After a few difficult years, owing to the pandemic, 2022 saw a return to festival season and regular programming. While a large part of 2023 will be spent making up for all the lost partying, one of the things we are hoping this year will see more of is better opportunities and more respect for local talent, especially in their home ground.
In this piece, we highlight rising talent from across the country who are sure to leave their mark on the rapidly expanding electronic music culture and give us tunes we’ll be raving about 10 years from now
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India’s very own Squarepusher, there isn’t a genre that Shantam doesn’t do well. In any industry full of wishy-washy, once-in-a-blue-moon releases, Shantam is the anomaly who loves making music and produces gems consistently. After two envelope-pushing sets at Magnetic Fields, this summer he’s all set to play at the Modem Festival in Croatia. Although, if you’re in Goa, you could also catch him playing at your local haunt, because that’s just what he loves to do more than anything – play music.
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With her roots firmly planted, ironically in psy, Zequenx has made a mark with her dark and edgy sets laced with acid and breaks. An Ableton Certified Trainer, an artist of breaks music and a DJ who can fill the floor within minutes, her talent is knowing how to have fun while working her ass off. Last year, she played at Celtronic and closed the year with raging performances at both Delhi & Bombay Boiler Rooms. 2023 holds the promise of new frontiers in music and exotic performances in locations undiscovered!
If there’s an Indian DJ, whose steady climb on the ladder of success has been inspiring to watch, it is Lush Lata. Her infectious energy blends well with the South Asia-infused bangers she plays on the dance floor. Always looking to spotlight homegrown talent, she has been known to play unreleased tracks sourced from up-and-coming producers and make them a part of her success. After a baller 2022, playing at the Celtronic followed by multiple gigs across the UK, she’s all set to play the legendary CTM Festival in February at Panorama Bar in Berghain and also deliver a masterclass on DJing!
Bass Dropping Alien/Parimal Shais
One of the best music producers in the country right now and an unparalleled DJ, Bass Dropping Alien is a storehouse of energy. A champion of rap in regional languages, he frequently collaborates with local rappers to produce tracks that go on to be ragers on the dancefloor. 2023 will see him playing at Lollapalooza India and releasing more music starting with this one with Hanumankind.
Cracking open the myth that as a DJ you need to be over the top and gregarious, Kalee is a quiet but confident DJ whose curation skills are second to none. Her intuitive selections of folktronica, electronica and house make for a chill vibe at any party. 2022 saw her cross Indian borders for Stihia Festival in Uzbekistan and Celctronic in the UK. She closed the year with a live performance curated with Fully Automatic Model, as a part of the Delhi-Derry exchange, and an opening set on the closing stage of Magnetic Fields alongside Four Tet, BATU and more.
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If there is one person who has his finger on the pulse of Internet Culture and the line where tech and art meet, it is Three Oscillators. His audio visual set, which he runs himself while also performing, is mind boggling. Apart from live performances and DJ sets, he’s also an accomplished player in the NFTs, often minting his work. His expertise with sound design and generative patterns is evident from his debut album released last year and 2023 hopes to see more of that!
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Constantly pushing the boundaries of what electronic music ‘should’ be, Jay Pei is a fabulous DJ, musician, and teacher. 2023 saw him breaking the barriers of what a live setup is supposed to look like by introducing his ensemble Interlude, with which he also debuted at Magnetic Fields. Close on the heels of that, came a live set at Wonderfruit Festival in Pattaya. The beginning of 2023 sees him return to the decks at Supersonic with his frequent collaborator Vridian followed by what is sure to be many more performances.
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A ‘Certified Rude Boy’, Stain epitomizes the street culture that is slowly taking hold of the younger crowd. He’s a musician with unmatched skill when it comes to Dub music and a banging DJ who rips apart the floor. 2023 saw him release two dance-floor-ready tracks in collaboration with Zed Bias & DJ Plead and countless power-packed performances across the country and in the UK for the Celtronic Festival.
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Perhaps one of the longest performing artists on this list, FILM’s superpower is his ability to reinvent and constantly try new things. He released his debut album last year, after many years of compilations and Boiler Room performances. Last year also saw him launch his live set under his moniker Tyrell Dub Corp with which he plans to travel in 2023 and release new music!
Tarun Balani is not a new name to most people familiar with the music circles in India. A gifted trumpet player, drummer and multi-instrumentalist, Tarun launched his electro-acoustic inspired dance music project, Seasonal Affected Beats, right before the pandemic. Over the last few years he has released an album and debuted at Mag Fields with his live set with special care to visuals and conceptual continuity. 2023 will see him release new music and take his live set to other venues.
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Watashi has had an interesting journey as a musician. His debut album last year, Euthanasia Coaster was a welcome addition to the growing roster of diverse talent in the industry who are breaking genre-barriers with every release. Since then he has been raging with Drum and Bass at the choicest spots of the country. With a growing appreciation for Drum and Bass across the country, 2023 hopes to see him put out more music and more performances.
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A fan favourite, Disector is well known for the consistency with which he puts out music under his many monikers FR4CTAL, Disector & Overflo. He’s made his way to the regular person’s playlist with his consistent music, offbeat productions and frequent livestreams. He plans to release more music in 2023, which we’re sure his fans would love!
Do you think we missed out on someone? Write to us and let us know who it is!
