Wild City: Recent Episodes
Wild City
With just over a year of existence, the party-throwers Future Funk have begun to dominate the nightlife of New Delhi – hosting parties that go beyond the usual fare of house and techno to dedicate nights to footwork, breaks and hip-hop. Even their next, on June 19, sees Taru Dalmia aka Delhi Sultanate jump in with Sanil Sudan aka Tyrell Dub Corp, and joined by the likes of Akashi and DARN, to celebrate the sounds of dub. The event comes at the heels of Future Funk's first anniversary, which they celebrated with 'The One Year Dance', from which they are sharing a soundsystem-celebrating mix between Pia Collada and Stain as their Wild City mix.The mix is a great instance of a B2B set managing to be cohesive, as it's connected with low-pressure basslines running under snappy electronic drums, while showcasing two distinct yet complementary styles. Pia Collada takes attention to percussive interplays and celluloid samples to interject Stain's bass-heavy drops that move through eras and styles within dub music – creating an overall colourful mix without abandoning the dedicated style.For more: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21727-wild-city-262-pia-collada-b2b-stain-future-funk-the-one-year-dance
Jonas Xenon's 'Nudge', straight from techno mecca Tresor Records, enters, their four-to-the-floor drums feel more like an ambient pulse than a visceral one in the context of the mix. The selections only enter pure dance music territory in its quick-switching final quarter, giving the whole build-up a climax. More information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21568-wild-city-259-chutney-mary
Our latest Wild City mix from the dancefloors of ParaDisco, the party series founded by Mumbai's Nida Merchant, who was already one of the country's busiest DJs before she turned her focus to building the event series and other efforts like New Delhi Community Radio from the ground up.Dedicated to the joyous nature of disco and house, the parties are not the run-of-the-mill affair of handpicked artists at regular venues, but see extra care in stylistic cohesion across not just curation but the look and feel of the events. Inviting collaboration (their Halloween party saw Delhi's Monkey Bar get decked up with the help of Nabi, for instance) and giving a chance to beginner DJs through open calls, ParaDisco promotes a sense of community, and the growing community has responded so far across cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and even London.As it gears up for a Goa edition on December 27, our latest Wild City mix shares the sounds from ParaDisco's latest iteration in Mumbai as Nida leads the way into a b2b2b between her and Mumbai's own Choksi and Sohail Arora aka Rafiki.The first hour is littered with familiar tunes recontextualised through edits and sampling to offer Bollywood soundtracks from films like 'Disco Dancer', songs by Etta James and George Michael, Four Tet's famed remix of Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' to reel the listener in. Once hooked, the mix undergoes a palpable shift an hour in as the acid basslines of Kink's 'Disco Spectrum' turn the mood a bit more intense and modern as the tag team of three keeps the mix oscillating between sombre, percussive and the occasional popular callback. The mix comes fully live, as record pull-ups give a sense of the height the party reached at ParaDisco's last outing.For more info: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21496-wild-city-257-nida-x-choksi-x-rafiki-paradisco
With the Wild City Mix, Femme Music's Sanoli Chowdhury organises the women-only selections to start with the electrifying energy of veterans like Heart and St. Vincent before mellowing the journey. Unreleased tracks from Indian musicians Ro Maiti and Tiana Tara, from Femme Music's upcoming debut release and compilation 'Nyima Vol. 1', lean more towards intimate and heartfelt alongside the acoustic plucks of New Zealand duo Tāl. Going through more introspection through another unreleased work from the compilation, 'Come Sit By My Bed' by Goa-based Tabitha Kagoo, the mix uses the heightened drama of 'Strange Game' by Australia's Jess Ribeiro to dial the energy back up and finish with the oomph of Sade and the romp of Bikini Kill. More info and tracklist: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21433-wild-city-255-femme-music
New Delhi's UKato distills his usual fare of breakbeats (which has got him to some of the genre's coveted labels like RAM Records) into the laidback groove of dubstep and the underlying pulse shared with techno before finding his way back using the deep low-end as the connecting thread. Starting from Mala, remixes of Aphex Twin and Pearson Sound edits, the mix goes deep into deep cuts in the second half besides throwing in originals, shaking your core with a dark depth while the beats work to keep things fun and lively.More information & tracklisting:
As a tag team digging through their combined vinyl collection, Unnayanaa and Hamza Rahimtula have been bringing the house down. Anyone who has danced captivated to one of their back-to-back sets this year, in any of the go-to local haunts that the pair is making its way through, knows that that metophorical statement isn't a hollow praise.After connecting at AQI (the multi-day event hosted by Hamza's Windhorse Records and Warehouse Mix), the two of India's most long-standing and deepest purveyors of house music tapped into a synergy that should have been obvious.As such, their formidable 3-hour Wild City mix, which captures the pair's recent visit to Bangalore's Indiranagar Social, is a full mapping of house music's DNA. Genre staples like Ron Trent, Kerri Chandler and Louie Vega connect easily with the disco lineage of Dinosaur L and Sister Power while the African and Latin-rooted rhythms of the likes Africanism and Jafrosax provides a percussive throughline to the genre's legacy and influences across continents.Delivered with a puristic sense of craft using only vinyl selections coming together over a rotary mixing, Hamza and Unnayanaa still bring a showmanship to the mix which times its exchange of rhythmic breaks and singalong beltings, almost using the records to communicate with the audience in a very literal manner. Then almost like an epilogue or a tantalizing post-credit section, the upbeat sets gradually shifts via grittier beats into a leftfield comedown in its final 15 minutes.For tracklisting and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21287-wild-city-252-unnayanaa-b2b-hamza-rahimtula
The influence of Bombay sometimes comes through gently included but obviously present samples likely from film soundtracks, and other times through the subtle rhythmic inclusion of the bustling city streets into the percussive assembly. It creates a Bombay-meets-Brooklyn sound that Rajah Betta dubs as "Bombay Club". The Bombay-born and NYC-honed DJ, producer and radio host Sagar aka Rajah Betta is currently offering this fusion of geographic influences with an upcoming EP and an India tour that has made its way to Goa, Mumbai and Pune so far. Marking this movement with a Wild City mix, Rajah Betta's selections highlight his tendency to move through his influences. Distorted guitars of alt-rock slip into gritty basslines of club music before the focus shifts to more percussive numbers like Laksa's 'Tech Steppas' featured next to a standout deep cut '145bpm Percussive Brain Cleanse' by Joeti. By the time we reach Batu's 'Inner Space', the mix has fully and discreetly shifted for a dark, high-tempo second half – making its final stop in the gradually transforming but quick journey through contrasting styles.More information & tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21230-wild-city-251-rajah-betta
All around the world in dance music, the South Asian diaspora is carving a space for the culture they have carried from their roots to their adopted new homes. One of the leading forces among them: Stick No Bills. The Dubai-rooted collective started as a party spearheaded by Jeftin James aka DJ Jeff and GT, and immediately became a home for people who wanted to celebrate their desi sound and aesthetics proudly. "Growing up in Dubai, there were South Asian parties, and there were “cool” nights — but rarely anything that did both well," the collective tells us as they made their way to Mumbai for BUDX NBA House to perform as well as discuss the push for South Asian representation on global stages. "If you wanted to hear your sound, you had to compromise on production or setting. If you wanted the aesthetics and energy of a good party, you had to leave parts of yourself at the door."Consequently, the collective tapped into that hunger in themselves and people like them to create parties that didn't make them choose between experience and identity, accruing a community that included film and fashion into the fold just as seamlessly as the musicians of Stick No Bills combine global hip-hop and even pop sounds from their nostalgia of South Asian culture. The edits, flips and sets by Stick No Bills merge amapiano with Tamil samples, Jersey club beats with Punjabi vocals and classic film melodies with pumping grooves. "Dubai is a paradox. It’s hyper-global but locally fragmented. You can hear 20 languages in a mall, but still feel like your culture doesn’t have a platform. That in-between-ness shaped everything about us — because we are the in-between," the collective explains us. "We don’t mix genres for novelty — we do it because that’s how we grew up hearing the world."The collectives' Wild City mix reflects this as the visceral bass of Skrillex, Fred Again and Flowdan's 'Rumble' combines with the 1999 Bollywood number 'Ramta Jogi' or 2014's 'Patakha Gudi' soon flows out of the flutes running over Future's 'Mask Off'. The mix taps into pop moments as fleeting samples to create its own moments of recognition, choosing energy over cleanliness as it keeps the subs rumbling through hip-hop, dubstep and breaks. For more information & tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21193-wild-city-250-stick-no-bills
In its first quarter itself, Paloma's Wild City mix connects the low-end rattling bass of Joy Orbison's 'Flight.fm' to the tribal house of Nick Léon's 'Xtasis' before proceeding to the melodic runs of Charanjit Singh. This itself clues you in on the quick genre-hopping that the DJ, surfer, model and TV host does on the mix, which reels dancers in with the popular, more accessible numbers before going on to deeper cuts of acid house, melodic techno and adjacent styles. Taken from her performance on New Year's at Sri Lanka's Closenberg Hotel, the regular spot for Tropical Wax, the party-throwing and lifestyle collective co-founded by Paloma, the mix progressively echoes the shifting of night into the morning, turning the mood gradually to the introspective as the psychedelic textures of Floating Points' 'Fast Forward' usher in the final quarter of the mix.For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21160-wild-city-249-paloma
New Delhi DJ Sheral doesn't wait for a build-up on our latest Wild City mix, entering above 140 BPM from the get-go and keeping it relentless for the first quarter of the mix. When eventually we arrive at the special sustained blend of the vocal hook from Vin Sol's 'Wts' against the percussion breaks of Burland's 'Untitled 140', the first quarter emerges as a high-octane warm-up leading up to a dynamic ride of glitchy, quirky textures that follows, passing an upbeat and low end-heavy array of styles that majorly feature only deep cuts (though dubstep lynchpin Kode9 makes an appearance for the high point of the mix). For more information & tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21137-wild-city-248-sheral
Roan Sable's Wild City mix is the kind that makes listeners reach for Shazam time and time again. Peppered with deep cuts that the Pune-rooted DJ elevates to the efficiency of classics, the mix traverses through house music, reaching for the genre's upbeat vocal hooks and syncopated basslines. The journey, which Roan played out in Hyderabad for Sunday Playground, is led by elaborate blends and surprise drops in equal measures to keep things from becoming stagnant. In the process, we pass through highlight moments like Leon's 'Beautiful Girl' coming together with Locklead's 'Morning Krew', elevating the underrated tracks beyond their merit as standalone records, giving a glimpse of his mark as an experienced selector.For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21095-wild-city-247-roan-sable
When T.L. Mazumdar aka EveryNowHere started the podcast series Tapasya Loading in 2020, one of his key goals was to pool together the worldview of artists that he had found inspiring without the confines of styles, geography or experience levels. As the multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and educator celebrates and zooming past 100 episodes with a Wild City Mix, naturally his selection follows the same ethos. The mix is ripe with artists who have appeared as guests on the podcast, connecting topics from music education and the diaspora artist experience to mental health and the creative process for a holistic view of what it's like to be a creative practitioner. Consequently, the selection can go from sparse electro-R&B ('BLUE' by LO) to Punjabi yearnful laments over tabla rhythms ('Tera Jugg' by Kiran Ahluwalia) in less than 10 minutes. While every once in a while there are works showcasing virtuosity within a defined genre ('7 Cows Jumping Over The Moon' by Kai Eckhardt Band), the mix mostly seems to be tied together with the quality of pushing beyond any stylistic boxes and seamlessly jumping between them.More information & tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21058-wild-city-246-everynowhere
With field recordings of birds and frogs stitched between transient meanderings of synths and soundscapes from her own work and that of her contemporaries from the experimental music space of India like Hemant SK, Bengal Chemicals and REVANT, Surbhi Mittal aka Pale Blue Dotter's Wild City mix is like no other. But then again the New Delhi sound artist isn't interested in being an artist like any other, often questioning the default notions around listening and creation and consequently finding space for her work in art galleries, theatrical productions and the sombre corners of music festivals as well. Yet the mix isn't a snippet-to-snippet glimpse of leftfield music but could work as an album with a clear cohesion and intention – showcasing the magic of raw moments of inspiration that propel creation and juxtaposing them with profound reflections on self, the world and the relation between the two.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/21031-wild-city-245-pale-blue-dotter
Bangalore's Vaibhav S Narayan aka SourFunk's Wild City mix is for the point where the dancers for the night embark on their journey on the dancefloor for the rest of the party. Functioning at the confluence of house and disco – something to be expected from a member of Stalvart John's Dynamite Disco Club – the mix is inviting, presenting edits and remixes from prominent house heads like Kerri Chandler, Honey Dijon and Mousse T. peppered with recognisable melodies like 'Ain't Nobody' to grasp onto for even casual listeners of the genre before SourFunk takes you deeper. By the time you are into the spoken word passages of ABANA's 'Sativa Jazz', you know the immersion has completely taken over to make you part of the love letter to house that this mix ultimately becomes.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20958-wild-city-244-sourfunk
Born in Kashmir and operating between Goa and New Delhi, Zainab Wani aka Zequenx is in the midst of a transformation from the perspective of her listeners. The DJ and producer has added ambient live sets to her usual fare of four-to-the-floor dancefloor journeys. It's an addition to her musical being that is now reflected in her mixes – like the one she has made for Wild City. A nearly 2-hour-long affair, the sonic journey starts from ambient sound bath-like curation before the clouds of pad start giving way to percussive elements that settle to the rhythms of techno. With influences of laidback trance feeding into it, the mix presents a highly immersive state ripe for introspection while the body clings to the guttural chant of the kick drum's thump.For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20928-wild-city-243-zequenx
Anyone regular to the upbeat lighthearted dancefloors in New Delhi over the past couple of years has likely witnessed a set by Aditya Mehta aka DJ Pants as the multidisciplinary artist/live sound engineer become a frequent fixture to the capital city's nightlife. Recently, Aditya branched out as a producer, coinciding with the London and Bristol-based party-throwers PARADIA branching out into a label with a local-to-global V/A compilation that featured Aditya's debut single 'Extra Style'. Aditya marks the release for us with an exclusive Wild City mix.In contrast to the more bass-heavy house of the single, the mix assembles tribal performances from around the world, infusing some Balearic influence to create a blend of new-age electronica. With tracks like 'Oki' by Sound of Mo and 'Mind Thieves' by Osamu Kitajima, the mix maintains a bright mood while the steady energy and lofty vocal parts create an introspective atmosphere over the energy of downtempo breakbeats and deep basslines.More info: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20911-wild-city-242-dj-pants
Warehouse Mix, the collective of DJs and other creatives, is one of the very few new faces in India's dance music space that is keeping the word "community" meaningful, building it with a sincere DIY ethos and love for house music. They've received some help from one of the genre's pillaring veterans in the country, Hamza Rahimtula and his Windhorse Records who has also paired with them to create the recurring event AQI. To give a taste of the event, Warehouse Mix's Tartaruga and Hamza have share their vinyl mix from their last AQI event exclusively via Wild City.With an old-school mixing style, the selections play out in extended sections, getting enhanced and layered by two masters of the fundamentals of DJing. Usually a fun ride with the constant oomph of house's four-to-the-floor beats, selections like Louie Vega's 'Come Away' featuring Kerri Chandler takes an immersed listener to psychedelic places of respite. More information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20888-wild-city-241-tartaruga-b2b-hamza-rahimtula
The first 3 minutes of Aashna Anand aka Nariki's Wild City mix itself are a good statement on simplicity. After a straightforward introduction of the rhythms and textures that one can expect, the music soon dials back pretty soon – like the stop before the first drop on a roller coaster ride that sets the energy for the rest of the journey. It's moments like this or the tasteful midpoint break of 'Athenia' by Derek Carr that keep pumping energy into the mix which is a short and subtle affair. Operating at the point where house starts to look a lot like techno, Nariki's mix is completely led by its selection and its flow, which she lets play out. It allows her to be highly intentful in her choices, picking mostly deeper cuts with an evaluation and insight honed by her background in music journalism.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20869-wild-city-240-nariki
Bangalore's Ishan Gaur aka I7HVN says he wants to play his Wild City mix "in an intimate, dark room". That is rather an apt aim for the abstract works he stitches together on the nearly hour-long mix as a soft pulse underpins a parade of elements that seem to appear out of nowhere, devoid of predictability for most parts. It's a mix that carries the qualities found in the whole of I7HVN's artistic voice – with his latest release, the 6-track EP 'Innate Needs', featuring similar unpredictability though with more hard-hitting grooves underscoring them. Not quite ambient, though it practices a similar restraint, as it rewards giving attention to its surprising minute details, the mix comes off as a seamless extended composition even as it moves from deep-cut artists from foreign shores to Indian contemporaries of I7HVN like Yidam, Innerworld and Mythopoet alongside the producer's own work.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20827-wild-city-239-i7hvn
Bangalore's Rishii Rohra aka Peach Blok might choose laidback moods for his productions but for his Wild City mix, the DJ-producer goes to the heart of dance music.Kicking off with some house cuts, the mix practically begins with the kind of tracks you'd imagine upon the words 'club music' as strong four-to-the-floor grooves are decorated with whirring psychedelic undertones of acid arpeggios. Keeping the beat firmly placed through the first half of the mix, Peach Blok curates the ebb and flow through the whirring psychedelic elements. He gives a break from it with selections like the classic house of Gome's 'Come On (Piani mix)' and the percussive breaks of 'Boogie Check' by Baka G before spending the second half treading through a range of styles all the while dialling up the grit without losing the fun.For more information & tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20801-wild-city-238-peach-blok
Trained under veteran DJ and producer Stalvart John and seasoned as the resident DJ of the Dynamite Disco Club parties, Bengaluru's Carissa D'Almeida can easily be expected to have a flair for the syncopated basslines and energetic vocal and instrumental runs that define disco, house and their adjacent genres. What elevates Carissa to one of Dynamite Disco Club's most recognised alumni is how the selections are tied together to form a narrative.In the instance of her Wild City mix, with which she highlights 90s tracks that carry a no-frills-just-fun approach, things kick off in puristical joyous grounds of house as Carissa chooses gradual layering of records to create vibrant interplays between instrumental motifs, busy percussion jams and beckoning vocal calls. Each time using unhurried loops to provide a respite without dropping the incessant groove, the selector enters more sombre moods with Todd Terry's 'Jumpin'', stays in its psychedelic and immersive nature until a mix of DJ Pierre's 'Let The Music Take You Higher' before dialling up the pace onto more contemporary grounds for the final run of the mix. For more information & tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20762-wild-city-237-carissa
Delhi's Tech Panda and Kenzani are one of the frontrunners of the wave of electronica that has turned its focus towards India's rich folk sounds, recontextualising them for the urban dancefloor.The latest iterations from the pair come through collaborations with Punjabi popstar Talwiinder and Akulu Records-released Punjabi-folk-meets-French-sermon track 'Kamli'. The duo celebrate their run of releases with a Wild City mix.The sonic journey reflects Tech Panda x Kenzani's extensive experience as one of India's in-demand DJs, laying itself out like a live performance that starts and ends with grandiosity. In between, the selections feature mostly originals, works from collaborators and even a peppering of Harry Styles – a testament to how the full tapestry of folk sounds the pair utilises is tied together with the immersive rhythms and soundscapes of deep house and melodic techno alongside the sensibility of pop.More info: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20732-wild-city-236-tech-panda-x-kenzani
Since stepping behind the console after years as a familiar face in the fashion, beauty photography and live music events space, Anushka Menon has been steadily rising as a selector. The success of her pumping selections-filled Boiler Room set is the latest achievement in that ascent. Off the back of it, the Goa-based multi-faceted artist recorded a set at the freshly opened venue JUNA which she shares exclusively as her Wild City mix. For the Wild City mix, Anushka opts for the syncopated energy of breakbeats as she drops into the rhythms after an ambient welcome. She kicks things off with expansive introspective selections to immerse you before jet-setting onto more fun-focused grounds halfway through as Logic1000's 'Rush' rolls in.Making use of her multi-faceted artistic expression, Anushka has also curated visuals to go with the mix.To experience it and see more information and tracklist, head here: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20702-wild-city-235-anushka
A member of the Feel My Bicep crew alongside the likes of Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson (who'd go on to form the duo Bicep), Rory Hamilton aka Hammer isn't just someone who has a sense for discovering interesting electronica works. After decades of hosting parties in Glasgow and later London, as well as spinning records the world over, the Belfast-born talent knows how to stitch together those records to create moments of passionate revelry.India has bore witness to that skill multiple times at this point as Hamilton returned to the country earlier this year after half a decade, adding dates in Goa and Kolkata alongside Delhi and Mumbai before jetting off to Sri Lanka for further performances with Tropical Wax for an 8-show tour of India and Sri Lanka. He recorded a mix for Wild City in Sri Lanka at the end of his tour to look back at his time in the region, which also included signing on Kolkata's 8-bit culprit – the second artist from India to work with the label after New Delhi Anhad Khanna aka Sublime Sound."From the first ever gig I played in Auro in New Delhi, I learnt that the dance floor in India is special in that the sense of excitement is genuinely palpable. Taking risks pays off," says Hamilton. "I’ve also learnt that like every country, each city is different and you need to be ready to fit into it."Consequently, while often operating close to house, disco and some techno, how Hammer uses a particular style can vary. Recorded at The Luna Terrace of Galle's Closenburg Hotel, the HQ of Tropical Wax, the Wild City mix goes from an unreleased remix of Syreeta Wright's chants on 'Shanti', to the disco-inspired Baldo Remix of Demi Riquísimo & Manami's 'Sugar Snap'. Testifying Hammer's abilities to create notable moments in his sets, the mix offers several instances – from the melody-led energy of Two Mamarrachos to the respite of the laidback chords of Madvilla's 'Galactic Banana'. The best, however, is the house-meets-pop euphoria that comes almost as a cinematic euphoric climax to the mix with an unreleased track featuring the voice of Lili Chan.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20609-wild-city-234-hammer
For years, we kept clubbing the word "psychedelic" with Lahore's Talal Qureshi. Even as the Pakistan's electropop pioneer has transformed from a Coke Studio mainstay with esoteric productions on the side to someone who brings his worlds together and creates the collaborative woofer-friendly bangers, that characteristic zaniness remains. As evident by his 2023 debut album 'TURBO' and its recent re-release with a deluxe edition, it has married itself to the sound of South Asian hip-hop with sometimes a satirising presence of Pakistan's hyperlocal elements. It is embodied in the announcement he makes at the start of his Wild City mix before launching into cuts from the 15-track release, unreleased demos, edits of his other work and even someone Skrillex to demonstrate how his work can boom alongside the globally prominent.Contrary to most mixes of nearly all-originals, Talal's quick-moving mix is a product bigger than the sum of its selections. Constant flow through hard cuts between collaborations that feature the likes of Seedhe Maut, Faris Shafi, Hasan Raheem and Natasha Noorani speaks to the effective structures of Talal's productions. It's a mix worth a listen even if just for the reimagined energy of Talal's take on 'Faltu Pyaar' and 'Muaziz Sarif'. For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20584-wild-city-233-talal-qureshi
Akshay Mathker aka Innerworld's Wild City mix doesn't just move subtly, it moves you with the most subtle forces. Starting with dark ambience, the mix is defined by its hypnotic atmospheric nature even when the languid textures clear to the thump of the techno's proprietary grooves. Like an experienced DJ, the Goa-based artist layers his selections, elevating them from their standalone value. The ebb and flow between lulling ambient numbers and compelling rhythms begin to combine as distorted gritty kicks creep up from behind the aqueous pads and slow breaks of ULV's 'My Sofa Turns Into A Desert'. The influence of Goa's trance heritage is doesn't shy away as deep airy washes remain a near-constant part of the selections – before the mix slowly turns towards more zany and esoteric cuts for the final push for energy. More info: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20560-wild-city-232-innerworld
Whenever Chennai-born Brooklyn-based DJ-producer Krithi reaches for rhythms and sounds from her native land and the like, they fit into the mould of dance music as if they've always been a natural part of it rather than (as it often is) a forced gimmick of limited yield. Her achievement seems to go further on her upcoming EP 'Coping Mechanism' as she finds the style a vessel of personal narratives, calling the release a "sonic exploration of how she communes with the shadows of depression".Both the released singles from the EP 'Suppress' and 'Medicate' demonstrate that within Krithi's Wild City mix which features a heavy dose of original unreleased work and glimpses of the record that drops on January 15.Introduced through 140BPM techno, the mix quickly shifts to and operates in and around bass and breaks. A peppy start moves into sombre moods as a slightly slowed down 'Heist Track' by MALFNKTION staggers into Krithi's own work before a jubilant return with the standout moment of Yourboykiran's Bollywood flip 'Yamma Yamma'.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20494-wild-city-231-krithi
With the Magnetic Fields Festival taking over Alsisar this weekend for its 9th edition, New Delhi producer, DJ and Qilla Records co-founder Madhav Shorey aka Kohra and Thailand's globe-trotting polymath Sunju Hargun are revisiting their B2B set from last year. Performed at the Resident Advisor afterparty, a highlight for the dancefloor-dedicated with its music going from the late hours of the night to the earliest moments of the morning, the accumulated energy of the night and its transformation into the morning audible in the set. Acid's mind-bending textures give way to increasingly guttural techno, pulling heavily from its minimal repertoire. As the night sky begins to lighten, the emotions are guided by the wash of the pads for a more refreshing conclusion.For more: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20488-wild-city-230-kohra-b2b-sunju-hargun
Our Wild City Mix section is not just a reservoir of some sonic journeys from formidable selectors coming out of India and beyond but often also a place to familiarise oneself with some rising forces. Our latest edition comes in the latter category as it brings to the fore one of the country's meteorically rising acts: Kandy Kuri. With not much more than a year to her name, Kandy Kuri has found herself supporting the likes of Yung Singh and Lady Shaka alongside featuring on lineups of Bass Camp and Magnetic Fields Festival off the back of authenticity-focused selections across styles that she weaves together with a gentle gradualness – as brandished on her Wild City mix. The mix puts focus on textures evoked by the percussion within shades of breaks, garage and house while touching upon techno. Even as vocals come to the limelight with 'Fundamentals' by Worldcolour, they only serve to augment the atmosphere as a textural element, playing to the purpose of creating a whirring hypnotic mood.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20455-wild-city-229-kandy-kuri
Versatile but always uptempo, Farhan Rehman treads the joyous sound of house music on his Wild City mix.
The DJ-producer from Mumbai is able to tread a wide scope of genres with his reputation as one of the city's most experienced selectors. But on his hour-long mix, he keeps to the constant thump of four-to-the-floor kick drums as rousing vocals and instrumental runs take flight on top of it. Selecting tracks that are undercuts to the casual listener and classics to the house aficionados, Farhan's mix educates the listener of the infectiously celebratory essence of house music, fulfilling that classic, often-forgotten, and pivotal role of the DJ to be the informer of public taste.
For tracklisting and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20391-wild-city-228-farhan-rehman
One wouldn't usually place Indian artist's resurgent 80s hit 'Aaj Shanibaar' right next to works by British hip-hop group The Streets – but that is exactly what happens on Mumbai DJ-producer Himay's Wild City mix. The connecting thread is a no-frill embrace of house music in all its shade.
To present that, Himay kicks things off with his usual fare of acid house with an unreleased original work that testifies to a level of simplicity and focus that mostly only a seasoned artist can achieve. The mix builds upon the classic analogue sounds gradually till we are dealing with some modern masters like Eris Drew and Omar Souleyman before ending upon two of 2022's biggest dance music hits like Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal's 'B.O.T.A.' and Mella Dee's 'Love It Or Not' (ft. Infinite Coles).
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20339-wild-city-227-himay
With Amapiano, Gqom, house, techno, hip-hop, sprinkles of R&B and ending on some drum 'n' bass, DJ MoCity and Nash demonstrate what many DJs claim to feature but few achieve: bending genres to the point the definitions of styles cease to matter.
Remixes of Ice Spice and Jorja Smith are sandwiched between works by popular dance music names like Breaka, Nick Leon, Flowdan and Skrillex and several underdogs alike. Works by Indian forces SUCHI and Oceantied also make an appearance while the languidity of Batu's 'Marius' and the deviation from the western moulds with Mostafa Omar's 'Eleila Doob on Steroids' serve as examples of elements that add an ebb and flow to the fast-moving mix.
boxout.fm co-founder DJ MoCity and close dancefloor compatriot Nash find threads between varying works that only such seasoned selectors can – stitching them together and elevating them with their art to provide a masterclass on mixing.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20278-wild-city-226-dj-mocity-b2b-nash
Vedant Chandra aka Alboe recently released his new album 'Love Languages', which he marks for us with our latest Wild City mix.
Made of 7 original numbers, the mix highlights the underlying theme behind the New Delhi electronica producer's music, which he has introduced over the years and expounded upon with this new album. Pristine sonics borrowed from genres like future bass, melodic house and italo-disco are used uniquely with an Indian sense of melody before giving those duties to vocals spanning across languages. The result creates a dense melange of influences concurrent with his moniker which is an abbreviation of: "A Little Bit Of Everything".
"My personal taste in music is more melodic and story-like and I try to imbibe the same in the music I compose," says Vedant about the inspiration behind his music. "I have taken a lot of inspiration from artists like Jungle, Daft Punk and even A. R. Rahman in the manner with which they approach compositions. To me, their songs seem like one cohesive unit where they are unafraid to experiment with various sounds to complete their desired vision. I try to embody the same."
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20238-wild-city-225-alboe
A mainstay of the dance music in India, Pramod Sippy aka Sindhi Curry is one of the most seasoned commanders of the dancefloor in the country. For our latest mix, the DJ marks signing up with the agency Maushi by running through the several stylistic excursions he has tried over the years to engage with a musical atmosphere he hasn't explicitly offered to the public ear before.With the special mix entitled 'Garage & House Origins', Sindhi Curry steps away from his usual genre-unrestricted fare of circling the moodier grounds of disco and techno. He dives into his vaults for a sense of old-school house and garage without necessarily choosing classic cuts – but rather, picking up selections that serve as either example of that era or a love letter to its no-nonsense fun.Taking off from the black music flavours of Korda's 'Move Your Body(To The Sound)' that reminds of the early vocal-based house music, you don't notice when Sindhi Curry transforms the atmosphere completely by the time Krautrock-reminiscent 'World Rebellion Plan' by Westbam makes an appearance midway. Tying it all is an upbeat energy suitable for reinvigorating a laidback summer afternoon.
Our latest Wild City mix comes from Durban's quintessential Gqom icon DJ Lag who uses it to commemorate his first tour across India in February as part of Ultra SoulFlyp.Born in Clermont, Lwazi Asanda Gwala aka DJ Lag is regarded as one of the earliest artists to popularise the thumping visceral sound of Gqom, a genre born out of South African variations of house music, across the peninsula and then to the world. With early works uniquely released over WhatsApp to get youth across the nation to dance to them, Lag counts collaborations with the likes of Beyonce among his career highlights besides being a genre pioneer and a flagbearer of the sounds coming out of South Africa. His Wild City carries the same qualities that define him as a producer: hard-hitting with an impeccable sense of building tension before a gratifying release all through an intricate control of the low-end. With tracks ranging from his own collaborations and his contemporaries, the mix highlights an emergent version of gqom which subtly shares influences with genres like amapiano.For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20155-wild-city-223-dj-lag
Lush Lata's Wild City mix moves from thumping kicks-backed Sarod meanderings of 'Maharaj Trio and Nickodemus' to the booming hip-hop beat of 'Go Again' by A-STAR to cuts by Overomono, SBTRKT, Romare, Breaka and Fred Again alongside works by homegrown talents like Oceantied, Potter and Stain, while also slipping in Udit Narayan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Swarnalatha and Karsh Kale. With 40 tracks in less than an hour, the New Delhi selector's mixing moves quickly just like her trajectory as an artist.Starting as a member of the femme collective Coven Code and a staple figure of boxout.fm, Lush Lata has built her work over an embrace for Bollywood and the grooves most Indian kids grow up around while connecting it to her deep love for hip-hop and bass. The individual voice recently led her to be featured at Berlin's CTM Festival this year with a talk, DJ-ing workshop and a performance at the Panorama Bar of the dance music's most iconic club The Berghain."I am way more open to new sounds and musical experiences than before. Also, they love what's going on in India right now," says Lush Lata, recounting her time in Berlin which she also does by ending her mix with Shy FX and T-Power's 'Shake Ur Body (feat. D.I.)', a track that she describes as "the tune that took my night at Berghain to another level when I heard it on the dancefloor in DJ Voilet's set at CTM festival."For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20112-wild-city-222-lush-lata
With selections from James Blake, Jamie xx, Four Tet, Thom Yorke, some lesser-known cuts by the likes of Loma and sir Was, and his original works, Curtain Blue leverages how his Wild City mix will likely be enjoyed. The mix weaves its journey around emotions instead of energy for a narrative seeped in sombreness and sensuality. A particular defining moment comes with New Delhi producer's own track 'Sunkissed' leading one into the introspection of 'Her Revolution' by Burial, Four Tet and Thom Yorke echoing distantly alongside sitar loops before the follow-up jolts you awake. Sandwiching between such famously effective numbers, Curtain Blue aka Abhishek Bhatia places his own work like the collaborative track 'Birds and Bees' with Komorebi, which recently received an extended music video in collaboration with Indian fashion powerhouse Satya Paul, and also of his contemporaries like Frame/Frame to pivot towards a triumphant uptempo finish. For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20050-wild-city-221-curtain-blue
Whether collaborating with traditional Indian musicians or flipping Bollywood cuts, Shantanu Gursal aka kSaya's musical home is the frantic rhythm of the breakbeat – as he works as an Asian Underground revivalist over the past 2 years. It is no surprise then that the Mumbai act's Wild City mix comes replete with a near-constant underpinning of the iconic beat and its variations.The selections remain far from the heavy onslaught of breakbeats' pacier sub-genres, instead embracing the pristine atmosphere of styles like slow garage and the more modern anthemic dance music takes by the likes of Bicep. The ethereal atmosphere remains the true defining feature of the mix as it opens up rhythmically with selections like Terry Da Libra's 'U' and 'Early Hours' by Fløa & Furcloud before plunging back into the grooves that kicked things off – this time emerging out of the focus on reverberating pads to lead with the emotionally direct vocals on a mix of 'My Stripes' by Marsh.For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/20024-wild-city-220-ksaya
At the outset, Mohit Tyagi aka Mocid is firmly rooted in the conventions of hard-hitting techno. That even includes the genre's association with retrofuturism and obsession with the extraterrestrial, as he attaches the moniker's artistic vision to that of a "space traveller exploring the Universe, searching for intelligent beings and establishing the first contact with them through rhythmic sound vibrations."
A closer listen to his latest release 'Bioterror' unpacks layers more unique to the New Delhi DJ and producer – whether it is the juxtaposition of spacious soundscapes and pulsating low-end on 'Voodoo', the near-descent into noise on 'Poltergeist' and, most notably, the standout title track which lifts off from the genre with the tribal drums and engulfing pads that combine to form a journey that's led by its textures as it is by its dancefloor rhythms.
Marking the release with a Wild City mix, Mocid details the influences that inform such qualities with his selection going from multiple tracks by Mekromic, through even Indian talents such as Audio Units before culminating the relentless ride with Matrixmann.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19998-wild-city-219-mocid
What connects experimental composer John Cage, Michael Jackson, the pop-punk group Paramore, blues legend Buddy Guy and an electronic producer like Floating Points?
They all figure into the plethora of influences and listening palette of Parekh & Singh, which they highlight with our latest Wild City mix.
The Kolkata duo of Nischay Parekh and Jivraj Singh, who stand as modern royalties in India's indie music at this point, recently released their third album 'The Night is Clear' – bringing to the forefront the same whimsical sense of lyrical melodies that ushered their meteoric rise but with an enhanced palette of sonic colours. Parekh & Singh firmly uphold the defining relatable heart-touching songwriting in the centre and dial-up the experimentation in the backdrop without encroaching the centerstage. Strings akin to The Eagles' cut on the mix pervade most of the 9-track album while the arpeggiation on 'Seven Days' and the bursts of pitched percussion on 'The Nightingale' hint at the electronica influences.
With such a varied selection of styles, the consistency of the mix is in its ability to surprise with drastic turns. It really is what one would expect to hear at an intimate gathering at the metaphorical common house of Parekh & Singh with the records getting cued according to the lively conversation about all the music that make a person.
For more information and tracklist: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19985-wild-city-218-parekh-singh
In a recent interview with Mixmag Asia about her debut EP 'Young Hate' and its just-released lead single 'Stonefruit', Sijya laid down the following as her artistic agenda: "It’s a bit rebellious I’d say. I think it fights the notion that there are certain ‘correct’ paths to reaching a certain level of knowledge or making."
Carrying out that rebellion against the run-of-the-mill on the back of an intuition-led meticulousness, the New Delhi composer, producer and visual artist has begun to unveil her abstract take on art-pop and downtempo with the single release, which she marks for us with her Wild City mix.
