Born and brought up on the outskirts of Delhi in India, Akarsh found a home in Atlanta when he first got involved in the underground music scene there and he knew from the very beginning he was destined to be more than just a party-goer.
Akarsh has established himself as a mainstay in Atlanta’s vibrant scene in a relatively short period of time whether it be making people move to his delectable dance floor selections having shared the stage with industry stalwarts like Traumer, Dyed Soundorom, Felipe Gordon, tINI, Dana Ruh, Liquid Earth, Chad Andrew, Be Svendsen, and more, or organizing unique party concepts under his Desires imprint with some of the most forward-thinking and cutting edge artists from around the world.
Inspired by the community built around house music, Akarsh prides himself on his sheer range of selections across the many genres of dance music with a focus on groove-forward productions as well as his boldness in taking risks.
EG caught up with Akarsh to learn more about his origins, his transition from Dehli to Atlanta, and much more.
EG: Hi Akarsh! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Akarsh: Hi! thanks for having me here. I’ve been well, busy, but well. I’m currently sitting in my small but cozy home studio, sipping on a coffee and brainstorming ideas for my next project.
EG: So, you were born in the outskirts of Delhi in India, right? When did you move to Atlanta? Was the move motivated by music?
Akarsh: That’s correct, I actually initially moved to Atlanta for college. I went to Georgia Tech, but whilst there ended up getting extremely embedded in the, then small, house music scene in Atlanta, which has only been growing and scaling new heights since, thanks to a lot of the groundwork that had already been laid by promoters and venues like the crew over at Alley Cat Music, Banshee, Sound Table and The Music Room (the last 2 unfortunately closed down during COVID).
EG: And now you’ve made quite a buzz in the Atlanta scene, having shared the stage with industry stalwarts like Traumer, Dyed Soundorom, tINI, and more in a short matter of time. What has your journey through the city ranks been like?
Akarsh: It’s been trying at times to say the least, but at the same time it’s been an extremely rewarding journey. I started off as a DJ but was soon able to meet a group of like-minded individuals, and my eventual business partner, who goes by False Peaks, that led me to start my own brand, Desires, which specializes in bringing people together to enjoy the dance music culture and connect with each other in more intimate and meaningful settings than just a big club. Finding unusual and interesting places to organize pop-up parties is something I like to do as a challenge (the latest spot being a bookstore-like art gallery) and through our short history of just under 3 years, we’ve been able to book and work with some of the more notorious house and minimal acts like Sweely, Felipe Gordon, Enzo Leep, Liquid Earth, and Dana Ruh, to name just a few.
I consider myself lucky to be in what I would say is one of the fastest-growing cities as far as electronic music is concerned, and that has led me to have the opportunity to connect with and learn from a lot of scene-setters of the industry as well as some house music royalty that have made Atlanta my home. Many touring DJs come to the city not expecting much, but you would be surprised how far advanced the house music culture is in here, and I feel satisfied to have played a role in that growth while earning the respect and admiration of the old guard as well.
EG: What were your first contacts with electronic dance music like? Do you remember what was it about them that caught your attention?
Akarsh: I think my first ever exposure to dance music was through my boss at an internship I did after high school back in Delhi (he’s part of a duo called Madota now).
I just really enjoyed the groove and it sort of put me in a trance-like state where I was without any worry and also able to focus on anything I wanted to do. Fast forward 6 years, and in 2022, I booked him for a Desires event in Atlanta. That was sort of a full-circle moment for me. Anyway, I digress, I think the first dance music event I ever went to was in an old shady warehouse, hosted by Alley Cat Music. None of my friends at the time had any interest in electronic music, so I decided to just go by myself and I had the time of my life there. It quickly became a regular occurrence as a form of escape from all the stress at school, and eventually, I started connecting with people in the scene and the rest is history.
“I feel satisfied to have played a role in that growth while earning the respect and admiration of the old guard as well.”
EG: And when did you make the transition to become a DJ and producer? In which ways does Atlanta seep into your music?
Akarsh: I think that transition happened for me roughly 5 years ago. I was doing an internship one summer and used to be really bored in the evenings. I had been going to some dance music events for a little bit and loved the music, so I decided to give DJing a shot.
I bought a tiny entry-level controller and started watching YouTube videos about mixing and practicing. Soon I found some friends who then took me under their wing and mentored me through the journey. I’ve been foraying into production over the past year, so you could say I’m still a newbie in that world, but I really enjoy it despite the steep learning curve and I’m finally getting to the point where I think I’ve got the hang of it and have sort of a process down.
Atlanta runs deep in my music. I was never really much into hip-hop or rap growing up, but being in one of the epicenter cities of hip-hop culture, that has sort of made its way into how I approach my DJ sets, often using old-school rap or an R&B acapella or vocals.
EG: What is your biggest dream here? In which ways would you like to leave a mark years from now?
Akarsh: Eventually I want to transform Desires into a vinyl label and a lifestyle brand. I have several unique ideas for it that I won’t get too much into detail about right now, but the goal is to make a lasting impact on our audience through the artists we bring.
I also want to grow the dance music scene in my hometown in India. Though it’s catching on, I think the culture there is still a few years behind and could use a little push.
Individually, as an artist, I want to incorporate some Indian classic musicality into dance music. India has seen some of the greatest musicians over the ages and it would only be appropriate if I paid homage to my origins and brought a feeling of the old-school Indian into dance music.
EG: Right now, social media seems to play a completely prominent role in the development of an artist’s career. What’s your stance on this? Is this bringing us closer than ever, or is it drawing our attention away from the actual music?
Akarsh: Not sure if this is a popular opinion but I really detest how closely linked social media and the growth of an artist’s career have become. I don’t like the fact that having to be relevant on social media has become almost more important than the core music for an artist to grow. I see so many people focusing more on generating needless content just to be on top of people’s minds rather than spending that time honing their musical or autistic skills. That’s just time taken away from getting better at what you do, in my opinion.
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Have you recently found any good movies, books, or albums you’d recommend?
Akarsh: I enjoy cooking a lot. Like a lot and I often host dinner parties. I’m also really into stand-up comedy and have been working on a short set for an open mic. TV-wise, I just finished watching ‘The Bear’, which I would highly recommend. The most recent book I read was ‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell, which I think is a must-read for anyone trying to tap into the power of their intuition.
“I also want to grow the dance music scene in my hometown in India. Though it’s catching on, I think the culture there is still a few years behind and could use a little push”
EG: What’s next for Akarsh? Where can your fans catch you next? What new milestones are you looking forward to in 2023?
Akarsh: I just got back from my first festival appearance at Deep Tropics. I’m taking some time off from gigging to focus more on my productions and finish some of the half-done projects in the pipeline. I think that’s really the goal for the rest of the year for me – finish the projects that I’ve started and hopefully get some of those released.
EG: Thank you for your time, Akarsh! We’re excited to see what’s in store for you. Take care!
Akarsh: Thank you EG, and have a good day!
Follow Akarsh: Soundcloud | Instagram
