Gaining recognition from top producers such as Diplo, Four Tet and Mark Ronson, the UK funky and bassline-driven DJ heads to Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru
DJ Champion will tour India this week. Photo: Courtesy of Mixtape
What do you do as a fellow DJ when some of the world’s ruling music producer-DJs drop your tunes in their sets? London-based DJ Champion aka Reiss Hanson says he’s seen electronic music frontrunners like Four Tet, Skream & Benga, Mark Ronson and Diplo infuse their sets with his U.K. funky and house tunes since 2009, but he’s still not used to it.
He says, “I never quite know what to do when it’s your own song on. It’s worse when everyone around you know it’s your song too!” Champion has been hard at work for more than a decade now, even earning slots to perform at festivals such as Glastonbury, Outlook and Field Day, spinning bassline-driven, rhythm-heavy tunes as heard on his debut EP Motherboard.
Champion now makes his way for a short, three-city India tour courtesy of Mumbai-based music management company Mixtape. There’s three sets in New Delhi (as part of Boxout Wednesdays) on August 7th, in Mumbai on August 9th and in Bengaluru on August 10th. His DJ peers such as Flava D and Preditah have both played in India and Champion says he’s excited to come down. He adds, “The idea of coming to India to play U.K. music is something I never really thought about before. Even more exciting because I have South Indian heritage so Iʼve always wanted to visit.”
Turns out Champion is one-fourth Indian, with family from the U.K. and Jamaica. The best example he can offer is an endearing one about food. He says not only does his family make dal and roti but for dishes, they use seasonings that other Jamaicans don’t. He’s keen to learn more about his family roots, but the agenda for now is to cook up beats that tear the roof off venues in India.
Watch DJ Champion’s Boiler Room set in London from 2015 below.
Mixtape presents DJ Champion India Tour 2019
August 7th – Summer House Café, New Delhi (Boxout Wednesdays w/Rohan, Stain, Shama Anwar)
August 9th – Khar Social, Mumbai (w/ JD from Gully Gang)
August 10th – Church Street Social, Bengaluru (w/ _RHL)
Event details here.
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