‘If the postman can hum it - it can be a hit’

We have seen him rock MTV and then we have seen him set dance floors on fire with his control over the console. Putting it all together Nikhil Chinapa is all set to launch his first debut complication under the Defected House label. Produced by Sony Music, Defected in the House India 2013, the album is almost a checklist of the best dance tracks, some you might have heard before (assuming you are an EDM buff) and some you would have never laid your ears on. 

‘I have known the owners of Defected Records for the last 5-6 years. We became friends because we share the same taste in music,’ says Nikhil, talking about what brought about this album. Since they were on the same page with me, we agreed to put this album together, he adds. ‘In this first compilation of mine, I’ve chosen to share house music that I love listening to and is both timeless and contemporary.  I’ve also tried to create a snapshot of what I hope dance music (or at least a part of it) will sound like in the coming year - deep and soulful, while also being quirky and fun. This is music that moves me emotionally, triggers happy memories and makes me want to dance, smile and believe. I hope it does the same to you,’ he explains. 

The album is a collection of tracks Nikhil likes spinning out and some of the names on the list are unfamiliar to the music lovers in India. EDM or Electronic Dance Music is what has all clubbers grooving and to be a successful DJ, one needs to have the finger on the pulse of the crowd. But for Nikhil, clubbing is not just about familiar hits or the songs the tops dance charts right then, it is about discovering new music. 

‘75% of clubbing is about discovering new music,’ says Nikhil. ‘It is meant to open up options,’ he says and adds that when someone hears an interesting track, he or she will want to know what more lies out there in the EDM universe. To be able to dance to a track the song doesn’t need to be a hit says Nikhil, fans are getting curious and that is the best thing. 

Speaking of big names like Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto and Afrojack - artists that Nikhil himself brought to India on tours - he says that these guys have the brilliant talent of being able to tap the pulse of the crowd. They create music that is catchy, easy to sing along with and thus dance to. ‘If the postman can hum it - it can be a hit’ and that is the mantra of chart toppers. But Defected in the House India 2013 is going to take the game up by a notch it seems. 

‘Commercial dance music will see a collapse, it is inevitable,’ says Nikhil going on to explain that the genre will mutate to accommodate sounds that most people are not familiar with right now. 

It is the new underground dance music that is going to reach the clubs with the vengeance, past main-steam, past main-room, as he puts it. 

He calls the end of vinyl records the biggest low in his music career. Reminiscing about hours he and his wife Pearl spent in record shops listening to new tracks and buying vinyls, Nikhil says that putting music online not only made it more accessible, it also increased piracy. 

Clubber and music enthusiast for 20 years and counting, Nikhil Chinapa is upbeat about Defected in the House’s India chapter. We are waiting as well!