Very rarely does there come a point in time when you get to attend a flurry of events on one ticket where you devour the best of talent in dance music in one whirlwind weekend. It is moments like these which make you understand what dance music really stands for. Such was the feeling we experienced at this very unique concept which was brought forth by leading dance music event organizer Submerge and Global Edge.

Their #AAA concept, or Access All Areas bestowed upon a number of fans a chance to witness some of the biggest names in the industry on one ticket. Not only did that one entry band entitle you to a weekend of madness in one city but it also acted as your ticket to attend your favourite DJ’s gig at an entirely different city. It would surely be safe to say, that this extravagant concept had already blown our minds away much before the event.

Bringing the event to a number of prominent cities across India, Submerge truly delivered more than we could have ever asked for. With a line-up boasting of renowned talents such as Caspa, Aly & Fila, Spektre and GMS along with domestic heavyweights including Pearl, Nawed Khan, Ash Roy, Ankytrixx, Nucleya, Ez Riser, amongst others they made sure that the event would be an unforgettable affair for sometime to come.

Just like fans who would want to experience this fantastic concept in it’s entirety, we chose to review one day in Mumbai which saw Aly & Fila and Nawed Khan bring the house down at Royalty while Caspa & Ez Riser gave us a memorable night packed with pulsating monstrous bass music at Bonobo and the other day at the capital, New Delhi where the haven of music, Blue Frog was treated to Spektre and Ash Roy in the courtyard and GMS along with Pearl and Audiogramme in the main club area.

So without further adieu, hit past the break to read up on our take of the colossal experience that was #AAA!

DAY 1:

ALY & FILA and NAWED KHAN at Royalty, Mumbai  

When it comes to uplifting trance, Aly & Fila are possibly considered as pharaohs in their own right. We were blown away when they performed for us at A State Of Trance’s 600th Episode in Mumbai, and we only hoped and prayed we could catch them again soon. So obviously twice in the same year was a double bonanza for us.

The opening set was performed by none other than Nawed Khan, who himself unleashed a plethora of mashups that night. Mixing with absolute precision, as always, his set had a wide range of tracks to offer. Starting off with deep house and progressive bombs, and gradually moving on to some big room bangers, he then moved on to big room hits like Aphrodite by Kryder, Ocarina by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Damaged by Adrian Lux. His set served as a welcome warm up to the magnificent increase in tempo that was to follow. Every trance fan would know that the BPM to any Aly & Fila set would not drop below 135.

A few moments passed and then the moment we’d all been waiting for had arrived. Nawed handed over the mixers to Fadi from Aly & Fila, who started off his set with an ethnically vocal hard hitting trance production, akin to the New World Remix of Saawariya. His first tune was welcomed by the audience with open arms and closed eyes. We were all submitting ourselves to be uplifted and taken on a journey to a place much much higher than where we already were. Sure enough, that’s exactly what Fadi did.

Track after track, he kept belting out beautifully grinding, hard hitting and heavy trance productions that made everyone lose control of themselves. The dance-floor was filled with people, who were clearly devoted to the music, and most of them treated trance like a religion. One could observe this by taking a look around at every breakdown and drop. There were beautiful smiles on everyone’s faces each time there was a melodic breakdown which flipped over to complete insanity every time the beat came about.

Fadi literally was the navigator on our journey, he guided us with beautifully emotional avenues with the Alex Vlasov Mashup of Nadia Ali’s Rapture with the John Askew remix of John O’ Callaghan’s Stresstest, and the uplifting remix of their collaboration with Roger Shah and Adrina Thorpe on Perfect Love. The emotion and energy around the room was so evident it was almost as if there was high voltage in the air. This was even more intensified when he dropped the Above & Beyond Club mix of Good For Me.

He took us deeper into his entrancing sojourn,  ensuring we lost ourselves to another surreal and enchanting piano melody in the form of their remix for Simon O’Shine and Sergey Nevone’s Apprehension, which was carried forward with the Craig Connely & Christina Novelli collaboration on Black Hole, played in the Jorn van Deynhoven Remix.

Much to die hard fan’s content, he thrilled us to such an extent that we had goosebumps when he dropped Aly & Fila‘s very own collaboration with Jwaydan,  We Control The Sunlight. Just about then, everyone present at the venue was aching to relive the ASOT 600 experience. There were people in the crowd who were yelling for Fadi to play their Uplifting remix of their collaboration with Solarstone Fire Island. And not before long we could hear the driving beats of the intro of the song that defined the ASOT experience for many. The moment the breakdown came about, one look around and we could see an expression of literal euphoria on everyone’s face. The moving, emotional riff to Fire Island was blaring through the speakers and we could feel chills running down our spines as the track built up to its glorious uplifting beat.

