The Indian emergence as a major force to be reckoned with gathers momentum
Interview by Rob Chadwick
We catch up here with Indian man B.L.O.T. – the guy behind the brilliant ‘Empire Waste’ on Diynamic’s latest installment, Four to the Floor Part 2…
Dude welcome to DMCWORLD, let’s kick off with the obvious one…what’s the idea behind your name?
“We were having a conversation with some friends about working with people who have a ‘basic love of things’, which triggered the acronym B.L.O.T. We also like to believe that this is our philosophy in life too! B.L.O.T. also has some interesting references to the Rorschach Test (in Psychology) on which a lot of our visual compositions are based.”
You’re from India, right? Was it a good place to experience electronic music as a teenager?
“Well to be honest, there was very little electronic music here in India when I was growing up – I discovered The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Josh Wink and stuff like that because I really looked for music that wasn’t being played on television, and there was, like, one shop that used to copy “international hits” onto cassette tapes for a small fee, There were probably 3 night clubs for the longest time. Hip Hop was really big in India in the late 90’s and early 00’s and I think the first real DJ-driven scenes were hip hop / rnb parties with people converting restaurants to gig spaces after 11pm.Thinking about it now it was really cool because the parties would go on all night, and no one shut it down because it was all so new that people (and the cops) didn’t know how to react! The techno scene started in 2002 or thereabouts but went on to gain momentum only around 2007-2008 with some really great parties that inspired people to actually get involved. Things are different now though – new bars and clubs sprout every other week, and there’s a massive number of gigs, festivals and concerts – there’s so much on at the moment that it’s almost impossible to recollect how small the scene was a mere 7-8 years ago.”
Do you think it’s better or worse than it used to be in India for house music these days? Or just different?
“It is certainly better these days, at least as compared to when we started out. Back in 2007 when we approached clubs about playing electronic music they looked at us like we had two heads or something. The open minded ones gave us a Tuesday as they didnt want to risk their loyal weekend base with electronic music. It was challenging but there really was a genuine scene back then – just much smaller, more like a rather large family. There’s a big dance music scene here now and while it is, in fact, dominated by EDM, there are droves of people who are tiring of it and actively seeking other styles. The world is more connected than it’s ever been so the house, techno, and other, deeper sounds here are pretty in sync with what’s happening elsewhere in the world.”
Is it mainly EDM over there these days?
“EDM is fairly big in India at the moment but there’s also a large, thriving underground scene. I suppose philosophies that make EDM so easy to consume apply more in India than anywhere else – clubs here don’t typically function beyond 1am on weekends, people head out to party after 11pm, so the club scene in India is based on the same fundamental as EDM – instant gratification. Often, with the time constraint, there’s no time to build a mood or play with the energy of the room, and it’s pretty wham, bam, thank you ma’am for the most part. But that’s changing, slowly and surely, and I think this particular affliction for high octane EDM might subside (to a certain extent) in the near future.”
So where are the best clubs to go to if we’re visiting then? For good music?
“The nature of the country’s music venues are fairly temporary – it’s very tough to run clubs and bars here, and better music tends to be programmed at smaller venues – but they may or may not have the resources to run for extended periods. Venues open, peak, and go bust all in a period of a year or two. But there are still a few: The Blue Frog in Delhi, Bombay and Pune, there’s a bunch of venues in Delhi’s Hauz Khaz Village, Counter Culture and The Humming Tree in Bangalore…nightclubs in 5 star hotels can be pretty great in terms of sound and light, and with a good artist can be transformed.”
Have you ever considered moving abroad? Are you just as motivated and inspired as you’ve ever been within the Indian scene?
“We’ve had the good fortune of playing really great venues and gigs across Europe over the past few years and we do tend to travel quite a bit for gigs, but its always been about bringing our experiences back with us and helping in building our scene here in India. We’re all extremely motivated and driven to contributing and building avenues here, it is much better than it has ever been and its only the beginning. We’re probably one of the most rapidly emerging markets in the world for electronic music. If you just consider, for instance, Delhi’s 17 million+ population (with similar numbers in Bombay) – if even if a fraction of these people look for good music we’re sorted for years to come. Goa has virtually every imaginable artist coming down to play this festival season, from dnb giants to Jamie Jones, Carl Craig, Sasha…it’s a super exciting time to be in India.”
Are there ever times were you struggle for inspiration then? What do you do in those instances?
“Yes that’s an age old issue, but every time I struggle for inspiration, I just look for music for my DJ sets and music to listen to, it works out pretty well for me in the sense that it balances my week between being a DJ and a producer. I usually find a few interesting tracks and artists every week and there’s always new material that catches my fancy and inspires me. Gigs and performances are a massive source of inspiration as well. I’m bursting with ideas after gigs and I tend to feed off the positive energy of a great gig for weeks to come. Beyond that its the same variables really – the city I live in and the people I meet can all be quite inspiring and encouraging.”
