DJ SOUNDAR

Music:

Member Since: 11/28/2006
Band Website: myspace.com/dravidiancrew
Band Members: DJ SOUNDAR:
Founder
Write & Composition,
Programming,
Vox,
Scratch,
Arrangement,
Turntablism.

J-KLUR: Bass, Guitar, Write & Composition, Flute.

DENSIO: Sitar

AMIR UDDIN: Sarangi

EMILY: Danse Bharat Natyam

YAEL LAMGLAIT: Snaps

NEOTEROISCREEN: Veejay

LISTEN TO MY NEW MIX-TAPE :

BIOGRAPHIE :

Dj Soundar is an East African Asian Tri-lingual artist, born in Djibouti (Africa) and bred in Pondichery (India). His father is Indian and his mother is half Egyptian / Somalian & Yemenite. When he was nine years old he starts playing the Mridangam (South Indian Classical Music percussion) aswell the Paraï & the Pambaï (South Indian Folk Music percussion). His wise mentality gives him confidence to practice Okinawa Martial Arts and Floor Gymnastic for 17 years.

As the first Asian Deejay / Producer and Asian Underground gig promoter in the French Hexagon, DJ Soundar is part of the new generation of DJs who mixes the subtle sounds of his cultural patrimony with those of the “Urban Beat”. His beginnings date back to 1993 when he starts lighting up dance floors all across Mumbai (Bombay), Goa, Chennai (Madras) and Pondichery with his “PSYCHEDELICTRANS” nights in India.

In 1996, in Europe the “London Calling” attracts him. The “Drum&Bass and Jungle” sounds act as a revelation thanks to the blending of his cultural influences and jungle rhythms. After a stop at NATION RECORDS in London where he meets Aki Nawaz, founder of the label and leader of the group FUN DA MENTAL, DJ Soundar accumulates the warm-ups. He has developed a savvy Break Beat and Drum&Bass fusion with a hint of South Indian folk music and Carnatic (South Indian Classical) music notes, differencing in this way from his cross channel peers who use Hindustani (North Indian Classical) sounds and Bhangra music. DJ Soundar will transport you to a place where millenary Indian traditions and modern Western technologies come together as one. The sensuality and authenticity of DJ Soundar’s mixes reflect his true cultural and artistic identity.

In 1999 his encounter with DJ Ganesh and Da Krishna lead him to the formation of DRAV’INDIANZ, a pure jungle oriented style, and a preselection at the “PRINTEMPS DE BOURGES” in 2002 in Paris (France).

After a racist attack in the Parisian metro in 2003, DJ Soundar is amputated of his left arm. He received phenomenal support from DR DAS, ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION, MIDIVAL PUNDITZ, FUN DA MENTAL, SWARAJ RECORDS, JUTTLA and all the crew at NATION RECORDS.

Dj Soundar unlike many artists puts in nothing but hard work. Due to his versatility as an artist, he continues fervently and passionately to produce music. He has become a role model for the urban asian community.

In 2004 he becomes the founder of the DRAVIDIAN CREW. He starts promoting ASIAN BEAT SCIENCE gigs with the help of Joanne aka Bastet boss of the TEKAWAY CONCEPT.

He is currently collaborating with several international artists as a remixer or as a additional producer for : DR DAS, MIDIVAL PUNDITZ, AIWA,THE VISIONARY UNDERGROUND...

Recently BBC Asian Network have played in several times Dj Soundar's tracks on Bobby Friction & Nihal's show on Radio 1 and he did two interviews on BBC Asian Network Friction's show on Radio 1. He participates on Eurovision Asian Dj Contest on BBC Radio 1 too. Nerm from BBC Asian Network have played numerous times Dj Soundar's tracks aswell on his Electro East Show.

Dj Soundar have just released with Da Krishna a compilation called "Asian Electronica" in March 2008 in France, this first opus with great artists of the Asian Underground scene such as Asian Dub Foundation, Uk Apache, Nitin Sawhney, Dr Das, Juttla, Visionary Underground... and also the French scene (Zami'X, Da Krishna, Dj Soundar), wanted to show the versatility of different electronic styles from Break Beat, Garage, Jungle and Drum & Bass. These styles are rich in culture, substance and meaning.

