Of a trance-doper

My top ten greatest artist groups with the songs that drive me, that are huge reasons for me to live.

EPIC, Progressive, Euro, breakdowns, lift; the terminologies that keep me kicking.

Influencers. Transformers. Spiritually rich and enriching. Mood uplifters. Gods.....

10. Daft punk

Their name is credited by them to a UK based magazine, indirectly. The critic called their music 'daft (crazy) punk'. They picked up well with the single 'Da Funk'. Another amazing album of theirs came out with Japanese animations of alien worlds, named "Discovery". It had tracks like 'One more time', 'Aerodynamic' and 'Digital love'

Funky:

• Da Funk
• Around the world
  

Twisty:

• Aerodynamic
• Harder Better Faster Stronger
  

9. Delerium

Why did the two member band split after they made the album"Karma"? They produced such amazing tracks like "Silence".... I wonder...

Crowd Mesmeriser:

• Silence (featuring Sarah McLachlan)

8. Linkin Park

I won't write much about them, as they are a well known rock band. I wish to attend a live concert of Linkin Park at least once in my life (Are you listening Chester/Shinoda? When are you coming to Mumbai? India at least!).
I have heard most of 'Hybrid Theory' and a couple from 'Meteora'. I don't like "crawling", it is too negative for my taste.

Ramblers:

• Papercut
• In the end
• One step closer
• A place for my head
• A cure for the itch! (freaking awesome fusion of scratchy R&B with Bass)

7. Eminem

Once again, there have been enough dwellings on this artist all over the media and the internet. He has lead-starred in a large scale Hollywood movie for F***'s sake (his style :P ).
That doesn't take away the fact that I truly respect him. His early life is a great example of resilience (fight from going almost bankrupt and losing his wife due to poverty) and devotion (his love for his daughter Hailie).

Rappers:

• Stan
• Loose yourself
• The Real Slim Shady
• Sing for the moment

6. BT

Considered by almost everyone to be the pioneer of Trance music. This guy is old skool in the field of trance music. His album ESCM (1997) had the smash hit "Flaming June". I recommend this track to everyone who want to find out how to seriously dance!

He is known for his stutter technique. He introduced me to the out of this world vocal singer Sarah McLachlan.

'Mercury and solace' had a creepy yet beautifully picturised video of a child apparently hurt by a car crash. He is found by a group of kids in the lush fields nearby and they dance and play around. They seem to be attracted by a shiny object at a distant hill, which seems like metal reflecting sun's light. All this time a model (who's actually the singer, Jan Johnston) wearing coat over a wrapped evening gown(??!!!??) is screaming "reach out for me". I think the kids (or are they time backs of their adult being? Who knows?) are dead and it is a sort of an after-life activity happening.

His other tracks include 'Dreaming' (mixed by Tiesto also I suppose), which is considered to be a classic trance track, in the league of 'Godspeed'. One more was 'Never gonna come back down' which was the epitome of Energy in performance, especially by the Ghetto singer.

Crushes:

• Mercury and Solace
• Flaming June
• Godspeed

5. PVD

This world leading DJ from Germany is a one man army. He has traveled the world, and I was lucky to catch his second coming to Mumbai, live.
His hits include "For an Angel" and "We are alive" which had a video of a huge black trampoline cum couch traveling in city roads (I guess in Germany) and people of all ages/sects enjoying bouncing around. I somehow don't like these songs.

Thumpers:

• Crush mix ('The politics of Dancing') from the Energy 2003 live performance
  
• Times of our lives
• Autumn
• Rapture mix (originally by the group Iio - who derived their name from Sony Vaio!)

4. Deep Forest

Thanks to the creativity of this french duo. Creative because they combined Pygmy chants with Digital (revolutionary back then, in 1992) sounds. Creative because they moved on to Hungarian and Gypsy chants for further projects. Their first album was titled "Deep Forest". If you have heard the title song from the movie "Gupt", look no further for its "inspiration".
Creative as they were considered forerunners in the world of world music.
Creative as they have Australian native lyrics (not Swahili) in their smash song (sweet lullaby)

Makes you wanna groove:

• Deep Forest (title track)
• Hunting
• Savana Dance
• White whisper (have you heard the background music of Salman Khan's presence in "Judwa"?)

