Travel: Malacanang of the North

Malacanang ti Amianan

Malacanang of the North or known as "Malacanang ti Amianan" in Ilocano was a former official residence in Ilocos Norte during the presidency of the late Ferdinand Marcos. It is also one of Ilocos Norte's tourism centerpieces

Built in 1977 on a 5-hectare property, the two-storey mansion is surrounded by lush vegetation and a magnificent view of Paoay Lake. The house was a gift from her wife, the former First Laday Imelda Marcos, during his 60th birthday.

The property was sequestered by the Philippine Government when Marcos was ousted from power in 1986. It was then given to the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte after 20 years. It underwent series of restoration and renovation headed by Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and was converted into the Malacanang Museum in time for the late president's 95th birthday (September 11).

It was an interesting experience visiting a house this grand and full of history. They have memorabilia and history of the Marcos era spread throughout seven rooms.

Study Room

The Study Room features the former president's book collection as well as various images and memorabilia. There is also an agriculture room which contains information about Masagana 99; Diplomacy room shows his foreign and international trade relations; Nation building room shows the various infrastructure programs including buildings, airports and bridges. OFW is tribute room to Ilocano overseas workers. Culture room shows cultural renaissance which was formerly headed by the former First Lady; and Family room that shows the former First Family.

First floor living room overlooking Paoay Lake

Manila Airport scale model

Books that are part of the library

Second Floor Living Room

Malacañang ti Amianan is open from 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM daily except Mondays. Entrance fee of Php 20 for adults, Php 16 for Seniors and Php 10 for children.

Malacanang ti Amianan

Visited: December 2012
Address: Paoay Lake, Suba, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Related Links and Sources:
Wikipilipinas - http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Malaca%C3%B1ang_of_the_North
Town of Paoay - http://www.paoay.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=40
Philippine Information Agency - http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=331348040488

Christmas Once Again

I wrote this for Christmas 2003 and I want to share it with everyone during this Christmas.. 

Christmas Once Again

Its Christmas once more, another season of giving hope and spreading peace all over the world. Some of us are lucky enough to celebrate christmas with our families. Some spend their christmas alone in another country while some loss a loved one. I am sure that someone has a loved one who is in a different country this holiday season. This year saw a lot of families of soldiers spending their Christmas without their brother or father, who are stationed somewhere in the world. They should not be lonely this season but should be glad because their loved ones are on those countries to make sure that we would have a peaceful Holiday season not just for us but for those people who are in that country.


Now losing someone special is a little bit different. Those who lost someone so near the holidays are truly heartbreaking. How can someone celebrate Christmas when you lost someone so close to that date. Will you be able to celebrate it with joy or are you going to be in grief? But I know that the death of my cousin spun a new life somewhere. Remember that each of us will die eventually as like that of Christ who gave up his life for us. When we died, we give life to a newborn and the life cycle goes on and on.


This Christmas is unusual for me. Usually, I would have recieved tons of Christmas Cards from friends and loved ones one week before Christmas. So far, I have recieved..umm...two. Well, its actually one becuase the other one was from a company that I'm buying stuff from. But I don't really mind. This has happened to me a couple times already especially when I was a kid who always recieved only A gift during Christmas. I mean we are always taught about the saying "It's better to give than to recieve" and I truly believe in that saying. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experience this but just keep in mind that you always put a smile on someone's face everytime you give them something especially in this holiday season.


So this Christmas, whether you recieve tons of cards and gifts or you recieve none. Whether you are with you family or you are alone. Just always remember that Christmas is not about just giving gifts but its about celebrating the birth of Christ and spreading happiness. Call your friends who you havent talk for awhile, I'm sure they would be glad to hear from you. Call those loved ones who are in a different country. Give something to those who are in need and you will make them happy and seeing someone happy would uplift your spirit this Christmas season. Merry Christmas to all and have a Prosperous New Year.

12/25/03 12:00AM

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Travel: Paoay Church

Paoay Church is located at Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The Roman Catholic church was started in 1694 and was completed in 1710. The church is an example of Earthquake Baroque architecture which is basically architecture made to adapt to the conditions of the area. And since Philippines lies on the Ring of Fire, the country is frequently visited by earthquakes. The architecture is demonstrated through its thicker and heavily buttressed walls and wider proportions.

The Church was also declared as a National Treasure by the then late President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1993, it was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the prime examples of Baroque Churches in the Philippines along with San Agustin Church (Intramuros, Manila), Miag-ao Church (Iloilo), and Santa Maria Church (Ilocos Sur). Site #677. The facade exudes Javanese architecture.

