Switched on India

"Switched on India" is a performance-lecture tracing the transformative influence of electronic music and synthesizers, featuring a rebuilt version of the Moog synthesizer originally brought to India by David Tudor in 1969. This unique instrument, famously part of India's early interactions with synthesizer technology, played a pioneering role in fusing Western electronic innovation with Indian musical traditions and Futurism. The event combines live performances, historical context, and visual storytelling to explore the legacy of synthesis in India, illustrating how global and local sounds have merged to redefine the country's sonic landscape.

About the NID Synthesizer

In 1969, India’s first electronic music studio was established at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad under American composer David Tudor, marking a key moment in global electronic music and post-independence Indian culture. The synthesizer’s introduction merged Western innovation with Indian modernist goals, reflecting NID’s vision to integrate design, technology, and cultural identity. Composers like Jinraj Joshipura and SC Sharma created works such as ‘Dance Music’ and ‘Space Liner 2021’ blending minimalist electronic forms with a modern Indian identity. Operating briefly (1969–1972) the NID studio was a site of postcolonial modernity and global avant-garde exchange.

About the recreated NID Synth for Switched on India

In December 2024, Varun Desai completed a remarkable reconstruction of the NID synthesizer, reimagining it at a travel friendly 60% scale after two years of meticulous craftsmanship. This revitalized instrument, rooted in the historical legacy of David Tudor’s Moog-based studio, embodies a fusion of postcolonial Indian innovation and contemporary modular synthesis, enabling new explorations of experimental soundscapes that echo the avant-garde spirit of its predecessors. Since its completion, Desai has been rigorously rehearsing with the synthesizer, preparing for its public performance debut in 2025, a milestone that promises to reintroduce the NID’s sonic heritage to global audiences while honoring its cultural and technological significance in India’s electronic music history.

About Varun Desai

Varun Desai is a computer engineer working in the fields of synthesis and interactive design. He's been a teacher and lecturer for both hardware and software platforms as well as a graphic designer, coder, musician and synthesizer builder. His video art projects use real-time code-based visualizations that make use of custom-built microphones, cameras and sensors.

Varun has 18 years of experience working in arts and culture as a promoter, label manager, and producer. As a musician, composer and educator he has been involved in trans-cultural projects and residencies and has created works that are responsive to the technological advances of the digital age. Varun is the founder of Synthfarm, India’s leading residency for synthesis, modular sound, music production and synth-making and is the director of the Kolkata Jazzfest, one of India's longest running music festivals.
 

The programme is open to all on first come first served basis till seats are full.