Category Archives: Trance

As the drummer beats his rhythmthe heels of his palms resounding against stretched animal hideI move. I am moved. Arms reach and retract, spine twists and tilts, legs stretch and sweep across the vast, golden wood floor.

This being an improv dance class, my body is mine to do with whatever I wish. I quiet my over-anxious brain and allow the music to guide my body in carving out a path through space. Coming from the restrictive, highly choreographed world of ballet, improv feels as freeing as skipping naked, newly feral, through a lush, flower-soaked field. I move. I am moved. Overtaken. Once the music ends, I emerge from a trance to find I have no idea how I got to where I am in the room or what movements got me here.

History and culture offer a treasure trove of attempts to interpret dances unique power over our bodies and minds.

The films The Red Shoes and Black Swan feature leads who are driven to demise by seeking perfection in the art of ballet. Their obsession with dance consumes them, and in forsaking all other aspects of life, they destroy themselves. At the end of The Red Shoes, our female protagonist jumps in front of a train, showing us that to dance is to forget the world, to be swallowed whole.

In some films the desire to dance itself is toxic, Adrienne L. McLean writes in Dying Swans and Madmen: Ballet, the Body, and Narrative Cinema. [M]erely associating with the world of ballet can prove fatal. As for the protagonist of The Red Shoes, McLean notes, Vicky is doomed merely because she is a ballerina.

Black Swan grows the roots of this artistic annihilation theme even deeper. Near the beginning of the film, the prima ballerina whos being forced into an early retirement walks into traffic, a not-so-subtle message that without your art, there is nothing. Throughout the film, our main character is haunted by increasingly intense hallucinations involving her rival/understudy, a talented up-and-coming dancer who happens to bear a passing resemblance to her. This dual perceived competition, with another and within herself, leads her to seek a level of artistic perfection that ultimately can only end in self-destruction. Dance as self-absorption that bloats beyond the bounds of sense and reason.

Since a dancers body is at once brush, paint, canvas, and artist, self-involvement is practically a prerequisite. To be obsessed with dance is to be obsessed with yourself. While the prospect of artistic perfection is intoxicating, its pursuit can paradoxically spell loss of creative freedom. When dance is more than a hobby, the ecstatic freedom begins to be eaten up by the intense restriction of aesthetics: technique, musicality. Whats more, professional dances all-consuming nature demands physical, social, and psychological sacrifices. So is it the seeking of perfection, the self-absorption, or the dance itself that invokes madness?

Of course the mad artist trope isnt confined to dancers. Musicians, visual artists, writers, actors: no artist is safe from the titillating perceived connection between madness and creative genius. Think films like The Soloist, about a schizophrenic cello prodigy, Birdman, the tale of an aging actor on the precipice of insanity, and of course Wes Andersons new work The French Dispatch, which includes an abstract painter who loses his mind in pursuit of artistic perfection.

The idea of the mad artist is so compelling, psychologist Dr. Sybil Barten said at a symposium on the subject. Both madness and creativity are rooted in the unconscious.

Some scholars argue that creatives were historically seen as mad because regular people needed a way to explain their genius and their odd behavior. In the Victorian era, being mad simply meant deviating from the norm. Creativity requires risk-taking, spontaneity, non-conformance. These behaviors surely signified madness.

I have been lost in the throes of artistic creation as both a writer and a dancer; the former feels absorbing, while the latter is transformative, nearly spiritual. As a full-body endeavor, I cant help but feel dance is the most intensely overwhelming and consuming of all the arts. A 2005 study found that dancers reported much higher levels of absorption than other athletes. The researchers explained that absorption is correlated with spirituality and altered states of consciousness.

Of course, most of the time dancing is coded as a feminine pursuit, especially when it comes to cultural depictions of ballet and modern dance. That means hiding underneath the more obvious morals of these stories, I see the insidious reinforcement of our cultural belief that for women, to indulge in art is to forget their proper place in the world. To devote yourself to perfecting your artform is to reject your role as societys caregiver: a cardinal sin that cant be left unpunished.

As we learn from the original fairy tale of The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen, dance is also a power that can be used against you. The story is actually about a young girl whose shoes get cursed because of her vanity, and she is forced to dance for the rest of her life. When the girl should have been tending to her dying adoptive mother, she went out to a fancy ball instead, so she is doomed to eternal dance: Dance you shall, the man who curses her screams. Dance in your red shoes till you are pale and cold, till your skin shrivels up and you are a skeleton! Dance you shall, from door to door, and where proud and wicked children live you shall knock, so that they may hear you and fear you! Dance you shall, dance!This is dance as torture, brought on by the sin of selfishness.

In the horror film Suspiria, the dancer is not the victimshe is the one in control. Dance is a way to channel supernatural forces for malevolent purposesto torture or maim others. The story revolves around a mysterious modern dance company thats also secretly a coven.

