Spinning racy tracks

Moving forward

As the popularity of dance music soars, DJs and music producers are basking in the limelight. They are finally getting their space and audience. DJ/producer Sarthak Sardana aka Sartek is one of them. A numbers man-turned-DJ, he talks about the evolution of dance music in India and more.

How did you become a DJ/music producer?

I was always a big fan of dance music, with early inspiration from Tiesto’s legendary compilation ‘In Search Of Sunrise’. I joined a music production school in New Delhi in 2009 and it took me two years to learn the basics of the craft and then I released my first track, ‘Apocalypse’, in 2013.

Why dance music?
I was a CA final-year student. Tough as it is, I finished with my exams and was celebrating at a bar and suddenly I saw a flyer for a Ferry Corsten show. I had no clue about the craft or what trance music was but I eventually decided to go for it. His music gave me a phenomenal sense of euphoria. Ever since, I couldn’t deal with numbers. This was 2007; now it’s 2015 and I can’t think of anything that gives me greater joy!

Challenges you’ve faced being in the music industry?
Piracy is the biggest threat. Revenue from sales is going down. A track that takes considerable time to make is cheaper than your Starbucks coffee! But by far, the worst one is getting Bollywood requests in smaller clubs in tier-two cities. I love quality Bollywood music, but requesting the same from a dance music artiste is an outright abomination!

How has the dance music scene in India developed?
Earlier on, dance music was restricted to a few listeners and genres — mainly trance, house and progressive house. Over the past two to three years, boundaries have merged, giving birth to future house, progressive and so on. Mainstream radio stations covers the culture as a whole which was unimaginable back then. I would say the biggest differences have come about in terms of BPM and style.

One misconception people have about dance music artistes?
The biggest misconception is the association of illicit substances with the dance music culture in general. This is totally wrong. I know many enthusiasts who don’t even touch alcohol, let alone other substances. I personally love a cold beer but have always kept myself away from other practices.

Your inspirations are...
My biggest inspiration is none other than the sensei Armin Van Buuren! I was an avid listener of ‘A State of Trance’ but in recent times, I am in awe of Hardwell’s style of performing and Tom Swoon’s amazing melodic productions.

An artiste you would like to work with...
There are so many artistes out there with a wide spectrum of sound so it is tough to put an exact pointer on this. However, the Dutch superstar Chuckie is one I would love to collaborate with. As far as the Indian arena is concerned, I would love to dish out some tunes with Joshi.

What next?
I have a few releases lined up with ‘Revealed Recordings’, following which I have one set with ‘Armada Recordings’. A lot is scheduled and I have my fingers crossed!