The penchant for doing things differently pervades the curation and mixing as she uses the selections to celebrate Accidental Records, the home of her debut EP. Forgoing the commonplace approach of building things up gradually, the mix kicks off with a near-abrupt heavy rhythmic onslaught to firmly demand attention before finally clearing into captivating simplicity to provide a moment of sublime rhythmic relief with Dominic Voz's 'Right To The City I'. Sampled components of different tracks on the mix are re-arranged like a musical collage to manoeuvre through drastic dips and climbs of energy levels, as Sijya ventures into heavily distorted grounds and back while showcasing the uniqueness of her labelmates with works from the likes of Micachu, Crewdson, Mica Levi and ultimately, label-boss and British musical royalty, Matthew Herbert.
For more information and tracklist: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19961-wild-city-217-sijya
Ever since Bangalore's Eashwar Subramanian started supplementing his white-collar professional life by putting out music nearly 5 years ago, he has done so relentlessly. A regular fixture in the country's ambient music landscape, Eashwar's work sets itself apart from the rest in the genre by creating placating dissipative soundscapes primarily through minimal melodies than abstract textures – naturally borrowing from the cinematic and new age.
Initially putting out the work at a staggering pace primarily over SoundCloud, the composer-producer has lately started to consolidate his work with distinct EPs and albums, each featuring a minute but noticeable growth or experiment into the new.
For his Wild City mix, Eashwar gives a snapshot of that journey as he curates an all-originals set that connects music all the way from his 2018's 'Ambient Hamlet' with the just-released 'String Theory' – his latest 5-track EP which sees his melodic motifs dissipate between percussive beds of plucked strings (on 'Fireflies'), pitched mallets (on the standout 'Mountainsong') or reversing samples of ethnic strings (on 'Turkish Wedding').
Consequently, the mix highlights the different ways Subramanian can offer pacification and invite introspection whether with simple piano melodies, like on 'Verdant Nature' from 'Polar Drift', or, in a rare instance, by actually choosing to paint with abstract texture, like on 'Expanse' from the latest EP 'String Theory'.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19944-wild-city-216-eashwar-subramanian
For almost a year now, M.A.P // A.M.P has explored the intersection of activism and music in South Asia with a variety of platforms, from performance and pirate radio to documentary films and podcasts. One of the biggest efforts from the Goethe-Institut-led multi-pronged project has been its crowdsourced library which presents a repository of socio-political from around the world, spanning several hours' worth of music.
M.A.P // A.M.P gives a glimpse of the library's far-reaching span with our latest Wild City mix.
The mix goes from shades of folk music to hip-hop and rock, juxtaposing a myriad of languages and themes. Much like M.A.P // A.M.P's other efforts, especially the documentary series 'Awaaz', it highlights the parallels between voices demanding their right and justice, and the common device of art for people speaking truth to power – irrespective of how different those truths and those powers may be.
For tracklist and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19916-wild-city-215-m-a-p-a-m-p
Aashish Gupta aka AAGUU, better known for his work as one-half of the duo TechNomads while erstwhile remixing Indian cinema undercuts, curates a love letter to the formative days of house and techno on his Wild City mix.
Assembling deep cuts and familiar sounds from primarily the early 90s, the Bangalore artist taps into the nostalgia for the joyous glossy strands of the two adjacent genres – hovering closer to their Italo-disco roots. High synthetic string lines, plastic-y melodic percussion, sensual vocal samples and flute sounds created in the early days of MIDI instruments take one on a trip down memory (whether lived or imagined) lane, punctuating it just occasionally with the more sombre acid house cuts. Even while throwing in more modern numbers like Ewan McVicar's 'Amnocairn', the connection to the classic evergreen sounds remains with its snappy house piano.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19850-wild-city-214-aaguu
Earlier this year, the Twitter electronic music world chortled around a "Two Guy Theory", which is centred around the observation: "From Bicep to Overmono to Two Shell, the trend of two fellas coming up with elaborate excuses to hang out a lot has been picking up recently. Guys can't just be mates anymore, there has to be a catchy and fresh take on underground dance music involved."
Towards the Indian sub-continent, two of the latest purveyors of that theory are Ishaan Gandhi aka Okedo and Rohan Sinha aka Dolorblind. The two music acts, who are likely familiar to anyone with an ear tuned to the electronica talent of New Delhi, have recently joined forces to create an amalgamation of their monikers with Okedolo.
The story goes that the pair had initially met in childhood through their parents' attempts to get their introverted kids to make friends within the neighbourhood. After growing apart and becoming recognised members of the Indian independent music scenes as visual artists, instrumentalists, record engineers and musicians in their own right, Ishaan and Rohan reunited nearly two decades later at a gig. The pair found themselves sitting next to each other, unbeknownst that they were once childhood friends, and grumbling about the wider industry before discovering their shared past.
Building upon their rediscovered camaraderie and encouraged by the anti-isolation instincts many of us experienced after the COVID-19 pandemic's lockdowns, the two musicians started collaborating to play around with music they wouldn't otherwise do. "When we first started making music, we realised our approach to music making was on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet we found ourselves really liking each other’s music (& taste in music), we knew we had to dig deeper, says Ishaan, to which Rohan adds: "Our one and only goal was to make music that's enjoyable to make. We are not confined to any genres but we do absorb the influences of our current surroundings."
While the act is yet to disclose much about the resultant work to the wider public, early previews indicate bringing together Okedo's penchant for layered percussive production and Dolorblind's affinity for booming basslines and textured synthetic ambiences in entirely new contexts. Reflecting upon the sounds that informed it, Okedolo have curated the latest Wild City Mix which, even though touches upon various sub-genres of dance music, doesn't present itself as a dance mix. Hudson Mohawke's zany arpeggios creep up behind Hikaru Utadu's uptempo drama while a standout number by Burt Cope punctuates selections of drum 'n' bass and techno that completely disregard any technical common ground as long as they share the common emotional plain.
For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19819-wild-city-213-okedolo
Few sets invite one into a trance as quickly as Deep Brown's Wild City mix, which instantly whirrs you in with the arpeggios of Nathan Melja's 'Back And Forth'.
A long-standing DJ originally from Kolkata, Ankur Kedia aka Deep Brown gradually lets the arpeggios dissipate into textures focused on percussive numbers and bass melodies tailored for the dancefloor with the techno and house set. Within the incessant thump of the genre that never overbears and never lets down the energy, the selection traverses a range of styles, riding waves of pristine productions to the raw retro energy like the deep cut remix by DJ Smeagzy of Andy Kas' 'Funky Roadway', a particular highlight in the sonic journey.
For more information and tracklist: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19643-wild-city-212-deep-brown
Few in the country have embraced the canon built upon the quick energetic hits of the breakbeat as closely as Smokey, whose hold on the sub-culture has seen her connect the underground deep cuts with popular tastes on stages of increasing magnitude.
The Mumbai-based DJ brings a specific modern pop sentimentality-soaked colour of the genre to her Wild City mix.
With soft-centred lyrical tunes, Smokey sets apart her selections from the majority of our Mixes before recontextualising it back for the dancefloor with her staple breakneck rhythms. Riding the high energy of the drum breaks, the mix keeps the intensity steady and carries the ebb and flow by shifting the limelight from vocals, to basslines to chopped up synths and often the minimal elements of drum 'n' bass – interjecting with a breather each time the risk of stagnancy appears on the horizon.
For more information and tracklist: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19554-wild-city-211-smokey
In the progressive, tech and deep house-dominated nightlife of Sri Lanka, Sunara Jay stands out by instead choosing to explore around the genres of glitch-hop, hip-hop, funk and nu-jazz. Consequently, the DJ and visual artist has been counted upon to represent the island's alternative underground culture with shows in Norway, UK, Germany, Pakistan and India.
With a practice of spanning over a decade of spinning tracks to different types of audiences, Sunara knows well to use the console as an instrument and how a set can elevate a track beyond its standalone value – as she does on her Wild City mix.
Venturing into assortments of glitch over the steady rhythm of house music, the selections are consistently sparse and spacious, assuming an ambient nature even with their softly thumping energy as you settle into the experience. The mercurial basslines keep one hooked while the off-kilter elements feel nothing short of a musical dream, which Sunara plays to by throwing in echoes and other time-based manipulations every once in a while. It's a trip that leaves you relaxed than tired.
More info: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19517-wild-city-210-sunara
Based out of Delhi, Antariksh Records has quietly but strongly left footprints in the global landscape of underground dance music over the years – releasing left-of-centre techno, break, acid house and electro tracks that have found their way onto dancefloors around the world while championing homegrown talents like Marbman, Fr4ctal, Planet Meta and Sepoys.
The leftfield approach to dance music gets underlined as the imprint stitches together its repertoire and inspirations with a label mix for Wild City.
Peppered generously with four-on-the-floor cues of Marbman's analog rhythms, Sentient's acid screeches and deeper synth runs of Russian producer Nightdrive and label-head Anandit Sachdev aka AarAv's electro excursions, the set finds its highlights in the extremes of Antariksh Records' timelines – the dreaminess of Egyptian act Wahba's 'Nazra' from the label's first VA compilation and the dense 'Calculated Thoughts' by Mutable Mercury, an artist the label seeks to work with in the future.
For tracklist and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19475-wild-city-209-antariksh-records
Mumbai-based Udai Sharma aka Maddeof manages to pick up the genre of lo-fi house and dust its mess off to contextualize it perfectly for the COVID-19 lockdowns, using the time when the dancefloors were shut to redefine his sound and utilising the style to offer some of the most effective releases of the period which offered familiar rhythms but with more laidback moods befitting to the new and constrained listening habits. The producer, DJ and audio engineer however doesn't primarily stick to his now characteristic style for this Wild City Mix, jumping instead between different guises of house music.
After slipping through some more hard-hitting classic sounds from the more iconic numbers like Paco Osuna's remix of Phuture's 'Acid Track' and rarer cuts picked from the crevices of the web, Maddeof begins to slip into moodier selections post the flamboyant zaniness of Simon Mattson's 'Thug Life'. A tinge of the lo-fi appears with the atmospheric samples on 'Rowdy Boy' by Enzu Leep and Medu, but soon enough the mix shifts to the gospel-inspired disco house of Javi Alvadi & THC – never staying in space for too long, flowing instead with a sole focus on the core energy of house music.
For tracklist and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/19170-wild-city-208-maddeof
Electronic act KillZen construct their Wild City mix with only original and unreleased work to introduce their body of work in a free-flowing journey. The duo of Abhishek Chaturvedi and Anannya Gupta musically embody a musical duality in their work, even naming themselves after it. They signify the intense, raging, compulsive and club-friendly part of themselves as 'Kill', and on the other side of the coin put their immersive, placating and introspective work, referred by the 'Zen'.
Their nearly 40-minute-long mix for Wild City details how the two seemingly contrasting and opposite sides connect with each other to maintain an ebb and flow of hard-hitting drums and basic but emotively relaxing synth textures. KillZen doesn't just use the mix to introduce their work, but use their work to tie together a fluid sonic journey similar to flowing downriver, sometimes immersed in a calming silence and other times privy to the thrashing of the flow.
For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18658-wild-city-207-killzen
Starting as a radio show and a continual chain of song edits by DJ-producer Stalvart John, Dynamite Disco Club has since evolved into event curators championing artists which, as their name suggests, specialise in a motley of disco styles with heavy inclusion of house. The growing collective has an unfailing ability to create a musical oasis at festivals and club nights with curation that focuses solely on providing pure dancefloor fun. A Dynamite Disco Club event sticks closely to the ethos of a dance party in its truest and original sense, throwing in selections of some of the best edits of time and geography traversing unmissable undercuts interluded by the surprise of better-known hits while exhibiting a timeless sense that is free from the concerns of ongoing trends or mixing vanity.
Expanding even further, the multi-hyphenate brand has just started a label arm – carrying over its ethos to provide a platform for original music, the first of which arrives in the form of 'Disco Lives' by Italian act Babert.
Dynamite Disco Club spearheader Stalvart John has created a mix for Wild City, highlighting the influences that dictate the curation of the label and some of its unreleased material. Uncharacteristically and yet delightfully, the mix meanders through a confluence of acid and leftfield for a short while before the relentless thump of the four on the floor kick drums kick in to usher a parade of funky guitars, dramatic string lines and frenzied percussions – some of the defining elements of disco and the edges where it flows into house.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18605-wild-city-206-dynamite-disco-club
Whether at a late-night slot at a club in South Delhi or a sunny pool-side party, Vijayant Singh as GIRLS NIGHT OUT always cues his selections with a natural sense of the occasion and the energy of his audience, always rendering sweating it out on the dance floor an effortless and compulsive experience.
While the ongoing pandemic has kept the local dancefloors empty for most parts, the half-lawyer half-DJ transports the listeners energetically to the clubs with his Wild City mix, adding an extra sense of nostalgia with classic club sounds delivered through surprising and revelatory selections.
The mix maintains Vijayant’s intrinsic dynamism inviting the listener in quickly yet smoothly with the subdued bass phrases of Robert Leiner’s ‘Aqua Viva’, then turning up its guttural factor through thumping kick drums and later some breakbeats before diving headlong into house and its surrounding strands of dance music. Keeping a finger on the pulse of his audience, Vijayant lets the listener cool down every once in a while with the trippy sensuousness of tracks like Dream 2 Science’s ‘My Love Turns To Liquid’ and Hawke’s ‘3 Nudes In A Purple Garden’ before resuming the exciting frenzy that defines a GIRLS NIGHT OUT mix.
For tracklist and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18583-wild-city-205-girls-night-out
boxout.fm-regular Jaskaran Rana aka Sleepy Insomniac is known to take to the internet radio every month for his show ‘Lucid Dreams’, inviting the listeners into a psychedelic trip through guises of dance music. The New Delhi-based selector attempts the same on his Wild City mix, kicking things off with the abstract textures of Australian and Canadian electronica forces Roza Terenzi and D. Tiffany with their recent track ‘Melting Ladies’.
The mix latches on to the intensifying assault of percussions as they reach the frenzy of breaks on Adam Pits’ ‘Variation 2’, before the pulsating basslines of acid and inspired genres begin to take charge onwards from ‘2 The Dawn’ by Eoin DJ. While mid-way, Russian act Maruwa’s ‘Mercurial Edge’ offers a brief respite from the engulfing energy of the previous selections, Jaskaran begins the crescendo of intensity yet again, consolidating his most disjointed selections for the listeners who brave to stay on till the end.
Consequently, Jaskaran’s Wild City mix is a rollercoaster of dance music’s undercuts and fresh takes by popular acts, peaking and trailing to exciting heights of intensity and passing through different styles without losing its focus.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18424-wild-city-204-sleepy-insomniac
As we try to differentiate our mix curation with the inclusion of our first mix from a label instead of it being representative of a single individual, none felt as unique in that sub-category as Amarrass Records.
Started by Ankur Malhotra and Ashutosh Sharma in 2009, the label, management, booking and vinyl pressing agency stood apart from most of the music industry, which was looking at the West-imported strands of music modern Indian culture, by turning its focus towards the 21st-century face of India’s traditional arts that had been pushed further into the fringes.
Highlighting that very face in all its variety, the label has stitched together works from its artists and events for their Wild City mix.
The selections make the case that even the traditional arts aren’t without modern adventures as Amarrass’ early signing the late Padma Shri award-winner Kamaicha-player Sakar Khan conjures a wall of lute’s screeching, reminiscent of Steve Reich with ‘Train No. 2’. The contemporary re-contextualisation of folk arts continues through artists like Barmer Boys, one of the label’s most popular offering, meanders through the placating Malian kora-playing with works by Vieux Farka Tourè and Madou Sidiki Diabatè before offering some of the folk music in its most puristic shades. From the latter, the prowess of Lakha Khan, the recent Padma Shri winner and one of the last Sindhi Sarangi players, and Rehmat-e-Nusrat cut through. Bringing the colourful journey to a conclusion, Ravana’s dub backdrop sneaks in behind the hyperlocal spoken-word style of Jumme Khan, from their collaborative album ‘Dubfounded’ before a final flourish with the legendary Charanjit Singh, the Indian pioneer whose ‘10 Ragas To A Disco Beat’ is now celebrated as the first acid-house album.
For tracklist and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18365-wild-city-203-amarrass-records
Aalhad Joshi aka Marbman makes a case for taking dance music to the energy of its early roots when the genre wasn’t replete with as much explicit seriousness, but he does so with modern selections on his Wild City mix. Holding onto a penchant of fun-filled vocal refrains – as he does on his productions, the most recent of which ‘Class’ released on the Portuguese label No, She Doesn’t – the Mumbai-based producer ties together works of the likes of Four Tet, Cignol, Ilana Byrne, L Major and Admo, dipping in and out of a house-based selection to stay rhythmically dynamic.
A third way in, Joshi drops the vocal refrains in favour of more atmospheric numbers, immersing the listener in distant textures while the pulsating drums keep intimate company before returning into the mix’s formative mood with DJ Gigolo and Kev Koko’s trance/electro number ‘Papi’ – all the while maintaining a leisurely mood without relenting the tempo or intensity.
For more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18278-wild-city-202-marbman
Among the many styles of DJs, some selectors rely on the quality of their selections to create the mood while others make the case of how mixing equates with performances by “traditional” instrumentalists – where entire sets come together cohesively akin to a single song, constructed with a zoomed-out vision by meticulously combining isolated, sometimes morphed, phrases and sections like individual musical notes. Anhad Khanna makes a similar case with his Wild City mix as his new moniker Sublime Sound, which he debuted recently with the EP ‘Final Call’.
Take for instance, how a repeated phrase from Boyard’s ‘Interstellar Express’ merely interludes the transition from Wayward’s ‘Back To The Old Days’ and Baby Rollen’s ‘Swimming with Dolphins’, never fully coming through itself but only adding as a part of the sum to create an entirely new composition which utilises the three tracks. Khanna doesn’t just stitch together selections but creates a performance out of his mix, sometimes using the squelching arpeggios as the connecting thread, sometimes the resounding kick drum, and other times latching on to a found phrase from evolving hi-hat parts. Moving from Desert Son Colony’s remix of Third Son to his own original number ‘ID’, the narrative of the mix is driven purely by the engulfing texture and its evaporation to reveal thumping rhythms.
There’s almost a technical meticulousness that pervades the mix by Khanna, an artist who has worked as a record engineer and producer with artists across Indian indie music landscape while himself presenting more contemporary excursions as part of Anhad + Tanner. With Sublime Sound, the New Delhi-based talent ventures into more adventurous explorations of electronic music, reflected by the relentless and sometimes jarring (at least, for the uninitiated) dance tracks of his high-octane Wild City mix.
For more information and tracklisting: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18219-wild-city-201-sublime-sound
As we reached the milestone of hosting our 200th mix, few artists felt as befitting as Discostan.
The outfit started as a personal endeavour of Hyderabad-born and Los Angeles-based Arshia Haq, who was inspired by her own decentralised idea of a “homeland” as a modern-day immigrant in a globalised world, to carve a unique space on the dancefloor for a consolidated decolonised musical identity of South Asian, West Asia and North Africa uniting it with all its shared sense of heritage, trauma, struggle and achievement. Transforming soon into a collective and later also into a label, with Jeremy Loudenback joining Haq at the helm, Discostan turned into a space for community-building among the brown diaspora and a go-to for radio shows and platforms to highlight and discover the canon of disco often overlooked by western lenses.
Imagining the “past, present, and future soundtracks from Beirut to Bangkok via Bombay” the collective and label offers a counter approach to the colonial-mindset curation that birthed blanket categories like “world music”. Haq and Loudenback don’t dig deep in vinyl crates but cultures, having a dialogue with local voices of the regions they find their records (and sometimes even field records) from, to evoke sounds from collective memory.
Curating with the same approach for Wild City’s 200th mix, the pair embraces the past disco sounds from Asia and Africa, with works from the likes of Nermin Niazi and Sohail Rana, and highlight its musical bloodline as it flows through forward-thinking present-day artists like Ammar 808 and Deena Abdelwahed. Most importantly, Discostan doesn’t focus on educating you but simply celebrating the music they resonate with personally and inviting you to join the celebration.
For tracklist and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18134-wild-city-200-discostan
Few individuals can be ascribed the descriptor “musical polymath” as justifiably as Natasha Noorani. A singer-songwriter, playback singer, producer, voiceover artist and ethnomusicologist, the Lahore-born artist felt perfect for our 199th mix when we found ourselves enjoying her collaborative NTS Mix with Discostaan where she displayed her musicality as ‘Peshkash’, her project through which she is highlighting and archiving sound art and oral narratives of 20th century Pakistan.
However, it is the country’s indie scene which Natasha is synonymous with – fully ingrained in its legacy as the co-founder of Lahore Music Meet, the annual event which not only saves space for Pakistan’s alternative music but has a reputation for bringing to limelight some of its budding members. Natasha carries the same approach to her Wild City mix, highlighting the canon of the country’s predominantly-independent music.
Latching herself to that theme, she gives regard to the style of her selections only in the aspect of making sure it’s varied. Electro-pop, folk-pop, traditional, singer-songwriter, hip-hop and techno – there’s a striking amount of genres packed into the mix, tied together as a cohesive unit by the thread of Natasha’s singular taste as a seasoned curator. True to its purpose, the mix serves to introduce us to a fresh crop of Pakistan’s talent as it’s likely to do for most of its listeners.
For more information and tracklist with information to give context to each selection, head here: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18097-wild-city-199-natasha-noorani
Over his 5 years in Bath, primarily as a student, Saumya Masrani, who chose his last name as his moniker, involved himself in his immediate British electronic music scene, becoming the resident DJ for local promoters Origin Sounds. Subsequently, the Mumbai-born UK-based talent found the opportunity to open for the likes of Scuba, Or:la and DJ Stingray as JUKEBOXX, and later followed the trail to his hometown with support slots for Cinnaman and Lilly Palmer.
All the nights of partying seeped into his work as a DJ and earlier this year he showcased the same as a producer with the release of his dark dance track ‘Growling Hunter’. Bringing the same musical knowledge rooted in the British-scene to his Wild City mix, Masrani starts at the disjointed fringes of house and techno and quickly edges into leftfield bass and jungle.
There is a pre-headline slot sensibility to the selections which balance atmosphere, with the likes of rRoxymore and Kosh, against energy, through numbers by Cain and Bolam. The presence of tribal and hip-hop inflexions keeps the palette varied and the interest intact while the intensity of a full-blown simmers under the surface of the mix.
For tracklisting and more information: https://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/18037-wild-city-198-masrani
Punjab and Manipur-origin North Londoner Nayana IZ’s (pronounced “eyes”, after her first name which means in eyes in Hindi) trajectory as a solo artist has been nothing short of meteoric. Releasing her debut single ‘how we do’ just at the turn of the year, the rapper, model and multi-instrumentalist dropped a steady drip of singles running up to her EP ‘Smoke & Fly’ and has already found her verses resounded within campaigns for Adidas and soundtrack for FIFA 2021. The driving force behind it all has been the one fresh unique spice that she adds to her deep-seated love for hip-hop.
Take for instance, the off-kilter psychedelic breakdown that punctuates the spitfire verses of ‘how we do’ or her Wild City mix which traces a wide variety of modern hip-hop before diverging into its offshoot dance styles and then bringing it back.
Brushing by Nigerian artist Odunsi’s track ‘Body Count’, Nayana explores the sonics of the likes of Freddie Gibbs and Lupe Fiasco before bringing the mix to her current base, throwing works like a morphed grime track by Blay Vision and the pumping hip-hop of Biig Piig, Nayana’s collective-mate at Nine 8. The second half of the mix ventures out into hints of breakbeat, indie guitar works of Vassers’ ‘Valerians’ and the dancefloor rhythms of Wilfred Giroux’s ‘Stronger’ before concluding it all with her track ‘Woz’. The complete journey offers a great attempt of offering a comprehensive view of hip-hop as it stands right now without relying too much on the obvious player but rather the envelope-pushing non-radicals. Without ever leaving the draw of the genre, Nayana keeps things interesting by gradually evolving the sonics before cleansing the palette with something totally unexpected.
For tracklist and more information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17986-wild-city-197-nayana-iz
There’s a lot of emotive ground and dynamic range one can cover behind the four-on-the-floor beat of techno. From the more spatial inward journeys of minimal techno born out of YMCAs and church halls of Detroit, to its more hedonistic raw takes morphed within the gigantic confines of warehouses and derelict industrial buildings in Europe – these are merely two distinct points in a multi-dimensional genre.
Shaun Moses finds his footing in the latter, gripping on to the visceral nature of it even further with his new stripped-down moniker Moses, the debut EP of which, entitled ‘The End Of The Tunnel’, he dropped last month.
The Goa-based DJ and producer uses the EP closer to set the tone for his Wild City mix, which largely forgoes any dynamism of drops and breaks for some high-octane relentless listening. The contrast instead comes from how that sedulous energy is delivered, as Moses transfers it from the rhythmic pageant of Stef Mendesides’ ‘The Secret Agent’s Blunder’ to the ethereal futuristic pads of V.i.L.’s ‘Cargo’. The journey maintains its ebb and flow by sometimes surrounding your senses and other times leaving you intimately up close with the guttural kick drum, most starkly demonstrated in the contrast between the closing two tracks ‘Encapsulate’, from homegrown mercurial techno act dotdat’s debut EP ‘Subtrap’, and prolific Spanish DJ and producer Oscar Mulero’s ‘Carousel’.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17874-wild-city-196-moses
There is no shortage of producers flipping Bollywood-samples, though a good few of them treat the practice as a gimmick or novelty. Anthony Daniel aka November Rose on the other hand does it out of pure and sincere love for the fun and unique flavour in classic Bollywood soundtracks. It is that fun-factor which the Atlanta-based DJ and producer captures on his Wild City mix.
Born in Pontiac, Michigan and raised in metro-Detroit, Daniel grew up around the region’s vibrant dance culture, social movements and immigrant communities, developing a special love for funk. Following those strands, Daniel started exploring the musical elements from diaspora of colour in his work, tracing a natural cohesion shared among ethinc groups till he earned himself the label “cultural electronic music producer”. Highlighting the same, November Rose connects the funk beats of Doctor Dru and the four-on-the-floor works from the likes of Detroit Swindle and Leatherette, to the afro house tracks by Black Motion and Juls & Sango and the concluding flips of music from Bollywood films like Devdas (2002) off of his recently released record ‘Desi Spice Vol. II’.
While recognition will ultimately make the Indian film music in the mix jump out to anyone familiar with the country’s cinema, the hour-long set gloriously creates a cohesive journey even as it traverses geographic roots and musical styles, all the while generously flavoured by Daniel’s romantic relation with dance music.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17826-wild-city-195-november-rose
Not a lot of mixes can leave a lump in your throat – less so, within a minute of them. Enter Derain’s mix for Wild City, which picks at fresh wounds of our collective consciousness with the opening echoes of Aamir Aziz’s poem ‘Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega’. The quintessential verses gained their importance through the poignancy with which they encapsulate all the emotions and tragedies surrounding protests against the discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act and the unjust retaliation they received which shook the nation at the start of the year. Derain adds just enough spacious harmony to augment that poignancy and remind us with great impact that justice is still missing and the perpetrators of injustice are yet to answer for their actions.
How then would you follow an opening like this with music? Fortunately, Derain’s own music carries just enough ambient chaos to respectfully carry Aziz’s anguish forward, disintegrating the verses into their abstract emotions and mood which he then connects all the way to New Zealand teen Takunda Muzondiwa’s speech ‘Dear Racism’.
Ankit Chugh, the producer and the co-founder of New Delhi-based label and management TAABIIR, donned the moniker Derain to put an end to his ever-profound explorations as Cubewano, Talk In Math and Karv. Throughout his journey as an artist, Chugh has never lost the ability to cue the listener for introspection into darker corners of our beings.
With his Wild City mix, Derain makes us sit with our recent memories of paralysing pain and empathy, while offering catharsis to bear it with by recontextualizing numbers by the likes of Nicholas Jaar, Kareem Lotfy, New Delhi-based artist FILM and lesser-known gems like Imka, and makes them fit the solemn mood of the mix.
For tracklist and more information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17679-wild-city-194-derain
With his formative experience as a session bass player, Mumbai-based Nathan Thomas has shown a great understanding of the pocket of a beat even in his electronic productions as NATE08 – offering the leisurely draw of Dilla beats in his lo-fi hip-hop and RnB-rooted works. On his Wild City mix however, the young talent donns an entirely different oomph altogether, laying down the soundtrack for a beer-garden summer weekend with disco-rooted modern retro, jazz and afro house numbers.
NATE08’s penchant for rich rhythms doesn’t escape him. Anchored almost entirely with a four-on-the-floor kick, the mix lays over it a rich parade of claves and syncopations. Further decorated by adventurous horn lines and organ solos, the mix serves as a time capsule, connecting the listener to the roots of funk and disco as effectively any classic hits in the genre would.
For tracklist and more information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17614-wild-city-193-nate08
Anyone who has caught the enigmatic Babloo Babylon live has beared witness to the anonymous producer and DJ’s knack for interspersing film dialogues between climatic oomph of Bollywood edits in his DJ sets to bring the spirit of 70s and 80s’ noirs to the dancefloor. Behind the decks, Babloo is a storyteller with a unique voice, which compensates for his hidden identity.
Recognising and utilising the difference in context between mixing for a live event and curating a mix for an online platform like ours, Babloo changes his approach on his Wild City mix to get more candid and just share a playlist of film classics he loves.
The penchant for scrupulous structuring doesn’t entirely escape him though. Borrowing segments of varying length from the works of the likes of Usha Uthup, Asha Bhosle, Ilayaraja, RD Burman and Bappi Lahiri, Babloo’s mix is a demonstration of the colourfulness of Indian film music and an exercise in revamping the flow of its titles. For instance, the spoken word intro of Bappi Lahiri, Vijay Benedict and Alisha Chinoy’s ‘Zindagi Meri Dance’ (the only modern exception in the track list) breaks out into a raucous drum solo instead of a steady disco rhythm like in its original form. Building familiarity in the listener’s mind by curating known-numbers and then subverting all expectations by introducing a surprising element is what makes Babloo Babylon’s Wild City mix an exciting way of rediscovering classics.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17478-wild-city-192-babloo-babylon
After years of collaborative output with Vir RC as part of the burgeoning electronic duo Vridian, Siddhant Jain ventured out last year into his solo project ELM – naming the act after the gigantic elm trees that once served to offer respite to the travellers. Taking a cue from the tree’s property to provide comforting shade against light, the New Delhi-based producer and DJ related it to the properties of his own music. There is darkness to ELM’s sound, but instead of being jarring or brooding, he offers an element of relaxation through the textures he creates on his tracks – which have been released
The qualities carry over to his Wild City mix. While beckoning the listener to the dancefloor with primarily melodic house selections, ELM keeps the steady rhythms surrounded by a spaciousness, never overbearing the senses but allowing for an energy-pumping passive consumption. Directing the sonic journey with intent, ELM does dial up the intensity with Hunter/Game’s ‘Dial’ and Agents of Time’s ‘Polina’ once the listener has been comfortably captivated by the easy listening selections of Rival Consoles and Colyn, before relenting yet again for a softer end to the journey.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/17166-wild-city-191-elm
Oslo-born, London-bred and inheriting a connection to Delhi, SUCHI has kept her finger on the pulse of global electronic music, perched as a seasoned radio host to notice the slightest of musical movements across continents – evident from the natural flair with which she incorporates in mix #190.
Tracks like American producer Fleksor’s ‘Squaggle’ and Indian analog synth specialist Monophonik’s ‘Are You Free?’ (from the compilation ‘Undying of the Light’), find their way into the mix which comes as an invitation to gradually and progressively lose your inhibitions as you listen. The sonic trip reaches its peak with the adrenaline-fuelled, peppy, sensory track that is Roman Flügel’s ‘Garden Party’.
Befitting the occasion that it’s the last mix of our March-long campaign for highlighting woman from across the music industry, SUCHI culminates her selections with British electronic duo Orbital’s reimagining of the theme tune for the popular TV series ‘Doctor Who’, originally realised by pioneering composer and electronic musician; Delia Derbyshire. Delia created the timbres of the theme tune by cutting, splicing, speeding up and slowing down segments of analog tape, giving birth to one of the first instances of sampling in popular music – although she received considerably less recognition for her work at the time.
With the inclusion of veterans like Roman Flügel, Orbital and Eliphino alongside freshly emerging acts, SUCHI not only traverses geographies, but also curates from across eras and genres, tying the selections together with the evergreen elements of dance music.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/16980-wild-city-190-suchi
No one can accuse Radha Priya aka Noni-mouse of being obvious. She has a penchant for being quirky, inadvertently ridiculing the listener’s expectations like a musical dadaist through off-kilter music videos, volatile EPs and light-hearted sporadic SoundCloud uploads, which have constituted her steady but stark progression over the last year.
Radha Priya just might be having fun but she has developed a sound, the core influences of which are hard to pin down. You can distinguish traces of every effervescent style under the electronic music umbrella, like disco, ambient, hip-hop, indietronica, vaporwave and downtempo, but the vibrant concoction of genres acquire an outworldly colour in the hands of Noni-mouse which is uniquely hers. For her Wild City mix, the Mumbai-based producer collates a set of her musical musings that fell through the cracks of her discography, selecting outtakes and unreleased snippets from her live sets.
Continuing to defy expectations (including ours), Noni-mouse kicks off with dark sci-fi textures before giving way to a galactic ode based on synthesised organ work and steady drum beats. It’s only halfway through the mix when she introduces her characteristic knack for morphed vocals and peppy synth lines. Through this dynamic journey, Noni-mouse compiles a selection of moods, sometimes lulling you into relaxation while other times inviting you for a dance – merrily oscillating between ideas like the whimsical mind of a happy-go-lucky individual.
For tracklist and more information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/16927-wild-city-189-noni-mouse
Every year, March 8 is commemorated as International Women's Day, a day dedicated to celebrating women around the world and their achievements. Since we don't think a single day in the year is nearly enough to celebrate the women around us, we're going to be dedicating the entire month of March to the immensely talented women in our music community and to spreading awareness about female representation and inclusivity in the music industry, through a series of mixes, features and conversations.
We're kicking off this endeavour by a mix compiled by San Francisco-based, Indian-origin producer, Hindustani classical singer and modular synthesist Arushi Jain aka Ose that sheds the light on experimental sound synthesis by some pioneering female-identifying artists.
With this mix, Ose hopes to give listeners some insight into her world, and the artists and music that inspire her. With modular analog synthesisers as her weapon of choice, and ambient music her forté, it's no surprise that most of the selections on the track list have also been performed on modular analog synthesisers, skilfully combined to craft a deeply immersive, tranquil experience that is meditative and, depending on the listener, potentially therapeutic.
Further information + tracklist here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/16857-wild-city-188-ose
New Delhi’s Nishant Mittal is a man of many hats: a sound artist working under the moniker PILLS, a vintage enthusiast and an ardent purveyor of India’s overlooked musical heritage in styles like psychedelia, funk, rock n’ roll and disco, which he is known to showcase through his role as a selector, radio host and vinyl-digging patron under the alias “Digging In India”.
His love for the old and the undercuts defines his Wild City mix, which arrives wrapped up in all its vintage glory, cutting through with the characteristic distortion of old records and tied together with a theme of thrill and rousing villainy handpicked from 70s and 80s’ Indian cinema. Even within this singular mix, Mittal demonstrates the range Bollywood soundtracks covered, showcasing compositions that were a melting pot of driving guitar riffs, blaring big bands, sweeping string orchestras, latin percussion, Mariachi-style stand-offs and spaghetti-western themes – all approached with the very Indian outlook.
The selection doesn’t solely serve the aim of proving India’s musical heritage or Mittal’s know-how as an avid crate-digger – those qualities shine through inherently in a Digging In India mix – but there is a natural musicality to its flow. Much like the celluloid stories these instrumentals served, the mix follows a structured narrative that descends into chaos before its ultimate redemption, progressively whirring out into the most leftfield efforts from the likes of R.D. Burman, S.D. Burman, Kalyanji-Anandi and Bappi Lahiri.
For more: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/16623-wild-city-187-digging-in-india
Lacuna's collage of tracks, on our latest mix, throws unexpected benders at listeners, while maintaining a certain ambience; and it offers up some seriously underrated, lesser heard gems, but interspersed with tracks from veterans like Flying Lotus, Herbie Hancock, Mr Carmack or Dorian Concept. And that's what's so remarkable about the mix – it doesn't cater to any preconceived notions or parameters for a set and emerges, instead, as a homage to experimental hip-hop and beats from the past decade.
Traversing alternative hip-hop, beats and bass music, arranged in the largely fractal, unconventional manner, the mix is not exactly designed for a switch-off-your-brain sort of dancefloor experience. Instead, from the dreamy, tribal build up shaped by Kutmah, to the halfway diversion into halftime bass, we can sense Lacuna earnestly urging his listeners to pay attention to the track selections, and to learn and consume this glimpse he offers into the swirling, glitching and raging world of contemporary beatmakers.
For further information and tracklist, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/16261-wild-city-186-lacuna
The first lady of Miami bass is an anglophile and resides in New York. As paradoxical as that statement may sound, it holds entirely true for Jess Gentile aka Jubilee. The Miami-born artist scaled parties all along the coast of Florida before she took the region’s sound with her to New York. By the turn of the noughties, Jubilee was running labels and parties in the vibrant scene of her newly adopted home, releasing and performing as a member of Dre Skull’s Brooklyn-based collective Mixpak, and establishing her reputation as the “first lady of Miami bass”.
