What "Techno Cult" looks like in India in 2018

Techno music has prevailed its original style over years and has created its own sub-culture. Techno had always been a close-knit community in India, which has now opened its door for others to explore a side accessible to few earlier.

 New age listeners

The shift is evident among the 'EDM' generation evolving into Techno as it can be a reference point for many listeners to dive into the alternative music spectrum. Brand events are acting as catalyst to draw newer audiences towards it, attributing towards the growth of the Techno scene.

"Major Alternative Music Events definitely have a role to play in it, fans get exposed to newer genres and start following them through these events. In India you have the likes of Awakenings at Supersonic, Magnetic Fields and some landmark Artist Tours to thank for this. Part of the shift is organic with an overkill of EDM over the past few years" - Sharan Behl (Director WMS agency)

Link: http://wmsentertainment.in/

Future Potential

The Awakenings Stage at the recently concluded Vh1 Supersonic saw some of the major Techno DJs under one roof. The Indian market has created a niche of its own and is one of the biggest in the world. A total number of 29 cities in India are hosting regular gigs and many more will follow.The sound has just started reaching out to Tier 2 cities. We still need to explore many untapped markets. Opportunities are arising fast since gigs are no longer restricted to club environment. Boutique Events are on the rise and are necessary to keep the flow going in between major events. 'Locals District' an initiative started to promote home grown artists will be celebrating its 1 year anniversary with a Festival spread out over 72 hrs  with a line up focusing on Indian artists happening at Castle Kalwar,  Rajasthan from 2nd - 4th March 2018. Link: http://localsdistrict.com/

Techno Community

In the early days people had to rely only on gigs to hear alternative music. There were no platforms to share information and discuss new ideas. The community has grown closer through social media exposure and online portals dedicated to techno music. The advent of 'Taste Makers' sharing quality music has resulted in the growth of the community. Online Radio Shows are new age promoting platforms catering to newer audiences. Upcoming artists can make use of such platforms to showcase their music. 'Wavlngth' an initiative started by Aneesha Kotwani to exchange, collaborate, execute ideas around music is a perfect example of community building. Check out their site for more info and find dope music through their community playlists! : http://www.wavlngth.com There are many platforms for artists to discover similar music like John Digweed's Transition, a weekly radio show featuring new House/Techno music revered by many worldwide. Link: https://www.mixcloud.com/johndigweed/

Not going Overground

At this age the term underground has a vague meaning.

What is underground? That term was used when parties were happening in basements, unlicensed warehouses and illegal places. What happens when a certain music industry like techno starts becoming more profitable and commercial (non financial sense). It becomes more of a form of entertainment rather than the night being focused on the music and the artist. The promoters and organizers start making it commercial. - Ardaman Dua ( Partner, Booking Agent at Nightvibe)

The legendary Carl Cox had an interesting view on this, he said -

"I don't think it's 'Underground vs Overground', it's just pop-culture over people who actually love the music."