Name: Rajat Ryan aka Stoked

Nationality: Indian
Occupation: DJ, producer, booker-organiser-label-owner at Bitonal
Current release: Stoked's Sirens, featuring Chitralekha Sen, is out via Bitonal. He is currently on tour through Germany. Catch him perform here:

03 Aug - Silodom (Saarbrucken)
17 Aug - Rave The Planet / Formerly ‘’Love-Parade’’ (Berlin)

If you enjoyed this Stoked interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, and Soundcloud.

For a deeper dive, read our earlier Stoked interview.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in DJing, booking, and production?

Absolutely, early musical experiences often have a profound impact on one's career path, especially in the creative fields and mine as well.

What drew you into techno specifically?

What initially attracted me to techno was my dad's record collection, particularly the retro disco ones. The funky basslines captivated me.

Eventually, I transitioned to house music, listening to legends like Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson. This further led me to discover early techno pioneers like Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, and Carl Craig. That's how techno drew me in.

[Read our Jeff Mills interview]
[Read our Marshall Jefferson interview]

What were some of the most impressive events or releases which shaped your views of techno and DJing, would you say?

Several events and releases have significantly influenced my views on techno and DJing. Some of them would be

a) My first European Tour (2018). Playing in Europe for the first time, especially in Amsterdam, was a pivotal moment.
b) BITONAL expansion & Events. Launching BITONAL as both a touring agency and a record label.
c) Collaborations with Inspiring artist such as Teenage Mutants, Rafael Cerato and Balthazar & Jackrock,
d) Release of ‘SIRENS’ on Bitonal Records featuring Chitralekha Sen’s haunting ethnic vocals highlighted my ability to blend Indian influences with techno.
e) Upcoming collaboration with Ronnie Spiteri on Kenja Records, including a remix by Alan Fitzpatrick & ‘Bambalayoo’ on Ritual with remixes by Chris Gavin, Andrew Meller & SNYL.
f) Major performances such as Headlining Stage 2 at Sea You Festival alongside Pan-Pot, Lily Palmer, and Adam Beyer, and performing at Rave the Planet (formerly Love Parade).

How important is dancing for our wellbeing on a personal and even on a societal level?  

Dancing is important for both individuals and society. For individuals, it helps improve physical health, reduces stress, lifts mood, sparks creativity, and allows self-expression.

For society, it creates a sense of community, strengthens social bonds, preserves cultural traditions, and promotes unity by bringing people together.

How do you approach digging, what are you looking for, and what were some of the best finds of the past few weeks for you?

Over the years, I have developed a system to select tracks based on four criteria - unique sound, energy levels, production quality, and the crowd's potential reaction when I close my eyes. If a track meets all four, it makes it into my crate.

Recently, some of the best finds include Pan-Pot’s "FORTE" remix EP on their label Second State, Balthazar & Jackrock’s "In the Dark" EP on KNTXT, and "Generation Z" by Timmo on Bitonal Records.



Let's imagine you lost all your music for one night and all there is left at the venue is a crate of records containing a random selection of music. How would you approach this set?

If I lost all my music and only had a random crate of records, I would rename myself Captain Jack Sparrow and plunge into it like a treasure chest, searching for hidden gems.

Hopefully by the end I would aim to transform a potential disaster into an unforgettable, genre-blending rave and have an incredible story to share about my most memorable gig.