DJ Kasra
If you’re into drum and bass, then you must know that Kasra Mowlavi is no ordinary DJ. For the last decade or so, the 36-year-old Londoner has been described as a “gatekeeper” to the D&B soundscape; and an “innovator” whose label, Critical Music, began in his living room in 2002, and boasts of game-changing artistes such as Calibre, Cyantific, Sabre, Breakage and Total Science. He is a “tastemaker”, whose keen sense of what his listenership expect from him, has seen him take the console with great results. Ahead of his debut trip to India, Kasra chats about his journey in an email interview:
You began Critical 15 years ago. What was the scene like at the time and what was the objective when you started the label?
The scene was a lot harder to break into back then; the internet was just starting to take hold. At Critical, musically, we have always stuck to pretty much the same ethos — to release music we love.
When you were building the label from the ground up, how did you go about picking artistes?
It was a combination of things. Firstly, it was the music, then the artistes’ aspirations. Then we had to see whether we could help them achieve those aspirations. Essentially, it is all about a shared vision.
In a recent interview, you spoke about the half-time movement and said that you’re excited by it. Are there any specific artistes or tracks you’d like to talk about?
Ivy Lab have been leading the charge for the past few years and their take on modern hip-hop beats sometimes leaves me breathless. They are amazing.
What was your objective when you decided to bring out the album Fifteen Years of Underground Sonics? Considering that it is representative of the music your label has put out for the past 15 years, what was the biggest challenge of getting this album together?
The idea was to present an album that showcases the label in 2017, 15 years deep. The album is a snapshot of the label’s ‘now’, and its future. Everyone we approached was excited to be part of the project, but the hardest part is always the logistics of bringing together something so big.
Is this your first visit to India? Apart from playing in four cities, what other activities are you looking forward to?
It’s a country I’ve never visited, but heard so many great things about. I’m just excited to play somewhere new — expose people to the music and take in the culture and the sights.
Are there any Indian artistes you listen to and like?
I’m ashamed to say that my knowledge of Indian music is very limited. We did release a track by an Indian producer called Moscialltor. It would be great to catch up with him.