Paoay Church

We were lucky that the crowd a large crowd dissipated after a few minutes and gave me a chance to take photos of the interior of the church. The Parish was founded by Agustinian missionaries in 1593 and the cornerstone was laid in 1704.  The Church was damaged twice by earthquake in 1706 and 1927. 

One of the colorful windows of Paoay Church

The Church's tower was used as an observation post during the revolution and the Japanese Occupation. Its bell tower is made of coral stone and is detached from the main building. This was done to ensure the sanctuary is safe in case the tower collapses.

Church Tower

Visited: December 2012
Address: Marcos Avenue, Paoay, Philippines (Map)

Related Links and Sources
UNESCO World Heritage - http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/677
Heritage Conservation Society - http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com/2006/07/27/paoay-church/
Serial Tripper - http://serialtripper.com/2011/10/paoay-church-ilocos-norte/

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paoay_Church

Album Review: Solarstone pres. Pure Trance - The Album

Pure Trance will bring you back to what Trance is all about

Trance has evolved into various type of sub-genres and that many of speculated the genre has lost its aura. This is the reason why the album Pure Trance came about. And who better to bring us back than the trance legend himself Solarstone along with Orkidea. These 2 disc album is the 100th album released by Black Hole Recordings.

Solarstone begins our journey with the Pure Intro mix of "The Spell." The melodic track taken for his Pure album features the sultry vocals of Clare Stagg and the melodic beats and rhythms of the trance legend. This was followed by Almar's "Evening Star", an uplifting track filled with beats that would surely ease your soul. Then comes in the typical Solarstone melodic riff and acoustic guitar courtesy of his mix of "We Can't Fly" by Lemon. He slowed things down with "Split Source" by Ehren Stowers before bringing the beats up with "Euphonia" by Kyau & Albert and Ronski Speed in the Ronski Speed Mix and Giuseppe Ottaviani's "Earthbeat" Just close your eyes and let these tracks take you to a journey filled with operatic melodies and beats.

Solarstone continues with the vocal track "Days Turn Into Nights" by Delerium adding his pure signature to an already classic trance track before bringing in one of the best tracks of 2012 in "Falcons," a track he collaborated with Ottaviani filled with melodic beats and haunting female chant. He transitions to the goosebump inducing melodic track "Hopeful" by A.R.D.I. before bringing in Omnia's "Infina", track that is surely going to get you pump on the dance floor. He brings us back down a notch the melodic "Ari" by C-Systems & Bushi in the Suncatcher remix. This haunting vocal is surrounded by melodic beats and piano keys that would surely ease your mind and soul.

The pulsating melodies of the Thomas Datt remix of his track "Voyager" follows before he mixed in the melodic piano-filled track "In Her Eyes" by Temple One. This track symbolizes what trance is about - pure and emotional. He continues this with Rex Mundi's "Streaming Waterfalls" and  Mark Pledger's "A New World" before bringing in the pure mix of the vocal track "Sail On the Waves" by Walsh & McAuley, a track filled with melodic beats the compliments well with the great voice of David Berkeley. Solarstone closes disc one with his classic track "Seven Cities" in the pure mix. This track surely symbolized trance and would be played in many years to come.

Orkidea start disc two with the pure mix of his track "Unity", a melodic filled tuned with lovely synths and haunting chopped vocals. Increasing the beats but keeping the melody, he brings in "Sun Down" in the Michael Cassette remix before bringing in the melodic synth-filled tracks in Kay-D's "Avalanche" and Lowland's acoustic-filled "Cheap Shrink".

Orkidea follows this with the Simon Templar remix of "Whisper" by Winkee, a track filled with psy-trance melodies and beats. Next up is the lovely and haunting Allende remix of "Secret" by Way Out West then followed by the lovely beats and rhythms in "Valssi" by Slusnik Luna, "Sulfur" by Nicholas Bennison and the Datt remix of "Vueltas" by Steve Brian.

Orkidea change things a bit with Protoculture's "Perpetual Motion," increasing the beats and adding more bass and melodies. Then he brings in his amazing remix of the classic "Southern Sun" by Paul Oakenfold. He continues with Future Disciple's "No Man's Land" which got a little balearic sound surrounded by lovely percussion beats and a massive drop that would surely satisfy one's senses. He then continues with the melodramatic rhythms of Mindwave remix of "Autumn Lights" by Vibrasphere before ending the compilation with the melodic remix of his "Unity" track by Solarstone.

With seamless transitions and superb tracks, Pure Trance - The Album would surely satisfy trance lovers out there.

