Raj Marathe
Bio

It started in 1991 when Raj began listening to various dance records and music deemed strictly as underground music. He found himself getting deeper into the music that was then only called Techno. Breaks is what people know Raj for but even though he was listening to underground music since 1991, he was also very appreciative of original Hip-Hop, Rap, and infused styles of broken beats. Even Drum and Bass was something he was listening to in the mid nineties (what people were then still calling Techno) with the likes of groups like Eat Static. These acts would allow the appreciation to grow deeper. Even virtually unknown groups like Arcadia and well known acts like the Prodigy were favorites of his. Raj was even seen with his friend Jason in 1992 attempting to double-drop cassette tapes (not ever owning turntables or knowing anything about DJ’ing at the time) in the efforts to match different songs on top of each other. Most notably, Smart-E’s “Sesame’s ‘Treet.”

He found himself buying alot of underground music, and would eventually become an on-air personality with his own FM radio show from 1999 to 2001 in Rochester, and would often play electronic dance music that he loved past and then present. In that incarnation he found himself drawn further getting into the dance scene. Eleven years in the making, he found himself finally able to play dance music he had grown to like for many years. He became inspired to get his turntables after seeing many DJs play the music he had grown to love for so many years. In 2001, that desire to become a club DJ became a reality as he left the radio circuit to further exlore the world of underground music. He first began his gigs playing out at Dicky’s- once a favorite bar for electronic dance music in Rochester. The ongoing gigs there would later lead to performances at various house parties, underground parties, clubs, and music halls throughout Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo. Raj’s skills would develop over the years into a passion and love for Breakbeat. Raj’s most dominant style for DJ’ing has always been Breaks (that includes Funky, Nu Skool, Electro and more.) In addition, he also has been known to throw everything from House, to Dubstep, to Techno and more into his sets and perfomances. As the music scene has opened itself up to more production and producers, Raj has found himself amongst them. He began to experiment in the realm of music production in 2002, and would gradually learn in-time more and more as he continues to do to this day.
Raj hit a high note when he made some tracks for fun that would later become a note of accomplishment. His remixes and original tracks have found their way into the “crates” of many well respected DJs known in the clubbing community.

Producers and DJs such as Freq Nasty, The Freestylers, The Autobots, Atomic Hooligan, Future Funk Squad, General MIDI, Sonz of Mecha, Deekline, J-Break, and others have all played and supported his tracks. Raj has also been renouned for his out-of-this-world mashups.

Even with all those details said, it doesn’t end there. After several, successful gigs together, Upstate NY DJs Arod, Clotho, and Raj Marathe (all based out of Rochester) formed NuRoc Breaks: Upstate New York’s Breaks Crew! in October of 2004. They found themselves pushing the breakbeat sound across Rochester, and across Upstate New York. Shortly after the formation of NuRoc Breaks, Raj and the NuRoc Crew were offered a show on the world’s #1 radio station for Breakbeat: London based “Breaks FM.” At the time, only one american DJ was ever offered a slot on the station. The birth of the NuRoc Breaks Radio Show began. And with the show broadcasting live across the world, NuRoc’s exposure began to grow.

The NuRoc Crew had started a weekly club night at a club and bar called The Bug Jar, which lasted for almost a year. The crew would then add another DJ to it’s lineup. Noah B.C. was discovered by Raj when he had heard him playing an early guest fill-in slot at an weekly run by a different promoter. The bond only grew, as the crew would later add Nical, the crew’s first female DJ, spanning styles of breakbeat and drum and bass with proper talent. NuRoc’s newest addition, Rich Kishita, joined NuRoc in 2009, and brings Funky Electro House, Drum and Bass, and Breaks to the crew, with amazing skills and proper floor performances.

All DJs were known throughout Rochester at some point, and coming together made for a very special and talented group of DJs. They have been rocking clubs and parties ever since.

An incomplete list of DJ Residencies held by Raj:

- Dicky’s (Rochester, NY) 2002 – 2005
- The Brickyard (2002-2003)
- Hot Shots (Rochester, NY) 2003, Guest DJ
- Roadhaus (Syracuse, NY) 2003, Guest DJ
- Starbar (Rochester, NY) 2004
- Element (Rochester, NY) 2004
- Rain (Rochester, NY) 2004, Guest DJ
- The Bug Jar (Rochester, NY) 2004 – 2005 Residency, guest slots in 2005, 2007
- Park Avenue Festival (Rochester, NY) 2004, Guest DJ
- Water Street Music Hall (Rochester, NY) 2004, 2008, Guest DJ
- Tonic (Rochester, NY) 2004 – 2005, Guest DJ
- Chaser’s (Rochester, NY) 2005, Guest DJ
- Metro (Rochester, NY) 2005, Guest DJ
- Scenic (New York City, NY) 2005, Guest DJ
- Zen Bar (Farmington, Connecticut) 2006, Guest DJ
- Club NV (Rochester, NY) 2005 – 2006, Guest DJ
- Trexx (Syracuse, NY) 2006, 2009, 2010, Guest DJ
- Liquid (Binghamton, NY), 2006, 2010, Guest DJ
- Eastman Lounge (Rochester, NY) 2006 – 2007
- Two89 (Rochester, NY) 2007, Guest DJ
- Montage Music Hall (Rochester, NY) 2007, Guest DJ
- Jungle Bums (Rochester, NY) 2007, Guest DJ
- Marcella’s (Buffalo, NY) 2007, Guest DJ
- Pearl (Rochester, NY) 2007 – 2008
- Tilt Nightclub (Rochester, NY) 2006 – 2009
- One (Rochester, NY) 2009, Guest DJ
- OHM (Buffalo, NY) 2009, Guest DJ
- Desiderata Music Festival (Mohawk, NY) 2009, Guest DJ
- Dubland Underground (Rochester, New York) 2009, Guest DJ