In one of the most terrifying scenes in the 2018 remake of the 1977 film, we watch as the new company member dances her predecessor to deaths door without ever touching her. Their bodies are connected by the dance, so as one woman twirls and whips and contracts, in a different room, we see the other being flung around like a rag doll, her body grotesquely contorting, bones snapping, until she is left a simpering pile of sinew. The satanic series of movements has been employed to transfer the lifeforce of the older dancer into the new one. One persons ecstatic creative freedom is anothers pain and suffering. The separation of the two women reminds us that sometimes this harm is invisible to us.

But the power of dance can also be wielded for good. The bizarre, disturbing cult favorite Netflix show The OA, also uses a specific series of movements to channel supernatural forces. This time, the choreographys goal is the opposite of that in Suspiria: it seeks to reverse death. In this case, five movements done by five people in unison, repeatedly, can slowly return life to the recently departed. These movements can also open portals to other dimensions, revealing dance as more powerful than death, and capable of opening up infinite new worlds and possibilities. As a society that exalts words above all else, its easy to overlook the fact that movement can convey meaning far beyond the bounds of any vocabulary.

These scenes recall ancient rain dances, fertility dances; dance as prayer. An order of Sufi Muslims spin themselves into a frenzydervishes whirling until they lose all sense of their bodies in space and timeas a form of meditation, a search for the divine. Dance as a way to tap into a higher power.

Perhaps dance is a supernatural dabbling that shouldnt be taken lightly. Perhaps it is its own peculiar sort of madness. Or maybe its just brain chemistry. Dances transformative power might simply be the state of artistic flow, a state not everyone finds comfortable to inhabit. In a flow state, your brain dampens its executive function network and allows the default mode network to take over. (Brains of creative geniuses actually show increased activity in both networks simultaneously.) Letting your default mode network drive for a change can feel discombobulating at first. But thats precisely the point.

Writers rave about the creatively generative power of walking, about how the movement of the body jolts the brains machinations. Just imagine the rush, then, of the movement itself being both generator and outcome.

While writing, I still experience the flow state, but it is not nearly as immersive as my dancing flow. One difference is that the production and consumption of writing is separated by time, the creator separated from the consumer. Dancers encounter their audience live and in person, creating an unreplicatable kinetic electricity. You can practice all you want beforehand, but once the music starts, there are no more chances for editing.

Words are too literal, too specific. Dances meanings are mushy, subjective. Subjectivity can also be scary, disquieting even, but it can also be freeing. Movement succeeds where words fail.

Writing is creating something to send out into the world; dancing is creating yourself.

I struggled for a long time with how selfish dancing felt. You spend hours a day staring at your reflection in the mirror. I lost myself in dance. In wanting so badly to succeed, I prized perfection over my health: ignoring inflamed tendons, pounding laxatives, breaking bones, losing toenails. Now, freed from the pressures of professional success, dancing feels like freedom again. Therein lies the important distinction. To lose myself in pursuit of balletic perfection was indeed, for me, a self-destruction. A madness. Losing myself in the creative flow of dance is self-liberating.

For me, dance is meditation, escape, therapy. It requires nothing less than living exclusively in the moment. To dance is to be swallowed by the now, to live in the perpetual present. To dance is to lose yourself in a fugue outside of time, just beyond words, cushioned from concern.

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The Creation of Yourself: On the Flow and Fugue of Dance - Literary Hub

In a bid to make up for their cancelled Timeland festival in December, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have announced a one-off show for punters in Melbourne dubbed Return Of The Curse Of Timeland.

The outdoor gig will take place March 5 at Burnleys Reunion Park, with the band themselves set to perform a three-hour marathon set. Though its less than King Gizzard had planned to deliver at Timeland the band were booked in to play for six hours over four sets its twice as long as they typically play.

Joining the band are a trio of acts that due to appear at Timeland Stonefield, Ajak Kwai and Nice Biscuit as well as Babe Rainbow, Bones & Jones & Folk Bitch Trio and DJ Sophie McAlister.

Itll be King Gizzards only Australian show until at least November, with a sprawling run of tour dates in North and South America, Europe and the UK (including their appearance at this years Coachella) taking up the bulk of their 2022. Tickets for the show will go on sale at 10am tomorrow (February 18).

The show comes off the back of King Gizzards first remix album, Butterfly 3001, which was released independently last month. As its title implies, the new record is comprised of new takes on tracks from King Gizzards 18th album, Butterfly 3000, which they released last June.

In a three-star review of the original release, NMEs Becky Rogers said: It may be set apart from the rest of the Gizzverse repertoire, but Butterfly 3000 sounds familiar nonetheless.

Given that theyre self-confessed music-geeks, its no surprise that King Gizzard have considered every element right down to the mid-phrase time changes (Blue Morpho) and dub-trance experimentation (2.02 Killer Year).

But this formulaic approach lacks surprise once youre a few tracks in, youve heard it all. It might not be a total hot Gizz summer, but at least weve got a few extra bangers to bask in.

King Gizzard are due to release their 19th album, Made In Timeland, sometime in 2022. It was initially supposed to be given out for free at its namesake festival, though the cancellation led to those plans being scrapped.

