A night of dance music is usually riddled with soaring drops and comfy bass and beats that are familiar to groove to. But Raj Chaudhuri aka DJ Raji Rags doesn’t promise a regular EDM night. In fact, what the London-based music producer offers is a sound so different that you will be spellbound by it.
Catching up ahead of his gig in Koramangala Social this weekend, the young wizard talks about his deep connection with India and how he fell in love with making music from hip-hop, soul, gospel, dusty vinyl gems to the most upfront in beats, electronic music, house and techno.
What also sets him apart from the rest of the DJ crowd is his power-house prowess as the former Head of Music of the biggest content publisher within the electronic music space – Boiler Room, and as a radio presenter on the NTS Radio. He is also the founder of one of London’s biggest hip hop parties – Livin Proof.
The thorough-bred Londoner is not new to the country and he says he is always happy to be playing on Indian soil. “I’ve been making regular trips to India. In fact, I was in Bengaluru last December and it was an enthusiastic crowd. I can’t wait to play here again. Last time I was here only for one evening and I’m again spending one evening this time. But I’d love to spend more time here and discover the scene. I’m starting to figure my way out here musically. I’d love to see how young people here react to my music. It’s a growing scene and market. Every time I come, I delve a little deeper in the music scene. I believe it is a very interesting time to be a DJ in India right now.”
While his signature style of DJing spans across a broad spectrum of music, he specialises in hip-hop. With his UK underground music background, Raj appreciates how well his kind of music is received in India. “It is doing phenomenally well. The music playground is changing with a lot of new talent coming through locally. Generally, house and techno music does well in the electronic segment. Hip Hop is still quite new, but it is growing fast. A lot of people listen to it here but a lot of DJs are still to break through in this genre.”
Raj elaborates on what he believes is the right soundtrack for success: “As a DJ, I like people to enjoy the music I play. In most shows around the world, the audience ends up listening to stuff they know and love. But I’d like to play something new and educate them. That’s one of the few things I like to do differently.”
Despite his strong roots in hip hop, he also loves to experiment and dabble in innovative electronica sounds. “With my experience in radio where I play everything from soul and jazz to reggae and gospel, I try to bring in new sounds whenever I play.”
Livin’ Proof Raj says was a breakthrough he started with three others. “We started small and we never expected it to take us this far. We just celebrated our 10th birthday recently. That is very humbling. For something we started in a tiny bar with 80 people to now becoming a full-fledged company and one of the biggest hip hop parties in the world – I’d say it’s a blessing.”
His job as a radio presenter on the legendary NTS Radio is another blessing, Raj says. “It’s one of the few radio stations which are not commercial. I can play anything I listen to. I get to present a whole range of music I love – from jazz and blues to soul and gospel. I’m playing music that you can listen in any environment – be it in a club or when you’re at home. And I love being part of an initiative like this.”
Lucky deals
Raj points out that he is lucky to be around different communities and specially working with people in the hip hop scene. “Radio also worked very well for me. So I’m lucky to be part of an institution as well as a community. A lot of it has been about being at the right place at the right time and being ready to help out. Even in the beginning, I started by working in a record store. I was happy being around music. To come from there to become part of the London hip hop community shows I’m made some really good decisions in life.”
Why the name Raji Rags? The artiste laughs and confesses that he didn’t pick it. “A lot of people in the community call me Rags. And since Raj is my name it just came together. To be honest, I don’t particularly like it. Everyone calls me Raj and I’m happy with that.”
So where does he see his music taking him? Raj shrugs and says, “I’ve been making music for pretty much my whole adult life. I’ve been able to travel and meet people. I’m happy doing that. As long as that continues I’d love to keep playing and doing what I love.”
Coming back to the scene here and how it can improve, Raj believes infrastructure is very important. “That, hopefully, is getting fixed with the rising number of festivals, clubs and venues opening up. That is helping the community grow. It is important that everyone taps in. When I started in London, there were a lot of people making music but not too many consuming it. This kind of infrastructure needs balance and the right kind of promotion. I also think local artistes should be proud of where they come from and not shy away from showcasing their local signatures and influences in their music.”
Lend your ear to Raj this January 12 at Koramangala Social from 10 pm onwards and get swept off your feet. Call 65651595.
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