How Indo Warehouse aims to encourage South Asian culture through dance music

Kahani and Kunal Merchant, founders of Indo Warehouse, perform onstage during a recent tour

Kahani and Kunal Merchant's long-standing observation was that South Asian music has been notably absent from the parties that they love to attend. From beaches in Tulum to their favourite clubs in New York, the duo found themselves dreaming of how their culture could be represented on those dance floors. Fresh off the success of their sold-out North America tour, the Indo Warehouse - a collective of artistes, record label and experiential series - is coming to Mumbai with their immersive series this week, as part of a 10-city tour that kickstarted in Goa on December 31.

"We aim to authentically integrate South Asian culture, music and sounds through the medium of dance music, currently rooted in house and techno," informs Merchant. The founding duo met in late 2021, and in 2022 the collective was initiated, "Over the past 24 months we have evolved from a concept to global touring artists, having played sold-out shows across North America, London, Europe, and now, India. Our record label has released over 25 original records, and we have a busy year ahead of us with releases coming from artists across the globe," adds Merchant, who has been DJing for more than two decades.

The collective is currently composed of six artistes - Kahani, Kunal Merchant, Ethyr, Payal Jay, AREUBLUE and Anvaya. "You can expect this roster to grow in 2024. For our Mumbai show, all of these artistes are performing alongside some very special guest appearances," informs Merchant, who is a music producer.

Label founder and producer, Kahani, who has been curating and elevating South Asian culture for years now, informs that their genre of music is not recognised in an official capacity, yet. He firmly believes that this will change, "We categorise our music as Indo House. This genre encompasses the sounds, voices, rhythms and culture of music from South Asia integrated authentically with music often associated with house and techno, but can include other electronic genres. A simple analogy is to compare what we are creating with how Latin culture is infused into Latin House or African culture is infused into Afro House."

For Indo Warehouse, it's not just about the music, but also the immersive experience from the moment you step outside of your vehicle, to the moment you leave the venue to head home. "We want to transport you into our world, and that can be through all of the senses. At our events in NYC, we often have jasmine and sandalwood scents welcoming you alongside our personal greeters. Then, you step into a bazaar that showcases South Asian fashion and crafts. When you finally make your way into the music hall, you are not only hearing our culture, but seeing it on display with custom decor and visuals.

For every minute we have with you, we want you to be moved in every way possible, for you to embrace the music and the experience with an open mind," says an ecstatic Kahani. Fusing traditional South Asian sounds with contemporary house and techno genres hasn't been challenging but has been a galore of opportunities according to the duo. "When you hear a beautiful South Asian vocal on top of a 122 BPM beat, it feels natural. That's because our culture has been rooted in the combination of music and dance. We are excited and inspired to see this movement advance because there are countless elements of our culture to showcase with every performance," explains Merchant.

The Mumbai show will have a multisensory experience featuring enhanced sound and lighting, visuals, lasers, and unique performances. "It will not feel like anything you have experienced before."
concludes Merchant.

ON January 25, 6 pm to 10 pm
AT Sunburn Arena, Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium, Worli.
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COST Rs 800 onwards