10/10

"Pure Trance is a feeling, a passion which exists outside of contemporary musical fads and fashions. It is the bringing together of millions of fans for whom this music is a way of life" - Solarstone

You can also find this review at http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/solarstone-presents-pure-trance-the-album/

Tracklist
Disc 1 - Mixed By Solarstone
01. Solarstone & Clare Stagg - The Spell (Pure Intro Mix)
02. Almar - Evening Star
03. Lemon - We Can't Fly (Solarstone Pure Mix)
04. Ehren Stowers - Split Source
05. Kyau & Albert with Ronski Speed - Euphonia (Ronski Speed Mix)
06. Giuseppe Ottaviani - Earthbeat
07. Delerium featuring Michael Logen - Days Turn Into Nights (Solarstone Pure Mix)
08. Solarstone with Giuseppe Ottaviani - Falcons (Solarstone Extended Mix)
09. A.R.D.I. – Hopeful
10. Omnia - Infina
11. C-Systems & Bushi - Ari (Suncatcher Exclusive Remix)
12. Solarstone - Voyager (Thomas Datt Remix)
13. Temple One - In Her Eyes
14. Rex Mundi - Steaming Waterfalls (Original Mix)
15. Mark Pledger - A New World
16. Walsh & McAuley featuring David Berkeley - Sail On The Waves (Solarstone Pure Mix)
17.  Solarstone - Seven Cities (Solarstone Pure Mix)

Disc 2 - Mixed By Orkidea
01. Orkidea - Unity (Pure Intro Mix)
02. Orkidea - Sun Down (Michael Cassette Remix)
03. Kay-D - Avalanche
04. Lowland - Cheap Shrink
05. Winkee - Whisper (Simon Templar Refresh)
06. Way Out West - Secret (Allende Remix)
07. Slusnik Luna - Valssi (Orkidea Mix)
08. Nicholas Bennison - Sulfur (Light Mix)
09. Steve Brian - Vueltas (Thomas Datt Instrumental Mix)
10. Protoculture - Perpetual Motion (Original Mix)
11. Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun (Orkidea's Tribute Mix)12. Future Disciple - No Man's Land
13. Vibrasphere - Autumn Lights (Mindwave Remix)
14. Orkidea - Unity (Solarstone's Metabreaks Remix)

Released Date: November 19, 2012 through Black Hole Recordings

Where to Buy: Pure Trance | SolarShop | Beatport | iTunes | FineNight | Amazon

Solarstone - website | Beatport | Facebook | iTunes | MixCloud | @RichSolarstone
Orkidea - website | Beatport | Facebook | iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | @DJOrkidea

Album Review: Roger Shah - Magic Island: Music for Balearic People Vol. 4

Feels like summer anytime with Magic Island 4

Mr. Balearic brings us another installment of his "Magic Island: Music for Balearic People." This two-disc album contains brand new and exclusive tracks mixed by Roger Shah.

Roger Shah begins the journey back to the island with "Ibiza Feelings" by Sean Norvis and Seepryan, a track that opens with guitar riffs and burst into a melodic mixture of bass and melodies. This continues with Garrido & Skehan’s "Split Second" before going to a smoother rhythm in Rocking J’s "New Dawn." He then brings smooth vocals and conga drums courtesy of Jamie Carpenter’s "You're Not Alone" featuring the voice of Ciaran Warren followed by the Balearic beats and guitar riffs courtesy of his smash hit "Try to be Love" in the Naughty Love Mix. Still can’t get enough of Zara Taylor’s voice on this track.

Shah tone things down with the melodic MI4 mix of "When The Sun Goes Down" by Kim Svärd & Chase. I could listen to this track all day with its amazing beats and great vocals. This is followed by a collaboration between Shah and Rocking J in "Finca." Another smooth track with lovely beats, melodies and a lovely guitar riff in between. On to some darker beats in "Limitless" by Julian Wess & Mike Carey. This was a surprising add to the album since there is no balearic sound involve yet it adds a different dimension, mixing things up. This change continues with Hanski & Jojo’s "Utopia."

Bringing back vocals with another of his smash hit, this time collaborating with Aly & Fila and Adrina Thorpe in "Perfect Love." This is a perfect combination of Balearic sound with uplifting beats that would surely be an instant classic. MI4 is back with another remix in "Denpasar" by Rikkaz & Vast Vision, this track got some darker big room sound with its deep bass, heavy use of lower notes and roller coaster ride on the bpm train. He continues with the darker beats in the Antillas Club Mix of his track "Island." Love what he did to this track with the chop vocals and the wicked drop which would make the crowd go wild. Shah then slow things down with his melodic orchestral remix of "Polarized" by Epos before increasing the bpm with the Andrew Rayel remix of his track with Carla Werner, "One Love." Rayel complimented the balearic sound with pounding beats and melodic synths. He then ends with another MI4 remix, the melodic and sultry "Come Home" by Roman Messer.

