Category Archives: Trance

When Niko Kallianiotis came to the United States from Greece more than two decades ago, his impression of America was heavily colored by Hollywood and the country's reputation for larger-than-life metropolitanism.

He settled in Scranton, however, about as wrong of a place to find that glitz and glamor as any in the nation. A photographer, Kallianiotis came to understand a different side of the United States, one whose industrial past was in conflict with the economic tides that swept it away, one factory at a time.

For his most recent exhibition, on display at Scranton's Marywood University, Kallianiotis traveled across Pennsylvania to document the scenery of the state's once thriving industrial towns. Inspired in part by the influence of the 2016 presidential election and President Trump's popularity in large parts of Pennsylvania, Kallianiotis dubbed the running collection, "America in a Trance," as a way to describe the palpable mood he witnessed in his travels:

In a recent interview with PBS, Kallianiotis explained that while the project isn't meant to be overtly political, its title hints at a broader societal observation he's made about the American people since last year's election.

Most of Kallianiotis' work can be found at his website and on his Instagram. Below is a sampling of his work for "America in a Trance."

Photo by Niko J. Kallianiotis.

Photo by Niko J. Kallianiotis.

Photo by Niko J. Kallianiotis.

Photo by Niko J. Kallianiotis.

Photo by Niko J. Kallianiotis.

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'America in a Trance': Photographer documents Pennsylvania's industrial towns - PhillyVoice.com

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Groove to the tracks of popular UK band Above & Beyond at a pulsating Holi gig

It's rare to hear of English Trance bands perform at Indian festivals. But for Above & Beyond, who have been coming to India over the years, it is no less than fascinating. The trio, comprising Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamki, are a unique bunch. They have an acoustic and soulful side to their music too. They also host a weekly radio show titled Group Therapy Radio, and are the owners of London-based music labels, Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep. Ahead of their Holi-themed gig, McGuinness opens up about their work and their association with India.

Excerpts from an interview.

Over the years, what changes have you noticed in India's music scene? Ever since we started our label, Anjunabeats (named after Anjuna beach in Goa) in 1999, we have been fascinated by Indian culture, people, food, music and the parties. The Electronic scene has grown rapidly in the last five years. There is so much enthusiasm and energy in the parties. We can't get enough!

Yours is the only EDM act that is into Trance as well as melodious acoustic music. What inspires you to compose? It can be almost anything a book we've read, a film we've seen or something that's happened to us that sparks a train of thought that needs a musical or lyrical solution. Fiddling with instruments, be it a guitar or a piano, is a fruitful route as well.

Have you played Holi before? What's on the gig playlist? We have not, although we have heard a lot [about the festival] and seen photographs. I am not trying to do much research, let it be a surprise. Every gig we play is especially made for the event and we are looking forward to get into the Holi mood.

Tell us about your collaboration with Lagori, the Indian band. They recorded Indian versions of our songs, Sun & Moon and We Are All We Need (using a sitar and various other Indian instruments). They are available on YouTube. They rewrote the verses but used the choruses from the original versions.

Do you plan to use Indian instruments in your tracks? None of us play or own Indian instruments. It is odd because our record label is named after an Indian beach that was influential in creating a Trance scene in India. We have always felt close to the country and its people, though.

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English Trance at a desi festival - Mid-Day

When Solarstone released his Pure album in 2012, he thought itd be his last. As it turned out, Pure became the starting point of a mass movement within the trance scene that turned him into one of the leading figures bringing the genres true ethos back to life.

Since then, a resurgence of sorts has taken place in which the original, traditional sounds have come out on top, and outspoken passion from the fans has led to trance making a notable return to the public psyche as more and more heed to increased demands of the music in various localities. Solarstone recognizes this, and has transcribed his thoughts into a new music which will serve as the backdrop to a brand new project hes reportedly brewing up.

