When asked about her Wrath of God tour to India, DJ Teri Miko corrects that misconception. “People take me as an artiste from abroad. I consider myself an Indian artiste. I am grateful to this country. I have stayed here. I have performed here multiple times,” says the popular DJ who has made a name for herself in the bass music scene. “I am into trap, hip-hop, old-days oriented music,” she says of her wide-ranging musical style.
Teri has been performing Wrath of God across the country, including Bengaluru, where she performed once before and will be back again at the High Ultra Lounge this weekend.
Wrath of God brings together talent from three different countries: US, India and South Korea. “I have always been fascinated by Varien. He has this dark, cinematic vibe. He has even done soundtracks for movies. I wanted to collaborate with him and he agreed. We wanted to bring the cultural aspect of both our countries, me of India’s colours and vibes, and he of the US. When we finished with the instrumentals we realised we wanted lyrics. And we tried different rappers from US to Europe. But we didn’t find a perfect fit. That is when we found Flowsik, a rapper from South Korea. We got excited because we added another culturally rich country to our track,” says Teri, who has been a part of major festivals like Sunburn and VH 1 Supersonic and has shared the stage with bass giants such as Marshmello, Slander, Strong, Quintino, Ghastly, NIGHTMRE, among others.
Being on the dance floor feels uplifting as you groove to the heart-thumping, foot-tapping music. Is it a trance-like experience for Teri too? “I think I am obsessed with performing on stage. I have a real name, but Teri Miko is my alter ego. I love playing her. People who know me in person say I am completely different when I am on stage. In fact, I go to a different level of me.”
You have to take Teri seriously when she says she is passionate about her craft as she confesses, “I lied to the doctors during my fourth day in hospital that I was all right to be released. I immediately went to the club to perform,” she laughs and says: “I have performed with illness, despite being tired, and even in a bad mood. I perform equally well in front of 3,000 people as I do in front of 30,0000.”
But is she tired of being asked what it is like to be a woman DJ? “Tired? Yes. Is it a reality that it is a challenge sometimes? That too yes. I don’t define myself as a girl or woman DJ. I define myself as a DJ/musician/ performer and I don’t think there is a gender to it.”
She completes the question as soon as you ask it: When did you discover.... “My love for music? From the beginning! My family is music-oriented. I sang my first song on stage at age three.” Over time, she has evolved as a DJ and is earning a name for herself as a music producer as well. “I always liked that I could express myself on stage through music. I realised I like to create my own music, not just create, but perform it too.”
And as for the question of what is the biggest challenge in being a DJ, Teri says: “Lack of sleep! It’s a joke of course, but it is also true! Doing 10 to 15 shows, catching flights everyday is definitely a hard job. I work most holidays. I work on January 1. If my birthday falls on a weekend, I work. I hardly see my family and my dog. Everything else I love. But the musical challenges keep me going.”
DJ Teri Miko will be performing at High Ultra Lounge on October 21. Tickets on www.eventshigh.com.
