The Sound Of Garuda has always been one of my most look forwarded to mix compilations. The first Sound of Garuda was released in 2009, with Chapter 2 following it 2 years later. And now, another 2 years have passed and another new mix compilation is set to be released.
The Sound Of Garuda: Chapter 3 that was released last May 2013 was mixed by rising star Ben Gold. Garuda label head Gareth Emery has passed on the mixing responsibilities to one of the rising stars in trance, that is Ben Gold. Gareth had previously mixed the first two Sound of Garuda mix compilations, but felt it was time for the reigns to be passed on to someone who is helping to bring the name of Garuda to brand new heights. That is exactly what Ben Gold has been doing and he could not be more excited about it either
The compilation is packed with gems by Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten, Ashley Wallbridge, W&W, Arty, KhoMha and more.
I felt honored when Garuda approached me to mix the 3rd chapter in ‘The Sound Of Garuda’ series.Being the next ambassador of this compilation after Gareth Emery makes me really proud, Ben Gold said.
With my repititive listening in the past few weeks, the weaving of the mix takes the listener through a flashback of unforgettable tunes that are sure to ignite memories of sandy beaches and strobe-induced nights on the dance floor. I am glad to be following this compilation because I could relive the euphoria that can only come from the sound of the world’s best trance and progressive artists.
Track list:
Disc 1
Juventa – Bitsmash – not exclusive
Ben Gold – Where Life Takes Us (Juventa Remix) – exclusive
Ferry Corsten – Rock Your Body (Arty Rock N Rolla Remix) – not exclusive
Emma Hewitt – Rewind (Mikkas Remix) – not exclusive
Ashley Wallbridge – Yin-Yang – not exclusive
Luke Bond – 1UP – out May 20
W&W & Ummet Ozcan – The Code – not exclusive
Thomas Ulstrup – Disco Fever – exclusive
Mark Eteson & Luke Bond – 4 Days Out (Tom Fall Remix) – not exclusive
Russ James – My Mind (Rafaël Frost Remix) – exclusive
Ben Gold feat. The Glass Child – Fall With Me (Tom Fall Remix) – not exclusive
Lange & Audrey Gallagher – Our Way Home (Noah Neiman Remix) – not exclusive
Eximinds – Mainbeat – not exclusive
Fast Distance & Rikkaz – Cruise Control – not exclusive
Ben Gold – Amplified – exclusive
Disc 2
Gareth Emery – Layers – exclusive
Eximinds – Ganesa – exclusive
Ben Gold – Mesocyclone – not exclusive
Ben Gold & Tritonal – Apex – not exclusive
Rob Naylor – Yes – exclusive
Solis & Sean Truby – Meerkat – exclusive
Fisherman & Hawkins – Apache – not exclusive
Gareth Emery – Tokyo (Ben Gold Remix) – not exclusive
DJ Eco – Borealis (Solis & Sean Truby Remix) – not exclusive
April 22, 2013 was when the best album of the year (IMO) so far was released on Anjunabeats. And unless you are an Anjunabeats devotee or trance geek, you probably missed it.
Andrew Bayer’s If It Were You, We’d Never Leave is a monumental album for electronic music. With all the recent surge in news regarding the staying power of the dance music scene, the so called 'EDM bubble' and the constant chatter revolving around DJ’s having little to no originality in their Beatport top 10-laden sets, Andrew Bayer’s career-defining album is a breath of fresh air. Even though it has been released for quite some time, given the current commotion about the necessity for innovation in electronic music, I felt it appropriate to revisit, hype up, and dissect this absolute masterpiece of an album, along with introducing those that are not familiar to the genius that is Andrew Bayer.
A major contributor to the Above & Beyond’s powerhouse label, Anjunabeats, he is perhaps best known (currently) for his massive trance tracks i.e. Anjunabeats favorites Keep Your Secrets featuring Molly Bancroft, In and Out of Phase featuring Kerry Leva, and England have solidified the Washington D.C. native as a major player in the trance world. Bayer’s tracks have received consistent playtime on the likes of A State of Trance, and of course, Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy radio. Considering this, perhaps the most interesting observation about this phenomenal producer is that his two studio albums, It’s Artificial (2011), and the album headlining this article, If It Were You, We’d Never Leave.
With influences from hip hop, hints of glitch music (glitch-hop), downtempo beats, and ambient music, this album is a step away from everything that has begun to define electronic music. There are no bangers, yet there are tunes that pop out at you with incredible emotion. There are no pointless tracks that simply take up space for the sake of taking up space. There are no generic formulas being followed. If It Were You, We’d Never Leave is a sixteen track experience, a journey through a rocky, post-apocalyptic, yet serene, tranquil landscape on the surface of Andrew Bayer’s mind. It's good to note this is not an album you play to light up the dance floor, but one you listen to warm your soul with the full range of human emotion.
I won’t be reviewing and describing every track in great detail in this piece, as that would be doing the album an injustice. It is not meant to be listened as sixteen separate pieces of music. But rather I can try and take you on a journey, get you to places, imagine lucid elements as how this masterpiece did to me. While tracks such as Lose Sight, You Are, Need Your Love, and Echo are phenomenal as stand alone tracks, they are exponentially more impressive as pieces of an intricate journey that spans the entire album.
