The DGTL festival is heading to Asia. The fest that began in 2013 in Amsterdam, and has since been hosted in Sao Paulo, Santiago, Barcelona, Madrid and Tel Aviv, kicks off in Bengaluru this weekend. The line-up has international names such as Sven Vath, Binh, Roza Terenzi, Eelke Kleijn and homegrown artistes Sandunes, Murthovic, Kohra and BLOT!.
“We invest heavily in reducing our footprint. We are a fully vegetarian festival and never use single-use plastics,” says, director, Gerke de Groot. The event will serve cups made from rice husks by Cupable, and a partnership with Skrap, a waste management solutions company. A few musicians tell us what to expect:
Nakul Ambilkar, aka SEQU3L
What can we look forward to from your performance?
The basic outline is futuristic house and techno mixed with indie dance, melodic techno and acid. I will also play a few unreleased tracks.
What are the genres at the forefront of Indian electronic music?
I think currently house and techno are really big. A lot of night clubs are now hosting techno nights on Saturdays, which used to be reserved for commercial or Bollywood music. The crowd is really open-minded and they are ready to experiment. Currently, India is a great place to be in the electronic scene. Also, a recently finished EP of mine is in the signing process. Since last year, there has been some really fresh music being released under the indie dance, nu-disco, and left-field house genres. I think the whole scene is moving towards futuristic sounds and underground electro is also making a comeback.
Praveen Achary
What can we expect from your setlist at DGTL?
I’ll be playing my usual melodic-centric sound, but geared towards an ‘open-air’ vibe, something ideal for the Modular Stage at the garden during the early hours. Expect some deep house, progressive and Afro-influenced grooves.
What’s going on in the Indian electronic music scene?
There’s a wide palette of unique sounds coming out of India. In the underground space, there’s been a lot of experimentation from the electronica producers by fusing styles and influences, and the outputs taking a refined shape without sounding too predictable. India will have a shift of interest in certain genres. There’s a definite retro-flashback, with core-genres disco, electro breaks and jungle.
Red Axes
This Israeli electronic and indie music duo was formed in 2010 by Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi. The Tel Aviv-based act plays disco, house, garage rock, post-punk, psychedelic rock and techno. Their albums include Ballad Of The Ice and The Beach Goths.
Sven Vath
The iconic German DJ has a three-decade career behind him. Fondly called Papa Sven by fans, the artiste was a founding member of the nightclub, Omen, that is considered the birthplace of techno in Germany. He is known for the albums, Accident in Paradise and Fire.
Tijana T
Hailing from Belgrade, this techno and house DJ has been a key figure in the Serbian dance music circuit. She has played in exclusive clubs such as Panorama Bar, Berghain in Berlin, Output in NYC and Kaiku in Helsinki. Expect a power-packed set from her.
On: January 12 2020
Time: 1.00 pm
Where: The Lalit Ashok Bangalore