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This month we put one of our favourite DJs, the much in-demand DJ Suketu, in the hot seat.
Congratulations on the release of your third album. Tell us more about it.
Suketu: My new album is called DJ Suketu’s Wild 10 and it’s got 10 tracks on it that have not been remixed before. The title track is called Aa Jaane Ja and we’ve also given two bonus tracks which are Kya Khoob Lagti Ho from The Bed Lounge album, which has been re-remixed and we’ve also given a different version of Aa Jaane Ja. We thought the remixes were pretty groovy and really rocking for nightclubs so we called it Wild 10.
What did you want to do differently this time around?
Suketu: Well, it is a remix album, I wouldn’t say it’s really out of the way and too different but I have tried to use a lot of new sounds. I’ve heard a lot of new international music and I’ve tried to incorporate those ideas in these tracks. One thing that’s different is that I’ve never done a drum ‘n bass remix before and there is one track on this album, Jiya Jale (the song from Dil Se) which I have remixed in that style. Another track, Chori Chori, is a little bit on the lines of the reggaeton tracks that are coming out. So it isn’t just a dance album, it is a good high energy album.
What is your most prized record?
Suketu: My most prized record is one that my dad got for me in 1981 or ’82 I think. It is Michael Jackson’s Thriller, a limited edition, which has Michael Jackson’s picture on it. That’s one record that is really valued by me. And recently the one record that I have really liked is Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back. It is really amazing and the mixes on it are just superb.
Where do you source your music from?
Suketu: A lot of music companies send me music so that’s one way I get it, and then when I’m travelling around the world, in Dubai it’s Om Records, in London it’s Black Market Records and HMV, and there are some stores in Singapore as well. Another thing that all DJs do is when we go abroad, we meet a lot of international DJs in different clubs and we exchange email addresses and stay in touch so we get to know of a lot of music that is coming out before it releases in India. So we source the music from whichever shops we normally frequent but atleast we get the information about the new music from them.
The most memorable venue you’ve played at…
Suketu: I think the most amazing venue which I’ve played at was my 31st December 2005-06 party where I played at the World Trade Center in Dubai. They had made the whole World Trade Center, which can accommodate about 20,000 people, into one big nightclub. So the lighting, the setup, the speakers, the stage…it was amazing. I actually literally felt like I was at a live concert and I was the king there! [Laughs]
What is the most unlikely place you have heard one of your songs?
Suketu: I didn’t hear it, but one of my friends from Italy told me about this. They were doing this one show on India and the music which was playing in the background was my song Bombay In My Soul which was chosen to be played there. After that, the song was released on a compilation by a local music company in Italy. I think that would be the last place I would expect my music to turn up! [Laughs]
What is the longest set that you have ever played?
Suketu: It was one of my New Year’s Eve parties at the Leela in Mumbai. I started playing at 9:30 at night and the party went on till 5 in the morning.
How does a DJ survive a set like that?
Suketu: Non-stop CDs. [Laughs] I carry a few with me. So whenever I want to take a 15-20 minute break in a really long set I put them on and go off and come back. I know it is bad advice to give DJs but it’s a lifesaver!
The oddest request you have ever got is…
Suketu: I was playing in Enigma in Mumbai on a Saturday night, it was a Bollywood night and this guy came up to me and said ‘Can you please play this song Bholi Soorat from Bhagwan.’ I think that was the weirdest request I have had in my life! [Laughs]
DJs are fairly divided on requests ~ what is your policy on it?
Suketu: I normally do play requests. I don’t mind it. I am there to entertain the crowd and make them have a good time. But I would not take a request that is absolutely weird and out of the way and play it. And I would not play a request immediately maybe. I would keep it in mind and play it when I know it is the right time to play the track.
What is the most ridiculous amount you have been paid for a gig?
Suketu: The thing is, one of the most ridiculous amounts I am going to be paid to play will be this year. I wanted to know how much people are willing to pay for a gig. [Laughs] We got a call from a corporate house and they wanted to do a show on the 30th of December. Normally one day before 31st December I don’t like to take on gigs, I just like to chill out because I know that the next night will be really bad. We told them that I would charge Rs. 2 lakhs for the gig and they agreed, so that was pretty good. [Laughs]
You can read the rest of our DJ Speak with DJ Suketu in the September 2006 issue of The Record Music Magazine available at your local newsagent.
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