And aside from yourself, what other Indian DJs and producers should we be looking out for?
“On the techno front there’s Arjun Vagale, Jitter, Kohra and a lot of talent on the Unmute roster. Then there’s Lifafa, Curtain Blue and Begum amongst many, many others.”
Do you go out clubbing much these days? Who was the last DJ/producer to really impress you in that regard?
“I play most weekends in India, and there’s no time to really go out clubbing so to speak, but I do make it a point to keep myself free to go for gigs I really like. I really like Avatism, Stimming, Aphex Twin, Solomun and Sante and Oliver Huntemann. Actually it’s a very long list.”
What constitutes success for you as a producer? Who influences your work the most?
“There is no single influence in my work. It’s a combination of the sounds that I really like. I really like dramatic and cinematic stuff but also believe in simplicity. I’m really into analog synths and outboard gear so the sound and songs that I make have a warm and slightly hissy character. I can’t really say what constitutes success but as long as I can move people with some of the music I make, I think I’m doing an okay job.”
So can you tell us a bit about the track with Diynamic. How did it come about? Is there a story behind it at all?
“I’ve always been really influenced by the Diynamic artists and sound. In 2012 when we were in Hamburg playing at the Reeperbahn Festival, I was listening to all their stuff on repeat, and starting working on this space as I returned, I wrote a bit of this track and instantly knew I wanted my longtime collaborator & friend, Suryakant aka Lifafa to sing on it, He’s just got such a great voice and such great sensibility when its comes to the execution & delivery of vocals its taken a while and then even longer for me to be entirely happy but here it is! Believe it or not I sent this the old fashioned way – to the Diynamic demo email and woke up two weeks later to an email from Solomun so surreal, the guys at Diynamic are amazing and there’s a sense of family with them and all their artists and its very evident to me already.”
What does Diynamic stand for in your eyes?
“It’s hard to pinpoint but the Diynamic sound has a certain quality to it – it’s not style-specific and is just great music with every release. It’s really amazing for me to be on Diynamic. In a sense things have come full circle. ‘Empire Waste’’ isn’t really a track with a defined style, so I’m really encouraged that Solomun liked it and signed it on to the label, it’s testament to how open-minded Diynamic is.”
So is music a full-time thing for you now? What are your other hobbies?
“Yes, music is full-time; I’ve studied law and have worked as a lawyer for a couple of years (just long enough to buy myself gear to set up my studio), all while doing music on the side and I consciously chose to do music instead. I also run a record label with a friend (Kohra) called Qilla Records.”
Did the EP end up as you hoped it would? Or do you generally go off on tangents when you’re producing?
“I’m beginning to realise the joy of flying by the handle while writing music. While I’m careful not to lose sight of the original vision that I have when I sit down to write the track, I really try and just enjoy the process – I’ve found some wonderful, satisfying spaces when i’ve been on one of those tangents! Engineering (production) and songwriting are both equally important when I write my music, so I’ve kind of stuck a balance between them – I try and be disciplined and precise with the production and the engineering but a little more liberal and experimental with the songwriting. When I listen to the previous iterations of this track they sound nothing like the finished one but it still retains the essence of my original idea.”
If you could produce on one other label and with one other producer, what would they be and why?
“Well the list is endless actually. David August’s sound is just amazing; I saw his set on Boiler Room earlier this year and, like many others, I’m completely blown away with the way all his track’s sound. From songwriting, the productions and how he plays with silence – I’d love to work with him someday. Also Kink would be pretty great to work with? A release on Innervisions would be amazing too!”
What’s next for you that you’re particularly excited about?
“I’ve just finished work on the next few EPs and I’m about to start sending them out – that’s a process that quite exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. It’s also a busy time in India for gigs at the moment. We’ve got a packed calendar with quite a few interesting gigs lined up.”
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you bring?
“Water, a boat, and my wife.”
So would you bring each other?
“Can’t say! Depends on how we’re feeling about each other that day!”
What’s next in the BLOT story?
“Then there’s by Spartacus, another single that’s ready for release sometime in December. I’ve also been trying my hand (or voice) at singing so there’s also some downtempo and house-ey stuff that I’m very excited about and that will see the light of a release sometime in the first half of 2015. We’re playing at some really great festivals over here in India during the winter months including Sunburn, Magnetic Fields, EVC and Reset India. We’re also shooting a video for our track on Diynamic and have been working on a video game so expect all of that very soon!”
What are your new year’s resolutions?
“Make more music, spend less time in my head and more time being present.”
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B.L.O.T.’s ‘Empire Waste’ is out now on Diynamic’s Four to the Floor Part 2
For further information on da main man check…https://www.facebook.com/blottin
