#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 :-)

The evergreen pastures of NITIE were left behind a few months back to culminate a thoroughly exciting and eventful journey that started way back in the summer of 2011. The life-altering MBA experience is something to be treasured and cherished forever – be it the sleepless and lively hostel-life or the hectic and challenging exam-time or the buzz around the campus ignited by those numerous extra-curricular events. Talking of events, reminds me of the legendary management fest Prerana and its latest 2011 avatar, which sure had all MBA junta hooked around with its emphatic ensemble cast. Besides others, it was the heady cocktail of “Beauty & Brains on the Rocks” what with Anurag Kashyap, Gul Panag and Indian Ocean gracing the campus this time around, which had everyone including yours truly, craving to be in the campus and missing it all the more when unable to attend Prerana! The ultimate realization of being a revered alumnus of this wonderful institute (popularly known as the hill station in Mumbai) was complete with a call and the mail from the mighty Alumni Committee! And hence followed this article.

Life after NITIE has only risen on the awesomeness scale mostly because Bangalore happened! Famous as the IT hub of India, this metropolis is a perfect mix of sheer brilliant weather, a foodie’s delight, work hard & party harder culture! The only slight blemish could be the sometimes immovable traffic jams, but the highly organized public transport system especially buses and the recently started metro facility provides travel comfort to the commuters. Concerns with respect to stable infrastructure in light of ever increasing population explosion maybe valid but as of now, this heart of South India is managing decently especially in comparison to other metropolitan cities across India. My take, based upon a still very short experience, reiterates Bangalore continuing to being the ‘Land of Opportunities’ atleast in the near future and a very suitable long-term option for settling down.

Being a part of an organization in its 100th centennial year of existence makes you feel really proud and excited! My IBM experience, previously also known as the Identical Blue Men in the 1950/60’s era because of their leaders singular attraction to everything blue (suits, shirts & trousers), has been so far so good. Big Blue, especially in the GMC (Global Marketing Centre) team where I work, provides you with a great combination of flexibility, quality and challenges all at the same time. Top it with an excellent work culture and a second-to-none brand, the experience becomes truly epic!

And the next Big thing is Cloud Computing, make no mistake about that! From an industry marketing perspective of chemicals and petroleum in particular and the complete gamut of industries in general, all organizations (small and big) are slowly but steadily moving towards the cloud culture both internally and externally. Be it enterprise asset management or storage a solution, cloud technology is everywhere. The biggest issue is of security in employing a public cloud that requires sharing of information with various companies that may include competitors too. However, the success of the private cloud model and the steep rise in data worldwide makes Cloud – A Must Have for all! Rate of adoption would vary from industries to services. IBM is all set to lead from the front in this domain leveraging its rich legacy of highly successful and dynamic solutions touching everybody’s lives. Recipient of the prestigious Forbes award for being the Numero Uno organization for leaders makes the Big Blue completely aware of the famous quote: “With great powers come great responsibilities”!

The Future is here. The Journey has just begun. The ABC Stories have been told.

ENTER!

This is not a movie review of Shaitan. And its probably also not meant for anyone who could not relate himself or found this movie to be ‘below expectations’. Infact, this post is strictly meant to be read, enjoyed and savored by all the die-hard fans of this Bejoy Nambiar classic!

The expectations were just too huge. So much so that even matching them would have required a masterpiece showcase. SHAITAN did better – It blew me away!! Free time at home & my religious following (lets not use the word addiction) of Facebook meant that I liked the ‘Cult of Shaitan’ page and the rest as they say is history. The leaked trailer, the teaser and the exciting updates on this FB page made me follow it on a regular basis but the real turning point was the ‘Shaitan Hunt’ contest. Winning that contest and then getting a chance to meet Shaitan starcast and win cool merchandise (though none of these have materialized till now & that’s a pity), really hooked me completely. From that time onwards their was no going back!!

The second biggie came in the form of me winning the FB prankster contest & henceforth winning free passes to official music launch of OST at HRC Mumbai. Though I could not go their myself, two of my great friends did & had a rockkking time, courtesy among others: BHAYANAK MAUT!! Still remember listening to UNLEASHED hundreds of kms away in Doon on my mobile that night via Nishant’s Samsung Wave :)

And then OST was unleashed!! I can safely say that I have never ever heard such an amazing album in bollywood till date!! Rock, Pop, Trance, Sufi: you name it and they have it!! All of them pure bliss. ‘Bali: The Sound of Shaitan’ remains my ultimate favourite track! But I have loved everything from Pintya & Fareeda to Josh & Retro Pop Shit!!

And then came 10th June!! Booked my first day first show ticket in advance, only to miss the show due to last moment ‘official’ reasons!! And that was bad, very bad :(

But on 12th June, I finally witnessed something I had never seen in bollywood before: 130 minutes of GODly cinema or should I say: SHAITANI cinema!!! Gaspar Noe’s camerawork met Aronofosky’s darkness & Tarantino’s shockedness!! Felt Nolanic awesomeness in bollywood for the first time & that is saying something guys :)

Though I enjoyed every second of this classic, these are my favourites in no particular order:

KHOYA KHOYA CHAND: This was simply put “Orgasmic stuff”!!! Outstanding camerawork coupled with Superb remix made for a heavenly watch!!

PINTYA RUN-CHASE: Inspector Mathur chasing down the corrupt cop with Pintya in background was stuff of pure cinematic brilliance!!

HUMMER UNLEASHED: The turning point in the movie.. those few seconds of exhilarating Bhayank Maut’s Unleashed before the accident was just amazing!!

BALI BEGINNING: The first look at KC, Dash, Tanya, Zuben & Amy with Bali playing in background gave the movie the awesomest start possible!!

AMY’S THEME: Scenes of Amy’s mother getting drowned in the bath-tub with Amy were again a case of topclass direction!

THE ONE LINERS: Many of them from KC & Zuben throughout the movie were a pleasure to listen to!!

And there were so many more too!!

Hats Off to Bejoy Nambiar for storming into Bollywood with the perfect movie!! Yes, it is now officially my no. 1 movie in Bollywood till date!! (In Hollywood its ‘Inception’ :))

My Respect for Anurag Kashyap reaches its zenith for producing such movies (after Udaan last year).

Heartiest Congratulations to Rajeev Khandelwal, Kalki Koechlin, all co-stars and anyone & everyone associated with this masterpiece.

Thank You “SHAITAN”!!!

OUTRO!