Finally! The last time Above & Beyond played in Bangalore, I missed it. I hoped they would return but I never expected my favorite trance outfit to return like this. I couldn’t believe Submerge managed to snag an epic event like this and bring the group down to Bangalore for it! Trance Around the World, my favourite trance podcast, episode 450 – which they announced at the end of episode 449 would be their last – was going to be transmitted live from Bangalore!
Six hours of amazing trance with other Anjunabeats artists such as Jody Wisternoff, Andrew Bayer, Norin & Rad, Mat Zo, and finally Above & Beyond taking the stage for a two-hour set. Since I knew I couldn’t dance for six hours straight, I only made it to the venue at around 5:30pm just as Andrew Bayer was on stage.
The stage setup, the sound, the impressive venue… it was all really well put togetherI really enjoyed Andrew Bayer’s set — pure trance at it’s finestNext up was American duo Norin & RadDidn’t dance a lot to their set, although they were great in getting the crowd pumped upA good hour-long set none the lessSubmerge says dance, and dance we did!I still couldn’t believe after all this time I waited to see Above & Beyond in concert, it would be for a live recording of the final episode of the trance podcast I’ve been listening to since 2006!Mat Zo, the final ‘warm-up’ act took to the stage for his hour-long setHis set was much better!They had streams of colourful cloth spreading through the crowds. It was symbolic for it is the graphic that represents Group Therapy Radio – Above & Beyond’s new radio showAs the clock struck 8pm, it was now time for the main act. The crowd went wild as three men took to the stage.(L-R) Paavo, Jono and Tony – or better known as the legendary Above & Beyond! I won’t mention their DJ Mag ranking… mostly because I don’t give a shit how high they rank!Needless to say all of us were going bonkers seeing all three of them on stage together (Usually two of them go on tour while one stays back in the studio)The end of Trance Around the World and the beginning of Group Therapy Radio episode 001The played classics from like “Liquid Love” and even some world-exclusive first listens. If it weren’t for ‘Tri-State,’ I wouldn’t have heard of Above & Beyond.But of course, there’s always that one moron who keeps shouting for “Sun and Moon” right from the start. Ugh. (They played it towards the end of course)Epic six-hour long live broadcast ended with an epic shower of confetti!Paavo and Tony seemed pleasedSo were weI began to leave the venue as they closed out with “Good For Me” (from ‘Tri-State again). I was kinda disappointed they didn’t play “Good Day” as it was the one song I was so looking forward to singing as loud as I could.But this being a ‘good night,’ play “Good Day” they did. Although it was the vocal mix. Still, it didn’t stop I or anyone else from singing along.Nikhil Chinapa, who is one of the men behind Submerge, then took to the stage to thank his home crowd for an amazing night
This year marked the 10th anniversary of Submerge, an institution that started out as a platform for Indian DJs back in 2002 and which has since grown into a tour de force in the promotion of electronic dance music in India. You’ve really got to hand it to them. Even Nikhil Chinapa said he never expected they would get this far, but all the applause he got from the crowd was well deserved. Sunburn Festival, all the international DJs they bring to India, and the Submerge nights… Nikhil has done EDM in India a world of good!
As for videos from the night, here are a bunch of clips recorded on the Samsung Galaxy SII (also used for all the above photos). You might want to turn down the speakers as I was close to the stage, and so there’s a lot “brrrr brrr”. Also, if you’re epileptic, you have been warned!
I’ve been meaning to work on this project for quite some time now. Even back in 2008, when I was working at AOL, I felt like pushing this feature out for the portal I worked at – but I felt other than me, nobody else would care. Last week I said: “Screw it, I’m doing it… even if it gets taken down on copyright violation claims!”
As a kid growing up in the ’90s in Bahrain, I was quite literally raised on radio. I couldn’t think of a day I didn’t switch on to listen to Radio Bahrain, which played a lot of UK chart music back then. I also began reading pop magazines like Smash Hits and buying cassettes of albums I liked.
By the mid-to-late 90s, Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync were very much a part of the pop music business. Whenever I went through the inlay cards of the albums I bought, I kept seeing some common names when reading the song credits, and Max Martin was one of them. The others were (his mentor) Dennis Pop, Kristian Lundin, Rami Yacoub, Andreas Carlsson and Per Magnusson – to name a few. Mind you, there are other co-writers and co-producers who deserve a mention, but I can’t list them all!
I won’t get into his whole bio – you have Wikipedia for that – but consider this: chances are you haven’t heard of Max Martin, but you have heard his music!
He’s quite media shy, despite the ubiquitous nature of his musical productions.
So here’s my video tribute to Swedish producer and songwriter Martin Samberg – or Max Martin as he likes to call himself. Why? Here’s why:
Now, I know some of you maybe thinking “Man, you got the chronology all wrong”. But I didn’t. I just went with the years I first heard the songs. In particular Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync – both of whom debuted in Europe and Asia long before they struck gold (and multi-platinum) back in their home country. For example, ‘Backstreet’s Back‘ (the 2nd album) was never released in America because by the time “Quit Playing With My Heart” (the last single from the first album) gained airplay in the US, Backstreet Boys were already superstars in Europe and Asia. So when it came time to release a first album in America, they merged both their debut album and the second album into one.
