Daily Archives: May 24, 2020

Written by Mimansa Shekhar | New Delhi | Updated: May 24, 2020 10:15:45 am Ishwak Singhs turn as Imran Ansari in Amazon Prime Videos Paatal Lok has received a lot of praise. (Photos: PR Handout)

Amid the noteworthy cast of Amazon Prime Videos Paatal Lok, one character that grabs eyeballs is Imran Ansari, played by Ishwak Singh. Ansari is a soft-spoken Kashmiri Muslim, who is a new recruit in the police department and the right hand of Jaideep Ahlawats Hathi Ram Chaudhary. In fact, Ansari is the yin to Hathi Rams yang.

In a candid chat with indianexpress.com, Ishwak opened up about landing his breakthrough role in Paatal Lok, approaching his character with sensitivity and how a theatre background helped him.

Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Q. You are literally the second lead in Paatal Lok, and we got to know that only after watching it. Were you prepared for the audience reaction?

An actor doesnt have control over publicity and marketing, but I wouldnt do it any other way. Its been presented just in the perfect manner. I know Ansari is a very important character, pretty much like the second lead. They (Hathi Ram and Ansari) are both heroes, solving the case and have the virtues in the right place. Its not like a character is tagging along. He has his own identity, background and has a beautiful relation with Hathi Ram. So I felt amazing right from the time I got the script. A lot of people told me its our favorite character because its so endearing. Its a trance when you get a part like Imran Ansari.

Q. Ansari shares a beautiful relationship with Hathi Ram. How do you see that?

The overall writing is so intelligent. The character has so many dimensions to it his personal crisis, identity, religion, professional ambitions. His relationship with Hathi Ram changes from a mentor to a friend to a parent to a sibling. When you are doing these scenes, things come to you organically, and you kind of start seeing the other person like that instead of a character.

Q. How did you come on board Paatal Lok?

We had a very rigorous casting process. I got a call from Casting Bay and I auditioned for it. Then a month passed and I thought maybe the part has gone to someone else. But then again they called to audition. In the audition room, some magic happened. We enacted the Principals room scene. We did Kabirs interrogation scene. We did multiple takes. I went prepared and so it just came out very beautifully. Then instantly in a weeks time, I got a call that I have been locked.

Q. You play a righteous cop who believes in the system. How did you plan out the character before getting on the sets?

You dont plan how to act, but you do create a thinking process. You create another person in you in terms of his mind, heart and soul. I read some books on what it really means to be an Indian Muslim today and books about Kashmiris, just to give it a certain background. I interacted with some Kashmiri Muslim friends. So, I know what their journey has been. But then you sometimes ask yourself why am I doing this, why am I making such choices. The writing is the target. You need to push yourself to get there. Thats why I went to read these books and identify with the Jamuna Par Thana, which is one of the busiest police stations of Delhi and located somewhere in Mangolpuri. In fact, a documentary has been made on that, and exactly the word keede has been used in it. There are heavy crimes there and every investigating officer has more than 50-100 cases on him. I went there and hung out with those people to understand the vibe at the police station, to recreate those moments between Ansari and Hathi Ram. Like I realised some people take this as a government job while some people have this passion for policing. So Ansari also has that dimension.

Q. Your character gets targeted several times because of his religion, yet he sticks to his moral compass.

Its so interesting that in a place like this, where hes in a position of power, in a subtle way, he realises that hes being othered, being treated as an outsider. We all have felt marginalised at one point or the other in our life. So we approached it at a very human angle. For me, it is part of a larger issue, judging people on the basis of their appearance, caste, religion.

Q. What was the most difficult scene to shoot?

I have seen such things happening around me. I think empathy is very important for acting because then you can identify with the other persons space, and that is something you can make part of your performance. The thought behind the scene where Hathi Ram interrogates Kabir and makes derogatory remarks against Muslims, while Ansari refrains from reacting, was something I learnt while interacting with the police. You do things to physiologically break the accused. So Ansari knows these things happen. He knows its part of the job.

Q. How much do you think your theatre background helped you?

Acting is acting, be it on stage, street or screen. The foundation is the same. Over the years, I realised that its only about adjusting your performance in terms of realising whether its a close shot or far shot, more audience or less audience. Also, adjusting your voice and tone accordingly. Of course, its not that simple and takes a lot of practice and understanding in terms of how you do that. You perform a play in a linear manner, but when you shoot a movie, you may start with the last scene, then you go to the middle, then shoot the first scene on your last day. So if you practice theatre constantly, you can develop a great sense of character graph. And at a very granular level, you are able to pick up the nuances and the variations that the character is going through.