If Disc 1 was Balearic trance, Disc 2 has more electro-house vibe. It begins with the melodic beats and synthesizer riffs of "Between 2 Worlds" by Areena remixed by MI4. Then he brings in the lovely voice of Emma Hewitt in "Foolish Boy" in which he emphasis more of the beats without overpowering the melodic voice of Ms. Hewitt. He followed this with a set of electro-house tunes beginning with the melodic track in "The Float" by Sunstrøm. The beats of this tune sounds very familiar to another track that came out this year from a trio. He continues with the big festival sounds with the Denzal Park remix of "Ray Of Love" by Tune In Tokyo and Pedro Henriques remix of "Walk Away" by Addict Djs and Ellenyi.

Shah ventured into a more dark electro house Global Experience’s "Fox & Koi" remixed by Brian Laruso and himself and "Feel" by Third Party and Cicada. The latter combined synthesizer beats with lovely vocals to produce a lovely but danceable track. Next up is the dirty drums of Carl Louis & Martin Danielle remix of "Still Here" by Mike Shiver and Bo Bruce. This is followed by Kim Svärd and Szen’s "Break Of Dawn" in a melodic MI4 mix. Beat slow down a bit with "Everything Is You," a track by Rocking J and Chris Gallo and remixed by Shah himself. This track is filled with amazing melodies and break beats that would surely make you want to dance.

Shah transitions back to trance starting the with Cosmic Gate’s "Over The Rainbow," a track filled with pounding beats and melodic rhythms. Then he brings in some nasty beats in his remix of "Stars" by Ferry Corsten and the lovely Betsie Larkin. He follows this with a melodic remix of the classic "Southern Sun" by Paul Oakenfold. Then the thumping beats of "Alesia" by Wach and Roman Sokolovski before ending the disc with the melodic "My World" by Alexander Popov featuring the lovely vocals of Kyler England. What a great track to end this compilation.

Magic Island Volume 4 is different from it’s predecessor. For one, Mr. Shah has added more house track in the mix showing his versatility in the ever changing electronic dance music scene. Those who are Balearic fans might not like how the album turn out but give it a listen, you might just like it.

9.8/10

You can also find this review at TranceHub.com - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/magic-island-music-for-balearic-people-vol-4/


Tracklist:

CD1

01 Sean Norvis & Seepryan - Ibiza Feelings
02 Garrido & Skehan - Split Second
03 Rocking J - New Dawn
04 Jamie Carpenter feat. Ciaran Warren - You're Not Alone
05 Sunlounger & Zara Taylor - Try To Be Love (Roger Shah Naughty Love Mix)
06 Kim Svärd feat. Chase - When The Sun Goes Down (MI4 Mix)
07 Sunlounger & Rocking J - Finca (Roger Shah & Rocking J Original Mix)
08 Julian Wess & Mike Carey - Limitless
09 Hanski & Jjoo - Utopia
10 Aly & Fila meet Roger Shah feat. Adriana Thorpe - Perfect Love
11 Rikkaz & Vast Vision - Denpasar (MI4 Edit)
12 Roger Shah feat. Adrina Thorpe - Island (Antillas Club Mix)
13 Epos - Polarized (Roger Shah Anthem Mix)
14 Roger Shah feat. Carla Werner - One Love (Andrew Rayel Remix)
15 Roman Messer - Come Home (MI4 Mix)

CD2
01 Areeena - Between 2 Worlds (MI4 Intro Mix)
02 Emma Hewitt - Foolish Boy (Roger Shah Naughty Boy Remix)
03 Sunstrøm - The Float
04 Tune In Tokyo - Ray Of Love (Denzal Park Remix)
05 Addict Djs feat. Ellenyi - Walk Away (Pedro Henriques Remix)
06 Global Experience - Fox & Koi (Roger Shah & Brian Laruso Original Mix)
07 Third Party vs Cicada - Feel
08 Mike Shiver feat. Bo Bruce - Still Here (Carl Louis & Martin Danielle Remix)
09 Kim Svärd feat. Szen - Break Of Dawn (MI4 Mix)
10 Rocking J & Chris Gallo - Everything Is You (Roger Shah Areeena Remix)
11 Cosmic Gate & J’Something - Over The Rainbow
12 Betsie Larkin & Ferry Corsten - Stars (Roger Shah Pumpin' Island Mix)
13 Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun (Roger Shah Remix)
14 Wach with Roman Sokolovski - Alesia
15 Alexander Popov feat. Kyler England - My World

Release date: November 23rd 2012

ArmadaShop
iTunes

Roger Shah - website | Beatport | Facebook | Flowd | G+ | iTunes | MySpace | Youtube | @roger_shah

Thanksgiving Tips

It's that time of the year again when Americans stuffed their belly with turkey, stuffing and whatever else in serve on Thanksgiving. If you are hosting this year, you must be stressing out, except if you are prepared since the beginning of the month.

