Art of Electronica

But Zedd’s introduction to music came many years before his interest in the electronic genre. Born in Russia to two classical musicians,Zedd moved with his family to Kaiserslautern,Germany,at a young age and grew up there. “Music was a part of everyday life,” says Zedd,whose parents started teaching him the piano when he was three.

By the time he became a teenager though,he had decided that classical music wasn’t the path he was going to take. He decided to play the drums and formed a rock band with his brother and eventually moved to metal music. During this time,while recording an album with him as drummer,Zedd came across a record by the French electronic musician duo Justice. Their music immediately triggered his interest in making electronic music himself.

“It started off as fun,” says Zedd,23,who adds,“Back then I never thought I’d be a DJ.”

Quite by chance,he came across Skrillex on the internet. He listened to the latter’s music,found similarities to his own,got in touch,sent him a song and the two connected instantly. “He went on to play that song at a gig an hour later,” says Zedd. He was also eventually signed on to Skrillex’s new label,OWSLA.

This made Zedd one of thousands of electronic musicians/producers cropping up in various parts of the world. Standing out from the crowd consequently became important. “I realised early that there is a lack of musicality in the genre. While a lot of people might make good sounds,most don’t understand how instruments,harmonies,melodies and notes work together,” he says.

His decision to compose music and combining it with electronic sounds he likes,though,has paid off. His single Clarity has proved to be a huge hit,as has his album of the same name,which came out in October last year. It has,in addition,led him to work with other popular musicians,including Lady Gaga,whose album,Artpop,has been produced by him.

Zedd will play at Kitty Su in Delhi tonight:

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