Wild City

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

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

"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 consist

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 l

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 Ca

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 thro

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

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. An

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 produc

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 De

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 rele

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

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. I

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 i

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 Av

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 fre

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

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

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 aim

"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 songwr