A little trivia first, which countries, other than the United States, celebrate Thanksgiving? If you answer Canada, you are correct, they celebrate Thanksgiving during the second Monday of October. Do you know the others? No? The other countries are Germany, Grenada, Korea, Japan, Liberia, Norfolk Island and The Netherlands. Though their Thanksgiving varies.

Know your guest. If you are hosting, you should know by now how many people are coming. And you should not only know the count but also if any of your guest has allergies. Some people don't bother to ask and it's usually not a happy ending. The guest might have an allergic reaction or might go home hungry. As a host, you want to make sure everyone goes home happy and satisfy. So make sure to ask you guest. And your guest will appreciate your effort.

Prepare ahead of time. Thanksgiving usually means a lot of cooking and you should prepare way ahead of time. Preferably the last four days before that Thursday. You should have bought all your ingredients ahead of time and those that can be prepared ahead should be done. Dishes that can be prepared ahead of time are usually the side dishes such as Sweet Potato, Pies and Cranberry Sauce. If you are making your own croutons, you could prepare this two days ahead but chopping white bread and letting it dry. I have done numerous Thanksgiving feast and I usually start prepping four days ahead. Chopping up the vegetables and mixing the ingredients for the pie.

Make sure the Turkey is thawed well before Thanksgiving Day. Most turkeys are frozen when bought and if you don't thawed it properly, it won't baked well. Turkey usually comes with thawing instructions, follow them! I remember making a 15 pound turkey and it took me 4 days of prep work just to make sure the whole thing is ready.

Practice, especially if this is your first time hosting. Make small servings of the dishes and stuffing you are making and taste it to see if you need to add/lessen some ingredients. If possibly, ask someone to give you a critique. That way you are you not guessing how your dishes will taste like come Thanksgiving day.

You might have notice that I didn't mention turkey. Well, the turkey gets, mostly, it's taste from your stuffing and how you baked it.

Make a list of what you are preparing so that you can just check them off as you do them. This way, you won't have to worry about leaving something behind, worst, in the oven. If you have someone helping you, give them the list as well.

Don't stress out. It's a meal, not a life and death situation. If you are prepared, then you won't stress out. And if you are not stress out, the probability of you missing something is less.

If you are busy and time is your enemy, you can always go for the ready-to-eat dishes located at the frozen aisle section of your local supermarket. You just need to heat them up in the microwave. If you don't have a microwave, you can always transfer them to a oven-safe dish and baked them. Follow the instructions.

Don't have an idea of what to prepare, let the Internet help you. Search for Thanksgiving recipes online and find one that you think you can handle. Again, don't forget to practice.

If you have a lot of guest, it would be nice to have place cards in front of each dish you are serving. That way, your guest won't need to keep asking you and you repeating it over and over again. List also some of the ingredients which can contribute to allergic reaction.

Well, hope this tips will help you prepare your Thanksgiving feast. Just don't forget to give thanks.

After Thanksgiving..
After the feast, you will want to do some detox, there are also tons of information about post-Thanksgiving detox that you can follow. I followed one before that was composed of protein shake for breakfast, salad for lunch and dinner. And light snacks in between.

Movie Review: Skyfall

Disclaimer: This review my contain spoilers, please read this review at your own discretion.

Skyfall is the twenty-third installment of the James Bond series staring Daniel Craig as James Bond and Javier Barden as the villian Raoul Silva. The film was directed by Sam Mendes and also stars Judi Dench as M, Naomi Harris as Eve and Ben Whishaw as Q.

The story begins with James Bond and Eve chasing Patrice (Ola Rapace), through Turkey to retrieve a stolen data chip that contains all the identities of secret agents in terrorist organisations. During the chase, Eve accidentally shot Bond with the chase ending with the line "Agent down".

Due to the stolen chip, MI6 comes under political pressure with M being forced to retire during the meeting with Gregory Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the Intelligence Security Committee Chairman. M disagree with Mallory and she was heading back, MI6 was being hack that triggered an explosion killing a couple of MI6 employees. Bond sees the report and heads back to London to see M. He was then deemed fit for duty by M even though he wasn't. He travels to Shanghai to track down Patrice and find out who has the chip. But this lead to him heading to Macau to meet up Severine (Berenice Lim Marlohe) who brings him to an desolate island to meet with Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent who felt betrayed by M. They captured Silva but little did they know that this was part of his planned to get to M. While M was at a public inquiry about MI6, Silva escapes and tracks down M. Bond takes M to Scotland while asking Q and Bill (Rory Kinnear) to create trails for Silva to follow them. They head to Skyfall, the remote childhood home of Bond and meets up with Kincade (Albert Finney), the gamekeeper of Bond family estate. Here they will make a stand against Silva and his henchman, will they survive?

