There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a room full of people enjoy the music you’re playing.

 And that thrill is exactly what drives Adarsh Chandak, a young DJ-cum-producer who is pursuing visual communication at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology.

“I have been fond of DJing since I was in high school in Calcutta. I was always collecting new music and listening to more and more artistes. Slowly, my love for music turned into something that I wanted to explore and learn and now, producing mixes is something I thoroughly enjoy,” recalls Adarsh.

Speaking about his journey so far, the 21-year-old adds that what started off as a passion for DJing has now become a need to produce his own music. “My approach towards DJing is different — it isn’t just about the beat but also the involvement of the listener.

 I make mixing interesting for people by using different variations when I perform live. It could be live recordings or the fact that I use lots of sounds from our everyday surroundings in my tracks. I don’t limit myself in any way and am always looking for things that could make what I do new and fresh,” says Adarsh, who’s also trying to give modern electronic music an Indian feel.

It’s not easy for a young designer from a business family to even consider music as his career choice. But Adarsh asserts that the experience has been worth it. “Since there’s a family business back home, I wasn’t sure about taking up sound production as a career. But after getting introduced to production softwares and experimenting with recordings, I gained a lot of appreciation that helped build my confidence.

My parents are still unsure about this career and feel that it’s a distraction for me though they do appreciate what I create,” he shares.Balancing his academics and passion isn’t easy either.

 “Srishti has been very supportive towards my passion for sound. But being a design student, it does become difficult for me to manage my personal sound projects and events while studying. It needs a lot of time but I just get a few hours everyday to spend on it.

My friends always come grinning into my room because they hear me mixing stuff as soon as I get some time on my hand. They think that I’m the best DJ around and should play more often for them. At any party, they always push me towards the music system and ask me to get the party started,” he laughs. 

In his five years of DJing, he has performed at several private parties. But the one that stands out in his memory is the 2013 gig at ITC Fortune (Kolkata), where he performed with two other DJs. 

   “I still remember matching up to their beats and jamming with them with my own beats and the crowd going crazy after listening to the variations.”So what’s next for him? 

“It depends on whether my career in sound or design takes me forward. Though I do believe that music pushes my creativity just as much as my work as a designer does, I have to concentrate on my college work for now. But I’ll definitely keep DJing and experimenting in sound production on the side,” he wraps up.