DJ Soundar plays artistically in several occasions next to a number of international artists such as : BADMARSH & SHRI and UK APACHE, KARSH KALE, JUTTLA (Eastern Pressure Records), DJ KUSHBOO (Swaraj Records), SONIC GURUS, BOLLYWOOD BRASS BAND, DUM DUM PROJECT, FUN DA MENTAL (Nation Records), U-CEF, DJ IYTAL (Trigger), PASCAL OF BOLLYWOOD, FREDERIC GALLIANO & THE AFRICAN DIVAS, IDIR, DIGITAL BLED, CHARGED, HARDKAUR, JOI, MUKTA, FFF, DJ ABDEL, DEMON, DIFFERENT DRUMMER, DEE NASTY, DR DAS, SPEX MC (Asian Dub Foundation),BOBBY FRICTION, ISRAEL VIBRATION, RANVIR @ UNIVERSAL TAAL PROJECT...

Then he invites and plays next to several artistes of the French scene as EKTO (Tekaway Concept), JEDY (Skyzophrene), DAIJA (Subculture), JAHBASS (Matozoides), LUCKY BUZZ (Santa Crew), FRED MATO (Matozoides), MC YOUTHMAN (Central Massiv), DJ AWAL (New Bled Vibration), DIK’XS (La ConspiraSon), SAZA (Tekaway Concept), ANAKYNE (Underpressure Records), OLIVIA LFX, MC WIZZL, RICO & ZAMI’X (Oxygen Records), THOMAS DI MATTEO, ARIEL WIZMAN, TERRY LAIRD, CHOUM, SECRET VIBES, 69 DB, INTERLOPE, LUKE, MASS HYSTERIA, AQME, LA PHAZE, ZENZILE, HILIGHT TRIBE ,BRAIN DAMAGE, KAOPHONIC TRIBU...

You can find DJ Soundar while spinning in the different dance floors at the LE NOUVEAU CASINO, BATOFAR, CABARET SAUVAGE, MCM CAFE, COFFEE INDIA, CAFE CHERI(E), GIBUS,LE TRABENDO, GLAZ’ART, CITHEA, OPA, PENICHE ALTERNAT, LE ZORBA, LE CANOTIER, LE CAVEAU DES ARTISTES, L’ABRACADABAR, L’ETAGE, LA JAVA, LE TRIPTYQUE, LE CABARET PIRATE, L’OLYMPIC CAFÉ, LE MANDALA RAY, STUDIO 287, LA POINTE LA FAYETTE, LA MEZZANINE DE L’ALCAZAR, LE SOMO, LA FLECHE D’OR, TRUC MUSH, BATEAU COMPAGNIE DU RUBAN BLEU, BISTROT DES ARTISTES, LE PAVILLON DU LAC / PARC des BUTTES-CHAUMONT, EMB, AUX PYRAMIDES (Port-Marly), LA TRAVERSE, STUDIO 26, BANANA CAFE, MAISON DES ARTS DE CRETEIL, LE CAFE MONTMARTRE, GRANDE HALLE DE LA VILLETTE, OPUS CAFE, PENICHE BOER 2, MAINS D’ŒUVRES, LE TRIANGLE CAFE, AMPHITHEÂTRE DE SCIENCES PO, POP CORNER, LA COUR DU MAROC, LE LECHE-VIN, LE GAST, LE KLUB, SALLE ABC, LE TRI POSTAL, DETONE BAR, LE KARAMBOLE, LE DIVAN DU MONDE, FESTIVAL LES GIBOULES, LE CAT@ BORDEAUX, LA FRENCH K-WA, INDIAN CONNECTION, O'SULLIVAN'S REBEL BAR etc….
Influences:

Sounds Like:
Record Label: ASURAN RECS
Type of Label: None