Q. Now people will remember you as Ansari and not as Sonam Kapoors fiance from Veere Di Wedding. Is that a good change?

(Laughs) Every character is dear to you, and I take pride in all the work that I have done. I also have a lot of faith in the industry. I have no complaints about why I got smaller roles before and a big role now.

Also read: Jaideep Ahlawat on Paatal Lok success: We were shocked for initial two days

Q. How are you taking all the female adulation coming your way at the moment?

It does make you feel extremely good that people, including girls and boys, are liking you. Another reason why its amazing to be an actor in India more than any place else is our audience gives so much love. I am flooded with fan messages. They have actually picked up some really intricate points of the performance. They are hungry for good stuff, so when you are giving them something authentic, they really give you a lot of love.

Q. Finally, did Ansari manage to clear the UPSC exam?

(Laughs) I am also waiting to find out!

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Paatal Lok actor Ishwak Singh: Its a trance when you get a part like Imran Ansari - The Indian Express

Last week, Gareth Emery broke new ground in dance music by being the first electronic act to launch a PPV stream for his Decade concert. The set sold out in advance, with thousands of fans chatting in a premium live streamed experience and tuning in to watch a four-hour set of Gareth's classics from his own backyard, with more lasers than most festival stages to boot. Following the success of Decade, Gareth's now attempting his most ambitious project yet an Unplugged concert featuring him on piano, with a dozen of the vocalists featured on his hit records over the years joining him virtually from around the world. The main broadcast will take place on Friday, May 22nd at 10:30pm EST / 7:30pm PST. You can watch Gareth Emery's broadcast on garethemery.com/unplugged.

The lineup features the A-list of trance music vocalists, with Emma Hewitt, HALIENE, Christina Novelli and many more, where unplugged versions of tracks like Concrete Angel and Saving Light will prove to be stripped-back tearjerkers.Opening duties are taken care of by Emery himself, who'll be playing a chill-out sunset DJ set prior to taking the piano. The event starts at 7.30PM PST, with two replays broadcasts for different time zones through the weekend on Tixr Play.

Free passes will be going to any medical workers worldwide, and can be acquired by sending an email to unplugged@garethemery.com from an official email or with a photo of a Medical ID card.For everyone else, tickets are $15 and available now at garethemery.com/unplugged For Gareth Emery fans based in Europe, there will be a reply of the Gareth Emery Unplugged show will replay on Saturday, May 23rd at 8PM UK/ 9PM CET and an Asian/Australian replay on Sunday, May 24th at 6PM AEST.

FEATURING:

ANNABELCHRISTINA NOVELLIEMILY VAUGHNEMMA HEWITTEVAN HENZIHALIENEJANET DEVLINKOVICLINNEYLONDON THORLUCY SAUNDERS

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Gareth Emery Announces First-Ever UNPLUGGED Digital Concert Featuring the Greatest Vocalists in Trance Music - EDM Sauce

On a sunny Friday last month, 10 days into Australias coronavirus lockdown, Jayde Beaumont put her toddler daughter down for a nap, closed her bathroom door and started to shave her head.

It was a decision she had wrestled with for years, although it had little to do with how she looked. Ms. Beaumont, 27, has had trichotillomania a condition that has caused her to pull out her hair compulsively since she was 8 years old. For almost two decades, she would fall into daily trance-like states where she would systematically tug the hair from her head, strand by individual strand, a small pile forming next to her in minutes or even hours while she watched television or drove her car.

Anxiety and boredom have become common complaints in the coronavirus pandemic, triggering existing behaviors with potentially harmful effects. Ms. Beaumont said she picked up the razor after weeks of stress from frightening news headlines coupled with spare time from being cooped up inside. Although she had experimented with a range of treatments over the years, nothing had ever fully broken the cycle. Shaving her head had always felt like a last resort until now.

I just thought, What have I got to lose? Ms. Beaumont said. It is now or never. If I dont have hair on my head then I can try to train myself out of this. She recorded the moment and posted on Instagram.

I was scared but also excited, she said. Maybe if I had no hair then there would be no more irresistible pulling urges. Maybe then the relapses and shame spirals would finally go away.

There are a lot of unknowns that surround trichotillomania. Its hard to say (it is pronounced trik-o-till-o-MAY-nee-uh), and also difficult to recognize or neatly define, despite being officially classified as a disorder more than 30 years ago.

In recent years, experts have come to believe that it is caused by a combination of genetic, biological and behavioral factors. There is no one-size-fits-all diagnosis of either triggers or treatments, which can range from cognitive behavioral and habit reversal therapies to attending support groups or even trying to replace the pulling with another action like plinking an elastic band on a wrist.

