Last month, former world No 1 DJ John Digweed played five tracks from Delhi-based producer Kohra’s debut full-length LP, Akho, during his weekly streaming radio show Bunker Sessions. Digweed was, of course, one of the most important names in progressive house music in the ’90s. Interestingly, Kohra’s new LP also manoeuvres to bring back some familiar sonic elements from that period with densely rhythmic, breakbeat-driven tracks. Akho also happens to be the 75th outing for Qilla Records and a potential milestone moment for the scene. We caught up with Kohra.
Tell us how long it took for your first LP and the musical elements you’ve focused on.
I wanted to go back to my roots for this first album before I step further into the future so it’s a reflection of a lot of great music in the earli 2000s that shaped me as I was growing up. I also wanted to mix and master the album in the way a lot of music was treated back in the day – using those techniques, and mastering with more dynamics and body as opposed to just trendy, loud and dramatic house and techno.
Has the shutdown affected your process or your work in any way?
I don’t have any other source of income like half the planet in this line of work, and am running on reserves for as long as I can. There’s no security for the music industry in India unlike many countries which is unfortunate, but then again, we don’t have a choice. I’m glad I have time to reflect, learn new things and live my life making music. Akho is available for streaming on all platforms.
About Kohra
Kohra is the moniker for music producer Madhav Shorey, who has shared stages with techno powerhouses like Dubfire, Richie Hawtin, Patrice Baumel and Joseph Capriati, and is also the founder of his own imprint, Qilla Records.