The Sherp bumped into and had a long chat producer and DJ Atish at Lightning In A Bottle,ย whose set on the Woogie stage was one of the most anticipated by festival-goers.ย The maestro talked to The Sherp about various aspects of his music, his favourite festivals and how exactly he describes his sound.
1. From your set yesterday at the Woogie, I felt like I was in the Middle East. Can you describe your sound?
I think itโs kind of hard to describe my sound in a few words, but when I buy tracks, I give them each a tag / comment (deep, sexy, housey) and then I have this tag called โethnicโ which is a catch all term for something thatโs not traditionally western-sounding. I think playing a couple of these tracks in a set gives a little personality and flare, and somewhat touches on my personal routes.
2. Definitely, we saw youโre really digging and getting into the groove when the ethnic tags came out. Would you agree?
You’re right, I get a little more animated when I play those kinds of tracks, and I notice the crowd does too. The DJ is playing music for the audience but not only that, he’s setting the vibe with body language and attitude, so the whole package is what helps the audience have a good time.
3. Does it hit home when you play such ethnic tracks?
A little. I was born in the U.S., but my parents are from India. I actually donโt play many Indian tracks – many of them have more of a Middle-eastern vibe, but there’s definitely a lot of crossover as it’s a fine line in the sand indeed.
4.ย Who are your influences, who inspire you?
Youโre actually going to be hearing one of my biggest influences tonight at the Woogie, Danny Howells, legend. Beyond Danny Howells, Lee Burridge is a big one, Danny Tenaglia is another old schooler playing 24 hours straight taking you on a journey. Pretty much any DJ who takes you on a journey with many sounds resonates with the way I like to try to play.
5. Whatโs next for you?
The next few weekends I’m spending around North America including Once Upon a Festival and Altitude Anonymous festival. Iโll be doing a Euro tour in July with HOJ playing some gigs, enjoying the traveling, and eating ice cream.
6. Do you think about where youโre playing prior to your set? We saw your set at Sound Nightclub in Hollywood a few months back and it was very different that your set yesterday at the Woogie.
I definitely think about the setting that I’m playing in. I think Sound (Los Angeles) is a โclubbyโ kind of club. LIB is an outdoor, sun is up vibe, which brings out a whole other side, musically. Itโs important to adapt to whatever the situation. There are some who like my pretty sound, some like my techy sound, and some who like the clubby sound.
7. Whatโs your preference?
Outdoor when the sun is out. That is my number one.
8. If you had an opportunity to throw a cake at Steve Aokiโs face how would you do it?
Iโm going to say something that wonโt resonate with the underground scene, but at the end of the day, Steveโs a performer. He has his own aesthetic and it works for his crowd who spend money to see his kind show. They are entertained and they have a great time, so he’s doing his job in his own way. His style doesnโt appeal to me at all but Iโm not going to knock him for doing it. At the end of the day, I respect him for doing his job, having his own voice, and making people happy.
