Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Akash Sandhu aka Akasha, has been living in Auckland for the past eight years. Although a Business Development Manager by profession, Sandhu can be seen spinning at New Zealand’s hidden underground psychedelic trance parties and festivals. She is a former Miss India New Zealand contestant and has contributed towards a couple of publications.

Indian Weekender spoke to Sandhu, the only female psytrance DJ in the country, to know more about her life and her journey into the world of psychedelic trance.

IWK: When did you develop an interest in working as a DJ?

Akash: I developed a passion for psychedelic trance and its vibe in 2011 when I went to my first outdoor psytrance festival in Auckland called Madagascar, organised by the leading producer in high-end live events, Phat Productions. In 2012, I had already started playing at a few house parties and then it all just unfolded from there. I was absolutely awe struck with New Zealand’s underground party scene. It was all a surprise to me, as I didn’t know I wanted to be a DJ until I was exposed to the psychedelic trance music scene for a year, which took me to Melbourne’s largest and prominent music festivals—Maitreya, Total Solar Eclipse 2012 and RainbowSerpent Festival.

IWK: With a full-time job, how do you manage to find time to pursue your interests?

Akash: “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time is like saying I don’t want to’”—one of my all-time favourite quotes by Lao Tzu. It was tough at the beginning and I didn’t quite get it for the first two years when I began learning. But I stuck to it because I knew I had discovered something I absolutely loved. It was new and fresh, which drove me to keep pushing harder.

IWK: Where do you usually spin?

Akash: I’m a resident DJ at Phat Productions. You can see me spinning at the next Phat Productions gig at Bar Africa in Albany on July 23.

IWK: Where do you think the scene is headed?

Akash: The scene has grown so much since 2011, and I’m proud to say that seeing it progress along with me as a DJ has been a thrill. We have three to four major psytrance productions in Auckland who have already brought down well-known talented artists from the international psychedelic scene.

It’s great! I think in five years, a lot of people in New Zealand would know about the psychedelic trance scene and festivals and it will be larger in scale and production.

IWK: What single night out has been the most memorable for you as a DJ?

Akash: I’ve had quite a few as a DJ! But the most memorable one was at Forest Antics held in Auckland by the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park. It was my first Phat Productions gig as DJ Akasha, and it turned out to be an absolutely amazing opportunity and experience with all the support I received. My other memorable night was when I played at the Moon Mountain Xmas (Boat Party) 2014 in Thailand.

IWK: How is the music scene different in New Zealand from back home?

Akash: The music scene in Kuala Lumpur is a lot livelier than Auckland. The nightlife is great with ample of genres of music to enjoy and an awesome variety of nightclubs with fresh and new ambiances. It is impossible to be bored there unless you don’t like the nature of nightlife. The psytrance scene in Malaysia has grown extensively because of Thailand. In fact, Kuala Lumpur is much more advanced with the psychedelic music scene than Auckland. I was so excited when I discovered it in 2013.

IWK: You were a participant in Miss India NZ in 2010. In the past, you’ve also written for quite a few publications, and currently, you’re working as a Business Development Manager. How has your experience been in such varied roles?

Akash: My experiences in varied roles are the reflection of my state of mind at the time. I’ve had the opportunity to be in different roles, which has been interesting. I see myself as an adventurous person with no limits. Limiting yourself is only going to stop you from doing what you really want to do. If I don’t try it, I’ll never truly know how I’d be at it. Joining Miss India in 2010 was something I did for the love of fashion and to experience the fun of what a beauty pageant was all about. The few small publications I wrote for during my time at the university made me realise I wanted to get into online content writing, which took me to the role I am in right now. So I guess I could say I wouldn’t really be where I am today without all those experiences.