Desi bass has become one of the most dependable genres for clubs in 2016, and it is not just Nucleya we have to thank for that. There is an entire movement that the DJ is part of, which includes the likes of Su Real, Ritviz, MojoJojo, Sickflip and more.
Dominating the scene recently is Suhrid Manchanda aka Su Real, who released his new album Twerkistan last month and hit the airwaves with songs such as ‘Soldiers’ and the title track ‘Twerkistan’, flavoured with the frenzy of all dubstep, bass-heavy music and samples of Indian horn sections and beats.
Suhrid says, “More and more, I see kids adapting their styles to suit this kind of framework. It is nothing new, of course, the idea of this east-west fusion, but I feel like over the past few years, one thing that has changed is the divisions between commercial and underground are breaking down.”
Suhrid and other producers – including Nucleya – have helped break down those walls. When he supported Nucleya on his recent, packed stadium shows, he took it as a chance to be more than just an opening act. Suhrid says, “Nucleya doesn’t need anyone to warm up for him. He can show up at 6 pm and play until 12 am and it is going to be just as hyped. That kind of frees me – I can do what I want. I’ve been taking this opportunity to introduce people to my music. Fortunately, the response has been great.”
As for Twerkistan , it leans towards Su Real’s influences of hip-hop, trap and twerk, all very much music made for the dance floors. The producer, who has spent time living in cities across the world – from Montreal and New York to Kuala Lumpur and currently New Delhi – adds his unique interpretation of topics such as kabaddi to rave parties and the Kiss of Love protests of 2014. Plus, there is plenty to party to in 16 tracks. He says, “I like to make big songs where they are dance tracks but also about something.”
Suhrid goes into detail about the song ‘Kabaddi’, which actually takes the name of the game and works it into a massive drop. He says, “I don’t know why, I find the game of kabaddi fascinating. The rules? How did they come about? Games with a stick and a ball, you’re fine – but holding your breath? And trying to catch people by the leg – it is just so different from games in other parts of the world. I used to play it a little when I was a kid too – not very well, but you know.”
Su Real will perform in Bengaluru on November 5 at the Humming Tree in Indiranagar, as part of their monthly Hum Hip Hop Project show series. He says of his set, “I’ll play original songs from Twerkistan and Brown Folks with live vocals for a bunch of them. I will also preview some new music I’ve been working on since then. And if we still have time I’ll throw in a DJ set to turn the party out like always.”
Plus, his best memories of Bengaluru have been at the Humming Tree. He recalls a New Year’s Eve show to bring in 2014 with Reggae Rajahs and The F16s, “Back then I was with my compadres Kerry Harwin and Tej Brar from The Grind DJ collective we had back in Delhi. The night was a riot, there were so many people, so much confetti - the mess at the end was truly something to behold.”
