BENGALURU: Vachan Chinappa has been DJ’ing for two decades now and has been instrumental in bringing DnB to the city. He confesses in a one-on-one conversation with City Express that he’s glad the EDM craze phase is finally over. He says that he has always been keen about the city having a diverse scene of music. Excerpts from the interview.
How popular is DnB today? In the city (from your days playing at Bacchus) and on the global music map.
Bacchus was a very interesting place. It had the right formula for an alternate party experience. I’ve always believed that for an alt scene to happen, we need the right team. Meghna Vakada was as instrumental in launching the DnB scene as me. We worked hard towards achieving that. Though it was depressing at first, we stuck at it and it eventually paid off.
DnB is BIG is Europe. There are some amazing festivals (bass centric) happening there. It’s sad to see that the DnB scene is on a decline in Bengaluru. The people who used to be hardcore DnB followers, are not so anymore. This can be attributed to: (a) They don’t have the time now; (b) Some are married; (c) There are hardly any venues which are befitting of the D&B vibe.
You’re known for DnB and Funk. How different are the two genres and which do you think is the more popular of the two here?
These are my two favourite style of dance music. Funk is sexy, snazzy, groovy. Funk is the root of all dance music, including drum and bass. I’ve grown up listening to Funk since I can remember on my dad’s vinyl collection. I always wanted to spin Funk. Drum and bass is dark and mysterious, and funk is smooth and groovy. DnB is popular with the matured electronic lot, and funk and swing is very popular with the ladies. So I’m pretty happy that I’ve got it all covered.
Have you noticed a definite shift in the city’s musical taste from when you first started out DJ-ing?
The music has changed a lot and that’s the way it should be. Of course there are some bad patches, like the one which I’m glad to say has just passed by - EDM (ugh). I like my city’s music and its people. There’s something for everyone here.
What are you working on right now?
These days I’m focusing hard on playing the bass guitar. I’ve been practising every day for the past 1- 1/2 years now. I want to play live. It could be live D&B or live funk. I want to be part of a band, that’s my goal now. Of course, I will continue to DJ the music I love and keep reinventing the sounds I play.
The main problem with DnB is that there are no good venues for that kind of vibe. We’ll have to wait for something to come up. But until then, we keep putting out music online and play sporadic gigs as and when we get a chance. But I’m sure DnB will rise again.
Origins of DnB
It all started with Jungle, says Chinappa. Jungle is a genre of electronic music that developed in England in the early 1990s as part of rave scenes. The main characteristic of this sound is rapid tempo (150 to 200 bpm) and breakbeats, as well as dub/reggae-derived basslines. The terms ‘jungle’ and ‘drum and bass’ are often used interchangeably, but this should not be the case. The term ‘drum and bass’ was used in association with music that did not have the same emphasis on breakbeats,so to say, not as complex as Jungle. D&B emerged from the rave and jungle scenes in the UK during the late 90’s, he says. This, like Jungle, had fast breakbeat tempos ranging from 160-190 bpm (beats per min) with heavy bass and sub bass lines, sampled sources, and synthesisers. These genres are an acquired taste. Once you’re in, you’re in, says the DJ.