There's a constant evolution in my music, says Gaurav Malaker

It’s been about seven years since Gaurav Malaker of BLOT! (An acronym for Basic Love of Things) has been doing a service to music aficionados with minimal techno. Starting at a time when probably no one was working on the genre in India,  Gaurav (along with Avinash Kumar who is now on a sabbatical) has been able to carve a niche for himself in the industry. Musically speaking, Gaurav is now in a place where he can play what he likes, whether its techno, electronica or dance music, and also has “fun” doing it. The 32-year-old passionate DJ, producer and composer is all set to be a part of Boiler Room x Budweiser ‘Discover What’s Brewing’, an online broadcaster, which is making its debut in Delhi tomorrow.

In kind of a personal chat, read what Gaurav has to say about his journey, why he feels he’s “just starting” and why he took up a career as a DJ in India, at a time when it was far more difficult to thrive in, than it is presently.

Edited excerpts:

How did your tryst with music begin?
I started playing when I was 15. Initially, I started playing in smaller clubs, weddings, birthday parties, and was paid around Rs 300 per show. I used to learn and improvise solely with the help of Internet and YouTube. As a backup, I pursued law while doing music side by side. It took me three years to save enough money to set up my own studio, and in 2010 started doing music full-time.

What did you play initially?
When I started, I used to play all kinds of music. For me, the genre hasn’t really mattered. I was simply fascinated by electronic music. I also did some hip-hop initially. Gradually, I ventured into electronic and techno.

What is music for you?
At the moment, it is a very important part of my life. Even as a listener, music does gratify you whenever you are listening to something you like. Imagine, how nice it must be to actually make something that you really like and also have other people appreciate it!

Tell us about your participation in Boiler Room…
Playing as part of the platform is almost like a dream come true because I didn’t think it would ever come to India. I’ll be performing with Grammy award winner Roger Sanchez, Josey Rebelle and Abhi Meer and I’m very excited about it.    

What would you title as the ‘life-changing’ aspect of your career?
Avinash and I were in Germany in 2010. We were unfamiliar with the language and were trying getting used to the culture. That night we had a gig and were nervous about it. But when I started playing, I realised that more than anything else, it’s the feeling of playing that I love and suddenly, nothing mattered at all. I realised how universal music is, and that was a very joyful moment of my life. It changed my perception about playing music and it motivated me to go ahead and do better. Given all of this, I would still say that I’m just starting.

It’s strange how after so many years of experience, you say you’re just starting. Why do you think this way?
(Laughs) Because every year I get bored of the old things that I’m doing and I start with something new. There’s a constant evolution in my music and I really enjoy it. That keeps me interested and motivated.  

Why did you take up DJing in India, a career in which it would be struggling to thrive in?
It’s simply because the love that I have for it. I didn’t think about all these things when I took the decision. I knew that I had to invest a lot before I started to earn. I also pursued law so that I had something to fall back on. But fortunately, things did work out for me.

What was the most struggling aspect of it all?
I don’t enjoy in places where there are many people. I’m quite reserved and this continues to be a struggle for me. I’m not able to show how much I’m enjoying playing music, in terms of energy. But I’ve become more confident now. Apart from that, I feel this is a very lonely job. You work throughout the week to play on the weekends, when everyone else is partying.

Has anything let you down?
Many. With artistic stuff, it’s a little more struggling because there’s no guarantee of a constant source of income, a salary, ever.

How do you experiment with music to surprise audience?
That’s also quite challenging… because every time, the idea in my head is going to be very different from the idea that I execute. I work 10 hours in a day and it does happen many times that I’m not able to produce something that I wanted.