All the while, the DJ and producer peppered everything she did with her unabashed enthusiasm for UK music, seamlessly melding d’n’b, grime and dancehall with Miami bass, breaks and even a little bit of house. Jubilee can take influences from three different parts of the world and flourish the sounds of each effortlessly even within the span of 32-minutes – as she does for her Wild City mix.
With a tracklist containing works from the likes of AceMo, DJ Tess and her own repertoire, Jubilee adapts the genres to deliver a bright, club-friendly mix. The alternating cheeriness of dancehall and the brooding low-end of bass lends a colourful ebb and flow to the set, presenting a narrative of light tension and release inviting you to dance along and forget everything else.
For tracklist and further information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/15598-wild-city-185-jubilee
Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Aaliyah – these are just some of the artists that feature on DJ Ishani’s mix for Wild City. In case it isn’t obvious already, Ishani’s mix is an ode to the girl-power that has dominated hip-hop and R&B charts, with an admitted bias towards the past, making it aptly suited for nostalgic high-school throwbacks.
The Mumbai-based DJ curated this compilation with the purpose of educating listeners about the abundance of talent contributed by female MCs to the genre. Generously peppered with names from pop music, the mix packs an inviting oomph and rousing energy.
Moreover, Ishani elevates the zeal and energy of the set through old school mixing, one of the styles she has cultivated through nightclub residencies across the country. The parade of female figures seem to respond to each other’s energy, with each track intently taking over the charge from its predecessor, making it seem almost like a 35-minute-long showcase by a star-studded ensemble.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/15475-wild-city-184-dj-ishani
Wild City's latest mix comes to us courtesy Mumbai-based producer and @jwalaco co-founder Palash Kothari, also known by his moniker Hedrun.
We're not quite sure where @Hedrun's set belongs. This set could be suited to: a community centre in Dombivali, the tent of a hippie discovering the wonders of Indian yoga and meditation (and drugs) in the 80s, at a kitschy post-modern party at a hipster apartment in South Delhi, in the record collection of a seasoned crate digger who frequents New Gramophone House on pay days, at none of these places, or all.
If that didn't give you a hint of exactly what Hedrun's mix sounds like, perhaps the track selection will. Featuring tracks by a range of artists such as Baluchi Ensemble of Karachi, Ananda Shankar, Lalita Bai, Birhi Bai, Don Cherry and Bernard Bonnier, and spanning genres such as Rajasthani folk, world fusion, East African folk and jazz, calling this mix a whirlwind would be an understatement.
Hedrun was gracious enough to break down his track list for us and his listeners, so we’ll let him take over for elaboration. Head here for the track list + further information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/15405-wild-city-183-hedrun
Ethnic Indian percussions, contemporary vocals, African rhythms, dubby delays, fast-flow raps – Sourodeep Guha aka Stain weaves it all together for our latest Wild City Mix, connecting them with one single thread: bass.
While low-frequency content is an ever-present element in electronic music, Stain doesn’t just use it as the foundational fabric, but brings it to the forefront. The main act, so to speak, often presenting the defining melodies and rhythms of the mix. Everything else is fluff. Perched on the low-end, Stain traverses across genres and moods – brooding and bouncing.
The New Delhi-based DJ and producer uses the mix to highlight the dub, Afrobeat and worldbeat-centric nature of his own catalog, peppering a selection of his original releases with the likes of Flowdan, Kaiju and even his Sub-Z contemporary Miredo. By doing so, Stain assembles a combination of inviting rhythms and ominous textures – a listen for those gloomy times when you can’t decide whether you need catharsis or a pick-me-up. Stain’s Wild City Mix will offer you both.
For tracklist and further information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/15203-wild-city-182-stain
Yung.Raj hit us last year pretty much out of nowhere; his growth since has been nothing short of exponential. Since his debut EP 'Laced Loops', which he released in July 2018, the Hyderabad-based producer and beatboxer has released five EPs, two beat tapes, a slew of singles, played multiple shows, and landed up in festival lineups. But the most notable aspect of this trajectory has been his growth in terms of sound and production. It's been gratifying to watch his sound evolve and his capabilities mature, and in case you missed it, he's compiled his whole journey into this mix for Wild City.
Comprising entirely of Yung.Raj's own productions, this mix is essentially an introduction to the artist, or as we see it, a compilation of his “greatest hits”. If you're new to his existence, consider this a brilliantly apt crash course, 'Yung.Raj 101'. For the rest, it's an amicable, fun, playful compilation of some of his best work.
Right from the get-go, the mix hurtles you into a heady space with lo-fi beats and sample-laden hip-hop. There's an irresistible groove and swing to the music that is almost impossible not to sway along to; you'll be melting into a slo-mo gyrating puddle before you knew it. The first portion of the mix is dominated by this lo-fi hip-hop sound, starting with his latest single 'Sloride' and transcending to his older work (here, by “older”, we mean his releases from over 6 months ago). It's easy to tune in, tune out – so far, the mix isn't immersive as much as it is chill, like a lackadaisical Sunday morning. However, the second half of the mix sees a transition to a higher tempo, glitchy beats, and footwork, mapping @Yung_Raj's recent transition to that sound over his two-part EP 'Steppin Stoned'.
For tracklist and further information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/14874-wild-city-181-yung-raj
Wild City’s latest mix by Ishaan Gandhi, one half of Okedo, sets itself apart by inadvertently tracing, almost with an academic lens, the development of dance music.
Presenting selections rooted in Brazillian music and Afrobeat in the first half, Ishaan gives insight into the influences that inform his ability to create percussive ambience. It’s the ability to translate off-centric rhythms to electronic music that has meteorically propelled the fresh duo (though Ishaan himself spent years in the Indian music scene as a session drummer) on to everyone’s radar.
Using a unique mixing style to deliver the mix’s narrative, Ishaan disintegrates the straggling rhythms of Cadenza and Airto Moreira till they transform into the hip-hop beats of Clever Austin and Frits Wentink. Not stopping there, the drum breaks tighten up till we find ourselves listening to club-friendly techno and house.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/14644-wild-city-mix-180-ishaan-okedo
The influence of Japanese culture is something Tarana Marwah has kept at the forefront since the dawning of her moniker ‘Komorebi’ – naming her act after the Japanese word for ‘sunlight that filters through tree leaves’ in 2015. Four years on, Marwah is one of the leading figures amongst the emerging talent of India’s underground music.
Her amalgamation of downtempo electronica and jazz-infused R&B has gone from strength to strength propelled by Marwah’s distinctive and unabashed individuality – a feature which filters through in everything she does. Her latest mix for Wild City is no exception.
Unique in its own right, the mix is entirely based on anime and video game soundtracks. Utilising soundtracks from some of the most popular titles like Naruto, The Legend of Zelda, Halo, Far Cry, Inuyasha and Death Note, the short 24-minute-long curation is a trip down memory lane, tugging at obscure memories of music that we consumed in our youth (or, of course, adulthood) through passive listening. Serving beyond its intended purpose, the mix also works as a varied playlist showcasing some of the most stellar work from video games and anime culture – treading through a whole spectrum of genres, from the ambient ‘Impossible Worlds’ from Mountain Valley and dark textures of ‘On The Precipice Of Defeat’ from Bleach, to the rousing Halo 3 track ‘Zealous Champion’ and the inherent coolness of Samurai Champloo’s opening track by Nujabes.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/14460-wild-city-mix-179-komorebi
DJ, radio host and music critic Abhi Meer’s mix for Wild City might be our most dramatic one yet. Peppered generously with riveting moments, the mix is an auditory equivalent of a consolidated epic thriller.
Abhi Meer has a reputation for approaching his sets with a research-like approach. Consequently, the boxout.fm regular has had the privilege of playing at club gigs, festivals and residencies around the world, including the first Boiler Room party in New Delhi.
While some mixes aim for the dancefloor experience and others for passive listening, our latest mix demands – or rather, steals – your attention with its stirring moments. The first of such moments is employed to grip you from the get-go, as the bright mood of The Smith Connection’s R&B hit ‘Under My Wings’ slows down, in the gimmicky (and we consider it a positive thing) fashion of an interrupted vinyl playback, to make way for LORN’s colder electronic sounds in ‘Kold Mirage’.
Throwing in outlandish selections with Caterina Barbieri’s ‘Pinnacles Of You’ and the jarring piano strikes in ‘Arrows Of Time’, Abhi Meer engages the listener with off-kilter tracks that punctuate seamless blends of genres, traversing through bass, IDM, dubstep and beyond. Meanwhile, the rhythmic onslaught of Rainer Veil’s ‘Element’ catching us off guard as we give in to the calming harmonies of Lifted’s ‘Near Future’, goes down as our favourite moment; it’s the perfect example of the undulating respite and thrill in Abhi Meer’s narrative. If such a selection was to be mixed live, we imagine the best way to take it all in wouldn’t be through the dancefloor but by having the listeners seated down – as if watching a theatrical performance unfold, or a work of meticulous musical storytelling.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/14287-wild-city-mix-178-abhi-meer
It’s no enigma why heavyweights like Four Tet and Ben UFO count themselves as fans of East London DJ and producer DJ Champion. The Formula Records head honcho exhibits the unfaltering ability to be any party’s highlight every time he steps behind the decks.
“It’s just about the sickest tunes we can play out and put out”, declared Champion as the vision behind his label – a platform that has (pardon the pun) championed the likes of Flava D and Zed Bias – in an interview with London’s fabric nightclub. The same vision drives this 31-minutes-long mix ahead of his India tour in August. Champion wastes no time on anything esoteric, too hard-hitting or too mellow. The selections serve the sole purpose of imparting fun.
The same is reflected in the tracklist, as Champion manages to squeeze a huge chunk of his own productions along with undercuts by the likes of Mind Of A Dragon and Wittyboy, within this short mix.
For further details and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/14131-wild-city-mix-177-dj-champion
If you've ever wondered what it's like to live inside the mind of Dolorblind, we suggest you plug in your headphones (and strap in a metaphorical seat belt) because you're in for quite the ride.
Wild City's latest mix was compiled by New Delhi-based producer and graphic designer Rohan Sinha aka Dolorblind. Though it might not be entirely fair to call it a mix – a mixtape, or a collage of sounds might be a more appropriate term for the theatrical, genre-defying experience that it unravels.
Dolorblind claims he imagined this mix as his “background score running from a volcanic eruption”. We imagine he's underestimating the kind of sheer terror and panic one would experience in that moment, but if there's one thing he's nailed about that hypothetical situation, it's the drama. Drama is the first word that comes to mind once you delve into the mix. The drama rests primarily in the theatrical transitions in the mix and in the meticulous selection of tracks, which go from mallsoft/post-vaporwave and abstract hip-hop to experimental electronic to Italian opera, glitch hop, noise rap and math rock. Remarkably, it all ties well together – perhaps united by the common thread of distortion, experimentation and abstraction – inducing an immersive, sensory experience.
Listening to the mix feels like flipping through the scrapbook of a particularly turmoiled, imaginative mind – like a character from David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks' for example – and vicariously living their life, or like watching somebody's life in fast-forward. It's certainly intriguing and exciting, but be warned: this assemblage isn't for the faint hearted or close-minded, because in just over 36 minutes, Dolorblind manages to take listeners through a (or perhaps the) whole spectrum of emotions and moods, shuffling from ecstatic melodies to angsty beats, from introspective soundscapes to distorted noise. In fact, it might be too much like being inside somebody else's mind.
For tracklist and further info, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/13913-wild-city-176-dolorblind
Recordings from our 3rd edition of Selectors on the 12th anniversary of Record Store Day.
Recordings from our 3rd edition of Selectors on the 12th anniversary of Record Store Day.
Recordings from our 3rd edition of Selectors on the 12th anniversary of Record Store Day.
Recordings from our 3rd edition of Selectors on the 12th anniversary of Record Store Day.
Recordings from our 3rd edition of Selectors on the 12th anniversary of Record Store Day.
Recordings from our 3rd edition of Selectors on the 12th anniversary of Record Store Day.
Spinning records since the age of 15, New Delhi-based DJ Nash JR is adept at weaving together seamless sets traversing through a variety of genres. He utilises the expertise efficiently in his latest mix for Wild City, which sees the bass-head branch out from his trademark sound.
After kicking things off with the contemporary sounds of Waffles and Tom Misch, Nash introduces world fusion elements with Fun Da’ Mental’s ‘Back To Basix’ before localising things with the Bollywood samples of ‘Party’ by J Rocc. The set features a notable spontaneity in its mixing as Nash jumps from the techno rhythms of Pearson Sound’s ‘XLB’ to the breakbeats of Pangaea’s ‘Bone Sucka’ – connecting the multitude of styles with a rhythmic narrative. The merit of the mix lies in the fact that the constant switch between genres never jumps out, unless you are deliberately trying to split the selections into categories.
For tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/13729-wild-city-mix-175-nash-jr
Often when an artist who isn't a conventional DJ curates a mix, the result is a refreshing selection that doesn’t attempt to make the listener move or engage, but simply sit back and listen.
Especially so, in the case of Goa-based singer-songwriter Aditi Veena aka Ditty, who exhibits intimacy and ingenuousness as fundamental features in her music. Consequently, her mix for Wild City comes as an invitation to dig into her personal influences and pleasures.
The mix kicks off with ‘Picture a Vacuum’, the opening track to Kate Tempest’s Mercury Prize-nominated ‘Let Them Eat Chaos’. The spoken word piece harkens to Ditty’s own album opener ‘Food City’ from her recently released ‘Poetry Ceylon’. Paying little attention to the process of mixing itself, Ditty instead focuses on building a dynamic listening experience through her selections – catching us off-guard as she follows up her 2017 mellow lo-fi work on ‘Maybe’ (ft. Jayant Manchanda aka Deadcat) with the hard rap of Saul William’s ‘Horn Of The Click-Bike’.
Further in the mix, Ditty provides a cinematic narrative of emotions with the hopeful melancholia of Sonnymoon’s ‘Just Before Dawn’ preceding the victorious indie electronica of Broadcast’s ‘Tender Buttons’. Just like with mix-opener ‘Picture a Vacuum’, Sun Kil Moon’s ‘I Watched The Film Song Remains The Same’, with its plucked-guitar-backed storytelling, gives an insight into the inspiration behind the creation of ‘Poetry Ceylon’. Ditty concludes her mix by extending courtesy to Dhruv Bhola aka Bowls (who provided the arrangements on her latest album) by featuring his track ‘W.I.G.F.Y’ off his debut EP ‘Shed Winter’.
Further information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/13445-wild-city-mix-174-ditty
Listeners familiar with Nihal Kanwar aka Trafficc’s boxout.fm show ‘Rush Hour’ know that this New Delhi DJ tailors his selections for an intense time on the dancefloor. Reflecting some 80s and 90s reminiscent raw energy, his hectic mix for Wild City is no exception..
Nihal adopted the name Trafficc after realising that the credit for his expansive sonic palette goes to all the hours he spent listening to music while stuck in New Delhi’s traffic. His dynamic taste in music, meanwhile, can be traced back to his formative years which involved lessons in western vocals and Indian classical music, starting a punk band, being a metalhead, and hosting hip-hop artists in his college dorm room.
The ability to traverse through styles, thus, is inherent for Nihal, and it comes into effect in this mix. Unified by the aim of keeping the listener sweating it out on the dancefloor, the tracklist features cheerful electro, jarring techno, energetic breakbeat and heavy hardcore. The set’s consistently high intensity is driven by contrasting moments (like when Nihal follows up the dark techno of Russell E.L. Butler’s ‘Tree Frog Whistle’ with the gleeful breaks of ‘Second Movement’ and ‘Don’t Go’).
Nihal’s own collaboration with Monophonik, titled ‘Lose Yo Mind’, which features on the mix, blends seamlessly with Jensen Interceptor’s adrenaline-pumping electro and DJ Normal 4’s leftfield take on ‘La Arabia’ - complimenting Nihal’s reputation as a producer as well as a DJ.
For more information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/13162-wild-city-mix-173-trafficc
As one of the co-founders of India’s first DJ collective and music agency Bhavishyavani Future Soundz, Jatin Vidyarthi aka Masta Justy has not just been an ever-present force in India’s club scene but also helped cultivate the same through the collective’s work across the country.
Founded by Masta Justy, Mr T, Insat, Kunal Rawat and DJ Bhai Saab in the late 90s over the shared love of raves, mixtapes and Asian underground, BFS curated events featuring d’n’b, ambient and jungle at a time when commercial venues only played Bollywood and psytrance. Through the 20 years of the collective’s existence, Jatin has branched out in radical directions – from giving a 48-hour performance at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, to live-scoring Franz Osten’s 1929 silent film ‘A Throw Of Dice’ – while continuing to perform on global stages.
Naturally, the experience manifests tangibly in his mix for Wild City. Jatin’s thoroughly tested knowledge of what works and what doesn’t reflects in his filler-less selections which feature only the most club-effective bangers from prominent house-heads like Joy Orbison, Sbtrkt and Martyn. Masta Justy curates with the sole aim of getting the listener’s body to move and supplements it with the effortless mixing skills of a master at work – constructing a set that is as educational as it is entertaining.
Further info and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/12925-wild-city-mix-172-masta-justy
With the bulk of electronic producers and DJs focusing their efforts on creating energetic dance floor-oriented sounds, Gillian Kharshiing aka Mero’s adherence to mellower textures makes his latest mix for Wild City stand out.
He peppers the largely downtempo mix with bursts of progressive house which creates an engaging contrast. Following mellifluous numbers like Lane 8’s remix of RÜFÜS DU SOL’s ‘Innerbloom’ with the more hard hitting ‘Lisse’ by KAASI, and then softening things again with Chrisitian Löffler’s ‘Haul’, - Mero keeps the intensity rising and receding like tidal waves throughout his mix.
The Shillong-born producer started making music 3 years ago while studying sound engineering in Dublin, where he also performed as part of live electronic collective Modem. His rawness and youthfulness as a DJ is reflected in his mix as he fearlessly and drastically shifts tempos - focusing more on curating atmospheric selections instead of showcasing dexterity. The fact that his original track ‘Trail’ from his debut EP ‘Cumulus’ blends so seamlessly without paling in comparison to the bigger names in the tracklist, is a testament to the skills he has developed over his 3-year long career.
Further info and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/12682-wild-city-171-mero
Drum Attic aka Siddharth Mehra’s music and his career as a New Delhi-based DJ and producer share a strong common feature - consistency. Present in the capital’s nightlife for nearly a decade, first as one half of the electronic duo Motion Noir and later through his own moniker Drum Attic, as well as the studio manager at boxout.fm where he also presents the monthly show ‘DulyUnruly’, Mehra has upheld an unfaltering love for hard techno in all his strides.
It’s not uncommon to see artists adapt different monikers or shapeshift through their careers as they tip-toe across genres. Drum Attic, however, has stuck to his guns and maintained a constant and ever-improving output of mixes and remixes that may channel influences from dub and acid, but are almost always firmly rooted in pounding 4/4 techno.
The same quality comes into play in his latest mix for Wild City, which comes as an anthology of techno’s underdogs with tracks from the likes of Hemka, DJ Overdose, Lag, Morphology, Sebastian Kramer and Drhamer. Easily suited to an intense club night, the mix sounds extensively rhythmic and hard-hitting, as can be expected from a moniker like ‘Drum Attic’. Meandering through a variety of moods, Mehra’s unabashed love for dissonance and his propensity for hard-hitting, heavy soundscapes shine on the mix, making for a rigorous listen.
Head here for tracklist & further info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/12296-wild-city-170-drum-attic
In celebration of International Women's Day (March 8), Wild City has been posting mixes compiled by female artists for this entire month. As March nears its end, we have the final mix of the month – this one comes from Mumbai-based DJ Manaalina aka Manaal Oomerbhoy.
Though the last of the series, Manaalina's mix may be the most impactful one yet, and one that truly celebrates women in electronic music. Just one look at the tracklist and you'll see why – the mix features tracks solely produced by female artists. If that isn't a true display of rebellion against patriarchal tropes and gender stereotypes about women in electronic music, then we don't know what is.
Manaalina's set is an empowering catalogue of some of electronic music's most powerful and experimental female producers. Ranging from radical artists like Deena Abdelwahed, Kaltes & Nene H, and Aisha Devi to Upsammy, Mor Elian, Aurora Halal, Powder and more, the mix includes tracks from artists all over the map, from Europe to America to Asia and beyond.
Manaalina claims to experience dance as a “powerful exorciser” and is a strong believer in the transcendental and healing abilities of sound, and it shows in her set, which comprises primarily of experimental, left-field electronic. The mix lays on the heavier side of the sonic spectrum, spanning industrial, abstract electro, techno and house, awash with vocal samples and breaks. All-consuming and bass-heavy, the mix displays her open-minded approach to experimentation and her deep love for the dance-floor, apparent in the hypnotic, trance-like barrage of sounds.
“A frenzied mix for fractured minds, envisioned as a soundtrack for witching hour.” - Manaalina
Head here for tracklist & further info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/12183-wild-city-169-manaalina
One of the more experienced members of New Delhi's all-femme collective Coven Code, the past year has seen Shireen gradually become a regular presence in the Delhi club circuit. It's an impressive feat, considering that she still holds down a full-time job as a senior consultant at a corporate firm, and more so because she manages to squeeze in practice sessions in most of her free time. Few of us have the time or mental bandwidth to pull that off, but not Shireen, who has been playing more and more gigs recently.
Heavily influenced by the clubbing culture of the UK, Shireen's sets – just like Mix #168 – typically draw from various genres that fall under dance music, focusing primarily on house and techno, but reaching far and wide into UK garage, breakbeat, dubstep, and anything that falls under UK bass. It's easy to see these influences in Shireen's mix, which relies on tracks by stalwarts like Joy Orbison, Floating Points, Or:la, rRoxymore, Hunee, Octo Octa, Flava D and more to create an atmosphere that's part expressive, ambient and immersive, and part bangers. That's what makes it really suited for the dance floor – it draws you into a sensory experience, appealing to and enveloping both your mind and your body.
Tracklist & further info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/12025-wild-city-168-shireen
To celebrate International Women's Day, which is today (March 8), Wild City will be posting mixes compiled by female artists for the whole month of March.
The first mix of the series is by East London native Shama Anwar. The British-born, Bangladesh-raised DJ and music publicist grew up surrounded by a blend of different cultures, which intrinsically influenced her sound. Mixing and traversing across multiple genres comes easy to her and is noticeably reflected in her sets.
If we were to club Shama's mix for Wild City under a single sound, it would come closest to UK garage, though it kicks off with, and occasionally travels to, techno, house and minimal. Spanning artists such as Chez Damier, Artful Dodger, Groove Chronicles, Robert Owens and more, it's a wonderfully bouncy mix, artfully suited to a sundowner set. Hard-hitting without being overwhelming, her set maintains a relaxed vibe throughout that challenges listeners not to dance (don't even try).
Shama's experience with throwing events in London easily shines here, fittingly showcasing her prowess at setting the mood and getting parties started.
Tracklist + further info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/11892-wild-city-167-shama-anwar
Essentially, DJing is the act of playing one track after the other in cohesion. But that's not how Manali sees it – for her, each set is a sonic exercise in storytelling, a singular journey that transports her audience to other worlds. With her love for spacey, hypnotic, and obscure sounds, the journeys often end up venturing into the future, or outer space.
Originally from Mumbai, Manali is now based in Amsterdam. Her move was inspired by her penchant for travel and her inclination towards the city's thriving dance music culture. The past few years have seen her regularly play at popular Dutch clubs, start her own parties, and build a notable presence in the Dutch minimal scene.
With her mix for Wild City, Manali fabricates a hard-hitting soundscape charged with futuristic sounds, with a singular intention of making listeners transcend into outer space - or perhaps, more fittingly, to an extraterrestrial party on Mars. Starting with a gripping, jaunty tune (that unfortunately remains anonymous), the mix showcases her minimalistic approach to house and techno, with undertones of acid, breaks, and electro.
For further information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/11748-wild-city-166-manali
Few mixes will floor you like this particular one for Wild City by Andi Teichmann. Andi is a well-known and accomplished musician, producer, DJ, cultural activist, and co-founder of Berlin-based label NOLAND. Both as Gebrüder Teichmann – his project with this brother Hannes – and solo, he is known for work that surpasses the limitations of genre or style.
Andi's mix was inspired by a DJ set he played at Popkultur Festival in Berlin last year, as well as his music-related travel and work across Germany, Africa and South Asia, largely in collaboration with Goethe Institut. The mix thus traverses time, space, culture and ideas.
Subsequently, most tracks on the mix (several of which are NOLAND releases) offer fascinating cultural dialogue, commentary and history. DJ Raph sparks a beguiling dialogue between contemporary electronic music and African echoes of a pre-colonial time by using sounds from Chad, and a funeral procession by the West African Senufo people on 'The Boy From Digenenthi' and 'Earthstep' respectively. 'Good Morning Karachi' was the result of 12 people jamming in Karachi over 2 weeks at Soundcamp Karachi 2015, while the last track on the mix, 'Fear Nothing', is dedicated to Sabine Mahmoud, a fiery art and human rights activist in Pakistan who was assassinated shortly before Soundcamp. A track by homegrown producer KALAB features on the mix as well, beside 'Ten Cities', which was born from a Goethe project that aimed to explore and connect subcultural scenes in African and European cities. The mix itself covers a vast musical spectrum ranging from deep ambient music from Germany to avant-garde jazz from Africa to experimental electronic from South Asia.
A deep synthetic, drone-like atmosphere and an aura of ambient electronic sounds cloak majority of the other-worldly hour-long-mix; a percussive disposition floods the second half. Genres or styles don't matter here – the only defining quality of this set is experimental obscurity. Mixed with such absolute mastery, it's nearly impossible to discern the transitions between tracks on this mix. It’s a contoured wall of meandering sounds with no perceivable destination or ending, that one must simply give in to. We would go as far as describing this as an immersive, sensory experience, rather than a collection of tracks.
Head here for tracklist + more information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/11617-wild-city-165-andi-teichmann
The past few days in New Delhi have been decidedly dreary – cold and wet, with a lingering blanket of rain. It's also the ideal weather to park yourself by the window and sit back and reflect, and Sugam Khetan aka 4lienetic's mix for Wild City is perfectly suited to that.
Dark and ambient, with spatters of ethereal sounds of nature and rain, the mix pulls you deep into a contemplative trance right from the get-go. That's to be expected, as the hour-long set comprises almost solely of 4lienetic's original music, exceptions being a couple of remixes and edits.
The Mumbai-based producer, who creates music under the monikers 4lienetic and 2 A.M Talk, has been prolific with his releases, which range across the spectrum of ambient, future garage and chill out music. Influenced by artists like Brian Eno, Nils Frahm, Burial and Olafur Arnalds, his tracks are particularly emotive and lay heavy emphasis on ambience and piano.
The mix starts off with deep, melancholic tracks, laden with liquid atmospheres and compelling textures. However, the solemnity intermittently parts to reveal flecks of light, offering glimmers of hope in an otherwise dreary ambience. This is music meant for quiet reflection and patience, to be consumed with heavy doses of contemplation. And it's a rewarding experience – especially as the ambient music gradually melts into drone and future garage, which comes as a welcome, wholly satisfying change.
Head here for tracklist and further info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/11369-wild-city-164-4lienetic
Those of you familiar with Rohit Tandon aka Sepoys' monthly 'Verdura Vibes' podcast on boxout.fm may associate him with soothing jazz-leaning tracks, lo-fi hip hop and relaxing downtempo mixes.
As a producer, however, Sepoys is very much inclined towards making liquid drum 'n' bass. That's not to say it's very hard-hitting d'n'b either. His unique strain of liquid drum 'n' bass comes with ambient overtones and distinct melodic lines, occasionally making way for jungle. The Vancouver-based Indo-Canadian producer, DJ and art director, previously based in Goa, started out as a scratch DJ, before getting into house, downtempo and lounge. The liquid d'n'b that defines his sound is only a fairly recent development and one that he's getting quite skilled at.
Intricately designed, Sepoys' productions are informed by engaging beats and immersive atmospheres. His mix for Wild City comprises largely of his own releases, with infrequent interjections by tracks from India-based drum 'n' bass artists Watashi, Crash Comet, The Untitled One and Aditya Malve x Quistek. There's a steady rhythm throughout the mix, a unifying percussion that keeps you engaged, and subtle changes of pace that offset potential boredom with intrigue.
For tracklist & further info, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10984-wild-city-163-sepoys
Tasnneem's mix for Wild City is a ball of sunshine and monsoons all at the same time. It bears an inexplicable warmth, which comes from the soulful, melodic deep house that dominates the set, but offers shades of contemplative, deep moods and ambiences that are somewhat bright and dark at the same time.
Such a compilation of tracks is typical of Tasnneem, who owes her success as a DJ primarily to this warm, melodic, and disparate energy she brings to her sets – offering music both as an escape, and as a dance reckoning.
A lush, ambient track with a saturated, emotive atmosphere sets the mood for the rest of the mix, which remains downtempo and ambient. However, that doesn't mean this set can exclusively be enjoyed sitting at home – there's an undeniable danceable quality throughout the mix, which comprises of tracks by the likes of Modd, Christian Loeffler, George X and more, making this the ideal sundowner set.
For tracklist and further info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10821-wild-city-162-tasnneem
It's festival season in India right now. No, not because of Diwali and any other religious holidays – we're talking music festivals. Nearly every weekend until January is jam-packed with fresh sounds, both from India and from around the world.
Tucked away in this onslaught of music festivals is a British act that's been slowly but conspicuously growing and exploding, from lunchtime spliffs and musical conversations by teenagers on London's Hampstead Heath to Grammy nominations and gold-selling albums.
We're obviously talking about the dynamic duo Zero 7, whose Sam Hardaker is playing an exclusive DJ set at Disrupt Festival this weekend in Mumbai.
Zero 7's artist bio aptly sums up their career in the first line: “From backroom bods to the Hollywood Bowl, from tiny specialist shops to a million-selling album, from using more singers than a Broadway musical and trucking on regardless, Zero 7’s story has always been about thinking that little big bigger.” What it fails to give, however, is a feel of Zero 7 and their music, what it really is.
There's no way to know Zero 7's music without listening to it. Their soulful, jazz and funk influenced warm productions have a sound that's unique to them, which comes from an amalgamation of their vast influences and their musical roots. Sam, particularly, was inspired by 70s and 80s jazz and funk records, and from a palette of post-club sounds and singers from the furthest corners of the globe.
Sam's mix offers a glimpse into the creative, musical genius behind Zero 7 and their roots and influences. With smatterings of R&B, soul, gospel and Afro, this disco and funk mix is a prequel to the sound that has informed Zero 7's own productions.
For further information: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10733-wild-city-161-zero-7
Tastemaker, selector, curator or “your favourite DJ's favourite DJ” is how Lefto is most often described. Each of those descriptions is nothing if not accurate, and Lefto is one of the few who have indisputably earned those titles.
The Belgian DJ and producer is one of the most important tastemakers around the world – perhaps his record collection, over 15,000-strong, has something to do with it – and also one of the most respected. One only has to listen to one of his sets (like his mix for Wild City below) to see why.
Firmly rooted in jazz and hip-hop, Lefto cultivated his digging sensibilities while working at Belgium's legendary Music Mania record store in his hometown Brussels. A resident on Belgium's leading radio station Studio Brussel since the 90s, Lefto has been a custodian of sorts for new music, and is always one to look ahead and actively seek out new music from all over the world.
Lefto is renowned for his wonderfully eclectic sets – different each time – which seamlessly switch between hip-hop, funk, jazz, house, tropical, future bass, African rhythms and more.
His mix for Wild City is no different. Featuring a balance of known and obscure artists from all over the world, with selections from artists like Noname, Kamaal Williams, Kaidi Tatham, Moses Boyd, Joy Orbison and more, the stimulating set starts off with rap and hip-hop, before taking you all over the spectrum, from jazz, tropical and Irish rock to disco, African rhythms and house.
It might sound chaotic and haphazard to jump around genres like this, but Lefto switches between sounds and tracks so smoothly whilst maintaining a breezy atmosphere throughout.
For tracklist and further info, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10614-wild-city-160-lefto
Wild City's 159th mix might be the most cohesive one yet. It sounds less like a mix than the soundtrack to an imaginary, otherwise silent sci-fi film. In many ways, it's like an aural film on its own, a sonic journey with a thrilling, intriguing narrative directed by Varun Desai aka Yidam.
The Kolkata-based artist, who makes different kinds of music under multiple monikers – 5Volts, Yidam and VvvvV – achieves a transcendental quality with this seamless mix, melting one track into another without revealing the slightest clue. Were this not explicitly defined as a mix, with a tracklist, it might beguile you into thinking it's a single track, or a singular concept album.
Yidam effortlessly (so it seems, though we reckon it comes from careful, precise deliberation and effort) stitches together an interstellar soundtrack, using his own, original tracks and borrowing from ambient music stalwarts like Mat Jarvis' High Skies, Ash Ra Tempel, and the cult ambient classics, The Orb.
To even call this mix a soundtrack is unfair, for that implies a reliance on complementary material to create a whole experience. Yidam's storytelling, however, is so visual and cinematic, that all you need to do is close your eyes, phase out for an hour, and let the rich narrative, the drama and the dreamstates of the cosmos consume you and take you to the outer reaches of the universe and your mind.
For further information and tracklist: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10506-wild-city-159-yidam
People really like to throw around the phase “age is just a number”. It is just a number, but when it comes to Veer Kowli, it's nearly impossible to ignore, for he's all of 17 years old.
The Mumbai-based teenager, who's still in 11th grade (this may be a cue for the rest of us to give our own lives a long, hard look), has already dabbled in design and film. Most impressive and renowned, however, is his musical alter-ego Chrms.
As Chrms, the young electronic producer makes feel-good, RnB inspired tracks with ambient and future bass influences, including conspicuous traces of producers who have inspired him - names such as Flume, Mr Carmack and Odesza. What's more, the high-schooler – who apparently started producing when he was just 9 – already has an extensive discography that includes over 23 tracks.
Chrms' mix for Wild City can best be summarised as an hour-long introduction to the unpretentious, enthusiastic persona of the producer and a comprehensive look into the musical space he aspires to occupy.
Jam-packed with his favourite producers – literally, with 34 tracks – this chill or energetic mix (depending on your mood) tiptoes around electronic, future bass, mellow trap and bouncy tunes. Featuring tracks by the likes of Flume, Jon Casey, Disclosure and Zhu, we reckon it's a great way to kick off the weekend.
For tracklisting and further info, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10315-wild-city-158-chrms
Pablo Valentino isn't exaggerating when he says his sets span across genres. His reputation as a tastemaker precedes him, as does his notoriety for breaking sound barriers.
The French producer, DJ and owner of the MCDE and FACES imprints has been behind the console for over two decades. Part of his appeal on the dance floor owes largely to his voracity for collecting records, an activity that has consumed most of his life. The distinct musical patterns he weaves as he spins tunes that vary from jazz, funk and hip-hop to disco, house and techno are distinguishable for the primary ingredient he seeks in music – soul.
As Pablo gears up for his 3-city tour of India, which commences tonight in New Delhi, he put together Wild City's 157th mix.
Pablo's entire genre-spanning legacy is culminated into this single 1-hour compilation, which gets off to an energetic start with The S.T.U.D Band's straight-up funk and jazz track 'Success'. True to his words, these elements leave their mark on the rest of the mix, even as disco, deep house and house take over, with tracks by artists like Boo Williams, Romart Rauch and DJ City. There's even a special treat for listeners in the form of an unreleased track by Danilo Plessow's Motor City Drum Ensemble.
Whether deliberate or just a serendipitous accident, this compilation is a suitable sonic representation of these late September evenings, as a lingering summer gently metamorphoses into fall. Vocal samples, disco and nu jazz emerge the heroes of this mix, which lulls you into swaying and boogying on the dance floor before easing you out with Franck Gerard's ambient 'Smother Savior'.
Follow the link for tracklisting and more info: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/10080-wild-city-157-pablo-valentino
To techno enthusiasts in Spain, it may seem like Fatima Hajji has been part of the dance music scene since forever. The Spanish DJ and producer has, after all, been honing her skills behind the console for nearly two decades.
Though her musical taste and sound have evolved over the years, there has been one resolute element that has remained steadfast throughout all of Fatima's artistic endeavours – techno. Whether it's in her releases, her own labels or her sets at festivals and clubs around the world, she exhibits a tenacious love for the genre.
Fatima is all set to kickstart her 3-city tour of India tomorrow, and as a sneak peek into what awaits her audience, she compiled Wild City's 156th mix. This set is not for the faint-hearted or casual listener – Fatima means serious business; it's apparent from the very first minute. Incredibly fast-paced and absolutely ruthless, the hour-long mix straddles the line between pure and hard techno, leaving no time for breathers.
For further info, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/9936-wild-city-156-fatima-hajji
Few producers in India are capable of making the dance floor as hypnotic as dotdat. His secret is a dark, ambiguous strain of minimal techno that reaches deep inside the trenches of your mind and body; you could call it almost meditative. He made his debut at an Odd Recordings showcase in Barcelona in 2017 and it's his nuanced art that is the driving force behind dotdat's eminence as a producer.
His latest mix for Wild City, featuring artists such as Shlomi Aber, Architectural and Dario Zenker, offers an insight into dotdat’s current mood and inspiration. He maintains high energy throughout the mix as he seamlessly transitions from one track to the other. Intelligent and deep techno converge for a subliminal interaction of the senses.