Heavily uplifts the mood:

• Night Bird
• The first twilight

3. Planet Funk

Mental patients exhibiting all signs of catatonism (a kind of madness for all you lazy bums) locked in a room. This forms the base video of "Chase the sun". The secret to the wooden radio is revealed in the next released video "Inside all the people", where there is no radio equipment inside the hollow box at all! Perhaps suggesting that the patients are listening to something out of their imagination.
"Inside all the people" goes on to show the chemistry that happens between a man and woman. A simple collision in the crowd is showed 3 times with 3 different results.

Rated 5, automatically ;) (windows media player style):

• Chase the sun
• Inside all the people

Hip turners:

• Who said (stuck in the UK)
  

2. Enigma

Who could possibly think of a positive out of a 12 year old child dropping out of school to pursue a career in music? I am glad Mr. Cretu did.
Gregorian chants, Sexual noises, Thumping dance track, Shakuhachi flutes, can anybody possibly imagine a fusion out of these? I am glad Mr. Michael Cretu did.
Who would get inspired out of falling asleep in a London underground train? I am glad Mr....Yep, you got it.

Welcome to the world of Enigma. The world of mysteries. The world of treasures in terms of musical riches. No wonder the list of bollywood movies that got 'inspired' are countless. From the background music of Tridev to the songs of Akshay - Mamta Kulkarni (mang meri bharo....straight lift from mea culpa), everyone has tried to rake in the success story of this phenomenon.

After 'the cross of changes', their third album was a fusion of these Gregorian chants as well as tribal songs.

Reinventing itself in "The screen behind the mirror" and "Voyageur" proved that the artists have no dearth of soul.

Favourite tracks: Too many to list but will post a few 'toppers'

Mood Transformers/Transporters to different worlds:

• Callas went away (I have written a poem on the visions I get when I hear this song)
• Knocking on forbidden doors (Another vision that I get is of a guy running across narrow paths in the night on high dark barren plateaus, with deep gorges on both sides, to save someone locked in a dark castle...scary?)
• Shadows in silence
• In the shadow in the light
• Push the limits.....It has lyrics having statistics about the MOON! Then linking it with the famous 'Oh fortuna' (remember the background score of the old old spice ads?) chant, possibly implying a connection with the moon and velut luna (like the moon, fortune is very moody and erratic)
• Smell of Desire

Groovies:

• The eyes of truth
• I love you I'll kill you
• Age of loneliness (Carly's song)
• Return to innocence (The reverse video)
• TNT for the brain (Listen to the Table, and listen to the sanskrit chants in this album)
• Voyageur
• Page of cups
  
• The piano
• The gravity of love
• Modern crusaders
• Traces (Light and Weight). This is the song captured in Sony Ericsson mobile handsets' "greetings" alarm/ring tone. Apart from Enigma, I think only AR Rehman can put the sounds of dripping water and match stick lighting to create the effect.
• Silence must be heard
• Turn Around (techno focus, and lyrics straightaway mention titles of previous hits of Enigma)
• Ancient person of my heart
  

Some of the best songs are produced by Enigma collaborating with Deep forest. Two of my favourite artists combining to give awesome music! What more can I ask for? Notable ones are: 'Into Morocco' and 'New Dawn'


1. Chicane

Trivia: All you Bryan Adams fans, read this. Have you heard the song "Cloud no 9"? If you have, then the chances are that you have heard the remixed version of this song, not the original one. Because the original one was so bad, it never took off. It was Chicane's remix that did the trick and the song became popular. Bryan Adams sang for their biggest hit so far (Don't give up) as a gesture for his help.

Their music is described as relaxed, ambient, mood shifting and influenced by Ibiza!!

Anthems, my version of "Bhajan":

• Saltwater (my all time favourite song across all categories of music, to date)
• Don't give up
• Sunstroke (remix)
  
• Offshore
• Autumn tactics

Phew!
What a ride this has been for me. If you have read this far, thank you very much for walking through this with me!