I would say that this movie is one of the best Bond film I have seen. Being the longest series, the 23rd installment was in line with the 50 years since the first Bond film, Dr. No, was introduced.
The drama and action are blended together seamlessly making this movie easy to follow. The action sequences are amazing especially the motorcycle chase on top of the rooftops in Turkey. This was also the most drama that I have seen in a Bond film. The scenery shots were great and the acting was superb especially by Javier Bardem who plays the main antagonist. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench did an amazing job reprising their roles. And (spoiler alert!!) seems like they will be reverting back to the old ways of Bond with M being played by a guy and the re-introduction of Q and Ms. Moneypenny. They even used a classic Aston Martin DB as one of the cars used by Bond in his escape to Scotland. But they are also having some character change especially with Bond who doesn't only drink his usual dry martini, shaken but stirred, in this movie but also drinks scotch and other spirits. They also didn't issue Bond with a car. I think this film will cement Daniel Craig as one of the best portrayers of James Bond. This is a must-see film of 2012!

5 Stars

Album Review: Andain - You Once Told Me

...it's about words and the meaning of words, and how they change over time, as we as people can change over time.

- Mavie Marcos

After being in the business for 10 years, Mavie Marcos and Josh Gabriel - better known as Andain - has finally released their official full-length album 'You Once Told Me' with 11 old and new tracks.

The album kicks off with “Turn Up The Sound,” a percussion-filled track with mellow beats that stops in the middle, making you think the track has ended, before a nice guitar riff introduce you back to the same track but with different production sound. This was followed by the pop-ish track “Like” blending string melodies with synths. Then comes in the highly synthesize track “Much Too Much,” the second single released from the album. The duo change the pace with “Ave Maria,” blending more melodic electronic upbeats and faster vocals by Mavie.

“Promises” follows next and it was the first single released last year. This is one of the two tracks that former member David Penner co-wrote. The track has a lovely blend of dark electronic synths and acoustic percussion and guitar elements. “After” follows next and is filled with percussion beats and guitar melodies blending harmoniously with Mavie’s voice. This blend continues with “What It’s Like” before another change in melody in “Forget Your Face,” a track filled with melodies and beats that are harmoniously blended together and uses vocals as only a backdrop for the track.

Andain continues with synthesize-filled track “Find Your Way” followed by the title track “You Once Told Me” a track filled with harmonious blend of beats, melodies and Mavie’s vocals that would surely be a hit. This is the other track the David Penner co-penned. Andain ended the album with “Taken Away,” a melodic track with heavy emphasis on guitar riffs.

You Once Told Me is not a trance album but it will be surely be enjoyed by many even trance fans. The harmony and rhythm of the tracks will surely soothe one’s ears.

10/10

Review can also be found at Trance Hub's website - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/you-once-told-me-transcends-all-the-boundaries-of-different-genres-of-music/

Andain - Beatport | Facebook | G+ | iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | YouTube | @andainofficial

Tips: Eating at a Buffet

Buffet - a place where one can indulge into eating everything and anything without breaking one's budget. Being an buffet enthusiast, I have manage a way for me to eat enough for my money without over indulging.

Now, I am not saying my way is the best way. This are merely tips that I have followed for many years and would like to share it with everyone else. Hopefully you will be able to use one or two or all of them the next time you go to a buffet.

Tip 1 - Eat a light meal before the buffet meal.
Here is one of the biggest mistakes some buffet goers tend to make. They think that not eating breakfast before a lunch buffet or not eating lunch before a dinner buffet, will aid them in eating more. This is actually not good, going to a buffet on a empty stomach will make you want to eat fast and more which results into overindulging.
Why? well, your body does not process the food as quick as you eat. This means that your stomach does not send signals to your brain as fast as you chow down your food to tell you that you are full. Once it sends the signal to your brain, you have already overate which means you will feel so full that you might end up going to the restroom.

Tip 2 - Look around before starting picking your choices
Look around and see what the buffet has to offer especially if there are a lot of different stations. This way, you have a visual of what the place is offering during that time. Also, it helps to know what is available so that you will know what dishes you want to take the next trip to the buffet line.

Tip 3 - Eat slowly
Eat slowly, chew your food more to aid your body in digesting what you are eating. Don't just gobble everything down. It's not a race, except if you entered an eating competition. Enjoy what you are eating.

Tip 4 - Do not eat a lot of carbohydrates and fried foods.
I always see people doing this in buffets. Eating meals pack with carbohydrates like rice and noodles will make you full easily since they are heavy on your stomach. Eating fried foods will make you feel the same. When I go to buffets, you won't see me taking rice and/or noodles but if you really like them,   just take a little bit. That way, you have more room for other dishes.

