Sammy Virji On His India Debut: ‘I Want To Take UKG As Far As It Will Go’

When we meet Sammy Virji backstage on a sunny afternoon at Lollapalooza India, he’s understandably a little exhausted. He’s just stepped off a flight and is gearing up for the final show of his three-city India debut tour, which also saw the UKG torchbearer drop into Delhi and Goa. But the moment we ask him what it’s been like to bring his explosive U.K. garage sound all the way to India, there’s a glint in his eye, and an instant smile he can’t seem to wipe off.

“It’s my first time here, and it’s like, mental,” he tells Rolling Stone India. While the London-born, Witney-bred Virji has never visited India before, it’s a country that holds deeper familial roots. “My father’s from India, but he’s never been because he was born in Africa,” he explains. Accompanied on the tour by his father, Indian-origin composer, arranger and trombonist Fayyaz Virji, he’s excited to explore his heritage and sample “lots of good food” along the way. “This is both our first time here, and we are planning to go to where our family was originally from, our ancestral home in Gujarat. It’s just so nice coming out here, and seeing how different it all is.” 

He admits, though, that the pace of everyday life in India is a rush he’s still adjusting to. “Crossing the roads here requires a talent which I haven’t quite got hold of yet,” he laughs, recalling his recent Delhi stop. 

But by the time he steps onto the Perry’s x Keep Walking stage later that evening, he seems to be the one steering the chaos. His set is a caffeinated clash of synth stabs and basslines slamming against shuffling drum kicks, leaving thousands light on their feet. He knows how to work the room with undiluted joy, chopping up bits and pieces of everything from the Eighties-era “Pump Up the Jam” to Fred again.., PlaqueBoyMax and Skepta’s viral hit “Victory Lap,” to Radiohead’s iconic “Everything In Its Right Place,” then reloading them with his ricocheting rhythms. 

But that’s Virji, isn’t it? 

Part of a new vanguard of UKG producers taking the sound born in Nineties U.K. basements to the global stage, there’s been a series of defining moments that have led to Virji becoming one of the buzziest names in dance music today. 

His 16-track sophomore album Same Day Cleaning has been hailed as a landmark moment for the genre, featuring a stacked roster of collaborators including grime icons Skepta and Giggs, house heavyweight Chris Lake, and UKG pioneers MJ Cole and Tuff Jam. Drops like “If U Need It,” and “I Guess We’re Not The Same” have logged millions of streams, while clips of his DJ sets have popped off on TikTok and Instagram.  

Much of Virji’s ascent has also been fuelled by an early knack for navigating niche online communities before it became part of the mainstream playbook. Through forums like Lengoland (a bass music‑dedicated Facebook group where producers and fans shared mixes and memes), he tapped into a digital underground that helped his early bootleg edits blow up, eventually paving the way for his breakout success. 

“It’s weird, very weird,” he says, reflecting on all the attention he’s been getting lately. “It still hasn’t really got into my head. But it’s all happening, I guess.”

A particularly special moment in the high he’s currently riding has been working on “Cops & Robbers” with Skepta, his garage sensibilities playing off the rapper’s grime core. “Skepta is someone I used to listen to as a kid, and when I listen to our tune, I sometimes get a little kick. It’s kind of unbelievable to me.” 

Working with Fred Again.. on tracks like “Talk of the Town” and the more recent “Winny” has been equally life-altering. “It’s been really cool,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot from them. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”

Taking U.K. garage beyond borders to places like India wasn’t exactly part of any larger mission, but he’s curious to see it through. “I want to take UKG as far as it will go, really,” he says with a shrug. “I don’t think I set out to do that. I just think the sound has traveled, and I think it’s done it on its own. I’ve been a part of it, but, there’s so many other producers as well who have helped carry it in different parts of the world.” 

So does taking UKG out of its containment zones mean he has to tweak the sound to make it more globally appealing? “I do bear in mind that I might be playing to a wider crowd, but I try and make my sets accessible without compromising the authenticity of the sound,” he explains. “I like to mix in maybe a well-known dance sample before going into something with a more underground sort of beat; it kind of keeps listeners who aren’t familiar with the sound on their toes a little bit.”

For now, though, his main focus is to keep the sound honest, and keep it moving. “I’m working on lots of new music, and will hopefully release more on the clubby side as well. I can’t talk about it yet, but there’s lots of exciting things coming up.”