- A compilation from India's emerging producers that places local talents at the global level.
- Club music from India is often intertwined with Indian identity. Producers regularly dip into the country's rich sonic history, looking to Bollywood, bhangra, traditional folk instruments and raags for inspiration and experimentation. These elements are prevalent across house, footwork and hip-hop scenes but there's much more to dance music in the South Asian nation than these local and culturally specific sounds.
Krunk Kulture, a Mumbai label that started last year, seeks to expand global perceptions of India's electronic output beyond the usual synth-heavy disco tracks and spiritual chants through its Flavours of the East compilation series. Consisting mostly of India-based artists and diasporic talents, these albums present a wide range of dance floor stompers without the obvious motifs of Indian music. Rollicking breaks, minimal techno, garage and emotive drum & bass take centre stage over sitars or tablas, as these acts look to disrupt stereotypes of Indian music.
"Over time, people are slowly realising that Indian artists don't have to be only Indian sounding," Krunk founder Sohail Arora told me over email. The label prioritises a global sound, only adopting Indian influences when it makes sense. "Our goal is to open people's minds and expose them to quality international music coming out of India," he continued, "while maintaining roots in tradition when it's a natural fit."
Where previous compilations embraced vibrant sounds, Jaljeera, the fourth edition (named after a cumin-spiced lemonade) is noticeably darker. Most of its 21 tracks are rooted in heady acid and electro with mean kick drums—the perfect score for a peak-time warehouse party. "Muskah" by Butter Bunz draws on rough-and-tough acid techno with scrambled whirring and repetitive claps, backed by spooky synths reminiscent of early Amon Tobin. Himay ramps up the intensity with "Farz," an acid house number laced with trancey undertones that looks back to halcyon days Sasha & Digweed. "Shatter 86" by Kon.ark Music is another highlight, featuring furious drum and bass peppered with retro video game synths and more acid squelches.
Balancing out the LP's harder tone are perky tracks that add bounce and charm with the same vigor of their counterparts. "Funky Acid Party" Rafiki, one of Sohail Arora's aliases, pairs taut breaks alongside a plethora of odd bleeps and spliced vocal samples, "Soothe" from Nigel Perera and Asvajit is a broken beat jam that lives up to its name and Blitch's "Butt Logic" incorporates jazzy sensibilities with breaks and house.
With the exception of Oceantied, Chhabb, Arjun Vagale and a few others, most artists on Jaljeera are up-and-comers, making it a great crash course in modern-day club music from India. Arriving just as nightlife in New Delhi and Mumbai begins a long route to recovery from a pandemic-induced hiatus, the homemade compilation, like its namesake drink, fires up the senses with its sweet and tart taste.
Tracklist01. Zabgang - Norton
02. Asvajit, Nigel Perera - Soothe
03. Blurry Slur - First Time Lucky
04. Mutable Mercury - sys.cmd
05. ReVoyage - 8-bit Dream
06. Venky - Get Me Out
07. Maddeof, One Plus Zero - Strawhats
08. Himay - Farz
09. noni-mouse - Down On The Metal
10. Knique - Rob Gets A 505
11. Oceantied - We're Going Away
12. Rafiki - Funky Acid Party
13. Monophonik, Trafficc - Do U Want It
14. Sintaro Fujita - Tonka
15. BLITCH - Butt Logic
16. Shantam - Hoozeeric
17. Chhabb - Looney Toes
18. Arjun Vagale - Glide Forward
19. Butter Bunz - Muskah
20. Kollision - Electrokuted
21. Kon.Ark - Shatter