Upholding the ritual’s yet another man from the backdrop, who proclaims his everlasting devoutness to the underground music scene in our Under The Radar series. Our under the radar series strives to flash the spotlight at some such philanthropists from the music world that have generously lent us their blood and sweat for the pure fervor to music. Lets acknowledge the efforts of one such man who is the sole soul behind the success of sLick! Prateek Pandey.
- Give us an overview of what sLick! is?
sLick! Was formed around 5 1/2 years ago to essentially push underground House/techno in our Indian market, which was rife with commercial/edm sound predominantly.I started booking acts I personally wanted to hear, or my friends and me were fans of. It was never supposed to be a full time job for me like it is now.Over the years & with a lot of support from peers, djs, and mostly fans we have managed to book almost 90% of the acts I’ve always wanted to bring to India sLick! Also manages a small but hugely talented roster of Indian acts like SEQU3L, Diatonik, Priyanjana, MALFNKTION, Midland Sparks, Maulik & more and we also represent a bunch of acts non-exclusively throughout Asia/South East Asia.
- Where do u think you are now compared to where you started from?
I’m in a much happier place now (says with a laugh!). It’s been an uphill task trying to push the underground sound in our country but I’m very happy that the house and techno scene has exploded for the last couple of years. I always predicted this would happen but I couldn’t predict the growth at which it has risen. Any given weekend we have more underground acts touring than commercial ones & I can envision it growing more in the next couple of years once the tier 2 cities catch onto it. That’s our next target.
3.Tell us about your experiences with all the international acts that you have booked till date.
We’ve had mostly positive experiences with the international talent booked by us – whether it’s for our own shows or when we book them for festivals. Most of the international acts are keen to come and explore the Indian market & are absolutely blown away by how enthusiastic the Indian crowds are. Over the years some of the big names have become close peers&I’m happy to share a lot of special moments with people I’ve looked up to. Special mention here to 2 acts who supported us when we were in our nascent stages and came out to tour for us when we were very new – Guy J & Dubfire.
- Indian artists are going global these days, how long will it take for us to get established in the international markets?
As the focus shifts globally to Asian markets I don’t think it will take a lot of time for Indian acts to get established internationally. Indian djs are now taking up production more seriously which is essential when you have to go and play in a new market + more and more international booking agencies want their acts to come and play in India. So I see a lot of collaborative efforts happening in the near future. Arjun Vagale has firmly established himself internationally and we too have big plans next summer for our acts Diatonik, SEQU3L & Priyanjana.
- Tell us about your experience at the International Music Summit in Shanghai.
It was a LOT of fun! I’ve been wanting to visit China for a while and I love exploring a new country, a new culture and to see how the dance music scene is growing in these markets. China, like India, has serious potential to be one of the front-runners when it comes to dance music. IMS gave us a platform for us to connect with like-minded people in China & expect some sLick! Action there soon
- Where do you see yourself and your enterprise sLick! in the coming years?
We are constantly evolving with the sound that we bring to India. This year a lot of people were shocked when we booked an act like Maribou state or signed acts like MALFNKTION & Midland Sparks to our roster.Moving forward I wish to bring more boutique festival experiences to India & expand our flagship property A Day of sLick! to newer cities and countries. This year we are taking it to Goa for the first time with a 2-day edition on 26 and 27 December & it’s definitely the coolest lineup we’ve hosted ever.
Upcoming Events
Maribou State India Tour