Together, India’s Savan Ukande and Jayesh Varade are Enchanted Kids, a duo dedicated to performing and producing their own unique aesthetic of deep and progressive house music. With a spirit of continuous evolution, the pair is forever exploring new challenges with their musical direction and focus, and their latest release Lucid on Minds Alike represents this ever adapting sound. Featuring the lush vocals of multi-talented vocalist Emily Zuzik, Lucid is a smooth journey into a dreamy soundscape, perfect for lovers of deep, melodic and mindful music.
Remixes from FRISKY residents and guests Bodai, Death on the Balcony, Ella Romand, and Swann Decamme, as well as a “Deeper Version” and “Instrumental” mix from Enchanted Kids complete this jam-packed release, with styles to suit every mood and moment. Released on FRISKY resident Baez‘s Minds Alike label, the energy of connection runs through each piece of the entire EP.
What was the event that brought you two together and how did the name Enchanted Kids (love it!) come about?
It is a very interesting story, to be honest. It all started back in 2013. In the beginning, we were a trio named ‘Triad’ but due to a few reasons our third partner separated & we had to change the name.
We do not exactly remember how the name came about but it was very spontaneous. Glad you love it though.
What do you think makes your partnership work well? What do you each appreciate most about the other?
We think we are equally hungry for music & spend most of our time just making, listening or talking about music.
We push each other out of our comfort zones to be better human beings and just not, musicians. Last but not least we trust each other’s decisions which help to make our partnership more robust.
(Savan): If I have to appreciate one thing about him, I would say his efforts towards getting better at whatever he is doing. I appreciate that.
(Jayesh): His knowledge of various music genres and instruments help us in writing music which I feel is a gift & a vital part of Enchanted Kids.
Do you each have different roles when it comes to the production process? What would you say are each other’s strengths in the studio?
Yes. We do have different roles.
(Savan): I usually look after the production process for Enchanted Kids. This includes parts such as writing, arranging, mixing, and sometimes mastering. Jayesh provides insights that are critical and valuable to shape our sound.
What are the advantages of working as a duo? Do you each have separate projects as well? If so, how do they differ?
The biggest advantage we feel is you always have two pairs of ears & there is constant interaction which works for us.
To mention a few, we start working on different projects individually and then bounce off the ideas with each other and take it ahead together.
We both can work according to our convenience which makes our work faster.
(Savan): Yes. I do have a solo project which goes by the moniker Savan(IND). It has very different sonics & soundscape altogether. It concentrates on live ambient, chill breaks. Being a drummer & guitarist, I incorporate lots of it in my solo projects.
What sets Enchanted Kids apart? What defines you?
We think we constantly emphasize what different things we can do when it comes to the production process & performing our music.
Be it incorporating different instruments in our production or playing our music live. Performing our music in several styles is what makes us unique.
We love working with various artists and interacting with them. It helps us to get better as musicians. Their inputs always make a difference to our work.
What is most important for you to share through or accomplish with your music?
Most important we would say connecting with the people. Being able to connect emotionally with the audience is the greatest accomplishment one could think of.
Would you be able to provide some background on the lyrics for Lucid? How did you get connected with Emily Zuzik and what was that process like?
We were looking for vocalists for this track everywhere possible but we couldn’t find what we were looking for. Then one fine day we were going through random groups of musicians particularly singers where we came across quite a few amazing vocalists & songwriters.
Emily Zuzik was one of them & we thought her vocals were the perfect fit for this record. We started working via mail sharing various ideas but it didn’t take us long in order to finalize it. Being producers we don’t like putting any constraints on singers regarding lyrics, the topic of it or timing, etc. The purpose behind it is they should work freely & comfortably to get the best out of them. It was the same in this case. Happy with what she came up with.
This is such a dense release with multiple beautiful remixes – how did you feel as they started coming in? Can you share something you enjoy about each?
It was a little overwhelming in the beginning to be honest that so many talented artists did the remix of our track. It was amazing. We loved each & every remix, they’re wonderful.
Loved the simplistic approach to Bodai’s remix. Very smooth and loved the flow.
DOTB’s remix is very groovy & smooth at the same time. Loved the drums on it.
Ella Romand’s interpretation is just wonderful. Ambiance & Hard-hitting drums make it a proper dancefloor banger.
Swann’s had altogether a different vibe. Love the techy touch it has.
What brought you to Minds Alike and why is the label a good fit for this release?
We are always hunting for good music & somehow we came across some of the beautiful releases on this label on Soundcloud. We tremendously loved their style & the approach, the organization is very professional. We were a little skeptical about our style & if it would fit the label or not but glad somehow Baez liked it.
What are your focuses and goals as you continue to move forward with your music?
In the past few years, we have realized that we always get better with every project. So for now being in the present & just working on music without thinking of the outcome is our priority. We’re very process-oriented so just making music and getting better at it is the only goal.