For further info and tracklisting head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/9801-wild-city-155-dotdat
Anushka Menon is a photographer by profession. She has however been associated with the Indian electronic music scene since 2015 - first performing with DJ partner AGENT as ANU$HKA + AGENT. Having been playing solo for over a couple of years now - she’s got a number of key shows under her belt - including Burning Man Festival in 2015 and festivals across India.
Wild City #154 by Anushka, fluctuates between house, afro house and disco - featuring tracks by artists such as Sharam Jey, Softball and Mella Dee. A hour-long insight into Anushka’s favourite tracks past and present and signalling her appetite for music full of heart and soul.
For further info and tracklisting head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/9394-wild-city-154-anu-hka
Recorded live on the 11th anniversary of Record Store Day at Wild City, New Delhi.
An internationally recognised event Record Store Day now spans dozens of countries and countless cities. Conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate and spread the word about this distinctive and culture.
In partnership with boxout.fm, we recorded sets vinyl-only sets from Ani Phoebe, Rikki Kher (Kardo), Jamblu and Boxout Soundsystem.
Recorded live on the 11th anniversary of Record Store Day at Wild City, New Delhi.
An internationally recognised event Record Store Day now spans dozens of countries and countless cities. Conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate and spread the word about this distinctive and culture.
In partnership with boxout.fm, we recorded sets vinyl-only sets from Ani Phoebe, Rikki Kher (Kardo), Jamblu and Boxout Soundsystem.
Recorded live on the 11th anniversary of Record Store Day at Wild City, New Delhi.
An internationally recognised event Record Store Day now spans dozens of countries and countless cities. Conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate and spread the word about this distinctive and culture.
In partnership with boxout.fm, we recorded sets vinyl-only sets from Ani Phoebe, Rikki Kher (Kardo), Jamblu and Boxout Soundsystem.
Recorded live on the 11th anniversary of Record Store Day at Wild City, New Delhi.
An internationally recognised event Record Store Day now spans dozens of countries and countless cities. Conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate and spread the word about this distinctive and culture.
In partnership with boxout.fm, we recorded sets vinyl-only sets from Ani Phoebe, Rikki Kher (Kardo), Jamblu and Boxout Soundsystem.
Hailing from Gujarat, New Delhi based Jay Pei has come to represent a mature sound within the confines of techno. His delicate production style is revelating of a minimal, liquid strain of club music - often hypnotic; inspired by some of his favourites including artists such as Mind Against, Recondite and Gardens Of God.
The latest mix by Jay Pei features a similar arrangement - artists who have been inspiring him to make music since 2013; CTF, Patrice Baumel, VII Circle and Fideles. The mix revels in dark melodies associative of his sophisticated sound. Mixed with utmost precision, the mix is a gateway to the subliminal interaction of the senses.
For tracklisting head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/8689-wild-city-152-jay-pei
Now based in New Delhi, VridianMusic is the shared moniker of producers Vir Rattan Chowdhry and Sidhant Jain.
The duo has been producing electronic dance music together, since the inception of their project last year. Associated with the various spectrums of house and techno, VridianMusic aspires to produce, what they like to call ‘emotive electronic music’.
Their mix echoes a similar sentiment; with music from Allies For Everyone, Musumeci, and the two-man live-project Doyeq with who’s track, the mix opens. A smooth transition from minimal techno to IDM, finishing off with higher energy tracks from Rauschhaus & PHCK and, Affkt-Txuribeltz; this mix by VridianMusic is subliminal in the craft that is has been put together with. All those scouring the internet for subtle dance music; almost liquid in nature, search no further.
For more information and a tracklist go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/8350-wild-city-151-vridianmusic
26-year-old Arman Menzies played the guitar as part of the metal band Goddess Gagged before diving into electronic music production. He currently produces music for the dance floor as Zokhuma with selections that range from raw electronic acid breaks to African inspired beats.
For our 150th in the series, Zokhuma offers us an hour of dance music that opens with one of Octo Octo’s darker, heavier texture-laden tracks before succumbing to one of Panthera Krause’s uplifting clutters titled, Stonith. Two of Zokhuma’s unreleased tracks also make a feature in the mix; alongside others from artists such as Drexciya, Gaunt and Botine before finishing off into a serenading dub by Axel Boman.
For more information and a tracklist go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/7980-wild-city-150-zokhuma
Formerly known as Sleepwalker, Small Town Guy - aka Shantanu Ghosh hails from the coastal town of Pondicherry. Known for his dancefloor selections which are not confined by genre, his sets are a hybrid between nu disco and techno with slight world-music influences.
Having performed at GO:MADras, Shanti Jatra and Future Theory - and as an active promoter in Pondicherry - Small Town Guy is slowly gaining traction as one of India’s leading curators who is constantly experimenting and re-inventing dance floor music.
His latest mix for Wild City merges disco with hints of techno and funk and through the course of an hour features tracks from the likes of Psychemagik, Afrolicious and Stavroz - representing various areas of the dance music spectrum, that interest him. Following is a mix that merges Psychedelic disco encapsulated into peak time house bangers.
For more information and a tracklist go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/7328-wild-city-149-small-town-guy
Rohan Kalé is a New Delhi based producer and DJ who has a deep-rooted love for D&B and jungle.
As Radio Program Manager at Boxout.fm, Rohan is one who sculpts sounds for different environments - the club, the home, the car - the former is the area in which he is most widely known, laying down dark and arresting sets - captivating bass music heads across the country.
As expected his mix for Wild City is an hour long meditation into a trajectory guided by his love for liquid drum and bass sounds...
Starting off slow and steady it kicks off with UK based producer Stray and, gradually swivels towards drum n bass and jungle influenced sounds from the likes of Instra:mental, Commix, Bop and French producer Naibu.
For more information and a tracklist go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/mixes/6930
Either as zzz or Three Oscillators or part of the collective Jwala, since Brij Dalvi popped up, he’s arrested our attention.
The Mumbai-based producer has been creating some of the most left-field electronica in this country. His idiosyncratic take on music, one that’s became very distinctive in a field flooded with unoriginality, has been refreshing to listen to.
Tracks like ‘Coca Cola’ have gained attention internationally, contributions to Jwala compilations and his collaborations with Multani and hollow have been nothing short of exciting.
His hour-long mix takes you through a journey of the Brij’s unconventional tastes. He tends to float through genres effortlessly going from glitch-hop and bringing in soul samples before diverting into Three Oscillators originals..
For more information and a tracklist go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/13227-wild-city-147-brij-three-oscillators
Likwid has spent the last decade perfecting his craft at a DJ.
With the ability to float through genres effortlessly, the Bleep! Crew-signee had a stellar 2017. The new year continues to see his name ascend to new heights as he continues to tour across Indian clubs and festivals. It was really only a matter of time before we asked him to come through with a selection for Wild City.
An hour of energy permeates through the mix as Likwid selects a number of high intensity, lively tunes. 60 minutes of timeless rhythms as well as outings to more heads-down grooves, all strung together with impeccable timing.
For more info and a tracklist, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/13150-wild-city-146-likwid
Stalvart John truly cemented his place within the Indian electronic music space in 2017.
It’s undeservedly late as he’s been regularly making podcasts and releasing music for a number of years, always one-step ahead of the curve. Topping off 2017 with an energetic set at Magnetic Fields Festival, it seemed appropriate for Stalvart to come through with a mix for Wild City.
Stalvart’s set is pure disco; its sole purpose is to get your body moving and it accomplishes that with ease. With several remixes, re-edits and a few rare selections, Stalvart is, at once, educating and entertaining audiences. This mix is further proof that Stalvart is peerless in India as a selector.
You can find the tracklist and more information here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/13090-wild-city-145-stalvart-john
Robert Yang aka Bézier is a talented multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer.
He’s also a founding member of Honey Soundsystem, the San Francisco-based DJ and artist collective. Having played at Magnetic Fields Festival in 2016, Bézier is back in India for a one-off show in New Delhi on 12 January. In the run up to his all night session, he has just dropped a luscious hour-long mix for us. Known for his fervent crate digging, he’s come up with mature and diverse selection that does not disappoint.
Running through tracks from The Golden Filter, TWINS and himself, Bézier’s mix seamlessly moves through various forms of house and techno essentially acting as an auditory showcase of his craft behind the decks. Weaving together a selection of intoxicating records and rare favorites close to his heart - he’s given us a good taste of what to expect later this week.
For a full tracklist and more information, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/13080-wild-city-144-bezier
Co-founder of Magnetic Fields Festival, Smita Singh, who DJs under the alias AGENT has been on a meteoric rise.
Since she started hitting the club circuit, the Goa-based DJ has gained recognition for her distinctive brand of hard-hitting, bass-heavy dance music. But it’s on her boxout.fm radio show ‘World Ocean’ where she has truly perfected her craft.
It seemed about time AGENT dropped a mix for Wild City.
The near hour-long mix builds slowly from ‘Cloudy Others’ by Sebastien Casanova until it takes a turn into the dance-floor-friendly vibe AGENT has become renowned for. Shining a spotlight on sounds you’re not likely to hear anywhere else, there’s a smattering of music from around the world wrapped in a traditional house beat.
Though it takes a while for the mix to get you moving, AGENT will have listeners dancing by the end of it. Through her selection, she also guarantees to make you you obsessively check the tracklist.
For more info and a tracklist, go here:
Sindhi Curry @authenticsindhicurry(formerly known as Pramod Sippy) has been a mainstay in the Indian music space for over a decade.
Having co-founded Bombay Elektrik Project and The Hive, Pramod’s work in these organisations was crucial to promoting and elevating new talent.
The self-taught DJ has played at a variety of venues across India showcasing the depth of his musical knowledge through his selections. Having delved deeper into the artform, Sindhi Curry now also finds himself a certified vinyl junkie.
With a vast collection of records that keeps growing, it seemed a great time to have Sindhi Curry come through with a mix for Wild City.
The hour-long selection is typically deep, dusty and diverse. Pramod expertly drifts from light, airy Afro-house and Afro-disco into deep, bass-heavy techno and manages to squeeze in lurching warehouse bangers by the end. A diverse exhibit.
For more information and a tracklist, go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12706-wild-city-142-sindhi-curry
EZZYLAND is on the rise.
After dropping arguably the album of the summer with ‘DEPS x ANXIES’, EZZYLAND has been continually releasing tracks and getting recognition for his hard work.
Whether it’s been climbing up charts across streaming platforms or having publications write about his work, the Chennai-based artist has been finding his feet in the industry. After a year’s worth of consistently good releases, including the stellar ‘Neon Grafx 3K9’ EP, EZZYLAND was due for a Wild City mix.
The 30-minute selection is made up of his own tunes with a seamless transition from one track to the next. The multi-faceted producer floats between genres with ease, showcasing not only his production skills but his effortless mixing skills as well.
For those familiar with his work, EZZYLAND’s mix is a welcome, relaxing listen. If you’ve never heard any of his music before, it showcases a diverse range of his production sensibilities which will undoubtedly have you hooked on your first listen. Another way to cement his place in the game, EZZYLAND’s future looks bright.
For a tracklist and further information, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12644-wild-city-141-ezzyland
South Korean DJ Didi Han is one of Asia’s fastest rising stars.
One of the forces behind Pute Deluxe; arguably Seoul’s best party and one of the region’s most exciting selectors seamlessly blending hip-hop, trap, R&B and house.
If you’ve kept up with us over the last week you would have noticed that Didi Han is playing a (not so secret) secret warehouse party thrown by Auster WIP on 9 September. Ahead of this, she’s dropped an exclusive mix for Wild City.
Playing a rare blend of unheard remixes and classics, it’s a stomper, that starts off with Snoop Dogg (‘Tha Shiznit’) and ends with a remix of ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder stopping over at tracks like ‘Pump Up The Jam (Remix)’ by Full Crate and Tall Black Guys’ ‘Come With Me and Fly’, along the way.
A lively mix, it’s a good indicator of the energy Didi Han will bring to the Auster WIP party on Saturday.
For a tracklist and further information, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12601-wild-city-140-didi-han
Aerate Sound burst onto the scene with their debut album ‘Only For External’ earlier this year. Since then, they’ve gone on to play Boiler Room in Bangalore and have been lauded for not only their live performances but their studio work as well.
Apart from occasional appearances on the decks at Consolidate events and a few loose singles, BlindNight is a true newcomer to the game.
In that vein, it made sense for the two artists to collaborate on a mix for Wild City; one to show off his skills and announce himself; the other, a much overdue mix after such a successful year. In true Consolidate camp style, the mix is exactly as intriguing, diverse and distinctive as you’d imagine.
The nearly 50-minute mix is full of rare hip-hop, beatbreaks, samples and rap that you’re not bound to hear on the dance floor. Artists like Slugabed (‘Feeding Time’) and Onra (‘Hide and Seek’) make appearances but it’s the Death Grips x Danny Brown collaboration along with Shabazz Palaces that had us intrigued.
For a tracklist and further information, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12539-wild-city-139-aeratesound-blindnight
Rijul Victor is a drummer who produces and DJs under his solo electronic project, Corridors.
The Delhi-based musician has been making a name for himself with releases that have caught the public’s attention. His live performances are intriguing and distinctive, ensuring that audiences are always enthralled to see him play live.
In anticipation of his opening set for footwork pioneer and Chicago-based DJ RP Boo later on today, Corridors has come through with a mix for Wild City.
The 32-minute compilation of tracks is effortlessly smooth and is as hype as they come. Crossing from footwork to trap to fast-paced hip-hop to electronic seamlessly, Corridors has created an aggressive, energetic and frenetic mix that’s sure to get your heart pumping and feet moving.
“This mix contains some of my favourite producers I've found over hours of scouting for new tunes among the usual big guns that belt out some real intense bass tunes - crossing between some good 'ol 80bpm footwork meets juicy old-school 70s-80s samples and no bullshit bass served.” - Corridors
For a tracklist and further information, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12465-wild-city-138-corridors
Shoumik Biswas aka Disco Puppet is known for his distinctive sound. Play his latest EP, ‘Spring’, anywhere and listeners privy to the Consolidate member’s sound will instantly recognise it as his.
Disco Puppet’s experimental, leftfield electronica features soundscapes and varied sampled recordings. The electronic artist and multi-instrumentalist has a tendency to suck you right in with his unique brand of electronica, the kind that’s rare to hear in India.
After a tour in China and shows in India, it seemed due for Disco Puppet to come through with a mix for Wild City.
The Bangalore-based artist’s ethereal Wild City mix is full of tunes created by the artist himself. Flowing seamlessly, it features everything from sampled sounds of birds flying and elephants trumpeting in the distance to birds cooing and even a tabla taal on loop.
Though there are a variety of tracks on display, Biswas manages to make a half-hour long mix sound so enticing, you’ll want to rinse it all day.
For a tracklist and further information, head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12401-wild-city-137-disco-puppet
American-born, Beijing-based artist thruoutin has a sound that is instantly recognisable.
With work varying from project to project, thruoutin’s singular take on electronic music focuses on organic, lush noise. The electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist has been based in China since 2009 and has toured a multitude of countries in Asia as well as various cities in the US and Canada - featuring on several Chinese and international labels.
After piquing our interest with a few submissions, thruoutin came through with a mix for Wild City.
Just shy of an hour, this exquisite mix is full of songs you’re never going to hear anywhere else. Showcasing a diverse range of tunes coming out of China and its neighbouring countries, thruoutin spotlights genres from glitch-hop to trap, ambient, lo-fi and electronica.
It’s rare to hear a country’s sound being spread out so enticingly in a mix, but thruoutin manages to do just that. Favourites include tracks from J-Fever, Yider and the inimitable BLOODZ BOI.
For more information and a tracklist, you can head here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12299-wild-city-136-thruoutin
MALFNKTION a.k.a Aditya Alamuru has managed to carve himself a distinctive path within the Indian alternative music space.
Over the last 3 years, he has quietly been producing a blend of electronica, hip-hop and traditional Indian sounds recorded during his travels across the country. Since releasing two albums back in 2015 (‘I Killed Ramji’ and ‘Hindustani Rascal’) which immediately caught the ears of many from the industry, he has now gone on to produce beats that audiences have come to distinguish him by easily.
A near hour-long effortless blend of tunes, his mix shows off his experience and knowledge as a selector. Though there’s a tendency to repeat artists, it however allows for a seamless amalgamation of tracks.
For most listeners there will most likely be some discovery through lesser known acts such as Guts and Mo Vibez, alongside mainstays like Howie Lee, Onra, J Dilla, Tokimonsta and MF Doom.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12234-wild-city-135-malfnktion
Having only been DJ’ing for a few years Kunal Lodhia a.k.a Eng. has quickly become known for his versatility as a DJ. Known for being able to play a diverse range of genres, his sets are recognised for their ability to surprise audiences while keeping them engaged and on the floor.
A member of Mumbai-based design collective WeThePpl, Eng. is also the man behind what is now probably one of the city’s most iconic parties Grime Riot Disco as well as the co-founder of Magnetic Fields Festival.
It goes without saying that a mix was well overdue.
Full of hidden treasures, his mix takes you on a soulful, melodic trip around the world, where you find yourself immersed in jazz tunes from Guinea ('Petit Sokou' by Bembeya Jazz National) and Zambia (‘Tsegulani’ by Musi-O-Tunya & Rikki Ililonga) before crossing continents to South America and China. Eng.’s diversity as a selector also comes to the fore in this brilliant collection of tracks. His first ever recorded mix.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12166-wild-city-134-eng
Releasing music consistently for around a year now, the strength of sparkle & fade’s latest EP, ‘20’ took us by surprise.
Running for just under 40 minutes his mix is the perfect companion to grey skies, reminiscent of lost lovers and perfect for dreary mornings and lonely nights.
There might just be a number of tracks that you’ll be introduced to through this mix; the more known ones are Giraffage’s ‘Make You Love Me’ and Charle xcx’s ‘Need Ur Love’, except the latter is a japanese wallpaper remix. It’s also apt that at the end of this melancholic mix, sparkle & fade brings in ‘Dead by Christmas’ by Suicide, Part 2 -- a perfect ending to an emotional ride.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/news.xhtml/article/12090
Kavya Trehan is a restless multi-talented creative.
She has dabbled as a singer-songwriter, a model, one-half of indie pop duo Mosko and dipped her toes in TV commercials, movies and theatre.
Doing a mix for Wild City seemed inevitable and considering it was her first ever time making a mix, she’s managed to expertly put together a bevvy of beautiful tracks.
A downtempo and relaxing selection of tunes from ‘I shall not complain’ by English band Stateless to Khalid’s ‘Location’ it’s an excellent compilation. The mix never picks up speed, maintaining it’s slow, steady rhythmic base - something to listen to on a gloomy afternoon or a dismal evening (we see that as a good thing). A sure fire companion for those mysterious times.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/12025-wild-city-132-kavya-trehan
Bjorn Torske is undoubtedly one of the most influential DJs and producers from Norway who has had a significant hand in shaping the country’s electronic music scene.
The renowned creative started his career at a local radio station in 1987, following which he’s had a number of successful tours around the world, as well as his debut on Boiler Room.
With his impending arrival to India, we got in touch for a mix.
The hour-long mix from Torske is littered with gems throughout. From the opening synth-heavy track, ‘Preparing To Go’ by Mainframe right down to a Bjorn Torske & Prins Thomas original ‘Arpa’, it’s a pleasure to listen to as you while away your afternoon.
Suitable to many moods, we suggest a good listen before his upcoming tour across Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11949-wild-city-131-bjorn-torske
Monophonik’s sound is fresh, uplifting and lively.
The solo project of Mumbai-based producer Shatrunjai Dewan, Monophonik takes an experimental approach to making music. Having studied audio engineering and trained in classical piano, Monophonik believes that electronic music can be performed live without having to playback pre-recorded audio.
Curious to see what he could cook up, Monophonik dropped us a live 30-minute mix. From start to finish, the entire piece is impeccable - a testament to Monophonik’s technical and musical ability.
Using a combination of analogue modular synths, Monophonik’s mix is 100% live and drenched in high-tempo, upbeat energy that maintains relentlessness throughout. Whereas other mixes of this nature can seem draining, Monophonik’s almost seems refreshing.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11927-wild-city-130-monophonik
Hailed as one of the most progressive audio visual artists today, DJ Cheeba is revered for his distinctive style.
Recognised for his turntable and video manipulation, Cheeba is more than just a DJ; rather an audiovisual artist known for the broadest beats and the deepest video vaults. With his trademark polished blend of classic breaks, hip-hop, electronica, rock, D&B, and everything in between. Cheeba’s copy-paste style is unparalleled.
In anticipation of his gigs this week, DJ Cheeba came through with an exclusive mix for Wild City.
A high paced trip that’s neatly divided in half, it dissects the sounds of Bristol and Bollywood. It’s a sampler’s dream mix as DJ Cheeba manages to unearth gems, finding the rarest tracks, in both regions.
Encompassing a wide range of genres within the 33-minute mix, DJ Cheeba highlights the sound of Bristol with tracks such as Massive Attack’s ‘Safe From Harm’ in the first half. Flowing into a second half focussed on Bollywood he even manages to flawlessly amalgamate Shreya Ghosal’s ‘Silsila Ye Chaahat Ka’ with Chase and Status’s ‘Eastern Jam’ as the mix's last tune.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11836-wild-city-129-dj-cheeba
Monica Dogra is a multi-faceted artist who is, at once, a singer, spoken-word artist, performer, dancer, actor, writer and now most recently a DJ.
She first rose to fame as the founder and front-lady of Shaa’ir + Func, one of India’s most popular independent bands. With the duo, she performed at a multitude of clubs and festivals around the world and most recently also released her solo record ‘Spit’.
Adding to her creative repertoire - she's recently started DJ’ing - so we thought it’s only fair to get in touch with her for a Wild City mix.
One thing that’s clear on first listen is her knowledge of music. Starting with a Lupe Fiasco remix of ‘Panda’, it runs through tracks like ‘Tomboy’ by Princess Nokia, and ‘Vola’ by Karol Conka. The tracks are mixed with precision and roll through to a few cheeky classics from the likes of Beenie Man and Buju Banton.
The mix is undoubtedly a reflection of Monica’s tastes. Underpinned by a recognisable urban flavour it never seems to stray too far from an obvious comfort zone - whilst pushing forward an admirable selection.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11730-wild-city-128-monica-dogra
N*hilate has a keen ear for rhythm.
One of the country's most diverse DJs - he can effortlessly switch between styles based on the mood of a crowd. From indie and nu disco to deep house and funk, N*hilate always keeps the bevvy of dancing bodies entertained.
127 feels like a classic. A mix that cuts through tracks that a lot of us grew up with, some that we may have even discarded in our angsty teenage years. Tunes like ‘Dance Floor’ by Taste of Honey make you want to clap along to its simple, catchy beat, whilst ‘Every Kinda People’ by Robert Palmer - although remixed - retains much of its original charm only for it to close on Womack & Womack's 'Teardrops'.
The mix is a funky, energetic collection of tracks that is the perfect soundtrack to your day.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11702-wild-city-127-nhilate
Jivraj Singh has been a staple member of the Indian music scene for a while. Having dabbled in a variety of projects, first with Skinny Alley, then its alter-ego PINKNOISE, Jivraj also joined forces with Sandunes on the renowned Perfectiming project and then had a fierce collab with Amyt Datta, it’s with Parekh & Singh that Jivraj is gaining the recognition he deserves - let's not forget that he was also selected to be a Red Bull Music Academy participant in 2011.
Peacefrog Record’s re-release of the duo’s album, ‘Ocean’, is slowly taking the world by storm. The dream pop duo’s video for ‘I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll’ was internationally acclaimed for its aesthetically pleasing look and catchy melody. Off the back of this video - the duo also recently performed live on BBC Radio 6 - the first Indian act ever to do so.
It was, of course, time for a Wild City mix.
As expected and in true artistic taste, the musician decided to blend together an assortment of songs he’s been listening to on his night drives around Kolkata. He masterfully fuses ‘Mad’ by Solange, allowing Lil Wayne’s feature on it to take prominence, into the disco anthem ‘IGY’ by Donald Fagen. He slows things down with ‘Ache’ by FKA Twigs and then ‘4x4’ by Jennah Barry before raising the tempo with ‘When It Rain’ by Danny Brown before finishing the mix off with the eternal crowd-pleaser ‘Antidote’ by Travis Scott.
As you listen to the 27-minute mix, you can imagine the very route he’s taking as it slows down and speeds up dependent on the street. It starts off contemplative with serpentwithfeet and Aphex Twin tracks, adjusting your mindset to the drive and car. And on tracks like ‘Ache’, you can imagine him cautiously approaching the train tracks he passes through before pausing, looking left and right before crossing.
Despite its length, it’s one of our favourite mixes - mainly because of the variety of tunes he's managed to cram in such a short span of time.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11586-wild-city-126-jivraj-singh
Harshita Kalee, a.k.a Kaleekarma, first cut her teeth DJ’ing on the club circuit in Mumbai for a few years. During this inception period, she slowly started to gain prominence with her sets of deep house, electronica and 'ethno' techno. It’s a blend that’s over time become her signature style and replicated on her Wild City Mix.
It’s both a strange and alluring trip through her tastes and a fantastic example of how to move people through unconventional sounds. Kaleekarma manages to effortlessly incorporate Nicola Cruz’s Invocacion’ in the same trackless as s a n õ j’s ‘Basmah’. Though it doesn’t stray far from deep house, the tranquil ambience is maintained throughout.
It's a compact mix and comfortably bundles her influences together whilst also displaying her ability to find the appropriate remixes to already fantastic tracks. We've thoroughly enjoyed it.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11396-wild-city-125-kaleekarma-
Following Part 1, which we released earlier this week, we're thrilled to put out the 2nd part of Gilles Petersons's Wild City mix, and just like the first one, it exceeds expectations. On this forty-minute gem, he, again, draws from his array of records to flit effortlessly from tracks such as Joe Harriot and Amancio D’Silva' ‘Hum’, through to Dono Los Dourados’ ‘Jaipur’.
Moving away from the relaxed sub-continental sensibilities of the first mix, this one dives deep into disco. It's a much more upbeat collection of tunes, epitomised by the anthemic, ‘Fever’ by Usha Uthup. Keeping you hooked throughout the track purely through her voice, 'Fever' allows the mix to neatly flow from its western-influenced first half to the second half which is composed of predominantly Indian disco tunes.
Floating in disco tunes like ‘Jeena Bhi Kya Hai’ by Bappi Lahiri - a tune so famous, it’s still sung by grandmothers everywhere - it builds and then scales back perfectly. The outro track by Fakir Alamgir is the best way to end part 2 of this very special two-part mix from Gilles Peterson.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11290-wild-city-124-gilles-peterson-part-2
DJ, broadcaster, producer and owner of Brownswood Recordings, Gilles Peterson rarely needs an introduction. His weekly Saturday afternoon radio show on BBC 6 Music brings in two million listeners globally. He’s had the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus and Jamie xx as guests and contributes to radio stations from Austria to Australia, Ukraine to Japan.
Drawing from the depths of his collection, Wild City #123 is a beautifully strung collection of tracks. A piano laces the first twenty minutes while a subtle tabla builds in the background until it’s the core item holding the mix together as tracks weave in and out seamlessly.
Plucking obscure raagas, he blends them together perfectly with a raucous, funky, Afro-jazz track from Lasse Fernlof & His Orchestra titled ‘The Chameleon’. Around the 20-minute mark, Peterson cuts everything to allow ‘Raaga Bhoopali’ by Pandit Prannath lull you into a sense of total relaxation. The track neatly divides the two halves of the mix as the second half leaves the sub-continent for Africa and beyond while allowing the sitar and tabla to maintain control and be the focus of the mix.
A masterpiece, it cuts through his vast collection of records with selections from India, Ghana and beyond, effortlessly put together, exclusively for Wild City.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11301-wild-city-123-gilles-peterson-part-1
Mix #122 by Bill Brewster’s is warm, lively and effortlessly constructed.
He’s been DJing since the late 80s and has played everywhere from Fabric to more intimate venues around the world, equipped with a range of music that covers everything from disco, house and funk to hip-hop, Brazilian bossa nova and Latin batucadas. Bill is also frontman and founder of his own deep house record label – Forensic.
Apart from being a versatile selector, Bill Brewster is also a writer, and together with his long-term collaborator Frank Broughton, Bill has co-authored the definitive history of DJing – ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’. He’s also contributed his encyclopaedic knowledge of music to The Guardian, Independent and a number of other publications.
His exclusive mix for Wild City is one of the most fluently constructed yet – dynamic and diverse without sounding like a forced education. He kicks it off with a bit of fusion with Paikan & The Sadhus before moving onto disco, house and even a bit of reggae by the likes of Montana Sextet and Joey Negro. Clocking in at just over an hour, Bill Brewster’s selection is soulful, warm, and full and life.
Kick of your weekend right and tune in below.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11246-wild-city-122-bill-brewster
Mumbai duo Burudu keep it warm and easygoing for mix #121, exclusively for Wild City.
The two-person band made up of Nakul Sharma & Sahil Bhatia just got off a fantastic performance at Magnetic Fields in Rajasthan.
Formed in early 2012, Burudu began without the intention of creating anything specific. Its founders simply wanted to experiment and play around with sound, and the outfit they’ve formed together today reflects that organic evolution and understanding of the others’ musical sensibilities.
With an album coming soon and more gigs around the country to follow in the coming year, we thought it was about time to spread the word about the promising young act. Wild City mix #121 features a relaxed, even-tempered set of tunes within a wide range of electronica. It kicks off easy with the band's edit of ‘Unfair’ by The Neighbourhood and keeps a steady rhythm going with an ebbing amalgam of both inspirations and original tunes. The mix picks up a bit of pace at the end with some hip-hop inspired sounds courtesy Memorecks, Sango and Cardosu.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11161-wild-city-121-burudu
Japanese producer Daisuke Tanabe strings together a gentle, wintery medley of tunes for mix #120 before his India tour and performance at Magnetic Fields 2016.
Chiba born Daisuke Tanabe is an RBMA graduate known for his atmospheric production layered with delicate, often Japanese inspired melodies. The former art student has also lived and worked in London, but currently lives in Tokyo where his studio is based.
He recently announced an India tour courtesy new agency, collective and label Knowmad Records, which will also see him perform at Magnetic Fields Festival on 10 December.
Surprisingly enough, Tanabe originally comes from a techno/breakbeat background, though his current style is marked heavily by hip-hop, electronica, folk and jazz. His live shows are incredibly immersive and the producer always manages to bring in extraordinary atmosphere to his instrumental and hip-hop inspired pieced.
Daisuke Tanabe brings that sensibility to mix #120, created exclusively for Wild City. Starting off with a chilly slow burner by electro-pop duo Inoyama Land, the mix maintains a calm, soundtrack-y aesthetic till the end, with music by Ana Caravelle, Prefuse 73 and fellow Japanese minimalist musician Akiko Kiyama. It ends with a beautiful rendition of Apex Twin’s ‘avril 14th’.
Mix #120 is perfect for a foggy winter morning in a balcony somewhere far from the city.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11146-wild-city-120-daisuke-tanabe
Turkish born German resident Nene Hatun, delivers an intense and darkly beautiful selection of tracks for mix #119.
Classically trained musician and producer Beste Aydin is currently in India as part of Border Movement’s tailor-made BMR residency program. Born in Istanbul, raised in Turkey and currently residing in Berlin, Beste’s background is as varied as her music. The artist spent 7 years studying piano and composition in Stuttgart before making the bold move to electronic music, which (as she describes in this interview with Kunal Bambawale on Border Movement) was “more like a rebellion than a transition”.
Aydin’s disinclination for upholding a status quo is apparent in her moniker; the name Nene Hatun originally belonged to a 19th century Turkish freedom fighter who fought in the war against imperial Russia. But beste makes it clear that the reasons behind adopting the epithet weren’t nationalistic or political. Rather, Nene Hatun is her identification as a woman who isn’t afraid of questioning the norm.
That defiance makes itself apparent in Nene’s music, which is a genre-shifting amalgam of drone, industrial, psychedelic, vocal, dark wave, noise, experimental and techno. It also translates into her ruthlessly power-packed mix for Wild City, which features heave basslines, driving, aggressive beats and haunting melodies. If you’re expecting sparkling melodies and pretty vocals, you might be in the wrong place.
Think pitch-black warehouses that pulsate with frenetic beat and bass way past dawn...
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11089-wild-city-119-nene-hatun
Hyperdub whiz Ikonika goes all in for mix #118, exclusively for Wild City.
Sara Abdel-Hamid has been at the forefront of contemporary music worldwide ever since the release of her 2008 debut 12", 'Please/Simulacrum' via Kode9’s revered label Hyperdub. Like a lot of young producers making music in the mid and late 2000s, she was influenced by the dubstep and grime movements that were steadily taking over the UK at the time. It was the FWD and DMZ nights she attended that really shaped her earlier music.
If you’ve been keeping up you’ll know that Ikonika’s sound has mutated and evolved over the years to include various forms of house, garage, UK funky, hip-hop and more. Those bright, metallic synths, 8-bit influences and fat, bubbling basslines that we love Ikonika for never really went away though, and we’re glad for it.
Ikonika steps it up a few levels, energy wise, for mix #118. You know this is going to be a banger from the get-go, and if this is what’s in store this week for her India tour - we can’t wait. Kicking things off with Geko and Ard Ardz’s ‘Khalas’, Ikonika seamlessly blends a vigorous selection of tunes that spans everything from Jam City to Lil’ Kim and Britney. There’s also a fair amount of Ikonika’s own production peppered in there, so it’s a proper treat.
Don’t even try getting out of this one - you’re already in too deep.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11073-wild-city-118-ikonika
Hybrid Protokol pay their respect to analogue and old-skool breakbeat Wild City’s mix #117.
Kolkata duo Soumajit Ghosh and Aneesh Basu began their electronic project Hybrid Protokol about a year ago, and quickly began to make a dent in the scene with their analogue heavy approach to sound and unique live performances, that focus on synthesisers and hardware (you should seriously check out some of their live videos here).
With a common passion for old-skool electronica (think The Chemical Brothers, Prodigy et al.), big beat, synthesisers and music technology, Soumajit and Aneesh created Hybrid Protokol to rework and bring that ‘big room’ sound to audiences in their home town. They also recently released their debut, 6-track LP ‘Deep Beyond Belief’.
The early electronic throwbacks, warm analogue synths and big room four-on-the-floor patterns are exactly what you’ll hear in the Kolkata duo’s exclusive mix for Wild City. The whole thing is 30 minutes long includes older beats along with some fresher material. It’s a smooth selection that starts out dancefloor-friendly but relatively relaxed before picking up pace and varying movement. Hybrid Protokol's sound is an energetic amalgam of everything from break beat, techno, acid and house to psychadelia, with Soumajit's Indian classical training also making surprise appearances…
This is a late night banger to keep the party running on late.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/11019-wild-city-117-hybrid-protokol
You can’t help but move to Italian-Canadian DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Bruno Belissimo’s disco heavy Mix #116…
Part of a family of Italian immigrants who landed in Canada in the 70s, Bruno Belissimo spent most of his chilhood in the suburbs of Toronto, where his father owned a movie rental business (also making his own sci-fi experimental films and playing as a guitarist in Canadian fusion band Ummo) and his mother ran a small café.
The creative environment he grew up in provided the fodder for his musical abilities later on in life. He sang as a child at his church before winning a scholarship at the royal Conservatory of music in Toronto where he studied upright bass and composition. His increasing interest in electronic music later on in life led him to start producing, which - a lot like his DJ sets - is marked by movable disco beats and smooth bass lines.
Bruno takes that aesthetic forward with Mix #116 for Wild City, which sees him play with a range of disco, funk, italo-disco and house. He kicks things off with a modernised rendition of ‘Rise’ by Latin/funk American trumpeter Herb Alpert, keeping up a steady, dancefloor tailored rhythm and pace with Italian producer Luminodisco, Chilean maestro Tito Fernandez and Guinean vocalist Mory Kanté.
Get that novelty disco ball from college out of the cupboard, dusted and shiny for this one.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10817-wild-city-116-bruno-belissimo
For Mix #115, Mumbai based live analogue-duo Paraphoniks sent us an upbeat selection of current influences and old favourites, tied in with some forward thinking original production from their most recent release – Yarns.
Comprised of Shatrunjai Dewan and Sid Shirodkar, Paraphoniks has been on our radar since the released of their debut album ‘Handwired’, which we featured in our Dropbox Talent section.
The outfit has gone from strength to strength since then, performing complex and detailed live shows all over the country. Paraphoniks has also recently released their latest EP ‘Yarns’ – an old-skool, pop influenced, dancefloor-friendly record with a strong emphasis on melody. As always, there’s a heavy focus on combining more traditional live instrumentation (guitar, keyboards) with the modular synthesisers which will always lie at the heart of Paraphoniks' music.
You’ll hear a lot of ‘Yarns’ below in the duo’s exclusive mix for Wild City. Peppered with their original production is a range of electronic influences and old favourites – the mix kicks off low-key and understated with Simian Mobile Disco before quickly upping the energy with their own production. The mix illustrates the diverse selection of music that has played a role in defining their aesthetic- right from the shimmering melodies of Teebs to the wonky electronica of Norwegian producer Lido - this isn’t one to bore you.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10721-wild-city-115-paraphoniks
Mix #114 from French Toast a.k.a. Frank McWeeny is an upbeat jumble of infectious disco and house that’s tailored to kick up a storm on the dancefloor.
