Out of the Box
(Above left) Mohammed Abood aka DJ MoCity, Founder, Boxout.fm
Zacharie Rabehi; Sahej Bakshi aka Dualist Inquiry (Above left) Mohammed Abood aka DJ MoCity, Founder, Boxout.fmZacharie Rabehi; Sahej Bakshi aka Dualist Inquiry
Early this month, on a Friday night, a tiny miracle shook the usual Hauz Khas Village-Aurobindo Marg party crowd. London-based dance music DJ Romare was set to play at Auro Kitchen & Bar, Haus Khas, and everyone’s worst nightmare came true- there was no guest list. Still, enough people showed up at the dance party, held to launch online community radio Boxout.fm.
With old friends and scene favourites Mohammed Abood aka DJ MoCity and Sahej Bakshi aka Dualist Inquiry heralding the project, it is already gaining momentum with its roster of shows and interviews. “When I returned to India last year from Dubai, I realised that we needed a platform to listen to curated independent music from India and abroad,” says Abood, 30, curator of Boxout.fm, one of the founding members of Reggae Rajahs. The line-up comprises shows such as Minority Report, which brings to the airwaves hip hop, punk and grime from countries such as Pakistan, India and Korea; Light
Drinker which is all about that ambient sound; and techno DJ Kohra’s bi-weekly show Shapeless.
Getting Bakshi on board was a natural move for Abood, after all he managed the artist back in 2009. “When Mo discussed the project with me, I realised this was central how I want to contribute as an artist. Plus, my musical knowledge only grows with this,” says Bakshi, 30. With genre and language no bar, the community radio aims at representing one and all, and will turn into an app soon. “Apps such as Soundcloud are very important, I use it too but it takes a lot of enthusiasm to discover your kind of music. Lots of misses, few hits, and that’s where Boxout.fm comes in,” says Bakshi.
What sets Boxout.fm apart is the archive feature. “Once a show is aired, it will be archived. So if you’ve missed something or like something and want to listen to it again, the option exists,” says Abood. Apart from a burgeoning online presence, every Wednesday at Summerhouse Cafe in Aurobindo, a gig will take place as a part of Boxout Wednesdays. “We are going back to basics, bringing back the way Delhi partied earlier, and that’s why no guest lists,” says Abood.
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