“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!”
-Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
When we talk about performing arts, we generally refer to conventional forms of music, dance and drama. But with the rapid globalisation in the past few years, we have access to newer forms of live art. In the 90s, Prabhu Deva made break dance mainstream, to the extent where it became the highlight of cultural events at schools and colleges. In the 2000s, our music tastes widened to new genres like rock, thanks to bands like Avial and MotherJane. In the last few years, we’ve seen a rise of Malayali stand-up comedians, which has slowly begun to find its footing. In a similar vein, one of the lesser talked-about live art forms that have found its place in the Kerala ecosystem is Disk Jockeying (DJing). With the rise of nightlife and party culture, especially in metro cities such as Kochi and Trivandrum, Malayali DJs seem to have found their niche. And the space only seems to grow from strength to strength.
Let’s dive a little deeper and get into the mind of one of the most celebrated Malayali DJs at present – well, not just a DJ; music producer-songwriter-DJ, all in one – Agnivesh.
Influenced by his father’s love for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Agnivesh grew up listening to EDM and English pop. As soon as he ‘came of laptop age’, he delved deeper into the musical world that so enchanted him. It was DJ mixes that caught his attention at the start, sparking his curiosity about music production. Artists like Major Lazer, DJ Snake, and Skrillex became early inspirations, shaping Agnivesh’s journey into music production. “Their styles continue to influence and inspire as I learn and grow in the industry”, he says.
While DJing is quite commonplace terminology, not a lot of people may know what goes into being a DJ. Quiz him about this aspect of his life, and Agnivesh says it was a happy accident; he happened to stumble upon the quintessential DJ starter pack – the Virtual DJ software – on the internet. And it was his grandma who bought him his first console when he was 16. Within a year, he was already sharpening his craft, performing at public events, utilising every opportunity sans worry about the pay – marriage functions, resorts, private gigs, you name it. But the ageist ways of the real world, combined with the bustling and competitive DJ scene, meant that quickly securing a spot at the top was a challenge. “I found myself restricted from playing at clubs and as a result, I turned my focus towards music production and songwriting”, he reminisces.
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While the arrival of the COVID-19 lockdown implied hours and hours of isolation, he utilised this downtime to delve deeper into songwriting and thereby, evolve as an artist. With limited resources and knowledge available online, Agnivesh embarked on a journey of self-exploration. Gradually, he began writing lyrics for the music he produced and even started singing on some of these tracks. (Talk about multi-faceted!) Ask him the question of what he prefers between DJing and music production, and he gives a fairly non-diplomatic answer. “DJing is my first love – it’s undoubtedly enjoyable, but the thrill of playing my own creations to a live audience and witnessing their energetic response is a different level of high!”
Another standout feature in Agnivesh’s body of work is the numerous creative collaborations he has undertaken with fellow artists in the industry. The names range from popular playback singers (the likes of Benny Dayal, Jassie Gift and Nithya Mammen) to promising indie contemporaries (Nihal Sadiq, Dhanwin, VKDKV and many more). “There is a certain dynamism to creative collaboration that I enjoy. Be it seasoned playback singers or independent artists, everyone brings something valuable and unique to the table. On a practical note, I see it as an opportunity to learn different perspectives and techniques”, he notes. The strategy behind these collabs is to create music that appeals to a wider audience, blending elements of heavy bass, hip-hop, and mainstream sounds. The idea really is to establish a connection with listeners across musical preferences by incorporating the influences from his collaborators. And as he continued to speak about his dreams to someday collaborate with artists worldwide, the fanboy in me couldn’t resist going back to his past collabs and asking him about the experience behind (in my opinion) the crowning jewel in that list – Macaroni with pop culture icon Jassie Gift.
“The inception of Macaroni dates back around two years. Initially, I envisioned it as my debut full-singing track and had laid down my vocals on it. However, delays ensued as I aimed for a high-quality international standard music video to accompany the release. The turning point came during a casual car ride with friends, where we found ourselves vibing to a Jassie Gift playlist. In a moment of inspiration, one of my friends suggested the inclusion of Jassie Gift to Macaroni, believing it would elevate the track. Acting on this spontaneous idea, I reached out to Jassie Gift, and to my delight, he agreed to collaborate. Working with Jassie was a surreal experience. He’s not only incredibly talented but also a down-to-earth and fun-loving individual. The collab was nothing short of a dream come true!”
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A lot of people might recall the Big B Reloaded track that trended back in 2020. Some may even have assumed it to be part of the film’s OST by Gopi Sundar. But it was a fanboy sambhavam that came from Agnivesh’s table. Quiz him about this fusion of music and cinema, and he talks about the idea having been born out of a desire to seamlessly blend dialogues into music. Having seen some initial success in this zone, Agnivesh went on to create multiple such homages, such as Big B Reloaded, Mundu Swag and Ghost.
2024 looks all the more promising for the young talent. Agnivesh is visibly pumped as he talks about his upcoming releases: “Firstly, there’s Kannamma, a fusion of electro-pop and dancehall, featuring both Malayalam and English lyrics. This track introduces talented indie artist Ganga Prakash on vocals, alongside myself. Following this, we have Oh Janu, a lively moombahton track that aims to lift spirits and get people moving. Collaborating with NomadicVoice and Nihal Sadiq on this one, it’s geared towards a more commercial audience.” In addition to these projects, Agnivesh is also immersed in music production for some upcoming movies, as well as crafting some heavy bass tracks that diverge from the commercial realm.
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I’ve come to believe that every artist has an end goal that keeps them going amidst the bouquets and brickbats, the crests and troughs that outline any creative career path. And Agnivesh has a very clear vision for his music: to pioneer the expansion of global sounds within the Indian music space. “Also, I aspire to see our sounds resonate on a global scale, reaching audiences far beyond our borders. And of course, like every musician, I dream of performing on bigger stages and witnessing larger audiences groove to my tracks. This ultimate goal of success, where our music touches the hearts of countless listeners worldwide, is what I strive to achieve”, he signs off.
