Wednesdays 6.30PM – This show ended in December 2015
Presented by Coco Varma and Sheerien Salindera.
Music is the universal language, in particular Jazz is a lingo understood by all. We want to unravel the family tree of music by showcasing the connections between some of the most diverse music genres. Can an Indian raag featuring masters of Tabla and Sitar sit next to a New York Hip Hop track? How does Brazilian Drum and Bass incorporate both US Swing and traditional Samba rhythms to create a new dance craze?
To understand this evolution and in some cases revolutions in new music we will also showcase the classics that have influenced and shaped some of today’s most exciting new artists. Tracks that even when played twenty years later can have relevance to current fads.
While diversity of genres will be key, in order to have fluidity on the show and ensure the listener is taken on a journey, we propose to construct the show using varying tempos.
Sheerien has her ear to the underground as a journalist producing radio documentaries in music, arts and cross-cultural curiosities. Her editorial style and innovative production techniques led to her position as Executive Producer of SBS’s flagship youth channel, Alchemy. During her tenure, Alchemy was re-launched from radio to cross-platform programming, including content distribution deals with Vodafone, iTunes and Sydney Opera House.
When not thinking about the next digital innovation, Sheerien DJ’s her signature style of Ancient Booty Beats at festivals and club nights around the world and is proud of her linage from the fertile lands around Woolgoolga in regional New South Wales, Australia.
For Coco, music is more than a passing passion it’s a blueprint for living life. With bass in his DNA, Coco weaves Breaks, Electro, Reggae, Funk, House, Drum n Bass and Global Beats to inspire even the most seasoned dance-floor addict.
Coco goes beyond genres to tell a story as diverse as his own musical journey. Starting out at StreetSounds Records working on the first ever Hip hop album made outside the USA by Faze One called Heroes in 1987 he went on to releasing 12”s under the name The Altered State (TAS) on the infamous Profile Records home of Run DMC, then in the 90’s with his band, Earthtribe, was at the helm of the London Rave scene with residencies at Scala, 333 Club, The End, Shepard’s Bush Empire, Ministry of Sound, and Blue Note to bringing his own ethnocyberfunk sound to the masses by headlining at Glastonbury, Womad, The Big Chill and Tribal Gathering.
Closer to home Coco has sold out the Sydney Opera House, played at Bellingen Global Carnival, Cockatoo Island Festival and collaborated with Hermitude, The Bird, Resin Dogs and more. From classical musicians in India, Turkey and the Middle East to cutting edge electronic producers in Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil and the UK – people at the forefront see Coco as one of them… someone they respect who isn’t afraid to defy genres and perform the best dance music no matter the decade.
While Billboard Magazine labelled him the “Asian Prodigy”, and Timeout crowned him the “Godfather of Indian Electronica”, if anything Coco is a Future Fusionist leaning on his East London roots of Hardcore, Rave, Bigbeats, Soul, Jungle, Drum & Bass and Dubstep adding an Eastern eccentricity that’s undefinable. Combined with his personal stash of LPs, rare vinyl, original dub plates and more – a Coco Varma DJ set or live show will easily make your top ten musical experiences.