Recognised as one of the busiest DJs in the country with a relentless touring schedule, Anish Sood brought his own breed of sound to Delhi as part of Baleno Wicked Weekends
Sensing the pulse of the crowds, tapping into the mood on the dance floor and expressing it through electronic music have made him one of the most sought after warm-up DJs in the country. Anish Sood began his tryst with destiny during his teens and there has been no looking back for him since. With no formal musical training, he says he grew up surrounded by melodies. “My uncle and dad are both guitar players. I did take some basic guitar and piano lessons as a kid, so I had a basic understanding of chords and structure,” he tells us.
But Anish was always a good listener and knew which kind of music would be a crowd-pleaser. About those early days, he shares, “I loved collecting music as a kid. I used to collect cassette tapes initially and then CDs and by the time I was 13, I had already built up a formidable collection. Of course, the most natural instinct when you collect something is to share it with others and that’s definitely what led me to discover DJing.”
Anish recently toured with Grammy Award-winning DJ David Guetta and says it was his most exciting experience. On his most wicked weekend ever, he said, “Touring with David Guetta in January was definitely wicked! The Mumbai show was postponed, which meant we had to play two cities in one day. Hectic but super fun.”
Ask him about his favourite tune, the one which never fails on the dance floor, and he says, “That’s a tricky question because my sets are constantly changing and evolving. Though one of my long time secret weapons has beenSharam Jey & Sirus Hood - Picture Picture.”
As one of the busiest DJs in the country, Anish is among those who have taken the Indian dance music industry by storm. He is aggressive about the future of EDM in India. “I’m seeing a revival in the Indian club scene. Dance music fans are now looking for music beyond the Top 10 that’s played at festivals. Clubs are the best place to discover that. I also expect a surge in boutique festivals around the country that offer a unique experience and location.”
Anish reveals about his recently launched label Class Action, which combines music and fashion. “I’m currently working on finishing my debut studio album which should be out this September. I’m also working on video and visual content to release alongside and working out a live show. Apart from that, I recently launched Class Action which is a hybrid music and fashion label. I’m currently finalising samples for clothes that should be out in August and I plan to start signing new artists for the label towards the end of the year.”
Advising the younger lot, he says, originality is the key. “Focus on writing original music because that’s the key right now. If you aren’t musically trained, get some basic training and work hard on your production skills. Apart from that, go out and network with people. You need to be on the dance floor first before you can get into the booth. Meet resident DJs, promoters, fans and build friendships that will help you get more gigs,” he concludes.