Indian In San Juan” – Vipul Angirish feat. Jasbir Jassi (WHR-011)
In addition to bringing India’s house music sound to a worldwide audience, Wind Horse Records has also nurtured a tight and talented crew of DJs and producers over its eleven releases. Label founder Hamza has been instrumental in the development of a young producer named Vipul Angirish who he first encountered in the night clubs of New Delhi. With his third single for the label Angirish is joined by vocalist Jasbir Jassi and Bangalore’s Vinayak^A, both Wind Horse regulars, as well as Hamza himself. This family aspect strengthens Wind Horse’s growing identity and brings forth Indian In San Juan, one of the label’s most exciting singles.

Vipul Angirish was notably instructed at a young age by an astrologer to pursue DJ’ing and it has paid off with numerous gigs throughout India and his well-received singles Dream Surfing and the Persian Love EP. With Indian In San Juan Angirish sought to experiment with a Latin feel in his music starting with a syncopated bass line and rhythmic percussion. As the song developed it became more hypnotic and in-distinctively funky as Angirish’s signature production sound started coming through. Enter Jasbir Jassi, one of the best known contemporary Punjabi singers, lending his voice to a number of films, several albums, and thousands of international concert performances. Familiar with Jassi’s previous collaborations with Hamza, including the exotic Folkstar Riddems and Allah Hoo, Angirish enthusiastically wished to work with the renowned vocalist. Jassi’s voice adds a spiritual element to Indian In San Juan exhibiting a melancholy loneliness on top of the melodic dancefloor track. As with many Wind Horse singles there is a depth and soul to Indian San Juan that is rarely heard in house music. There are even echoes of this in Angirish’s Dub version of the track providing DJs with a version without a vocal.

A pair of remixes open Indian In San Juan to new DJ set possibilities. Vinayak^A, a veteran of the Indian house music scene with releases on Baroque Records, delivers the first remix which adds driving progressive elements and expansive sound design to the mix. This version starts with Jasbir Jassi’s solo voice and then confidently develops into a whirlwind of rhythm and synthesized melody. A beautifully ethereal mid-section gives way to a soaring breakdown that will leave dancefloors reeling. Wind Horse label boss Hamza is next on deck with a more patently house music version bringing out jazzy rhythmic elements in the original that may have gone unnoticed before. Hamza adds punchy chords and mysterious spoken vocals along with a blissfully rising synth line leading to the breakdown, all combining for a beautifully energetic late night cut.

A new year signals Vipul Angirish’s exceptional Indian In San Juan and Wind Horse Records’ eleventh release, a milestone for the producer and the prolific label from New Delhi. Stay tuned for more compelling offerings from Wind Horse and its tightly knit family of proficient artists and DJs.