KOCHI: A brief look at legendary Russian artiste Psykovsky, who is at the helm of a widely misconstrued electronic music genre.
Vasily Markelov is an electronic music DJ/producer who’s signature sounds are synonymous with a dance music sub-genre that has millions of devout followers around the world. Popularly known under his ‘Psykovsky moniker’, Markelov is a globetrotting DJ who has released four full-length albums - all of which has been praised by fans and critics alike. He also co-owns Osom Music, a popular record label. Psykovsky is to electronic music, what Tchaikovsky was to classical music. He is considered to be an artiste ‘way ahead of time’ as his sounds reflect upon the upper echelons of the ‘electronic dance music’ (EDM) spectrum with tracks featuring an excess of 148-200 beats per minute. During his decade-long solo artiste career, he has performed in the U.K., U.S, Japan, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Germany, Croatia, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Dubai and many other countries, including those in the Indian subcontinent. It is true that certain electronic music genres are an acquired taste - so are all the best things in life. Psykovky’s live performances always bring in music lovers in hordes as they are symphonic, power-packed, complex and extremely original in nature.
He is also known for throwing a curveball or two during his live-sets by intelligently arranging popular audio samples that the regional crowd can connect to, always pushing the boundaries of sonic innovation. Some of his most popular samples include audio-snippets featuring Kuthiravattam Pappu, Vladamir Putin, Kamala Hassan and Urdu ghazals. He even respectfully incorporates bits from traditional South Indian prayers.