Playing to a house full of gyrating bodies is every aspiring DJ’s dream. But with most artistes restricting themselves to playing only niche forms of EDM — be it dubstep, techno or a sub-genre of house — the scene gets rather restricted. Keeping this trend in mind, a national DJ hunt is on the lookout for versatile performers who can spin different styles with equal ease. The Mumbai round of the competition, Red Bull Thre3Style, will be held on August 8 at F Lounge.Diner.Bar, Lower Parel. Participants will be required to mix three genres in one single set of 15 minutes.
Stuck in genres
“Most DJs these days are genre-nazis. They get stuck in their chosen style and remain there. With this contest, we are looking for people who can get out of this mould,” says DJ Nawed Khan, who will judge the Mumbai round.
Apart from Mumbai, the qualifying rounds will also be held in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi, which will be judged by DJs Vachan Chinappa, Sanjay Dutta and Ash Roy respectively. The national finals will be held at Blue Frog, Mumbai, on August 24. The winner will get to represent India at the international finals to be held in Chicago later this year.
“Last year’s edition of the competition saw more than 100 DJs from across the country. This year, we are expecting an even better response in terms of participation as well as the quality of music,” says Rohan Vyavaharkar, national
communications manager, Red Bull India.
Music over technique
Khan says that they’re not looking for people with impeccable technique. Instead, they want those who have a good understanding of the music they play. “These days, everyone has access to technology. So besides the technical aspect, we will choose people who are able to easily move from one genre to a second and again to a third,” he explains.
Winds of change
Having started his career in the late ’90s, Khan says that a lot has changed in the past decade. “Back then, most Mumbai clubs used to be open till early morning hours. So we had to play a mix of genres — from Bollywood, to ’80s and hip-hop. But now, things are different. We didn’t have access to the Internet, so we’d wait for senior DJs to pass on international tracks to us and that would take five to six months. Nowadays, beginners have tracks even before we get our hands on them.”
Winds of change
Having started his career in the late ’90s, Khan says that a lot has changed in the past decade. “Back then, most Mumbai clubs used to be open till early morning hours. So we had to play a mix of genres — from Bollywood, to ’80s and hip-hop. But now, things are different. We didn’t have access to the Internet, so we’d wait for senior DJs to pass on international tracks to us and that would take five to six months. Nowadays, beginners have tracks even before we get our hands on them.”
However, Khan remains hopeful of discovering talents who can really get the party started. “With the many entries we’ve received, I hope I’m able to find that versatile performer.”
Besides the technical aspect, we will choose people who are able to easily move from one genre to a second and again to a third.