Andrew Bayer has mastered the art of sequencing his music in order to achieve a roughly one hour long electronic symphony. The slow, fairly mellow yet dark glitched synths, coupled with a piano melody found in Opening Act meld into the even darker, urgency building, glitch-hop-esque Doomsday. The track oozes of true feeling. One can almost reach out and touch the sense of doubt, anger, and uncertainty that’s wrapped tightly around the track, like an enshrouding veil. All of a sudden, the veil is every so slightly lifted; the urgent build up dissipates, and a slight reassurance builds as female voice quietly begins to echo over a still foreboding piano on It’s Going To Be Fine. The feelings of doom and urgency, so carefully crafted in Doomsday, are slowly swept aside, as Bayer conveys a sense of reassurance to the listener. His progression of emotion can really be seen in this track. The beginning still carries the feelings that were created in Doomsday; however, by its end, as it progresses into Let’s Hear That B Section Again! (one of the noteworthy tracks and a personal favourite), there is almost none of it remaining. The grittiness of the opening two tracks are completely swept away. B Section is completely devoid of a drum beat. Instead, it conveys its message of calm with inorganic sounds and scratchy, oscillating, harp-like synths. The listener is finally brought to the first true single of the album, Lose Sight featuring Ane Brun. An R&Bish (Andrew Bayer’s twist), poppy, uplifting track with a catchy drum beat, acoustic guitar chords, and an absolutely ingenious, yet simple, piano melody that can’t help but stick with you.
As Lose Sight wraps up, one can only smile that the journey is only a third over, and another eleven tracks remain. I don’t want to ruin the experience of forming your own little world with the building blocks that compromise this one hour long masterpiece, so I will leave it up to you, to listen to the rest of it. It is incredibly difficult to describe with words exactly what Bayer is employing throughout this album, in terms of a specific sound or synthesizer. The organic chimes in tracks deeper in the album, such as All This Will Happen Again, transport the listener to an open field on a sunny afternoon, somewhere in the world that Bayer has so carefully constructed. The harshness and dance floor-geared themes that are all the rage in EDM production these days are nowhere to be found, yet their influence can still ever so slightly be felt, thanks to Bayer’s mastery of blending his entire range of ability. It is an experimental, unique, album that illustrates the abilities of a true master of audio at work, as he tries to tell a story through a never before heard combination of sound, melody, and composition.
As I mentioned in some of my blog work, this unique blend of genres/styles that are often unheard on the mainstream is not for everyone. However, if you decide to keep an open mind and expand the boundaries of your musical palette, then please listen away. What I've written above will start to make more sense when you listen to the album and read my blurb at the same time. You will not be disappointed. One simply doesn't get the same experience as listening to every minute of this Album-of-the-Year worthy piece of music. Get out your favorite pair of headphones (preferably hi-def), sit back, and relax. Let the music wash over you until you never want to leave. Welcome to the world of Andrew Bayer.
Some snaps from Andrew's Facebook page prior to release of this album. I included these snapshots as they were true to testament about the album. He wasn't just hyping it up or what, he was just telling the simple truth:
The Expedition is a worldwide celebration of ASOT's 600th episode (12 years) and this is such a milestone, a feat that only very few radio shows are able to achieve. The celebration is monumental as The Expedition embarks on a journey to 10 cities around the world. This is yet to be the biggest and longest celebration of A State of Trance.
WithArmin van Buuren leading the troops, he gathers the world's renowned and upcoming dance acts from all over the world.
For an avid follower of the show and a trance head myself, my OCD kicked in and I wanted to at least tuned in to every city stopover. And when it was announced that ASOT600 will have a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - I could not contain my excitement. I immediately tweet and posted about this to know which friends are going whom I could go with. Unfortunately, because of work conflict I was forced to let go of this opportunity.
My journey with the expedition started with the Pre-party Celebration in Madrid, Spain on 14 Feb 2012 (around after midnight time in Manila). Because of my apparent sleeping problem, I tend to wake up in the middle of my sleep - that's normally from 2AM to 4AM depending what time in the evening I dozed off. This problem became beneficial for me during this time because I got to wake up in time for the streaming of the #ASOT600MAD over on di.fm. I listened away, maybe falling asleep in between and waking up back again, but definitely I was bed raving to the sets of Lange and Ronski Speed which, I think are the best sets of that night!
Only after two days, the real celebration of ASOT 600 commences and the first stop over was in Mexico City, Mexico on 16 Feb 2012 (mid-morning to afternoon time of 17 Feb in Manila). I have spent the night at a friend's house as I was too wasted to get home on my own. Just before I took a cat nap, I already set my di.fm app, tuned into the trance channel so even if I was still asleep, the #ASOT600MEX will begin to stream when it starts. I woke up to the banging beats of W&W, that were consistently followed up by Markus Schulz who is known to be a floor destroyer with his uplifting riffs, and while he concludes his set, it also served as a smooth ground work to make way for the main man himself, Armin van Buuren. My friends and I were tuned in from breakfast to lunch time raving and jumping as if we were in the venue as well. It was one of the best Sundays!
