Locals DISTRICT - The 3 day Holi Techno Festival You Can't Miss!

Locals has been setting the benchmark for underground gigs in the capital since the past year and they’re back in 2018 with a MASSIVE festival on the outskirts of Jaipur in an 18th century castle during the Holi weekend!

[video width="720" height="400" mp4="http://loudest.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/WhatsApp-Video-2018-01-10-at-7.38.08-PM.mp4"][/video] It’s a grand celebration of the Locals community completing a year of successful underground gigs which has helped promote Indian electronic acts and are constantly pushing the boundaries when it comes to pulling off stellar gigs all over the city. Locals DISTRICT will be the first edition of the techno festival which takes place in Rajasthan’s Castle Kalwar from 2nd to 4th March 2018 and we can’t wait to be a part of this incredible 3 day festival!

The Locals Journey

From starting out with a few hundred members in the forum to crossing 3000 members by the end of 2017, the Locals story is one which inspires music enthusiasts & creators everywhere.

Driven by a simple yet impactful mission - to bring local talent closer to its audience without losing its artistic purity, in the process building a community experience where people from different walks of life can communicate and vibe with music being the common factor. [caption id="attachment_3781" align="alignnone" width="770"] Decima on the Locals New Year's Eve gig.[/caption] From holding exclusive invite only underground gigs to a full fledged festival is something that we’re super excited about, since it’s not common to see such communities flourish and sustain themselves in such a short span of time! [caption id="attachment_3783" align="alignnone" width="770"] Good music + good vibes all the way![/caption]

Locals DISTRICT

DISTRICT, India’s first, none of its kind Techno music festival is marked to celebrate 1 year of the music community Locals.

DISTRICT is set to take place in Rajasthan's Castle Kalwar, Jaipur region from 2nd - 4th March 2018. Get ready to witness a lineup of over 40 artists performing at 4 different stages, bringing together talent across the wide spectrum of Techno music. The festival shall witness unmatched sound, in control of some of the biggest artists in Techno music today; needless to mention that every individual is invited here to immerse in a committed techno experience. Treat those eyes to larger than life artistry with stellar medium(s) of lights & visuals, live programming, and projection mapping. Clichéd as it may sound, the Locals team stand committed towards the "being is believing" experience. All of this and so much more to experience in an 18th century castle on the vibrant festival of Holi! Who can say no to that? [caption id="attachment_3780" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The majestic castle Kalwar![/caption]

DISTRICT Line-up

With pioneers like Arjun Vagale, Kohra, BLOT, Jitter, Adam Rehman, Ash Roy, Jitter, Sequ3l, and so many more artists, you’re bound to lose your senses to the beat and find yourself somewhere within.

The Locals team always represents and believes in promoting stellar Indian acts and have had some of the best (and upcoming) names in the independent electronic music scene. DISTRICT takes it to another level altogether! With over 40 artists spread across 4 stages and 3 days, this has to be one of the best line-ups when it comes to Techno acts. For more on the artists - http://localsdistrict.com/lineup/

DISTRICT Pre Party

The Locals fam is gathering on Sunday, 11th February at The Junction, New Delhi for the official pre-party with a top-notch  line up of Techno artists like Hoax, Segue, Reverse Osmosis and Mister. K himself. Apart from these dope local acts, they also have a surprise international act and we’re stoked to find out who! Event link - DISTRICT Pre Party

The DISTRICT way

Apart from the majestic venue, line-up, sound system & tight safety protocol, I wanted to know how this all happened. How a small, tight knit community who met every month just to dance and celebrate the Indian techno scene (without an entry fee) goes from those non-commercial core values to organizing & promoting one of the biggest Techno festivals in India and if at all that dilutes the essence of ‘Locals’.

Akriti Niti Guha speaks with Vijay Kumar (Mister.K) about the inception of DISTRICT, completing a year of the Locals community and taking this extraordinary concept to the masses.

