Praketh Sunder, aka blueOrb & buffaPirate

1. What are some of the earliest memories of really connecting to music you have?

A lot of different ones actually, but when it comes to electronic music the first track that really got my imagination was “Leftfield – Song of Life” in 1996 from this tape called “Dance Now”. That’s when I knew something different had happened to me & I began to truly understand the hypnotic effect music can have.

2. At what point did you realize that you'd like to start DJing and when did you actually begin to gig out?

I heard this mix disc at a friend’s house back in 1995-1996 by someone called DJ Bobo, this mix had cut ups, mash ups & re-edits of pop, hip hop & dance music. Something like 30-35 tracks in a one hour mix. That’s when I started getting obsessed with the idea of DJing & thanks to my parents, I always had a vast collection of music. After that I began to play out whenever I could for friends and private parties.

Then in 2004, with my evolving tastes in downtempo music I became blueOrb & that’s when I started considering DJ'ing both as an art form and a serious technical craft.

3. Strangest gig experience?

Has to be this gig in Jaipur, India. The venue was an old palace, quite beautifully done I must say but I had the weirdest song requests that night that include “Arabic trance, goa gil trance, salsa, bollywood to umbrella”. But it was fun seeing people doing the Salsa on progressive trance music. Not to forget that they had guys on horses sprinting all around the venue the whole time.

4. You've got two aliases for music projects; tell me about what differentiates BlueOrb from BuffaPirate.

blueOrb is always about taking listeners on a sonic journey while the Pirate is just about coming to a club and letting loose!

My musical repertoire as blueOrb for the first couple of years I only focused on promoting/playing eclectic downtempo music but being a dancefloor junkie I eventually even started playing deep progressive & phat pounding techno music. Then in 2007-2008 I met some cool kids who got me hooked onto bass music like breaks, dubstep, a bit of drum n bass & electro, and that’s when I started buffaPirate, like an alter ego of sorts.

I am very dedicated and passionate about various art forms & promoting the electronic music culture & that is why I try to constantly push my boundaries and try to explore new sounds. I like a bit of all kinds of music, what I play just depends on the right time and setting. I take pride in not limiting myself to one particular genre of music as a good DJ-set should not be about playing 10 latest dancefloor hits but it should be a evolving sonic journey that moves the listener through different emotions and soundscapes.

5. Dubstep has exploded internationally - how has this music been received in India?

The dubstep is relatively new in India as it’s been couple of years since its hit the masses. But with excellent Artists/DJs/Promoters like BASSFoundation, BREED (DJ Nasha), Nucleya, Mental Martians, East Stepper, The Massive, BBC, BLOT, Vachan, The Wobble crew & me, bass music is being pushed on a consistent basis making the scene stronger & stronger.

Dubstep as a genre can be a bit shocking to any average clubber or music listener, but as I keep saying it’s just a tiny switch that needs to be flicked in your head and then there is no looking back.

6. What is the DJ gig scene like in India at the moment - in terms of what crowds expect from you when you spin, and also whether it’s possible to build a regular following?

The scene is constantly evolving and has seen a massive growth in the last couple of years with a lot of different listeners, venues, promoters & DJ’s getting more experimental and open minded about their approach to electronic music. You finally have Fridays & Saturdays with 3-4 different electronic nights happening in different parts of any city. So yes it is possible to build a regular following if you combine it with some good PR, but I would say that I hope it gets a lot better in the coming years.

7. With regards to electronic music, how do you think audiences and scenes differ in various cities across India?

Every city has its own unique flavour but I would say that there is not much of a difference in the audience’s core persona. The usual clubbers are well educated & internationally exposed individuals who want to experience something different then commercial music.

8. Are you planning any music releases of your own in the near future? Collaborations?

I am still experimenting with a lot of sounds & styles right now but I should release an EP somewhere around early 2012. I not too sure about the name I would release the EP under but it would be deep, experimental & hypnotic electronic music.