Trichotillomania has never been taken seriously enough, said Dr. Fred Penzel, one of a handful of specialist psychologists in the field and the executive director of Western Suffolk Psychological Services in New York. For years it was simply seen as a bad habit or quirk and this has meant it hasnt been subject to the same research or widespread studies as many other disorders. It needs a great deal more attention and funding.

According to Dr. Penzel, studies show trichotillomania affects roughly two percent of the global population. That implies there are more than 150 million sufferers globally, who pull hair anywhere from their scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes to their body or pubic area.

I just felt so embarrassed and that no one understood, said Ms. Beaumont, who kept her pulling secret for years until balding gave her away. But no one really knew how to deal with it other than to tell me to just stop, which felt like the very thing that was out of my control.

Hair-pulling is often miscategorized as a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or O.C.D., a condition defined by recurring irrational thoughts and the repetitive acts that are meant to neutralize those thoughts. In fact, while they share similar characteristics, trichotillomania is a type of impulse control disorder that belongs to the behaviors group known as body-focused repetitive behaviors, or B.F.R.B.s. Unlike O.C.D. compulsions, B.F.R.B.s which include skin-picking and nail-biting as well as hair-pulling tend to feel soothing in the moment and sufferers rarely suffer from obsessional thoughts. Many describe entering a trance-like state where they arent fully aware of time or their actions when they pull or play with their hair.

Jennifer Raikes, executive director for the TLC Foundation, stressed that the true gender ratio isnt known and could be more balanced, given most men do not seek treatment or medical help. The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors is the most high-profile of the scientific evidence-based nonprofits committed to improving public awareness and understanding of B.F.R.B.s in everyone from medical professionals, hairdressers and teachers to parents and sufferers.

Quite honestly, nobody knows the exact answers yet to a lot of basic questions, Ms. Raikes said. Anyone who says they definitely know is probably making it up.

Sometimes trichotillomania can be triggered by a traumatic event, she said, and there was a clear interrelation in many cases between B.F.R.B.s and high levels of anxiety or depression. Just as often, however, people can be content and happy save for their compulsive habit.

The psychological and emotional toll wrought by hair pulling can be significant. While few sufferers report feeling physical pain from pulling, when repeated thousands of times it can result in everything from bleeding and skin infections to permanent hair loss and scars. Constantly hiding these consequences can also be exhausting.

Middle school was a rough time for me, said Taylor OConnor, 21, a psychology major from near Kingston, N.Y. She started pulling at her eyelashes and eyebrows when she was seven, around the time her father was given a cancer diagnosis. When she moved to a larger middle school, she pulled out most of the hair on her head while lying awake at night.

I had some good friends who stuck by me, but there was bullying too. Swimming classes were nightmares, said Ms. OConnor, who started wearing a wig daily from seventh grade.

Although sometimes uncomfortable, a wig didnt just hide her thinning hair and allow her to feel more comfortable in social situations; it prevented her pulling too. Therapy, and transitioning to college where she was able to be more open about her disorder also helped. Despite urges being strong during the lockdown, with nightly pulling sessions that hovered around the 15-minute mark it is my coping mechanism, Ms. OConnor said her natural hair had recently started to grow back. In some places it now went past her shoulders, a milestone that filled her with pride.

Its like chasing a high, said Ms. Beaumont, who estimates at her worst she pulls for four to five hours per day. As soon as I have played with what was the perfect hair, I need to start looking for the next one. Ms. OConnor added that she doesnt just pull out just any hair they have to feel coarse and out of place. Pleasure is partly found from the run-up to the pull itself. I always know when I find the right strand, she said.

Rebecca Richter, 19, a college student who lives on Long Island, N.Y., started pulling out her eyelashes as a child to make wishes on them. Soon, however, the compulsion to pull spread to her head. Lately, Ms. Richter went to the barber shop to get a shade buzzed into her pixie cut when she felt waves of temptation. But the shutdown made that impossible. So, like Ms. Beaumont, she too had shaved her head.

The pulling has always waxed and waned depending on whats going on in my life. But with all the craziness going on it just feels a little out of my control right now, she said, adding that many friends with the disorder felt the same way.

Ms. Raikes said that in recent weeks, and with many countries encouraging people to stay home for health reasons, the foundation had noted a major spike in online reports of increased pulling and picking binges, either on social media accounts or via the digital communities and forums that have flourished for hair-pullers.

