When the dance becomes a séance: Stephan Bodzin summons memory, music and emotion in Hyderabad
Few artistes in electronic music blur the line between rhythm and ritual quite as smoothly as Stephan Bodzin. His sets feel less like performances and more like experiences — sound turned into emotion, light into pulse. The German producer, known for his cinematic approach to techno, recently brought that intensity to A Night Where the Living and the Legends Dance Together at Quake Arena, Hyderabad, a performance that reimagined connection through sound and story. He sat down with Indulge to talk about honesty, evolution and the magic of shared energy.
Stephan Bodzin — The German techno maestro on emotion, memory and finding the human pulse within machines
You’ve been shaping electronic music for over two decades now. How did it all begin?
It started very early for me. I grew up around instruments and sound, and the studio felt like a playground. The first time I created a tone on a synth and felt emotion in it, I knew this was my path. There wasn’t a big turning point, more like a steady pull towards sound.
This was not your first time performing in India — does your preparation change each time?
Every time I return, I come with more awareness and respect for the energy here. I don’t change my preparation much, but I always leave space to react to the crowd. India has this deep emotional pulse that you can feel in every audience — it makes me want to stretch the set, to go deeper and stay open. The connection here has its own kind of intensity.
When you create, what comes first — melody, rhythm or mood?
It always begins with emotion. I start with a feeling, then let the sound take shape. Sometimes melody leads, sometimes rhythms, but it all grows from that emotional root. I don’t have a strict procedure — I explore, layer, remove and let the track reveal itself. Honesty is the foundation; everything else follows.
The recent event with Don Julio celebrated the Day of the Dead and the idea of remembrance through music. What about that idea spoke to you?
What drew me to this collaboration was the way Don Julio brings depth and desire together. It is a brand that feels unapologetically authentic, Mexican to its core yet modern and refined. The Day of the Dead is not just a ritual; it’s a celebration of life, memory and passion, and that same spirit runs through everything Don Julio does. For me, music has that same pull. It is emotional, it is sensory, it is alive. This event felt like the perfect intersection of all those things — heritage meeting heat, culture meeting style and an energy that lingers long after the night ends.
What inspires you beyond music?
Real life. Nature, movement, silence, people, architecture, travel — even stillness. Sometimes it’s a sunrise or a memory, sometimes just breathing and observing. Music expands when I step away from it and stay curious about the world.
Your favourite fan memory — from India or anywhere?
It’s hard to choose one, but India has given me some truly beautiful memories. I remember finishing a show and feeling the crowd stay fully present — just sharing the energy together. That kind of connection is powerful. Globally, the best memories have that similar feeling. It’s never about size or fame, but about shared emotion. When everyone in the room is inside the music, that is what I call magic.
You’ve achieved so much as a producer and performer. What’s next?
There’s always more to explore. I want to go deeper into live performance, new sound textures and collaborations that surprise me. Reinvention doesn’t come from chasing trends — it’s about evolving honestly and letting the music grow with life. As long as there’s curiosity, there’s something new to discover.