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Rocking the Buddha (Courtesy Express India.com )

Paris-based DJ Ravin brings in electronica into lounge for his new albums

Baisakhi Roy

Mumbai, November 4: YOU see wrath written all over the original Buddha
Bar artiste DJ Ravin. ``I'm appalled at the Buddha Bar fakes that are
doing the rounds,'' laments 48-year-old DJ Ravin referring to albums
such as Buudha Bar Sunset that's just been released in Europe. He
feels that lounge has taken a beating because there are too many
remixes of the original and people are confused about the real thing.

In the city as part of the Red Revelation, the teetotaler was at Red
Light at Kala Ghoda spinning tracks from his new album, Buddha Bar VII
and Siddhartha. Slated for worldwide release in February and September
next year respectively, these albums incorporate heavy electronica and
break away from traditional sounds. ``Besides, night clubs are getting
smaller and trendier, so the music has to be more buzzy but also has
to have a pervading sense of calm,'' says Ravin.

Ravin who is of Indian origin shifted base to Paris as a nine-year-old
to work in a music shop where he discovered one of the hottest
nightspots and his calling—The Buddha Bar. ``The ambience at the club
just set me off. I read a lot on Buddhism. My music is heavily
inspired by Buddhist sensibilities,'' says the pony-tailed DJ in his
heavy Parisian accent, who's experimenting with artistes like Nitin
Sawhney and Talveen Singh.

Ravin's also dying to jam with A R Rahman. Rahman has already
collaborated with another member of the Buddha Bar's clique, DJ Claude
Challe, for an album called Flying Carpet. ``I love his orchestration
in Taal, the music was so simple, the tabla beats were very
soothing,'' says Ravin who interestingly also loved the music track of
Ravi Chopra's weepy saga, Baghban.

The Paris-based DJ will play in Bangalore and Delhi in the coming
weeks. Any plans of a scoring for Bollywood? ``Why not? The music is
so varied in these films,'' he says flashing a wide-eyed smile. Lounge
meets Baghban? We'll wait for that one.