How Indo Warehouse aims to encourage South Asian culture through dance music

Kahani and Kunal Merchantrsquos longstanding observation was that South Asian music has been notably absent from the parties that they love to attend From beaches in Tulum to their favourite clubs in New York the duo found themselves dreaming of how their culture could be represented on those dance floors Fresh off the success of their soldout North America tour the Indo Warehouse mdash a collective of artistes record label and experiential series mdash is coming to Mumbai with their immersive series this week as part of a 10city tour that kickstarted in Goa on December 31ldquoWe aim to authentically integrate South Asian culture music and sounds through the medium of dance music currently rooted in house and technordquo informs Merchant The founding duo met in late 2021 and in 2022 the collective was initiated ldquoOver the past 24 months we have evolved from a concept to global touring artists having played soldout shows across North America London Europe and now India Our record label has released over 25 original records and we have a busy year ahead of us with releases coming from artists across the globerdquo adds Merchant who has been DJing for more than two decadesThe collective is currently composed of six artistes mdash Kahani Kunal Merchant Ethyr Payal Jay AREUBLUE and Anvaya ldquoYou can expect this roster to grow in 2024 For our Mumbai show all of these artistes are performing alongside some very special guest appearancesrdquo informs Merchant who is a music producerLabel founder and producer Kahani who has been curating and elevating South Asian culture for years now informs that their genre of music is not recognised in an official capacity yet He firmly believes that this will change ldquoWe categorise our music as Indo House This genre encompasses the sounds voices rhythms and culture of music from South Asia integrated authentically with music often associated with house and techno but can include other electronic genres A simple analogy is to compare what we are creating with how Latin culture is infused into Latin House or African culture is infused into Afro HouserdquoFor Indo Warehouse itrsquos not just about the music but also the immersive experience from the moment you step outside of your vehicle to the moment you leave the venue to head home ldquoWe want to transport you into our world and that can be through all of the senses At our events in NYC we often have jasmine and sandalwood scents welcoming you alongside our personal greetersThen you step into a bazaar that showcases South Asian fashion and crafts When you finally make your way into the music hall you are not only hearing our culture but seeing it on display with custom decor and visualsFor every minute we have with you we want you to be moved in every way possible for you to embrace the music and the experience with an open mindrdquo says an ecstatic Kahani Fusing traditional South Asian sounds with contemporary house and techno genres hasnrsquot been challenging but has been a galore of opportunities according to the duo ldquoWhen you hear a beautiful South Asian vocal on top of a 122 BPM beat it feels natural Thatrsquos because our culture has been rooted in the combination of music and dance We are excited and inspired to see this movement advance because there are countless elements of our culture to showcase with every performancerdquo explains MerchantThe Mumbai show will have a multisensory experience featuring enhanced sound and lighting visuals lasers and unique performances ldquoIt will not feel like anything you have experienced beforerdquoconcludes MerchantON January 25 6 pm to 10 pmAT Sunburn Arena Dome NSCI SVP Stadium WorliLOG ON TO bookmyshowcomCOST Rs 800 onwards