Deep blue waters, golden sand, burning sun and electronic dance music (EDM). If this doesn’t make for a potent combination I don’t quite know what does. And so potent was Sunburn 2008 that I still haven’t recovered from its after effects. So much so that I’m sitting in office staring placidly at my computer screen, while my ears seem to have developed an imagination of their own. Boom-de-dah, boom-de-dah, boom-de-dah… I can hear it, I can feel it. In fact, so can my toes; they’re doing their own little jig under the table.
For those who missed it, let me wrap up Sunburn for you in one word - insane! Well, let’s make that two - absolutely insane! What with a lineup of over 35 internationally renowned DJs and artists and the cream of the crop from India also, all under one roof. Or rather, all spread across 3 days, on one private beach party…
Touted as India’s first officially recognized international dance music festival and Asia’s largest, Sunburn is the brainchild of PDM Entertainment and MTV VJ/Submerge’s Nikhil Chinappa. 2007’s line up had the likes of Carl Cox, Above and Beyond, Anil Chawla and Axwell playing. The recently held round two of the festival ‘08 saw GMS, Pearl, Midival Punditz, John ‘00′ Fleming, Jalabee Cartel, Richard Durand and Sanjay Dutta amongst others, killing it with their sets.
There’s something irresistible about thousands of pulsating bodies letting the music and the atmosphere just wash over their senses, nodding their heads in a trance-like state. You’ve got to be there to know what I’m talking about. Irrespective of which part of the world they were from, people came together and rejoiced in each other’s elevated levels of energy and passion for this genre of music. Not even the run in with the Goa State Pollution Control Board which drastically brought down the decibel level from 83db to about 55db on the second and third days could dampen spirits.
Amidst fears of terror threats and a complete cancellation of the event due to media reports of the them not being supported by the Goan authorities, it was only the true lovers of EDM who insisted on braving uncertainties and landing themselves in Candolim, where all the action went down.
Wet, wild and absolutely worth all the fuss and fanfare - Sunburn left you asking for nothing more. Well, maybe just one little thing. For the months to flash by and for it to be December again. A brand new year, a brand new line-up, brand new music; the only thing that’ll remain unchanged is that we’ll burn baby burn, under the Goan sun, all over again.
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