Last week, Indians, Trip-Hop devotees, and the odd raver congregated in Shoreditch to see British-Indian musician Nitin Sawhney - one of the most prolific Indian artists of our time. Famed for making dance music with traditional Indian samples and making the East /West crossover with a lot of respect, Nitin is the last word in all things drum n bass, jazz, and general electronica.

This gig attracted over 300 people to the Rich Mix (a venue famed for its devotion to the cross-cultural arts), as Nitin played a relaxed show to a standing/skanking/raving (however cool people dance) crowd as they enjoyed a full live band onstage; including a tabla drummer, acoustic guitar, and both female and male vocalists. This was complimented by decks which provided sitar beats and all things electronic… That’s what you call ‘Indians mixing genres, and branching out of the sari-wearing, field running stereotype’. Although, don’t get it twisted, we do that sometimes, just not always.

Anyway, I love it when Asian music attracts a mixed crowd which includes not only the traditionalists, but the drum n bass junkies, festival goers, and hip hop lovers (like me). This was also the very first ever Rich Mix event that I have attended where I saw that samosas and lassi were being served. Well done. That’s called 'knowing your audience' (for any event managers reading).

All cliché Indian jokes aside, when Nitin emerged after a lengthy intro, he proved why he is considered legendary in the world of dance music. He performed a far more dub step heavy set than I've heard before, the usually slow paced tabla beats that accompany haunting female vocals were instead swapped for (literally) teeth vibrating, heavy bass injections and frantic drumming. If you’ve ever been dub stepping in Delhi, you’ll know what I mean.

Opening with 'Ek Jaan' or 'One life', he eased us into the softness of Hindi female singing, a sort of homage to the soothing lullabies a child might hear, but followed by some hard bass drops. Even if you don’t get it, you will get the sentiment, as he talks about a sense of collectivism, and bracing ‘one life’ amidst the dissipated legacy of India’s colonial past, and perhaps also in reference to India’s current conflict with its neighbouring country Pakistan.

He played all the classics such as ‘Nadia' and ‘Prophesy' singing in a mixture of Hindi and English songs that talk about Indian colonialism, civil war, and nuclear attacks. The majority of the songs performed were classic in lyrical content, many raising issues of multiculturalism, politics and spirituality - the central tenets that much of Indian music tries to convey.

He commented towards the end of the set that he ‘lets the music speak for itself’, and as a result, rather than feeling preachy, the songs simply provide a background to consider issues of past conflict resolved, India’s rich cultural history, and the fight for freedom... And if you’re more of a dancer than a thinker? Well, that’s what the bass is for.

Words: Kieran Yates. Catch up with Kieran at www.kieranyates.blogspot.com

For Nitin Sawhney updates, please visit www.nitinsawhney.com