‘N Sync debuted in Europe with “Here We Go” all the way back in 1996, but it wasn’t until 1998 “I Want You Back” got a music video makeover and was released as the first single for ‘N Sync’s American debut.
Also, in case people were wondering where I stood: ‘N Sync > Backstreet Boys.
Sorry, I still like them, believe in ‘KTBSPA‘and look forward to their new album next year (in which I hope to see a Max Martin contribution)… but somehow ‘N Sync had the ‘it’ factor. Kind of like with One Direction over The Wanted now.
Oh yeah, about the quality of the video. Sorry, I know it’s 2012 and 480p is so 2006, but I had to download all the videos off of YouTube, convert them from .flv to .m4v just so iMovie ’09 would open them. And some of these videos are pretty old (heck, most weren’t even in widescreen format). I’m no pro editor, I created the whole thing in a few days using a hand-me-down Macbook Pro I just got recently. So pardon the amateur cuts. I tried my best.
I know there were other hits I missed but I could only cram as much in under 15 minutes. I left out Celine Dion’s ‘One Heart,’ will.i.am’s “This Is Love” and Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me” just to make space for the others. Again, if you want Max Martin’s entire discography, check Wiki or Maratone.se (Max Martin’s own studio).
If you guys have any other feedback, or would just love to chat about the good ‘ole late ’90s, gladly leave a comment below! 🙂
P.S: Here’s that last image I used, in case you didn’t get to read it all:
I only listed a few songs done by these guys. There’s LOTS more!
P.P.S: Ha ha, a viewer of my video just shared this video of Max Martin’s old band ‘It’s Alive’:
After the disappointing “Dora Dora,” I was hoping U-KISS would make a comeback with a better track. Hopefully one produced by Ryan Jhun – the producer behind last year’s “Neverland” and “Tick Tack” – both of which made me really like the group. Thankfully, this comeback sees U-KISS return to form!
The now six-member U-KISS with their seventh mini-album
02. “Stop Girl” – Production duo Ryan Jhun & JD Relic team up again for this smooth mid-tempo jam:
For the first time in their nearly 5-year career, U-KISS has a contemporary, mature, slick lead single – instead of their tried and tested hook-driven dance songs. The teasers hinted “Stop Girl” would be paced a little slow and sexy, and it is. The vocals and rap fit beautifully, and although the first released MV is a ‘black & white’ edit, the choreography is good enough to be judged (the inclusion of female dancers is a welcome change).
The overall production is top-notch and the instrumentals feel really crisp. Definitely leaps and bounds over “Dora Dora,” but then again, I guess that’s difference you get with Marcan Entertainment‘s production. A really good song. – 5/5
03. “Time to Go” – An intro first heard in 2011, now extended into a full-fledged track on this album. The beats are thumping, the melody is consistent with the ‘dark and sexy’ vibe, but other than that, this feels so much like an album track. One that would have never had a chance as a single. – 2.5/5
04. “Remember (Acoustic version)” – A ballad originally featured on the OST of K-drama ‘Syndrome,’ the acoustic version gives an even better showcase of the power vocals within the group. Soohyun and Kevin prove they have the vocal chops to be taken seriously among idols (especially Kevin) and this ballad is otherwise a really good listen. – 3.5/5
05. “Sexy Baby” – Keeping with the sexy vibe, the last Korean track on the mini-album is a mediocre album filler. “You’re my sex-y babe-ay“. Erm, there’s little else I can say about that. – 2/5
06. “Stop Girl” (English version) – It was fairly obvious from the sound “Stop Girl” (most likely) was written in English first. And having two members fluent in English (Eli and Kevin), it would have been an opportunity lost if they had not recorded an English version. Sure, the native Korean members have accents that are easy to make out, but some members like Dong Ho ace their lines. Imagine if they could all sing in English, U-KISS could have truly been an international idol group. – 3/5
Bonus mention: “Cinderella” – Released a few weeks ago as a digital single, this mid-tempo track has been on my mp3 playlist ever since! I don’t know why it wasn’t included in this mini-album as an album track. Although “Stop Girl” is a better single, “Cinderella” is a great track on its own. – 4/5
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With their seventh mini-album, and a member gone (AJ is studying in the US), U-KISS are still without a win on a music program in South Korea. Down to six members, the group still have the core essentials needed for an idol group and are doing well with each successive release – be it in Korea or Japan. And as much as their international fanbase remains loyal, I can’t help but pray “Stop Girl” nets these boys their first award. Heck, they deserve at least one after all these years!
‘Stop Girl’ the mini-album isn’t much of a compilation to speak off. One great single with a bunch of left-over remixed and thrown in. Still, reviewing it a whole, U-KISS’ latest effort – and probably the last one for 2012 (man, time flies!) – still gets a 3 out of 5 from me. That means ‘Good’.