With that we ended our journey with Fadi as our guide. It was one of the most surreal sets we had heard in a long time and in our opinion, this is exactly what dance music should do. It should take you on a journey through different avenues of emotion with your feet as the only mode of transport. It should make you feel and perceive every emotion put into making the music that we listen to. It should make you want to smile, laugh and cry. By the end of it, it should make you feel like you’ve been to and returned from a state of euphoria that only music could give you.

CASPA and EZ RISER at Bonobo, Mumbai

That was exactly what we experienced at the simultaneous gig which was happening at Bonobo where EZ Riser & Caspa were enthralling us with some massive dubstep and bass infused belters.

Ez Riser aka Sohail Arora who is also one half of the formidable unit, Bay Beat Collective (BBC), has been pushing bass heavy sounds in the country for almost 4 years now. As EZ Riser he focusses on the new styles of bass forms with influences ranging from Koan Sound, Opiuo, Spoonbill, Heyoka, Griz & many more.

Living up to his noteworthy standards, playing the first set of the night he turned things a notch higher, and gave the crowd some fantastic tunes to rage to. Taking us and all present on a journey packed with some of the most groovy tunes, he ensured we stayed on our feet and relentlessly cheered on while moving in sync with each time he let loose another monstrous dub-infused smasher.

Effortlessly going about his business, Ez Riser was spot on with his set and served as an impressive build up for one of bass music’s most remarkable global talents, Caspa. Caspa is a man synonymous with bass. He has set up multiple labels and has created marvellous productions one after the other, all in the name of bass. It can be easily claimed that he has been one of the most influential and contributing members of dubstep community, a genre that has surfaced in recent years with an absolute slap in the face type of impact.

Gary McCann aka Caspa got into the music scene after a very promising basketball career was cut short due to an injury. However, with a never say die spirit and a drive to succeed in whatever he sets his sights on, he definitely has brought the same intensity to the decks as well as the studio. It is very evident from his stance and playing technique behind the pioneers that show the combination or experience and raw talent.

He calmly stepped on to the stage and plugged in his SD card and began his monitor demolishing set. He started off with a grimey wobble filled track that slowly transitioned into a reggae based DnB sound. Soon after that he brought in a commercial phase with Flux Pavilion’s I Can’t Stop and all the dubstep lovers were officially raging.

Dropping banger after banger Caspa had the crowd bouncing hard to his original with PartySquad called Let The Rush Kick In. He then proceeded to deliver a solid 10 minutes of no vocal wobbles that had the crowd in an all out dance frenzy, you know body wobbling jelly dance that is induced when you have a case of heavy bass obliteration.

Leaving us in complete astonishment, Caspa’s set gave us just what we had looked forward to throbbing bass, good vibes, a packed audience and a fantastic set. With such a grand first day we were left awestruck and pondering as to what more ‘Day-2′ would hold for us.

DAY 2:

Making the most of Submerge’s splendid #AAA concept we decided to review the second day of the mind-blowing event in New Delhi which was to be held at Blue Frog and would feature GMS (Growling Mad Scientists) along with Pearl and Audiogramme in the club area and leading techno act Spektre in the ‘courtyard’ along with domestic DJ/producer Ash Roy.

Blue Frog has always possessed a magical ambience, with its psychedelic, other-worldly interiors on one hand, and a languid, historically themed courtyard on the other end of the spectrum. The weather on Saturday night was perfect for hosting an outdoor gig and many had come to witness the masterful techno powerhouse talent of Spektre , just as a number of fans had come to witness the supreme duo, GMS playing inside the futuristic club.

PEARL, AUDIOGRAMME and GMS at Blue Frog, New Delhi

DJ Pearl opened her set with her down-to-earth vibe, open arms, and warm smiles aimed at the audience. She got right into the music along with the crowd, who were lit up by the lighter side of deep house and tech house. The music had a very bouncy feel, which fit the ‘strobe-light-and-neon-glow’ ambience of the club. She had the crowd rolling in during her hour long set, which was gearing itself up for the act of the night.

As Pearl went about delivering one bouncy track after another which kept us dancing we noticed how calmly she went about her business, seamlessly mixing one track into another. Pearl served a remarkable build-up for the storm that was to follow. Now, if you think of a duo whose stage name stands for ‘Growling Mad Scientists’, it is evident that they’re going to be a playful pair both to watch and hear.

Also known as Riktam and Bansi, they laughed and smiled both at each other and at the crowd, which responded amazingly to the Dutch psy-trance duo. They opened their set with the quirky track, Changing Times by Philipp Konnert, complimented by incredible visuals that seemed to us as reminiscent of the rave room at Curlies, Goa! With Michael Woods’ Dynamik up next, the crowd went crazy, dancing wildly and throwing their arms up in the air, in unison with the scientists. Their remix of Ticon’s 1987 set the mood for some psychedlica, as they alternated amongst each other to work the crowd and the console.