A State Of Mind comes as the introduction to this, and is broken into two different version. Solarstone begins with the ethereal Extended Mix, an eleven-minute gem of a song which unfolds across an ethereal landscape driven along by a smooth, running bass-line and filled with distant, vibrating synth melodies and a central melodic arrangement that feels melancholic in tone. Its various peaks and lulls tell a timeless story and tug at the heartstrings, making this a shining addition to Solarstones contemporary repertoire.

The Pure Mix adapts A State Of Mind to a club setting, inserting a thumping kick and more pronounced samples into the mix to make an ideal peaktime record. It represents the moving, uplifitng sound that Solarstone has built an excellent reputation for over his long years serving trance.

Listen to both mixes below:

Read More:

Solarstone and Giuseppe Ottaviani release 3rd single as PureNRG

Defining Pure: What trance means to Solarstone [Interview]

Solarstone Once feat. Iko (Original Mix)

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Solarstone shows off his 'State Of Mind' with ethereal trance ... - Dancing Astronaut

Each week, FACT trawls through the untamed world of free mixes, radio specials and live blends so you dont have to.

This week, Lorenzo Senni inspires euphoria with a selection of trance build-ups that inspired his recentPersona EP, Sega Bodega makes the Bomfunk MCs cool again and Beat Librae showcases her heady, dub-tinged techno.

Theres also a mix from the UK-based gal-dem zine, jackin house from Clone boss Serge and two hours of neo-classical from Sicario composer Jhann Jhannsson. Dive in.

Lorenzo Senni The Making of Persona

Nobody knows trance like Lorenzo Senni, and here the Warp artist shows us the inner workings of his musical mind with this mix of music that inspired last years Persona EP. Mixing the best bits of everything from commercial EDM and the sounds of Darudes Sandstorm, this mix proves that you can get high without drugs. Just dont expect any drops.

gal-dem Outlook 2017 Mix Series #2

Gal-Dems trilpill reps the UK underground with a mix that packs in everything from garage and grime to dancehall and bassline. Kicking off with Dawn Penns You Dont Love Me (No No No) and folding in tracks by Giggs, General Levy and more, its a party-starting blend that doesnt let up.

Sega Bodega i-DJ Mix

Hot on the heels of his Ess B EP for Crazylegs, rising club artist Sega Bodega lands on the i-D mix series for 40 minutes of edits and originals. As well as tracks from Staycores Dinamarca, Kid Kishore and lo-fi Lisbonite DJ Fatigado, expect VIPs of Halcyon Veil artist Celyn June, Arca and Bomfunk MCs 1999 classic Freestyler. Bonkers, but brilliant.

Beta Librae Truancy Volume 170

Keep this one stored up for when you next require a moment of peaceful immersion, as Kansas-born, New York-based Beta Librae has the perfect recipe. She draws for sparse, fluid house from the deepest depths on a two-part mix that combines her own productions (in the first half) with some of her recent influences, and its heady, soothing stuff perfect for a dazed walk through the city or an late night/early morning session.

Jhann Jhannsson Electronic Explorations 461

Theres still seven months to go until we can hear Jhann Jhannssons Blade Runner 2049 score, but we can at least tide ourselves over with this mix for the Electronic Explorations series. Theres music from fellow soundtrack composers Michael Nyman and Ennio Morricone, but also avant-garde sounds from Morton Feldman, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Greek chamber music trio Mohammad. Perfect for a quiet Sunday morning.

Serge Clone Jack For Daze @ Snar 2015

Clone is 25! The bossman Serge celebrates one of the greatest dance labels in history by sharing his Snar mix from 2015, and its a jackin, smackin spectacular of broken booty shakers and four-to-the-floor filth from DJ Deeon and the like. Wallflowers stay home.

Read next: Blade Runner 2049s Jhann Jhannsson on Orphe and his biggest challenge yet

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The week's best mixes: Lorenzo Senni's trance classics and jackin' moves from Clone boss Serge - FACT

By Jorge Silva | WAT BANG PHRA, Thailand

WAT BANG PHRA, Thailand Deep in trances, devotees of a Thai temple charged through gathered crowds on Saturday mimicking the beasts on their tattoos.

