With the year inching to a close, The Sherpโs wishing away for some international acts to come here already and headline our favourite Indian music festivals.
While Christmas is the time to wish for new things aplenty, at the Festival Sherpa headquarters, we can be found wishing for only one specific thing – better headliners for the year to come. And for the upcoming year of 2016, we ended up with a mini wishlist comprising of a headliner or two for every Indian music festival weโve loved and enjoyed over the years. Dream on, with us, will you?
1. Bacardi NH7 Weekender
Headliner Wanted : Foo Fighters
Itโs time that Dave Grohl and his motley crew of kind-hearted, brilliant rockstars came to India, and what better festival to headline than the Bacardi NH7 Weekender. The festival, with Mogwai, Flying Lotus and A R Rahman has already proved its spot in the big league and it totally deserves one of the worldโs greatest rock bands as its performing headliner. With Weekender expertly balancing the greats with the indies, Foo Fighters would be the perfect round-off to the festival 2016 gang, if youโre asking us.
Dave, do you need us to cover a song too, ร la those ten thousand Italian fans.
(Source: Foo Fighters)
2. Magnetic Fields Festival
Headliner Wanted : Aphex Twin
Magnetic Fields Festival has truly managed itself a cred for bringing in popular artists who command a dedicatedly niche following, what with acts like Ratatat and Garden City Movement leading their lineup this year. While Aphex Twin is no less than an electronic music legend, heโs also famously known to prefer candidly intimate performance venues over large scales one. We think his ambient techno sound will sit and sound perfectly in the confines of the Alsisar Mahal.
(Source:ย stereogum)
3. Ziro Festival of Music
Headliner Wanted : Junip
The heavenly expanse of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh where the Ziro Festival of Music is held deserve a sound that is as succinctly pure as their venue is. And who better than Junip? The band comprising of crooner Josรฉ Gonzรกlez and synth wiz Tobias Winterkorn are known to make folktronic rock music that is elevating and sublime, even as it is breezy, the kind that would sit well with Ziro. And to listen to them against the backdrop Ziro provides would be a dream come true.
(Credit:ย Kim Metso)
4. Sunburn
Headliner Wanted : Calvin Harris
There has been significant buzz around a much needed Calvin Harris debut performance in India, and what better a festival to host him than Sunburn whose eagerly enthusiastic electronic music fans will rave hard for his welcome. The much popular and generously followed electronic producer would fit right into the Sunburnโs 2016 lineup likes a jigsaw puzzle piece waited for, far too long.
(Source:ย thissongslaps.com)
5. Jodhpur Riff
Headliner Wanted : Tinariwen
Jodhpur Riff, year after year, does a fine job at curating some exceptional pedigree of folk music, successfully bringing together acts of unquestionable skill and talent from India and around the world together. After having brought in Grammy award winning Israeli bassist Yossi Fine this year, they must, most definitely, explore the idea of bringing another Grammy-winning act of the world blues family. Algerian group, Tinariwen whose folk sounds and rebellious tunes of the desert gained them a cult following must make their Indian debut soon, and Jodhpur Riff should be the festival to bring them down.
(Source:ย headphonenation.net)
6. Ragasthan
Headliner Wanted : Django Django
Ragasthan has managed to bring in independent acts of reputable talent, and indie-sweethearts with popular following Django Django is who they should be aiming for in the coming year. The British psychedelic indie rock band are known for their retrogressive overtures and their stylistic statements would sit quite well with Ragasthanโs resident kitsch. And, truth be told, the idea of listening to Django Django in the dunes of Rajasthan has us excited like no other.
(Source:ย mancunion.com)
7. Johnnie Walker The Journey
Headliners Wanted : Sigur Rรณs, Tame Impala
Electronic genius Bonobo and jazz group Snarky Puppy for Johnnie Walkerโs first edition, post-rockstars Explosions in the Sky, ambient virtuoso Tycho and dance music legend Giorgio Moroder for the second edition; itโs pretty clear that Johnnie Walker The Journey knows who to get. And since threeโs the magic, weโre desperately hoping that for the next edition the festival taps Icelandic post-rock wizards Sigur Rรณs and popular psychedelic group Tame Impala. Weโll fan-nogenderbinary over it like little others.
(Source:ย Tim Mosenfelder | Getty Images)
(Source: Stereogum)
8. Emerge Music and Art Festival
Headliners Wanted : Glass Animals, Foals
After Alt-J, Emerge Music and Art Festival must be on the lookout for indie sweethearts whoโd make great debut performances in India. And weโre seriously recommending Glass Animals and Foals. Indietronic group Glass Animals have become the act to look out for in the music festival circuit what with their infectiously experimental beats. And indie rock band Foals are popular in their own right. Weโd love for Emerge to bring them here.
(Source:ย Liam Cushing)
(Source:ย atwoodmagazine.com)
9. Supersonic
Headliner Wanted : Nina Kraviz
Supersonic has always prided itself on bringing techno artists of repute and Nina Kraviz would be a fine addition to their lineup next year. Nina is not just a producer of veritable individuality but sheโs also one of the few instantly recognisable sound mixer in the electronic music circuit and weโd love for a female producer to headline the festival yet again post Nervo this year.
(Source:ย youtube)
10. Shiva Squad
Headliner Wanted : Talpa
Shiva Squad commands attendance from Indiaโs steady group of psytrance fans, and to make them happier in the coming edition, Shiva Squad could bring down popular Serbian psytrance producer Talpa. As most psytrance acts have already been to India, with some firmly establishing base in Goa, Talpa is one act weโre most curious to see live; given the producers propensity for diverse sounds.
(Source: Talpa Facebook)
11. EVC
Headliner Wanted : Odesza
The electronic duo from Seattle have been one of the most popular names in the chillwave, indietronic genre and itโs time they came to India for good. And given Enchanted Valley Carnival and its penchant for smooth electronic acts, theyโd be a good fit in the festivalโs lineup. Also, weโre up for listening to Odesza in the chills of Aamby Valley.
(Source:ย morethanthemelody.com)
12. Lost Party
Headliner Wanted : Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi is, hands down, one of The Sherpโs favourite electronic acts to have come out in the last couple of years. The young producer boats of a voice that reeks of the psychedelic tunes of the 70s and it helps that heโs eager to delve into the world of retrograde. His indie spirit would find perfect solace at the festival of Lost Party, where weโre sure audience would be eager to lap up his incredibly addictive melodies.
(Source:ย fanart.tv)