EDM mania hits India

For a country of 1.25 billion people, India has never been a major stop on the international live music circuit. Sure, there’s been a smattering of heavy metal gigs and a one-off Beyoncé show in Mumbai in 2007, while Sting can always be counted on to throw in a sitar concert between yoga retreats, but low ticket prices and high production costs mean that big tours by the likes of U2 and Rihanna have traditionally bypassed the country.

That has left a vacuum that’s now being filled, perhaps inevitably, by mass-market EDM. Next month, Major Lazer will tour India for the first time. They’re followed in January by Steve Aoki, who’s returning to the country for his third tour. “India is full of culture and life and we’re excited to explore the country,” says Diplo. “Major Lazer is all about doing things that other people don’t do.” And with those words, we move one step closer to a world where it’s impossible to ever be out of earshot of a ludicrous drop.

However, far from being a case of insidious cultural imperialism, Delhi-based DJ and producer Su Real argues that EDM artists coming to the country are helping to inspire a new local scene. “Many of us, when we were growing up, could never have imagined pursuing a career in electronic music in India,” he says. “I think it’s an important reflection of a new India of sab kuch milega – ‘you can have everything’. We don’t have to go abroad to see these artists, we can have it all here.”

Su Real believes there’s something specific about EDM that attracts Indian fans in a way that other western genres don’t. “EDM overcomes language and cultural barriers and attacks the base human sensibilities,” he says. “The energy, volume, lights, build-ups and drops add up to a physical experience.”

Many in the Indian music industry attribute the rise of EDM to the success of Goa’s Sunburn festival, which has brought the likes of Carl Cox, Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren to the country since it started in 2007. Goa, of course, has a long association with dance music, dating back to the trance scene in the late 80s. Sunburn festival boss Shailendra Singh is adamant that EDM will ultimately prove to be a force for good for the Indian music scene. “For now, Indian DJs are very seriously influenced by the content and performances of the successful international DJs,” he admits, “but just wait for the day when that one Indian DJ creates a global impact. I think the world will freak out.”

Rather than making the world sound increasingly homogenous, Singh hopes that by flying in international acts, they’re encouraging a cross-pollination of traditional Indian music with club culture – with tasty results. “Wouldn’t that be really cool?” says Singh. “Who doesn’t like chicken tikka masala?”