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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard will perform a three-hour marathon set in Melbourne next month - NME.com

By Delaney Clifford

February 16, 2022

Anas Mitchells name echoes through a variety of mediums. An accomplished songwriter, folk musician, and playwright, her catalog of work has been the subject of glowing critical acclaim and a host of prestigious awards. Her most renowned achievement has been the success of Hadestown, a stage musical Mitchell adapted from a folk opera to an album, then into a Broadway production in the span of thirteen years. She did this all while developing and releasing new albums on her own and with the folk supergroup, Bonny Light Horseman.

Since Hadestown premiered at New Yorks Walter Kerr Theater in 2019, Mitchell has had time to return to songwriting. Shes used her time away from the stage to compose her own kind of epic, Anas Mitchell, an eponymous collection of songs exploring memories of her upbringing, personal inspirations, and manifestations of her goals.

This latest solo work from Mitchell stands in stark contrast with the stage music that has ruled her creative space for the better part of a decade. While the style of songwriting the new album utilizes is far from unfamiliar to the acclaimed folk musician, it wasnt without its challenges.

There was a big learning curve in terms of the kind of songs that are required for a piece of drama versus a piece of music. Essentially, [theater] songs need to work hard on the part of the story and the character development, you need to arrive someplace at the end of a song that is different from where you began, she said. A song for music can be more circular, if that makes sense. I think the kind of mesmerizing Lets trance out for three and half minutes of music and poetry is incredible and its what I love about songwriting and the music world, but its not enough for dramatic songwriting.

Given how different the style and subject of songs from Anas Mitchell are from Hadestown, its clear that separating herself from her beloved stage wasnt the only factor that led Mitchell to her new record. After Covid brought Broadway and the entertainment industry at large to a standstill, Mitchell took a state-wide step away from stage and the city. With a baby on the way, she and her family relocated to her home state of Vermont, taking up residence in the memory-steeped former home of her grandparents. This extraordinary shift allowed Mitchell to explore a powerful connection to her past, a theme that presides over most of the songs on her latest work.

However, Anas Mitchell isnt the only album that draws on Mitchells past. According to her, her youth in Vermont has served as consistent inspiration for all of her songwriting.

I grew up in a very wild and wooly kind of hippies in the middle of nowhere setting, she said. We didnt have a television, but we did have fields and woods to explore. There was a lot of making our own fun (for my brother and me). I think that fostered a certain kind of creativity in both of us. Also I think living in Vermont puts you really in touch with the natural world and especially the cycle of seasons. The winter is long, cold, and dark. The summer is brief and incredible. I know that imagery has come up again and again in my songs.

With the new record now completed, Mitchell has returned to touring for the first time since 2020. Mitchell will be pulling double-duty every night on this tour, performing her own songs in addition to a set with Bonny Light Horseman, the trio consisting of Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats and The Shins), and Josh Kaufman (The National and Hiss Golden Messenger).

Having accomplished so much already and with even more to look forward to in the short-term, its hard to tell where Mitchell will go from here. The future is vast and full of opportunity, but rather than stress over the possibilities, Mitchell is letting it come to her naturally.

Im having so much fun right now just writing songs and making records, she said. Im sort of waiting for the right story to cross my path. Im keeping an eye out.

Anas Mitchell and Bonny Light Horseman will be in Charlotte on February 24 at Knight Theater. Listen to Mitchells latest self-titled album released on January 28, 2022.

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Anas Mitchell is a multi-talented singer-songwriter and playwright - CLTure

Mitski. (Photo by Ebru Yildiz)

Three years ago, during the summer of 2o19, Mitski announced a hiatus. For the past five years, shed been touring nonstop. The 2016 breakout success of her fourth studio album, Puberty 2, had vaulted her from a well-loved indie artist to a crossover success story, then onward and upward into the firmament of pop stardom. Lorde tapped her as an opening act in her 2018 Melodrama tour; Iggy Pop name-checked her on his radio show; her subsequent album, 2018s Be the Cowboy, was a perennial favorite on year-end lists. She still didnt have a permanent mailing address and stored her things at her parents house, but no mattershe was, as NPR crowned her, the 21st centurys poet laureate of young adulthood, and her future, as Pitchfork declared, was limitless.

In a recent interview, Mitski recounted the time leading up to her hiatus as a period of detachment: Looking back, she said, she couldnt remember long stretches of the overlapping tours. Her hair was graying; her body was breaking down. I felt it was shaving away my soul, little by little, she told Rolling Stone. But even in moments of exhaustion, she was productive. Stuck in Kuala Lumpur during the holidays, depressed and lonely, she had written Nobody, the best-known track on Be the Cowboy, which in 2021 became TikTok famousand as a result, according to Billboard, multiplied her daily streaming numbers sevenfold during both the height of the pandemic and her retraction from the public eye.

Mitskis most ardent fans can be intense, too: They cry at shows, they call her mom, and they tattoo her lyrics onto their bodies. They say her music saved them. John Doe from the punk band X once turned to Phoebe Bridgers at a Mitski show in Los Angeles and commented, All these kids look like theyre at fucking church.