[caption id="attachment_3791" align="alignnone" width="720"] Mister. K aka Vijay Kumar[/caption] Akriti from Loudest: Tell us about the inception and progression of Locals District from Locals (the secret techno forum) With so many festivals and big acts coming to India in the month of March, why now? Vijay: It all began on a small rooftop in Gurgaon where a bunch of friends decided to create a parallel scene to the typical Delhi nightlife scenario. This one was different, this one was purely about good vibes and great music. It slowly grew organically to what it is today. March marks our first anniversary and with all the love and support we have received from the community and artists, we decided to take this a notch higher and to turn it into a festival. The only proper techno music festival in India, again filling a major void in the country. Imagine one massive HOLI TECHNO PARTY inside a FORT, with all your favorite INDIAN ACTS together! That's why March. Yes, we may have a few international acts to bring the festival flavor but its always going to be about Locals Talent. Akriti: We've heard rumors you're bringing down 4-5 international acts down for the festival! If this is true, give us a hint or two? What does it take to bring down international acts to India? Vijay: International acts are not easy to book especially if it is your first event, and it's definitely a time taking process. We had multiple options though and have zeroed in a few names; Fingers crossed. As usual, we love surprises and in typical Locals style, we’ll reveal details closer to date. Akriti: Locals is known for its niche crowd, tight profiling and stellar gigs. Do you feel taking it to the masses, is a good or bad thing? Vijay: We’re taking it larger, but we are making every effort to still keep it niche and of course, it will remain STELLAR as always. The Production standards, the genre and quality of music and the artistic values at the festival will ensure we get the right crowd. We always have a strict no-nonsense policy at our gigs and that will remain constant at the festival to ensure that the festival runs smoothly and is fun for everybody as always. Akriti: Apart from the charm and ambiance of the Castle, a stellar line-up and 3 days of non-stop techno, what do you think is District's USP? Vijay: DISTRICT is so much more than the castle, the stellar lineup or nonstop techno. It's about so many beautiful people coming together to celebrate art and music; artist and fans. This will always be its strength, its soul. Akriti: We love the fact that ya’ll have kept accessibility of the venue in mind. With the festival being only 30 mins away from Jaipur city. What kind of facilities can one expect once they reach there? Vijay: DISTRICT is not a just any music festival. It's been designed to create an experience and memories for each person who comes there. Beginning with easy access, excellent stay and parking facilities, some of the finest FnB vendors, Top Quality Sound and Visuals and so much more! Akriti: With a mammoth line-up of some of India's leading and upcoming underground producers & Dj's, what is the budget allocated for artist bookings? Vijay: We can never put a price on Art. it's never enough! There is so much talent in India big and small and each one is priceless. The entire budget is already over 60 + and we feel even if break even, that’s a big feat since what we’re doing is bridging the gap and bringing Techno to that segment of people who are missing out on it.  Akriti: What is the impact & turnover that District aims to make with their first legit music festival? Vijay: There are Music Festivals, there are Techno festivals and then there is DISTRICT, a one of a kind festival in India. An ‘all techno festival’ at this scale does not exist in India and that's what we are trying to create! India is already on the map when it comes to festivals but with DISTRICT it will be on the Techno map! I think what sums it up rather eloquently, is what Vijay told me sometime back when I asked him about how they’ve managed to create and consistently maintain such an authentic party vibe without the mainstream channels of promotion, “Money has no power here, only the love for music does.” As a music enthusiast and someone who believes that good vibes & music is really all that counts, It gives me immense joy to see the Locals fam move on to bigger and better things. I’ve always stressed on the fact that the Locals team is one which is always on their toes to make sure EACH individual (regardless of their gender) is not just dancing the night away but feel safe doing so. It’s like being a part of something that goes beyond the usual norms of the techno scene.

That being said, Locals is a prime example of how community building is such an intergral part and that in itself can lead to more value creation for our Indian producers & Dj's and leads to the ripple effect of making a dent in the Indian independent music scene.

  For more info and tickets : www.localsdistrict.com http://www.foxity.in/ticket/Delhi-NCR/locals-district) https://insider.in/locals-district-mar2-4-2018/event)