A Major collaboration

(From left) Walshy Fire, Diplo and ApeDrums of Major Lazer

When global electronic superpower Major Lazer launched Music is the Weapon on October 23, one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the year saw the light of day. The date also marked a landmark moment for Indian independent music, because desi-bass pioneer Udyan Sagar aka Nucleya is one of the collaborators on it, sharing credits with international powerhouses including Nicki Minaj and Khalid. Sagar enlisted vocalist Rashmeet Kaur's help for a track called Jadi buti, which he produced along with Major Lazer members Diplo and Ape Drums. But here's the thing. He tells us that he isn't really concerned about the international market. Sagar says, "I don't know what impact it will eventually have on my career, and I don't bother that much with it because 99 per cent of my business happens in India anyway. And though I have done live shows abroad once in a while, I don't think about them that much either."

It's a candid confession from a person who's gained international recognition thanks to this big-ticket tie-up. Sagar says that its genesis goes back to a year ago, when Diplo contacted him saying he'd like to join forces for a track. "That's when he was in the process of finishing the Major Lazer album," he tells us, adding, "I think, and this is completely my guess, that there is a certain level of uniqueness in my music that he likes, which is why he wanted to collaborate."

Nucleya at a live show

That uniqueness comes from taking sounds from the streets of India and churning them in a bass-heavy musical mixer-grinder, and Sagar has retained that flavour in Jadi buti. The track rises and drops like a Ferris wheel, with Major Lazer giving Sagar a free hand in arranging it. That means his distinctive sound will now find a larger audience outside of our borders. But, again, the musician remains rooted to India. That's where his core fan base continues to lie. They are the ones who made him a household name, and let's just say that it's best not to bite the hand that feeds you.

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