The unfortunate reality of being an artist beloved for granting unflinching access to your emotional underbelly is that, unless you want to do it in obscurity, you dont exist in a vacuumyour art is always steps away from misguided co-option and misinterpretation. As your star rises, access to your pain becomes a service, or a resource to be tapped. With fame, Mitski realized art was a bad jobone she wanted to quit. She was sick of selling her emotions and memories, little by little.

So by the summer of 2019, she made the announcement: She was leaving social media, and her September appearance at SummerStage in New York Citys Central Park would be her last live show indefinitely.

Its time to be a human again, she tweeted.

Laurel Hell, Mitskis newest album, is a putative reclamation of her agencyand it does come across as Be the Cowboys corrosive rebuttal. (Cheekily, one of the songs is titled Everyone, in which she sings, Everyone said, Dont go that way / So of course to that I said, I think Ill go that way.) While Be the Cowboy thrashes with manic electricity, each song either building to an explosion or crackling in breathless anticipation of one, Laurel Hell maintains a rueful distance, looking back with something like pity. You stay soft, get beaten, Mitski sings. Only natural to harden up.

Be the Cowboy pantomimed this kind of fatigue, playacting a hard-won world-weariness with the jaded characters of Me and My Husband, Blue Diner, and Two Slow Dancers. Laurel Hell gives us a Mitski who has caught a glimpse of this herself: Working for the Knife, the albums lodestar, is a haunting ballad of a working artist forced to shoulder the crushing churn of work and self-promotion. I always knew the world moves on / I just didnt know it wouldnt go without me, she sings. I start the day high and I end so low / Cause Im working for the knife. In the songs music video, Mitski doffs a cowboy hat and, dead-eyed, turns to an empty theater. She collapses to the floor, rises and dances with a manic smile to canned applause, throws herself down again, and beats her fists against the ground, the meaty pounding of her hands against the wood as she pummels it, drowning out the song. The video ends with a closeup of Mitskis forced grin. The stage lured her back and crushed her again.

I used to think Id be done by 20, she sings in Working for the Knife. Now at 29, the road ahead appears the same / Though maybe at 30 Ill see a way to change. The new songs may flash a weary attitude, the video may depict her flaying herself onstage, but there she is, as beforedemonstrating her pain to you, trapped under the spotlight.

Mitski, like some of her contemporariesLorde or Billie Eilish, for exampleis using her new songs to explore the particular fatigue that online fame has produced: Our narrator, ambivalent about dealing with the absurdities of being a popular artist in a crumbling world, cleanses herself of social media and, hopefully, the crushing, deluded expectations of success. Unlike other riffs on this arc, Mitskis version doesnt present us with the redemptive beatitude of the other side. Instead, she tells us tales from the crypt, the horror of being raised from the dead.

Laurel Hell, then, is about the singers acceptance that her pain and vulnerability are currency; their performance can be cashed in, but the expectation that she will expose them to others with searing, consuming honesty, on demand and without end, exacts a punishing toll. And I opened my arms wide to the dark / I said, Take it all, whatever you want, she sings in Everyone. I didnt know I was numb / I didnt know what it would take.

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Lyrically vivid as ever, Mitski tosses us images of lingering specters in the dark, wet teeth shining, eyes glimmering by a fire, as she sings on Valentine, Texas in a low, trance-like murmur over the groans of an organ. At its best, Laurel Hell seethes with these kinds of monstersones you see at the corner of your eye, all the more frightening for never fully showing themselves. I left the door open to the dark / I said, Come in, come in, whatever you are, she sings in Everyone. But it didnt want me yet.

Mitski is comfortable in horror; as a genre, its suited to the comic, sometimes caustic, always self-conscious spirit at the foundation of her best songs. Laurel Hells best moments embrace this dynamic. Open up your heart / Like the gates of hell, she sings on Stay Soft. In the music video, figures in Edo-period masksblond-haired, blue-eyedchase her out of a garden shes tending, then corner her and drag her into their lair. Stay soft, get eaten, she sings with a wink as the masked figures begin their torments. She slays them and feeds their blood to an Audrey IIlike flower, which wiggles with fiendish glee in her hand.

But if Laurel Hell is a ghost story, its only as good as the teller is at sustaining a mood. This is the case when the enemy is ambiguous, and therefore disconcerting, as in the brilliant music video for Stay Soft or the demonic thrashing that closes out the video for Working for the Knife. The image of a hand plucking Mitski from her life and dropping her into a labyrinth in Shouldve Been Me crests on a shimmer of synths and carries us with it, into the perplexing daydream that stole her day and deeper into an uncertain, troubling world.

But this isnt most of Laurel Hell. Only Heartbreaker, the catchiest and tightest song on the album, is also its dissonant chord: a moment of high-octane fun that dissolves as soon as it ends. I need you to love me more, Mitski tells us in the similarly hyperactive Love Me More. Love enough to clean me up. Tied up so neatly, the opportunity to feel an uneasy chill deflates into a resigned shrug; what could unsettle merely makes us pine. A limitation that Mitski could thrive on, if she leaned into it, is also a truism of the genre: The real horror is what you dont reveal.

