This Independence Day, dance,listen and watch

For the city's urban youth, freedom lies in expressions of music, art and dance. the I Dance Festival converges electronic DJs, visual art and installations into a 2-day fete full of mayhem

For the city's urban youth, freedom lies in expressions of music, art and dance. the I Dance Festival converges electronic DJs, visual art and installations into a 2-day fete full of mayhem

For this 2-day dance festival, commencing on August 13 and terminating well past midnight on August 14 into our 63rd year of independence, organisers are ready to give music a makeover and take it beyond the realm of clubbing. The I Dance Festival, the first of its kind at performance venue, Blue Frog, is combining different multimedia to provide electronic music enthusiasts with a much more creative experience. DJ Boombaba aka Tarun Shahani (along with Cyrus Kersy Mehta and Hiten Sondhi) of Urban Distortions, a collective of like-minded individuals that is organising the event, is ready to introduce the city to outdoor festivals. To initiate this idea for the I Dance Festival, Shahani has ensured the use of the open-air entrance area of Blue Frog to set up installations and project visuals over downtempo ambient music, 7 pm onwards. Art collective 3rd Thought that showcased their works earlier this year at Zenzi Mills, will dabble in something called Video Mapping. "It involves mapping certain architectural installations. For this particular event, they will project visuals on a huge window right outside the entrance of the club. The visuals will do all sorts of things; make the window disappear, appearu00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u00a6 transport you from reality to fantasy and back," says Shahani. London-based Indian couple Vikrant and Ameeta, together called Studio AV, is also part of the visual jockeying line-up. The couple will project 3D alphabets in various shapes on one of the walls outside.

Indoors, the real music mayhem unfolds as a mix of international and Indian DJs take turns to spin. On Day 1, Israeli DJ Ido Ophir, Arjun Vagale of Delhi-based electronic outfit, Jalebee Cartel and DJ Boombaba (Tarun Shahani) will take over the decks. On Day 2, UK-based DJ James Monro, who shuttles between Brazil and London, will take over the console. Look out for his lethal mix of Tech-House, Progressive House, Breaks, Minimal, Techno, Deep House and the-less-hectic-side-of-Trance, all packed into a delicious blend of deep, groovy music. DJ Mmat of Bhavishyawani Future Soundz will conclude the 2-day event.

I Dance Festival will be held on August 13 and 14 at Blue Frog, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Tulsi Pipe Road, Lower Parel.
Call 40332300