Some had their hands curled into tiger claws, some became crocodiles, some were transformed into Hanuman, the monkey god.

The annual tattoo festival at Wat Bang Phra, about 80 km (50 miles) from Bangkok, draws thousands of devotees every year who come to recharge the power of sacred Sak Yant tattoos.

The tattoos are inked by Buddhist monks using sharpened bamboo sticks or long metal needles. Originally etched for warriors needing protection in battle, they are also believed to bring luck and give strength.

But every year, their magic power needs to be restored at the festival, where thousands of devotees pay their respects to the temples master tattooist.

Not everyone goes into a trance. Those who do take on the characteristics of their tattoos. They try to charge toward the temple, but are held back by a wall of temple guards and soldiers.

(Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Sam Holmes)

The majority of respondents to a new U.S. poll opposed laws barring transgender people from using bathrooms consistent with their gender identities and indicated growing acceptance for gay rights, a nonpartisan research group said on Friday.

CAIRO Archaeologists from Egypt and Germany have found a massive eight-meter statue submerged in ground water in a Cairo slum that they say probably depicts revered Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.

BERLIN Turkey expressed hopes on Friday for a revival of its tourism industry after security concerns caused a 30 percent drop in foreign visitors and revenues last year.

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Tattooed devotees transform in Thai temple trance - Reuters

The Nation

You be trippin' out with trance The Nation Fans of electronic music will be going wild tonight when the globally renowned trance-music festival brand Transmission touches down in Bangkok at Bitec in Bang Na. Based in Prague, Transmission first came to life in 2006 and was soon one of Europe's ...

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You be trippin' out with trance - The Nation

The Hindu

Trance and beyond The Hindu If Tony McGuinness is to be believed, anything can inspire composition. A movie, a book, a parting word or a daydream. I carry a notebook in which I write words and phrases that sound intriguing to me and might become the opening line of a song, says ...

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Trance and beyond - The Hindu

As one of the current staples of the Giant lineup, the Trance has been a common sight on trail heads everywheresince it was first rolled outto the global riding market in 2005. Slotting in between the Anthem XC race bike, and the long travel Reign, the Trance was initially launched as one of the firstmodels from Giant to feature the then brand new Maestro suspension design.

With a virtual pivot suspension design that employed two links to suspend the rear swingarm, the Maestro conceptcame about in response to Santa Cruzs VPP and Dave Weagles dw_link. The promise of Maestro was to deliver an efficient pedalling platform without having to resort to clever rear shocks and lockout dials. In the case of the early Trance, thedual-link design delivered 100mm of rear wheel travel in a sturdy package built for all-day trail riding.

Overthe past decade, the Trance has gone on to become one of the most popular models that Giant sells, and one of the most well-recognised full suspension bikes in the world. In that time, the Trance has gone through several redesigns to increase rear wheel travel, which along with improvements to the frame construction andgeometry, hasseenitbecome amore capable machine.

For 2017 though, the Trance has gone through its biggest chance yet. Adopting new standards such as Boost hub spacing and the Trunnion rear shock mount, Giant has undertaken a wholesale redesign of both the Anthem and Trance platforms. A refined version of the Maestro suspension design has been ushered in, along with new geometry and a frame that is purportedly lighter and stiffer overall.

To put those claims to the test, Ive been riding anew Giant Trance 1to see if this is the Taiwanese brandsbesttrail bike yet.

The heart of the new Giant Trance is the reworked Maestro suspension design. Overall, the arrangement remains very similar to the original Maestro architecture, with two struts joining the one-piece swingarm to the front end. Those struts consist of a small link around the bottom bracket and a rocker link that drives the rear shock. Travel sits at 140mm on the rear.

The welded alloyswingarm features a flushBoost 148x12mm thru-axle that requires a 6mm hex key for installation and removal. Post-mount brake tabs will allow the rear calliper to bolt on directly with 160mm rotors, or (as our test bike features) an adapter to work with a larger 180mm rotor.