Ms. Richter and Ms OConnor met as members of the TLC Young Adult Action council. To combat the recent flare up in her own symptoms, Ms. Richter said she was focused on reaching out to other trichotillomania suffers via the council network or social media. Like Ms. OConnor, she was studying psychology at college with a view to specializing on working with those with B.F.R.B.s. Both women said that being part of the TLC council, and learning to become more comfortable with openly acknowledging their disorders, had been cathartic. (Ms OConnor was on a hiatus from the council while she prepared for study abroad in the fall.)

I have gone through dark periods because of pulling, but I also have grown a lot as a person and can use what I have learned to help others. That feels particularly important right now, Ms. Richter said. Whenever she discussed the disorder with those outside the community, she added, there was often a light bulb moment; someone had an aunt, friend or neighbor who had shown symptoms. On one occasion, a girl said to Ms. Richter that she realized that she was suffering from trichotillomania herself.

Sometimes people dont seem to know they are doing it, said Ms. Richter. It goes on all around us, kind of hidden but also in plain sight.

According to Dr. Jon Grant, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago who has studied B.F.R.B.s for twenty years, self-grooming is an act that connects humans to other creatures in the animal kingdom. All animals are primed to groom themselves, he said last week, with sliding scales of gratification found from the process.

There is keeping your eyebrows shaped, or plucking out a few gray or ingrown hairs. Lots of people do that. Then there are those who start and then cant stop pulling hairs compulsively, he said. Some people manage to keep control of those urges or have mild cases. But for others it can be life-altering in terms of mental health and self-esteem, with parallels to addiction.

Now, key areas of focus for researchers include what broader treatment goals should be. Should people expect to completely stop, for example, or just reduce their behaviors? Trying to establish what percentage of people respond to behavioral therapy, medication or over-the-counter remedies such as milk thistle also remain open questions. (Currently, there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved medication to treat B.F.R.B.s.) Identifying common threads is also important. Many sufferers have reported exhibiting similar habits that have strong sensory components, like favorite search areas, hunting for a specific type or texture of hair and a strange fascination with hair follicles. Still, many unanswered questions remain.

Sadly, one thing we can say is that people feeling unable to come forward has impacted our abilities to fully understand B.F.R.B.s and the amount of specialists and resources put toward tackling them, Ms. Raikes.

The TLC Foundation also organizes annual conferences in the U.S. for B.F.R.B. sufferers and their families. According to Ms. Raikes, creating new communities both on and offline has been one of the most significant steps in supporting hair-pullers of all ages. Teenagers especially appeared to benefit from meeting fellow pullers from around the world, at a time of life when many are desperate to feel like they fit in.

Based on his clinical observations, Dr. Penzel developed what he called his stimulus-regulation model, which has gained some attention. The model is rooted in the theory that hair-pulling is an attempt to regulate an internal state of sensory imbalance (which is often genetically inherited), satisfying a biological need yet proving physically destructive at the same time.

It has been my observation that people pull when they are either overstimulated due to stress or positive or negative excitement, or under-stimulated due to being bored or physically inactive and have nothing to do, he said.

With people laid off, not in school or college or just working from home, it makes sense that sufferers like Ms. Richter and Ms. Beaumont had seen a surge in their urge to pull. While both said the decision to shave their heads was unlikely to be a silver bullet, neither held regrets.

Ive spent so long feeling out of control and hiding my bald spots, said Ms Beaumont, who had tried everything from cognitive behavioral therapy to hypnotherapy and wearing a turban in a bid to stop pulling. I want people to understand more about this disorder. I want to tell them my story.

Continued here:

Trichotillomania, Isolation and Anxiety: What to Do? - The New York Times

The latest effort from the Dimapur-based quartet is a masterclass in the catchy and, sometimes, the camp.

A bands debut effort is always a great metric to plot its trajectory, regardless of future outputs, which may be radically different. Its the first real morsel of identity, unveiled to an unsuspecting public, and its a no-brainer to go all in. Some bands exceed it, overshadowing any nuance with pomp and circumstance.

Formed in 2017, Trance Effect have taken their sweet time with releasing material. Save for a couple of singles in 2018 and 19, Clowns is the first concerted effort from the quartet. And it, most certainly, has been worth the wait.

Clocking in at under 20 minutes, Clowns is a very well-assembled selection of songs, capturing a band at its most triumphant and effortless. There are influences from all over the board as one can hear Kate Bush holding hands with Kelly Clarkson; the 80s arm-in-arm with 00s pop-rock. Vocalist Luli Yeptho puts on a clinic from start to finish, her range on full blast adeptly backed by bandmates Sosang, Tako and Imna.

The opener, an instrumental named Of Time Machine and Never Ending Stories, is about as futuristic as this EP goes. It is mixed with delayed synths and a danceable rhythm, moving into EDM territory. Being the shortest song, at a minute and a half, it blends into the titular Clowns. A funky off-kilter guitar hook leads into Lulis soaring refrain of being lost in the crowd.