Two weeks have passed and the expedition marches on to its next stop over on 01 Mar 2012 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Brazil has largely becoming a preferred country for dance music festivals. Although trance music isn't as popular in the country compared to house and techno, it has a growing community that AvB and ASOT team only felt right that Sao Paolo should be included in the stopover.
It was afternoon time of 02 Mar in Manila, and I was at a friend's house doing a despedida party. It was very timely that I remember to tune in to #ASOT600SAO via di.fm. It was just right on the tail end of AvB's warm-up set when I got to tune in. It was also very timely as one of my good friends was leaving the country and we are doing a sort-of going away party for him. It was only fitting to tune in. As the it progressed, we were introduced to the local Brazil trance act Tomas Heredia and the up-and-coming Ruben de Ronde. Both sets were impressive and on par with the renowned acts that they were opening for. As both acts' sets ended, the real party began as Orjan Nielsen released his banging, uplifting basslines where as if a chug-chugging-coal train is approaching. This went on for the next hour and little we noticed, it was already Markus Schulz on the decks, again setting the mood high with interludes of serene breaks, dark and edgy beats, and an overall epic trance set. As AvB was raving on the radio booth, he exclaimed Markus Schulz was destroying Sao Paolo. Now, it was time for Armin to drive the crowd and the only thing I could remember was the mental vibe his set gave off - imagine a 2 hour set just filled with blissful piano chords, majestic synths, and epic breaks - which only few like AvB can delivery. Finally, we thought it was over but it was far from over as Jorn van Deynhoven picked up from where AvB took off and equally delivered a massive, monumental set. This stopover by far was the best!
Because I was forced to forego this opportunity due to work conflict, I talked with some friends who were also just in Manila to help me arrange a listening party. Since Kuala Lumpur has the same timezone as Manila, it was not a problem to arrange the listening party. I also told my TTD buddies to represent us in KL and that we will be with them in mind, heart, and spirit. Malaysia is quite a conservative Muslim country so parties like this need to start early because they will need to end early due to a 2AM curfew. The broadcast of #ASOT600KL on 15 Mar 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia started with AvB's warm-up set - a set which makes listeners to have second thoughts whether it was really Armin's. Yes, it's is. The feel of the warm-up was very loungey, almost like a serene, beach front ambiance. It happens to be one of my favourite sets on the tour. After the crowd was warmed-up, and literally warm because of KL's humidity, even Armin was saying that it was so humid in KL and that he was sweating. Meanwhile, back in Manila, I have just gotten home from the office in time for the warm-up set. My party mood was all set for the first act that was Ben Gold. He is up and coming trance act and a personal favourite because of his ambitious styles and techniques.
As I had made dinner plans that evening, I was unable to tune in to the sets of Super8 & Tab, W&W, and the first half of Cosmic Gate. When I finished my dinner date with some friends, I immediately went to my friend's pad which was the venue for the listening party. They have not began yet since I was also the tech guy to set up whatever we'll need - in short, they need my phone, my app so we can tune in to di.fm. It's not like they can't do that themselves, right?
Just after setting up, it was Cosmic Gate halfway through their set. A little bland at this point or maybe because I was so full that I was getting food coma. After CG, AvB was up and as delivered quite a substandard set compared to the other set he had in the previous stopovers I mean, his warm-up set was even a lot better than his main set. Keeping our hopes up, we just wanted to make the most of the listening party. Aly & Fila took over and the mood was waning. Because when the duo spinned in Boracay for the SummerNRG 2012, their set was quite dull and uninteresting and only picked up when the party was about to end. We had a similar expectation but still keeping our hopes up. And it paid off as Aly & Fila redeemed the whole party mood with their ethereal synths, uplifting riffs, and the blending or airy, siren-like vocals. It was surprisingly the best set of the night. Even our friends who were physically in the venue agree with us.
It's spring break season and we all know what it means - time for Ultra Music Festival in Miami. The annual dance festival gathers the worlds renowned and up-and-coming acts across the Electronic-Dance Music genre. Since it is that time of year, it was only fitting that The Expedition's next stopover would no where else be than Miami. The #ASOT600MIA held on 24 Mar 2012 in Miami, Florida was broadcasted over on di.fm early morning of Monday. Of course I tuned in as soon as I woke up which was around 6AM. Since of most of the big guns act of this genre are in town, the line up for this event was just overwhelming. From the neophytes W&W, Tritonal, Dash Berlin to trance legends like Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, Markus Schulz, ATB, Above & Beyond, and of course the main man himself Armin van Buuren. I was so energised, which is quite a rare scenario on a Monday morning.
While preparing for work earlier that day, it was already Tritonal working the crowd. I was immediately lifted and transcended in the same atmosphere of the Miami crowd. With Tritonal's signature raunchy, uplifting style, I couldn't help but rave in bed and while eating my breakfast. W&W followed and I saw myself swaying my head and throwing my hands up in the air in the shower. As the sun rises in Manila, so does my energy and thanks to this duo, my Monday morning has never been this energised. Thoughout the morning towards the afternoon, and yes while working, I was tuned in. Though occasionally I would be distracted to do some actual work, I still manage to tune in the background. I was planning to tune back in to ATB's set but was unable to due to a meeting. I was only able to tune back in while working at the time A&B was banging the decks. Then AvB came on, and then Ferry Corsten. While doing work, eating lunch on my desk, and occasional tweeting, I couldn't help but feel the energy of these live sets. I was really transcended as if I was not in the office crunching on my Monday deliverables. As a finale, PvD stepped in. I was a little zone out already because I had so much on my plate and my deadline was looming.
