Thermal Projekt
They are a successful music duo, not only in Bangalore, but all over India. Shivroy Taludker and Anurag Sen who are 24 and 25 respectively are known for their signature remixes and mashups. Since their music is mainstream and characterised by high energy beats, it caught on like wild fire in the city and licked its way across the country. They have also played the official anthem of the Bangalore Fashion Week.
Vinayak Karthikeyan
He joined the field at around 1998 after being under the tutelage of DJ Kave in Chennai and trained in SkratchLab, a DJ academy in the city. He is a self-confessed student of Indian philosophy too. He infuses classical Indian music into some of the upbeat western tunes he plays, giving it a spiritual tinge. One can also here him experimenting extensively -- sometimes adding sound of a train and making it a song. This is what he did with his latest album titled Lonesome Train which is has been released worldwide. One could say that he is the most experimental DJ in India.
DJ Ivan
He is the oldest in this list and is also known to be a pioneer of the Indian Deep House music. He started in 1992 in a club called Time and Again and then steadily progressed, gaining experience and versatility. After working with some of the renowned named like Paul Van Dyke, Danny Rampling, Sasha, Smoking Joe, Tom Stephen, Lee Buridge and Steve Lawler he cemented his status as an Indian music icon. He holds the record for being first in many things, most important among them is being the first Indian DJ to play in Dubai and the first ever Indian to play in the Ministry of Sounds’ tour to India. He also hosts his own radio show ‘Hotmix’ in 91.9 Bangalore.
Kay Mikado
Being the owner of three nightclubs and the producer of a 100 international tracks under Record Albums, Kay Mikado has established himself in the global DJ scene as a force to reckon with. Added to this, he has also launched his own label titled ‘Lohit’ which is subsidiary to the Proton Music Community. His forte is Progressive and Deep House. His label boasts 43 artists in its roaster.
Arlene Gomez
She is not only the first female DJ from Bengaluru, but also one of the youngest to have entered the scene. Her husband Gladwin, who was her boyfriend when she was learning the art, taught her the craft of Disc Jockeying from scratch. Her first foray into the field was when she was only 18. The couple has become popular not only in India, but also in Dubai.
Being a woman, she did face a lot of hurdles before she made her mark. She was treated unfairly and sometimes just as a crowd-puller to parties. She was not allowed to play the music. All of that has passed and she is now a veteran in the field. The genres she specializes in are Deep House, NuDisco, Minimal, Tech House, Techno, Progressive House and Uplifting Trance.