Lyrically, for anyone looking for something deeper, this EP may fall a bit flat. Schmaltzy musings on unrequited love and being one amongst many are plenty.

Favourite Mistake is one such tune. I mean, the lyrics talk about leaving messages on voicemail, so lets say somethings are simply used for rhyming license. The tune itself is a little anodyne for the most part with its Hoobastank bounce. The chasing after you vocal trill sends a pleasant shudder every time and its perhaps those moments that Trance Effect try to emphasise.

The band isnt trying to do anything game-changing, and that seems to be their strongest suit. The effortlessness adds so much to each songs execution. While everyone gets a little time to shine in each song, the focus is on hooks, on melody. On earworms.

Instrumentally, its all about serving the song. The musicians form a cordon around the vocals, only to supplement and never deviate attention. Take closer More Love. While other tracks had band members taking small flights of fancy; a little hi-hat flourishes here, a little fancy drumroll there; the crosshairs are trained on the hook with Lulis repeated plea of more love, more love. Its a song about new beginnings, scripting a new story.

There are shortcomings, of course. Certain choices are perplexing but not the worst. Took Me a While might be the weakest link on this EP, but only because it plateaus very early on and cant seem to shake it until the track ends. The synth solo, however, does deserve its share of praise..

There are plenty of emotional payoffs, thanks to Lulis vocal endeavours. There are various bands who would have taken their main asset and squeezed every drop out of it, to the point where it becomes all tacky and unlistenable. Bottom line: this is a remarkably listenable EP. The hooks sink themselves into you, till you find yourself humming the refrain from Clowns while making breakfast.

Read more from the original source:

Review | Clowns by Trance Effect - A Humming Heart

The quarantine period sure has kept all musicians indoors, but not their music. Many of them have been going live, releasing new content and even getting creative with videos. Some are also giving online classes to those who aspire to come out as musicians during and post the lockdown. The Telegraph got in touch with the teachers.

Adil Rashid

Years active: 17

Genre: Guitar and production; modern rock and electronic music

Know the artiste: Adil is currently a professional musician and producer with Underground Authority, Paloma and Adil, Euphoria and many other projects. He is also a guitarist associated with the international brands of Gibson Guitar, USA, and Rotosound Strings, UK.

The lessons: Adil will be doing a series of videos on how to achieve guitar tones on various gear and how to apply those to production. He will touch up on topics like how to compose songs, audio engineering, and tips and tricks to mixing. He will also be breaking down songs from his albums and explain how he composed and mixed them.

When: May 26 onwards

Where: YouTube and Instagram

Fee: None

Connect on: @adil_ rashid_ official (Instagram)

Vinay Daswani aka Bubbleguns

Years active: 11

Genre: Psy-trance on Steinberg Cubase

Know the artiste: Bubbleguns has taken his music abroad by playing in festivals like Freqs of Nature (Germany) and is a mainstay at Masters of Puppets festival in Czech Republic, since 2016. Over the past few years hes also toured across Japan and Australia, apart from widely touring across India, and has been releasing music on prestigious labels such as DSP, Japan, and Pralayah, India.

The lessons: Psy-trance production will cover basic music theory, audio production and sound design fundamentals, arrangement techniques, synthesis, sampling and mixing.

When: Mid-June onwards

Where: Zoom

Fee: On request

Connect on: @vinay_bubbleguns (Instagram)

Bodhisattwa Ghosh

Years active: 18 professionally (2002-present), started playing in 1999

Genre: Jazz, rock, jazz fusion, rock fusion and blues

Know the artiste: Bodhisattwa is a musician who is constantly looking to stretch the boundaries of music. An endorsee of Fender Guitars, USA, and Ernie Ball Guitar Strings, USA, he has worked as a guitar player/composer since 2002 and played in major venues/festivals across the globe in more than 20 countries and collaborated with reputed musicians from around the world and has worked as a guitar player, composer and producer in over 17 albums. Some of the projects he is involved with are The Bodhisattwa Trio, Lakkhichhara and Bodhi.

The lessons: Bodhi has two formats. One is for regular students, which is ongoing and recurring, and the other is a 10-classes comprehensive modular course called A Class Apart, which is customised according to the applicant. All online classes are one-on-one.

