Being ranked number one in India for Electronic Music on MyFavDjPoll for two consecutive years wasn't enough for DJ Ankytrixx, who's recently released his first international single. The DJ and producer on the changing face of music in the country and his future plans
f you’ve ever attended a gig by Ankit Kochar aka DJ Ankytrixx, the chunky sounds interwoven with dreamy melodies must have forced you to attend more of them. The leading Indian Electronica DJ and producer has been voted the Number 1 DJ in India twice and keeps performs across top clubs and festivals around the world. He has added yet another feather to his well-feathered cap by releasing his international debut single No Kontrol on Freshin Records, which is the label for the French Techno superstar DJ Da Fresh. There’s also a remix of No Kontrol by Da Fresh himself. Kochar tells us more about the collaboration:
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Tell us a bit about the single and the collaboration withu00a0DJ Da Fresh.
The association goes back to October 2012 in Amsterdam, where Arnaud (Da Fresh) and I were playing for a showcase at the Amsterdam Dance Event. He is a huge name today in the tech house/techno community internationally. It was excitement all throughout that evening leading upto a great party. It was then that he offered me to release a tune on his label. I
was stoked!
Who were some of your early influences?
A rebel as a child, I had no interest in studies. But times weren’t easy for the recreational bunch with conservative parents back then. Under pressure to excel academically, and the need to explore my own wants made me pack my bags at 16 and go out on my own to explore the unseen. I was born with a musical backbone. I landed up in Kolkata in 1998 and came across some of the mind-blowing DJs (Sanjay Dutta being one of them) and serious clubbers that this country will ever see. Over the past few years, I’ve spent most of my time in Nepal — a country that has prepared me to take on this journey as an artiste, something I understand now. The ever so humble attitude, love, friends, togetherness, these are the key words for any form of growth and it’s these influences that have boosted my inner growth.
Electronic dance movement has come a long way. Your take.
What if I told you that some of my best gigs last year have been in places like Kolhapur, Indore, Shillong and Asansol. Today, we can proudly say that we have a good number of ambassadors who are taking India to the world. Some of the top DJs, producers, live acts have changed the dynamics of music in this country.
You’ve had a busy 2012. What’s the scene for 2013?
After this debut release, I’m queued up for a couple more with some major labels in the next two months. I’m kickstarting my Europe tour from July 12. I will be playing at some of the most reputed clubs in Amsterdam, Berlin, Ibiza and Prague. I will be flying to London in August for Pearl Festival and a club gig. And a roller-coaster ride comes season time in India. u00a0