When Karan Kanchan isn’t busy cutting fruits with the last samurai in Japan, you’ll find him making music with your favourite artist.
“It was an accident,” says Karan Kanchan, talking about how stumbling upon a random YouTube recommendation of a song by Tiesto and Diplo in 2010, not only introduced him to the world of electronic music but also, “how these sounds were being made.” Cut to 2024, where Major Lazer and Diplo play a track made by Karan Kanchan at VH1 Supersonic in India. “It was a full circle moment for sure,” he says. While the news had him screaming in his hotel room, the moment was just one of the many feats the multi-hyphenate artist has achieved over the past year.
Karan Kanchan in Bollywood
From curating a gigantic set at Lollapalooza India with some of the nation’s most creative minds to marking his musical debut in Bollywood with the viral sensation ‘Ishq Nachaave’ from ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kaha’- the last few months have been big for Karan Kanchan. “I’m a big consumer of Bollywood music. So, to be able to work for music for films was a big deal for me. I got a chance to work with some of the bigger music composers like Vishal Shekhar and Pritam da. I never thought it would happen this way, but I’m glad,” the artist shares. Recently, his remake of ‘Zehnaseeb’ from 2014 romcom ‘Hasee Tho Phasee’ with Shekhar Ravjiani and Kasyap has also brought a new sound to the Bollywood hit. “It’s pretty exciting because the responsibility is also high when you’re recreating an old classic,” he said about the experience. While the producer’s steady ascent in the Bollywood music industry is noteworthy, the Karan Kanchan Experience was first forged in the Desi Hip Hop scene.
Karan Kanchan in the gullies
Having now amassed a cult following in the community, with a range of collaborative tracks featuring some of the most prominent names in the circuit; the producer’s advent in Desi Hip Hop began when the genre first gained prominence in India after the success of Gully Boy. “I got lucky because one of my first hip-hop songs was directly with Naezy,” he says. “At that time when ‘Mere Gully’ was popping right and then that’s how DIVINE got me on board or as a producer on Gully Gang. Working with DIVINE and all, I learned the process in the studio, it was the first time working with an artist in the studio,” he adds. The producer has come a long way since, now a go-to name for musicians in the industry.
Karan Kanchan and friends
This roster of collaborators the artist has built in the last 10 years is also referred to as Karan Kanchan and Friends. I ask him what led him in the collaborative direction, to which he says it happened quite harmoniously, “I realised that I can use these tools to help other artists get what they have in their mind. As a producer, I started enjoying the process of trying to achieve something an artist has in their mind and make it in a way sonically tangible. That was the idea.” But the process isn’t quite as perfect as the end product sounds, “as a producer you have to understand what they’re saying and what they really mean is two different things,” he notes. And yet, Karan Kanchan seems to have the magic formula for collaborative success down pat. “The main thing in collaboration is about giving away control,” he tells me, aptly referring to the famous Bruce Lee quote, “I have to be like water. To understand what they’re looking at and try to give my message as well. Tell them what they want to hear but at the same time keep my message also behind it.”
Karan Kanchan the performer
Producers often tend to get lost behind the console; another faceless name that one will spot featured on a track. Karan Kanchan on the other hand, is a full-blown performer – from DJ sets to curating lineups, when you watch him live you best be ready to party. “Once I’m on the stage I’m a different person, it’s not like me in the studio. It’s two different personalities honestly,” he shares. But with a music profile so versatile, from dubstep to DHH and Bollywood, what exactly can one expect from a Karan Kanchan set? “I’m the guy at your house party who knows how to mix, I know how to transition, I know how to make it flow and I know how to throw it back at sometimes,” he laughs. “I’m not the DJ who needs to take you on a journey, I’m not that guy. I’m just gonna play hits for you guys and I’m just gonna party with you guys,” he adds. As someone who just recently attended the Boiler Room curated by Karan Kanchan; I for one can attest. From the iconic Boiler Room set that featured the likes of Seedhe Maut, to a massive Lollapalooza performance to even performing in Dubai; the artist now takes the party to Japan.
Karan Kanchan in Japan
Karan Kanchan’s romance with Japan is a never-ending love story, launching himself as a J trap artist was just one part of it. “The first time I listened to Japanese classical music, I was really attracted to it, drawn towards it and then I started digging more and got to know about these bands like Wagaki band and baby metal and J-pop,” gushes the musician. “ I was very much drawn towards the Japanese culture in a way. Their art, their aesthetics, how minimal they are, even the architecture of the old temples; shrines and everything,” he adds. His love for Japan definitely isn’t to be taken lightly, as we surprisingly exchange a few pleasantries in Japanese. No wonder the musician regularly journeys to the country, delving deeper into Japanese culture and most importantly Japanese music. After all, his J trap tracks are some of the most special feathers in his hat. And what’s more? His Instagram stories are full of city pop songs that I’m guilty of adding to my playlist more than once.
The multi-genre producer’s versatility can be credited to his water-like mentality or maybe his 10 years of figuring out the industry; either way, he shows no sign of stopping. Instead, he puts it simply, “I just love making music, I love creating, I love the music and I love the process of it and I’m ready to explore more. Let’s see what all else we can do,” he smiles.
Hero and Feature images: Courtesy Karan Kanchan
Chirrag Guha
Lifestyle Writer
Part wild child and part philosopher with a veritable streak of whimsy, Chirrag is a lover of all things luxe. When he’s not home bartending, he’s possibly dabbling in his other passion; modeling. His daily activities include revisting his latest musical genre obsession and a whole lot of sitting by a window reading and writing, Americano in hand.
