The Sherp speaks to Nikhil Chinapa about his involvement in the Amsterdam Dance Event, this year.
Sherp: When did you first hear about ADE and when did you first attend the event?
Nikhil Chinapa: I was invited as a part of a delegation from India on a focus panel on this country and the music market here. This was 3 years ago.
Sherp: As a member of (AFEM), is there something special you will be doing at ADE?
NC: We have a board meeting and I’ve also been asked to be on a panel discussion at ADE. The aim of the panel is to identify the issues facing Electronic Music as a business at the moment and how we can collectively (as an association) tackle them.
Sherp: What have you brought back here from your previous experiences at ADE ?
NC: There’s a phenomenal buzz around music at every ADE event. I try and catch artists that I haven’t heard before and also close some projects for India for the next 6 – 8 months. Last year at ADE, we’d confirmed Richie Hawtin’s first India tour as well as Armin’s ASOT600 for Mumbai.
Sherp: ADE is a five day long event, what is your favourite part of it? Why is it important for promoters like you to attend ADE ?
NC: The music is, of course. The least favorite part is meetings in the mornings after we’ve been at parties till 6 am! It’s important for promoters to attend ADE, just so they can get a feel of where the music is at. There are also some fantastic panel discussions that happen that are very informative and give you insights into the working of the music industry at a global level. It’s also important to attend the showcase events and spot who the ‘next big thing’ is going to be.
Sherp: Do you think there is scope for something like ADE in India?
NC: Absolutely! There’s a need for an effective music forum for electronic music that covers the south-east Asia and Australia regions. However, this needs to be curated thoughtfully, with music as its focus and should not (as we’ve seen sometimes) be a brand building exercise.