After a two-year hiatus, the eighth edition of the annual musical fete Magnetic Fields Festival started on Friday at Alsisar Mahal in Rajasthan. The three-day festival has a lineup of globally-renowned musicians, predominantly from the EDM genre. However, musicians from genres like ambient, dub, electro, garage, house, jazz, and techno are also participating in the event. Some of the most prominent musicians in the lineup this year include Anthony Naples, Batu, Ben UFO, Chloé Robinson, and Four Tet.
But apart from the international stars, Magnetic Fields is also hosting a number of homegrown talents. One of them is the Delhi-based electronic music producer FILM, who is unveiling his new musical project, Tyrell Dub Corp, at the festival this year. Speaking about his performance, the musician said, “My setlist consists of a lot of ambient/dub techno and dub-reggae tracks specially made for the live set, with a keen emphasis on improvising the mixes with sound effects heard in early sound-system culture records like that of Basic Channel, Jah Shaka, and King Tubby.”
Another performance to look out for is that of the Goa-based DJ and producer Kohra, who is playing a back-to-back set at the Resident Advisor showcase with Bangkok-based DJ and producer Sunju Hargun. The two musicians are known for their varied styles. But for this edition of the festival, they decided to shortlist music pieces that neither of them would play otherwise. “We started piecing together unique tracks with a restrained approach that would, hopefully, create an exciting aural experience for the audience,” Kohra told Indulge.
The festival is also known to give impetus to emerging talents. One such artist is Sijya, who is playing her debut live show at Magnetic Fields. A music composer and producer based out of New Delhi, Sijya is known to strike “a musical balance between the known and the outlier” with a blend of ambient, art-pop, and downtempo. Letting us in on her act at the event, the musician noted that her setlist includes extended versions of songs from her latest EP Young Hate, along with a couple of new tracks and one very new “sketch”. “The newer tracks have a different tone to that of the EP. So, I’m excited to see how they all work together. Overall my music is downtempo, minimal, and somewhat meditative. So, I think it will work well as the opening set for the festival – a bit of calm before the storm,” said Sijya.
Apart from the performances, the festival has also curated an array of music-related events for attendees. Highlights include Magnetic Words, which features Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sushmit Ghosh, a VR showcase by internationally-acclaimed festival MUTEK, interactive installations such as Cosmic Capsules, and much more.
₹12,500 upwards. December 9-11. At Alsisar Mahal, Rajasthan. Tickets available online
Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @MallikPrattusa