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Mitskis Ghost Stories - The Nation

Jos Alvalade, the man who established Sporting Clube de Portugal in the early 1900s, originally intended to study medicine, only to drop out of his Harvard degree because he couldnt stand the sight of blood. After spending two years as president of the club, he stormed out in a dispute with his fellow directors, tragically dying of Spanish flu at the age of 33. And perhaps the nicest thing one could say about Sportings performance against Manchester City on Tuesday night was that it was a more than fitting tribute to his legacy.

Squeamish, rancorous and over far too soon: Sportings big night out, their first Champions League knockout game since 2009, imploded in a bouquet of boos and a haze of basic incoherence. City did not just put the tie to bed: they embalmed it, sealed it in a lead coffin, wreathed it in chains and dropped it somewhere off the north Atlantic coast.

Long before half-time the home crowd was already being treated to chants of youve had your day out, now fuck off home from the little pocket of enraptured City fans in the bottom corner.

They did not, of course. They stayed and watched until the grisly end, even rising to salute their demolished team as the minutes ticked away. Who knows, after all, when this stadium will be able to witness a game of this magnitude again?

The manager, Rben Amorim, has done a fine job of resurrecting this fallen giant of Portuguese football and his reward will probably be an elite club job this summer or next. Their dashing midfielder Pedro Gonalves will get his move sooner or later. This, in a way, is the fate that awaits any club from a smaller league who dares to overachieve: growth, success, acclaim, dismemberment.

Just ask Ederson, Bernardo Silva, Rben Dias or Joo Cancelo: all once teenage products of the Benfica talent factory, now turning out for the highest bidder. Perhaps that added a little grizzle to the game, given Benficas history with their Lisbon rivals. And certainly Silva seemed to take a certain relish in scorching his former foes to the ground: two goals in the first half, another one disallowed, and the rest of the evening spent in a sort of sadistic trance in which the aim was to humiliate as many opponents as possible.

But Citys iron fist was wrapped in a velvet glove. The spectacular strikes by Silva and Raheem Sterling will dominate the highlight packages but perhaps the most impressive element on Citys part was their guile and tactility, the way they played with time as if it were dough in their hands. Witness the little pause and feint of the eyes from Phil Foden to commit the goalkeeper before dinking the ball home for Citys third: all this around four yards from goal. Or the delicate swivel of the ankle from Kevin De Bruyne in the buildup to Citys first goal, diverting the ball to Riyad Mahrez at the very last second.

Perhaps, for all the soft-focus coverage of Amorim and his championship-winning Sporting side before the game, we should have seen this trouncing coming. One had only to glance at the two teams lining up before kick-off. While City simply stood stock still, as if this could be any match in any stadium in any city against any opponent, Sporting could scarcely contain their awe. Gonalves breathed deeply to settle his nerves. Antonio Adns eyes darted all around the arena. This was new territory and these were new feelings. Amorims greatest quality is the intensity and fervour he manages to draw from this team. But amid a swirling and evangelical noise, it was cool heads that were most sorely lacking here.

Mahrez scored Citys first goal after eight minutes, while Sportings players were still appealing for offside. The second goal from Silva, a murderous half-volley off the crossbar, was a freak of nature from a freak of nature. The third goal somehow summed up Sportings night. Mahrezs cross was allowed to pass through three sets of legs Ricardo Esgaio, Matheus Reis, Sebastin Coates on its way through to Foden, a sort of bizarre penaltybox croquet. Citys fourth goal and Silvas second was deflected off the backside of Gonalo Igncio, which again felt entirely appropriate.

Four-nil up by half-time and yet still contractually required to play out the last 135 minutes of this tie, City naturally dialled themselves down a little in the second half. Sterling smashed in a fifth goal and Oleksandr Zinchenko briefly threatened a sixth and Joo Cancelo played much better after a mixed first half, but all the dramatic tension had long since leaked out of the room. It was the eighth time this season City had scored five goals or more.

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And curiously, this game told us very little we did not already know about them. This is the gift and the curse of the modern City: often we have no idea how they will fare in adversity because they so rarely encounter it. All we can really say with any certainty is that the road to St Petersburg in May will be paved with far sterner challenges than this.

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Ruthless Manchester City toy with Sporting to ruin home sides big night - The Guardian

BINGO-goers were treated to a special DJ set as a 90s music group came to town.

N-Trance, best known for hit song Set You Free, played to a hall of No Limits Bingo players at Apollo Bingo, Barrow on Saturday.

The night kicked off with No Limits Bingo, which saw prizes such as life sized cut outs of Mr Bean and Boris Johnson, as well as an inflatable unicorn pool float.

They played a variety of tracks, from Kelly Clarkson to Coldplay, and ended the night with their best known track.

As Set You Free blared out across the speakers, the audience raised lighters and phones to light up the room.

Host of the night, radio and tv presenter Ryan Swain, said: "It was an electrifying night, Barrow was sensational.

"It's amazing to see that the dance and nightlife scene is still very much alive.

