Adil Hasan: I first watched you perform in 2012 at CounterCulture Bangalore, an eclectic venue in an industrial setting. It was liberating to see you spin sounds out of a controller and a laptop. There was eastern music and spoken tracks combined with spaced-out electronica, jazz and rock. What does it mean to be an electronic musician?
Prashanth Pallemoni: Thank you, Adil. That was my first performance of a kind, an attempt to break out of the usual norm as a DJ. I believe in whatever you do [DJ, producer or electronic musician], the key is acquiring proficiency.The message that your work is sending out is important, and the reason why you’re doing it matters. Being able to start and not give up till you get to where you want to be as an artist is important.The meaning of being an electronic musician is in this process. It is a journey– learning and growing both personally and professionally.
How have you evolved as a DJ across your career? Tell us what it was like in the beginning and how do you think the times and tools have changed.
It started out as a hobby. I hung out with other DJ friends who had a residency in a pub back then. It was a welcome break after a software job, it helps me relax.I’m lucky to come from a music-loving family and I have kept myself updated with music all my life. During the pre-internet era, it was a difficult task to collect dance music. The partying and nightclub culture in Hyderabad wasn’t as evolved or as savvy as the other cosmopolitan cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore). Club equipment was very basic in the beginning.
With the internet came awareness and we saw the growth of dance floors in the city. But along with it also came a lot of politics and clashes between the club owners.I was in Manchester (UK) for a sound engineering course and that was when the real exposure and my growth as an artist started. On one hand, legendary record shops were closing down due to the slump in the music industry because of the emergence of digital formats (the great mp3). Top studios were shutting down, taking away studio jobs. On the other hand, many iconic DJs were still performing in top clubs. It was an exciting and confusing time to witness.
It was the beginning of the prevalent situation of today, where it’s easy to produce music on the laptop but difficult to find ways to grow as a DJ.
It’s interesting you made the switch from engineering to DJing. Does your tech background help with all the work that goes into music production?
It was 9/11 that changed my “normal” career into a temporary earning through DJing. It turned my attention from software engineering towards sound engineering. DJing was only meant to pay my bills due to a lay-off from a job at the time. Today, this would be a dream situation for most DJs.I was also making about the same money as my salary so I considered doing this professionally. The evolution, growth and acceptance (because I always thought this was temporary) took time but the change was sudden. Yes, engineering definitely gave me the knowledge to come up with tweaking basic code, troubleshooting and being geeky with computers.
Can you tell us about the musicians and DJs who are your inspiration and your influences?
There are many but the most influential musicians are Trilok Gurtu, Talvin Singh, State of Bengal and Kraftwerk.DJs include Osunlade, Joe Claussell and Henrik Schwarz. All of them have done something unique in their own way. They’re known to have a signature sound. By far, the biggest influence has been Sam Zaman (State of Bengal). I was fortunate to have known him. He really helped me break some creative barriers. Most of my sound and inspiration for ideas come from what he taught me. Sadly, he is no more.
What are the struggles you have faced as a DJ and musician?
Two of the biggest problems in India have been to get people to listen to African music and getting paid on time. This struggle is not mine alone. I don’t think DJs are recognised as artists in this country.By and large the powers that be still feel we’re scapegoats for making some side money when they need it. Sometimes we’re looked at as entertainment for profit made from alcohol sales. Shaping and finding your own style is an internal artistic struggle which is personal. Most of us do have a following and are famous for our work. We’re making a living thanks to our friends and fans, but we can’t ignore the issues we face about DJ/Producers getting lawful recognition.When it comes to my rights as an artist in this country, I feel butt naked. We’re all just covering our own backsides and going from one temporary solution to the next.
We hear about the challenges artists face in a post-Covid world. As a senior, what survival guide can you offer fellow musicians?
Musicians have been in a crisis even before COVID happened. If they didn’t face any crisis previously, then there would be a way to survive COVID without much trouble. I am sure there are lots of artists who still have pending payments due from a few months back. Right now, every kind of musician is facing serious trouble. We need to stick together and help each other out in every way possible. I’m not sure how and when we’ll be back to playing shows again. But it doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon.It seems even harder for the poorer artists living in small confined spaces just to survive on a day-to-day basis. Staying positive in such a situation is very important. Not allowing negative thoughts to get the better of you. If there’s an opportunity for a temporary alternative source of income, definitely take it up. Any artist capable of helping another in need should make the effort during these times.
In 2010 you collaborated with a German Cello player, Ando Otto. More recently, you have re-mixed the Carnatic vocalist Visalakshi. What are the interesting opportunities that collaborations present to electronic musicians?
Most of my music is collaborations with other artists. The last one was with NY based Arabic vocalist Ibtisam. It was a success in the global dance music scene. I’m always on the lookout for musicians I can work with. I haven’t dug too deep for music during the COVID period. My focus has been to produce music and get better at it. One of my favourite artists, Henrik Schwarz dropped an EP called ‘come together’. I’m really digging this at the moment.
Are you working on new music these days?
I’m working on the music I recorded in Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia on my last trip. I want to try and do something new and different. Hopefully, I’ll succeed! At my core, I’m a big jazz head. I love complexity and serious polyrhythms. I’m heavily influenced by Carnatic, Hindustani, African, Latin and Brazilian music. But on the dance floor it has to be a bit more simple. So I try to play between complex music with a lot of solos to simple grooves and melodies. I prefer creating a story combined with clever synthesis tricks. Keeping the right balance between complexity and simplicity.
How did your artist persona “Unnayanaa” come about as a concept?
“Unnayanaa” means to elevate oneself/one’s soul. I wanted this to be experienced through music. It started as a party I used to do in this cool “arty” place called pMatka, in Hyderabad. It had a very cozy, ethnic interior fused with beer labels from around the world painted on the walls. It reminded me of the bars I visited back then in Manchester, in the Northern Quarter. Those who came to the 2008-2010 parties still reminisce about it. Friends turned into a family of 100-150 people that came together for the sake of music. “Unnayanaa” to me, will always be that party, even though it’s my artist name today.
I’m happy to take this concept anywhere possible. I also started doing a monthly radio show on boxout.fm since May 2020.
Prashanth Pallemoni’s music can be heard on Soundcloud:
unnayanaa’s stream on SoundCloud – Hear the world’s soundssoundcloud.com › unnayanaa