About another DJ Anish Sood

Written by MDT for Goa Backstage Magazine.

This edition of Goa Backstage we peer into the depths of what made a DJ a DJ, the answer is as usual, it is Goa and its Musical people.

“A DJ set is like a story. It needs to have just the right mix of dance and emotion”

ANISH SOOD.

“I’m a huge music buff. I spend a lot of time listening to almost every genre under the sun ranging from ambient electronica to death metal and everything in between,” says Anish Sood, one of Goa's talented DJ’s. Working a full time job with his family business, Anish splits the rest of his free time in his studio making music, flexing muscles in the Gym and chilling with mates. Being a third generation Goan, Anish has caught on the Goa music vibe since a young age “I’ve always had a natural affinity towards music. My dad and uncle are both guitarists”.

As many of us Goans, this dude has made something out of his love for music by spreading the love and great vibes of music. Sharing tunes on a larger scale brings a deeper satisfaction to all musicians and DJ’s. However, Anish is not only a guy that spins records, he also makes his own tunes and this is what makes a truly unique Disk Jockey. “I’ve grown up surrounded by music and I think the early exposure plays a large impact in how you think when you are planning a live set or writing in the studio.”

Being a Music buff, one is compelled to explore many different genres, in which it allows a person to grow and experiment as an artistic self and not be confined to only one genre or only one style. As Anish Sood explains “ I broadly play a mix of electro and progressive house. I keep experimenting with new genres like dub step. I also dabble with tech house and techno. So it’s just a matter of what sounds good to me and what I pick depending on the venue or crowd”. Anish also explains to why it is better to be open and experiment with different genres as “The music industry is so competitive today that you need to constantly innovate to stay on top of the game, the moment you try and pigeon hole yourself into a single sound, somebody fresh who is willing to take risks will replace you”.

As for something fresh and new, it is becoming the trend to infuse live music into a live DJ set. For example India’s innovative electro bands such as Jalebee Cartel and Medieval Pundits. Goa Backstage asked Mr. Sood what his opinion is on the flexibility of a DJ fusing with a live musician, such as a lead guitarist. Anish replies

“We’d love to have more live musicians on stage but we need people who have the creative mindset to be able to work with 4x4 dance music as well as flexibility from venues and festivals in terms of budget and stage production, but with modern technology there are tons of options where DJs can now sync with live musicians”

As for Anish Sood's creative development Goa Backstage has the privilege to inform the readers that” Catapult” his debut single released last year has opened doors to more creative endeavors as we expect an EP collaborating with ex-MTV VJ Ramona Arena (vocals) and we are to expect another EP due this year.

So the rising star hailing from Goa has the skies as the limit. Having a second EP in progress and having opened for David Guetta for an audience of 15’000 people, Anish Sood will surely have more opportunities in this DJ career. He further explains that making music and creating sets is an art and exposes feelings within “A DJ set is like a story. It needs to have just the right mix of dance and emotion. That is what the art lies in.”

Goa Backstage asked Anish Sood to compare the music scene between India and the West, he replied “We’re still a very young and growing scene here but all of that is changing very quickly…International DJs touring India every weekend is changing the musical outlook and party generation in India. But it is essential right now for the scene to explode, and that can only be done if the government sees it needs to back clubbing and make it a legitimate recreational industry. It’s about time we got rid of the stone-age deadlines and restrictions most states impose upon nightclubs.”

Having said that, India’s younger generation are surely the ones to change the view on such restrictions, as music is our right, it’s in our history and in our future as music is our soul.