When: One session a week per student, according to the students convenience

Where: Zoom and Skype

Fee: Rs 400 per class for regular classes, and a one-time fee of Rs 7,000 for the modular course

Connect on: @bodhi.guitar (Instagram)

Rohan Ganguli

Years active: 20

Genre: Blues, jazz, rock, pop, fusion and more on a guitar

Know the artiste: Rohan has three full-length albums to his name, which includes a solo album called King of Summer, along with three EPs. As a Fender and Ernie Ball artiste, he has travelled with his music within India and abroad, has done studio sessions for several artistes and is currently playing with his blues band, Big Family. Hes also composed for several ad jingles.

The lessons: Flexible guitar lessons.

When: Every morning, 11am onwards

Where: Skype and Facebook Messenger

Fee: On request

Connect on: @rohanganguli (Instagram)

Arinjoy Sarkar

Years active: 15

Genre: Blues, rock n roll and jazz concepts

Know the artiste: Being a blues guitar player and singer, he is the frontman of his band Arinjoy Trio, which won the band hunt at the Mahindra Blues festival in 2018 and also played as a main stage artiste in 2019. He had the honour to share the stage with the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Beth Hart and Sugaray Rayford. Arinjoy is also a part of the Amyt Datta quartet.

The lessons: Theory, improvisation, playing styles of music such as blues, classic rock and pop music along with basic concepts of jazz harmony.

When: All days of the week except Monday and Friday

Where: Facebook Messenger, Skype and Google Duo

Fee: Rs 1,000 a month

Connect on: @arinjoysarkar (Instagram)

Angira Kotal

Years active: 15

Genre: Hindustani classical

Know the artiste: Angira has trained under Pandit Shyamal and Vid. Mandira Lahiri, Pandit Biresh Roy and Ustad Jainul Abedin. She is currently training under vocalist Pandit Omkar Dadarkar. She has won the title of Yuva Sangeet Ratna, Young Musician of the Year Award organised by Milapfest, UK, and recently won the Pratima Chandra Memorial Award in khayal and thumri.

The lessons: Angira is offering Hindustani classical vocal lessons for beginners and intermediates and also a course on voice grooming and application in popular music (like Bollywood, ghazal and others) that is based on Hindustani classical.

When: Flexible, according to the students request

Where: Skype, Google Duo and Whatsapp Video call

Connect on: @angiraaaa_ (Instagram)

Faraz Ehsan aka 8-Bit Culprit

Years active: 16

Genre: Melodic techno, techno, Leftfield/Breaks techno

Know the artiste: He first tried his hand at DJ-ing in 2004 and used two pieces of equipment A Pioneer CDJ 500 and a Denon 2500F! In 2011 his moniker 8-Bit Culprit came into being to push his love for electronic dance music. Its been a little over nine years that hes been producing and performing as 8-Bit Culprit and has had the privilege of working with renowned names from the industry.

The lessons: Farazs school, Gravit8 Studios, is venturing into the online space with two crash courses in Electronic Music Production with Ableton Live, beginner and advanced. The beginner course is designed for students to get savvy with the software and the process of writing and editing music. Students may or may not have any prior experience with producing music. The advanced course is an in-depth module for people who want to dive deeper into sound design.

When: The beginner course is for one month and the advanced course is for two months. Classes take place thrice a week where each class is for two hours

Where: Skype

Connect on: gravit8ing@gmail.com

Read more:

Push your musical abilities with online classes from these city-based artistes - Telegraph India

This pandemic is certainly serious but our reaction is without precedent.

Communication and effort of health care professionals, business, and some government officials has been extraordinary if not heroic.

We have taken an extreme position to cloister our entire civilization with little regard to short and long-term effects. We seem determined to dwell on the negative. The press and government inundate us daily with the latest death statistics that shock us until we are becoming numb to the situation.

In my opinion, we have lost perspective. The pandemic is bad, no denial. We live in a tough world. Death and disease are unfortunately part of it. Certainly efforts to flatten the curve have kept the numbers down. I read in recent editorials conflicting arguments about whether the numbers are tenths or hundredths of a percentage of the population.

Either number is small, very small, for a country of 350 million and world of 8 billion. To date, global deaths are about half of yearly malaria fatalities.

I certainly dont want anyone in my family to get the disease, and sympathize with those that have. Are we willing to destroy our way of life in order to achieve zero fatality? Dr. Fauci seems to want us to stay at home indefinitely. Noble, but impractical, goals.

Suggestions to improve the situation.

1. Suspend the political theater. Work to improve the situation for both people and business.

2. Report responsibly - use per capita instead of gross numbers; realizing total infections are under reported would yield a clearer picture of problem severity.

3. Governors guide us better - shutting down indefinitely is the easy way out; balancing a devastating disease and a complex economy is the only acceptable solution.

4. People, get off your couch! It is time to get back to work. Do not accept this trance, challenge your government, help your community!

