MUMBAI: Sitars, tanpuras, dhols and thumbi mashed up with dancefloor beats, rocky guitar riffs and catchy vocal. International music with eastern influences. is what music fans can expect at the MTV Just Grind bash. This takes place at Mikano's on 11 July from 8 pm.
Presented by White Mischief Holidays, MTV Just Grind will showcase the refreshing sound of Swaraj that comes at a time when Punjabi/bhangra is the new flavour of the west. In India, Swaraj will be represented by Khushboo from Sonik Gurus, Nerm from Shiva Sound System and Cavo from the Dum Dum Project. Swaraj consists of 20 DJ's, musicians, producers and visual artists.
Swaraj was formed nearly six years ago and they have taken their 'Future Asian Beat' sound - a heavy fusion of eastern sounds and rhythms with Hip Hop, Funk, Breakbeats, Drum 'n bass and just about any other western dance floor style - around the world.
Swaraj made the following comments about their upcoming trip to India "Swaraj is your birthright, performing live in India is ours! We're looking forward to making MTV Just Grind the most happening party in Mumbai so make sure you're there."
MTV's Chillout crew will also be around shoot a half-hour special that will capture the music, the mood, the people and the maasti.
Formed a couple of years ago Sonik Gurus have been likened to an urban version of Blur with their cheeky British pop lyrical sensibilities and heavy urban club grooves. Their music defies categorisation, crossing just about every musical boundary while forging a genre of it's own. Sitars, tanpuras, dhols and thumbi mashed up with dancefloor beats, rocky guitar riffs and catchy vocal hooks comprise their sound. Sonik Gurus are rapidly establishing themselves as top remixers, having recently remixed tracks by U.S R 'n B diva Toni Braxton and Shakalaka Baby from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bombay Dreams musical.
Shiva Sound System formed an alliance with Swaraj just before their compilation "Future Asian Beat" was released. Soon rising to the headline act in the Swaraj roster, DJ Nerm's sets grew incorporating new collaborators and methods of performance at each turn. While the seeds of the Shiva Sound System were sown here, Nerm toured around the globe with Swaraj, including territories from the US to India causing a storm wherever he went.
Meanwhile The Dum Dum Project are currently making their own in-roads into Asia with a popular club residency in Bangkok. They introduced a new Asian- Indian sound, which combines Indian music with breakbeats, samples and live instrumentation. Their new single Punjabi 50 has been at number one on BBC radio1 Asian chart for over a month. Their sound is Urban Asian, with a heavy New York streetwise influence. The band comprises of Sean alias DJ Cavo and producer/instrumentalist Niraj Chag.