Beyond Charlie Unshackles His Chains of Electro-Folk With First-Ever Vocal Single – “Surangi”

Ashok Pai, professionally acknowledged as Beyond Charlie is well-known for his outstanding electro-classic blend. Back in 2006 when Techno and Electronic sounds came into the scene, he got familiarized with House Music and embraced it wholeheartedly which proved to be a life-changing experience for him. Since then Beyond Charlie has been pushing boundaries with his tunes.

Recently, Beyond Charlie released his first-ever vocal single- “Surangi” presenting a blend of Rajasthani folk tunes with soothing tech basslines. The artist mentions that “Ital Pital Mharo” is an age-old classic hailing from the Dunes of Rajasthan and, this track is the male adaptation of the song by Bansi Bawara, a street singer/performer from Udaipur“.

Being initially associated with Rajasthani folk culture and music for a noticeable time interval, the homegrown artist was able to deliver a perfect folk Influenced tune for the dance floor. His firm grasp of Indian classical instruments like sitar, sarod, flute, and Carnatic vocals, supremely influenced his style and his ability to fuse Indie Folk Music with Electronic Pop. The heavy-duty beats and groovy vocals with classical melody in the background adds a unique flavor to his tunes.

After giving several hits like “Curd Rice”, “Karuna”, “Advaita”, this song with its hypnotic acoustics and tonal grooves is a blessing to the ears. And, the amazing rendition of the Rajasthani folk shifts the song to a rhythmic segue.

Listen to Surangi on Spotify-

We wanted to know more about the Journey and what goes behind making music melodies, so we sat down with Beyond Charlie to find out more.

What made you think of blending classical with electronic? How were you so sure that people are going to accept and like such a fusion?

Being a huge Indian classical music buff throughout my childhood and with my exposure to techno when I was in Berlin made me think of a unique style of music that is a fusion of both. Also,  because I have been touring with Jalebee Cartel and Midival Punditz for Bacardi Mega Mix, I knew that Indian audiences were up for a fusion variant of Indian classical with electronica. 

How do you plan on taking your music career forward? Going forward, are you going to produce a couple of different styles as well?

Recording with live vocals is something I have not done before. But with the phenomenal success of Surangi, I would be definitely interested in exploring more Indian vocals with infiltrated techno sounds. 

Who is your biggest inspiration when it comes to music? Any favorite musician that you follow wholeheartedly?

Stan Kolev has been my biggest inspiration and I have been dreaming to produce something close to what he does with ethnic and Indian classical. 

What are your future plans? Any hint on upcoming projects or shows for your fans? 

Currently, I am working on a three-track EP and my next single ‘Parvati’ is up for release on September 28th. SwarVST has teamed up with me for an exclusive track titled ‘Malhar’ which is due to release later this year. 

India is finally catching up with different underground styles of Music now. Do you feel this is going to help the next generation of experimental producers?

Techno listeners have significantly increased during the pandemic and it is blissful to see the younger generation are open to experimental and alternative genres of techno.  

Even in tough times like Covid-19, you managed to deliver some of the greatest hits. How did you keep yourself inspired to produce such records?

Due to the busy touring schedule pre-pandemic, we producers never had the luxury to sit in the studio and create something. So during the pandemic, there was an ample amount of time to find that inner voice that led to the tracks I have produced so far.

Apart from music, what do you enjoy the most? Also, if not been a DJ/Producer what else would you have been?

Apart from music, I am a big foodie. If I wasn’t a DJ, I would definitely be exploring the F&B industry.

The biggest dream in your musical career? 

My biggest dream would be to perform at festivals like ADE and Awakenings.