This is a copy of the interview originally published on


Gaurav Malhotra and his partner Vikas Goyalare the 21-year-old creators of Asian Vibrations, a station where - as they write in their profile - "the overused statement *east meets west* statement is very applicable." With artists like Talvin Singh, State of Bengal, and Sonorous Star, Asian Vibrations combines classical South Asian music (sitars, polyrhythms, modal scales) with modern drum-n-bass, techno, rock, hip-hop and jungle elements.

We spoke to Malhotra in New York City about his music, and the burgeoning South Asian music scene. Where do you get most of your music?

Malhotra: (laughs) No I’m kidding. I find out about it through friends, mostly. I go to Other Music, which is a record store here in New York. It’s great because I can just walk in and check out the albums. They also have a Web site that has practically everything. How did you first get turned on South Asian music?

Malhotra: Well, actually, it was in a Panasonic commercial I think it was for a CD burner that used this Talvin Singh song. It was the first time I had ever heard the genre. I found the song, which was on a compilation, and looked at the other names and other labels. What was the song?
Malhotra: Jaan. First song on his Anokha record. We have it in the stream, too. What are your different roles, you and Vik?

Malhotra: He’s a budding DJ, and I’m the Web site programmer. We both pick out the music. He just recently started getting into vinyl so he can start playing that. Cool. So is he going to do some mixes on the station?

Malhotra: (laughs) Wait a couple of months. He’s not ready for THAT yet! He plays the tabla, too, and we’re trying to figure out what he can do with that. How’d you guys meet?

Malhotra: I’ve known him for four years. He’s a good friend - we went to the same high school. He’s now attending Harvard. I’m at SUNY-Binghamton. We’re both trying to get into medical school. (laughs) Cool. Is there a pretty big South Asian music scene in New York?

Malhotra: Yeah, it’s cool because we’re close to New York City, and there are a lot of events around here. There’s one crew called the Mutiny Crew that throws these parties that have a lot of South Asian artists. There’s another one in San Francisco called the Azad Crew. But South Asian music is big in England, too. Talvin Singh is running still running a club there, and he’s gotten huge. Are most of the artists that you know of South Asian descent themselves?

Malhotra: Bill Laswell is dabbling in South Asian music. He put out an album called Lo-Def Pressure that’s got a lot of South Asian influences. He also collaborated with Talvin Singh. There’s a group called Dum Dum Project who put out a new album called Desi Vibes; they’re not South Asian at all. Another one, Recycler, they’re two French guys! It’s like - with most of these musicians - it’s what you‘ve been influenced with. A lot of non-south Asians are putting out this kind of music because it’s what they’ve grown up with.

Relevant Links:

Mutiny Crew
Asian Vibrations
Other Music


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