"I'm uber excited to be coming back to do my headline show."

Ryan will be returning to Apollo Bingo on February 19.

It follows the success of previous Clubingo events, which featured Ultrabeat and Five.

Head of Events for Majestic Bingo Ltd, Stuart Booth said: We were delighted to bring our third amazing night to Apollo bingo Barrow and see so many people having such an amazing time.

"Clubingo has been delivering sell out shows across the UK but it all started in Barrow and we want to thank everyone who has supported us and attended any of these events to date.

"We have a special thank you night on February 19 when favourite host Ryan Swain will host and DJ for a No Limits Bingo event.

"Tickets are only 3 however as a thank you to the people of Barrow we are putting 100 free tickets, although a booking fee maybe payable, live on Eventbrite.co.uk. First come first served.

And if thats not enough, our next big No Limits Bingo DJ Night is a St. Patricks Special on March 19 featuring IVD of Castles in the Sky fame for a live DJ Set, flying in from Europe for this special gig.

"Tickets are on sale now from the club and Eventbrite.co.uk. Early bird tickets are just 8.

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Barrow audience lights up the room for N-Trance - The Mail

Wrapping up the past year in the most unique of fashions, Zafrir has most definitely caught our eye with his eclectic style of play, as well as his ability at infusing an array of sound(s) to absolute perfection. Hailing from the Middle East, and Israel in particular, this multi-faceted artist has embraced the rich cultural history of his homeland, and in turn has mastered the craft of music production in more ways than none. From a young age, Zafrir showcased signs of his undeniable talent, having grasped a variation of musical instruments, setting him off on the most mesmerising of journeys. As diverse as anyone can be, his love for traditional ethnic music was taken that one level further, with the man of the moment exploring the love for music of different cultural backgrounds, that have led to the captivating artist that he is today.

Multi-dimensional in every sense of the word, Zafrir saw his reputation grow with each musical endeavor, leading to his eventual entry within the electronic dance industry and the most-fitting of collaborations. Teaming up with no other than Armin Van Buuren, Alok and fellow Israeli duo Vini Vici, fans alike were blessed with a production for the ages in the form of United. Captivating from start to finish, elements of psy-trance were evident throughout, whilst a more organic and melodic sound helped elevate the track to a different dimension. The addition of a flute sound with that of a chanting melody, resulted in the most unique of productions, as each artist implemented their sound(s) to perfection. The most enticing of introductions, Zafrir was well and truly at the pinnacle of his career, and nothing other than success was awaiting this musical genius.

Enhancing his presence with every give chance, we cannot help but be full of praise of everything that Zafrir has achieved thus far. With 2021 arguably one of his most productive years within our community, we will be diving a little further into his most recent releases, and will be providing you all with a glimpse of what the future holds for this multi-talented artist. A truly unique outtake on life and music in particular, get set to embark on the most meaningful and yet captivating of journeys through following Zafrirs productions and collaborations of the year that we have just left behind.

Boom Boom Pow Zafrir, Afrojack

Kick-starting 2021 as he meant to go on, Zafrir saw himself teaming up with no other than Dutch icon Afrojack, for the release of Boom Boom Pow. An electro-pop banger in its own right, both set of artists implemented their own style to perfection, and in turn further indicated the versatility that they both possess, as they most definitely mixed things up for this genre and sound defying track.

The track was released via Sony Music. I had the vision to combine Hip Hop together with Slap House with low tempo. Afrojack really liked the idea and added his own touch and the rest is history. Zafrir

Essa Einai Zafrir

Remaining true to his roots for this masterpiece of a production, Zafrir blessed fans alike with the most unique of sound(s) in the form of Essa Einai. Deriving from the rich and cultural Jewish heritage, this track was the embodiment of everything that he has set out to achieve as an artist within our community. Translating to Raise My Hands, Zafrir created a slap house production for the ages, whilst the lyrics alternate from Hebrew and English throughout. Out via no other than KSHMRs label, Dharma Worldwide, Essa Einai was most definitely one of his most ground-breaking releases of 2021 and not only.

Siliwa Hay Zafrir, Steve Aoki, Chemical Surf (feat. Max-Africana)

Embracing the past year in the most mesmerising of ways, Zafrir joined forces with Steve Aoki and Chemical Surf for the most eclectic of productions entitled Siliwa Hay. A collaboration for the ages, the trio of artists implemented their styles to perfection, with the track a clear representation of unity and cultural heritage. The addition of Max-Africana on vocals takes the track to even further heights, as each musical element combines in the most harmonious and gracious of ways.

This is a song I wrote together with Steve Aoki and Chemical Surf. To produce the track I recorded an actual African tribe from Ghana. I wrote the hook for them and I envisioned the perfect idea for them. Happy to see it was all over the festivals and clubs worldwide. Zafrir

Winners Anthem Zafrir, KSHMR

Extending his reach to even further heights, this collaboration with legendary record producer and DJ KSHMR, was yet another stepping-stone in Zafrirs awe-inspiring musical career. The combination of their sound(s) was as expected electric, as Winners Anthem is the epitome of a track that will have anyone out of their seats and straight onto the nearest dance-floor. A highly-energetic production, both set of artists emphasized on the feelings of pride and glory that emerge as listeners get lost in the fusion of classical music and psy-trance.

