Sahej Bakshi, 29
Electronica Musician, Composer & Guitarist
There are those who charter off the beaten track. And there are those who pave the way for others. Artiste and founder of Dualist Inquiry, Sahej Bakshi, belongs in the latter category. On his musical journey, he has not only taken risks and used unconventional methods to reach his audience—he is hugely popular on digital platforms—but has also given space to fellow artistes, especially newcomers. “I reach out to my peers when I like their music.
I also want to make it easier for the others to decide what they would like to do,” says the Thornton School of Music and Doon School alumnus. It is his way of expressing gratitude for what he has today. He reminisces the joy he felt when as a young musician, he was invited to open for his favourites, DeadMou5 and Fatboy Slim, on their India tour.
His music—he composes, produces and mixes—is hard to be potpourried into a single genre. “My music evolves with time. It could be electronica now and progressive rock six months later,” he says.
This is the beauty of his music. “But, it’s also the hardest part. It’s easier to surprise people but difficult to keep them entertained in the long run,” he believes.
Right after his first well-attended gig, Bakshi understood that the audience wants so much more than what they are used to. He has so far released two albums—Doppelgänger in 2013 and Dreamcatcher in 2016—and singles and EPs. Last year, he started his own record label, Dualism Records. He was in the middle of launching an online radio station when we called. “It’ll relay Indian indie music 24x7 and will work as a discovery platform,” Bakshi says. His journey as he creates magic with his music, strums the guitar and crowd-surfs will be interesting to follow.