After working with an international label, an indigenous label, and a Mumbai-based artist management agency, Pune-based electronic act — the Moon Roots Project — decided to take the DIY way recently. Self-releasing their fourth EP Esin earlier this year and also recruiting a close friend as manager, the techno beatmakers have had things only looking up since.
The synergy can mainly be attributed to the fact that the duo, Fatema and Hannan (Hakim), also happen to be siblings. With about a six-year difference between the two, Hannan seemingly has a more self-aware and solemn approach to things and Fatema is a more vivacious spirit. But working together has only made them consistently put in their best in their favoured genres of deep house, techno and trance.
The Hakims’ fascination with playing after-hour sets with darker soundscapes fortuitously reinforces their moniker even though the usage of ‘Moon’ is also a homage to their sound engineer friend, Monaal Aron, who taught them the ropes of electronic music. With a studio inside Hannan’s house, Fatema regularly makes the trip from their folks’ residence for jam sessions that include a broader sonic range of trip-hop, hip-hop and even old school rock.
The Hakim siblings will be spinning at High Spirits tonight, October 12, as part of the venue’s weekly ‘The Local Scene’ gigs that showcase city-based talent. We spoke to the duo about their debut performance at the popular spot. Excerpts:
What kind of a set can we expect tonight?
Usually, we play tech house music and techno. These are the broad genres that we work with and of course, there are a lot of sub categories inside it. It depends on where we’re playing, what time we’re playing. However, with High Spirits since it’s our first time we’re not really sure exactly where we would go because the crowd is not what we’re used to. We’re used to a harder crowd, so maybe something more melodic, I guess. We’re looking at Nu disco, tech house and tribal genres.
Can you tell us about your affinity towards late-night performances?
I (Hannan) personally like to play a lot of dark sounds at 2-3 am. We’ve played silent discos and 1 am sets at festivals like Lost Party and Enchanted Valley Carnival. So it depends on where you are, what you’re doing and whether you’re lucky enough to get a slot you like. Then you can play that kind of music. The more rare it is, the more special it gets, which is why we like to play at night as you get a chance to play all your dark music.
What’s next for the Moon Roots Project?
We’ve just started jamming with a drummer and have the urge to experiment all the time so it’s always a journey in terms of coming up with new innovative music. We definitely want to put out a new project with something really unique because we already make good music — good deep house and good tech house and techno — which is not really unique or innovative but it’s our own take on those melodies and grooves.
We might release some new music but we don’t have anything planned as of now.
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Catch the tech-house sibling act at High Spirits, Koregaon Park, on October 12 from 9 pm onwards
- Arunima Joshua
