#TATW450 #ABGT001: The Beginning of the End “Trance Around the World” with Above & Beyond at Jaymahal Palace in Bangalore! The final TATW episode: Getting into the groove with Jody Wisternoff, Transcending to the next ‘Monolithic’ level with Andrew Bayer, Smashing the dance floor with ‘Five Finger Death Punch’ by Norin & Rad, Energized & Mesmerized by the outstanding Mat Zo and This Group Therapy 001 was then taken to a never-felt-before emotional connect by ‘Jono, Tony & Paavo’! *TEARS OF JOY* - Yes, that’s exactly how everyone felt once this E.P.I.C journey was over at 10pm on this memorable night of 10-11-12! THANKS A&B for honouring India with the very first Group Therapy :)

 #SUNBURN: The Noida edition of Asia’s greatest EDM festival will be forever etched in my memories and will have a most special place in my heart, for this was my first Sunburnt experience with my better half *Sheenum*! Right from getting featured on Sunburn youtube channel to being progressively tranced by Arnej & psychedelicly raved by Astral Projection, the SJ couple danced their way to pure musical nirvana at the Unitech Golf Park! The EDM journey of this loving couple had just begun, with many, many & many more to come! :D

 #GOA: Tickets Booked! The 2012 edition is going to be even bigger, larger & crazier than 2011. All Roads will lead to the heaven called ‘Goa’ with dearest bro *James* and my trance family members *Rajarshi* *Arijit* *AG Stoned*. However, 2011 Aussie trance family *Belinda* *Brett* *Kenny* *Kirstin* will be sorely missed. 2012 is going to end with a BANGER! If only we can have Deadmau5 this time? ;)

 #ASOT600: I could not sleep THAT night, the night of ASOT 587! Because when world’s no.1 DJ Armin Van Buuren announced MUMBAI as one of the venues for ASOT 600 Expedition tour in March 2013, the prayers of all Indian trance lovers were fulfilled beyond their wildest of dreams! GOOOOOSEBUMPSSSSS all around!!! :D

A STATE OF DREAM… A STATE OF EUPHORIA… A STATE OF TRANCE !!!

I don’t think we can THANK our EDM revolutionary Nikhil Chinapa & his legendary Submerge/Sunburn army enough for bringing so much joy to music lovers across India !!!

 Love you guys & we are now in “A STATE OF HAPPINESS” :) :) :)

As Episode no. 14 of Nikhil Chinapa’s now legendary Radio show on 94.3 FM - #IntheMixIndia kicks in on yet another Super Saturday, I have finally, yes finally decided to blog again !!

This delay is primarily because this Social Connector has now slowly, steadily and completely transformed into an EDM Connector. For those unawares of this term, EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music in all its amazing forms such as Trance & House music coupled with Dancing in all its outrageous forms too ;)

The Connect took a concrete shape in a very subtle but powerful fashion during the ending days/nights of year 2011, with my first footsteps on the musical heaven of India – Goa, all set to become another honoured citizen of Planet Sunburn! 5th year since its experimental inception in the year 2007, Sunburn 2011 has indeed grown into a different planet now with its citizens grooving across those heavenly 3 days/nights to the beats of the finest DJs across the globe! It would be safe to say that those were & still remain by best 3 days/nights ever :)

Come year 2012, and my Bangalored experience was indeed Bang-ing now with numerous gigs across the complete EDM landscape – Progressive, Techno, Psychedelic, House etc. The most incredible ones being Dash Berlin at E-Zone, 1200 Micrograms at Pebbles, Tritonal & Cosmic Gate at E-zone and then the wonderful Ferry Corsten at Submerge Supernova very recently !!

