Local DJ and University of Wisconsin alum Gurmukh Singh, also referred to as the BassMaker, has been up since 9 a.m. practicing his set list, preparing the venue, setting up equipment and trying to make sure everything runs smoothly for his show.
While Singh is doing his last checks – things like making sure all of the right cords are plugged in and the sound works – most Madison students are just beginning to think about what their plans are for the night. They might go to that one thing at that kid’s house that lived on their floor freshman year or, maybe, they will wind up at State Street Brats or the Orpheum to hit the dance floor where a DJ is performing.
The idea of being a DJ or being friends with a DJ has always been a sort of sexy thing. People like Singh, who take DJing seriously and are also talented at it, are often branded by their DJ identity.
It is seemingly ironic that so many DJ enthusiasts and wannabes appear to know so little of what it actually takes to be a good DJ. DJing is not just a five-minute performance; a DJ has to play upbeat music the entire night to keep a crowd entertained.
“I’ve never had a night where I’ve DJed and felt like, ‘Shit, all that was for nothing.’ If I can tell you’re having a good time, then all that shit doesn’t matter to me,” Singh said.
Singh treats his turntables as an instrument and tries to practice DJing for at least two hours every day. This may sound like a lot of time, but Singh realizes that the only way he will get noticed as a DJ is if he keeps working on his craft and improving.
“When you listen to some of the sickest DJs in the world, you’re like damn, those guys put in a lot of work and those guys are at the top of their game. That’s my goal,” Singh said.
Singh identifies the musician as a DJ’s best friend. He says artists like Kanye West and Jay-Z are some of his favorites because they always deliver quality work. In addition to spinning popular tracks by hip-hop icons, Singh downloads up to 5,200 songs in a day in search of original sounds.
“A lot of people are passive about music, they only consume it from the radio. DJs are supposed to widen your view of things, make you hear things that you haven’t heard before. That’s my deal. I’m like a fucking raptor when it comes to music. I chew up everything,” Singh said.
Born in America, but raised with a strong Punjabi (a region in Northern India) background, Singh’s signature DJing style is a fusion of hip-hop and a type of North Indian music called bhangra. This genre of music is rich in culture, with lyrics about harvesting crops and ethnic practices.
Even though traditional bhangra music may be hard for some people to relate to, Singh finds ways to cater to all crowds, meshing he drum-based cheery sounds of bhangra with the harshness of contemporary hip-hop.
“Madison is a diverse place and people are willing to go out of their comfort zone. I can spin a bhangra track to a room full of people and the Indian kids will be buckin’ out to it, but people that aren’t Indian will be buckin’ out too,” Singh said.
Singh has rapidly established himself as a prominent and unique DJ in Madison, but just two years ago, he had never scratched on a turntable. Singh graduated in 2009 from UW with a degree in finance and economics and then went on to work at a bank. Life was moving along fine, but he felt that something was missing.
Singh had always been curious about DJing and finally decided to go for it. So he borrowed $50 from his girlfriend and purchased his first set of turntables. Although he had a musical background in drums, Singh started from ground zero with turntables, and much of his progression was self-taught. He was instantly passionate about DJing and chose to take a risk and quit his bank job.
Looking back on his decision, Singh says, “It was such a natural thing for me to do. Without a set of turntables it’d be like not having an arm. I would feel naked and super, super awkward. The universe wouldn’t be right.”
Singh said he could not have gotten this far without his ultra-supportive family and friends. Even though he acknowledges their honesty about his music is sometimes hard to hear, he knows they are truthful because they support him and think he is talented.
Even though Singh considers himself to be in diapers as a DJ, he has a lot of knowledge about what it takes to succeed in the industry. He makes time to practice, he personally goes to venues to promote himself and most of all, he is whole-heartedly and passionately engaged in his craft.
And even if most people dancing to the BassMaker’s mixes do not realize how much effort and practice is required to achieve that sound, all that really matters, according to Singh, is that they enjoy it.
“If you’ve ever seen me DJ, you know I will buck out to my own music,” Singh said. “It’s kind of like laughing at my own jokes. It means everything to me when someone comes up to me in the middle of a mix and they are like, ‘Dude, you are awesome, that’s sick. Who are you? What’s your name?’ and that just makes it all worth it.”
Singh refers to his job as “the best job in the world,” and he shows no signs of slowing his steady climb to the top. He is hoping to begin performing at other UW campuses, in Minneapolis, in Michigan and beyond. His ultimate goal is to become the world’s most famous bhangra DJ. This might be one of those moments you look back on and think, “Damn, I should have paid attention to that guy.”
Stay informed about everything Bassmaker by following Singh on twitter @DubHopSociety and interacting with him at facebook.com/theBassMaker.
