About Me
Arjun Vagale is undoubtedly the most hardworking and prolific DJ in the Indian EDM scene. Having spent over a decade in an ongoing love affair with house music, he tirelessly promotes the genre in all ways possible, shuffling between a hectic DJ schedule, a super-successful live act, long studio sessions, running a promising record label, and moonlighting as a promoter.
His youthful aspirations to hit the big-time DJ circuit were kick-started by winning the 1999 DMC World DJ Championship, leading to a series of residencies in the best clubs across India. In a testament to his prominence in the scene, Arjun was appointed A&R/DJ Bookings Manager at the (now defunct) Ministry of Sound in New Delhi, where he brought down a number of premier international DJs. His instinct for knowing what’s hottest in the international music world can be heard on his radio shows, Deep Fried Jalebee on Frisky Radio and Maktub Music on Proton Radio.
With a back-to-back gig calendar, Arjun has racked up air-miles between France, Germany, Holland, Dubai, Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and every corner of India. He’s played alongside such heavyweights as Kasey Taylor, Judge Jules, Brandon Block, and Dousk. Clubs still resonate after his relentless techno sets!
In 2004, Arjun partnered with two close friends to form what would rapidly and unexpectedly become India’s hottest live act – Jalebee Cartel. With its genre-bending sets the band has generated the biggest buzz ever, being featured in MixMag, Rolling Stone, and Elle Magazine’s list of 100 Rising Stars. With a string of releases on labels like Baroque, Vapour, Mashtronic, Proton, System, and Platipus, Jalebee Cartel jumped right into the international arena, garnering support from the likes of Hernan Cattaneo, Moshic, Desyn Masiello, and even Tiesto. They have remixed artists like Neil Quigley, Avilo, Cbass & Mikobene, and Matt Rowan. The collective is probably the first Indian act to reach the Balance Record Pool Charts and DJ Magazine’s Hype Charts; their remix of Fitalic’s “No Way Out†was shortlisted for Nick Warren’s Global Underground Paris. 2009 saw the release of Jalebee’s critically-acclaimed debut album, ONEPOINTNOTHING.
Never one to play Top 10 tunes, Arjun’s always scouring for fresh underground tracks – the man never sleeps! This search lead naturally to his latest venture, founding and managing a young record label, Mak.Tub Music, with partner Logistic Soundz. The imprint already has an impressive roster of artists including Kosmas Epsilon, Bradler & Dualton, Ben Brown, Alter Breed, Chris Nemmo, George Delkos, and Alex Dolby, and has hit the coveted Beatport Top 100.
There’s good reason that Arjun Vagale’s name has become synonymous with high quality in the Indian EDM culture. Whether packing in the dance floor or producing yet another monster tune, Arjun’s absolute dedication to house music is apparent in everything he does.
in MixMag
