Original Spin

It took DJ Suketu just three years to top India's remixing scene. Now locals can find out why, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

As he prepared to fly to Hong Kong last week, DJ Suketu was caught up in a controversy in Mumbai when Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar denounced the remixing culture "for its utter corruption and hollow value."

Suketu's name was mentioned as Mangeshkar railed against the new breed of youngsters in Mumbai 's burgeoning lounge and club scene, but the DJ thinks he knows the real reason she's upset.

"The only reason - she's not getting any money or royalties from the remixes," Suketu, 28, says as he drives around Mumbai with his own chart-topping song playing in the background.

"Manna Dey said he was thrilled that his songs from the 50s and 60s are being brought to a new generation who would otherwise never have even known he existd. Why not adopt that atttude?"

Suketu is without doubt the hottest name in India's remixing scene, with his reinterpretations of old Bollywood songs combined with house, techno and lounge rhythms finding their way into the charts - and shoving aside new bollywood songs.

"I still remember when my first remix video hit MTV India in 2002. I was flooded with SMS messages within minutes. Since then I've worked in the hottest clubs in London, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia... every month I'm in a different country."

What started as a hobby inspired by a love of old Indian songs quickly turned intto a career when Suketu's remixing skills came to the attention of Indian music companies.

"After just three years I'm working with the best Indian music directors, who want remixes of their new compositions to be included as supplements to their albums."

Suketu's skills behind the turntables have also been recognised. He won the national DMC (Disco Mix Club) headquarters in London. He's also a trained tabla player. "There are thousands of remixes coming out of Mumbai. You really need a sense of rhythm and timing - which is where my background in the tabla helps."

The competition is fierce. What separates Suketu from his competitors is that he gets singers to record new vocal tracks for all his releases, along with incorporating an eclectic jumble of sounds sourced from around the world. "In every country I go, I buy the top 20 hit list and check out the local scene of music. I get new singers to sing the tracks in different styles and then it goes off to the music companies," he says.

Suketu's performance during the Diwali festival will be his first in Hong Kong. "I'm bringing all the stuff I've collected over the year and I carry house, hip-hop and Bollywood. No DJ will prepare everything in advance. You have to study the crowd, try things, see what's working."

Are original songs the next step? "I'd definitely like to do more original songs, but I'll never turn my back on remixing."


Thursday, October 27, 2005