Tip 5 - Take a breather
Some people tend to go straight to the buffet line once they finished their plate. Don't! Take your time, relax a little and if you are with company, chat a bit. Then head back to the station, remember, the dishes won't go away - they will still be there when you get back on the buffet line.

Tip 6 - Eat high price items
This tip is more for those who want bang for their buck. This is where Tip 2 comes in handy. Looking around will allow you to find where the high price items. And depending on where the buffet is, it could be steak, filet mignon, sashimi, snow crabs, crab legs, etc. I have been to a buffet in Las Vegas that features King Crab Legs, Fresh Shrimps, Lobster tails and Filet Mignon.

Hopefully this tip will help you when you head to the Buffet. Eat and Enjoy

Album Review: Armin van Buuren - Universal Religion 6

One of the most sought after compilation series has just been released - Universal Religion Chapter 6, mixed and compiled by no other than Armin van Buuren, who is riding on the highs of his Invasion Tour as well as celebrating his 550 episode of A State of Trance. Unlike the last two chapters, this was recorded live at Club Privilege in Ibiza.

CD 1 contains 16 tracks and begins with the Armin van Buuren Intro Edit of the melodic piano-filled track 'How Do I Know' by Andrew Rayel and Jano. This was followed by another vocal track filled with pounding beats and melodic synths in 'I Want to Believe' courtesy of Andy Duguid and Shannon Hurley. Armin continued this journey with Blake Jarrell's 'Barbados' and the Future Disciple remix of 'Fireisland' by Solarstone and Aly & Fila before bringing it down a notch with melodic beats of his new track 'I'll Listen' featuring the amazing vocals of Ana Criado. This track was introduce during Global Gathering and it surely was a crowd favorite.

Bringing us to a higher state, Armin drops in 'Relict' by Abstract Vision, Elite Electronic and Broning. The track's higher bpm contain pumping beats and melodic chords that would surely be a hit on live sets. He continues this journey with the next two tracks - Protoculture's 'Perpetual Motion' and Orjan Nilsen's 'Burana' - before dropping some dark and dirty beats of 'Fortuna' by Beat Service.

The next few tracks is like a roller coaster ride. He continues with the uplifting and melodic track, 'Aeon of Revenge' by Andrew Rayel before dropping the pounding beats of Skytech's 'What's Wrong.' He then brings in the goosebump inducing track 'Green Velvet' by Stoneface & Terminal and A.R.D.I.'s 'Premonition.' He adds to this journey by mixing in Matt Davey's 'Believe in Me', a track with melodic synths and haunting chant and the uplifting 'Headliner' by Jorn van Deynhoven. These tracks would make you close your eyes and raise your hands trying to reach the stars. He drops in a mashup up to close out CD1 - 'Void' by Sasha Carassi & Mikael Jonasson mixed with his Gaia track 'Status Excessu D.' This mashup has received praises from the listeners of A State of Trance.

Disc two kicks off with Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s 'Eternal Flame', a favorite of mine on his Prime Mover album due to its haunting piano-filled melodies and chant. Definitely a certified goosebump-inducing track. He follows with the melodic synths and beats of Omnia's 'Infina' and Richard Sebastian's 'Full Disclosure'. Armin brings in a vocal track next in 'Stranger' by Jaytech and Steve Smith in the Kyau & Albert remix. This track has been receiving numerous plays the past few weeks due to its lovely melodies and the amazing voice of Smith.

Armin change the mood to a darker trouse by dropping in the pounding beats of Juventa's 'Metamorphose' before getting us back up with the melodic uplifting tracks, 'Elveda' by Faruk Sabanci and Daniel Kandi's '3 Strikes UR In.' This is followed by the lovely voice of Emma Hewitt in 'Like Spinning Plates', a track with Dash Berlin which got more melodic courtesy of Alexander Popov. Next is the amazing melodic MaRLo dub remix of the classic 'Time' by Paul Webster and Angelic Amanda and Tomas Heredia's 'The Witch'.

Armin continues with the melodic beats and chant of Andy Moor's 'K Ta' before bringing in some big room beats in 'Pleasure', a track by Richard Durand & Protoculture. Armin drops in 'Retrospection,' an uplifting track by Matt Bukovski filled with amazing melodies. He continues our journey to a higher state with 'The Perfect Match' by Aligator and Daniel Kandi. This track is pure melodic then drops you back to the ground with some pounding beats that would surely be a crowd favorite and be in the running for top track of 2012. He then drops another mashup, blending Mark Burton's 'Understatement' with 'Try To Be Love' by Sunlounger & Zara Taylor. Pretty good mashup of pounding beats and Balearic melodies. He then closes with lovely melodies of 'The Inside' by Neptune Project and Polly Strange.

