You’ve performed in Roxy, Whats in D Name, Club Boudoir, UG Reincarnated... what brings you to Calcutta again and again?
I have a very special bond with Calcutta and it is definitely my favourite city. Calcutta has a very special vibe when it comes to clubbing. I have been to a lot of clubs here and every place has a different energy. This city knows how to party and that’s what brings me back for sure.
How is it any different from the clubbing scene in Ukraine?
I have no clue about what is happening in Ukraine; I don’t play there so much right now. I tour everywhere else but my country (laughs). India is something that I can’t compare any other country to. It’s going to be unfair because this country gave me so much career-wise and even in my personal life. It’s a special bond. India is always going to be number one.
You ended 2017 at Sunburn in Pune. Was it the best way to wrap up the year?
It was such a great performance. A good year ending with a huge festival and a huge crowd with a great stage! It was a really big stage for a festival and you feel like you have to bring so much energy to these people.
How have you seen trap music evolve? Some years back it wasn’t one of the top favourite genres but now do you feel the game has changed?
Trap is a genre not everybody understands. It’s basically electronic hip-hop. It’s evolving off hip-hop and its beats. I started as a hip-hop DJ so it was quite logical for me to play trap. And the first time I heard the genre, it was Yellow Claw’s Shotgun and I knew that this was the music I wanted to do. And it’s going to get bigger at least in the next five years.
Do we get any Bollywood tracks from you anytime soon?
I just finished working on a track with a Punjabi rapper, which we recorded in Delhi. I didn’t even know what he was rapping about but it was so good (laughs). And it’s going to be my first collaboration with an Indian artiste. I have a lot this year. I want to collaborate with another singer from the Northeast. Plus, I’m going to do another track for the same rapper’s next album and a remix. So I’m going to collaborate a lot with Indian artistes.
When it comes to performing, what are your expectations from the crowd?
I expect a lot of energy and good music. I’m always up for a good time and I’m always out to give people a good time and form a connection.
Do you prefer open-air festivals or nightclub gigs?
When it comes to open-air festivals, you don’t have an intimate connection with the crowd because you’re quite far from each other. But that’s where this bursting energy should compensate it. I like club sets because it is more intimate. You actually see the people and you can have eye contact.
Your tracks Kolavo and Wrath Of God were released by Spinnin Records last year. Did the crowd enjoy them?
That’s for people to decide (laughs). I do not like each and every track of mine. Sometimes I do things and people just like it, although I’m not completely satisfied with it.
Another upcoming genre is psy-trance, which is a rage in the city. What are your views about the genre?
That is an upcoming and huge style and my manager has been telling me to play some psy-trance and I just don’t know about that (laughs). But I love Vini Vici. I went to EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) last year in Delhi and I think Vini Vici’s set was the best. I couldn’t stop dancing; I lost myself.
Do you feel the need to dress up before a performance?
I can’t just say that I don’t care about how I look on stage because I’m a tomboy. I’m not a complete tomboy and I do care about how I look. I like to do make-up, tons of it, with contouring and all that. But at the same time I don’t think I have to doll up. For instance, I look much better when my hair is straight but I don’t feel like myself. My hair tied up in a bun is convenient for keeping my headphones in place (laughs).
What would be your tips and tricks for other female DJs?
To break the stereotypes and to show that whatever people think about female artistes in the music industry is stereotypical. Prove them wrong with your DJ skills, production, your music, your style and how you present yourself on stage. Be who you are; be unique. Don’t follow the trends; don’t follow the stunts. Be a trend. I feel good when people follow my style. All these things together are breaking the stereotypes. And of course, don’t give up. Never!
RAPID FIRE
Your favourite artiste: Skrillex.
The one thing you can’t go on stage without: Water.
The funniest thing a person has said to you while playing: A person asked me if I could play a track by Jennifer Lopez about “business”. And I was so lost. She was talking about Jenny From The Block and somewhere in the lyrics she heard “business” so she thought it’s a track about business. But how would I understand that? (laughs) Yeah! It took us some time to realise that.
Overrated tracks you would never be caught playing: I Took A Pill In Ibiza and Cheap Thrills (laughs). A lot of Bollywood tracks but that’s different.
Underrated tracks: So many! I think all tracks by Josh Pan and Louis The Child.
Text: Urvashi Bhattacharya
