Play that funky music

Exactly one year after the Mad Decent Block Party, Islamabad warmed up to Electronic Dance Music (EDM) just as vigorously for Mountain Dew’s music and art festival, Solis.

The Rock Musicarium served as the venue for the entire day, which after the usual and somewhat tedious delays, started off in the evening and went on till the wee hours of the night, as the Capital danced its way through the beat-drops, immersing itself in the music.

Despite the pricey tickets, people flew in from the entire country, dancing to their fullest, relishing the diverging sounds of EDM that came from an exciting lineup, comprising DJs from quite literally all over the world. Electronic music has finally found its place in this part of the world, particularly Pakistan - where leading musicians have also turned to mixers - and platforms like Coke Studio, known to run by live-instruments, have opened up to the idea of electro as well.

Solis Music & Art Festival was testament to the fact that Pakistan is potentially becoming a safe market for hosting live electronic raves, international musicians, DJs and diverse music producers, who can now come and perform here as well. The upsurge of interest in club music, according to the organizer Shaz Hayat of Full Circle Agency (who has previously organized similar festivals in Toronto and Dubai), is slated to open more doors for much more prominent and globally-acclaimed artists to play in Pakistan. Solis, he admits, is a smaller platform, yet its reverie is heard far and wide.

Opened by budding DJ Maleo, who previously performed small-scale gigs only at educational institutes, remained slightly underwhelming throughout his set in his first big break, but then it was a start.

Turhan James flew down from Amsterdam, where he’s completing his final year of university as an exchange student, for his first show in Pakistan and truly stood out. Playing some of his original music, James revealed that he had wanted to pursue EDM since he was 12 years old.

“It was awesome; I wasn’t expecting it to be like that. I always had a negative viewpoint on anything that happens in Pakistan and then something like this comes along and it makes one realize that stuff like this can actually happen here now,” Turhan reflected on his experience, before adding how supportive Frieha Altaf, his mother, had been. “On my 18 birthday, she bought me my first mixer and she’s the one who brought me here from Amsterdam for a few hours only, and now, I’m very optimistic about the EDM scene in Pakistan. There are different mindsets and tastes in music in Pakistan, I know that Karachi likes a lot of chilled-out music generally, but as more people (DJs) come here, people will start adapting eventually.”

Next up was possibly the most entertaining display, French duo Victorien and Florent – who collectively form FDVM, preciously having played at Coachella and Tomorrowland Winter as well as at Salt Arts in Karachi, just days before. They managed to sway Islamabad with their uplifting house music. Punctual, they were present at the venue on time and speaking to Instep before performing, Victorien shared, “We’re very excited to see how it goes, and we have a lot of people coming to see us here from Karachi as well because they enjoyed the show (presented by Salt Arts). We usually go on-stage without expectations, but we’re happy to be here and hope to distribute as many smiles as we can.”

FDVM kept their promise, having done their homework and aware of how to pull Pakistani heartstrings, they begun by playing a rendition of Nazia Hasan’s iconic ‘Disco Deewanay’ that had the crowd at their beck and call. They continued by merging classic Western-pop tracks with their originals for a set that went on for about two-hours.

Canadian producer and DJ, Joe Ghost went by his forte, playing urban-style format, yet experimenting with progressive house and taking the open-air theatre by an actual storm with impressive build-ups, drops and continuous musical highs.

The second-last arrangement brought forth Canada’s Kris Kaiden, who pulled a Diplo by waving the Pakistani flag after his scorching numbers.

Closing Solis, the prodigal Spanish DJ Danny Avila, who has played at all major music festivals across the globe, took the stage and knew exactly how to mix sets, ranging from sub-genres like trap to drum and base, and across the entire electronic spectrum. Even though he’s known for constantly reinventing himself with every gig he takes up, with his first time in Pakistan, Avila chose to amalgamate some desi, South Asian tunes with his own as well and took the crowd by massive surprise.

Whilst the vibe and the atmosphere was apt, there was a long way to go in terms of organization and management. The artists were present but the concertgoers weren’t. It wasn’t the best situation. For a group like FDVM, who had to catch a flight later that evening for Karachi to perform at Lahooti Melo 2019 the next day, the delays were only thwarting. Moreover, like MDBP last year, there were cases of women being uncomfortable.

To be able to turn such festivals an annual reality, there is more structure, security and regulations required.

By the end of it all, as fireworks dazzled across the skyline, there was a lot that Solis signified and proved.

In the end though, the successful run of Solis including the turnout and the DJs who agreed to fly in – all points to a sign that there is a place for EDM in the mainstream and endless prospects. It also goes to show that there’s greater acceptability of newer, more authentic music that is superior to bubblegum-pop or easy-listening.