Accept the fact that their will be some very unsavory aspects to our life for a long time but have the courage to get on with it.

Tom Straley

Spring Grove

Visit link:

Letter: Let's change how we are responding to COVID-19 - Northwest Herald

EDM will not be silenced. The future of electronic dance music festivals and the return of Las Vegas Strip dayclub and nightclub parties where the genre still thrives are uncertain, but the demand for those sounds is growing.

Hundreds of thousands of viewers tuned in over the weekend for a three-night livestream event that served as a virtual replacement for this years Electronic Daisy Carnival. Insomniacs EDC Las Vegas Virtual Rave-A-Thon was broadcast across multiple platforms featuring live and original DJ sets from the likes of Kaskade, David Guetta, Claude VonStroke, Afrojack and many more, with impressive visual production elements raising the stakes for an online dance party.

EDC Las Vegas is currently scheduled for October 2-4 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Memorial Day Weekend, always one of the biggest dates for Las Vegas pool parties and clubs, brings another online festival to help fill the void. SiriusXM will broadcast the Virtual DisDance Festival May 22-24, featuring more exclusive, original DJ sets from an all-star lineup including Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Tisto, Marshmello and more artists performing from home.

Ive been part of the family [at Sirius] for many years and DJd at their events and they approached me to ask if Id do it, says Paul Oakenfold, the pioneering trance DJ and electronic music producer who broke ground in Las Vegas as one of the first resident DJs in the burgeoning casino megaclub scene in 2008. I think this is the biggest lineup Ive ever seen, bigger than EDC or Ultra.

Also on the DisDance Festival bill are Above & Beyond, Afrojack, Alesso, Armin van Buuren, Galantis, Kaskade, Kygo, Major Lazer, Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero, Oliver Heldens, Slushii, Tritonal, Yellow Claw and dozens more.

Oakenfold has already contributed a new set to another recent streaming event from Insomniacs Dreamstate brand and hes been known to perform livestreamed shows and other recorded sessions at unorthodox, dramatic sites including Stonehenge and Mount Everest. He says hes looking forward to this festival for different reasons.

When youre playing live at these big festivals, theres pressure on the artist. You generally only play for an hour and youve gotta play the big tunes. You dont get time to develop a real set and create a journey, he says. I think less is more, great quality DJs playing longer sets and telling stories through music. Thats how we started as DJs. So Im approaching this in a different way. Im playing three different forms of music, starting with progressive then going into house then ending up in trance.

The London-born musician has been sheltering in place at his Los Angeles home, spending lots of time in the studio while his touring plans are paused. Oakenfold says hes been in talks with Live Nation for some sort of drive-in show to raise money for his local frontliners and first responders.

No one knows where this is going, he says of the COVID-19 crisis and its effect on the club and festival industries. In my opinion nothing will be the same until we find something people are comfortable with but everyone is talking about next year. That said, I think were going to be doing a lot more online shows and weve got to think out of the box and start doing more interesting things, and the DJ community is in a position to be leading the way.

Listeners can experience the Virtual DisDance Festival on SiriusXMs BPM channel 51 and on the SiriusXM app starting on May 22 at 1 p.m. The virtual event also will feature a broadcast of a 2011 set from the late Avicii, set to air on May 23 at 3 p.m. Longtime Wynn Nightlife residents the Chainsmokers will host the fest.

DisDance is also a benefit fundraiser for the MusiCares COVD-19 Relief Fund to support music industry workers in need. More information can be found at siriusxm.com/disdancefest.

Read more:

The virtual dance music festival is officially a thing - Las Vegas Weekly

It all began as a university project in London back in 2000. Fast-forward to 2020, Above & Beyond and their record label Anjunabeats are celebrating 20 years of gracing the world with a unique brand of trance and progressive. Theyre marking the milestone with none other than more Anjuna beats.

The British label owned by the trioJono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamki has shared a few projects prepared for their 20th anniversary. Above & Beyond on Thursday released the Club Mix Collection, a package of two dozen of the bands essential club tracks, mixed and unmixed. The 50-track collection covers 15 years, starting with Alone Tonight from 2006. It has various versions of big hits like Alchemy, Blue Sky Action, Sun & Moon, and Thing Called Love. It even includes the club mix of Above & Beyond and Justine Suissas Cold Feet, which fans have been awaiting since hearing it on Anjunabeats Volume 14.

On top of that, Above & Beyond has confirmed that the Anjunabeats Volume 15 compilation is well underway and set for release mid-summer, the label stated in a press release.

