But first, a little background: I am a music festival addict to the bone. I cannot get enough. I attended Vans Warped Tour as a young punk rocker in high school and in college, along with other day-long music festivals, mostly in the punk and alternative genre. The punk scene was so attractive to me as a pre-teen and beyond because it had this amazing sense of unity and empowerment. I felt like I totally belonged. I wasn’t weird for making my own clothes or fighting for my rights and the rights of others. I truly felt like I could make a positive difference in the world. And I wasn’t alone. Punk wasn’t about lying down and taking it just because bad things are “going to happen anyway.” For me, and others, it was about standing up, fighting back, and bringing people together, no matter how different.

Punk rock eventually led me to having a more of an indie-punk fashion sense and to listening to post-hardcore. These post-hardcore bands started to use synths more and more as years went on. Although synths had been used in hardcore and similar genre since the early 90’s, the first albums I came across with a heavy synth presence were between 2006 and 2008. It sounded more like electro-hardcore to me. And I loved it, a lot! So more and more I developed a love for bands with electronic elements. Electro-pop, electro-core, and so on.

Then Bonnaroo happened. I had heard rumours of the modern-Woodstock and I knew I had to check it out. A couple of my close guy friends were going and I quickly claimed a spot in their car for the 17+ hour drive to Manchester, TN in the summer of 2011.

Another one of Mumbai’s DJS will be seen performing soon, DJ Shiva. Known for his foot tapping Bollywood and Hollywood remixes, the DJ does not stick to the convention when it comes to his brand of music. Effortlessly fusing Hip Hop, mainstream Bollywood, lounge, electro and house music, it makes his repertoire far more versatile than most performing artists. Having worked in the music industry for over a decade, the talented DJ has risen from where he’d begun, 10 years ago. He’s carved a niche for himself, with his hard work, unrelenting dedication and his unbridled passion for music. He has also been awarded with a bevy of accolades for his work with music. Some of his famous remixes include Aaj Phir, fro Hate Story 2, Yaariyaan, Raghupati Raghav, from Krrish 3 and Dil Tu Hi Bata. He’s already performed at more than a few high profile events, some of which include Trikaya at Pune, Flags at Pune with Perizad, IPL Nights, Party Link and many more.

Techno music, which some say, came out of Detroit in the early 90’s, may have begun through the evolutionary progress of various new textures, patterns and sounds which were emerging from all over the world.

New electronic music devices were being created while electronic sounds were coming into their own. The kick and snare became the heartbeat of the song. The bass became the backbone driving force. The synthesizer was the melody which brought people into the nightclub doors, and kept them dancing from dusk to dawn.

Over the years, some of the different genres and sub styles which have emerged with this new sound have been called: Deep House, House, Techo, Megabeat, Electro House, Disco House, Funky House, Garage, Techno, Industrial, Electronica, Breakcore, Micro-house, Underground, Trance, Ambient, Breaks, Minimal Techno, and many more.

But in looking at where we are now, it was the music groups from as far back as the 60’s that were the veterans of this new sound. Bands like “The Tornados” created one of the first techno-pop songs entitled Telstar in 1962, which became a Billboard number one hit for the band. The song featured a Clavioline, an instrument like a keyboard with a very distinctive electronic sound. Telstar was the first U.S. number one hit by a British group. The song was originally thought to be just a novelty record intended to make people think about the dawn of the space age. Little did they know at the time how evolutionary their record would become.

Since then, DJ’s and Re-mixers (both male and female) have come on the dance music scene, creating an entirely new sound of the future. With their flair for remixing different sounds, cuts and beats, many DJ’s have created number one dance singles. In doing so, they have developed a new artistry and way for them to be heard by music industry power players. Further, they continue to compete at becoming the best mixers and most popular DJ’s in the clubs. In their own right, they have become the celebrities.

With respect to all forms of music and genres introduced, there is no one sound or genre which now stands alone. Music is as diverse as the creators’ imagination. But groundbreakers, such as The Tornados and Kraftwerk have helped to pave the way.

Stay tuned, because the next groundbreakers are sitting in their studios (or sound proofed bedroom closets) right now creating the hottest ‘new sound’ as we speak. And moving forward toward the future, who knows what those sounds will be entitled. Perhaps you will come up with the next new style yourself. If so, what will it be coined? The world’s audience will definitely be listening.