And during early April, I got yet another opportunity to be a part of Planet Funburn, this time in aamchi Mumbai !! The experience was made even more special for me by Team Sunburn with the exquisite VIP treatment which will be remembered forever. Gareth Emery, Mat Zo, Aly & Fila & SKAZIII tranced me so much that Sunburn team had to capture my trancing moves on there Facebook Youtube video :D

The Aussies “Terrific Trio” of Kenny, Belinda & Brett also became a part of my EDM-Connect giving this musical experience an international touch. This proved the famous saying that Music is indeed not bounded by any physical boundaries, it is – Above & Beyond such things !! I will always treasure this unique connection for sure :)

On 11th May, Sunburn Special witnessed its inaugural episode on Television – MTV & VH1 both. Those 30 minutes COMPLETED my EDM connect, for they made me realize that I did not have to be personally present at any EDM concert or listen to music on my iPod/laptop to make the connect! I could for sure ENJOY, DANCE, JUMP at just the sight of Sunburn on TV, with all those great memories & nostalgia back with a bang!

The Connect was MADE, and henceforth this Post had to be Blogged :) :)

It all started with the Edward Maya classic – ‘Stereo Love’! I still remember listening to this wonderful tune time & again, without the slightest hint about the artist, let alone the song itself! But the mystery was just too much for me…

And then I met my trance guru – my dearest bro James Ballack in Ambala for the umpteenth time, but as it turned out, this was going to be one of those very rare revolutionary meetings! For 3 straight nights, I was introduced to the wonderfully uplifting world of trance through numerous tracks on my bro’s mobile phone, listening whole night through earphones! My bro did not require those earphones, for he knew all the tunes already by heart! Enigmatic, Soul-Stirring, Mind-altering – Those nights were all these and more…

Those were my initial baby steps into the wide expanse of trance universe! Days went, Nights passed & I was getting overwhelmed by the ever-growing trancelectic beauties reaching my mailbox every single day/night, courtesy Mr. Maya! Edward Maya, David Guetta, Music of the Sun, 1200 Micrograms, Infected Mushrooms had a great impact on my early trance days, with my first top-20 trance list having numerous tracks from them and their likes…

Shiva on Trance was the next level, with our unprecedented devotion towards Lord Shiva! If Shiva’s India by 1200 Mics was brilliant, my trancematic experience reached the ultimate possible level with Shankara by Hilight tribe – my all-time Numero Uno ever!! I was ‘Becoming Insane’ due to Infected Mushrooms and drugged by 1200 Micrograms…

And then the world no. 1 DJ took over – Armin Van Buuren’s A State of Trance – 2011 blew me away with 2 hours of magical spell! It was time for my second top-20 trance list, led by AVB & various tracks from his legendary radio show ASOT! In the meantime, my exposure to different genres of trance also begun – As I moved from house mix to progressive to psychedelic trippp !!! This was the next level…

If Vibe Tribe – Destination Unknown, Melodrama & Wisecracks had me tripping in all directions, then the Intersys-Perplex combo known as Kreak (SpaceCat remix) had me in an absolute frenzy!! Add to this the maddening destruction caused by Skazi in I wish & the soothing music by Krishna Das and the latest top trance tunes underwent a huge change…

Then I joined Bangalore Trance Community (BTC) and I was no longer tripping only on my laptop or iPod! The Partyyy season was full ON now!! Mark Eteson gig at Blue Waves ushered in the supreme feeling of bliss through live musicals!! Jalebee Cartel’s techno at Kingfisher’s Octoberfest was absolutely off the hook!!

BOOM BOOM – Psykovsky & Kindzadza completely killed it during 7 straight hours of Psychedelic & Dark trance at E-zone!! An experience of a kind it was, very difficult to be replicated again…

And then the Perfect 100 Gig happened at F-Bar – Protoculture completely blasted me away left, right & center with his super-awesome Liquid Logic & Orjan Nilsen’s Viking on that heavenly trance night!!

And to think that all this is just a mere beginning!

S.U.N.B.U.R.N from 27-29 Dec. in GOA with JAMES BALLACK is next! The line-up boasts of giants such as Above & Beyond, Infected Mushrooms, Skazi, Markus Schulz, Jerome Isma-Ae among others! Indian techno masters – Lost Stories & Jalebee Cartel and some out-of-the-world stages! This MAHAKUMBH of Trance is all set to take us to some unbelievable heights, never witnessed before!!

See you on the sands :-)