Gravero Looks Back at Opening for Alan Walker in Kolkata

In September this year, producer Gravero aka Sourav Ray got to open Norwegian EDM star Alan Walker in Kolkata. It came on the back of doing an official remix of Walker’s track “Who I Am,” but playing on stage for an international EDM artist’s audience is a whole different ball game.

Gravero says in an email interview, “It did seem like everything was leading up to that moment.” Known at first for his mashups and lo-fi remixes of songs across genres and geographies, Gravero recalls that the “Who I Am” remix boosted his confidence and opened up new opportunities. Once on stage playing to thousands in Kolkata, Gravero says, “I felt like I belonged there and that moment brought back the reasons I began this journey in the first place.” Off stage, the artist’s head of strategy Mariya Jamal says, “Association with global names helps us leverage through marketing opportunities that are pinned to happen before and after the show.”

Starting out as a bedroom producer at the age of 16, Gravero took the unofficial lo-fi flip movement to new levels in India alongside peers like Vibie. It worked so well via social media that soon, Gravero was being commissioned to officially remix songs by major labels. Inspired by EDM artists like Martin Garrix as well as singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin alike, Gravero had a breakout song with “Kitaab,” made with producer Happy Pills and singer-songwriter Dikshant in 2022.

Out at the Kolkata show, Gravero says he was surprised beyond measure when he dropped “Kitaab” during his set and saw people singing along. “Hearing those voices echo back at me gave me goosebumps, it was the ultimate experience. In that instant, I felt like this is what I’m living for, this is my destiny. Those 60 minutes didn’t feel like I was just warming up the stage for Alan Walker. It felt like the audience was mine too, and that connection is something I’ll carry with me forever.”

The gig also meant Gravero ticked an important milestone – playing as part of the long-running dance music festival Sunburn’s Arena shows. Coupled with releasing the “Who I Am” remix, the artist also points out to collaborations with “artists I’ve admired for years” and viral mashups as a memorable part of the year gone by. “What I’m still working towards, though, is making my originals as recognizable and celebrated as my mashups and remixes. It’s a journey, and while I’ve made progress, the hunger to bridge that gap keeps pushing me,” he adds.

On Nov. 27, Gravero also went on to share the lineup billing with electronic/pop artist Ritviz at an experiential event Valorant Bunker hosted by Riot Games for their title Valorant. It gave the artist a chance not only to double down on his love for the video game, but also drop multiple versions of his favorite songs from Valorant, premiering them at the gig.

Slowly and steadily, Gravero has moved beyond the lo-fi tag, even though he acknowledges that that sonic approach “made” him. “It gave me a way to channel my emotions, and it helped me recover during some of the toughest moments in my life […] But somewhere along the way, I feel like I overdid it. When I should’ve been focusing more on originals, I kept turning to remixes and lo-fi. While those projects brought me recognition, my originals got overshadowed,” he says.

As he turns to different approaches and releases songs like “Raabta,” Gravero says he’s bracing for a dip in social media engagement. “I’m ready to face that. I believe every setback is just setting the stage for a bigger comeback, and I’m determined to prove that with my upcoming originals,” he adds.

His next track is called “Anjaana” with producer Nvke and singer-songwriter Vasu Kainth. It was originally pitched for a movie but didn’t make the final cut, prompting the artists to put it out on Gravero’s own label, VeroPop India after a wait since July 2023.