Driving from the melodies and percs inspired from various parts of this Planet, Arpit Paliwal a.k.a Pal-E has made his way in the music scene in his own rage. This brilliant producer brings out music that drives wavelengths of every spectrum. Been an important part of the musical shifts of Rajasthan, his music is appreciated by many big wigs of the music industry.
At the moment Pal-E is based in Jaipur, the musically rich city. Playing at several venues countrywide and sharing stages with big names like Guy J, Khen, Sahar Z, Guy Mantzur, Hernan Cattaneo, Kohra, Ankytrixx, Bullzeye and many more top names in the industry. Now he is ready to share his music with wider audience Worldwide. With many releases coming out on respected music labels such as A.H Digital, Genesis Music and Mystic Carousel Records. His music is climbing the Beatport Top 100 Charts in a very short time.
His music is definitely the stuff that the dance music community is waiting for. Hosting a few radio shows on international radio channels he has gained popularity where ever his music is heard. Watch out for this giant of a mammoth you will find in the top music festivals and gatherings. His music is bound to give you a beautiful experience.
Hello Pal-E, we’re glad to have you here. First of all, how are you and where are you based at the moment?
Hello everyone, I’m fine thank you. It’s a pleasure being here talking to you.
I live in Jaipur also known as the Pink City the Capital of state Rajasthan in India
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We will use this opportunity to introduce you better to the audience with your work, so starting from the very beginning, what was one of your first experiences that drew you into electronic music?
I was introduced to electronic music in my school days, I was probably 15 years old so it just blew my mind at that time and it felt like magic to my ears. The curiosity, love and passion for electronic sounds only grew more with age and I ended up doing audio engineering diploma from Mumbai back in 2006 which really helped me understand how really these beautiful crazy sounds come to life and gave me a strong foundation in music production.
How would you describe Rajasthan club scene and what would you say is the best thing about your city, anything that stands out of the music scene?
The club scene was good here and it was getting better before the pandemic started, a lot of gigs were happening with great organizers but for now everything is on pause. I really hope we can party again soon.
Jaipur is a great tourist attraction because of its history and heritage. We have quite a few old forts which are not to missed if someone is here.
When was your first professional DJ gig – how did it feel when you first got on DJ decks and played music for a crowd?
My first professional gig was in 2006, I remember there were less than 60 people but still I was a little nervous but managed somehow to have a great time and never really felt nervous after that.
You have performed with many big names from the electronic scene like Hernan Cattaneo, Guy J, Guy Mantzur, Sahar Z, etc. Is there any of them that is specially dear to you and that stands out in some way?
All these names you mentioned are very very special and dear to me and playing with all of them was a dream come true. I consider all of them as my role models and have always looked up to these fine gents. They have done something really special for this genre.
What were some of the main challenges when starting out as a DJ and how have they changed over time?
There are many challenges for anyone who is just starting as a DJ or Producer, one of the challenge is to get yourself booked when you are just starting out because no one knows what you’ve been playing or producing and that can be really frustrating in the beginning and feels like there is no one to support but it is part of the growth and getting the recognition.
I was really lucky to have great support and love from the music industry in India from fellow DJs and Producers and few close friends like Ankytrixx and Bullzeye, they really helped me in so many ways and I will be always thankful to everyone for all the love and support.
DJ-ing is a unique discipline at the border between presenting great music and creating something new with it, between composition and improvisation. How would you describe your approach to it? What do you start with, how do you develop a set, how does a form gradually manifest itself, what are good transitions between different tracks etc…
I have always believed that the crowd and the DJ share a sacred connection where they control each other somehow and a lot depends on it, including the track selection from the DJ. It’s a beautiful exchange of energy between the two.
I do prepare roughly a little bit before my DJ sets like deciding first and last track to have a story’s beginning & end and rest I select as I move in the set considering many things like how the next track will blend with the previous track and how it will go with the set overall.
When did you start to produce your own music and what’s your studio setup like?
I started producing in 2006 with just a laptop and a midi keyboard while studying audio engineering. Unfortunately I couldn’t follow my passion of producing for few years because of personal reasons but I always knew I had to get back to it for the ultimate satisfaction and happiness.
I’m really glad I got back to producing with much more energy and passion than ever before. My studio setup is quite simple with a main keyboard Virus Ti2. For drums I have Native instruments Maschine and Arturia Drumbrute and have a few effects pedals from Strymon and Eventide H9 max. I use a mix of virtual plugins and analog effects and synths to achieve the sound I have in my head.
How do you start the process of making a track, is there a method involved?
I generally start with the basic groove, the drums and bass and generate some musical ideas and decide the vibe of the track like key tempo, then write melodies around it and sometimes I come up with the melody in my head first and then create drums etc. around it and try lots of variations until I get what I want and till it all goes nicely with my core elements that work well together. I don’t follow a strict method or rule, learning is a never ending process specially when it comes to music production there is just no end to it and I still learn so much everyday.
What’s important for you, to share or communicate through your music?
Music express what words can’t so I want people to relate and find happiness through it some or the other way and I want everyone to have a great and happy time listening to the music in a club or festival.
Would you say you are a DJ first or producer, by that I mean which gives you more satisfaction?
It’s difficult to pick one because they both go hand in hand and I love producing as much I love DJ-ing. As for the satisfaction, when I play one of my unreleased tracks in a party to test it out and it gets great response it’s the best feeling.
What can we look forward to for the rest of 2021 from you?
2021 looks great with a couple of releases planned after a little gap. My latest EP ”One Day at a Time” just came out on Lonya’s Label Asymmetric Recordings.
All 4 tracks in the EP are very close to my heart and I’ve tried to transform a lot of my emotions into these tracks which I made during the lockdown.
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