DJ-Producer Lush Lata Heads to CTM Festival 2023 in Germany

New Delhi DJ-producer Lush Lata will head out to the acclaimed CTM Festival in Berlin this February, performing at the Panorama Bar, Berghain as part of the 17-day event.

Lush Lata will also be hosting a DJ Workshop titled – Introduction to the Art of DJing – at Morphine Raum at the 24th edition of the festival, as part of a program titled “We Found Our Own Reality.” The DJ, who is a member of femme collective Coven Code, will also be in conversation with producer and songwriter Nabihah Iqbal about “feminist perspectives in India’s nightlife and music scenes,” according to a press release.

The artist says the invitation came in an email out of the blue. “I had no idea about they were even considering me for the line-up and it was a total surprise to me when I received the email,” she adds.

Lush Lata is the first Indian woman to perform at Panorama Bar. Previous Indian connections to CTM include Mumbai producer-singer Noni-Mouse being part of the MusicMaker’s Hacklab residency on the sidelines in 2020. In 2013, acid-house pioneer Charanjit Singh performed at the Panorama Bar as well as part of the festival.

The artist says that she’s curating a set that showcases Indian and South Asian music producers and balancing it with global sounds. She adds, “It’s going to be an ecstatic fusion of multiple genres and styles from all over. Genre isn’t a limiter and neither are borders. There are definitely some Indian electronic acts that I am really looking forward to including in my set as our musical landscape is really exploding right now and so much of great music is coming from India!”

Lush Lata has performed in the U.K. a handful of times, including Dialled Inn festival in the U.K. and Celtronic Festival in Derry. She believes that “having a niche or something associated with a DJ helps in getting a DJ spotted.” A strong work ethic alongside marketing, stage presence and branding are all among the things she counts as helpful in securing the attention of international festivals. “By statistics though, it’s clear to see that more international DJs are invited to perform in India in ratio to how many Indian DJs are getting booked overseas but hopefully, that’s going to change now,” she says. The artist agrees that presently, international promoters are “definitely looking for an Indian sound.”

Following her set at CTM Festival, there are “potential new collaborations” coming up and the compilation Lush Lata Selects, which will release via Boxout.fm, as a follow-up to their 2021 album Suchi Selects.