With the drop of the recently released, Hummingbird by SoLv3r Van Land & Jessi Fallis, the crowd cheered and hooted, making the arena of Blue Frog reverberate with the deep euphoric sound. Next up was The Need by Sonikross; their energy onstage made them blend effortlessly with the crowd, as if they were not merely the creators, but also the lovers of the music.

Their set peaked with GMS’ beautiful original, Pray for Japan. The track gave us a major throwback with its incorporation of the legendary guitar riffs of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. Another track, which we couldn’t quite ID, included the opening chords of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing, which also exhibited the duo’s regard for rock music. The bouncy Dance Until The Bone Breaks by Danilo Brunassi led to the second climax of their set, heightening their interaction with the crowd. Everyone sang along to the lyrics of the Astrix remix of Rounders by Growling Machines, which was followed by the popular Life Style remix of Kling On by 1200 MICs.

They closed their manic set with the hauntingly incredible track, Juice; the title track of Requiem for a Dream, which established them firmly on electronic music map. It was appropriately dark and also fit to get the crowd to dance. With the neon lights and rapid, explosive visuals, it was the perfect end to an absolutely incredible set. With a huge fan following in Delhi, the duo understood what the crowd wanted & they delivered throughout. They had the ability to sustain the entire club for the duration of their set, keeping them on their feet. In short, the scientists weren’t just growling or mad, they were downright marvellous!

SPEKTRE and ASH ROY at Blue Frog (Courtyard), New Delhi

As the annihilation was on in full swing indoors in the club area, the outdoors of Blue Frog, known popularly as the ‘courtyard’ had turned into the paradise for many looking to groove to quality techno and tech house music which was as underground as it could get. Great weather, along with great music on the cards ensured a sizeable audience at the ‘courtyard’ and made for the perfect setting for what seemed would be a great night.

The night at the ‘courtyard’ was flamboyantly kicked off by Ash Roy who is one of the most respected talents on the domestic circuit. Having started in the late nineties with a stint in his hometown of Calcutta’s mega club, Anticlock, with some legendary nights the city is still talking about, he beat the hoards to win the 1999 DMC World DJ Regional Finals in India and his winning streak took him overseas, to the Diamond Club in Dubai the Gulf’s biggest club, where he scored a residency. Upon his return to India he reconnected with two old friends and fellow musicians to form Jalebee Cartel which was India’s answer to raw, real underground and is held as one of the most reputable domestic act’s.

Famous for his unique DJ-ing style and infusing percussions into his sets, he gave the crowd an incredible opening set packed with some of the best in underground techno and tech house. He went about dropping track after track effortlessly, occasionally grinning at us. Every now and then he would take to his percussions and sync them admirably with the groovy beats of his set. He delivered an exceptional opening set which acted as a perfect build up for Spektre to take us by storm.

Now, Spektre is known to weave an intrepid, complex web amongst underground dance music’s elitists. The techno brainchild of DJ’s/producer’s Filthy Rich and Paul Maddox, the duo was formed through a shared passion for driving electronic music and a mutual desire to push sound boundaries using the most cutting edge technology available. The fusion of their combined experience in the studio allows them to construct dark, sinister sounds mixed with twisted, haunting vocals and unnerving, atmospheric foundations. Having earned their reputation over the years they have been appreciated by some of the most exemplary talents of the industry including UMEK and James Zabiela.

As Ash concluded his set and handed over the reigns to Paul from Spektre, the excitement was slowly building higher and higher within the crowd to witness the genius of the stalwart live. And, boy did Paul cater to all that excitement and more! Giving the crowd one stunning underground track after another, he left us in disbelief of his exquisite prowess.

The crowd present couldn’t help but groove and some even went up a little closer to Paul at the console to tell him they were having the time of their lives, as a response of which Paul would smirk and enchant them once again with another masterstroke.

His set was sublime and packed in just what you would expect from a set by Spektre, flawless underground and dark, techno and tech house mixed seamlessly which creates a one of a kind tingling in your legs which ensure you keep dancing and grooving. While going about his business Paul dropped some tracks from their upcoming album and treated us to some anthems as well like, Roberto Capuano‘s Vertigo and Audiomatiques & Mars Bill‘s smasher, Easy.

Paul’s set was one of the most fantastic underground sets many would have seen in a long time, it was a master class for producers and an enjoyable roller-coaster ride for fans. Certainly one set which we will be stuck in our memory for a long long time!

All in all, #AAA by Submerge was a wonderful display of global talents from across genres and one which will be etched in a number of fans memory for long. We look forward to the second outing of the event and cannot contain our desire to know what artists the second instalment shall hold after such a enthralling first instalment.

We thank the entire team at Submerge and Global Edge, for truly giving us, a melange of music, dance & fun!

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Reviewed by: Vedika Berry, Mallika Pal, Shule Puri, Kabir Uppal & Aditya Seth 

Edited by: Aditya Seth