JOIN US'Bengaluru has been my favourite city'
Dance music concerts have become one of the most popular events across the globe. The City recently witnessed the Sunburn concert where many talented DJs from around the world came to entertain all the music lovers. ‘Metrolife’ sat down with the Sunburn’s in-house artist, DJ Shaan, to talk about his journey so far.
When did you become a DJ? What were your early passions and influences?
I became a DJ at the age of 12. I took it as a hobby because we had a small console at home to play around with. My early passion was to play sport, especially football, but it wasn’t all that popular at that time.
What are your expectations from this year’s concert?
The Sunburn concert gets wilder and crazier each year. This year, it’s going to be amazing (as it’s already has been). It’s been my home for my career, so I know it’s going to be a hundred times bigger.
What are some of the challenges you face as a DJ?
I think the main challenge is to give the crowd the commercial tracks they want, but at the same time playing your music and unreleased tracks, which no one has ever heard of before. It’s quite challenging to be a DJ because you have to have a skill to read your crowd in each city as each crowd is different.
You become a real DJ when you can play non-commercial music and still make the crowd go crazy.
What is it about DJing compared to, say, producing your own music that makes it interesting for you?
Producing music is a part of the job and it’s another way of expressing yourself to the world. So it’s definitely something different being in your quiet space compared to being on a stage in front of thousands of people.
Some of your preparation tactics?
Well, I don’t prepare my set beyond the first three tracks. I think the art of DJing is to be able to take the crowd on a journey that they want to be taken on and not one that you have prepared for them.
Favourite event?
Sunburn Goa, 2014. It was the first time I played on mainstage for 35,000 people; it was an overwhelming feeling as many came out to see me play.
Your favourite city to play at...
Bengaluru has been my favourite — it has one of the most educated crowd and a lot of energy.
Your alternative career would be...
Probably a sportsmen.
Two artistes you look up to...
Aly and Fila and Passenger. Their music |has a lot of emotion and I feel like they bring the true essence of music, therefore giving me inspiration.
(As told to Anila Kurian)