In between all this, I was interacting with everyone on Twitter sharing the same vibe we were all channeling that time. Boy, I could multi-task!
As we reach the final stopover of The Expedition, the biggest, monumental, overwhelming line-up ever done, I for one could just let this pass by without tuning in live. Due to the success of our previous listening party, I have again convinced my friends to do another listen party and this time for both nights of that weekend. The final destination of this 12-city, 7-week celebration is in Den Bosch, The Netherlands on 06 Apr 2012. #ASOT600DB has a total of 4 tents and a line-up of acts almost 30. The four tents are consisted of the Main Stage, Who's Afraid of 138?! The Expedition, Make The World A Dancefloor. Because of broadcast limitation, only the Main Stage was primarily broadcasted over on di.fm with the occasional switching to WAO138 tent. It was apparent that the big trance acts like Markus, Ferry, and some of the up-and-comings like Andrew Rayel will be in the main room whilst the more uplifting acts like Aly & Fila, Artic Moon, and Orjan Nilsen are in the WAO138. AvB had sets in both Main Stage and WAO138. Because the primary broadcast was the Main Room, the only option was to make do with what we have.
My friends and I rendezvous'd at our host's place around midnight just in time to kick off the Main Room broadcast. The acts that stood out on the Main Stage were Andrew Rayel, Simon Patterson, and Shogun. It was refreshing to hear from these acts as we have been hearing repetitvely from the big guns. In between were glimpses on the WAO138 tent where at times we could sense Aly & Fila's set was truly banging, Artic Moon was also delivering, and even AvB's set on this tent was better than the one he had on the main.
This listening party took around 8 hours and even as we ate breakfast we were still in a party vibe channeling the energy of the atmosphere in Den Bosch.
That concludes my personal journey and experiences on The Expedition. What was yours? What do you think?
Mental is probably the best word to describe Anjunabeats Volume 10. It was mixed by Above & Beyond features 30 exclusive tracks from Arty, Andrew Bayer, Norin & Rad, Jaytech, Super8 & Tab, Maor Levi, and many more, as well as the brand new instrumental anthem from the trio - Walter White.
As we all know, Anjunabeats is one of the strongest dance music labels in the world today and all their compilations can be taken as proofs why is it so, that they belong to one of the most respected music companies. We probably wouldn’t find too many similarities between the original Anjunabeats Volume 1 and this year’s Volume 10, but how could we? Music has changed so much during the last 10 years, yet Above & Beyond still keep up the pace and may it be them as DJs/producers or the whole Anjuna label, it’s really something to bow to!
Disc one kicks off in a more emotional way with A&B’s own Small Moments, beautiful instrumental track which takes you completely off this world, especially when you combine it with a deep video or those visualizers on Windows Media Player. What comes next, is a favorite of mine for 2013 so far and I’m talking about Audien and his Wayfarer. It is something that puts a smile on your face from the first beats, throwing your hands up in the air spontaneously and of course a bass line that will get you up from your chair. What surprised me at first but insured me when I looked at the track list was track 7. Jaytech comes in with a new banger Inception. Usually a contributor for the Anjuna's deep house sister recording company, it's refreshing for this artist to finally break through the trance side of his genre.
Above & Beyond came up with a new track for this compilation as well. Walter White shows us how a deep and emotional breakdown should look like. However, the rest of the track is a bit strange. I understand that everyone is changing thanks to the scene, but I don’t think this is the right way for A&B. However if there is someone who definitely goes hand in hand with the scene today, I believe that Maor Levi is having the best time of his career. Having a track on this compilation is a great honor for any producer, but Maor has three tracks on this disc and that definitely proves that he delivers! ALWAYS! May it be in the calmer sounds of ethereal progressive or a bit rougher league of bass lines, this guy produces only the best - all these are worth listening: his collab with Boom Jinx and my fave female trance vocalist Ashley Tomberlin When You Loved Me; the remix on Liquid Love which is a great rework from the Tri-state album; and the ever-emotional Holding On.If someone asked me what I liked the best about disc 1, I would have to say that it is this track along with Ronski Speed and Syntrobic's tune called Pink Skye where it features the haunting voice of Renee Stahl.
Disc 2 and the half second half of the compilation is picked up by Andrew Bayer with his new tune called England. I’m not really sure how to feel about this one, though it sounds very housey yet even a bit commercial it still brings originality with itself and many other good factors as well. Knowing that Bayer has two sides of his artistry - the more commercial ones we hear on the Anjunabeats collection and the more artistic side which is what his artist album is about. L.A. by Super8 & Tab could be my favorite track off of tdisc 2. It sounds a lot like their older more progressive stuff like Helsinki Scorchin. The use of the small vocal synth in this track is mesmerizing. It accompanies the bass lines and uplifting melodies perfectly. Then after building for over two minutes the main bass lines kicks and L.A. is taken to new heights. Aldo by Norin & Rad is another new track we are able to listen to. It is a more up tempo trance track featuring some heavy bass lines with euphoric drops. Sinai by Ilan Bluestone is another great track. While not completely new, this track really stands out to me on this album. Ilan Bluestone is still an artist on the rise globally and this track is what I think can break him through to the next level. Sinai is an amazing euphoric track with an incredible use of percussion along with vocals. May it be the exotic vocals, melodic synths or the piano parts. is a beauty that deserves to be heard more than one time.
