With the electronic scene bursting to life across the country, women are not new to the console anymore. One of the few to have made some noise and stuck on the scene is Kini Rao. Doling out some upbeat, quirky and independent sounds, this DJ has quickly risen up the ranks in the ‘house’ and is now set to show Bengaluru, one of her favourite cities for it’s laid-back people, great food and weather, a good time this Friday at blueFROG.
It was in 2008, when the world was stewing up a storm about the first black president and the Olympics that Kini bought her first pair of decks, “And I haven’t looked back since,” she says. “My family isn’t musically oriented, but they’ve always been very encouraging,” says the musician who started out as a resident DJ at Poison Hyderabad and hit her meteoric rise to fame by headlining for popular acts like Dale Anderson & Anil Chawla, James Harcourt (Twisted Frequency) and Jody Wisternoff (Way Out West) amongst others. “It was when in Australia while pursuing my Masters of International Business degree that I decided to take on a musical career as well,” says the self-taught DJ, consequently taking to the decks across music festivals and gigs at Berlin, London and Copenhagen. “It was when I played at the Bar25 in Berlin, the year when it was closing down and all the people attending it were coming for a finale of an era,” she says about her proudest moment.
Known for her roguish techno and a mélange of sounds, Kini is always listening, learning. “I am influenced by sub genres of both house and techno and my sets are usually a combination of these sounds. With musical tastes evolving as you get deeper into the style of music you pursue, I love listening to new music all the time, and I guess for me, it’s as simple as playing what I love,” says the music producer who listens to a mix of 80s, funk, soul and jazz, making it difficult for her to pick out a favourite amongst the mountains of DJs and producers releasing their music every week. Currently the resident DJ and an artiste programmer at a club in Mumbai, ask her if it’s tricky to be a female DJ in India and she’s quick to retort, “No. In my opinion, skill set, dedication and imagination are qualities that are not gender based. So I believe everyone’s equal in that aspect.”
When it’s not all about the music, the bubbly lass has other talents up her sleeve. “I can do a Sirasana (headstand) pretty well, collect vintage lomo cameras and make a mean Bloody Mary while entertaining friends,” she grins, often spending her leisurely hours cooking, taking to yoga and moonlighting as bubbletheory on Instagram. “After this weekend mini tour, I’m looking forward to parking myself in my studio and experimenting with some new gear I’ve got my hands on. There’s also a few ideas and collaborations that I’ve been toying with,” says the spieler, as she gears up for the season ahead.
