Producer Profile Interview: Satya Hinduja

This profile is dedicated to introducing everyone to Satya Hinduja. From Mumbai, India, Hinduja is a music producer, DJ and composer who has traveled the world spinning some of Amsterdam’s hottest dance parties and scoring some of Bollywood’s most successful films. Her journey is inspiring and is rooted in a deep desire to make music in community and with purpose. Satya agreed to answer a few questions about her illustrious career for the Gender Amplified blog. Check it out!

What first sparked your interest in music production?

…The one thing that truly led me to becoming an independent producer was my desire to create my own world for myself and for my listeners. Being a woman in a male dominated Indian music industry always made me want to be free from depending on external people to convey my message. And that was my driving force to build my career as a music producer. An influential Indian meditation guru, Sri Chinmoy, once said, “Silence is the nest and music is the bird.” All I’ve always wanted to do is fly.

Describe the style of music you create.

…I am currently working on a collaboration with an artist friend. We are creating a new deep house sound, which revolves around 116 beats per minute, live instruments and little spurts of vocal elements.

Tell us a little about the first track you ever produced.

That’s a long shot….But I’m going to tell you about “Sunrise” my first dance music production [I made] while I was a student at Dubspot. The journey of “Sunrise” was an immersive one. When I create a track, I don’t pre-decide what direction the track is going to take me. I like for it to organically move to where it needs to…It takes it’s own time to develop and shape into a beautiful being of its own…

What types of gear and software do you use to produce?

I am not a gear junkie. I aspire to get to that stage where my studio is filled with only gear! But for now, I produce using Logic Pro, Native Instruments Maschine, Korg Volca Bass, iPad apps… love to experiment with a lot of found sounds, organic instruments, a sansula, singing bowls, and my voice that I record using my Zoom H4n Recorder and my Shure SM58.

Where are some of your favorite places to find and buy gear?

…My favorite places to go visit to play with toys are Turntable Lab in the Lower East Side and Guitar Center. And of course, I always get inspired by following my favorite producers and learning from what they use.

You have a great relationship with Dubspot, renowned DJ and music production school in NYC. Tell us a little bit about your experience being a part of this community.

Two words for Dubspot. Life Changing. When I walked into the premises of Dubspot in 2011, I just knew that this was home. The vibe, the energy, the warmth of the staff and the African masks that you will encounter when you walk in make a perfect world for deep rooted values and a connected force of creative education…Dan Giove, the founder has such a powerful vision for the school…Dubspot helped me bring my ideas to reality, and the teachers and students just make it so much more special.

You have an interesting visual aesthetic. Tell us a little bit about how your artist image and the way you wish to be portrayed speaks to your production.

…I have consciously chosen to have a visual aesthetic that has an air of mystery and depth. My visuals always have layers, angles, overlays, found objects and reflective surfaces to communicate the deep message of metaphysical principles of the universe…

You are one of few women who has scored music for Bollywood films. Tell us a bit about the most awesome Indian film project you’ve worked on.

…The most exciting project that I worked on was this film called Krrish, a Rakesh Roshan production. What had me most excited about that project was that my team and I flew out to Prague to record an entire 100-piece orchestra with voices, string sections, horn sections and the entire symphony. This is something that most Indian movies do not dive into at all because of budgets…Luckily the music directors, Salim and Sulaiman, saw the opportunity to—not just creatively but also musically—score a fantastical, larger than life, Hans Zimmer type film score.

You recently released the track “La Lune – Satya Hinduja Remix” on Windhorse Records. What inspired you to begin djing and remixing?

When I came to Dubspot, I had quit the film industry looking to dive deeper into a free form creative musical world. And honestly I had no idea that I would actually start DJing when I started studying. But when Dubspot started recognizing my art as a rising student, it made me think of stepping out of my “behind the scenes” producer role…

What are your ultimate goals for your career as a music producer?

My ultimate goal as a producer is to always be able to work on intention-based projects…Of course, I want to build a label and also support other artists…

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in music production? What is one piece of advice he/she should know?

The one piece of advice I would give any new producer is that we are living in the most fantastic era for electronic music production… But make sure you don’t follow a sound just to become famous…If you create with an energy of pure intention and a focusing on diving deeper to get better each time, you will carve out the beautiful sculpture of sound that is yours entirely and the world will know you for who you truly are. Keep listening. Be curious and make sure you know your tools so it will be easy for you to break them when its time to create!

Tell us where to find your music online.

beatport.com/artist/satya-hinduja/442339
soundcloud.com/satyahinduja
satyahinduja.com
twitter.com/satyahinduja
instagram.com/satune
facebook.com/satyahinduja