wake your a** up and JUST DO IT.
Q9. What technology do you use in the booth to enhance the sets?
I always prefer Pioneer mixers and CDJs. My go-to mixer would be V-10 or DJM-A9 and for players, CDJ-3000 or CDJ-2000NXS.