Making electric waves

Representation pic

Pushing the envelope of experimentation, electronic music duo Tech Panda x Kenzani is putting theoretical Indian electronica on the world map. They were in town late last month to perform at Esora, Goregaon, where they played their entire fusion catalogue, starting from softer tracks such as Last tear, Fable, Laagi, Mahane, and built their way to dance-friendly tracks such as Sauda, Chidiya, Super naani and Rangila. "Our sets generally start as a journey and build their way up bpm and energy-wise," says Rupinder Nanda, a.k.a Tech Panda. "Mumbai was one of the top cities on our list to perform at.

We were glad to have found the chance to perform in front of an eclectic crowd," says Kedar Santwani, a.k.a Kenzani, who was exposed to different cultures and music genres in his formative years. He adds, "It took me a long time to hear different sounds, and to allow my subconscious to select the ones that appealed to me the most. There was a time when I couldn't get on with daily life without listening to music. Only a limited amount of music was made along those lines. Thus began my journey to create that sound all over again."

Nanda, on the other hand, grew up in a family that loved music. His maternal grandmother holds a PhD in music and was a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. "My nani's taste in music ranged from Sinatra to Begum Akhtar. I grew up musically inclined and further honed my interest by training and listening to more music and artistes," Nanda recollects.

The two had met through a common friend and decided to give production a try. Their first track sounded amazing and since then, they started producing music regularly, experimenting with new, unheard sounds, working on combinations that click and melodies that move. "For us, music has always been about giving. We wanted to share our energy with the world," explains Santwani. "We specifically wanted to stay away from jarring tracks sold in the name of EDM in our country," adds Nanda.

In the past decade, the electronica scene has evolved and Indian artistes have made international strides. Santwani tells us, "There are many electronic artistes today due to the ease of making music with minimum equipment and releasing it on independent platforms. There is also a spike in demand for electronica due to more listeners in India. Our goal is to inspire a hundred more artistes before we are done." The Delhi duo draws inspiration from AR Rahman, Daft Punk, Four Tet, and Damian Lazarus, among others. "Koze, Shlomo and Bonobo were out there adding their magical touches, and people were digging their sound. It gradually became clear to me that it's okay to break rules if it's done in a nuanced way," says Nanda. Santwani sums up the ride, "We feel very lucky that we got the chance to work on music we love, and create something good enough for the world." Up next, the duo plans to tour in 2022, and wrap up their pending tracks and collaborations.

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