Interview by Samyuktha
Jah Greetings K “Lee T,
Dakta Dub tells me that you are a local Hyderabadi who now has grown a passion for Vinyl's, tell us a bit about your childhood here and how you got exposed to the culture... Your earliest influences and the biggest ones?
Jah Greetings, I am K.T.Rajesh and I go by my stage name K"Lee"T born and revised in Apna Hyderabad and considering my childhood shenanigans I would definitely not shy away calling myself a true Hyderabadi.
Born into a closely knit family, my upbringing was in middle class. I did my schooling from the most prestigious schools in town(RMHS) and did my post-graduation(MCA) from Osmania university Hyderabad.
Right from my school days I got exposed to different genres of music.
I cannot deny the fact that R&B, Pop & Disco music was very prevalent back then and that music got me hooked. Never had a plan to have DJing as a career but life takes its course and the casual liking towards this genre of music became a passion without my knowledge.
Started off my career as a small time DJ in 2009 playing Commercial music and House music at different Clubs. All this was going on smoothly and then the meeting with “Dakta Dub” happened at a club where I was working as a resident DJ. It really was a meeting by chance and from that to this day the bonding and learning and the exchange of ideas has never stopped.
Dakta Dub and I used to watch documentaries on reggae music and it introduced me to a whole new experience of Reggae and its culture. He made me watch the movie “The Upsetter” - The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry. I got an immediate connection with the spiritual reggae master “Lee Scratch Perry” and got addicted to his music. That day i have decided to change my stage name from “DJ KT” to K”Lee”T. Started playing strictly “Lee Scratch Perry Vinyls.
Your thoughts on Monkey Sound System and your journey?
Monkey Sound System has been the brain child of Dakta Dub and his zeal to dedicate this to the people of Hyderabad is an accomplishment in itself. A couple of years back there were no takers of this kind of music but with Monkey Sound System music lovers of Hyderabad got exposed to the sweet taste of Reggae music and other genres. Basically it is a hand built, 5 way sound system. And one of the best Soundsystem's around the world. Until one experiences the dance at “Monkey Sound System” they wouldn’t know what exactly it is.
How was it playing to the crowd that gathered at the LakeFront that night?
It was my debut vinyl only show at Lakefront alongside the best of the best Delhi Sultanate(Bass Foundation Roots Sound System), Dakta Dub(Monkey Sound System), Ras man man(Small Axe Sound), Raayal Dub and Skanking star. Under the mango trees beside the lake. Couldn’t ask for a better line up and the better venue to play for my debut. I was playing the opening act for the show but it was strictly Lee Scratch Perry vinyl only. It was a completely blissful experience for me.
In the world of music apps and streaming sites, what makes Vinyl so special?
The day i knew the quality of a vinyl i never wanted to go for any other format of music. Be it mp3 or wav files, Vinyl's have always been my favourite for the quality of music or for the whole new experience. Vinyl's have always stood apart and they have their own appeal.
How do you source your vinyl?
I source my vinyl mostly online as in India we don't have many stores to buy from. It does get difficult and cumbersome sometimes to source them online too. The prices will all add up to the distress but again the love for vinyl's always takes the first spot. Discogs, Juno records, DubVendor, etc., to name a few online websites where I get my vinyl's from.
What's the craziest thing you have done to get your hands on a vinyl that you really wanted to add to your collection?
Out of many crazy things that I have done all my life i regret that i did not do anything crazy for the love of vinyl. It has been the will of the nature that it has always provided the right things at the right time.
What's your most priced vinyl in all of your collection or top three...
Most priced, let me think for a moment. It’s definitely going to be “Sound System Scratch”, “Roaring Lion” and “The Black Album” all by the Dub master Lee Scratch Perry”.
Maintaining a vinyl collection must also mean a lot of taking care and maintenance, tell us how you ensure vinyl's are taken care of
We often explore a lot of ways and techniques to keep clean and maintain records. There are DIY special machines. Obviously we use the most simple methods, like deep track cleansing liquid. Which we have to import, along with eyewear soft cloth. We all sit and make it a ritual to clean them before the dances, so each vinyl sound crisp and clean.
If you had to explain to someone who doesn't know what reggae is, how would you put it in a sentence?
I consider myself not so erudite to explain what reggae is to someone new, but i can say Reggae Music is Spiritual music, Godly Music, Conscious Music, Soulful Music and goes on. Which connects one to nature or one to his own self. Reggae music is an addiction.
What do you wish to tell Hyderabad and its people about exploring newer musical genres?
Hyderabad is experiencing underground music with Bass Sanskriti and Monkey Sound System. I can see people shifting from mainstream music to underground music. Local promoters are also pushing different kind of genres like Dubstep, Drum n bass, Jungle. It is good to see Hyderabad's music scene changing from only limited genres like Techno, HipHop and Commercial music to Reggae, Dub, DnB, etc.,
Jah Love