I will try to walk out of my comfort zone: Gaurav Raina of Midival Punditz

There was no concept of electronica music in India when Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj started Midival Punditz back in 1996-97. Now the genre has become one of the most heard and popular genres around the world.

There was no concept of electronica music in India when Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj started Midival Punditz back in 1996-97. Now the genre has become one of the most heard and popular genres around the world.

Gaurav-Raina-of-Midival-Punditz

"When I was 17-years-old, I started out as a commercial DJ. It was the era of Prodigy and Chemical Brothers, when these bands were going strong in the UK. It was only after the advent of the Internet that we started making our own music," says Gaurav, one half of the duo. "It was onlyon in 2002-2003, electronica started being accepted in India as a legitimate form. The change happened when a lot of producers popped up. The current scene is quite encouraging," he adds.

“There was a lot of music that I was writing that had a lot to do with English music and lyrics, and song writing that did not belong here. So I decided to make this album. I have been producing with Tapan for last 12-15 years and did not want to mess with the band’s aesthetic and style. So this became the concept for my new album.”

On collaborating with the artistes that he has already worked with, Gaurav says, “I share a comfort zone with the musicians that I have collaborated with. But the songs I did with Karsh are very different than the songs I did with Monica or Anoushka. So for me, it was important to stretch my limits and identify till where is it that I can extent my sound. But I will try and walk out of my comfort zone the next time.”