The ace selector has been behind the booth spinning records and as a radio presenter (his French hometown, Rennes during his teenage years before spreading out to the UK) ever since he was old enough to get into a studio. The half-English, half-French DJ and producer’s musical sensibilities and tastes were shaped early on as a child sifting through his father’s collection of funk, disco and soul.
French Toast has since caught the attention of big names in the industry including BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, the UK Radio Academy Awards and Gilles Peterson.
McWeeny took time off of a busy tour schedule to send us dance-floor burner mix #114, which represents a variety of infectious disco, house and funk beats it’s hard not to move to.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10714-wild-city-114-french-toast
Ashish Jose, better known by his alias Tarqeeb, represents the Motherland with an energetic mix that showcases some of the best dance music India has to offer right now.
Tarqeeb began his journey in electronic music in 2012 after stints in metal and psy-trance. The producer focuses largely on DnB and other offshoots of bass music, though he prefers not to confine his sound by labels. Jose also extends his creativity to the art space on Instagram.
His sets can vary from deep, sub bass room-shakers to frantic, vigorous DnB – adapted to the crowd and atmosphere. The last couple of years have seen him play in a number of festivals and venues across the world including Dimensions Festival in Croatia, NH7 Weekender, VH1 Supersonic and BASS CAMP festival, as well as opening for the likes of LAFAWNDAH, AMIT and more.
Jose does us proud on mix #113 by putting homegrown talent forward with an all-star cast of producers in the alternative dance/electronic spaces. The mix begins on a more mellow, ambient tune with Mumbai producer Echofloat before swiftly gaining speed with Singapore based Indian origin Iyer, who’s been on our radar for his impressive skills in the footwork department. Momentum’s stays steady with RBMA selectee Oceantied, the very talented SickFlip, new kid on the block Spryk as well as some familiar names like Su Real, _RHL, B.R.E.E.D. and more. The mix also features some unreleased music, as well a new outfit called Dasta, which Jose describes as "a secret supergroup which you'll hear more about pretty soon". It ends with Func’s new banger ‘Beast’.
Mix #113 is a great indicator of how the scene here has grown in the last couple of years.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10460-wild-city-113-tarqeeb
Sharath Narayn a.k.a. Cosmic Attic keeps it current on Mix #112 with a bright, forward-thinking range of RnB, electronica and hip-hop.
The first time we saw Sharath Narayan was in Chennai with his alt-rock band, and only project at the time - Black Letters. Since then, he’s launched his solo venture Cosmic Attic with an impressive debut EP, titled ‘Climb’ (reviewed here) and live performances acorss the country. The 24 year old producer/DJ has also recently been selected to participate in the third edition of the Kyta residency program in Kalga.
Sharath’s unique, pop-influenced sound is marked by dreamy, layered synths and crisp beats peppered with field recordings taken in his current bustling habitat of Mumbai. ‘Climb’ was released as a free DL on Bandcamp, and caught our eye for its evocative vocals and vibrant, pop-influenced melodies. This one’s worth keeping an eye on.
For his Wild City mix, Narayan delivers an easygoing selection of some of the more progressive RnB, hip-hop and electronica released in the last couple of years. #112 begins with a mash-up of Mndsgn’s ‘Bed’ and ‘Indefinite Leave To Remain’ by Ninja Tune’s newest prodigy Sarathy Korwar before moving on to the smooth, groove laden tunes of Kaytranada, Taylor McFerrin and Bibio. It’s also got a heady dose of rap and hip-hop beat from K. Dot, Samiyam, Clams Casino, Clipping and more. The mix ends with Cosmic Attic’s own interpretation of Shigeto’s ‘Ritual Howl’.
This is the perfect mix to play at an unhurried, laid-back evening at home with just the right number of people.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10361-wild-city-112-cosmic-attic
Mix #111 by Mumbai based Chhabb a.k.a Rahul Chhabria is a journey through rich, melodic deep house and techno that’s been tailored for the dance floor.
The DJ and producer has been has played alongside the likes of Finnebassene, German Brigante, A guy called Gerald and Popof in the past and we thought it was about time that he sent us over some new tunes to listen to.
Chhabb’s music is influenced mainly by house, acid and techno. He's an old-school crate-digger when it comes to discovering new sounds, collecting a lot of his music on vinyl during his travels.
For Mix #111, Chhabb presents and enlivening mix of deep house, techno and more, kicking off with Melbournian producer Francis Inferno Orchestra. Featuring music from the likes of Josh Milan (known best for his work with Blaze), Japanese producer Takasi Nakajima, French beatmaker Francois X and techno icon Peter Van Hoesen, this is an all out, straight-up dance mix. Chhabb pays homage to Eric Idol's pink suit at the end with The Galaxy Song from Monty Python and The Meaning Of Life.
This is a great set of tunes to get the energy up and get you set for the weekend.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10170-wild-city-111-chhabb
Toronto based Pakistani musician Ramsha Shakeel’s mix for Wild City features an evocative range of ambient, drone tailored to melt away the bustle of daily life.
Ramsha has been on our radar ever since the release of her beautiful 2015 debut EP ‘Daastanemarg’.
Summer time that year also saw the producer take part in a two week long music residency in Karachi called Soundcamp, which was initiated by production duo Gebrüder Teichmann. Artists from Gerrmany and Pakistan came together and transformed a regular house in the area into a fully stocked makeshift studio equipped with wires, cables, drum machines, synths and more.
The aim of Soundcamp was to create a collaborative album together, which was to be the inaugural release by the Teichman brothers newly-formed label NOLAND. The resulting album, called ‘Karachi Files’ finally came out last month.
Ramsha is one of the most interesting producers to come out of Pakistan right now. For Wild City mix #110, the producer takes us on an emotional journey through some of the finest ambient, experimental and classical contemporary music today by artists including Austrian musician Fennesz, Canadian noise and drone artist Time Hecker and Lithuanian experimental act The Picturesque Episodes. Ramsha’s mix also includes an incredible live performance of ‘Lobby’ by The Kilimanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble as well as the main theme of point and click browser game Samorost, composed by Floex.
Clocking in at just over half an hour, this mix is meant to transport your mind away from the commotion of city life. Listen on a good pair of headphones.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/10051-wild-city-110-ramsha
Bangalore based duo Audio Units showcases a more downtempo, laid back-side to their aesthetic in Wild City Mix #109.
Brothers Ashwin Baburao and Ashrith Baburao have been making music together as Audio Units since the early 90s. Ashwin had already established himself as a selector by 2000, playing at large festivals and venues across the country, while Ashrith dived into the self-described ‘geekier’, more technological side of things.
Audio Units’ sound traverses a range of styles within experimental, often bass heavy house and techno music tailored to suit the needs of the dance floor. Over the last couple of years, the outfit has managed to release music through labels like Dutchie Music, Deep Edition Recordings, Qilla, Soupherb and many more.
Their charismatic live lets are usually brimming with energy, which is why their laid back mix #109 for Wild City came as a bit of a surprise. The brothers forego the music they usually have to play to cater to club audiences for more downtempo, minimal and melodic electronica best heard on headphones.
Beginning with some trance courtesy H.U.V.A. network, the selection goes on to exhibit an array of experimental electronic tunes by the likes of Detroit based percussionist Shigeto and British producers Raffertie and Rival Consoles. Big names like Four Tet, Moderat and Com Truise follow in the second half along with Audio Units’ original, stellar tune ‘Grainspace’.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9846-wild-city-109-audio-units
The Mumbai based recording engineer, drummer and music producer is probably best known for his staggeringly beautiful music as one half of Nicholson. Most of Ramanna’s time, however, is spent helping other people make music at Cotton Press Studios, which he founded with the Something Relevant members in 2012.
Ro. has been in the business of music for close to a decade now, composing, producing, mixing and mastering music for television, film, radio, as well as independent musicians. On top of that, he’s currently on Nicholson’s first full-length album (after two powerful and very well released EPs) after having performed at festivals including Alchemy at Southbank Centre in London, The Great Escape festival in Brighton, NH7, Magnetic Fields and more. The coming year will also see a release with his newest independent collaborative project, Doe - with singer-songwriter Divya Lewis and guitarist Amandeep Singh.
With a resume as expansive and accomplished as his, we thought it was time we got an insight into the music that influences him.
Ro. goes old skool for mix #108, kicking it off with some smooth R&B from Erykah Badu before moving on to Thundercat’s highly talked about ode to his cat in ‘Tron Song’ (apologies in advance for the link to its video) and some neo-soul from Melbourne neo-soul outfit Hiatus Kaiyote. The second half includes some classic Dilla and more experimental sounds from Prefuse 73.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9745-wild-city-108-ro
Ninja Tune beatnik and Activia Benz founder Slugabed offers up a selection of filtered, twisted bass and metallic melody for Wild City Mix #107.
If you’re not already clued in on London based producer and DJ Slugabed, he can best be described as contemporary bass music’s leading meme informed (self confessed), polychromatic and gifted oddity. Nothing about him is completely straightforward or black and white.
Ever since he emerged on the scene as a teenager in Brighton the late 00s, where he played an instrumental role in the success of local club night Donky Pitch, the international music community has been keeping a close eye on Greg ‘Slugabed’ Feldwick.
2012 saw the release of Slugabed (a word defined on urban dictionary as “a lazy person; one who dislikes work”) acclaimed debut album ‘Time Team’, via famed UK label Ninja Tune, soon after which he decided to begin his own bizarre and diverse Activia Benz label. The producers distinct sound is an irreverent kaleidoscope of compressed hip-hop beats combined with warped basslines and glossy, metallic melody.
The energy packed, seamless mix begins with heady dose of big bass and grime with music by the likes of Flow Dan, Wiley, Zomby and Darq E Freaker interspersed with his own animated productions. The selections get weirder and more energetic as the mix goes on with tunes from some truly forward thinking tunes from Sega Bodega (off the Activia Benz camp), new BRAINFEEDER acquisition Ighlooghost, Cashmere Cat and more.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9622-wild-city-107-slugabed
Wild City Mix #106 comes from French hip-hop and electronic music producer and DJ Epic Empire.
Parisian future bass artist Epic Empire a.k.a. Fabrice Delcambre is all set to tour India at the end of the month with Mixtape. The artist, who has earned a formidable reputation for his carefully structured sets and bass heavy, hip-hop influenced electronic productions will be playing in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune from 21 to 24 April .
Epic Empire was previously known for his work with StereoHeroes before venturing out solo in his more groove and melody focussed solo project, releasing 3 EPs so far. He was recently nominated as Best Newcomer on DJ Mag France.
Delcambre stitches together a collection of hip-hop an electronic influenced bangers for Wild City Mix #106. With tracks that include remixes of popular tunes like Alessia Cara’s ‘Here’ and Rihanna’s ‘Work’ playing alongside Vic Mensa, Baauer and Goldlink, we’re sure this one’s going to be a massive crowd pleaser.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9607-wild-city-106-epic-empire
Reunion Island selector Karl Hungus delivers a diverse selection of funk for Wild City Mix #105.
Resident DJ at Sakifo Musik Festival and one of Reynion Island's biggest concert halls Kabardock, Karl Hungus is the latest contributor to our mix selection at Wild City.
Many of you will remember the expert selector from his recent India tour with Mixtape and performance at the 2016 edition of The Lost Party. He’s known to always be on the lookout for rare and unknown 50s rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco and more.
For Wild City Mix #105, Hungus shows off his selection abilities by starting off focussing on rare, groove heavy funk, R&B and soul from the likes of Rita Wright, Little Richard and Ernie Hines, before moving on to a more hip-hop influenced sound. The energy stays nice and easy throughout, making this the perfect set of tunes to kick off a cool evening in with some friends.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9448-wild-city-105-karl-hungus
Experimental Kolkata based duo JESSOP&CO. pick a diverse and immersive selection of tunes for Wild City Mix #104.
“We have no musical talent, but if we don’t do this, we will go crazy.”
We first heard JESSOP&CO. after they sent us a private SoundCloud link with this cheeky imgur attachment. They’ve held our interest since then with the debut ‘সূক্ষ্ম’ EP and more recent live performances at REProduce’s Listening Room Sessions in cities across the country. The duo is, in their words, “inspired by the decaying/rotting, the macabre discoloration of this city and its inhabitants and the various other forms of malaise (particularly those which suddenly creep up on you as you are about to descend from your favourite form of conveyance or mode of intoxication)”.
The duo employs elements of drone, noise and ambient in their music, producing some of the most foreboding, all engulfing walls of sound we’ve had the pleasure to listen to recently.
JESSOP&CO.’s forward thinking, genre irrelevant mix #104 mix clocks in at a lengthy hour and forty minutes (relatively speaking) and had us completely immersed from start to finish. They’ve decided to exclude a tracklist but you can expect everything from ambient, glitch and a sizable dose of Warp-esque ‘IDM’ with music by the likes of Autechre and Vladislav Delay, to techno and even straight up King Tubby dub.
This one might surprise you. Dive in.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9378-wild-city-104-jessopco
Bangalore based Aniruddh Menon, known best for his work with Machli and newly formed label Consolidate compiles a selection of unreleased material for Wild City Mix #103.
Menon launched his eponymous solo project last year with his impressive first EP ‘Another Summer’. However, the first time we heard of him was when he still played with Musharraf Shaikh, Sandhya Visvanathan and Maitreya Mer with Machli, a band, which despite splitting up (hopefully temporarily), remains one of out favourites to this date.
The odd Bollywood samples, unhurried mood and moody synths carried over from Machli to Menon’s solo work; most recently on ‘Ugh’ - his single on Consolidate’s debut LP ‘FRNDS &FMLY 2016’. If you’re a stickler for genres, his beat driven, sample heavy music has been described as 'left-field instrumental hip hop' by Consolidate’s label founder, Rahul Giri.
Aniruddh Menon’s debut full length released titled ‘Love Songs’ will be released via Consolidate “soon”. To tide us over, the musician has put together a collection of unreleased material that didn’t make the final cut.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9243-wild-city-103-aniruddh-menon
Pioneers of the Indian electronic scene, The Midival Punditz offer up a retrospective of their sound for Wild City Mix #102.
The past decade or so has seen an undeniably meteoric rise in the popularity of electronic music in India. In simpler times, before festivals like VH1 Supersonic and Sunburn took off (circa 1997, in the age of Anu Malik and the Colonial Cousins) Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj - known together as Midival Punditz, sowed the first seeds of a genre that was going to blow up in a way no one could imagine back then.
The duo realised early on that Western dance music didn’t connect with them in the same way that indigenous sounds did, and even now, The Punditz’ sound is instantly recognisable for its unique amalgamation of Indian classical/folk music and popular electronic genres. After making a mark on the map with their collaborative gigs with Tabla Beat Science (Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell), The Midival Punditz honed in on their vision with their event series Cyber Mehfil – a modern update on an ancient north Indian tradition of artistic gatherings. Since then, The Punditz have worked their way into the booming Bollywood space, releasing 3 albums so far and performing at a number of events in India and internationally. For Wild City Mix #102, the duo offers up a retrospective of The Midival Punditz’ sound since they began, to their freshest releases now.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/9082-wild-city-102-midival-punditz
Mumbai based musician and producer Spryk brings in 2016 with a high energy, exclusive mix for Wild City.
Fresh UnMute signee Tejas Nair is a Mumbai based producer and Tabla player who has only recently started making music as Spryk. Nair also runs an audio lab called Press Play, which works with installation sound, games and other projects.
With his debut EP slated to release later this month, we thought it was about time to shine the spotlight on his impressive work so far.
Growing up in Mumbai before making the journey South of the equator to Australia, Spryk has a cross-continental range of influences that have helped shape his music. His 40-minute mix focuses on his own work in the form of carefully produced original tracks featuring changing textures and chopped up, manipulated vocals as well as dance friendly remixes of Musemesis, SickFlip and more. Wild City Mix #101 begins on a relatively mellow note, moving on to some bass heavy goodness before ascending to frantic, D&B influenced tempos that end it on a high.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8938-wild-city-101-spryk
Wild City’s mix series turns 100 and we’re celebrating with a very special selection of tunes from Los Angeles based German producer Robot Koch, who’s all set release his new album ‘Hypermoment’ via MONKEYTOWN Records on 25 November.
The mix coincides with Koch’s second tour of the country later this month which will mark the launch of VOI Nights – a new music property initiated by British apparel company Voi Jeans and Wild City that aims to introduce fresh Indian and international acts across the country.
Robert Koch has visited to country once before in 2013 for the Border Movement SoundLab in Chennai and as the headliner for the flagship edition of Magnetic Fields Festival at Alsisar Mahal in Rajasthan, where he played an unforgettable set.
‘Hypermoment’ will be the first full-length release from the producer since his relocation to Los Angeles from Berlin. Koch tells us it’s his most personal release yet and was created after seismic shifts in his personal and professional life in Berlin. From what we’ve heard so far, ‘Hypermoment’ might see the musician’s best work to date, diving into deeper and more intimate territory with its warm analog sounds, lush piano soundscaped and haunting melodies.
Koch begins his mix with ‘Let Me’ from his excellent ‘Tsuki’ EP, featuring Born In Flamez and one of Delhi’s most forward thinking young producers, Curtain Blue, who appears twice more in ‘Erase’ and ‘Circles’. From then on the mix hops between Robot Koch’s own pristinely produced tunes (including a few gems from ‘Hypermoment’) and a jumble of songs that he’s listening to at the moment.
He mixes in some hip-hop with ‘Throw Dem Bands’ from 'Cuts Vol. 1' EP by BRAINFEEDER’s Lapalux and UK based Hyperdub signee LV’s addictive ‘Work’, along with Nosaj Thing’s ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and German composer and musician Nils Frahm’s beautiful, stripped down piano notes in ‘Re’. The mix ends with an emotive new track from Koch’s upcoming album called ‘Care, which also marks the artists’ vocal debut.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8838-wild-city-100-robot-koch
DJs, producers, label owners and veterans in the Indian electronic scene - Ash Roy and Ashvin Mani Sharma (a.k.a. Calm Chor) come together as Bit Of Both for mix #099.
There aren’t a lot of Indian acts that have been making and promoting electronic music for as long as Bit Of Both. Ashvin Mani Sharma and Ash Roy started off as founding members of hugely prolific Jalebee Cartel, which at the time also includede G "Force" Arjun (of Else If) and techno maestro Arjun Vagale.
2013 saw the launch of their imprint – Soupherb Records (here’s an old interview we conducted with Roy about it last year), a rapidly growing label that features upcoming producers in electronic music, mainly concentrated on techno, house and minimal.
Bit Of Both is a live collaborative electronic project that they launched last year. Their aesthetic is apparent in the mix they sent us – the music features minimal, repetitive grooves with gentle overlying melody and vocals (by Roy). The act’s first music video for ‘Time’ featuring Anushka Manchanda was released earlier this year (watch it here).
Wild City’s truly international mix #099 features music by the likes of German whiz Recondite, Brazillian producer and Kompakt signee Gui Boratto, Italian minimal techno musician Donato Dozzy and of course, homegrown talent and one half of bit Of Both – Calm Chor, whose tune ‘Everything is Sound’ closes the set. This is a great early evening mix to get your party juices flowing.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8643-wild-city-099-bit-of-both
Mumbai/Berlin based selector, producer and Regenerate crew member Troja goes deep for mix #098.
Trideep Roy is the latest beat maker to contribute to our expanding list of mixes here at Wild City. The Mumbai based producer and DJ has been spinning tunes across the country and established crews like Bhavishyavani future Soundz, Dusdozen and KRUNK in the past.
Troja believes his music is a product of his travels in Europe, where’s he spent a large chunk of his life. Despite having started his journey in Scotland, it’s obvious in his mix that Berlin – Germany in general – has played a major role in shaping his musical sensibilities. Troja went back to the city this summer to take up residency at Suicide Circus and play for crowds in the region. The musician is also one half of a collaborative project called Botief.
His hour long, exclusive mix for Wild City explores a range of deep house perfect to match the energy of a post party. It begins with Florian Rietze who eases things in with the pulsating ‘Treibholz’ and continues to cover a number of (largely German) gems including BLANCAh, Stephan Bodzin, Spanish producer Upercent and more.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8517-wild-city-098-troja
Wild City Mix #097 comes from an enormously talented young producer and recent Red Bull Music Academy selectee – The Sine Painter.
Jayanth Ramachandra has been on our radar since November 2014, when he innocuously contacted us on SoundCloud with two original productions. We saw promise in the relatively unknown young Bangalore based producer back then, and decided to feature his work under our ‘Dropbox Talents’ section.
We weren’t the only one’s who saw something special. In the last few months, Jayanth R has created a space for himself in our forward thinking music community, making more music and performing in his hometown and recently in Delhi.
The Sine Painter’s added another feather to his cap after the Red Bull Music Academy announced that he will the only Indian selected to be a part of their Class of 2015, set to take place in Paris in November. The achievement is especially admirable for someone with limited experience, and we hope that his example will push other young bedroom producers to not think twice and apply for the academy next year.
We got in touch with the Sine Painter for Mix #097 and it goes without saying that he did not disappoint, stitching together a very contemporary electronic set that featured some of todays most forward thinking producers.
Jayanth begins with his own mellow original production ‘Night Drive’ but quickens pace with Irish duo Bicep’s excellent (often described as “chirpy”) breakbeat number ‘Just’. There’s a healthy European (specifically German) tone to the whole thing, with appearances by Berlin’s Dave DK, and the consistently superior Hunee. Jayanth also bravely (and seamlessly) includes the 1979 track 'Hot Stuff' by Detroit funk and R&B act Raydio. The mix ends on an optimistic note with Lockha’s fresh new tune “Lawrence's Weird Joint”, which came out via Donkey Pitch earlier this month.
Mix #097 is a breezy Sunday dance mix that you should listen to on a lively day surrounded with your favourite people.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8481-wild-city-097-the-sine-painter
Bangalore native Praveen Achary explores the deep, melodic side of electronica for Wild City Mix #096.
The artist is constantly on the move performing and DJing at the countries most popular venues. As a DJ he’s known best for his unique combination of deep, tech and progressive house, though really his sensibilities have never been confined to the manacles of genre (as this mix testifies).
2013 saw the producer launch his very own label – Juicebox Music, with the aim of delivering ‘freshly packed’ sound to electronic music enthusiasts.
Praveen Achary has got good things planned for the future of his music and label – his most recent venture saw him remix a track by UK progressive trance giants Above & Beyond, featured below in his mix.
Falling just short of 50 minutes, mix #096 sees the artist delve into a side of electronica that isn’t immediately associated with his style. It starts slow and mellow with music by Turkish producer Erdi Irmak and Jamie XX, and Achary keeps the smooth, chill out vibe going with music by Shigeto, 20Syl & Monsoonsiren - only upping the tempo after the halfway mark with Henry Saiz and Art Department. Achary ends the mix on a high with his uplifting remix of Above & Beyond’s summery tune ‘We Are All We Need’, which it’s definitely worth a listen.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8344-wild-city-096-praveen-achary
Analog junkie and Mumbai resident Aqua Dominatrix stitches together a delirious collection of synth-pop for mix #95.
The musician, real name Akshay Rajpurohit, is also a guitarist for metal bands Scribe and Pangea (making his pretty, dreamy mix all the more surprising). He’s a relatively new solo producer, playing as ‘Aqua Dominatrix’ for only a year and releasing his full-bodied debut album ‘Sadomist’ earlier this year.
It’s barely crossed the 6-month mark but ‘Sadomist’ has already collected more than 11000 downloads and over 10,000 streams on bandcamp - no easy feat for any alternative producer in India. But as good as ‘Sadomist’ was, nothing quite compares to Aqua Dominatrix’s live shows. In the few short months that he’s been playing live, Akshay has opened for quite a number of notable homegrown and international musicians including Para for Cuva, the Glitchmob and Pretty Lights.
With an album due to come out later this year and a slew of shows planned for the coming months, we thought now was the right time to ask for an exclusive mix for Wild City.
Our last couple of mixes have each been better than the last and Aqua Dominatrix keeps that trend going with a euphoric selection for the summer that features some of the brightest names in synthpop.
AD starts things on a pretty epic note with Johnny Belinda by Californian beat maker Active Child. That drama soaked synthpop sound is maintained from start to finish with appearances by School of Seven Bells (which injects a wonderful shoegaze quality to the mix), ace Brooklyn based producer j.viewz, Future Islands and Essex legends Depeche Mode. The hour long mix ends with the ever-catchy ‘Tropical Chancer’ by La Roux.
Listen to the summery tunes of Wild City Mix #095 on your next beachside drive in the sun.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8301-wild-city-095-aqua-dominatrix
Karachi native and RBMA Tokyo alumni Tollcrane explores fringe electronica and left-of-centre dance in an exquisite mix for Wild City.
In the last couple of years, Talha Asim Wynn has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with, and we’re not limiting our opinion to South Asia. Also a guitarist for shoegaze and noise band //orangenoise, Talha ventured into the electronic realm after a recording session with his bandmates - “…I thought to myself, I really need to make some dance music of my own.”
What began as an unassuming idea soon ascended into what would become one of the most prolific talents nurtured out of the region. After experimenting with every genre you can think of (jazz, acid, house to name a few) under the solo moniker Tollcrane for a couple of years (his debut EP Bébo came out in 2011). Talha went on to apply and get selected for the 2014 Tokyo edition of the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy.
As for his sound – it’s uniquely, indescribably Tollcrane. ‘Balanced’ is the key word here – he bombards his listeners with layers upon layers of noise and pummeling beats, while at the same time displaying a restraint over his production seen in the rarest of musicians.
Tollcrane demonstrates that (almost paradoxical) controlled maximalist aesthetic in Mix #094. His selection of tangential dance music, with its visceral forward thinking techno leaning is stitched together like a dream, getting steadily bigger but never overwhelmingly so. The mix also features a bunch of unreleased gems from the producer, some of which are to be released very soon on his upcoming album.
We’re just going to put it out there – this might be one of our favourite mixes from this realm - yet, and it only gets better with every listen. Listen to Wild City Mix #094 on a good soundsystem in a warehouse with a couple hundred more people (ideally).
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8234-wild-city-094-tollcrane
Mumbai based electronic producer Kumail shares a rich, emotive mix for Wild City.
The 21-year old music maker has been making music for 4 years now and has put out two EPs so far – his debut ‘Flashbulb Memories’ and the recently released ‘Shift’ EP – a meticulously produced, cleverly constructed downtempo collection of music, reviewed in detail here. Kumail is now signed to Mumbai based booking agency KRUNK and has played a number of shows in the last year, recently opening for Malaysia based duo Bass Sekolah.
Influenced by a range of sounds from minimal and ambient (apparent in his work) to rap and dubstep, his music aims to extend beyond the confines of a club, exploring ethereal and cerbral realms that work best on a set of headphones.
His exclusive mix for Wild City is shorter than what we’re used to (clocking in at just over half an hour) but packs in a quality assortment of relatively contemporary, beautiful tunes. Shlohmo (a major influence) kicks things off with ‘Same Time’, followed by the cinematic, jazz inflected sounds of Adult Jazz, High Water and Skalpel. The second half of his mix adds a layer of hip-hop and melodic rap with King Krule and a couple of tracks by the astoundingly talented Teebs.
This is quality listening, tailored for a wandering mind.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8093-wild-city-093-kumail
Indian born, Canada based Iyer turns in a rattling selection of footwork for Wild City Mix #092.
It isn’t a surprise that Iyer, with his background in classical Carnatic music, has explored a vast range of genres in his years making music. Though his main area of expertise remains drum n’ bass, the producer has also played with elements in UK garage, dubstep, house, and more recently, footwork.
His technical finesse, bold production and ambitious mixes of different styles of music from across the world have helped him cement a place in Singapore’s music community. Iyer’s is currently involved in pushing forward thinking sounds off his digital label Phyla, while pursuing a Bachelors degree in Applied Sciences in Ontario, Canada.
Iyer’s exclusive mix for Wild City begins with the oddest two minutes we’ve heard on any of our mixes so far – a giggling intro of Yogi B and Natchatra’s rendition of ‘Go Shorty’. The producer keeps the hip hop vibe going with Sid Vashi’s first-rate Danny Glover cover followed by some laid back beats from Akeem before making the audacious transition to the beat heavy 160 bpm footwork that dominates the rest of his mix. Mix #092 also features some exceptional new work from Iyer and Oceantied a.k.a. Ketan Bahirat (who "might just be India’s answer to the global 160 BPM movement" according to Rahul Giri.).
This is high octane stuff.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/8003-wild-city-092-iyer
Sri Lanka’s SMPRSN (alternate alias Daffy Maestro) is the next selector to contribute to our growing music division here at Wild City.
The Kandi based artist, known to his peers as Gihan Senevirathne, has been making tunes at home since the late 90s. He put out his debut four track EP ‘Home’ on Soundcloud under the name Daffy Maestro in 2013, playing with lo-fi, bass centric electronic sounds with a touch of experimentation.
He came into the spotlight as Daffy Maestro in 2010, after he began contact with Border Movement and Colombo based DJ, producer and label owner Asvajit. The last year has seen him play live in his country and also recently in Mumbai for the Border Movement Sound Lab, where he performed and collaborated with acclaimed Indian and German acts including Sandunes, Aqua Dominatrix, SnowShoe and Sasha Perera, Toto Wolf and Oren Gerlitz - together known as Perera Elsewhere.
Senevirathne’s Wild City Mix echoes the streamlined auditory aesthetic of SMPRSN which explores the dark contemporary bass and future garage inflected electronica that hs influenced the artist. You’ll notice a lot of familiar names and possibly familiar tunes in this star studded mix, which, with featured artists like Nosaj Thing, Burial, FlyLo, Amon Tobin and so many more, can really do no wrong.
SMPRSN’s mixtape begins with some warm 80’s synth jams courtesy Come Truise and gets progressively dancier and at times, darker, with some stellar electronic compositions. Its sound takes a bass heavy turn midway with The Bug’s taking over, then moves on to the splintered beats, ghostly samples and earworm vocals of Burial and Ghostek and ends on a surprising ambient note with Need A Name.
We recommend a good pair of headphones for this one. Tune in, you’re going to like it.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/7948-wild-city-091-smprsn
Wild City #090 comes from Karachi based electronic producer TMPST – a genre bending artist who’s been at the forefront of the Pakistani scene for some time. With the third edition of the (Pakistan focused) Border Movement Lounge in India taking place tonight at the Max Mueller Bhavan, we thought it’s about time that we featured another exclusive, carefully curated mixtape from our contemporaries in the west.
Asfandyar Khan is the man behind the 2-step, garage inspired beats and synths of TMPST as well as a range of downtempo, often hauntingly composed ambient music he records under his own name. He’s been making music since 2010 and equipped with nothing other than a guitar, released his first album, titled ‘Snow Makes Things Perfect’. The musician’s affinity for bass and beat only became apparent in 2012 with the birth of his ‘post-dubstep’ and garage inspired outfit TMPST.
Despite TMPST’s foray into the world of bass however, he never quite manages to let go of the ambient sounds that began his journey and that peculiar seepage is what makes his sound to interesting. His last EP ‘Serpentine’ sees garage influenced choppy female vocals combined with undulating, atmospheric basslines and deep, dub wubs cleverly juxtaposed against drawling, emotive synths.
TMPST’s exclusive Wild City Mix begins with an original ambient track by Asfandyar Khan. Apart from some excellent tunes by the likes of Lapalux and DEFT, this mix also features a bunch of music from the region. That includes some unreleased sounds by Asfandyar’s FXS peers, including a particularly impressive, unnamed mix closer from its founder Dynoman.
Mix #090 starts on a placid note and ends on a high, occupies a comfortable space between your headphones and the dancefloor. It’s made of versatile stuff.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/7820-wild-city-090-tmpst
Maitreya Rajurkar a.k.a Midland Sparks is the face of and one half of Pune based DJ duo; Tripshot Crew. An independent project started with the aim of exploring untraditional, modern day bass music that has influenced him so greatly and shaped the release of his excellent debut EP ‘Rundrum’ last year.
Keeping this in mind, it's no surpirse that Rajurkar explores a wide range of genres within this project - all that fall under the vast umbrella of latter day bass. His impeccable mix proves this, by showcasing everything from hip-hop and trap to drum n’ bass and footwork - curated and arranged for discerning listeners with a meticulousness that true devotees of modern electronica will immediately recognise.
The mix begins on a high note with a Nicolas Jaar retake on Shlohmo’s ‘Rained The Whole Time’, keeping energy levels right up there with that sublime combination of hip-hop instrumentation and bass in acts like DZA and the incredible Romare, which make appearances in its first half.
The latter half of the exclusive mix gets heavy on wubby dubstep, dark dancefloor and pulsing bass drums (particularly in Moresounds ‘Blood’). He represents homegrown talent with SickFlips’ ‘Chamshen’ and of course, generously injects the dance friendly sounds of Midland Sparks into the mix. His collaborative track with Blent (check out his mix for us here) ‘Hinder’ is particularly impressive and blends in seamlessly with the esteemed lot it’s surrounded by.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/7662-wild-city-089-midland-sparks
Our latest Wild City mix comes from talented Austrian producer and DJ - B.Visible. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the beatsmith was also present at Magnetic Fields Festival last year. Those who were present would remember him for his robust, melodic and beat punctuated set that had heads dancing, full throttle, at the most unearthly hours of the morning.
B.Visible found his calling in 2004, after getting his hands on a pair of turntables. He soon fell in love with the art of DJ'ing and naturally made it into the world of production not long after, influenced heavily at the time by Golden Era sounds.
The producer debuted under French label Cosmonostro with his two part EP series ‘Chaos and Order’. The first of the series - ‘Chaos’, was released last year and saw B.Visible play with lush synthwork, choppy vocal samples and immersive drum patterns. The second part ‘Order’, which came out barely a month ago, certainly packs a punch and delivers some incredible dancefloor music, slightly higher on the bpm range than its predecessor. You can stream and download ‘Order’ here.
B.Visible’s Wild City mix sees the producer focus on a hip-hop heavy range of sounds interspersed with some of his own beats off the new EP. Fellow Cosmonostro member Vect kicks things off with some great strings on Mr. Iceberg, followed by the fractured keys of Persian Emperor. The mix ends with a fantastic rendition of Toronto band BADBADNOTGOOD’s incredible track Kaleidoscope.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/7439-wild-city-088-bvisible
You’d probably recognise Taru Dalmia as the face behind popular ska/jungle/reggae/dub act - Delhi Sultanate and as a member of D&B and jungle collective, BASSFoundation. His solo venture - BASSFoundation Roots goes back to basics and explores the sounds that initiated dub and jungle music in the early years, dedicating itself to reggae roots and keeping things strictly analogue.
The vinyl only policy comes as resistance to “the new wave of dance music played off laptops with a ‘louder-the-better’ attitude” (as is described on BFR's website), hearkening back to the days of vinyl old school soundsystem culture.
BASSFoundation is signed to booking agency KRUNK, which tells us that Delhi Sultanate spent the better part of 2014 pressing his tunes on wax and building an enviable box of rare dubplates from some of reggae’s biggest influencers. His Wild City mix includes some of those rarities, making it truly one of a kind.
The mix was in fact stitched together before the 2014 edition of Magnetic Fields Festival, but with all the hustle and bustle, it was hard to give this little gem a good listen and upload in time. By all accounts however, his performance in the bedouin village was an absolute stormer. He’s since even released a video for his interpretation of ska tune ‘Summertime’ by Monty and the Cyclones with partner in crime, Begum X.
BASSFoundation Root’s 40 minute mix starts off with a very special tune, which features trombonist and one of the original composers and members of the legendary The Skatalites – Don Drummond. Capleton’s ‘Badmind’ dubpate remix was a special treat as was the excellent, surprise (and still to be released) track by Delhi Sultanate called ‘Run The Place’. The excellent mix also features some fantastic hip hop sounds in its latter half (particularly Movado's 'Lighters Up', minus Snoop Dogg this time). Worth a download for absolutely anyone, i.e. you don’t have to be a roots reggae aficionado to enjoy its classic dance grooves.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/7347-wild-city-087-bassfoundation-roots
To call DJ Vadim a prolific performer would be a gross understatement.
On an average, the selector performs 170 to 180 shows a year and has played in over 63 countries. 64 post December, of course, since he’ll be performing for the first time in the subcontinent at Magnetic Fields Festival in Rajasthan.
The producer and DJ was born in Saint Petersburg - Russia (then Leningrad, USSR), raised in London and now splits his time between Berlin and New York. In 1994, Vadim founded his own independent record label ‘Jazz Fuzz’ but signed to Coldcut’s legendary indie label Ninja Tune the following year and in 2007, moved to his current label BBE (Barely Breaking Even). His music, which combines, hip-hop, soul, reggae and electronica has led him to perform with massive names in the industry including DJ Krush, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Prince, Public Enemy, Dilated Peoples, Kraftwerk, Fat Freddys Drop, Super Furry Animals, and Paul Weller.
Vadim’s sound ranges from percussion heavy rhythms and classic hip-hop to organic, soulful composition but for his exclusive mix for Wild City, the producer stuck to the accessible sounds of reggae/dancehall combined with a heavy dose of low end infused bass and drums.
