J-Trap is Karan Kanchan’s strength. , photo credit: special arrangement
When music As career options are still debated in Indian households, what does the son of an Indian computer engineer say to take it up – that too trap music – full-time? “Curiosity and passion,” says 25-year-old Karan Kanchan. “I wanted to be a DJ when I found out that all his music is possible with just a laptop,” says the well-known multi-genre and trap music producer from Mumbai, India, in a Zoom video interview.
Trap music, once intrinsic to the drug culture, has evolved into a sub-genre of EDM, assures Karan. “This kind of trap goes with the vocals and the rappers are all about drugs. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke… With the new generation, trap music has evolved into new sounds and new words. Trap music is heavy bass and heavy drums and what I do is based on an electronic music background.
production line
Karan considers himself fortunate to have had early access to a laptop and the internet at home and discovered software that helped him create music. “Slowly and steadily, I got into producing music more than performing. I’m going with the flow and looking forward to learning new things and gaining a new skill in music production.
Karan’s notable productions include some of the top names in the industry. He recently composed the music for Royal Challengers Bangalore’s anthem ‘Naya Sher’ starring rapper Divine and Virat Kohli along with Jonita Gandhi.
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step at a time
Earlier this year, his remix version of ‘Baazigar’ with Divine, which also featured American rapper Armani White, garnered nearly seven million views and nearly a million reels were created on Instagram.
He composed the music for Red Bull’s International IP – 64 Bars and collaborated with artists like Sikandar Kahlon, MC Altaf and Rawal for the same.
In 2022, Karan collaborated with actor-singer Shruti Haasan to produce his second single ‘She’s a Hero’ for women around the world. The song also features rapper MC Altaf. After ‘Edge’, ‘She’s a Hero’ established Shruti as a versatile artist, a name to reckon with in the pop music genre.
“I like to understand what an artist is looking for and try to bring that vision to the end product,” says Karan. “They (artists) are very careful about who they allow at their place while working on their music. As a producer, or as someone who works with them, you have to let them be there. You can’t go in and say, ‘this is the song you should sing’, we listen to them and give an honest opinion. It is important to be well versed with your equipment. ,
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japanese way
Karan is inspired by Japanese pop culture and has incorporated the sound of wagaki into his music. It’s not Japanese anime or cartoons but music he saw on YouTube that inspired him, he says. “I was curious about Japan as a country, having been a fan of their architecture and we know that it is an advanced country when it comes to technology, and their culture attracted me,” says Karan which follows the popular eight-member Vagakki band. And his fascination with Japanese classical instruments like the shakuhachi and shamisen inspired him to adopt those sounds. “The band blends their traditional instrumentation with rock instruments such as guitars and drums. I try to take some influence from that and combine it with my rap music, which I started in 2017.
Karan’s magnum animation video ‘Monogatari’ in 2020 where he also composed the music reflects his love for all things Japanese. “My dream is to visit Japan someday,” he says.
divine intervention
During his early days as a musician, when Karan was trying to approach labels and companies, he says that no one believed that his Japanese-influenced rock and trap music had any potential in India. Is. Karan then met rapper Divine, which marked a turning point in his music career. “Divine was one of the first people to see the producing part of my music. He had a vision for me; he helped me discover what I was capable of as a producer and empowered me I was one of the first artists to be signed by his label Gully Gang Entertainment Limited.
Strongly connected to the music producer community in India, Karan seeks to strengthen his base to support new talent. “I started my journey with no knowledge about the industry. I want to bridge that gap,” he says.