Reunion Zafrir, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, KSHMR, Alok

Rounding up our selection of Zafrirs most iconic releases of 2021, the hit collaboration Reunion with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, KSHMR and Alok was most definitely one for the ages. A hard-hitting production in its own right, each artist implemented their own unique sound(s) and style(s) to the most ultimate of levels, and in turn, we were all blessed with the most captivating and enticing of musical outcomes.

I wrote this track especially for a game called Free Fire, this is a follow-up to my previous collaboration Vale Vale which I released with Alok and became such a big record in Brazil and amassed over 100+ million views. Zafrir

A repertoire of hits that only grows by the second, 2021 was most definitely one of the most enticing years of Zafrirs musical career, up to now of course! All set to reach even further heights in 2022, we cant help but feel that sense of thrill when mentioning this multi-faceted artist, and everything that he has and is about to achieve as time progresses. A truly ground-defying individual, Zafrir has taken his undeniable talents that one level further, with a prime example being the live shows that he performs in the most spectacular of ways. Providing the most rare of experiences for fans alike is always of the essence, as his live performances reflect an array of emotions upon the viewers, with Zafrirs original music implemented through DJ sets, live playing instruments, and visual arts.

Im planning to release lots of collaborations with major artists in the electronic music scene. In addition, Im going to write and produce more crossover records, infuse of Pop and Hip Hop and go out on tour with an exciting new show that combines my live instruments together with DJing its going to be a special one. Cant wait to share with you all. Zafrir

All set on embarking on yet another groundbreaking year, Zafrir is the personification of an artist that has mastered his craft to the ultimate of perfections. With 2022 already in full flow, we cannot wait for whats next from this rising star, and we will most definitely be keeping a close eye on a future endeavors. Be sure to follow Zafrir on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify for a further glimpse in his breathtaking musical journey within our community and not only!

Image Credit: Zafrir (via Press Release)

Read more here:

Zafrir continues his rise to stardom in following huge collabs with Alok, Afrojack, Steve Aoki and more - We Rave You

True love is real. It is worth waiting for. It is worth searching for. And just because you havent found it yet doesnt mean its not waiting for you.

Gen Zers may have a more cynical perception of love than previous generations and understandably so. On social media apps like TikTok, the never-ending horror stories of betrayal and heartbreak bombard us and get millions of views due to the sheer disgust and shock they induce. But the calmness, stability and mutual respect seen in healthy relationships does not produce a visceral reaction and therefore does not reach as many viewers.

As people commiserate in comment sections about their failed relationships, a sense of hopelessness begins to cloud the idea of love.

It would benefit us to differentiate between love and unhealthy dynamics disguised as love. The easiest way to learn about love is to realize what love isnt.

In her book All About Love, bell hooks challenges society to redefine love. We are taught from a young age that love is primarily a feeling, a blind intuition and a magical trance we fall into through no control of our own. As hooks writes, this view is problematic as it leads people to think of love as a temporary feeling which they have no control over.

In reality, love is quite the opposite. Love is something we wake up and choose everyday. Love is a verb, a practice and a way of life.

It is easy to fall into love but it is harder to continually choose to love. As hooks writes, Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.

Unfortunately, we have absolutely no control over the place where we receive or are deprived of love for the first time. This place is our family. We have no control over whether we are born into a loving household and are given the unconditional love we are entitled to upon entering the world.

As hooks writes, when people who are supposed to love their children hurt them over and over, it can be confusing for the children. They can internalize an inaccurate belief of what love is. These individuals grow up and go into the world seeking their own, misunderstood definition of love.

In psychology this is known as confusion of tongues, where a child will accept however they are treated and see it as love.

At some point, we forget something that we knew as children that we yearn for love. As children, we gave hugs freely. We would even ask for a hug when we needed one. We loved our friends, our parents and we loved ourselves. But to continue loving oneself becomes an impossible task.

There is nothing empowering about denying yourself love. It is no different than denying that you have a basic need, like eating. Just as the body shuts down and deteriorates from a lack of food, so does a persons emotional well-being from a lack of love.

We see it in infants who are continually denied attention and warm affection. Brain development is affected in a catastrophic way, and these children are more prone to developing personality disorders, according to the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study.

When we are truly loved, we feel capable of being our true selves. We are empowered to take off the mask we hide under and instead be vulnerable and open. We create a space in our hearts to receive the love we have always yearned for.

When we can be ourselves before the person we love, the knowledge that we are loved frees us from any fear. We no longer need to drain our energy from constant self-monitoring, we no longer suffocate under the mask of the false self.

It is hard to admit to ourselves that people close to us even family may not love us. However, we cannot blame those who have misguided definitions of love because they too had no control over who first taught them love their own parents.

But rather than perpetuate this cycle of generational lovelessness, we can internalize a new, revolutionary definition of love. We can choose to love others instead of judging them, and slowly move our society toward a better way of life.