Nitrous Oxide teams up with 7 Skies to create something very magical together. “Right On“ is a perfect combination of strong synths we all wish to hear on a good party and a pure melody created on a piano. The instant changes in this track between the heavy parts of great beats, strong synths, and the emotional piano parts, emotions backed up by a massive drive, yes, definitely a great tune!
Next up is a track that is truly beautiful in it’s album mix, but on the contrary gets a completely different coat in the club mix. Black Room Boy from A&B is the track I’m talking about. While repetitively listening to it, I somehow discovered that the bass line is a complete floor killer and started singing along with the track in a matter of seconds. I always thought of myself as a Black Room Boy - if you get my drift.
I would like to say that Anjunabeats Volume 10 is one of those compilations that shouldn’t be thrown away by trance crowd for not being a clear trance album. My opinion is that this compilation is a very special piece that has to be heard with a calm mind, good mood, and most of all, if you want to listen to it and feel happy, you should forget about the never-ending 'war' of styles which is going on in the scene. Just sit back, press play and enjoy the music.
Get ready for the hottest concert party called Summer Energy: The Biggest Music Festival in the Island of Boracay on March 28 and March 30, 2013 at Beachfront, Station 2, Boracay
Concert Party Date: March 28 and March 30, 2013/ Thursday and Saturday
Concert Party Venue: at Beachfront, Station 2, Boracay, Philippines
Concert Party Ticket Price:
VIP Tables – P10,000 (Good for 8 pax)
VIP – P1500 (+ 2 free drinks)
Door Charge Regular – P700
Pre- Selling Regular- Php 1600
Pre- Selling VIP-Php 1200
The two-day music festival will feature world renowed and an award winning DJ, O Jon O’Bi with the biggest biggest stars including Paul Van Dyk, Sasha, and Tiesto. Bigfish resident DJChris Raeuber and DJ Sied Van Riel, who won the “best new face” award for the 2008 Trance Awards will be also joining the event
This event also made possible with the support of Big Fish Residence Partners, Sol Marina Boracay,The Palms Boracay, and Diamond Hotel. MTV Asia, is the Official Music Channel, and Velvet as the Official Lifestyle Channel.
Summer Energy: The Biggest Music Festival in the Island of Boracay event is brought to you by Big Fish Manila with special partners HTC, Bacardi, and Power Horse.
Mariah Carey releases the official video to the Oz, the Great and Power soundtrack Almost Home.
In the video, Mariah dons a long black ensemble standing on a basin of water to create that symmetry thus elongating her body to make her look slimmer. Not only her singing style on the song was different (and that's pretty refreshing), her usual flirtatious antics and movements were also repressed and almost absent.
Never thought this opportunity would come again so soon - being that I missed the first gig of Dash Berlin in Manila last Jan '12, here he is again back in Manila for Bigfish TranceNRG as part of his Music Is Life tour.
Normally, my bff Jason is the one in-charge gathering all of Manila bloggers and press people for the mini media conf prior the event. This conf allows select invited guests, press people, and bloggers to meet, greet, and throw questions on the featured artist/s. However, the date of DB's second Manila gig also fell on a Lunar NYE which made Jason unavailable - I covered for him. I got to do first hand and be involved in the action of holding up a media conf, engaging the media folks whilst waiting for the artist, doing some leg work in performing logistics down to ensuring loot bags have the right stuff in and that they will be given to the attendees at the end of the mini conference.
I became an instant fan of DB's music back in 2009 because of his melodic, melancholic, emo-trance tunes i.e. 'till The Sky Falls Down, Man On The Run, and the ever-anthemic Waiting. However, his recent works has become too emotional and commercial that they just lost their appeal and luster on my musical palette. But that didn't stop me from attending his gig, and better yet getting a chance to talk, ask him questions, and have a photo op with Jeff Sutorious. Yes, he is that guy with a modest height for a caucasian. Dash Berlin consists of three members and Jeff is the face and the front man of the act.
Here are some snaps:
with DB's front man Jeff Sutorius(photo taken via my camera phone)
with Christmas and Ralph
(all other 3 photos courtesy of Christmas Teotico)
Wreck-It Ralph is a 2012 American computer-animated family-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 52nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.
Watching this movie is such a trip! Nostalgia began to kick in upon seeing the characters in Atari resolution. From its opening scene in ‘Bad Anon’ - a support group for digi-villains such as Bowser, M Bison, and Doctor Robotnik to its Game Central Station setting (a city populated by hundreds of classic characters travelling from game to game), this is a world created with the sort of love, precision and cheeky referencing that, especially if you’ve ever been a gamer like myself, you’ll never want to leave.
