DJ Eagle-i

Feature Posted March 21st, 2006 by indianelectronica

Okay, so your bio reads having been inspired by Talvin Singh's anokha parties, as well as Swaraj - both early gigs for inventive south asian-influenced electronic music in the UK. At the time, going to those parties, what did you see and hear that influenced your decision to get involved with music?

I was an art student in London at the time and the whole Asian music and culture scene just exploded, Anokha and Swaraj nights for me were about British Asians making a mark, being creative and pushing boundaries in music and cultural identity. that experience had a huge influence on me, the music was strange but it all made sense straight away, I never listened to break-beat or d&b before then and never heard traditional Asian music mixed like that either, it was just mind blowing, that is when I discovered that Bhangra and Bollywood music weren't the only traditional music I had access to, this new music also represents me and my background.

When did you start djing?

I had loads of music, I began my dj career when I moved to Amsterdam in '99, I started spinning in bars and and clubs eventually started my own night called Sutra Funk, which is now 2 years old.

How has your taste in music changed since you began djing and now that you're producing music, what is it that you crave to hear when you're digging through crates or in the studio?

Asian underground sounds is still the basis to everything I do but saying that I am getting more and more into Eastern sounds, Arabic, North African and Turkish music which reflects Amsterdam's make up. I am still feeling Asian break-beat and d'n'b, now discovering electro, dub, funk and hip-hop, For me in '99 Indian Ropeman's album Elephant Sound was a master piece, still feeling it even today, but more recently ob secure Arabic artist like Naab, Mutamassik and SUV are getting my juices going, then the sounds of Nasha crew, Punk-A-Wallahs and various Desi artists are influencing me. I am always attracted to music with perfect balance between traditional and electronic elements, for me the spirit of culture has to shine through.

If you were forced to pigeon-hole your sound (sorry ;) into a few words - how would you describe it?

Indeed forcing me into a horrible question, to be honest I don't even know that myself, I have only begun producing but I would like create electro-breaks-hip-hop-drum & bass.

What pays your bills?

I'm a graphic designer too and luckily my freelance work pays the bills, the music is slowly but surly growing but not paying the rent yet.

How do you see your profession, money/career-wise, related to music?

Well, being a dj, producer and a club night promoter, I mainly earn money from dj gigs, and with my Sutra Funk club night I am not making a big wedge, after constantly breaking even in the past year and at times making a loss, I am finally making money, so that I can put it back in a create more rocking parties.

At the end of the 90s you worked on 2^nd generation magazine's design - it was a magazine heralded at the time for pushing UK South Asian culture into the mainstream. What were your experiences like being involved in the project as well as developing the visual aesthetic for the sort of 'modern UK brown person?'

2nd Generation magazine was certainly a cutting edge magazine for Asians, Blacks and Chinese young crowd, it was a style, political and music magazine, covering everything from cultural identity issues to interviews with the dj's.The magazine appeared at the right time, Imran Khan was the editor at the time, Anokha club was at full swing. I just wanted to be part of it, I offered my services as a graphic designer, time to time I contributed designs for spreads and helped out. It's a shame the magazine didn't last.

Who else is involved in your musical endeavors in Amsterdam?

There are some dj friends and also non dj friends who are crazy about creating music, on the computer, we invite musician friends to contribute we record them and then just get together and mess around on the computer.

Is there a sense of 'scene' related to Sutra Funk or do you find your party has a wide appeal?

Sutra Funk is creating a scene in Amsterdam, and in the last 2 years it has established itself as the only Asian underground club night in Amsterdam and in fact in the whole of Holland, which is not that big actually. In Holland there are a sprinklings of Indians and Pakistani's, still has to come of age, the community is no way near large as the one in the UK. Most of the young South Asians her are interested mainly traditional music and not the more experimental music, so it is a bit of a battle to get them through the doors, saying that South Asian students from Amsterdam's Desi Fusion society are showing interest and coming along to Sutra Funk, and for the rest of Sutra Funk goers are Dutch and expats who make up the numbers and they are a great responding crowd. they love it.

What is the musical community like that regularly supports your Sutra Funk parties in Amsterdam?

I have been in the circuit for the last 6 years and met some nice dj's and musicians, all into the ethno vibe. Dj's Safri, Sertan, Ishtar Shiva, Mps Pilot, Indian Artaffect and Danish are some of the dj's I work with they are from diverse backgrounds Turkish, Dutch, Iranian, Pakistani and Indians, and for live musicians Arnab and Heiko (tabla), Sandhya Indian (vocals), Sidharta (sitar) Terence(tabla/darbuka) and Celine (vocals). These people have contributed to Sutra Funk over the last 2 years.

What can people expect to experience when they walk through the doors of Sutra Funk? Describe your party from the newbie's perspective...

Sutra Funk pumps out the latest banging Eastern and Asian underground music... dj's and live musicians create a positive charged atmosphere - live tabla jamming alongside dj records, expressing culture through music... ancient and future music go hand in hand. Visuals are an important aspect of Sutra Funk experience, vj scratching and mixing live video and graphics on three screens all night long.

Fave broad/podcasts at the moment?

Bobby and Nihal, lastfm. Gilles Peterson, Adil Ray

Some favorite all time tracks....

Mixed bag...