It all started when Gaurav and Tapan realized that Western dance music wasn’t connecting with them on the same emotional level as India’s own classical and folk music – so they decided to do something about it. In 1997, after several years of work setting up their own studio in New Delhi, the two producers launched the Punditz.
In a span of eight years since the first Cyber Mehfil, the Midival Punditz have become the most in-demand producers and remixers in India, with remix credits for some of the biggest Bollywood soundtracks such as the 2008 blockbusters Don & Chake De. They have shattered attendance records of some of India’s most venerable clubs such as Mumbai’s Blue Frog and have become the foremost ambassadors of India’s rapidly growing alternative and electronic music scene around the world.
As myopusradio’s Big Fish, this is Gaurav reminiscing on the early days, before the Punditz came into being. For details on their Interviews, Pictures and updates, read on. To listen to their music, go to myopusradio.com and stay locked on!
From Students to Punditz. The story of how becoming a Pundit has nothing to do with what you study.
I’ve always had trouble writing about stuff, specially when I’m told I can write about anything I want!. So, I’ve decided to talk a bit about my journey through the music scene in our city!.
Let me take us back in time a little, to say, 1996.
I had just got into architectural college and Tapan had just started his IIT course in Delhi. We were both doing exactly as advised by our parents and elders. I guess the limited outlook of earlier generations on what we can or cannot not do with our careers tends to cast a huge shadow upon our abilities to decide what to do with our lives. We get so confused that we end up succumbing to their choices eventually. Read more
So there I was. In an architectural college, doing what I had to, to stay on track. This was when Delhi boasted of clubs like “Ghungroos”, “CJ’s” and “No.1″. I partied there a couple of times, and must say I had a great time, particularly because of my undying love for 80’s classics. DJs slept under the comfy shade of music people heard in their homes and cars. In their defence, that was the only music available to this country. “Top of the Pops” was the way of the day and it did well.
FM broadcasting started soon, and we became a radio culture. Except that there was only one station to listen to. This in fact went on for many years, thanks to the policies of our government, and their desire to restrict the airwaves. What they actually ended up restricting was the musical diversity of the Indian youth.
I decided to audition for the only FM radio station that existed. I got through and started my career as a radio jockey to try and bring a little diversity into the “Top of the Pops” attitude prevalent in the radio media. I started a club music show and a rock music show, both of which I pursued for a while. This was in ‘94. Prodigy had just released “Music for the Jilted Generation.” When we heard this, we completely lost it! It was as if this album was written as a theme for our present state!.Tapan and I could not stop listening to it!
I then decided to put some of the DJ training I had got in Bombay and Hyderabad, to test. I started moonlighting as a freelance DJ for private parties and events. I ended up playing stuff for a crowd that only wanted to listen to the same thing they had been hearing for years; “Pop” and “Retro.” I kept thinking, Aren’t there any people out there who are going to dig this new sound we are so excited about?
The question lingered for another year and soon we decided to do something about it.
Sometime in 1995, we decided to throw a party at this really small 3rd floor restaurant-bar in South-Ex and call it “Cyber Mehfil“. We all called up friends, friends-of-friends, our sisters’ friends and anyone we knew, to come over and listen. We got around 50-60 people who couldn’t really understand the “Drum ‘n Bass” and breakbeats we were playing, but were eager to try and comprehend it, and maybe dance to it!.perhaps that was a first step towards changing the music scene of the city.
By then we were running out of music to play for everyone, as our objective was to introduce them to new sounds every time. So we decided to create our own sounds. We made a couple of tracks by sampling old Bollywood vocals and lacing them with heavy drum and bass grooves. The crowd loved them. So, we made more.
“Cyber Mehfil” nights went on and only grew bigger and more popular. But it was time to concentrate on “Midival Punditz.” And the craze we had started made way for something bigger.
That was our “Blast from the Past” for those of you who were not around those days or just wanted to know where we come from! peace!.
we can go even a little further back….when i starteed my career as a DJ in the early 90s in Hyderabad….as always was into Classic Rock…Gaurav was then ‘the man’ at PYRAMIDS…Hyderabads first real discotheque and I remember he helped me with his mixes … buddy you may not believe it but I still have the Maxwell Chrome Cassettes with all the good stuff…yeh especially – WHITE HORSE ) It has been a while….
Keep on trippin’ brother!!
Blackjack!
18/06/2009great post say:
Hey, great post, very well written. You should post more about this.
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