It is a fear of love, and a fear of not being loved, that drives so much of our behavior. As hooks writes, love allows us to let go of that fear. We can leap and know that the grace of love will catch us.

Love is not what we fall into. It is what catches us when we fall.

Read more here:

Redefining Love: Love is more than a feeling The Daily Free Press - Daily Free Press

It looks set to be one of the highlights of this years events calendar here in Manchester, and tickets are now on sale.

90s kids, 00s lovers, dance floor heroes, and underground clubbers can kick-start the summer season by grabbing tickets to go back to that time they love so much as Flashback Festival Manchesters newest and only outdoor music festival celebrating dance music from the last two decades is bringing timeless tunes and fresh vibes to Platt Fields Park.

Some of the biggest names from dance music across the globe, some chart-topping local throwbacks, and some of the elite North West residents from over the years will be gathering in the city for one day only this May.

Theyll be blasting out all the old skool anthems you know and love at what is set to be the hottest festival this summer, come rain or shine.

No matter what it is that youre in to whether it be euphoric trance and Clubland Classics, to retro house, garage, jungle, hardcore, and just about everything in between Flashback Festivals jaw-dropping lineup of headliners and pioneers will showcase a full spectrum of dance music royalty from the past 30 years.

Theres over 60 artists on the lineup, spread across five stages.

Headliner Example will be taking to the Main Stage with his hits Kickstarts and Wont Go Quietly, and hell be joined by other throwback chart toppers Tinchy Stryder, 2Unlimited, Tulisa, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Ultrabeat, and so many more.

For the Garage fans, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Artful Dodger, and Sweet Female Attitude will be there to take it back to the most iconic era in music.

Stages will be hosted by legendary brands such as Clubland, Hed Kandi, Back by Dope Demand, and Trance Anthems.

Read more: A flashback festival full of 90s and 00s dance music is kick-starting summer in Manchester

The Main Stage will be a huge open-air outdoor stage with SFX, laser shows, and pyrotechnics, and therell be huge big top arena featuring a well-known national brand that fills up clubs and dance floors every week.

And the music is only part of what makes this festival an unmissable event too.

Theres also set to be a VIP bar and plenty of different fairground rides spread across the dedicated Festival Village, as well as an official after party on the cards, and lots more exciting things to be announced over the coming months.

Flashback Festivalis coming to Platt Fields Park on Saturday 21 May 2022.

Tickets are priced at 44.50 for standard entry, 61.50 for a VIP package, and 10 if you just fancy going to the after party, with booking fees added onto each.

You can grab tickets here.

Featured Image Flashback Festival

Excerpt from:

Tickets now on sale for the flashback festival coming to Manchester this summer - The Manc

Trance legends Cosmic Gate kick off the new year on a high-note with their first two musical project reveals of 2022. Following a tremendous amount of success throughout the past couple of years, The GRAMMY-nominees show no sign of slowing down this time around, and their most recent releases mark only the beginning of what the dynamic duo has in store for us moving forward.

Nic and Bossi ring in the month of January with not one but two phenomenal productions for fans all over the globe to thoroughly indulge in. First things first, they recently unveiled a stunning Sunset Set livestream recorded in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a few weeks back, and we cant even begin to discuss how breathtaking the entire 2-hour performance was. Set on the picturesque Playa Del Caballo located along Mexicos scenic Pacific coast, the livestream embodies Cosmic Gates more techno-driven, melodic soundscapes flawlessly all throughout and removes listeners winter scaries with its scenic views.

Just a few days after all the built-up hype and persistent track id requests following their remarkable Puerto Vallarta livestream, the Black Hole Recordings mainstays released their newest single on the prominent label, We Got The Fire featuring Olivia Sebatianelli. The stellar track was featured on the livestream right around the last 30-minute mark, and it was the perfect addition to the sets entrancing deep and progressive vibe.

Olivia Sebastianelli, who was also featured on their highly-acclaimed single, Everything Everything, adds an enchanting touch to the already spellbinding tune with her stunning vocals. Her chemistry in the studio with Nic and Bossi is simply unmatched, and We Got The Fire is yet another one of their endeavoring musical masterpieces out now for fans to continue blasting on repeat.

But wait, theres more. The alluring single is the first track to come fromMOSAIIK Chapter Two which is rumored to be fully unveiled later in May. The first edition of their MOSAIIK project was nothing short of legendary. So legendary that fans are still losing their minds over it. With that in mind, its forthcoming sophomore LP is starting to rank as the duos most highly-anticipated LP to date.

Devoted fans are going absolutely insane over Nic and Bossis latest musical ventures, and theres plenty more where that came from. Aside from a new livestream, a new single, and an official release date for MOSAIIK Chapter Two, you bet theyre also undertaking one of their greatest North American tours yet. Tickets for all shows are available here, with full tour date details below.

Originally posted here:

Cosmic Gate Kicks off 2022 with Breathtaking Puerto Vallarta Livestream & New Single "We Got The Fire" - The Nocturnal Times