Blending genres and pushing boundaries

In 2011, Shahrukh Sheikh, who goes by the moniker of DJ Shahrukh created a remix of a song by legendary singer Abida Parveen, who had been one of his favourite artists since childhood.

Almost 8 years later, he has earned the chance to officially work with her.

The Sweden-based EDM producer has joined forces with the famed Sufi singer to collaborate on a series of remakes and originals, combining flavours from the East and the West to create a delightful fusion of genres.

In a chat with Instep, DJ Shahrukh reveals how the project came about and what it was like to work with one of the most accomplished artists in the industry.

Instep: You have been captivating listeners with your remixes since 2009 and have had notable success with some of your re-workings including your version of Abida Parveen’s ‘Ghoom Charakhra’. What inspired you to experiment with Pakistani Sufi music and EDM (electronic dance music)?

Shahrukh Sheikh (DJ Shahrukh): EDM is all about making those unique combinations that fit well together. When I started experimenting with remixes back in 2009, some of my more casual remixes were going viral, like the Veena Malik remix and the Imran Khan remix. Simultaneously I was also always brainstorming on more serious combinations in music.

HSY was doing a fashion show with the theme of a new Pakistan and commissioned me to handle the music. I took that as an opportunity to materialize my ideas that went perfectly in sync with the theme. I was finally doing what I liked, and being paid for it.

I did remixes of Quaid-e-Azam’s speech ‘The Creation’, along with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Halka Halka Suroor’, and Abida Parveen’s ‘Ghoom Charakra’, all of which had been inspirational for me when I was growing up. They went viral and got much appreciation by the underground community of EDM and house music listeners all over Pakistan.

Instep: What, in your opinion, makes this combination of Sufi music and EDM interesting?

SS: What makes this combination interesting is the element of trance – a deep meditative and spiritual state during which a person loses the sense of ‘self’ or ‘ego’. This state has been referred to, in many works of literature by poets and Sufi saints, as a state of being in ‘love’. One flows freely in the looping rhythms, like waves on a seashore, back and forth, till infinity. This element of trance is the binding force of this fusion, consistent in both the East and West, though the West is catching up with it now, whereas the East has always been in pursuit of trance as a higher level of consciousness.

Instep: How did the chance to collaborate with Abida Parveen come about?

SS: I moved to Sweden from Lahore six years ago and I was least expecting any inquiry from Pakistan for a project. One day I received a message from someone claiming to be a representative of Abida Parveen and they wanted to talk, but I didn’t reply thinking it’s fake or someone is trying to bully me into taking my ‘Ghoom Charakhra’ remix off YouTube. Because stuff like that had happened before.

The next day, I received another message that they liked my remix and wanted to work with me on an official project with them. I immediately replied and from then on we started discussing different ideas.

Instep: What has it been like working with Abida Parveen?

SS: To make a song is in itself a complicated process. A group of musicians together in a studio can have a tough time. On top of that we were literally worlds apart. Everything has been done digitally. I was working from my studio in Sweden, while they were recording vocals in Islamabad and sending me the files online. I would bounce an MP3 and send it back to them to get feedback on it. So we used the Internet and technology to a fairly high level to make sure this collaboration got through.

It is worth mentioning that Abida Parveen’s style is very different from what I produce. She is a very senior artist with a lifetime of experience, but her attitude towards this project has been immensely encouraging. I was very humbled by the respect and amazing work ethic shown by her whole team.

Instep: You have just released the song ‘Hori (Aj Piya)’. What can you tell us about it?

SS: It is a festive song, celebrating a reunion with the beloved. The original kalaam is by Hazrat Bedil, composed by Abida Parveen.

My take on this track flaunts a crisp bassline side-chained to a solid kick that I’ve shaped specially for high-fidelity car and home stereo systems. In the middle of the track, a DJ drop completely takes over the track, taking it into a different direction and then comes back to the mesmerising vocals. The track is 5 minutes and 30 seconds long. A good track to dance to at parties, or just enjoy while driving.

Instep: Why did you choose to remake this song?

SS: Abida ji shared with me a version of this song produced in a hard rock style that she hadn’t released. Then I heard an earlier recording of it from the ‘80s. It was obvious that in both versions the feel or essence of the song wasn’t being complimented by the music. The song was underrated and unheard of. Moreover, it fit well into a ‘4 to the floor’ beat, typical to electronic dance music. So we mutually decided to take this song as our first. It has been a good warm-up to get into the studio flow and ease the friction.

Instep: What are you planning to release next?

SS: We are planning our next release with a music video in May 2019. Not much can be said about it for now except that it will make you cry with joy and dance like thayya thayya.

Instep: Have you and Abida Parveen also worked on original material together? How soon will that be released?

SS: We are working on two original tracks. However it is still work-in-progress and not much can be revealed at this stage.

Instep: You have played your remix of ‘Ghoom Charakhra’ in various parts of Europe (like Prague, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Stockholm). How have people there responded to the song? What response does Pakistani Sufi and folk music generate in Europe?

SS: People have highly appreciated it. Many people don’t understand the lyrics, but when the drop comes in with the ‘Ghoom Charakra’ chant, it is visible that the listeners have calmly drifted into a trance state, which is the core essence of the track originally. I am glad that I was able to carry that essence into the remake. My proudest moment was when I played ‘Ghoom Charakra’ at the Stockholm Cultural Festival 2017, which was attended by over 5000 people.

There was a time when people would get surprised that someone from Pakistan had produced such a work of fusion in Sufi music and EDM. But now they get surprised when they find out that this is one of the only such works coming out of Pakistan. People expect more as hardly a few EDM producers are working to rekindle the flame our Sufi legends have left for us.

Instep: Are there any local or international musicians that you’d particularly like to collaborate with?

SS: Might come as a surprise, but I’d like to collaborate with Abrar ul Haq. He seems like a fun guy to work with.

Instep: Are you working on any other project(s) at the moment?

SS: Today’s digital world and the power of the Internet has made many things possible. My collaboration with Abida Parveen is the biggest example of it, and it has inspired me to develop a platform for artists/producers in Pakistan to be able to collaborate with artists/producers in Europe.

In this first-of-its-kind show, we will have one artist/producer from Spain, Germany, France, or Sweden, and one artist/producer from Pakistan to work together online, and produce ground-breaking work in music. It is also at a very early stage in the process and I will continue to publish updates as it develops.