The lower link extends from the chain stay yoke over the PF92 press-fit bottom bracket shell, where it meets the lower shock eyelet. The beauty of this design is that the link and the shock share a pivot point, which reduces the number of moving parts on the Maestro linkage. All-up including the shock mounts, there are five pivots, all of which rollon sealed cartridge bearings.

The big change over the previous generation Trance is the change to a new Metric shock size that features Trunnion mounting. The Trunnion mount skips the traditional DU bush of a regular shock, and instead allows for the rocker to attach to the shock on the side of the shock body, where it rotates on two cartridge bearings instead. The result is less stiction for a smoother starting stroke and thusly, a more supple suspension feel. The other advantage that the Metric-sized shock provides is a smaller package for the same given stroke, so theres moreflexibility for the designers when engineering the front triangle.

The Trance 1 is the top-spec model in the alloy range, and so it receives a tidy suspension packagefrom Fox. Theres a Performance Elite Fox Float rear shock,which comes complete with an EVOL air can and 3-way adjustable compression damping. To complement the 140mm of rear wheel travel, Giant has specd a Fox 34 Float fork up front with 150mm of travel.

Cockpit components come from the Giant stable in the form of a Contact SL Trail handlebar that measures 750mm wide, and a Contact stem that runs at a 60mm length for the Extra Small, Small, and Mediumframe sizes, and 70mm for the Large and Extra Large frame sizes. Interestingly, this is the same bar and stem setup as found on the shorter-travel Anthem XC bike. My plan is to trythe Trance with a slightly wider bar and a shorter stem to see howits handling plays with a more fashionable cockpit setup.

Braking on the Trance 1 is handled by Shimano Deore XT stoppers, with 180mm Ice Tech rotors front and rear. Note the KaBolt setup on the Fox 34 fork, which Giant has specd instead of the standard QR15 quick-release lever.

Shimano has also been called on for the drivetrain on the Trance 1, with a slick 111 setup delivering a wide range of gears thanks to the larger11-46t cassette. The 32t chainring uses Shimanos new narrow-wide tooth profile, and the Shadow Plus rear derailleuruses a direct-mount hanger to keep shifting crisp.

Since first building up the Trance 1, Ive made a couple of changes to the spec for riding our local trails. The Schwalbe tyres have been pulled off to make way for more aggressive (and wider) Maxxis Minion tyres. Theres a 2.4in DHR II on the rear, which uses the 3C MaxxTerra rubber compound and EXO reinforced sidewalls.

To match the rear Minion DHR II, theres a Minion DHF on the front that measures 2.5in wide. Both Minions are the new Wide Trail (WT) size, which is ideally suited to the newer crop of rims that are running broaderinternal rim widths.

On the note of the wheelset, its a good-looking carbon fibre numbers from Giant. Called the TRX 1, the wheelset features28 straight-pull Sapim Laser/Race spokes per wheel, and theyre lacedto lovely CNC machined hub shells. The rims are tubeless ready, and blue rim tape is included in the box with the bike from new. Setting tyres up tubeless is easy as pie, and the seal is very secure between tyre and rim.

Before taking the Trance 1 off road, I stripped the wheels down and put them on the scales because Im a nerd like that. For the pair, the complete wheelset without tape and valves weighs in at just 1649 grams, which is pretty svelte for a carbon trail wheelset, and a few grams lighter than claimed. Nice!

One other change Ive made to the stock spec is the addition of a Wolftooth ReMoteto activate the Giant Contact SL Switch-R dropper post. With a CNC machined construction and a broad, textured paddle, the Wolftooth ReMote is a welcome addition to the Trance 1s ergonomics, and is available witha standard bar clamp, or in versions that are compatible with either Shimano or SRAM brake levers.

The Trance 1 frame itself is constructed from Giants own hydroformed alloy blend called ALUXX-SL. The tubes all receive heavy shaping to create some stunning lines that rival that of the carbon versions. The welded areas are broad and chunky, as isthe stout tapered head tube and the 92mm wide press-fit bottom bracket.

