Artist Of The Month – Arjun Vagale (January 2014)
Arjun Vagale is one of India’s most coveted and technically proficient producer/DJ’s who have over time, been forming a part of an exclusive new breed of cutting-edge producers who are making a massive globe impact. As one of the country’s leading electronic music exports, he plays incessantly within India and is known to tour regularly in Europe, USA and Asia.
For Arjun, DJing however has never been about just mixing a few select tunes; instead its about understanding the needs of people and taking them to a special zone through sound. Through his unique track selection and skilful mixing ability, he has constantly raised the bar as a DJ and has set new standards within the electronic music circuit in India.
At the age of 16, he founded DJ FAC 3, a trio that played for a number of parties in Bangalore while the country was evolving to the global sound of electronic music. As a result, he earned his first residency in Bangalore, India. In 1998 he moved to New Delhi and the following year, he won the DMC World DJ Championship, Delhi, and was offered residency at one of the best clubs in town at that time. In 2000, he visited Calcutta, where he eventually took up residency at one of the city’s oldest clubs, Anticlock, which had a large and faithful following.
Arjun came into the limelight however, with Jalebee Cartel, a group of passionate and immensely talented individuals who together established what was to be India’s leading electronic music live act. Jalebee Cartel also went on to challenge the notion that dance music was a Western domain and they single-handedly put India on the global dance music map. As a group, they had many accolades to their credit and made a name for themselves at different music festivals all over the world which led them to be credited as, one of the finest exponents of electronic music to emerge from India.

Arjun Vagale (centre) with other members of Jalebee Cartel
As a solo artist, Vagale is known for his intense, driven and atmospheric techno sound. He has played alongside industry heavyweights such as Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Adam Bayer, Josh Wink, Apparat, Sasha, Fatboy Slim, and Nic Fanciulli, while his erstwhile live act, Jalebee Cartel, has shared headlining spots with The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy and Modeselektor. Technically sound, Arjun’s knowledge and use of technology in the booth is second to none, as he innovatively wields drum machines and samplers to create a raw, electrifying and radically twisted set.
Taking a calculated risk a few years ago to move away from his major main stage career, Arjun followed his love for the counterculture by turning towards a darker & more experimental musical terrain. Always inspired by the sounds coming out of Berlin, he started basing his summer tours out of the techno Mecca, and the intensity of his productions reflected this evolution.
In 2010, the release of “Kill the String” on ALiVE Recordings, propelled his production career to further heights. Releases on Fergie’s Excentric Muzik followed, as did strong support from the likes of Dubfire, Carl Cox, Karotte and Kaserdisco. His immense collaboration “She Said” on KD Music gained great notoriety online on Beatport and vinyl charts for over two months. Renowned producer/DJ Richie Hawtin gave it multiple plays around the globe, while Carl Cox licensed it for his 2012 “Space Ibiza” compilation. Soon after, Arjun’s releases gained even further appreciation which included the phenomenal hit “Terrakoz”, were acclaimed by DJ’s and clubbers alike with remix requests for Danny Tenaglia, Victor Calderone, Wally Lopez and the legend, John Digweed.
The versatility of his sound ensured that each of his 2013 releases stayed on the charts, while “Kempai” was licenced to Digweed’s “Live in Argentina” compilation. Now signed to labels of the likes of, SCI+TEC, Tronic, Octopus Recording, Suara, Herzblut, and Material Series, Arjun’s dynamic productions are played by Cox, Hawtin, Dubfire, Adam Bayer, Christian Smith, Stacey Pullen and Paco Osuna, all the way from Enter and DC 10 in Ibiza to Berghain in Berlin.
A man with a true passion for underground music, a sound he relentlessly plays, produces and promotes, it’s absolutely no surprise that Arjun has received numerous awards for his DJ-ing and production skills, and found his place at the top of the DJ Mag India poll in its year of inception.
Exuding flamboyance, Arjun has not just limited himself to production and DJ-ing in the sphere of electronic music and he also runs his record label, MakTub Music, where he indulges in his other passion: discovering and promoting fresh talent. Over the last 3 years, the imprint has become home to an impressive roster of artists. In addition, he also runs India’s premier electronic music school, The ILM Academy, and is the co-owner of UnMute Agency, which manages the finest underground talent in India.
Over the last 16 years, Arjun Vagale has come to the forefront for the quality and depth of his productions and DJ sets, while always staying true to his roots. Making the reason for his name being synonymous with quality music apparent. Whether it is packing in the dance-floor or producing yet another monster tune, Arjun’s total dedication to music is apparent in everything he does.
Adding to his already illustrious career, Arjun shall be playing at the mammoth BPM festival this month along with some of the dance music industries most eminent luminaries. Click here for the entire line-up.
Some of Arjun Vagale’s finest productions include:
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[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/109568600″ params=”color=b600ff&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/55405256″ params=”color=b600ff&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/113647706″ params=”color=b600ff&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
We wish Arjun the very best for his performance at the BPM festival and look forward to seeing him further his talents across the world & taking India to even further heights!