But underneath the its facade , there is such depth that struck me about the movie, the characters, and the role they play. Ralph has been unhappy all these years because he wanted to become someone else. He is governed by envy and frustration - all because he could not accept the fact he is a bad guy and that being a bad guy serves a function to the big picture. It was not until he met The Glitch where his journey began by teaching one another some valuable lessons in life and their destination end up at themselves with a full realisation that self-acceptance is key to happiness. We must learn to accept who we are, what we can be, and what we cannot. Once we that's done, everything else will come forth and follow through.
We accept the love we think we deserve is perhaps the most striking line in the movie.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age comedy-drama set in the 80s. It stars Logan Lerman, Emmat Watson, and Ezra Miller as lead characters.
The story revolves around young Charlie (Logan Lerman), a freshman who reads a lot and isn't popular at high school. When he meets his new senior best friends, played by Ezra Miller (Patrick) and Emma Watson (Sam), things begin to turn around for Charlie, as he makes his way through some big changes in his life. All the experiences of high school are here for the plundering, football games, dances, first kisses, and sexual experiences, all the makings of a normal high school experience. And yes, there's a few unique bits thrown in as well, exploratory forays into homosexuality, recreational drugs, jaunts to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, crippling depression, and various coping mechanisms.
Emma's role in the movie was so fitting that it took her out of the shadow of her Hermione (Harry Potter) character, thus, re-introducing her as a mature, brunette wide-eyed actress. In this role of hers, she becomes one of my girl crushes. Ezra's performance was truly was exceptional and natural. With his theatre background helping him internalise the character of Patrick, he delivered a plausible and stunning performance. Patrick's character is the one I draw the most resemblance with: his external antics, behaviour, coping mechanism, perception; to his sorrows, pain, joy, all of which are something I could totally relate with.
It also gave me a glimpse of our lives before all these technology came into play - life was a lot simpler and it was still fun. Watching this movie made me feel nostalgic about my younger years.
Trance 'til Dawn, the growing group of dance music enthusiasts, now positioned to also bring in to the country some of today's significant artists in this ever-evolving genre, brings us their first international dance act -- Artic Moon.
Artic Moon is known for his uplifting tunes and epic drops that go from 130 to 145 bpm. I am no dj/producer (or at least not yet) but with my observation of his tunes, that's my estimate of the bpm he is playing on.
I celebrated with the pack leader Pat Santos together with the rest of this genre's enthusiasts and advocates. All I could remember were the thumping of beats, the enthralled mix of whirling synths, and people just raving, getting lifted into what we call a state of trance.
There was even a time I was just in front of Artic Moon, jumping, staring at him, feeling his basslines, and in between that action I was able to take a quick snap of the guy.
Artic Moon in action on the deck of TIME in Manila (photo taken from my camera phone)
Jase and I before the night went crazy (photo courtesy of Luther Abcede)
Alicia Keys is back with her fifth studio album Girl On Fire. The Alicia we find on Girl on Fire is much removed from how we left her on 2009’s The Element of Freedom, a rumination on the death of her grandmother and the break-up of a relationship. This album still remains my favourite and IMHO, the best AKeys work of her career.
Girl On Fire being the first album of her 30s, Keys is now married (to producer-rapper Swizz Beatz) and the proud mother of a young son. And understandably, the record takes this as its centre.
For all its big beats and stellar collaborations (and there are many: Frank Ocean, Emile Sandé, Darkchild, Babyface and Salaam Remi to name a few), the core of the album is Keys’ remarkable voice and simple songwriting.
The tone is set by the piano introduction, a sombre reflective piece, and then the defiant, nose-thumbing Brand New Me which makes Keys’ stance clear when she sings: “It’s been a while, I’m not who I was before.”
Girl on Fire is classic Keys at her most commercial that contains her signature vocal belts that catapulted her to superstardom. The beautiful, sensual Fire We Make, a duet with Maxwell, is all muted horns and synth bass, a textbook quiet storm. The more you hear this track, the deeper you fall in love with it. Tears Always Win, co-written by Bruno Mars, is a convincing soul/gospel pastiche, played with a small band.
Not Even the King, written with Sandé, is probably the key track. Shorn of all bangs and crashes, it is a straightforward piano ballad, and although exploring the well-worn analogy of how being rich in love is better than all the world’s money (“Your arms around me / Worth more than a Kingdom”), it is strangely and sweetly affecting.
The credits say that Girl on Fire was “conceptualised and produced” by Keys. When you look at other artists of a similarity, you know that she hasn’t just dropped in to record with the latest producers.
As a result, Girl on Fire is a smart album, at the very least maintaining the high standards set on The Element of Freedom. It showcases her as a maturing performer and keeps her there or thereabouts alongside Beyoncé as the world’s leading contemporary stylist of mainstream RnB.
Noteworthy tracks include Girl On Fire, Brand New Me, Tears Always Win
Christina Aguilera treats us with her seventh studio album Lotus
As she mentioned, this album is fun-filled, and she didn't care if it had hits-material. Of course, we'd believe that - right?
With the recent 'tragic' sales performance of Bionic, I feel Xtina was forced to go back to basics - and by this I mean succumbing to the commercially manufactured artist formula. This is the very same formula that brought her stardom to begin with.