All cables route internally through the front triangle,with the rear brake hose and derailleur cable exiting at the base of the downtube. These then run externally on the rear swingarm, while the dropper post line runs internally all the way through and up into the seat tube.

With the new carbon fibre rocker link, the lines on the back end of the Trance have been massaged to be even cleaner, with smooth lines running from front to back. Its certainly a good looking piece of kit, and its a great example of therecent advances in alloy construction techniques. Interestingly, you can also get a Trance Advanced 2 for nearlythe same price as this bike here, so consumers have a choice of whether they want the better build kit with the alloy frame, or the carbon frame with a cheaper build kit.

Over the coming months, Ill continue to put the Trance 1 through a variety of riding conditions and trail types to see where this 140mm travel trail bike really shines. Well also be using the Trance to test out multiple components, including the Maxxis Minion tyres and a few other items that youll read about in the near future.

In the meantime, you can head to Giant Bicycles website for more information about the 2017 range.

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First Look: 2017 Giant Trance 1 - Singletrack

At its fifth iteration, one of Indias largest Holi-centric EDM festival is getting larger than ever. Hosted by Nikhil Chinapa and featuring artists like Above & Beyond, Pearl, Avneesh, Beyond 120 and more, the festival will be unleashed in Mumbai on the day of the festival of colours itself- March 13th.

And to add more flavour to the festival, Huaweis subsidiary Honor has partnered up with the festival. The brand recently launched the dual camera equipped Honor 6X which comes with the ability to bring DSLR-like blur to photos and will be just the perfect companion to capture the colour filled moments in the festival.

Honor has always been a brand for the youth and Holi is a festival that is widely celebrated by Indians. We at Honor intend to connect with our young audience and have therefore associated for the second time with Indias biggest EDM festival. Like Honor, Holi-reloaded speaks to fun and vibrant audiences and we look forward to associating with more such events in the future as these help us connect and understand the pulse of Indian youth, Allen Wangguodong, Director Product Center at Huawei India said in a statement.

Last year, the Holi Reloaded recorded a massive footfall of over 5,000 and featured an intense lineup of international and local artists. This year, the festival is going even bigger by roping in trance legend Above & Beyond. The band started the year with a party-anthem Balearic Balls and were sure enough the group is going to make the party as groovy as it can get.

Tickets for the festival start from Rs 1499 and goes up to Rs 2800. Also you can get a group of five (I see no reason why not!), you can get one ticket free.

Also Read: Above & Beyond will be touring India this Holi

Apart from Above & Beyond and the artists mentioned above, progressive techno sensation Helium Project, deep techno duo Nosh & Sj, progressive house and trap duo Audio Addict will also be performing among others.

Above & Beyond will also be doing a four city tour from 10th to 13th March in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and finally, Mumbai. The band said in a statement, India has always been a special place for us, its the birthplace of Group Therapy Radio and the spiritual home of our Anjunabeats label. Visiting our friends and fans during Holi a colourful celebration of togetherness will be a truly special thing

A pre-party is also happening in Delhi on March 10th.

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The 5th Holi Reloaded festival will feature trance legends Above ... - Gizmodo India

We are just 5 days away from another iconic Above & beyond India tour. 4 cities, 4 mad venues, 3 beautiful artists, lots of music & one massive Anjuna Family. The few things that really come across your mind when you hear the combination of Tony, Paavo & Jono are melodious music, breath-taking lyrics & enchanting vocals. Over the years the coveted trio of electronic music have worked with some stellar vocalists such as Zoe Johnston, Gemma Heyes, Alex Vargas & we cannot forget the vocalist of one of their most famous tracks, the one & only Richard Bedford. In addition to this I guess the closest thing one can associate with Love & Uplifting Trance is Oceanlab. Each track with the beautiful voice of Justine Suissa is a timeless classic.