The mix clocks in at just over 50 minutes and melts one track to the next immaculately; it also really makes you wish you were on a sun drenched beach, beer in hand and feet in water. If you’re planning a chilled out pre-gaming evening to get you in a the mood, this is the one.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/7151-wild-city-86-dj-vadim
Rohan Hastak started making music the traditional way – on a guitar, as part of a live band called ‘Kuru’ while he was based in Canada. But his musical identity now as Big City Harmonics is anything but traditional - inspired by pioneers of contemporary electronica such as Four Tet and Nightmares on Wax, the musician released his beat driven debut EP, called Foreword to hugely positive reviews last year.
A bit like his own music which tends to rest in the zone that lies between uptempo dance and bedroom listening, Rohan Hastak’s mix is difficult to define, but unsurprisingly high on quality.
He begins his assembly on an unusual note, layering Allen Ginsberg’s reflective poem - ‘The Sunflower Sutra’ over the atmospheric plinks of Air’s ‘Alone In Kyoto’. Hastak’s little patchwork tapestry of sound includes some familiar top-notch electronica acts ranging from Boards of Canada and Little Dragon to Nosaj Thing, Brian Eno and homegrown talent, Dualist Inquiry. His interpretation of Flying Lotus’s ‘Camel’ layered over his own track – ‘The Thickness’ is particularly impressive.
Big City Harmonic's unhurries, yet complex mix is an absolute treat for lovers of contemporary sound, best appreciated with headphones on. Comes highly recommended.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/6861-wild-city-085-big-city-harmonics
Machli was formed in 2013 in a small colony called SFS in a satellite town outside of Bangalore by Aniruddh Menon, Musharraf Shaikh, Sandhya Visvanathan and Maitreya Mer, and we’ve been smitten by their sound since we stumbled upon them earlier this year.
Despite only releasing a handful of singles on their SoundCloud page, the oddball bunch of art and design students caught our attention with their curiously experimental brand of music, unquestionably producing some of the most interesting and complex sounds this year. Their style tends to be contemplative, sometime melancholy, but always hopeful and affably unpretentious. Each band member brings his or her inspiration and sensibility to Machli so it’s of little wonder that the exclusive mix that they’ve created for us is so diverse. This is a heady amalgam of sounds that despite its outwardly chalk-and-cheese appearance, works surprisingly well.
Machli’s mix fluctuates between a variety of music from the mellow, jazz grooves and beats of Trilok Gurtu, to the indie pop noises of Vampire Weekend. Throw in a pinch of heavy rock and a generous dose of RD Burman and Kishore Kumar and what you get is an unconventional, yet strangely appealing mishmash of sounds that despite the range of genre, turns out mellow, relaxed and introspective, without being gloomy.
We'd listen to Machli’s mix on a long road trip out of town, windows lowered, ideally on a cool, grey autumn’s day.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/…ity-082-arnav-s
One of India's longest running and most prolific stage names; Gaurav Raina - as one half of the Midival Punditz - is a familiar name for music lovers and peers alike.
In a step in a new direction, his solo project 'GRAIN', showcases a musician within a musician. Sonic textures that are deeper, darker – even melancholic – zigzagging through genres with confidence. In our eyes, some of his most technically adept and exciting output thus far.
‘Grey to Silver’ is GRAIN’s debut LP out this month via Times Music. Featuring collaborations with the likes of Karsh Kale, Monica Dogra, Anoushka Shankar, Ankur Tewari, Brooklyn Shanti and Talia Bentson - it doesn’t disappoint.
Like something created by any of the worlds longest standing producers, Grey To Silver will want you to pat yourself on the back for sticking with it. It's beautiful, ugly and also a little bit weird. And in that vain so is his Wild City mix.
In an unexpected turn from the producer it includes tracks from acts such as The Bug, Darkside, Atoms For Peace and Zola Jesus. One more of these forms of output that reveals more and more about its creator over time. An inspiring example of how, free of pressure, Raina has blossomed into something definite, yet at his own pace.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/6550-wild-city-083-grain
Dubai based Arnav S began learning classical music from the tender age of 3, setting a foundation for his future creativity in a wide range of musical styles. By 2004, he had composed and produced music for films, documentaries, fashion shows, video games, mobile apps, TV commercials and even corporate videos; showcasing a broad musical palette that included genres such as orchestral, blues, jazz, pop, and electronic. In 2013 he even went on to create an online marketplace for filmmakers and music composers called 909 Music; a platform to buy and sell royalty-free music for all types of media.
And it didn't stop there.
With his debut EP 'Running Outta Words' released on One28 Recordings in early 2014, Arnav S set the stage for his electronic music career supported by a hit remix from Sasse, which received airplay on John Digweed's Transitions Radio Show and widespread support from DJs such as Martin Landsky, Maceo Plex and even M.A.N.D.Y.
Whilst his upcoming release is set to come out on Sasse's Moodmusic Records later in the year, we can tell you that there's only big things in store with this young producer, and rightly so.
Of course it was about time we got in touch for a mix.
A pretty timeless sounding compilation, it touches upon tracks from the likes of Chet Faker, Maya Jane Coles and even Art Department whilst retaining a laid-back and coherent energy. Not shy for his love for bold, pop-leaning vocals, Arnav S has given up a mix that will work poolside on a summer afternoon or at that late night after-party. We're certainly digging it.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/6444-wild-city-082-arnav-s
It’s obvious to state that club music usually sounds best in a club, but for Delhi based AlterState - this stands especially true. Hearing tracks from any of the producer's featured in this mix, loud, in a dark room can sometimes make you feel incredibly insignificant. Fuelled by bass sounds that hit like electric shocks, modern day dubstep (trying to recreate the original take on dub inspired bass music) is quite literally at the most exciting part of its evolution.
More and more labels such as SYSTEM Music (run by V.I.V.E.K who played Magnetic Fields Festival last year) are deciding to focus more and more energy on vinyl - sticking true to the philosophy of 'dub' - and salvaging a sound that would have otherwise been lost under a blanket of wobbles and machine-crafted shrillness.
A long time supporter, Sudan has been always been stage side, tagging along for the ride. That is not to say, he's in any way focused on bass music. A full-time electronic music aficionado his DJ sets also revolve around some of the most cutting edge sounds from the house, techno and D&B world. He's also an artist manager at Delhi based Unmute Agency, yet most importantly, he's a straight up music geek.
Right from the very start, his mix is brimming with energy. Wild City #081 quite simply grabs you by the back of the neck and takes you somewhere else entirely. Featuring tracks from the likes of Pangea, RDG, LAS, ID, Icicle and Jack Sparrow - it doesn't fail to explore the dynamics on offer either.
Running for just under an hour, it showcases the purist within this young music lover. And with more and more production in the pipeline, we suspect there'll be more proof of this soon.
This is not a session for the faint hearted.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/6255-wild-city-081-alterstate
Born in Baghdad, raised in New Delhi, and now expanding further around the world spreading his message of cross-cultural understanding through the common denominator of music - Mohammed Abood a.k.a. DJ MoCity is a music entrepreneur that's been hustling his way around Asia and beyond for the past decade.
With roots firmly based in hip-hop, he has entertained crowds and organised events all over the India whilst also being the creative force behind “Dubstation” at Bacardi NH7 Weekender. A stage that has tirelessly promoted genres such as dub, reggae, hip-hop, glitch-hop, dubstep and drum and bass – all on a large mainstream platform.
Don't forget the Rajahs either. The last five years have seen DJ MoCity, Diggy Dang and Mr Herbalist, turn their infectious passion for reggae music into a national sensation as Reggae Rajahs. Their enthusiasm and determination has seen them create strong international bonds placing India firmly on the tight-knit reggae map whilst consciously sharing their achievements with a very real and dedicated fan base. Five years has even seen the clan grow from three into five with new recruits Ziggy B and BeLights.
As a solo figure, DJ MoCity is evidently a forward thinking DJ.
Moving through a whopping 70 tracks in just over 100 minutes, the session on hand is rife with pulsing rhythms, R&B grooves, and washy synths yet with the music never feeling hurried. We suspect MoCity's current favorites feature heavily in proceedings, with a few selections also coming from local producers based in both India and Pakistan.
On a technical level, the transitions are generally pretty short, with one track subtly and quickly fading into the next. And while the mix has its bumper moments, the overall pace is beat heavy and groove consistent.
It's not hard to figure that MoCity clearly knows where the dancefloor is located, yet at this point he's just showing off his impressive beat catalogue, and we're happily tagging along for the ride.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/6204-wild-city-080-dj-mocity
Once the lead guitarist of Colombo based progressive jazz-rock band 'Powercut Circus', Asvajit has made a name for himself as one of the most respected and forward thinking electronic musicians to emerge out of post-war Sri Lanka.
Apart from producing solid dancefloor bangers and whipping ravers into a frenzy, Asvajit is also a professional book designer, Ableton Live instructor and founder of Sri Lanka’s first independent underground record label, Jambutek Recordings. As well as this, he's also the co-founder and driving force behind the underground electronic music collective Bang Bang which has hosted a variety of events across Sri Lanka since 2010.
In short, he's a bit of a Sri-Lankan legend.
Playing at some of the island’s largest events, Asvajit has built a healthy following around his own original compositions as well as his energetic DJ sets which feature a broad range of genres ranging from dub techno right through to tech, house, dub, reggae, nu-jazz, funk, electro-swing and even hip-hop.
Don't be fooled either. Asvajit is an international performing artist in high demand. Over the years he's played at London's Koko, Egg, Rhythm Factory and Nooned as well as Unbox Festival in New Delhi, now defunct Kater Holzig (Berlin), Fusion Festival (Larz) and Worldtronics Festival at the iconic Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin.
He's our #079.
Clocking in at just over 60 minutes, the mix starts slow, gradually warming up proceedings by thickening the percussion and slowly migrating towards more kicking house and techno sounds. This path however is filled with long, loping twists and turns, as Asvajit is far too skilled a DJ to get bogged down in any particular groove. After all, he's had his fair share of hours in the club, and is clearly capable of putting all of that experience to good use.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/6047-wild-city-079-asvajit
20 year old Bangalore based producer Nathan Menon’s collaboration with Tom Day resulted in what is possibly the single most beautiful track released in 2013.
Picked by Border Movement and the #1 artist to watch out for in 2014 completely off the back of 'Love Is Rare, "Menon displayed tremendous vocal ability: a falsetto unironically comparable to Justin Vernon or Jai Paul."
Apart from the EP he made with Tom Day, Menon’s output has almost been exclusively via sporadic uploads on SoundCloud. A few mixes, collaborations and tracks that are in effect enough to have us expecting something pretty interesting from this young kid.
We've spoken to him in depth and know that there's some special collaborations on the way, as well as some new production that he's hopefully going to be ready to debut by the end of the year. Until now, we've managed to source a tasty little precursor and insight into the sonic mindset of Monsoonsiren.
Like Monsoonsiren himself, the mix is difficult to define, only heightened by his decision to include one of his own productions at the very end. In just 35 minutes, Menon moves through a lot of music, maintaining a fairly straight cut vibe. And despite all of the music's familiar elements, there's still no one else out there who sounds quite like him, when taking into consideration his choice of samples and tracklist.
“So, here’s my bipolar mixtape. Put on some headphones and eat some Parle-G." - Monsoonsiren
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5766-wild-city-078-monsoonsiren
Aniket Vidyadhar a.k.a Blent is a Mumbai based music producer and game designer.
Having only stepped into the production limelight in the last year, his debut collection of tracks; Dusk EP - released in September last year - was a warm and delicate listen made entirely out of sampled content:
"I do this thing I like to call micro-sampling. I chop everything up and manipulate it using effects. So if I take one note, assign it to the sampler and screw with it, I can make it into an instrument itself. See, I’m not the most technically proficient musician but I believe I’m musically inclined. I like collecting new sounds. I spend 90% of my time listening to music, and 10% making it." - Aniket, in an interview with NH7
On a primary listen, there's little question that his work is "deep", a word maybe thrown around a little too much these days. Yet in Vidyadhar's case, his sensibilities have a lot more to do with the actual depth and nature of his music rather than any form of sonic expression. He's long been associated with Bangalore Consolidate, a collective with a short history of pushing cutting edge electronica coming out of - yes, you've guessed it - Bangalore.
His mix is short and flies by in a flash, a listen that's only heightened by Vidyadhar's continued passion for straight laced beats. Some classics do pop up from time to time, but on the whole, the mix is a sonic exercise full of slick drums, booming bass, and solid groove. To top it off, it ends in an original track made in collaboration with Pune based electronica duo; Castles In The Sky.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5793-wild-city-077-blent
MadStarBase is an international music crew with members representing USA, UK, Jamaica, and India.
New Delhi based production and DJ duo Ase (Anant Ahuja) and dubSekhri (Neal Sekhri) are the Indian flag bearers, producing original cuts as well as a staggering array of bootlegs and remixes. The tag-team are also resident DJs at the House of bhane. and are known for spinning a selection of space age, future music infused with classic hip-hop, reggae and dub.
Also involved in the development of bhane’s online music portal - bhane.FM, they curate mixes and playlists from DJs, producers, and music lovers around the world to give listeners a place to find fresh artists and soundtracks at any time of the day, at the click of a button.
This weekend (2-4 May), MadStarBase will be performing at bhane.live - a 3 day pop-up music festival - officially launching bhane.WIP, the flagship bhane. store as well as bhane.FM. They'll be playing alongside a host of some of the nation's freshest and most exciting musicians. Some of these include Curtain Blue, Frame/Frame, Nanok, Your Chin, When Pandas Attack and more.
Taking us past our diamond anniversary, mix #076 comes full of surprises. Opening with an original bootleg, it blasts through tracks from the likes of Rain Dog, Hayden James, Darkside, Flume and Branko whilst still dipping into original bootlegs and production from this dynamic duo.
"This set was mixed by Ase and dubSekhri. It begins with a newly released MadStarBase remix and features some of our other work along with tracks we jam to and take inspiration from. At about 30 minutes we get into 113 BPM, taking the set into a zone of groovy and funky house tracks which will definitely get you in the party mood." - MadStarBase
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5618-wild-city-076-madstarbase
Gold Panda, My Panda Shall Fly, Alien Panda Jury and now When Pandas Attack.
What the fascination is with putting the word Panda in you band or DJ name, I can't exactly comment on. What I have observed however, is that it seems to be prevalent in acts truly pushing boundaries within their respective genre.
The newest and youngest member of the 'Panda' society is When Pandas Attack - Delhi based musician and graphic designer Ankur Chauhan - someone who's recently popped up, quite literally out of nowhere and created official remixes for the likes of Sandunes and Monsoonsiren as well as uploaded a ton of tracks to his SoundCloud.
In general, electronic artists bringing organic warmth to their recordings are few and far between - yet Pandas does this in a raw and clear cut manner - one of a handful of artists capable of crafting a widescreen and organic-sounding world - full of dynamic space.
In line of that thought his mix comprises of a relatively down-tempo disposition: easy listening for those who’ve reached the dazed dawn after a wild night out, or for those making the best use of aural interlude. Its incremental progression is an insight into exactly what makes this kid tick - notable but, in the grand scheme, not revelatory. Maybe still, a touch mysterious - just the way we like it.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5533-wild-city-075-when-pandas-attack
It's Mixtaped! week here at Wild Cit and we're helping the head honcho celebrate.
Tomorrow night, it would have been a year since the little 'micro party' started by Reji in one of Bandra's smallest clubs - turns one. Not only has this weekly been programmed with great fluidity, it's hosted some rather surprising never-before-seen scenesters from various pockets of Mumbai. An inspiration for our new weekly; Conference.
Since stepping into the world of DJing back in 1998, Reji hasn't looked back. Today he holds a residency at venues across southern India, as one of the most prolific names in Mumbai's booming alternative and electronic music scene.
Just 2 years after steppping into the game, wanting to give back, he also designed and implemented his own syllabus at some of the best DJ schools in Mumbai; training more than 500 men and women in the art of DJing, turntablism and music production. He's also proved himself time and time again as a battle DJ by winning the DMC (Pune - 2000), Times War of the DJs (Mumbai - 2007) and Kingfisher Ultra DJ (2010) championship titles through the years.
The last 12 months have however been pivotal for Reji's career, being scouted to be a course director, author and instructor of the educational modules of DJing at The True School of Music, India's biggest and most contemporary music university.
And then of course, there's Mixtaped!.
One of the very first people we asked for a mix at Wild City, we're thrilled to be able to add him to the list. A genre defying selector, this is a recorded insight to just exactly what a live Reji set can and cannot do. Ripped from a Mixtaped! session, we'd recommend you're not put off by the shaky start. Play it loud.
"I had recorded this short set just for kicks during one of my nights at Mixtaped! You could hear my friend Tally and I messing around with some scratching in the start of the set. This set was made using 2 Pioneer CDJ 900's and 1 Pioneer DJM 900 mixer." - Reji
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5444-wild-city-074-reji
"In a movement that may surprise some, a fresh new wave of DJs and producers are bursting forth from the burgeoning house music scene in India and making an international impact." says this young man's bio.
A part of the steadily growing Unmute army, Vipul is a Delhi based DJ and producer that once upon a time was heavily influenced by DJs and artists such as Darin Epsilon, Sasha, John Digweed, Robert Babicz, Chris Micall, Audiofly and Tim Davison.
His skills behind the 1's and 2's in his early days quickly earned him a residency at one of Delhi’s biggest clubs allowing him to play across the entire range of house music. Soon enough, within what was a small and introvert scene, he found himself sharing the stage with the likes of Tim Davison, Dr Norman Doray, Inland Knights, Alex Niggemann and more.
He's since even contributed music to global labels such as Subtract music, Sick Watona, 925 Digital, Whose Haus, Lowbit, Endemic Digital, Budenzauber, City Life, Virtual Love and 3AM Recordings.
From reading the above, you might think we're talking about a straight up house, techno and tech-house DJ and producer. Well, you are wrong.
With influences ranging from dance music, right through to orchestral composition, electronica and hip-hop, Vipul is an extremely serious music lover. And curious of these stylistic tendencies, we invited him to put together an exclusive mix for Wild City.
Listening to the selections, it quickly becomes clear that Vipul's preference for decidedly ambient, and beat orientated sounds are much intact here and more tied to a general vibe than any sort of strict genre regimen. The 60-minute mix surprisingly includes cuts from the likes of Bonobo, right through to Daft Punk, Bank and even Younger Brother - much of which isn't exactly brand new, or cutting edge - but never for a second stopping the podcast from sounding fresh and exciting.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5434-wild-city-073-vipul
New Delhi based Hamza has attained a reputation as a pioneer of the house music scene in India and one of the most innovative and exciting producers nationwide. Pushing a diverse and international sound, he's influenced by his strong musical background as well as growing up in India and traveling the world, living in cities such as Paris, Boston and New York.
Hamza combines deep, tribal, and funky sounds with strong world music influences. This is evident when you put your ear to anything coming out on the Wind Horse Records camp - a label he set up back in 2011.
From its very first release Wind Horse quickly garnered attention from notable figures such as Dubfire, Peter Kruder (Kruder & Dorfmeister), Richie Hawtin, Quentin Harris, and Tom Findlay (Groove Armada). Hamza also used the label's channels to work with some of the biggest names in world music, including Punjabi vocalist Jasbir Jassi, Tibetan singer-songwriter Yungchen Lhamo, and David Hykes, the only western vocalist specialising in Mongolian chants. After additional EPs and albums from Indian artists like Vipul, Audio Units, Vinayak^A, and international artists Mink and Gion, the label recently celebrated its twentieth release: Hamza’s debut artist album, Gitano.
Gitano was a masterpiece. Taking in the sounds of guitars, trumpets, congas and timbales of folk percussion, it instantly turned these ever-recognisable sounds in to club-friendly rollers. Incredibly balanced music, it's held together by tribal percussion that seems to be in a continuous state of forward motion. Yet a straight 4x4 beat holds everything together, a solid kick and clap combo that makes the album compatible with electro and techno.
One of those long time coming mixes, #072 in the series is a celebration of this release.
Over the course of more than an hour, it shows continual emphasis on synthesised melodies, unobtrusive rhythms, airy vocals and an upbeat tone. Even when he digs deep into his archives, there's something familiar about the music on offer, not to mention a real sense of continuity from one song to the next.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5366-wild-city-072-hamza
Jamblu is the solo project of Peter Cat Recording Co. multi-instrumentalist Kartik Pillai. An extremely talented indivdual who's been dabbling with experimental electronic music since 2007.
Late last year he dropped his debut LP 'Depth Training'. A 9-track album that brought together influences from artists such as Telefon Telaviv, Cymatic Frequencies, DJ Krush, Meditative Music, Infections and Birds whilst simultaneously creating one of the most experimental, immersive and brooding pieces of music to come out of India in a very very long time.
Continuously inspired and turned on by chance music, a lot of the tracks contained glitches, manipulated overloads and feedback. Something that made it feel organic and gave it continuous flow, despite its sullen mood;
"Through the LP, I wanted to represent evolution and its tangents. It's for this reason that the mood is not constant. It's an aerial and sometimes submersed perspective where whatever catches your eye will create the base of your understanding for the songs. It's best heard in order and in one sitting."
We were greatly impressed by the record and decided to get in touch with him for a mix. As an integral part of Peter Cat Recording Co, he clearly has some of the most established stylistic tendencies - offering an ability to go from hushed to piercing without laboring over the transition; expressing anxious vulnerability better than so many other producers.
Running for just over an hour, the mix is both an easy and uneasy listen. Featuring almost every track from the album, it also curiously also features an excerpt of Allen Ginsberg's poem 'America'. Give it a listen here:
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5276-wild-city-071-jamblu
Thee J Johanz is a producer, DJ and sound engineer from Holland, who has been a part of the electronic music scene, right from its early acid house days.
A keen music lover, he still to this day is pushing boundaries. And one thing he's especially keen on, is the innovative electronic funk and disco sounds which were created in India in the 70s and 80s. Those who've been following the re-birth of acid house godfather Charanjit Singh will also know that he's a part of his on-stage act, controlling drums, live-mixing and generally being an all round synth geek.
We first saw him DJ under his Bollywood moniker in a small basement in New Delhi. Over a year later he was back with Charanjit Singh and we asked him to play the final set of Magnetic Fields Festival. A real peak time groover, we wouldn't have had it any other way. Always exploring new frontiers, he dropped jams with complex rhythms and deep basslines, taking influence from Detroit techno, modern bass music, Latino, funky, deep, Balearic and disco.
Wild City #070, is our first ever mix made up exclusively of Bollywood tracks. Well, almost. Of course it includes a bit of Charanjit Singh's 'Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat' too.
Operating at such a high level of 'over the top'; Bollywood still to this day manages to infiltrate communities the world over - particularly with its prolific disco and funk infused sounds of the 70s and 80s. Sadly, a completely forgotten sound within modern day soundtracks.
Praise be to Johanz, for putting together an hour of his favourite Bollywood disco/soundtrack moments for all of our ears. As is only possible, this mix represents only the very tip of the Bollywood disco-funk iceberg, so we expect to see more DJs busting out Desi disco in the near future. For now, let’s dig this:
"Although I play various styles of music, this mix in particular is more in the Bollywood electro, disco, funk, soul style that I once played in Delhi. Many people came to me at the party to give me compliments. It was all very rewarding, and a great pleasure to join the experience."
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5206-wild-city-070-thee-j-johanz
DJ Anna is one of Brazil’s finest musical exports, now recognised as one of the most exciting female tech-house/techno DJs and producers of our era.
With a career spanning over 15 years, DJ Anna’s presence and ability behind the decks is truly infectious, "igniting the dancefloor and creating energy that captivates everywhere she plays".
Since moving to Europe in 2008 she's taken to the road and played in territories such as Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic and more. That's not to say, she hasn't been busy in the studio. Having released music on labels such as Christian Smith’s Tronic, Kraftek, Witty Tunes, Bla Bla and Toolroom Records - she's a producer in high demand. On remix duties, she's also worked with the likes of Pleasurekraft, Baher & Fulltone, Victor Ruiz & Alex Stein, D-Nox & Beckers, The Scumfrog, Oliver Klein & Ramon Tapia, Anderson Noise and Filthy Rich.
And this weekend (01 February), she's in India.
The hour long mix on hand finds Anna straddling the line between techno and tech-house in the form of a steady stream of bouncy, big-room-ready selections. Beyond that, it's also a demonstration of Anna's ability to strike a balance between underground jams and more polished, tech-house-flavored fare. An artist who can remain effective while dipping into multiple regions of the dance-music sphere; more impressively, she can do so without simply relying on each subgenre's biggest tunes and using remixes of classic dance tracks from era's long gone.
For a tracklisting and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5078-wild-city-069-dj-anna
Abhishek Jha a.k.a East Stepper is a New Delhi based music producer and multi-instrumentalist who's over his lengthy career dabbled with a diverse and varied platter of sounds, always with a quintessential Asian palette.
Featured on regular BBC playlists compiled by the likes of DJ Nihal (BBC Radio 1 UK), Bobby Friction (BBC Asian Network) and many other radio stations around the world, he's slowly become recognised as an influencer and purveyor of a unique blend of ethnic Indian sounds, fused with the cutting edge production sensibilities of underground bass music. A name that you'll find pops up in most conversations (should you ever have had any) about Indian dubstep and drum and bass - someone who's helped push it on a global level.
His strict motto of "create the music you perform” - as he puts it, is something he stands by to the fullest, only playing original material live. Mungeritek is also his progressive/techno project which has been praised by the likes of Cologne based Robert Babbicz. It doesn't stop there. Synesthesia is his ambient project. He even produces psychedelic trance under the Children Of Anunnaki moniker.
As a producer he has the musical and technical prowess to create the music he feels and hence does not restrict himself to just one sound (clearly). A multi instrumentalist, he also plays the flute, keyboard, doumbek , djembe, and drums.
In truth, we feel that Jha is more of a live performer than a DJ, and that's certainly reflected by this exclusive mix, which includes a number of his own productions - also marked by the occasional sudden transition. At the same time, there's still a very pure flow to the proceedings. Over the course of 50mins it touches upon a number of moods, tempos, and styles, though his predilection for raw, hyperactive rhythms is never put aside for too long. Without question, it's full on - but not in a way that's likely to upset those who relish getting down on the dancefloor.
"This mix is a compilation of mostly my own tunes alongside a few others that have grown on me recently. Don't expect it to be a linear progression of a particular style of music either. It takes a completely different path midway into the set. I have a few unreleased tunes in it and there are a couple of tunes which are 3-4 years old, have never been released, and won't ever see the light of day. Essentially it's a Wild City exclusive." - East Stepper
For a tracklisting and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/5002-wild-city-068-east-stepper
It was in the year 2006 that Top Billin Soundsystem first made themselves a household name in Helsinki with bootleg remixes, mixtapes and an ever-consistent monthly clubnight.
That was just the beginning.
The duo's first ever 12” EP, then ended up becaming the number one selling item at Turntablelab.com, favored by club DJ’s and party music lovers around the world. Fast forward to 2013 and that classic EP has been followed by more top selling releases as well as the evolution of Top Billin into a record label baosting a back-catalog of artists ranging from America to Chile, Russia, Japan and beyond.
Besides running the record label and crafting forward thinking club tunes, Top Billin has become a well oiled party machine, rocking shows around the globe from Paris to Berlin, Moscow and New York, with the biggest names in the business and countless other club favorites. They even supported M.I.A. on one of her sought after tours.
With roots deep in house, hip-hop, dancehall, funk and boogie, Top Billin like to keep their music up-to-date and cutting-edge, both in the shows they play and the records they put out.
With fans that include names such as Diplo, Laidback Luke, Drop The Lime, Steve Aoki, Sinden, Brodinski, DJ Godfather, DJ Funk, Dada Life and even DJ Tiesto, they're an independant dance music label, we suggest you keep an eye on. You may have even heard remixes and releases for labels like Mad Decent, Dim Mak, Unruly, Trouble & Bass, Kitsune, and a whole load more.
We're not name dropping here. Just laying down the facts.
As was totally expected, the mix is an absolute dancefloor destroyer. No holds barred and dropping 31 tracks in just over an hour. Featuring tracks from the likes of Jackson 5 right through to Diana Ross, DJ Yoda, Tessela, Salva and much more it teases, flips direction, rips holes and induces nostalgia - giving you just enough time to breath in between.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4870-wild-city-067-top-billin
Driven by a relentless passion for electronic music from across the musical spectrum, Mathieu Josso a.k.a M.Mat, has, of recent, become an inimitable stronghold for the Indian house and techno scene.
Leading the underground Mumbai based collective Bhavishyavani Future Soundz, he has over the years headed events across the country with artists such as Laurent Garnier, Mathew Jonson, Chloe, dOP, DJ Koze, Dixon and Cobblestone Jazz - continuously touring some of the most exciting acts ever to have played India to venues across Mumbai - and that's why we like him.
His time as one of the country's movers and shakers actually traces back to the early '00s, but it's his recent role as one of head honcho's and resident DJ's of the BFS collective that has catapulted him to another level. Brandishing him as a musical entity all by himself.
Originally from France - and now spending most of his time in Mumbai, Josso is a regular fixture behind the decks - and if we were to be honest - has been meaning to get us this mix for a very very long time.
Running for just over an hour, it kick starts with Uffe's lovely roller 'When The Sun Rose' - gently pushing into tracks such as 'Magico Disco' from Margot polishing off with likes of Die Vogel's 'Mesmerize', truly showcasing his ability not only as a DJ but as a selector of varied dynamic ranges within a very consistent and playful tempo.
He'll be playing Magnetic Fields Festival alongside long time collaborator Charlee in an festival exclusive B2B format - and we're pretty sure it's going to be a landmark performance, representing everything there is to know about house, disco, techno and electro - both old and new. Well, maybe not. But you get the idea.
"This mix was recorded in one go without touch up as a condensed version of a mix I would do in a longer club night exploring sound around disco, house, techno, electro, old, new, well known and obscure tracks. Probably best heard at an after party." - M.Mat
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4760-wild-city-066-mmat
Today marks the beginning of L’Imperatrice’s 7 city tour around India. The 5 strong French electronica outfit kick start their Indian journey tonight in New Delhi followed by gigs in Bangalore, Trivandrum, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Ponichery.
We’ve been looking forward to this gig for a while now, it’s not often that you get to see a full live funk/disco set in India: “a frenetic and funky guitarist, an amazingly grooving bassist, a DJ and [a keys player playing alongside} with another musician.”
To get you in the mood we have a tasty little exclusive vinyl mix from keys player Charles. A funk infused, old-school disco playlist, bound to brighten up your day. It just did for me (again).
Do not miss these guys in a town near you.
“This mix is full of our influences, jazz, funk, disco. This is what we play, but in a very Frenchy way, and we try to make it personal. What you'll hear is rooted in mid 70s black disco to late 90s French house, with a slice of hip-hop. Our set is also a big travel across synth pop history, exploring original soundtracks from John Carpenter, François de Roubaix, Ennio Morricone or Daft Punk. A mashup made for dancing, full of images.” – Charles (L’Imperatrice)
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4700-wild-city-065-limperatrice
“Pippin is a virtual music producer in an animated world.”
Inspired by artists such as Mount Kimbie, Flume and Burial, Pippin pushes a blend of 2-step, post-dubstep and even a bit of indie. His debut EP ‘1010’ is expected to release in October 2013 followed shortly by a live show at Bacardi NH7 Weekender, in Bangalore.
Perfect timing then.
Having created music for a number of years under several other aliases (some, already featured in the Wild City mix series), Pippin is a producer with a unique taste and sound that in this case has compiled a different beast altogether. Pippin's offering is a groovy session with a powerful sensual streak; pop, ambient and some seriously deep business help make mix #064, not only enjoyable but also on a tip that we haven't experienced much in our long-running series.
Moving effortlessly through a number of original tracks, some of which have already seen the light of day, online, it also offers up tracks from a varied line up of producers that have inspired Pippin over the years. Goth Trad, Burial, Lorca and Bonobo all receive airplay in this short yet consistent mix.
“This mix includes a few tracks from some upcoming producers that I’ve been listening to recently and from a couple of well known ones that have inspired me. These tracks are similar to the “Pippin sound” that I’ve been working on for the past 8 months. I’ve also included a few of my tracks that are up for free download and one track from my upcoming EP.” - Pippin
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4671-wild-city-064-pippin
Donn Bhat is a music composer, producer, songwriter and guitar player based out of Mumbai.
In the past he's written, produced and played for the bands 'Friday The13th' and 'Orange Street' both of which won the Great Indian Rock (GIR) competition in 2003 and 2005 respectively. Eventually, after an extensive tour of Europe with Orange Street, Donn produced his first solo album 'One Way Circle' in 2006 from his bedroom studio in New Delhi. The album received a great response from press and fans alike and has seen a quick appreciating reaction from reputed stalwarts within India's independent music scene.
More recently three of his album tracks got featured on the MTV series 'Bring On the Night', whilst he currently is in the recording stages of his second solo album titled 'Passenger Revelator', alongside regularly composing music for film and advertising in Mumbai. He performs live with his band Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator.
On the one hand, Bhat's built a reputation as a solid producer, making accessible music that embraces melodrama with uplifting emotion, yet never tipping over the edge. This mix however, showcases a midnight raid on the middle ground, combining high drama with glossy production and beefy choruses. An adaptable shapeshifter – and that, with his orotund vocal sound, an instantly recognisable one.
The Wild City mix he's made just might be our favourite one ever. And since Bhat's currently on his most prolific form yet, we're excited about the timing. If you're lucky enough to be going to Ziro Festival this weekend, you'll be able to catch him perform there. Otherwise, you'll have to wait till he next performs in a city near you. We may just do something about that though.
"This is a completely original set. Two of these tunes just got done last week, the others have been produced over the last few years. Song writing appeals to me and that's what I wanted to showcase. The first track, 'Stars Align' was something Aashar and I came up with in less than ten minutes one afternoon a few months back in Delhi - it was one of those days. Ironically it has turned out to be one the longest tracks we've done in a while. All these tracks were made at home. Hope you enjoy." - Donn Bhat
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4598-wild-city-063-donn-bhat-passenger-revelator
FuzzCulture is a 2-piece electronic music outfit from New Delhi, made up of Arsh Sharma (The Circus) and Srijan Mahajan (Parikrama, Half Step Down and Cyanide).
Evolving from a project that spent over a year and a half in the studio, it has now developed into an accomplished and brutal live act, that provides a fusion of metal, techno and even hip-hop - armed with just 2 figures on stage, determined to prove themselves and their new sound.
Last week, they released their debut EP, 'Indulge.Divulge' as a free download. A exciting and optimistic record it largely earns its stripes by slightly sidestepping familiar footsteps, leaving the listener curious about future sounds from this prolific duo. Rave-goers, club heads, metal fans and electro-junkies alike will be united to the release of 'Indulge.Divulge' and with a sound that's much more in-your-face than a lot of Indian acts, the replay value is favourable.
You know us. In celebration of the release of their EP, we asked the duo to create a mix for us.
062 in the series, it showcases a definite and creative side to the band, one that is not only original but also willing to experiment with sound design and sampling. With an altogether dark and bitter feel to it, we enjoyed their take on our "do pretty much, whatever you want with it" guideline. And with the EP out, just last week, you can already hear the duo stretching their legs and treading into new areas. We find that exciting. Do be warned however - it's pretty full on and their not trying to hide it.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4526-wild-city-062-fuzzculture
Initially started as a solo project by front-man Suryakant Sawhney, Peter Cat Recording Co. otherwise known as pcrc is a New Delhi based band that formed in 2010 and is currently made up of 4 members.
"The type of music we play is open to discussion (...) Our style ranges from gypsy jazz to ballroom waltz, midnight moonlight and car chase music (think Don). The sound is heavily inspired by 60s/70s Bollywood music, which was in turn inspired by American music of the 50s, such as big band music and soul. Lyrically, we choose to write about prostitutes, deception, android artists and about films coming to life."
The gypsy-like free spirits in pcrc express a laidback sound. An incredibly talented group of musicians headed by an extremely potent songwriter. A band that through this process has shown a real passion for discovering new music as well as a blatant disregard for putting themselves in any sort of box. We don't exactly know where this band is going to take us over the coming years. And that is exciting.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1050-wild-city-013-peter-cat-recording-co
"A potpourri of fresh, eclectic, syncopated beats peppered with some funk. That’s what you can expect from Bombay’s resident next-door DJs Paloma and Varun."
Mumbai based Paloma Monnappa and Varun Patra are two young DJs unafraid to push the ever extending boundaries of Indian clubland. Their live sets, confirm this enthusiastic and finely crafted union, in which it seems obvious that the two artists naturally complement each others ideas.
From moody ambiences, bewitching loops and hybrid beats to sophisticated soulful rhythms, Algorhythm exhibits a rich pallet of atmospheres and attitudes with a smart and creative approach.
Wild City #49, showcases exactly this. In a solid mix of old and new, it kicks off with the sounds of producer of the moment, Flume, running through tracks from the likes of SBTRKT, Arkist, Maribou State and Cashmere Cat. Starting at a head nodding tempo before picking up the pace as the mix progresses, it also throws in electro swing influences and exhibits a much apparent love for remixes and bootlegs.
