High expectations from Mumbai show, says UK-based DJ Breaka

If hitting the dance floor on weekends is your thing, don’t forget to catch the final act of UK-based DJ artist and music producer Breaka’s India tour in Mumbai this weekend

“People have told me antiSOCIAL is going to be heavy, so expectations are high I guess,” says London-based musician, producer and prominent DJ artist Charlie Baker, alias Breaka, who is all set to perform in Mumbai on July 9, after over a week-long tour across the country.

Presented by ‘Krunk’, it’s the 15^th edition of HotboxIndia’s monthly concert tour featuring the best of electronic music artistes across the globe. Recognised for his signature sound with prominent bass lines and unique percussive rhythms, Breaka is performing in India for the first time. The Mumbai line-up also showcases Indian DJ artistes Dreamstates, B2B Rafiki, Saumya Masrani and Anisha Parwani for supporting acts.

Breaka’s earliest engagements with percussion music can be credited to his upbringing as a drummer with a greater inclination towards Jazz-Funk genres. After experimenting with sound systems for years at events like Subdub and such, Breaka’s ‘Rory’s Theme / Puffer Jackets’--released on Holding Hands Records in 2018--earned him much recognition and support from fellow artistes.

Kelly Lee Owens’ ‘Re-wild’, Interplanetary Criminal’s ‘Sensational’, ‘The Startup’ are some of his notable works with a number of other EPs and mixes released under Holding Hands Records and Breaka Recordings. In February 2022, his first album, ‘We Move’, released on his own label, explores various styles across the electronic music spectrum, ultimately enthralling the people on dance floors.

After impressive gigs at Pune, Gurugram, Guwahati and Goa, the artiste has fairly been able to gauge the mood of the audiences here. “The Indian audience have a different way of interacting with the dance floor and are more respectful in terms of providing each other the space to move and express themselves rather freely,” he says.

While the pandemic changed the way people partied and experienced live music, especially electronic dance musical nights, Breaka says the shift has rather been an unexpected one. Contrary to his expectations of experimental music gaining much attention, he has witnessed some “very silly hyperactive sounds dominating” the dance floor instead.

When asked about his views on the evolving DJ scene in India and his favourite Indian artistes, he recommends listening to Yung Raj, a beatboxer and electronic music producer from Hyderabad. “There’s such an amazing ‘bass’ scene already here in India and from the conversations I’ve had, many are inspired to get involved. A few people I’ve spoken to have said they’d love to see an underground live stream platform like Keep Hush to unify the scene,” he adds.

Mumbaikars, are you all waiting for a stress-buster weekend after a week full of hustle amid a heavy downpour? Get your feet down to the thrilling beats and mixes by Breaka at antiSOCIAL,  this Saturday.

Venue: antiSOCIAl, Lower Parel

Date: July 9

Time: 9 pm onwards

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