Remixing RD Burman has got to take some serious guts. But DJ Suketu, Bollywood’s top remix man, sees things a little differently. A decade after his first album 440 Volts released, his latest offering titled quite aptly RD Burman Reinvented, will hit music stores on September 12. Suketu, who was in Chennai over the weekend for a gig, stopped for a chat with City Express. He reveals, “I chose all RD Burman songs because his music was always ahead of its time. His work was always so different from everyone else’s.” So the idea was to take his songs and do something new with them, bring in current genres. And with artistes like Bhangra singer Sukhbir, Jodha Akbar playback star Javed Ali and VJ-songstress Sophie Choudry, one can only imagine the electric vocal flavours that will rev up Burman’s original compositions.
Suketu doesn’t give away too many spoilers ahead of the album’s release, but he is excited about one song in particular — Aise Na Mujhe Tum Dekho — that has a dubstep remix. “I’ve never done anything like it,” Suketu admits, “So I’m pretty excited.” No doubt, this will be a stark contrast from Kishore Kumar’s version in the 1977 film Darling Darling.
Whether Burman would approve, we’re not quite sure, but Chennai sure did. “I was really excited the other night because it was the first time that I got to play my songs from the new album at a club,” the DJ admits, post his gig at Havana, Raintree Hotels. He goes on, “And what I found was that party goers here (Chennai) responded even louder to Bollywood music than those in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.” Who would have figured? Or maybe, it was just the Suketu effect. But would this Mumbai-based spin master ever consider doing a Kollywood remix? “Oh absolutely,” he responds without hesitation. “Also, I’m a huge Rahman fan, even though I don’t understand the lyrics of his songs.” He continues with a smile, “It would definitely be a dream to run into him some day and may be even get a peep into his studio.”
As for what lies ahead, Suketu already has several projects charted out for the year. “I just finished a Punjabi gaana remix for a UK-Punjabi artiste,” he states. It’s called High Heels and it should be out online by the end of next week. Then there are the remixes for the soundtrack of Race 2, that are slated to begin in October. With all the international collaborations, music projects, gigs and deadlines, one has to wonder what the DJ unwinds to, if not music all over again? “I jog,” he responds simply. Then adds for emphasis, “Without any headphones.” Wind, honking horns and ocean waves, he tells us are his perfect soundscape for relaxation. A DJ who thrives on nightlife and likes early mornings. That’s probably a first.
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