Also the co-creators of FLUX, one of Mumbai's only genre defying clubnights and music discovery blogs, it's obvious from the get go, that these two are passionate about pushing forward new music. Our kind of people.
"We are very diverse in the music we play. We are not swing DJs, we are not funk DJs, we are not glitch DJs or even drum and bass DJs. We don't ever want to be classified or corned into one style of music, because we enjoy experimenting and bringing in new influences, while at the same time trying to somewhat invent our own (...) This mix is a showcase of the kind of music and artists we listen to personally. A chill mix-tape which can be heard at anytime and anywhere." - Algorhythm
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3524-wild-city-049-algorhythm
Beaumont, aka Michael Rintoul, is a young Scottish producer and creator of hypnotic R&B dream pop-soundtracks for late night bliss-outs.
His unique and immensely addictive debut EP “Blush Response” was recently released on Boxcuttters' Kinnego imprint and is well... one of the best EP's we've heard in a while. This is the label that introduced Space Dimension Controller to the world back in 2009 and with only 4 titles to it's name it's obvious label honcho Boxcutter is all about quality over quantity.
Still getting some heavy plays in the Wild City office, “Blush Response” is a wistful night-time groove from start to finish.
Tracks such as “Tokyo” and “Lucky” sound like dubstep as made on a Fairlight in 1982, full of emotion and breathless invocations. The most overtly vocal track, “Midnight” seems to reference 80s Marvin Gaye with its drum machine and electronic piano palette and lovelorn emotional delivery. Recalling a more minimal Eurythmics, “Flesh + Blood” blends guitars and synthesized cellos into a desirous, heartbroken pop song for hopeless romantics.
As we took a trip through Beaumont's record collection on this one, we were simply blown away by the selection. Featuring artists like Kraftwerk and Michhel Rubini, through to the UK sounds of Silkie and Jamie XX - Think moody, 80's, R&B, bass, dubstep, sci-fi, chillwave and everything in between.
We're waiting with more than bated breath to see what the rest of the year has in store for this young Glaswegian. As for you - Sit back and enjoy this exclusive mix for Wild City.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/62-wild-city-002-beaumont
Sahej Bakshi, a.k.a Dualist Inquiry, is first and foremost probably one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Aside from this he's also an extremely talented producer, guitarist and all round nice guy. Wait, did I already say that?
Since returning to Delhi after completing his education at the Thornton Music School, L.A in March 2010, Sahej has been touring India extensively, in addition to being selected to perform at Berlin Music Week last year. Additionally, he was ranked #1 nationally in the Burn Sasha Tour remix competition (2010) and was the 2nd Runner Up in the MTV Submerge Ultimate Pro DJ Championship (2010), held at blueFROG in Mumbai. Most recently, Dualist Inquiry performed at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton UK, opening for hip-hop god DJ Shadow.
Already tipped by many in the electronic music community to be a major presence for years to come, Dulaist Inquiry showed exactly what the fuss is all about on his debut EP Dualism which dropped on Audio Ashram earlier this year to crictial acclaim. Since then, there's been no looking back. Currently working on his debut LP due for release early next year and with remixes of Indian and foreign artists in the works, Sahej is completely focused on making music.
In my mind, Dualist Inquiry will always stand out from the pack. A hugely talented producer, who uses his own style and personal obsessions to craft something beautifully unique...
We're more than thrilled to have Dualist Inquiry open up the proceedings for us here at the Wild City with 25 minutes of completely original music, some of which has been specially crafted for this mix. If I was you, I'd file this next to Daft Punk, Justice and Ratatat.
He's actually gone and set the bar pretty high with this one. If the standard of all the Wild City mixes to come in the future is anything like this, you're in for a treat!
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/160-wild-city-001-dualist-inquiry-presents-dualism
We've been holding on to this one for a while, yet to be honest, we're kind of glad that we have. With a month off in the summer, we're happy to spring back to life with a mix from the supremely talented Kush Arora in the shape of Wild City #061.
A San Francisco based producer, DJ and purveyor of cultural bass music, Arora has extensive music knowledge. Right through from metal, punk, goth, bhangra and industrial to what he's now more known for; tropical and global bass music. We're talking all shades of dub, garage, dancehall, funky and Indo-Caribbean influences, which form his unique and self-titled “dread bass” sound that has found him compared to producers such as The Bug, Stereotyp and even Adrian Sherwood.
A member of Surya Dub, a San Francisco based clubnight, awarded Best Club Night by SF Weekly for two consecutive years (2007- 2008), Kush consistently finds himself on the road representing the Surya Dub Crew and opening for the likes of Flying Lotus, The Bug, Bassnectar and Thievery Corporation.
His tracks have also been remixed by the likes of Eskmo and Rogue State as well as catching the attention of Pitchfork Mag, who referred to him as a “laptop musician extraordinaire”. Need we say more?
Wild City #061 steams through a solid 30 tracks in under 60 minutes. I think it's fair to say that we knew we were on to something when we saw the tracklist.
Excitingly he's crafted a mix that not only focuses on some of his own work, but also contains unreleased dubs. Listening to the mix, there's a remarkable consistency to Arora's production, an off-kilter rhythmic sensibility that ties the various tracks together. At the same time, there's diversity to it all. He's even been kind enough to make a two part mix, "for the club" and as he puts it "fuck time and slow wine". He's proved here that he's more than capable of assembling a brooding cut as much as he is a hands-in-the-air anthem or even songs to have raunchy, turnt up sex to. In short, the guy is talented.
But we'll leave that for you to figure out. Enjoy!
"Thought I'd round up some of the great new sounds I've been feeling, and after looking at the site, maybe some things that maybe haven't been featured to give you something fresh. The first half hits it "From The Club"; From Azonto and Kuduro to Angola, Ghana and Nigeria, all the way to Bay Area house music and some of my favorite tunes from London, plus a few bits from my catalogue with Zuzuka Poderosa (Brazil) and Silver Bullit (London, Ghana). This should have you doing the fucking 6:30.
The Second half continues the sexual journey with a special remix I did of Gyptian's "Slow Wine" that will be dropping later this year on VP records. It explores the Zouk Bass and Tarraxinha phenomenon from Angola and surrounding areas, plus a few dancehall joints I seem to keep coming back to." - Kush Arora
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4428-wild-city-061-kush-arora
Gautam Sinha a.k.a D_Poet is an "electronic producer and DJ currently based inside your speakers."
When we asked him what he'd call his music, he didn't quite know how to respond (whilst mentioning that he doesn’t think it needs to be called anything). He still used the "inadequate phrase", 'chill bass'.
Here's the deal. We first came across this producer after arriving upon his stunning remix of one of Sulk Station's standout tracks from their debut LP, Till you appear. Much like the original, his take on Piya II was dark and brooding yet sensual and layered with the lush, hypnotic vocals of Tanvi Rao.
Nearly a year later, the Connecticut based producer, originally from Ahmedabad, has only let loose a handful of additional tunes, yet it sits at the precipice of a full-fledged crossover. He remains something of a mystery, yet is giving us enough to soak in, one bit at a time, and we're ready for him to step it up to the next level. You can sneak a peek of his other work via his SoundCloud here
If that's not enough, we do know that's he's also the drummer in another band named, Camp. You can hear their music here.
We do hope that Sinha truly tosses the shields and opens up on all future productions. We're lead to believe he'll be back in India soon, potentially with a release or two under his belt. Until then, we've got Wild City #060 to tie us over. A light, yet dark, spacious yet compact, instrumental yet vocal and downtempo yet raging mix. Showcasing his love for a brilliant and varied array of producers such as B.Lewis, Treekeeper, Diplo and Granity, it's a gripping mix leaving us wanting even more than just his SoundCloud feed.
"I understand genres about as much as I understand women. This mix just has all the sorts of music I love. Find a dimly lit room with a subwoofer, a bunch of your good friends, and let the music do the rest." - D_Poet
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4362-wild-city-060-dpoet
"Castles In The Sky is a two piece electronic pie with some guitar fillings and a thin synth crust with effect toppings."
Made up of Pune based college kids Shubham Mehra and Angad Bharaj, they're an electronic duo we have high hopes for in the future. Yet to find their "sound", they continue to experiment with both electronic and guitar elements, and aren't doing too badly at it either.
Their debut EP, 'Fugu Fish' was released via BandCamp at the start of the year. It found the duo find a kaleidoscopic beauty that will one day be their hallmark. Space, atmosphere and anticipation all build and through excellent use of restraint, blossom into something completely unexpected. The influence of producers such as Koreless, Four Tet, Caribou and Mount Kimbie are apparent at the very first listen, yet never do those influences feel intrusive.
Now don't get us wrong, we're not saying it's perfect. This album certainly is full of accomplishment and some truly stand out tracks, yet the mixing isn't fantastic and lack of proper mastering is exposed within seconds. But we see the light, and it's bright.
Much in the same vein this mix is a selection of outstanding tracks, from some of our favourite artists the world over, both new and old. Although the transitions aren't perfect, it makes for a great and varied listen, providing eyes into the depths of the crates of Castles In The Sky.
"This mix is like having peanut butter in your instant noodles. At first, it may seem that these things don't go together, but then you can't get your mind over it and want to tell your friends about it, but your friends think you're retarded and then that's how it goes." - Castles In The Sky
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4292-wild-city-059-castles-in-the-sky
"Paralights is visceral music."
Over 3 years of his existence as an engineer and producer in the Indian alternative scene, Ayan De merges emotive grooves with textural grit and glitch – cold and clinical instrumentation shivering with emotional fervour and timbre alike.
Whether you like your beats mild, raw, or loud, chances are there's something for you in the music of Paralights. De has a clear possession and wide-ranging vision to balance minimal and maximal technicality and musicality, as first demonstrated on his debut Scores For Your Background EP. With more recent collaborations with Mumbai based Sandunes, his compositional range and palette for various electronic sensibilities also came out on full display.
It's obvious that Paralights accomplishes this by consistently re-inventing combinations of a relatively scaled-down toolkit. Now starting to play shows, we can't wait to see him live. In fact, I think we may even tour him and his band around the country. For that however you'll have to wait until the start of season. We're too hot.
Within this mix, it's maybe most charming that Paralights throws everything but the kitchen sink at us. In a display of love for sampling, beats, and synth lines, it flows through a number of original tracks alongside artists including Athlete and Trifonic, a clear inspiration for this young and inspired producer from Mumbai.
“I have never done a DJ set before and the thought of doing this was more daunting than comforting to begin with, so eventually I stitched a couple of my favourite tracks together with live beats/sampling/guitar licks and synths. It's not the danciest of mixes, just something I hope people will find aurally pleasing." – Ayan De, Paralights
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4170-wild-city-068-paralights
Nucleya entered the scene as half of Bandish Projekt, along with friend and long-time collaborator Mayur Narvekar, while still in eleventh standard. “There wasn’t a huge audience,” he says. “I was in Ahmedabad. I’m talking, mid-nineties, late nineties. So at that time, we were just making music and giving it out to our friends (...) We could go into a store and buy CDs, and the only CDs we could buy was some trance stuff, and because of that our early musical influence was a little underground.”
As the sound grew and evolved, much of his work took on a distinctly dubstep flavor: “When I moved to Delhi, I was really into dubstep. I did that for a long time, but lately it’s become a little chaotic in terms of basslines. For example, when you listen to a Skrillex track, there’s melody in it. But most of the dubstep that you pick up now, it doesn’t have that melody. So I actually stopped playing it.”
That change roughly coincided with Nucleya’s departure from Bandish Projekt, new studies of Indian Classical, and movement towards a more domestically sourced sonic palate. And that's obvious in his works.
Nucleya is a full time purveyor of original and upfront Indian bass music, pushing forward a sound truly unique to him and this Wild City mix is no different. Hopping through various styles and tempos it runs through a number of unreleased and exclusive tracks, as well as classics that you're sure to recognise if you've seen him play live at any point this year.
"This mix features a lot of unreleased music which I've carefully selected and crafted within the set. I've done a lot of genre hopping in order to try and keep tracks in harmony. I've also made this mix to celebrate Skream and Benga's imminent Indian tour, as well as the fact that they are making music exactly the way they want it, which makes me believe in my music even more." - Nucleya
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/4072-wild-city-057-nucleya
Over the last few weeks, we've frantically tried to find new venues for the imminent Phon.o dates heading our way this weekend. Frankly, we've been so caught up, we almost forget about this exclusive mix on hand.
And now that's we've found new venues, we just need to let slip at how bloody good these two shows are going to be.
In a-first-of-its-kind in India, we're co-hosting the tour with 50 Weapons, a prolific and pioneering Berlin based label run by the world renown German techno duo, Modeselektor.
The duo have released dubstep, techno, house and electro to the wider world. Many are artists that have already made a name elsewhere, but just as many aren't. The aforementioned Phon.o is on route to becoming a household name thanks to his recent album that came out of the label to much critical acclaim.
Running for just over an hour, the mix showcases a sonically diverse range of electronica which we're hoping to hear more of in these two shows. We're beyond excited and you should be too.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3989-wild-city-056-phono
Sid Vashi is a producer and multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, Boston, and more recently Gurgaon, India. A man who enjoys listening to R.D Burman and J Dilla simultaneously and often refers to himself in the third person.
With a deep love for sample based music, he tries to incorporate these ideas to his unique brand of electronic music, by using and manipulating samples "until they take on a personality and voice of their own."
We picked up on this young chap, earlier this year and have been holding on to this mix for a while. His stunning Motherland Tourism EP, available to download via his Bandcamp, came as one of the most surprising releases from any artist this year, fusing modern production sensibilities with Indian classical/Bollywood samples.
With Sid on all production duties, co-collaborator Soopy provides all vocal samples and each self-written track abounds with tunnels of broad, hypnotic loops and ambient samples whilst retaining hazy basslines and splashes of colour that have almost become a staple for post-dubstep producers, the world over. As a whole, the EP showcases the versatility of this young beat-maker who we're hoping to bring over to India for a show later this year.
The mix is almost just a tease. Counting in at just over 16 minutes it runs through 5 original productions alongside a track from Flying Lotus, Madlib and Heems. A good choice of company and we just can't wait to hear more.
"This mix is just a compilation of my own stuff as well as some stuff from some western artists that really influenced my style, especially in terms of the way I like to sample and arrange different sounds." - Sid Vashi
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3961-wild-city-055-motherland-tourism
Sachin Shetty is an electronic music producer based in Bombay, currently working on 2 very different projects with 2 very different moods.
His first is under the Antariksh moniker. Something he likes to call a space ambient project. More interestingly, at least for us is his other project titled, Clusters. A sound in which he tries to explore the width and breath of techno. Currently working on an EP due out this spring, Clusters excites us. A lot.
Arguably, poised to do big things in the months and years ahead, we decided to enlist Shetty to put together #054 for our Wild City mix series.
Just over an hour in length, the mix seems to fly by, as his penchant for ambience and soundscapes shines through in his work as a DJ. Running gradually through only 11 tracks - many produced by beat makers, we must admit, we've never heard of, Shetty keeps the kick in the forefront; even during the occasional respites (including the 10 minute outro), one can't shake the feeling that huge rhythms are just around the corner. Taken as a whole, the podcast is pretty well thought out, minimal and relaxing, yet thrilling at the same time. We're hoping that was the point.
"This mix is mostly inspirations. Deep techno and ambient. I like how the mood changes gradually and nothing is what it seems or what is meant to be. If you have no expectations, you are one with the music and the experience is in the now." - Sachin Shetty
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3850-wild-city-054-sachin-shetty
London based producer and DJ, Reso a.k.a Alex Melia is a man with a fascination for all things robotic and futuristic. His hybrid of hyper beats and tech-basslines sometimes feel more suited to a post-apocalyptic Tokyo than the contemporary concrete of most dubstep and we dig it.
"A truly inspiring experience his music’s mech-mania induced synthesesia conjures images of neon-tinged neo-Japanese cityscapes, powerful hulking automatons and violent bassline machismo."
Melia's much anticipated debut LP, ‘Tangram’ was released on Civil Music back in November 2012. As most had expected it shook some serious ground and garnered praise and support from the likes of Mixmag as album of the month, XLR8R, Guardian and MTV as well as from bass music personalities such as Liam Howlett, Skrillex, KOAN Sound, Rusko, Starkey and more. A landmark in the producer's so far pretty underground career, the 13-track LP showcased his flair for intricate programming and love for all things jazz (as a trained jazz drummer), electronica, bass and drums.
In 2013, Reso sits at the peak of a new breed of electronic music producers and we're not the only ones to take notice. Within a relatively short space of time, Reso has remixed artists as diverse as Carl Cox, DJ Kentaro, Om Unit, KOAN Sound, Drop The Lime and Buraka Som Sistema.
This weekend he'll be descending over Delhi for a exclusive show with Audio Aashram and Wild City at blueFROG and we're willing to put money on the fact that it's going to be an absolute banger. To give you a taste of what to expect he's made an exclusive mix for Wild City, which touches upon a variety of styles of bass music. From upfront and in-your-face tearout bangers right through to some drum and bass and more rolling, deeper vibes. A solid representation of his production style and musical influences.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3787-wild-city-053-reso
One time owner of the praiseworthy Atlas Records shop in Soho, London, now over a decade ago, Pete Herbert spends the majority of his time tirelessly producing in the studio on his various musical projects.
When not in the studio he can be found regularly destroying dancefloors behind the decks at clubs such as The Nest, Fabric, Ministry Of Sound and other major parties/clubs in his hometown of London, including a annual slot at the Sancho Panza Stage at Notting Hill Carnival, one of the largest street festivals in the world.
His unique take on Balearic leftfield disco, house, italo, dub and funk has also seen him travel extensively overseas, playing regularly in genre defying parties around the world. Some of these include the infamous Goa Electronic Parties in Madrid, as well as regular slots in Paris, Marseille, Belgrade, Moscow and Copenhagen amongst others. He's also playing his second show in India this weekend!
As he weaves together classic sounds, clicking rhythms, and groovy drum patterns in this exclusive mix for Wild City he pushes the work of world-class beat makers such as Jay Shepherd, Betoko, Kolombo and Kellerkind. And although it contains no production from Herbert himself, it never strays too far from his personal artistic canon over its 58-minute duration.
Made up of pure energy and grooves, the momentum is solid and never lost. An excellent companion to some of his top-flight work.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3758-wild-city-052-pete-herbert
This one's been a long time coming.
As one half of Bay Beat Collective (BBC), Sohail Arora has been pushing low end sounds for over 4 years. His solo project Ez Riser aims to showcase newer forms of exactly that, yet with particular focus on glitch-hop and electronica (with a touch of hip-hop). A self confessed music geek and influenced by artists such as Koan Sound, Spoonbill, Opiuo and Griz (all currently destroying dancefloor's across the world), it's not hard to see where he gets his patronage for bass.
As the founder of KRUNK, India's foremost alternative booking agency and events crew, Sohail has also over the years been responsible for touring acts such as Concord Dawn, Klute, London Elektricity, Koan Sound and Dub Phizix across India, whilst representing some of the freshest local sounds, including at a time, Dualist Inquiry and Reggae Rajahs with more recent additions such as Delhi Sultanate, BASSFoundation, Ox7gen and Sandunes.
If like us, you've kept your ear to the ground, you'll know that he's done a lot. Ever attend any of the editions of BASS CAMP Festival? That's him too.
Ultimately, it's Ez Riser's fidelity to the low end that ties his sound (and most probably life) together. And in truly well expected fashion, Wild City #051 absolutely bangs. From the stuttering almost-booty beat of Snareophobe's 'Stress Relief', right through to the fluttering groove of Heyoka's 'Glibidy Glob' and the hyper 'Eastern Thug', this is a mix made with the dancefloor in mind as much as the bedroom.
And although the sounds may be familiar, the vibe is undeniably fresh - simply solid all the way through and that's more than enough. Fill your boots.
"Introduction to glitch; Introducing a wide range of glitch influences, new and old on my 1st ever Wild City mix. Strictly for your best pair of headphones or sound system. Hope y'all like it." - Ez Riser
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3714-wild-city-051-ez-riser
Wild City #050 (yes, it is a landmark) comes from Gaurav Malaker, a producer best known as one half of India's leading multidisciplinary audio/visual collective, BLOT!.
A producer/DJ/performer and engineer who's been a part of the national club landscape since 2007, Malaker is also a co-runner of Qilla Records alongside Kohra. Not to forget his role as one of the festival director's at UnBox.
Talking strictly about music - his recently released debut record as BLOT! titled, 'Snafu', saw the producer delve deep into his roots and showcase a sound that blurred the distinction between electronica, house and techno. It even took the duo on an all India tour as BLOT! live, alongside all of the album's collaborators.
As we hit our half century with the mix series, we figured now would be a good time to invite this beatmaker to show us what he's up to. Quite frankly, he's responded with a mix that possibly raises more questions than it answers. Don't get us wrong; the mix is good - very good. The surprise is that it finds Malaker digging a lot deeper than we expected, as much of his podcast consists of deep and dark electronica.
From Mano Le Tough through to Kuedo, Apparat, Jai Paul and even some homemade BLOT! material, it's a 43 minute of teaser of what influences this young upcoming producer.
And its got us thinking. In fact, it seems that there's a lot more to Gaurav Malaker than we initially suspected, but we're happy to sit back and listen as he continues to reveal himself, one bit at a time.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3646-wild-city-050-gaurav-malaker
Reggae Rajahs are India's first and foremost reggae sound system. That much you should know.
For the past 4 years they have been steadily building a loyal and dedicated fanbase across the country, exclusively pushing genres such as reggae, dancehall, dub, ska and rocksteady. This week they will be celebrating 4 years with a self programmed, curated and promoted tour in association with The Polish Institute. As has become a tradition over the years, they will also be celebrating Bob Marley's (68th) birthday within these dates:
Last year saw the trio complete a landmark year. Alongside a European tour they had performances at festivals such as SulaFest, NH7 Weekender, Ragasthan and Sunburn, whilst also supporting Snoop Dogg in Delhi to much acclaim from press and fans alike.
It's been an absolute pleasure watching this dynamic trio grow over the years. From winning the very first reggae soundclash in a 200 capacity club (up against BASSFoundation) to hosting Dub Station at the NH7 Weekender, playing Outlook Festival in Croatia and supporting Snoop Dogg in New Delhi, their positive lyrics, MC'ing style, role as selectors and choice of touring artists has reflected in their progression as one of India's fastest growing live acts.
Supporting them on this tour will be Dreadsquad, who rank amongst Poland's premier music producers. Creating music that can broadly be classified as reggae/dancehall, they combine elements of ska, rocksteady, breakbeat, jungle and dubstep, pushing forward a unique fusion of bass heavy sounds. And as a little treat the Rajahs have put together a mix that elegantly folds together 24 tracks all produced by Dreadsquad, all within 34 minutes.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3430-wild-city-048-reggae-rajahs-4-year-anniversary-mix
"For those that know him and those that don’t, Tony Colman a.k.a London Elektricity cuts a formidable figure."
Having been involved in the UK's drum and bass scene right from the mid-90s, the co-founder of acclaimed drum and bass label Hospital Records has been instrumental in the development of the genre as we've come to know it today.
Responsible for some of Hospital’s drum and bass anthems, Colman has developed a reputation as both a producer and DJ. With an impressive back catalogue of singles, EPs and 5 solo albums under his belt, London Elektricity is set to make a big impression on India for the first edition of BASS CAMP Festival in the new year.
At the helm of a dance music label identified as having a fresh and unique output, Colman and his co-founders are chargeable for "liquid" drum and bass as most understand it. Responsible for bringing to the forefront artists such as High Contrast, Danny Byrd, Netsky, Logistics and Cyantific, Hospital Records is one of underground dance music's most consistent labels.
As a first in our mix series, this is a live recording of a set Colman played at a Hospital Records event in Tokyo last year. MC's and everything. And in all honesty, we couldn't think of anyone better from the international drum and bass scene to start this off for us.
Running through a track every couple of minutes it effortlessly glides between genres and various styles of production as well as 7 of London Elektricty's own creations. Artists such as Logistics, Nu:Tone, Danny Byrd and Netsky all get airplay, even dubstep powerhouse Caspa.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3369-wild-city-047-london-elektricty
Praketh Sunder a.k.a blueOrb is a DJ and producer from New Delhi, India. A label DJ for Audio Aashram (IN) and Bassweight Recordings (NZ) he has so far compiled 2 chillout EP's titled "Shanti Broadcast Vol 1 and 2" for Audio Aashram whilst continuously throughout the years working on his own production which he plans to unleash on to unassuming ears this year.
Currently the programming head for Radio 79, India newest underground and genre defying online radio station, Sunder's DJ sets present an eclectic view into the plethora of exquisite electronic music, creating a cohesive blend of spacey, ambient and intricate mid-tempo beats to high energy dancefloor grooves.
One of the capital's only purveyors of upfront electronica, ambient soundscapes and UK bass music, blueOrb (sometimes in his alter ego of buffaPirate) is a producer we have high hopes for. And we're judging this solely on his skills and intuition as a DJ as well as a selector.
His Wild City mix in contrast to what we've come to expect from his live sets is a demonstration of his love for ambient and organic soundscapes. Given his past involvement in Audio Aashram's compilations, it’ll come as no surprise that there’s some completely unheard of sounds in here – endlessly ambient, melodic and futuristic beats.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3229-wild-city-046-blueorb
Enjoy!
Sickflip is the new solo project from Mumbai based DJ and producer Sarvesh Shrivastava, also a member of bass music collective Mental Martians.
We picked up on this young producer as he released his debut EP in collaboration with Rohaan Talsania, otherwise known as RT (on guitar). A healthy introduction to a new generation of Indian bass music producers, it sucessfully combined the warm, melodic and soulful guitar work of RT with Shrivastava’s futuristic breakdowns and fusion of face-melting bass.
With musical influences ranging from genres such as glitch hop, drumstep and dubstep from the likes of Bassnectar, Koan Sound, Skrillex, Trolley Snatcha, Funtcase, Amon Tobin and Noisia, Shrivastava, is a fiery young producer from whom over the coming years we expect to hear a lot more.
It took only one play of the EP to make us realise that we need to source a Wild City mix from Shrivastava. And boy did he deliver.
Kicking off with the sounds of Haywyre is gradually builds to include the likes of recent Bass Camp headliner Koan Sound as well as Opiuo and a variety of his own production including a remix of Skrillex and Damien Marley's 'Make It Bun Dem'.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3113-wild-city-045-sickflip
We just can't stop ourselves. We're slipping deeper and deeper into the Pakistani underground and are only emerging with raw, sharp and just brilliant electronica. Alongside our compadres Border Movement, we've talked enough about the growing scene across the border, with the likes of Forever South. One of the artists on their roster is Daniel Arthur Panjwaneey a.k.a Alien Panda Jury (more on him here).
An active musician within Karachi's booming underground music scene for over 12 years (primarily as a bassist for indie outfit //orangenoise), Alien Panda Jury is essentially an experimental electronic solo project by the seasoned musician.
"Being a musician and songwriter there's times where you feel an urge to get your individuality out onto something. To me throwing on a housey beat with ambient pads, eastern classical vocals and percussions sampled and manipulated with a grinding bassline mashed up with occasional over-saturated acoustic guitars... is normal. It's also just so much fun to be able to throw everything in and go nuts to a point where it all makes sense in a way." - Alien Panda Jury
Influenced by classic psychedelia, industrial, electronic and eastern/regional sounds, his music is an infectious mix of melodies and a unique beat-programming style. It only took us one listen and we just knew, we had to source a mix.
And boy, did he deliver.
Running through 17 carefully selected tracks over 1 hour it successfully exhibits his varied (yet very UK) taste in music. Opening with the 2562's raw 'Flavour Park Jam' it gently moves into more trip-hoppy territory before settling with the likes of Warp's Bibio and Ninjatune's Yppah before picking up again. As an added bonus it runs through 6 of his own productions, alongside some from fellow Karachi based producers Dynoman, Toll Cane and 6LA8. He even sneaks a bit of Clark and Burial in there. Can we blame him?
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/3114-wild-city-044-alien-panda-jury
Originally formed in 1997 by Mayur Narvekar, Udyan Sagar (better known as Nucleya) and Mehirr Nath Choppra, Bandish Projekt is an act that successfully blends Indian folk elements with cutting edge electronica.
Although no longer a 3-piece, Bandish Projekt still strives to push forward thinking Indian sounds via its one founding member Mayur Narvekar, a Mumbai based composer, producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist.
This Friday (November 23) Narvekar is set to release 'Correkt Remixed', an EP showcasing remixes from his debut 'Correkt' LP released back in 2009. Producers featured on the EP include Nick Bee (Ukraine), Sound Avtar (India) and Skope (UK) as well as upcoming Indian producer and winner of the Folktronic/Bandish Projekt remix competition, The Memekeeper.
“Mayur has been a positive influence to my musical journey ever since I was exposed to the sound of Bandish Projekt. For me, he both defines and defies the Indian electronic scene like no one else. My attempt of a re-take at one of his tracks was inspired by this understanding.” - The Memekeeper
In support of the release we've sourced an exclusive mix form Narvekar. Kick starting with the sounds of Flying Lotus and cruising through to deeper and more techy sounds, his Wild City mix runs through tracks from this likes of Deru, Case4Concern, Noisia, Culprate and even Mosillator, Mayur's production alter ego. If his upcoming DJ sets on the road resemble this mix in the least, Banidsh Projekt is going to leave a lot of happy dancefloor revellers in his wake.
“This is a special mix produced especially for the Wild City listeners and is one of my most experimental mixes to date. You get to hear tracks from a wide range of current bass and electronic music producers from all over the world. A big thanks to Wild City and all the listeners for the continued love and support. Enjoy the mix and play it loud!” - Bandish Projekt
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2973-wild-city-043-bandish-projekt
Dynoman a.k.a Haamid Rahim is a producer and DJ from Karachi, Pakistan who uses a wide variety of electronic synthesis, multiple sound layers, and eclectic beats to bring forth his unique take on fusion electronica (don't be fooled by the word 'fusion').
One part of the force behind Forever South, one of the city's (if not country's) leading electronic music collectives, alongside Bilal Nasir Khan (also a producer under the 'Rudoh' moniker), Rahim is an exhilarating producer who recently came out with one of the region's most exciting debuts (in our humble opinion). It's called 'Naubahar'. You can read a review of it here and hear it in full here. Please go listen to it.
Forever South is a collective of electronic beat makers from all over Pakistan that is at the very forefront of the country's electronic revolution. It's no surprise that this collective is led by Dynoman, a producer with such keen melodic sense and rhythmic knack, that it does feel as if he could revolutionise the Pakistani underground. And he's not the only one. Pakistan's emerging scene is more than at the tip of our radar and we can't wait to delve deeper into it.
“The electronic and music scene in Pakistan is amazing. We have a lot of beat makers up here in Karachi and hopefully some other all around the country as well. Our beat makers here keep creating beats and fresh sounds that amaze us. But aside from beat makers we have amazing sounds coming out of Pakistan! There are bands like Basheer and the Pied Pipers, Mole, and //Orangenoise constantly pushing the boundaries with sound design and effects. There are other artists in the genre of ambient and post rock like Asfandyar Khan and 6LA8 who too are making amazing sounds and modelling effects so brilliantly! So we have a whole bunch of awesomeness coming out of the scene!” - Dynoman
Drawing a lot from his own production and exclusively from Pakistani artists, including several cuts from the new album, Rahim has put together a mix that folds together elements of electronica, fusion (or at least his take on it), trip-hop and bass into a clean and precise package, albeit one that finds him increasingly experimenting with new and floaty sounds.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2874-wild-city-042-dynoman
Since the early 90s, CEE, formerly of Al-Haca Soundsystem has been developing roots within underground subcultures across Europe.
As a frontrunner and seminal contributor to Berlin and Vienna's underground club circuits alongside partners in crime Stereotyp, Jahcoozi and RQM plus institutions such as Vice Magazine, Ableton and RBMA, CEE seeks expansion into new ground and territory by planting seeds in Asia through bass heavy tremors and ground shaking vibrations.
In 2012 the Malaysian based producer/DJ co-founded Detour Asia to release music and run events that regularly and consistently showcase international bassweight producers in cities across Asia. This weekend he's been invited to play at the Pune edition of the Bacardi NH7 Weekender. We simply had to get a mix from him, cause in all honesty, we want you to know what to expect and for you to not miss him play. We know there's a lot to choose from.
It's a short and sweet take on CEE's varied taste in bass music. As well as a couple of original productions it also plays host to tracks from the likes of Bauuer, Crookers, Caspa and Stereotyp. An unrelenting, even uncompromising listen. Watch out.
"I know the mix is short, but I figured I either put an epic 3 hour long mix together to show what I am into musically or I do a short banging one to keep the listener curious and excited, expecting more to come. Especially since I am about to make my first appearance in India within the next couple of days" - CEE
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2813-wild-city-041-cee-nh7-promo-mix
BDK otherwise known as Big Daddy Klein is a founding member and resident DJ of BASSFoundation, New Delhi’s very first regular drum and bass, dubstep and reggae clubnight.
Having discovered dance music in the early 90s after purchasing his first batch of new beat/acid house cassettes, Klein, like most electronic music heads of that era eventually moved on to breakbeat, the backbone to bass music today. Moving on to drum and bass seemed like a natural progression for the young music lover, after some of his friends started promoting regular nights in Rotterdam.
It seems fitting that he began promoting bass music once moving to New Delhi in 2007. Within months of the first BASSFoundation event with fellow founders, Ed 'Praxis' Anderson and Taru ‘Delhi Sultanate‘ Dalmia, the collective of 2 young DJ's and 1 MC had carved themselves a solid niche within the capital's burgeoning electronic underground.
Unfortunately today, BASSFoundation lies low. With two of its members based abroad, it has been left down to Delhi's iconic MC, Delhi Sultanate to hold true to his roots. He does this with a new project dedicated to roots reggae, with a strictly vinyl-only policy, aptly titled BASSFoundation Roots.
This weekend however, BDK, under his Big Daddy Klein moniker, has been invited to play BASS CAMP Festival in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore alongside Dub Phizix, Jazzsteppa, Ox7gen, Tarqeeb, Mr Herbalist and DJ Uri. A good reason to get a mix then!
Playing under his BDK guise, dedicated to UK bass music, swaying towards genres such as UK house and techno, it’s a lush selection of tracks from some of our favourite current producers. A total treat for those of us who’ve been following this sound with pleasure over the years, but also a perfect and well-rounded introduction to newcomers or the less familiar.
"With this mix I've tried to bring a different, not straight up dance-floor vibe, that can hopefully be enjoyed in different settings. From chilling at home on a Sunday morning to cruising around on your bicycle late at night. This is a strictly vinyl mix. It's not planned, not edited but carefully selected" - BDK (BASSFoundation)
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2732-wild-city-039-bdk-bassfoundation
What more is there to say about Delhi homeboy, producer and DJ, Su-Real.
As a longtime resident at TLR, he single handedly kick started Disco 31, the venue's longest running Saturday night party giving Delhiites a home for fresh, innovative and welcoming vibes. As the current full time promoter at the venue, he has most importantly created a space that has become home for party kids across the capital.
That's not all. As a contributor to Imported Goods, Su-Real has regularly brought words of wisdom to our screen. Most recently he founded The Trap, Delhi’s wildest after-hours party, 26 floors above Delhi at CP's Ssky Lounge.
Over the course of the next few days, Su-Real's busy hosting TLR's week long Halloween festivities, as well as gearing up for its climax at Trapo'ween where Moniker (Wild City DJ), White Rabbit, Flash Hardcor and of course Real himself will keep rave zombies bouncing till the early hours. On the eve of the some of the years' darkest hours, we can hardly contain our excitement about releasing this mix. Su-Real's annual compilation is fittingly 66.6 minutes long, running through a whopping 35 tracks from a variety of artists and genres. It's a thoughtful yet fun listen and it's hard to ask for much more than that from a DJ mix...
"I sense that a lot of Indian music fans are somewhere along the evolution between rock and rave. We can all come together on this party mix where I've mingled Metallica, Megadeth, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Radiohead and The Doors with Skrillex, Justice, Modeselektor, Deadmau5, Crookers and some super old school Prodigy. The mix builds gradually through some nu rave territories bordering the dark side (for one can never directly approach the Dark Side if one wishes to live to tell tall tales) until Alice Cooper bursts through the walls, holding up a human skull in his right hand, and the skull speaks, in spurts, and it gasps and growls, "Trap...or...Treat?" - Su-Real
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2731-wild-city-040-sureal-halloween-mix
The Mumbai based collective known as Mental Martians is made up of Piyush Bhatnagar aka Sound Avtar, Sarvesh Shrivastava and Tarang Singhal, 3 young producers with a taste for various forms of bass music.
Influenced by artists such as Noisia, Spor, Doctor P, Skrillex and Rusko, their sound is a heady journey incorporating both UK underground and Asian underground sensibilities.
We've been wanting to tie these boys down for a mix, for as long as we can remember. With a collaborate career spanning over 10 years, and influences ranging from classical Indian right through to IDM and electro, alongside the percussive genius of Tarang who plays the tabla, darbuka, jembe and drums, they're a visionary and well rounded force.
"Their sounds are magical and danceable at the same time. A vivid journey into the unknown and the un-chartered, the sublime and the scintillating, promising to introduce a sound that is enjoyed by the masses whilst being anthem-like and cerebral at the same time."
