After Dua Lipa's Bollywood mashup performance, DJs and musicians share more about blending tracks

A moment from Dua Lipa’s performance in Mumbai as part of her Asia tour in November. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

OG speak
Ruchir Kulkarni, DJ and music producer, @ruchirkulkarni

Dua Lipa `Levitating X Woh Ladki Jo` performance: Here are other popular Indian-foreign music crossovers

1 week agoPHOTO GALLERY

I have been DJing since 2007. So, when Dua Lipa played my Levitating X Woh Ladki Jo mashup onstage last month, it was almost two decades of work coming to fruition. The past week has been overwhelming, with messages pouring in from all around the world. The original playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya also thanked me for giving his song a new lease of life. Creating a mashup is more complex than just snipping and pasting two songs together. My process starts from singing the idea to myself multiple times before I find the sweet spot. I then check if the two songs can be pitched up or down to match their keys. My mantra is to not tweak a song to the extent where it loses its character.

For those keen to try their hand at the art, I'd recommend starting with an app called Virtual DJ. It's an easy way to train your ear and get better at mixing. That's how most of us [professional DJs] started. Once you have your basics down, you can move on to experimenting with professional software.

My pick: An upcoming mashup of Dua Lipa's Break My Heart and Aamir Khan's 1999 hit Is Deewane Ladke Ko
Log on to: virtualdj.com

Also Read: DJ Ruchir Kulkarni on Dua Lipa performing his viral mashup: ‘A little credit would have been good'

Whose song is it, anyway?
Krunal Ghorpade, DJ and record label owner, @kratexmusic

Although I have a few mashups in my discography, I'm not a big fan of the concept. I prefer taking a song and remixing it in my own style. My version of Pune-based rapper Shreyas Sagvekar's song Tambdi Chamdi blew up on the internet with celebrities like Shilpa Shetty and Ranveer Singh using it in their posts only because it has its own identity. A mashup lands you in a dilemma - double the essence in the track, but, ironically, none of it is actually yours. More importantly, securing usage licenses for mashups is challenging, as music labels are often reluctant to collaborate with
each other.

For someone starting out, I'd recommend they start from the basics of music production. FL Studio is a beginner-friendly workstation that allows you to experiment with making your own music on your phone or laptop. Understand how music works before jumping on a trend for the sake of it.

My pick: American DJ Earworm's annual United States of Pop series
Log on to: FL Studio on App Store, Play Store or Microsoft Store

All about emotions
Akash Jaiswal, DJ and music producer, @jazscape

When it comes to mashups, the audience is not concerned with the technical skill that goes into it. The formula is simple - pick the parts that strike a chord with the audience and put them together. Trends play a big role in how well it is received. My mashup of Justin Bieber's single Stay and Jasleen Royal's Ranjha from Shershaah (2021) blew up because it hit the right spot at the right time. Jasleen continues to play it in her concerts even today.
There are some easy tricks for beginners. If you're looking to experiment without getting too deep into the fundamentals, Rekordbox is a handy app. Its host of automated features make it easier to mix music without having absolute control over the specifics.

My pick: Post Malone - Rockstar x Taal mashup
Log on to: Rekordbox on App Store and Play Store

Try out these

These AI-powered online tools promise to deliver a groove-worthy mashup in seconds. We test drive popular options to rate them on usability and quality

RaveDJ
This browser-based tool is the quickest option we tested. You only need to pick two songs, and you're good to go. While the final result isn't always perfect, it's a great choice if you don't want to spend hours deciphering music jargon.
USABILITY 4/5
QUALITY 3/5
Log on to: rave.dj

DJ Studio
With great control comes great responsibility. This innovative app deconstructs your songs into stems - music jargon for individual layers. You can then remix, rearrange, and mash them up to your heart's content.
USABILITY 3/5
QUALITY 4/5
Log on to: dj.studio

Fadr
How would the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley sound if he was reborn as a modern techno-house wizard? This genre-based remixing tool lets you bring your wildest ideas to life with the click of a button.
USABILITY 4/5
QUALITY 4/5
Log on to: fadr.com