After an impressive India Summer Tour beaming from cities like Chandigarh, Delhi, Kolkata, and Indore earlier this year, the hallowed DJ consoles and camera lenses of the Boiler Room made their way to Mumbai and Bengaluru on August 19 and 20, respectively. The Mumbai edition attracted over 2000 ravers to the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon and featured acts Spryk, DJ URI, Hyperaktivist, Watashi, and more! We at TFword were at the Mumbai gig, and here is a quick rundown of all that went down.
Seven acts plugged in unique soundscapes to the venue, giving attendees feet-tapping and headshaking dance tunes throughout the evening. The Boiler Room live feed screen was suspended in the background of the arena, and the deck was arranged in the center to enable performers to be swarmed by attendees. Angelic white and devilish red lights flashed throughout the concert as the sound reverberated all over the entire venue. The usual suspects of the Indian music festival scene, viz Budweiser, Impresario’s Salt Water Café and Social, and Armani Exchange, made their presence felt as food and beverage partners.
DJ Uri, a legend and pioneer of the Indian music scene, kicked things off and sounded the arriving attendees towards the DJ booth like an enigmatic bass-heavy pied piper. Next up was Mumbai-based artist Tejas Nair aka Spryk, who belted hair-raising sonic vibrations and earned a clamorous response from the crowds when he looped in a fast-paced mix of Jason Derulo’s ‘Whatcha Say.’ HÖR Berlin staple FKA.m4a received a warm welcome and quickly engulfed the room with rattling bass jabs and roaring hard dance rhythms. A set that captivated the room for over an hour, FKA.m4a concluded his performance with gentle melodic thrusts to the delighted horde.
In anticipation of the event, DJ and producer Yogesh Kumar under the moniker of Watashi, posted on social media, saying, “I’ll do my best to disrupt the usual proceedings,” and the Bangalore-based artist emphatically delivered. Watashi’s set steadily progressed from a dark electronica adventure to a smashing mélange of drum & bass and techno, resulting in a hardcore electro dance session. Sliding in next was Venezuelan-born and Berlin-bred DJ Hyperaktivist (Ana Laura Rincón), who left a mark at the concert, shelling out an energetic set featuring truckloads of fast techno, house, and bass, even getting a massive “Owah, Owah” response from the lively crowds during the set. Hyperaktivist is currently on a three-city India tour, culminating with a show in Goa, after which the artist will take a brief hiatus.
London-based multidisciplinary artist Manni Dee made his India debut at Boiler Room Mumbai to a deafening welcome and had the crowd completely dissolved in his speedy techno and bass production. Attendees at the venue were thrown into a wild frenzy when the artist edged in the popular Bollywood single ‘Dola Re Dola.’ Ahead of the show Manni Dee, shared via Instagram, “Can’t explain the feeling of anticipation & excitement I have. Thousands of people will be attending these shows, can’t wait to share my music with you all.” Last up was another mainstay of the Berlin techno scene, Wallis, who returned to the Boiler Room set up after nearly a year and concluded the event with a powerhouse of a session, even wheeling in DnB-fueled rendition of Coolio’s ‘Gangsta’s Paradise.’
For a night that witnessed spirited ravers dance and chorus to an EDM arrangement of My Chemical Romance’s ‘Welcome To The Black Parade,’ Boiler Room Mumbai has undoubtedly set the tone for this season’s music festivals to come in Mumbai and India.
Artists who performed at Boiler Room (Mumbai, August 2023): Wallis | Manni Dee | FKA.m4a | Hyperaktivist | DJ Uri | Watashi | Spryk