Over the course of 30 mins, their mix runs through 15 tracks. Yup, you do the math. Frequently laying down a steady beat, it isn't afraid to move away from its smooth beginnings on to more pounding rhythms. Favouring sounds that are clean and crisp, there's occasionally a delicate feel to the proceedings, a sensation that's only strengthened by their tight mixing.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2651-wild-city-038-mental-martians
The mesmerising Sandunes is a Mumbai based producer and live act like no other.
Having made her first forays into the world of live music playing keys for bands such as Something Relevant and Resonance, she got a taste for the stage very early on. With an ever present fear of Bollywood sessions as a money making prospect for the future, she drove herself to studying music production in London instead, hoping to take things to the 'next level'.
On her return, with a fresh perspective and new found taste for all things UK underground she started to make ripples within Mumbai's bustling scene, playing her debut show supporting Dualist Inquiry at blueFROG. This is when we first heard of her.
"With new tools and toys, a promising future in AV experiences, and a barrage of live and impromptu FX, Sandunes is bringing her studio on stage."
Her Wild City mix rolls through gently swinging house and garage, before turning its attention to busier UK cuts, including recent favourites from Blawan, Bondax and MJ Cole. It climaxes on one of our favourite tracks of the year, Joy Orbison's take on Four Tet's 'Love Cry'.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2546-wild-city-037-sandunes
We've now been talking about this Delhi based producer for months. Whether it be as part of his 4-piece band, Switch Bitch or the solo Frame/Frame moniker, Nikhil Kaul strives to consistently push his production limits. Full of organic tinkering, lush instrumentation and delicate atmospherics, his tracks combine influences from various genres that include synth-driven tech, sample-laden post dubstep and straight up IDM.
A full time musician, Kaul makes music for advertisements as well as independently. His distinctive style intact, each and every piece becomes more evolved than the last with an equal amount of depth and musicality to boot.
His mix, as we'd hoped is completely original from start to finish and sounds not far off from an electronic masterpiece, packed with sonic experimentation. Reflecting on the often impulsive character of his production style it cuts between ambient electronica, trip-hop, electro and drum centric IDM with little difficulty. Conceived as a movement, bits of one song spill into the next, and its individual tracks make the most sense in the context of what surrounds them.
Drifting from track to track in a theatre of synths, drums and fluttering melodies, Frame/Frame has cemented himself and his band as two of the most exciting new projects in New Delhi.
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2484-wild-city-036-frameframe
Apurva Chavda a.k.a ApurvA is a Mumbai based drum and bass producer/DJ.
To date, he has released two original tracks. His very first release, Home was part of the "Nomads In Sound. 03" compilation on Meerkat Recordings. His other was a collaboration with Nuphlo, alongside Osmani Soundz and Ges-e. Both tracks were released earlier this year by the same Swedish label (Meerkat).
His first forays into the world of music production actually came from a remix for the soundtrack of Everywhere Nowhere, a drama centered on a British-Asian teenager torn between honoring his family traditions and his love for DJ'ing. The film, now available on DVD, also features music from the likes of The Prodigy, Engine Earz, Redlight, Zinc, Sukh Knight, Sub Focus, Roots Manuva, Toddla T, Nerm and D-Code.
His Wild City mix is an atmospheric and punchy affair, drawing on productions from the likes of Photek, Marcus Intalex, Breakage and Nymfo. Although a mix of various styles of drum and bass, it has been layered and cramped into AvurvA's sound world and in all honesty sounds all the more thrilling for it. We suggest you download it, turn it up and bounce.
"Two weeks before Zenzi (Mumbai) shutdown, I was lucky enough to have the chance to play there. It was my first and last gig at the venue. This mix is almost identical to the one I played there and so holds a very special place in my heart. A blend of oldskool, intelligent, dark and jungle all with a touch of Indian electronica." - ApurvA
For a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2373-wild-city-035-apurva
Ash Roy is one of the founding members of one of India's most prolific electronic dance music acts, Jalebee Cartel.
For over a decade he's been the vocalist and provider of all percussion based elements to Cartel's live shows whilst steadily building a catalogue of original production which he's released over the years.
Based in Berlin with his bandmates every summer, Ash considers himself to have an equal footing on both sides of the globe. While the band has shared flyer space with the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Modeselektor and Carl Cox, he's played individually with the likes of Sasha, Cari Lekebusch, Fergie, Nic Fanciulli and Ambivalent (hear his exclusive Wild City mix here).
Not one for slowing down he's also recently released his Hour Glass EP on Vapour Recordings which he'll be officially launching on 25 August at Zoo Bar in New Delhi. To support the EP as well as celebrate Ash's return from his annual retreat to the German techno motherland we thought we'd get in touch and get a fresh as they come mix showcasing the records he's picked up along the way.
"It's been a phenomenal 2 months of gigs and experiences in Europe. Here are some of the tunes I dropped at some of my gigs; I just wanted to share the same experience with everybody back home. I've also added 2 of my tracks (Hour Glass/Beat Basket) which are out now on Vapour Recordings. Enjoy!"
Make absolutely no mistake. Ash definitely flashes some bounce and low-end crunch with this mix. He is after all a veteran artist and knows how to craft a compelling listen from start to finish.
More a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2295-wild-city-034-ash-roy
When first delving into the world of production after mastering the art of turntabalism, KloÈ's search for a deep and emotive take on neurofunk established her as one of the most innovative producers within the genre.
Now one of the key players behind the newly formed genre named neurohop, she's become an influential figure in helping to develop and define its progression, through her label Caliber Music. One of the leading producers supporting the genre; a synergy of neurofunk, glitch-hop and other various influences, KloÈ remains focused on signing forward thinking producers of this emerging sound to her label. Her relentless passion for music and quality of sound, make her the perfect figurehead for Caliber Music, one of neurohop's most innovative and influential labels.
On a production tip, KloÈ has a number of critically acclaimed releases such as 'Tzolk'in', 'Gone' and 'Dusk' under her belt and her passion for music shines through on every single release.
Running through a whopping 50 tracks in just over 55 minutes her mix is an absolute monster. Precise, tight and structured it showcases a number of artists pushing glitch-hop, neurofunk and related sounds right at the forefront of the dark and punchier sound of bass music. Featuring a number of unreleased dubplates it's as fresh as they come, even featuring a track from recent Wild City mix makers Zen Death Squad.
For a tracklist anf further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2223-wild-city-033-klo
Distal is a veteran of electronic music. Forgetting bpm and genre to the masses, he relies on his signature sound alone to leave a solid mark on his listeners. With the ability to compose a wide array of moods, tempos and rhythms, the 28 year old producer takes influence from his early childhood love of techno, jungle and hardcore.
In early 2010 Distal started his own label named Embassy Recordings with childhood friend Ethan Anderson and till date has put out almost a dozen 12” vinyl releases and many more digital releases, collaborations and remixes for prolific labels such as Tectonic, Soul Jazz, Frite Nite and Trouble & Bass.
He easily brings forward one of the strongest and most unique sounds out of the whole footwork, bass, electronica crossover. His signing to Pinch's Bristol based Tectonic label for the release of his debut LP 'Civilization', is perhaps a sign of things to come. Within the LP his productions take a more structured and synth laden route in comparison to his earlier upbeat drum heavy monsters.
Recently assembled exclusively for Wild City (after a serious amount of chasing), his mix is a relentless jam of face-melting tracks, high-speed percussion and chopped-up vocal samples that's sure to break some legs on the dancefloor. Over the course of 45mins, it offers a real sense of narrative development getting harder, nastier and perkier as it progresses. Artists such as Legowelt, Duke Dumont and EDMX all see airtime, as does Distal's own tracks 'Throwing Shade', 'Ralph Muggins Acid Depot' and his collaboration with Theft titled 'We Get So Furious'.
For a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2169-wild-city-032-distal
Nitin Garg is a Delhi based designer and graphics artist who in his free time creates as he describes it, 'organic ambient soundscapes'. Influenced by artists such as Brian Eno, Hammock, Keith Kennif, Sigur Rós, Stars Of The Lid and other ambient and post-rock projects he creates a joyful experimentation of space, time and imagery in music that starts simply with field recordings, a laptop and a couple of keyboards.
"Most of the time I am inspired by nature and the sounds of everyday life within the urban spaces around us. Whenever I'm working on something I usually have a visualisation of a place, memory or moment which I then try to recreate."
A core member of Mumbai based blog The Future Elements which provides music reviews, interviews and podcasts from post-rock, shoegaze, drone, ambient and alternative electronic music scenes from across the world, Nitin is passionate about the signature sound that he has created for himself. Currently working on an EP which he hopes to release later this year, he aims to incorporate sounds from various objects that include boxes, bells, and pieces of wood as well as from places such as cafe and bars.
As you scroll down, the tracklist for Nitin's Wild City mix may at first appear fractured. It is however a remarkably cohesive listen. Whether putting together a mixtape or in the recording studio, it appears that Garg has learned to bring together disparate influences to form a focused musical statement. Like most of us would like, it doesn't actually allow for this young producer to be put in to a tidy little 'genre' box. It does however provide an interesting window into the sounds that make him tick.
"This mix is a compilation of some of the music and artists who keep me inspired and who I've been listening to lately. The featured tracks explore delicate melodies bound with multiple textures and electro-acoustic arrangements which help listeners 'slow down' for a while."
For a tracklist and further info go here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/2050-wild-city-031-nitin-garg
"A·poc·a·lypse: n. A prophetic disclosure; a revelation."
At first Apocalypse Meow may come across as just another guitar-based band. In fact, they're pretty much the opposite. Combining echoing atmospheric accompaniments with electronic beats their sound is something quite unique and continues to evolve throughout their production.
A brand new electronic music project, Apocalypse Meow is the collaboration of a video game designer and a singer/songwriter. Currently consisting of 3 members, the line up includes Delhi based musicians Aalap Davjekar (singer/songwriter, arrangements), Angad Singh (bass, arrangements) and Saurabh Babbar (guitar).
"Pushing forward many years of stimulating psychedelia, Apocalypse Meow starts off where acts like Pink Floyd, Air, Burial, Future Sound Of London, Grizzly Bear, NIN, Frank Zappa, Massive Attack, Sigur Ros and Radiohead left off." Bold statement, right? Maybe.
It's clear throughout their Wild City mix that the 3 piece act discard conventional verse-chorus-verse songwriting and replace it with complete technicality, piecing together segments of alternating genres and musical blends. The result proves easy listening even though at times like a showcase of the bands technical ability. That said, their technical ability and individuality as a band are undoubted and their sound offers more than mere gentle suggestions of potential. Rather, ounces of it.
Exactly where these guys came from and how they've managed to remain a minor concern baffles me. On record, they're little short of perfect and frankly piss all over a local scene (alongside a few others) that's smug with itself for having produced mediocre bands for over a decade.
To give you a good understanding of where these guys are at, Wild City #030 comes as a 3 track mix of purely original and never-before-heard music. Produced and put together exclusively for our readers it proves that Delhi's electronica scene is on the cusp of exploding and that in 2012, AM is one of a handful of bands that need keeping an eye on.
For a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1985-wild-city-030-apocalypse-meow
Slow Down Clown is a Mumbai based 4-piece act that fuses various forms of alternative rock, folk and punk into a sometimes uncategorisable category.
It began as a solo project, formed by singer/songwriter Vitek ‘Tek’ Goyel in Upstate New York in 2001. Upon his return to Mumbai, Tek teamed up with producer and guitarist Anurag Shanker, to translate his bedroom enterprise into a full band experience together with bassist Wilson Kenneth and drummer Arfaaz ‘Fuzz’ Kagalwala (also known as Fuzzy Logic).
Their songs are characteristic of Mumbai, "brimming with anecdotes, steeped in nostalgia and entirely relatable. Frenetic and ecstatic, lovelorn yet optimistic, Slow Down Clown are an easy, addictive listen." Their debut EP, ‘Say Nothing’ (stream here) was released on Meteorik Records in September 2010. The band have since played to packed venues across the country, whilst keeping busy in the studio working on their follow up.
To anyone not paying attention, their mix could at first come across as a random collection of tracks, erratically mixed and put together with little technical thought. On a deeper listen however, it shows off the bands varied taste in music as well as a couple of original tracks. A listen that carries you through various genre's and musical era's whilst touching upon a few timeless classics. Thoroughly enjoyable.
"From shy, retrospective, jangly indie-pop (REM), to mind bending psychedelia (Beatles) and desolate landscapes that evoke their own beauty in emptiness (Modest Mouse); this mix compiles some of the music we like to listen to on long road trips. Baroque chamber pop (Sufjan Stevens), quirkiness (Vampire Weekend) and expansiveness (Radiohead), are all part of the trip. Of course, there's also the distinctly early 90's influence of Wilco and Smashing Pumpkins that seems to be forgotten in today's hipsterdom, but one which we all have secretly loved." - Slow Down Clown
For a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1922-wild-city-029-slow-down-clown
Jatin Puri burst onto the Indian live music circuit less than a year ago, quickly gaining a countrywide reputation for his original and innovative take on varied forms of electronica. Influenced by trip-hop, breakbeat, hip-hop, bass and even pop, Puri’s eclectic sound defies easy classification. His catchy and thoughtful tracks are all self-produced, composed, performed and sung.
Within his short career, he has released two albums (read our review of his 2011 release, Purify here), provided scores for short films and played countless gigs across the country with more notable shows taking place at last years Bacardi NH7 Weekender and this years Holi Cow Festival.
Most recently, the Delhi based artist won the award for Best Music Video at the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for 'Life Is Good'. The video was shot in Hauz Khas Village last year and features local Bboys from the SlumGods. The judging panel for the competition was an impressive mix of iconic artists such as Tom Waits, Ozzy Osbourne and Tori Amos alongside five record label presidents and other industry leaders.
028 in the Wild City mix series is completely original material and filled to the brim with music that is entirely, indisputably electronic (with a hint of pop). The combination of sounds used range anywhere from groovy to infectious and consequently, the entire mix makes for an extremely engaging listen. From danceable beats to smooth running soundscapes, the flow from track to track is impeccable, giving a real sense of the musical machine behind it.
For more info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1823-wild-city-028-jatin-puri
Delhi based Qilla Records has fast become one of the country's key underground powerhouses, a name now associated internationally with underground dance music particularly with minimal and techno.
Spearheaded by Madhav Shorey a.k.a Kohra and Gaurav Malaker, one half of BLOT, the label is now on the cusp of its 8th release. Unlike its predecessors, this is the first time the imprint has put together a compilation rather than an EP, showcasing a completely new direction for the label.
"The idea behind our very first full-length compilation 'Open Dialect' came after we received a large number of demos that were all fantastic tracks but didn't quite fit the "label profile" so to speak. We decided to section out certain styles of tracks into compilations that support parallel ideas of the label presented differently." - Kohra, Qilla Records
Due to be released on 21 May, the compilation features tracks from a number of young and upcoming producers from France, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and India. It also welcomes the Qilla debut of Bangalore based artists Vinayaka and Audio Units as well as Delhi based Habilis.
We've been trying to pin down Kohra to do a Wild City mix for us, for a while now. The fact that it comes in the form of a promo mix for Open Dialect makes no difference to us. This is a fantastic release from an independent label that continues to that make huge strides in the right but yet unknown direction. This is what excites us.
Drawing exclusively from tracks that feature on the compilation, Kohra has put together a mix that folds together deep rolling basslines and uplifting melodies with a dark hypnotic brooding undercurrent. A taste of what to expect from the release next week.
"Qilla Records chooses to support the new breed of producers who aren't afraid to go back to their roots to understand the future of dance music. It isn't about genres anymore. Genres have cross-pollinated enough to create sound that is evocative of emotive nuances which break free from any form of categorisation. 'Open Dialect' was created to explore this state of mind."
For a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1677-wild-city-026-kohra-presents-open-dialect
Kevin McHugh a.k.a Ambivalent has spent the last decade living in either Berlin or New York. In a sense, these two metropoleis represent the contradiction at the heart of his Ambivalent persona. On the one hand the reckless freedom and hedonism of the Berlin subculture, on the other the more considered, conceptual approach of its New York counterpart. As a result his unique sound lies somewhere between the two, a precarious balancing act that manages to infuse stripped down, finked up minimal techno with a distinct sense of purpose.
Due to be over in India over the coming weekend, we did, well, what we usually do and got him to sit down and make us an exclusive mix for Wild City. It wasn't easy - he's a busy man! But you know what, he came through in the end.
"Sometimes I rarely get moments to just sit and focus on one thing. Time on flights is often my best way to get some thinking done, or make a mix. This podcast was made in one of those moments. I did my best to fit a balance of sounds that I play in my sets from bouncy to dark, so it's a decent representation of what you might hear in one of my DJ sets." - Ambivalent
025 in the Wild City series is raw, heavy, and doesn’t once consider taking things lightly. The Berlin based producer has released a steady stream of underground techno records over the years; they’re as deep and minimal as they come and despite all those gloriously manipulated samples, there’s nothing big room about them. They're basically complete murder on the dancefloor.
Ambivalent's knack for simplicity and musicality is a huge part of what makes his production so enjoyable. Based on this mix, it seems that his DJ mixes employ a similarly effective approach - an ever evolving, dynamic and exciting producer that we're more than excited to see grace Indian shores.
For further information head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1666-wild-city-025-ambivalent
"Bangalore based duo Rahul Giri and Tanvi Rao currently make up one of the country's most interesting contemporary acts, Sulk Station. Their debut album ‘Till You Appear’ is a brilliant specimen of trip-hop and downtempo, beautifully laced with Indian classical influences. Placed side by side with their more contemporary sounds it’s a listen that manages to create a despairing timelessness." - Abhinava Bhattacharyya
This Wednesday Wild City will be hosting Sulk Station’s debut Delhi show and album launch at Out Of The Box, Hauz Khas Village. In addition to Sulk Station, the show will include a performance from Teddy Boy Kill and Wild City DJ. To get you in the mood this Monday, Sulk Station have put together a mixtape of tracks that played a big part in influencing their album throughout last year.
Featuring tracks from the likes of Baths, James Blake and Radiohead it's not hard to see why they sound like they do. Considering their influences from music that was utterly of the moment, one can only wait with bated breath for what these guys will do next. A reminder that there is so much room for the new.
"This is more a mixtape than a mix. Basically a bunch of songs that were on repeat through 2011, while the album was being made" - Sulk Station
For a tracklist and further information head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1646-wild-city-024-sulk-station
"With rhythm in her soul and funk in her attitude, Kini has been steadily creating waves within India's house music scene."
Starting off as resident DJ at Poison in Hyderabad, Kini quickly rose through the ranks to open for acts such as dOP, Dale Anderson, Anil Chawla, Djuma Soundsystem, James Harcourt and Jody Wisternoff.
A long time coming, we've managed to persuade Kini to lend us an hour of her time for a mix running through her current favourite tracks. Keeping things light it moves through various strains of house and techno while focusing on melodic grooves and tight dancefloor orientated beats.
Featuring tracks from the likes of Maxi Mill, Martyn and Nicolas Masseyeff it's a fun and forward listen that only builds the anticipation for what Kini is going to deliver next. With four releases already under her belt on labels such as Whose Haus and Arjun Vagale's Maktub, Kini is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
"This mix is representative of the sound that I'm into right now. It covers a lot of ground ranging from deep house to techno. If you like the artwork as much as I do you can contact graphic designer/illustrator, Namrata Phoolka (Via thewildcity)" - Kini Rao
For a tracklist and further info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1585-wild-city-021-kini-rao
2008 was the year Frederic Berger and Patrick Buck started their marvelous career as Kaiserdisco, tying together over 10 years of experience within the music industry. A duo that's not so easy to pin down, Kaiserdisco combine with exceptional style and grace both the warmer, melodic and deeper sides of house with the more heated and groovy, pounding drum patterns of minimal and techno.
Within the last 4 years they've remixed artists such as Booka Shade, Kosheen, Extrawelt, Sebastien Légér, 2000 and One whilst having releases on legendary labels like Drumcode, 100% Pure, Strictly Rhythm, My Best Friend and Global Underground.
Beside their big future plans and already signed releases on Drumcode and My Best Friend in April 2012 the boys have also started their own imprint titled KD Music - what better time for them to enter Indian clubland.
To mark their first ever Indian tour later this week at blueFROG Delhi and Mumbai Frederic from Kaiserdisco has gone and put together a mix that folds together various elements of house and techno into one incredibly clean and precise package, touching upon tracks from the likes of Oxia, Arjun Vagale, Anil Chawla and of course Kaiserdisco.
For a tracklist and further info head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1548-wild-city-020-kaiserdisco
When you think of hip-hop, house and dubstep, Newcastle, in the North-East of England, isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind. London, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Paris and Manchester are amongst the few cities that are credited with making huge contributions to the heterogeneous catalogue of electronic music we have at our fingertips today.
It's sometimes very easy for national music media to overlook fledgling talent in cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. To a similar extent, media attention regarding recent developments in electronic music has been almost exclusively centered on London. Whilst nobody could overlook the influences of a vast roster of dubstep, techno and garage producers based in the UK's capital, it seems unfair that artists with similar levels of talent lack the appropriate platforms for exposure in northern cities.
TRIPTIK Music is aiming to address this imbalance, with these key criteria kept at the forefront of their progress: "Essential, Eclectic and Electronic."
A label with no static “sound”, Triptik focuses on the aesthetic of innovation rooted within tradition. The goal of the label is to present the listener with high-caliber music that reaches beyond the boundaries of genres, trends or clichés.
Having recently released Mr Blazey’s The MUSH! EP, the label has once again proved its consistency in releasing fresh and forward thinking goodness. What label owner Tim Shaw has gone and done for us in this mix is no different. This is the freshest dance music soundtrack out there, spanning a diverse array of styles including hip-hop, house, dubstep and more. You are now rocking with the best...
For a tracklist and more information head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1526-wild-city-019-triptik-music
Switch Bitch has been gestating within various bedrooms and laptops for just over two years. Considering the matured sound you're about to hear over the next 12 minutes, it's hard to believe.
What began with the shared passion of two people sitting around a laptop and making electro has over time evolved through sonic-scapes and grown as if by mitosis into a four piece counter-culture. "Now we have more than two, even five people at a time crowded around a laptop."
Currently consisting of Abhinav Chaudhary, Nikhil Kaul, Abhishek Bhatia, Anshul Lall and Anupam Roy, Switch Bitch is an act that can travel from shadow to light and all shades in between with casual grace.
As expected, the mysterious group have piloted an ominous, exotic musical journey and even better, have made it an exclusive 3 track EP released via Wild City completely free of charge.
The key here is atmosphere. An EP that burrows itself into the brain before nestling down for the long haul. By taking electronics forward but without at any point sacrificing accessibility, 'Bitch' have created an EP that demands and receives full immersion. Its brooding personality is on occasion challenging, but this is something that's worth getting to grips with.
"We believe in uncompromising pretty-ness and making things that will incite mixed emotions at best. Do we dance to this? Do we kiss? Do we bask in it? Or must we hold hands and move around a jungle fire? This set consists of 3 songs which were made over a long period of time and have been changed, mixed, remixed, inhaled, exhaled. Or not. For your listening pleasure." - Switch Bitch
The next step is to catch these guys live. We're more than excited.
For a tracklist and more information head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1448-wild-city-018-switch-bitch
Andy Vaz hails from Düsseldorf, Germany and is the man behind Background Recordings, a label internationally acclaimed as being instrumental to what people refer to today as minimal techno.
In March 2007 Vaz added to his list of musical ventures by launching a new label called “YORE”, the focus of which will be on authentic old school Detroit and Chicago house sounds. His latest release, Straight Vacationing is his first full-length artist album since the 2006 release of Repetitive Moments Last Forever. It see's Vaz travel back into history, registering as less a straight-up collection of dance-floor burners and more a variety pack that mixes club tracks and full-fledged house songs. Straight Vacationing dives into the genre in all it’s rich variety.
Last October Andy Vaz, Glitterbug and Murat Tepeli were invited out to India to tour as part of a Goethe Institut initiative. This is where we first met Andy. His love for house and techno became evident instantly and we just knew there and then, that we wanted a WIld City mix.
While the tracks on the mix are mostly new, there's an obvious classic sensibility, whether it's showcasing sturdy house and techno rhythms, putting an '80s-influenced vocal front, or breaking out a bouncy disco bassline. Many parts of the dance music community are regularly criticised for getting a bit formulaic with their house and techno approach. Vaz on the other hand eschews trends to instead embrace elements of old funk, soul and house in an intriguingly personalised way.
For a tracklist and more information head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1378-wild-city-017-andy-vaz
"There's no innate skill involved in quality drum and bass production beyond a surge of all nighters and dying city lights." says Mumbai based producer and DJ, Ox7gen. Self taught in the studio and now quickly gaining a reputation as the rising star of Indian drum and bass Ox7gen a.k.a Aditya Ashok is surely one to watch in 2012.
In a career spanning just over a year, this self-proclaimed drum and bass newbie has been pushing the boundaries tirelessly. Suffice to say the effortless skill and insatiable appetite for glitch has paid off as he’s managed to garner himself an impressive following in only a few short months of live meddling. The latter half of 2011 saw Ashok play his first couple of gigs in Mumbai and also close Bacardi NH7 Weekender’s Dub Station stage.
Throughout this mix, regardless of what genre is being explored, Ox7gen's love of drum-heavy percussion and thick rhythms is a constant. Textured by sharp, crunchy beats and mutating into a hard and sloppy sonic experience, it results in a listen that is quite possibly without a single dull moment.
For a tracklist and more information head over to: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1270-wild-city-016-ox7gen
The legendary drum and bass duo Concord Dawn a.k.a Evan Short and Matt Harvey is quite simply one of the most recognised names in drum and bass history.
After bursting onto the international scene in early 2000 with their "Best Electronic Album" and "Best Independent Release" Disturbance, the duo rocked the foundations of drum and bass into a movement that eventually would see the genre move into the mainstream. Classic tracks such as “Morning Light” and “Don’t Tell Me” found international acclaim and are still heavily play-listed across the planet.
This week, Matt Harvey will be bringing his critically acclaimed brand of drum and bass to audiences in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore headlining the 6th installlent of BASS CAMP Festival, the country's only bass heavy music festival.
The duo’s Wild City mix is as expected mainly centered around their own productions and music. A 25 minute brockout of what you can expect as part of their Indian tour.
"This is a mix of a selection of tracks I made last year, some out now and a bunch still yet to come! I hope y'all enjoy it." - Concord Dawn
For a tracklist and more information head over to: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1213-wild-city-015-concord-dawn
With the sudden undeniable presence in India of glitch hop/electro hip-hop or whatever else you want to call it, we thought it only fair to get a mix from the genres fastest rising stars.
A union of three talented young producers, Zen Death Squad are a phenomenon waiting to happen. Armed with laptops, synthesisers and drum machines, their diverse and explosive live sets are becoming notorious within the underground. Cyber Dojo Lazer Training EP was the trio's debut release. Uncompromisingly brazen and intensely colourful, the title track has already received global recognition from DJs, bloggers and crowds alike.
"This is easily the strongest debut release I have heard in years. If you don't like this record you are pretty much a racist." - ill Gates
Following a successful US tour including performances at the world renowned Low End Theory club in Los Angeles and San Francisco, alongside Gaslamp Killer, Salva and EPROM to name a few we expect there's a lot more to come from this trio. For now, they're second EP, tentatively titled EP2 is due out very soon.
As well as a bunch of unreleased jams, their Wild City mix touches upon tracks from the likes of Lunice, Starkey, Rustie and Eprom while also showcasing a number of artists that have helped them develop their sound of the years. It's a deep journey, one that we think you're going to love.
For a tracklist and more information head over to: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1195-wild-city-014-zen-death-squad
Earlier this year we interviewed Ghettophiles, one of the leading players for the juke/footwork scene's movement and home to some of the most recognised names in juke, footwork, ghetto tech, dub, moombahton and Chicago house. One of these names is Starfoxxx a.k.a Erik, Dave and Fabe, the production trio based out in Chicago. Together they bring a real grassroots sound to moombahton while at the same time producing ghetto bounce and juke. The fusion of their combined experience in the studio allows them to construct dark, sinister sounds mixed with bouncy "booty bass" alongside a global twist.
"Me, coming from a Mexican background, I just love the fact that salsa, cumbia, merengue, and all these Latin influences are starting to show up in this new wave of music. To be honest when I was younger I didn't think cumbia and merengue were cool at all, but the way it's been handled now by all these producers is amazing. I love the flavour and it's nice to get a change in the speed of music, something that feels a bit more chill but doesn't ease up on the heavy bass." - Erick, Starfoxxx
We haven't yet had anything remotely juke/moombahton as part of the Wild City mix series. What better way to kick it off!
For a tracklist and more information on this mix head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/1011-wild-city-012-starfoxxx
Teddy Boy Kill is a self confessed technologic "beat punk" consisting of Ashhar Farooqui, Samrat Bee, and recently added drummer Akshat Nauriyal. Otherwise known as Toymob, Audio Pervert and Tahska.
Forget everything you know about Indian electronica. "Rising out of the usual clutter and clam of electronic music in India", Teddy Boy Kill has forced itself to develop an edgy, moody and distinctly solid sound. An electronic-based rock/techno/electro band from New Delhi, Teddy Boy Kill make a mark with their raucous live shows and high-energy music that draws comparisons to !!!, LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Walls and even Massive Attack at times. Yup, I said it.
Their music pulls towards many conflicting and opposing genres with an industrial sound that is seamlessly and disjointedly interwoven with confrontational lyrics. There is a profound quality about this partnership (especially when watching live) that gives their music a very distinctive heart and depth. Proud to be independent of any record label and giving away all their music for free via their soundcloud, Teddy Boy Kill have released one full length LP in the shape of The Exit Plan and numerous singles to date.
"A clear message to the various 'beatporting' DJs and star acts of electro muzak. Go ! fuck yourself ! For once, make a tune or try and score music that lasts. We do not give a shit about your Ableton skills or your Euro Fag Festival in Goa nor the vapid bourgeois 'malhaar'!" - Teddy Boy KIll
For Wild City #011 Teddy Boy Kill have gone and created something completely unique. Rather than following the "brief" of putting together a mix they've produced a track exclusively for Wild City ad TBK fans across the country.
Aptly named FuckZION the 7 minute track is almost impossible to pin down. Wildly jumping from techno to synth pop to electro and even hints of Skwee, it perfectly shows off not only the musical inspirations of the band but also the direction of the band we're hoping to hear a lot from in the future. A snap shot of an act in transition, making bold strides in the right direction.
For more information on this mix head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/912-wild-city-011-teddy-boy-kill
Last week, we let you know about burntprogress, a music focused agency and network whose project 'CDR - The Nights Of Ideas and Tracks In The Making' has been the bedrock for music producers and artists alike. In fact, it was through the same initiative that BBC Radio 1 (now XFM) DJ Mary Anne Hobbs first heard the sounds of Floating Points, SBTRKT, Bullion and Paul White.
The project itself has travelled with residencies spanning across cities such as London, Paris, Barcelona, Tel Aviv and Sydney. Tonight it begins its tour across India allowing both aspiring and established producers to submit their current works in progress which are then usually play-listed and heard on a great sound system on that same night (the next night in the case of Mumbai). Essentially it's offering an opportunity for like-minded artists to meet and exchange feedback/ideas.
In celebration of this initiative heading over to our shores, we present Wild City 010 from London based, Planet Mu artist Oriol, who'll be traveling across the country, playing his unique blend of 70s soul and 80s electro funk as part of the CDR project after-parties.
This is what we're all about. A thrilling 30 minute mix of brand new cuts from the likes of Rustie and Machinedrum alongside classics such as the 1985 groove "Midnight Express To Love City". Strap on your headphones and dig this.
For a tracklist and more information on this mix head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/816-wild-city-010-oriol-cdr-project
Hailing from the German club scene this bass heavy collective is a creative alliance made up of London-born, Sri Lankan songwriter and front woman Sasha Perera alongside two beat freak multi-instrumentalists; Teuton Robot Koch and Tel-Aviv born Oren Gerlitz.
The versatility of their music and sheer energy of their live performance has led the band on an unrelenting trail across 5 continents, playing everything from festivals to clubs, raves, squats, galleries and even impromptu Boombox parties in a Berlin underpass. To say that we're excited about seeing them over on our shores, would just be an understatement.
Wild City #009 is everything we hoped it would be. A dusk-lit garage, bass and house session featuring tracks from UK bass heavyweights such as Shackleton, Dark Sky, Zomby and Brackles alongside alternate versions of a couple of well-known Jahcoozi jams. It also includes a choice selection from their BLNRB album titled Welcome To The Madhouse, a project that involved 22 Kenyan musicians, Jahcoozi, Modeselektor and Gebrueder Teichmann back in 2010.
It's a highly enjoyable ride, partially thanks to the selection and African vibe which seamlessly fades in and out of the mix, but also thanks to the mixing style, which gives some of the transitions an almost hip-hop feel.
For a tracklist and more information on this mix head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/778-wild-city-009-jahcoozi
Brooklyn Shanti otherwise known as Shanti or the1shanti is an MC, producer, composer and DJ based in New York City. Bengali in origin, decidedly hip-hop in orientation, Shanti is currently a man possessed with the idea of bringing true hip-hop to India, "the most populous democracy in the world.”
Shanti's story began at the young age of 12, where he set off on his journey by supporting hip-hop pioneers such as Doug E. Fresh and Ultramagnetics MCs. Since then he's collaborated with musical heavyweights such as A. R. Rahman, Sonik Gurus, the Foreign Beggars, Italy's Feel Good Productions, ElekTro4, Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin and Wood), and Niraj Chag to name a few.
In 2006, Afrika Bambaataa, the "grandfather" of hip-hop, aware of Shanti's efforts to spread a positive message in South Asia, even dubbed the artist the Indian Bambaataa.
Currently working on his third full length LP due for release next year, Shanti is collaborating with a wide range of legendary musicians ranging from Afrika Bambaataa to KutMasta Kurt and Karsh Kale.
For more information on this mix and the competition, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/604-wild-city-008-brooklyn-shanti-the-gift-of-surrender
Born out of a shared vision of musical inspiration, the duo of D-Nox & Beckers has, over the last 6 years, firmly entrenched itself into the landscape of the worldwide electronic community
With more than a quarter century of combined DJing and producing experience between them,Christian “D-Nox” Wedekind and Frank "Beckers" effectively merge a seasoned musical grounding with a dynamic creative spark that never fails in its ability to adapt to the ever-changing vista of electronic dance music.
In the time since their debut release saw the light of day in late 2004, the emergence of D-Nox & Beckers has been nothing short of astounding. Their 2007 album Left Behind on the Electribe imprint was met with critical acclaim and led to a heavy worldwide touring schedule with constant appearances in thriving musical centers across the globe.
This weekend Christian “D-Nox” Wedekind and Frank "Beckers" are heading over to India to play shows in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai as part of a tour organised by Qilla Records & 8 Bit. Alongside this they'll be running a workshop in Delhi and Mumbai teaching keen musicians the art of production, masting and music business.
In celebration of their first ever visit to the country they've very kindly put together Wild City 007. A cohesive and vibrant mix that navigates house, techno and more over the course of an hour. It's a treat.
Aside from this, we're running a very special competition giving away a signed EP as well as a pair of tickets to the masterclass/workshop to a winner in both Delhi and Mumbai.
For more information on this mix and the competition, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/661-wild-city-007-dnox-beckers
Jazzsteppa are an internationally acclaimed dubstep outfit based out of London and Berlin who combine cutting-edge digital production with acoustic instruments. Fusing hard line rave sounds with dixieland, jazz and blues, they've managed to create a unique brand of dance music, widely acknowledged by the global scene as truly innovative.
Credited as the first dubstep act to perform and record with acoustic instruments, shunning samples, the music they make is 100% original.
At the end of September, Jazzsteppa a.k.a Gal Bar-Adon and Gal Moore land in India for the very first time to play as a part of Bass Camp Festival which includes dates in Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune & Delhi. To celebrate they've put together a very special mix for Wild City.
"We're really excited to come and play for our friends in India!!" - Jazzsteppa
For a tracklist and more info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/512-wild-city-005-jazzsteppa
Following his interview with us last week and the launch of his debut EP Incu-Bass, we're thrilled to have B.R.E.E.D follow this up with an exclusive mix for WIld City.
Incu-Bass EP is the heaviest project to come out of the B.R.E.E.D camp this year, following his Top 10 Beatport success in January of 2010. The debut EP is the initial release of B.R.E.E.D's upcoming stream of releases following through until early 2012.
With support from the likes of Calvertron, Starkey, Freq Nasty, Reid Speed, Modestep and many more B.R.E.E.D promises to continue to be one of the most sort-after producers in India, while slowly penetrating his way into bass scenes the world over.
Are you ready? - Not for the faint hearted
For a tracklist and more info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/443
The mix as expected does not disappoint, incorporating an exhilarating mix of different moods, tempos and styles of bass music. From Nicolas Jaar through to Mount Kimbie, it even manages to squeeze in a bootleg of Wicked Games by Chris Issak without losing the plot. We imagine that we'll be hearing lots more from BLOT! in the months to come, for now however they appear to be operating at the top of their game.
For a tracklist and more info, head over here: http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/music.xhtml/article/408