DJ Stalvart John on his passion for disco with his label's 50th release: 'It felt like coming home'

Walk into AntiSocial on a good day and chances are you’ll see everyone dancing to Stalvart John’s rhythm. Not too long ago, there were only a few takers for his music. The Kerala-born DJ and founder of the label Dynamite Disco Club (DDC), over his 15-year career, steadily brought house and disco, genres often sidelined in India, back to the dance floor. Today, as the label has unveiled its 50th release, John knows he has achieved what he had set out to do with DDC. “The intention was simple — to make people dance. The sound has shifted, the platform has grown, but the core has stayed the same,” he shares.

Though he began his music career in Kerala, he believes touring outside the state shaped his understanding of the dance floor. “Playing to diverse crowds pushed me to grow, not just as a DJ, but also as a listener,” he reflects. As a 23-year-old learning the ropes then, he felt an instant connection with house and disco, though they weren’t the dominant genres in most Indian clubs. “I started out playing trance. Then came club music, then a phase of experimentation. But when I found disco, it felt like coming home.”