I've been listening to the whole album for almost two weeks now. Let's backtrack for a minute… It is not a bad album, per se. It is a competent mix of great vocals, blue-eyed soul ballads, and trendy dance-influenced pop. There are no actually horrible songs.
She collaborates with Alex da Kid, fame and pop super-producer Max Martin. She's also commissioned her The Voice peers Blake Sheldon and CeeLo Greene. Noticing a pattern? After the commercial failure of Bionic, Christina seems to be hungry for a hit, and yet Bionic is actually a better album than Lotus.
One of the album's highlights is the power ballad Blank Page co-written by Sia; the track Light Up The Sky has that LSS effect; and other ballads Sing For Me, Empty Words, Best Of Me who all have been re-hashed from her previous works but still nonetheless a good listen.
Army of Me was described as the successor to Fighter, but the song lacks the same passion and angst. Let There Be Love could be described as an album highlight with its Max Martin-produced wall of synths, and has that American EDM sound written all over it but the song feels like it came a year or two too late.
Your Body, the lead single from the album, is another stand-out Max Martin produced pop track, which I truly felt was a very catchy track and deserved to be the carrier single. As for Just A Fool, a surprise and delight hit from Xtina and The Voice co-coach Blake Sheldon. The chemistry was just there, the vocals, the whole feel of the song brings a lot of hope for the album's struggle for success.
IMHO, I feel she is no longer a step ahead of her contemporaries, as she was with 2002’s Stripped and 2006’s retro pastiche Back to Basics. She’s trailing behind, desperately trying to hang on to the heels of her more successful peers. Which sometimes lead me to think that she is commercially misplaced - always next to someone, always being compared to. To date, I feel she doesn't have a solid identity as an artist as compared to the likes of Madonna, Mariah, Britney, etc. Don't get me wrong though, she is a great artist but I think she's reached the plateau of her artistry.
Having said that, Lotus is largely forgettable. While the songs are "good" they aren't as great - nothing that could stand alongside Stripped or Back to Basics. Everything felt like a second-place rehash - from album covers, to messages of the song, and even her voice sounded struggling for power.
Described by Pete Tong as "the UK's Trance superstars," Above and Beyond rank among the world's top 10 DJs according to DJ Magazine and are undoubtedly one of the dance scene's leading-edge players. Their Trance Around The World radio show currently enjoys a weekly listenership of over 30 million on FM and satellite and the Internet, and has been responsible for breaking many of dance music's biggest records, in addition to featuring exclusive guest sets by some of the world's greatest DJs!
I once read somewhere that Above and Beyond's connection with India has been deep and long-standing. With the country's club scene growing rapidly, India is the perfect location for the 450th episode celebrations to take place.
Joining them for this 9th anniversary special will be Mat Zo, Norin and Rad, Andrew Bayer, and Jody Wisternoff.
Took a snap while tuned in to Above & Beyond's Trance Around the World 450th episode live streaming. The last episode of TATW is also the birth of a new show called Above & Beyond Group Therapy. And now on the decks, Andrew Bayer driving everyone mental! Excited to hear Mat Zo and Above & Beyond later.
Tracklist (courtesy of @TranceFamily)
Jody Wisternoff
01. ID - ID
02. ID - ID
03. ID - ID
04. ID - ID
05. Jody Wisternoff & Jonathan Mendelsohn - Out Of Reach (Andre Sobota Remix) [Anjunadeep]
06. ID - ID
07. Jody Wisternoff - Starstrings (Revamp)
08. The Other Tribe - Skirts (Jody Wisternoff Remix)
09. ID - ID
10. Halo 4 - Awakening (Gui Boratto Remix)
Andrew Bayer
01. Andrew Bayer - ID
02. Damabiah - Irminsul Le Pilier Du Monde (Andrew Bayer Remix)
03. Orbital - Halcyon On & On
04. Matt Lange - Rift (Andrew Bayer Remix)
05. Andrew Bayer - Counting The Points (Club Mix)
06. Andrew Bayer - Not Forgotten
07. Signalrunners - Meet Me In Montauk
08. Andrew Bayer feat. Molly Bancroft - Keep Your Secrets
09. Ane Brun - Undertow (Andrew Bayer Remix)
10. Bizarre Inc. - Playing With Knives
11. Andrew Bayer - ID
Norin and Rad
01. La Fuente - Bang Bang
02. Tristan Garner - Overdrive
03. Dzeko and Torres vs. Maor Levi - Refliction (Norin and Rad Mash Up)
04. Riktam n Bansi - Now Is Here
05. Tiesto ft. BT - Love Comes Again (Hardwell Remix)
06. Norin and Rad - Pistol Whip
07. Orjan Nilsen vs. Dada Life - Copperfield Don\'t Cry (Norin and Rad Mash Up)
08. Norman Doray & Nervo ft. Cookie - Something To Believe In (Hard Rock Sofa Vocal Remix)
One of the most sought after compilation has just been released – Universal Religion Chapter 6, mixed and compiled by no other than Armin van Buuren, who is riding on the highs of his Invasion Tour as well as celebrating his 550 episode of A State Of Trance. Unlike the last two chapters, this was recorded live at Club Privilege in Ibiza.