Buy Your tickets to Above & Beyonds India tourChennai, 10th March|Hyderabad, 11th March | Bangalore, 12th March | Mumbai, 13th March

As music enthusiast would it not be amazing if Above & Beyond continue their musical journey with vocalists from the other side of the music bandwidth? Here are 10 vocalists we feel A&B should collaborate with to spread the message of Love, Magic & Happiness

1. Celine Dion: This Canadian Pop diva perhaps has the best love song to her name. Her music has often been very rich with human emotions & so has been the music of Above & Beyond. One can imagine the amount of tears a human will shed if this collaboration does happen. However one thing will be certain, this combination is sure to create a love song that will be remembered for generations to come.

2. Sade: A solider of love colliding with preachers of love. Such mixtures result into quotes like Love is in air. Sades melancholic voice can really add extra depth to the meaningful lyrics of any Above & Beyond track. This collaboration will really set a modern bench mark to the uplifting trance genre. Also maybe, just maybe we might see Sade getting added to future acoustic shows, which will make the acoustic experience extra precious

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3. Adele: If the most coveted singer of the modern pop era does decide to lend her voice to the electronic side, there are no better artists to join hands with other than her fellow countrymen. What we can expect is really uncertain as we have seen tracks about breakups & romance in relationships from both. But one thing is a certainty; this track will surely break the records & grab several awards that year.

4. Madonna: The legacy of the never aging queen of pop & dance music can be matched by few. Like Above & Beyond, even Madonnas music has evolved with times & most importantly both love to experiment with new musical ideas, which in todays world is a perfect recipe for success. The variety in her sound & the variety in their music are sure to give us foot swaying dance number which will bring us instantly on the floor & spread a million dollar smile across our face.

5. Enrqiue Iglesias: We at Trance Hub are not at all sexists and hence we have to include some male population in this list. This Spanish sensation with his pulsating voice & god like looks can really set the hearts of women on fire if he ever does manage to collaborate with Above & Beyond. Remakes of old tracks or creation of new music, the occurrence of both options is sure to be a hit with everyone.

6. Bryan Adams: If you are a 90s child, Adams will be a household name for you. The common denominator here is the two tracks which always get a massive sing along and despite premiering eons ago are popular with peoples of all ages. Bryan with coarse & raw style can lend his voice to any style of music which Above & Beyond create. If this does happen, then we sure to have a track whose lyrics will stay on our lips forever.

7. Stevie Wonder: The man, the legend. He is one male vocalist who still at the age of 66 can make people feel all the emotions at one time. This is a collaboration which I personally pray happens & if it does manage to be for a purely acoustic track, then we finally have heard of something that sounds like heaven

.

8. BT: We cannot ignore the fact that Above & Beyond do currently belong solely to the electronic scene, hence we cannot rule out collaborations with a few artists originating from the same hemisphere & to start, with whom better than Brian Transeau. This track is bound to be a blockbuster considering the production skills both these artists posses. Adding to which the track will comprise of beautiful words & gorgeous vocals of Brian himself. Well to be honest this one is really a possibility and we hope both sets of artists make this possible.

9. Sir Adrian: Known for his massive contribution towards vocal trance, Sir Adrian has worked with several big names such as Armin Van Buuren, Markus Schulz, and SVD etc. But the name of Above & Beyond is missing from that list. It makes fitting sense that it is time both the veterans of the industry combine and give us a tune that compliments their legacy in the trance genre.

10. Lata Mangeshkar : The love this holy trinity hold towards India is not a secret. Wouldnt it make sense if they put the cherry on the cake by creating a track with an Indian vocalist? If this does really happen, no one better than the Nightingale of India can do justice to it. Lata ji with her sweet voice can really create a magical, enchanting &romantic experience with Tony, Paavo & Jono. This would be a dream come true for us fans, as the very best of their respective fields are joining hands and giving us life lasting experience.

There were several names that could be have included in this list, but hey even we have some limitations. Do let us know with which vocalist should Above & Beyond collaborate in the future.

Curator of Edm4Pune, sports enthusiast assisted by having a taste bud for delicious food. Open to all genres of music yet staying close to his first love, Trance.

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In 2014 he mixed and released the second of his epic 4hr-long JOOF Editions music...

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10 Vocalists Above & Beyond Should Collaborate With | Trance Hub - Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)