Beyond the compilations, the label is also having 20 of its artists create mixes of their favorite Anjuna records. Oliver Smith, the first producer to sign to Anjunabeats in 2000, initiates the series with his curation out May 28. Mixes from other artists will drop every two weeks from that date.

Our twentieth year certainly turned out to be a memorable one, didnt it? We never saw that coming. But one of the many positive things to come out of lockdown is that its given us, our family of artists and our team in London a chance to reflect upon the incredible records weve been custodians of for the last twenty years, Above & Beyond wrote on Instagram. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, well be looking back at the songs that brought this community together through the eyes of the artists that made them and played them.

Anjuna family can commemorate the anniversary with limited edition 20 years merchandise, on sale at the Anjunastore. The T-shirts are inspired by Above & Beyonds album sleeves, Tri-State, Group Therapy, We Are All We Need, Common Ground, Flow State, and OceanLabs Sirens Of The Sea.

Listen to Club Mix Collection on the platform of your choice here. Catch mixes by 20 of the labels artists every fortnight starting with Oliver Smith on May 28 here.

Anjunabeats gave rise to some of the most respected names in trance. Andrew Bayer, Audien, Ilan Bluestone, Jason Ross, and Seven Lions are just a few. Without a doubt, the labels dedicated following is ready for another 20 years of beats.

Read more here:

Celebrate 20 Years of Above & Beyond and Anjunabeats With New Compilation + Club Mix Collection - EDMTunes

From dance tunes to laidback summery grooves (plus two Hindi film music alumni with their independent releases), weve got you covered this week.

The Dimapur-based band managed to find an unlikely admirer in Anand Mahindra earlier this year when they released the music video of Clowns. There might be better songs than Took Me a While on Trance Effects impressive debut, but the synth solo is enough to have you hooked.

One of the two tracks from Bangalore-based Gabriel Daniels latest EP definiens, there is something very intimate about both the tracks. How A Thought Complete builds up, from Gabriels wispy vocals to full-blown guitars and drums is a very satisfying pay-off.

The leading single from Sanaya Ardeshir aka Sandunes fresh new EP came out a couple of weeks back and features Ramya Pothuri on the vocals. Ramyas falsetto harmonies float above and are perfect for this summery and laidback track from one of Indias leading electronic independent artists.

Until Humne Bhi, The Western Ghats was a trio which covered popular Hindi and English numbers on Youtube. Their debut effort is a chill Hindi pop track, and one can make out the bands influences. Listen to the track for an instant boost of uplifting energy.

Nikhil DSouza continues to make all the right moves and noise through his indie projects. DSouza is one of the few Bollywood playback singers who are actively pushing out their original music independently. People is a track that infuses a sense of nostalgia from the very first chord progression. The singers words and vocals complete the track.

Its marvelous how Osho Jain packs in some of the heaviest lyrical themes with minimal instrumentation and composition. His songwriting is filled with distinct imagery. Delve in if you like poetic songwriting and want to hear the songwriters take on modern society.

Nadisha Thomas debut track is a hard-hitting breakup song. It sounds just like a pop song out of the 2000s which makes it almost vintage in 2020. It instantly sticks with Thomas high notes and catchy lyrics. Produced by Carlok (of the funk act Carl Fernandes and Alok Merwin), this track is the Chennai-based singer-songwriters first foray into solo work, having given vocals to music composers down south in the past.

Raghav released his latest track Sufi with the support of JioSaavns Artist Originals program. Co-written by Akshaye Shinde, this is an emotional track and a departure from Raghavs earlier work. The instruments play only a supporting role and the lyrics get their due. If the artist set out to re-invent his brand with this track, this was the perfect move.

The Rock n Roll band from Shillong is here to safeguard the endangered genre. Their first single after their debut album in 2018, Evil Mind is yet another indication that the band is one of the young guns and a promising act that festival organizers should keep an eye out for.

The Bangalore-based band repurposed one of their performances at Hard Rock, Bangalore to serve as the music video for this track. The first single from their upcoming album, Noize cements that the indie rock band is primarily a live act. The song seems like a bitter retort to someone who did them wrong and packs a punch.

The biggies of the Indian jazz world have come together to make the song Good Days. Sanjay Divecha, Vasundhara Vee, Gino Banks, Sheldon DSilva and Rohan Rajadhyaksh have worked on this peppy jazz number. The song talks about, as the name suggests, the good days and that just works on so many levels right now. We could all do with a little reminiscing of the good days as we yearn for more.

Listen to all the songs mentioned on this list on Currents, a playlist you can find on A Humming Hearts Apple Music and Spotify profiles.

See the rest here:

Currents | The Western Ghats, Trance Effect, Osho Jain and more - A Humming Heart