DJ Shaan tells us why he plans to infuse more Indian elements even in his international songs this year
DJ Shaan has come a long way in his career, from spinning for an audience of 50 (of which 30 were his friends and family) seven years ago to playing a big fest like Tomorrowland. “For me, it’s about how many lives I can impact with my music. It’s not 20,000 listeners attending but those many memories,” he smiles. The newest feather in his cap is being the first Indian to sign a record deal with the label that has the likes of Tiesto, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, etc on its roster. The 23-year-old musician, who has played alongside stars like Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia and many says, “I hope this can prove an inspiration to all Indian DJs and artistes to keep striving for greatness, as clearly the global music community is certainly watching us now.”
ECLECTIC MUSIC THIS YEAR
Shaan has been working on an album that he plans to release later in this year. The DJ and music producer is reluctant to reveal much about the record but says it will be “interesting and unique”. Before this, Shaan remixed UK pop sensation HRVY’s track Personal and a Punjabi Sufi song, Bulleya, with Jasbir Jassi. “This year has been all about doing something different for myself and my listeners. Honestly, I was sceptical and extremely nervous about doing Bulleya because it’s not my genre. But I decided to get out of my comfort zone,” he adds. He states that it paid off since people appreciated the song.
FEELING ROOTED
Going forward, Shaan says that while his releases for global audiences will have an international flavour, for the Indian fans, it will be a fusion of genres. “Actually, for the international songs, too, I plan to bring in a lot of Indian elements like my favourite instrument sarangi and the flute, etc. The subtle Indian sound is already being liked by labels abroad because it shows our origin. And I want to show my roots with music this year.” The End of the World (featuring Allan Eshuijs) hitmaker admits that though he is an Indian at heart, it’s reflecting in his music only of late. “I want to show the world that our music is not just Bollywood, which is generally the notion everywhere,” he says.
SEEKING INSPIRATION
Shaan tells us that the music that he listens to is in complete contrast to what he plays or releases. “I get inspired by lesser-known artistes because I think they capture the soul of things and instill their stories into the song. Indie musicians also experiment a lot, which excites me,” Shaan avers. International acts like Passenger, Dean Lewis, Yebba and Yellow have got him hooked to their music. “Nucleya inspires me big-time with the way he infuses Indian music into international grooves. AR Rahman is God and I’m really impressed with what Mithoon is doing in Bollywood,” he states.
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