Catching Ibiza’s magic is a task that only the most experienced musicians can complete. AvB is one of them. Through his Universal Religion series, he’s captured the summer since 2004, landing a mix compilation that burst with exclusive highlights. In 2012, he lands the 6th Chapter of ‘Universal Religion’, recorded live during the A State of Trance Night at the world-famous Club Privilege and including artwork by world-famous Dutch artist Joseph Klibansky.
UR6 makes you part of these special happenings with two live recordings. It makes you feel the energy of the crowd, lets you hear their screams for more, as well as bringing you a selection of exclusive and custom-made tunes and remixes by some of the world’s most talented producers. Tracks by Protoculture, Orjan Nilsen, Aly & Fila, Jorn van Deynhoven, A.R.D.I., Solarstone, Andrew Rayel, and many more. Including the brand new Armin single, ‘I’ll Listen’ and many other premieres, It is the timeless musical memory of 2012’s summer season
I love trance and AvB is undeniably one of my favorite DJ/producers, but I've been a bit disappointed lately by some of his material -- probably too much commercialism going on that to a point it becomes the so-called Top 40 EDM. Still I cannot deny the fact that he is one of the best crowd-driver in an event filled with blissful ravers just wanting to get lost in the arms of trance. So I was still hopeful about this compilation. Having given it a listen, I've concluded that by any standard, this album represents a triumph in trance music. If you're on the fence like I was, I for one can attest to this album's excellence throughout. If you're new to trance and looking for some good music in the genre, well, you can't do better than this album. If you don't like trance, this one might win you over.
Noteworthy tracks include: Fire Island, Aeon of Revenge, Relict, Perpertual Motion, Infinia, Full Disclosure
Track list:
CD1
01 Andrew Rayel feat. Jano – How Do I Know (Armin van Buuren Intro Edit)
02 Andy Duguid feat. Shannon Hurley – I Want To Believe
03 Blake Jarrell – Barbados
04 Solarstone with Aly & Fila – Fireisland (Future Disciple Remix)
05 Armin van Buuren feat. Ana Criado – I’ll Listen
06 Abstract Vision & Elite Electronic vs Broning – Relict
07 Protoculture – Perpetual Motion
08 Ørjan Nilsen – Burana
09 Beat Service – Fortuna
10 Andrew Rayel – Aeon Of Revenge
11 Skytech – What’s Wrong (Skytech Stadium Mix)
12 Stoneface & Terminal – Green Velvet
13 A.R.D.I. – Premonition
14 Matt Davey – Believe In Me
15 Jorn van Deynhoven – Headliner
16 Sasha Carassi & Mikael Jonasson – Void *
17 Armin van Buuren presents Gaia – Status Excessu D (ASOT500 Theme) *
* Armin van Buuren Mash Up
CD2
01 Alex M.O.R.P.H. – Eternal Flame (Original Breaks Mix)
02 Omnia – Infina
03 Richard Sebastian – Full Disclosure
04 Jaytech feat. Steve Smith – Stranger (Kyau & Albert Remix)
05 Juventa – Metamorphose
06 Faruk Sabanci – Elveda
07 Daniel Kandi – 3 Strikes UR In
08 Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt – Like Spinning Plates (Alexander Popov Remix)
09 Paul Webster feat. Angelic Amanda – Time (MaRLo Dub Remix)
10 Tomas Heredia – The Witch
11 Andy Moor – K Ta
12 Richard Durand & Protoculture – Pleasure
13 Matt Bukovski – Retrospection
14 Aligator feat. Daniel Kandi – The Perfect Match
15 Mark Burton – Understatement*
16 Sunlounger Try To Be Love *
17 Neptune Project feat. Polly Strange – The Inside
Calvin Harris, one of my favourite producers (who also happens to sing) releases his third LP 18 Months. I figured why such is the title - since it has been roughly 18 months since the supposed release of the record.
I first heard about Calvin Harris when he produced two of Kylie Minogue's stand out tracks on her X album - In My Arms and Heart Beat Rock. From then on, I became curious about his sound. Started listening to his I Created Disco record back in 2007, but what made love this fella was his 2009 release: Ready For The Weekend.
With much anticipation about his new record and his new-found fame -- including producing We Found Love for Rihanna; collabs with Kelis, Florence of Florence and the Machine, Ne-Yo, Nicky Romero -- the album raised so much expectations and I could say they were met. Or even have exceeded for the many.
What difference can 3 years make, right? I've seen and heard how Harris musical palette and style evolved and how he is also becoming smart about its business side without compromising much of his artistry.
With the explosion of the EDM genre in the music market, Calvin's sound is something I'd still want to hear. I just hope he doesn't succumb to so much commercialism. While the collab with Ne-Yo, and producing jobs for Mary J. Blige, Ke$ha, and other mainstream artists are quite the sign he's onto the same path as David Guetta took, I still have much respect to his talent and how he helped mould the UK dance scene with his is really interesting and funky attitude.
Only one track stood out for me: Awooga; while the other noteworthy tracks are: the 2-dozen chart-topping hit We Found Love, Mansion, Feels So Close, Iron, We'll Be Coming Back, Sweet Nothing, and School (which is a great reminder of how Harris' sound started out.
They call me JoCab.
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