SENSATION - The country's youngest DJ- 16- year old DJ Shaan Singh- will return to Asia's biggest electronic dance music ( EDM) event- the Sunburn Fest- to be held at sunny Goa's Candolim Beach- from December 27- 29. Shaan made his Sunburn debut last year playing in front of thousands of New Year revelers. The 16 year old, got hooked to EDM ( that include sub categories like Techno house, progressive house music and Trance) while attending the first Sunburn Fest in 2007 with his friends. He has attended the festival every year since. " Listening to it so much, got me interested in how it actually was produced and played. I decided to try my hand at it," says Shaan. This year, he will be spinning his turntable with the likes of club heavyweights like Above & Beyond, Jalebee Cartel, Funkagenda, Pearl, John 00 Fleming, Skazi, Ma Faiza, Anil Chawla & Dale Anderson and Liquid Soul. Not that it makes him very nervous. With a few gigs under his belt, Shaan is learning how to keep his cool and take up the responsibility of setting the mood behind the DJ console and being the catalyst for audiences to have an unforgettable night out. " I do get a little anxious before going up and starting my set. But thats a good thing because then I practice a lot so that I'm perfect out there and give the audiences a good time. They should walk out of the party wanting more of my music," he reveals. To perfect his craft, the Class XII student spends most of his free time with his DJ gear- a Mac laptop, Pioneer HDJ 2000 headphones, backup Lan cable, CD case, and two pen drives as backup. This gear is what he also uses for his shows. The International Baccalaureate students subjects include Biology, Psychology, Math and English. Any free time left is spent on sports- badminton, football and cricket- and his hobby, photography. " Music is best learned through observation and absorption. I try and listen to as many new tracks as I can so that I am aware of the latest kind of sounds being used. I practice a lot after school hours as I intent to be the best in this field.

 

My life right now is all about music, studies, family and friends. I prioritize them accordingly so that I don't miss out on anything," explains Shaan. One major challenge DJ Shaan faces in the Indian clubbing circuit is how to balance the dominant Bollywood influenced dance tracks with the more progressive and experimental genres played in clubs around the world. " I think it is a much obvious choice for Indians to be inclined towards Bollywood music. We have been listening to it from years and it is what we relate to the most in terms of language and tunes. Bollywood will always hold the position it does. The best part about Indian audience is that they are versatile; every city has a different vibe to it. And the music preferences change accordingly. This makes it challenging for the DJs also as they have to adapt and be open to playing all kinds of music," he observes. The last two- three years have seen a major change in the choice of music among the youth. The internet has helped in a major way to explore in terms of personal choices when it comes to music and many music lovers are now inclined towards Electronic, Techno, Trip hop, and trance music. " DJ and clubbing scene in India has a long way to go. Still I can say that it has changed drastically over the past few years and a lot more people these days want to go out and relax. So there is a mix of audience that a DJ gets to play for. EDM has picked up very fast over the past 3 years and is already a huge part of the party goers' experience. Right now, I like playing Techno house, progressive house music and a little bit of Trance. But I intend explore other genres soon. According to me, Mumbai and Goa have the best crowd," says the ardent fan of Above and Beyond, Armin Van Buren, Marco V and BT. And what does the young disc spinner expect from this years Sunburn which promises to be bigger than last year? This years edition of Sunburn will include seven stages include an 80- foot one, arena gigs and a crowd of nearly 1, 00,000 revelers. The event will be streamed live across 80 countries. " My first gig was at Sunburn 2010, where I got to play as a solo artist. I am very excited about Sunburn as it is a haven for young and upcoming electronic dance artists. The energy• buoyancy of the parties is such that it brings out the best in a DJ. As a performer, when you see the audience enthralled by your music there is no greater thrill," he signs off.