Universal Religion Chapter 6 is one of the best albums of the year and could be one of the best in the series as well. No doubt in my mind that UR 6 would be a 10 in my books but sadly not hearing the transitions in between tracks and hearing only snippets will not allow me to give the album it proper rating.

8/10

Review is also posted at TranceHub - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/armin-van-buuren-universal-religion-chapter-6

Champions League 2012/13

The 2012/13 UEFA Champions League Group Stage is set after the drawing of the groups yesterday. Defending champion Chelsea(ENG) is set to face Shakhtar Donetsk(UKR), two-time Champions Juventus(ITA) and new-comer Nordsjaelland(DEN) is Group E while runner up Bayern Munich(GER) is in Group F alongside Valencia(ESP), LOSC(FRA) and BATE(BLR). Groupings are listed below:

Group A - Porto(POR), Dynamo Kyiv(UKR), PSG(FRA), Dinamo Zagreb(CRO)
Group B - Arsenal(ENG), Schalke(GER), Olympiacos(GRE), Montpellier(FRA)
Group C - Milan(ITA), Zenit(RUS), Anderlecht(BEL), Málaga(ESP)
Group D - Real Madrid(ESP), Manchester City(ENG), Ajax(NED), Dortmund(GER)
Group E - Chelsea(ENG), Shakhtar Donetsk(UKR), Juventus(ITA), Nordsjælland(DEN)
Group F - Bayern Munchen(GER), Valencia(ESP), LOSC(FRA), BATE(BLR)
Group G - Barcelona(ESP), Benfica(POR), Spartak Moskva(RUS), Celtic(SCO)
Group H - Manchester United(ENG), Braga(POR), Galatasaray(TUR), CFR Cluj(ROU)

Champions League will begin on September 18 with the following matches:
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Porto
PSG vs. Dynamo Kyiv
Montpellier vs. Arsenal
Malaga vs. Zenit
Milan vs. Anderlecht
Dortmund vs. Ajax
Real Madrid vs. Man. City
Olympiacos vs. Schalke

For schedules and results, visit the Champions League website - http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/index.html

Album Review: ATB - Sunset Beach DJ Session 2

It's been two years since Andre Tanneberger or better known as ATB released the first Sunset Beach DJ Session so it was due for a new edition. The two disc compilation contains 29 tracks for your listening pleasures

Disc one kick things off with ATB and Rudee's 'In And Out Of Love.' A groovy track with thumping bass before slowing down into lovely piano chords and vocals of Ramona Nerra and then switching back to more rhythmic synths and bass during breaks. It's like a roller coaster ride! ATB continues the faster progression with the thumping bass and amazing piano keys of 'Triumph' by Norin & Rad and Audien. He then switch things back to a smooth sounds of 'Baila' by Probe. But don't let this fool you as the track explodes into a some heavy bass and electro-beats as it progresses.

Andre brings back the voice of Nerra with the up-tempo track 'Never Give Up.' This track is just pure energy with massive beats and electro melodies that explodes into one massive track. Next up is 'Damaged' by Antillas. The transition to this track was sub-par. Still the track features heavily synthesized beats surrounding the deep melodic beats mixed with the sultry acapella by Fiora. Then comes the darker melodic bass and haunting chant of Duderstadt remix of 'Gypsy Room,'a track by Markus Schulz under his Dakota alias before continuing with the electro beats and deeper melodies of D-Mad's remix of 'Ordinary People' by LTN.

Things slow down with Offshore's 'Stereojackers.' This track starts off with some heavy beats before some piano keys gets mixed in exploding in a harmonious melodies that would soothe one's nerves. Then came in the angelic voice of Fisher in the classic 'The Last Time' by The Thrillseekers brought back by Johan Malmgren who added faster beats mixing with guitar strings and melodies - just amazing.

ATB slow things down with the smooth beats of 'Follow Up' by The Madison & Simon J and 'Into the Blue' by Hazem Beltagui before adding some vocals into the mixed with 'All You Took,' a track he made which features the voice of Amurai. Yep, you read it right, Amurai sang on this track and I would say he got a voice for it. He continues this trend in Mike Danis' 'For You' which features some haunting chants before ending disc one with another smooth track in 'Beautiful Moment' by Fade.

Disc two is filled with ambient music. ATB begins with some smooth bass and melody in 'Sunset Beach' before switching to the Zetandel's chill mix of 'Much Too Much' by Andain. This is such a lovely rendition of a great track with smoother piano keys mixed with Mavie's voice. ATB continues on the smooth progression with 'Klangsine' by Klangstein which features lovely guitar plucks and chords mixed with percussion beats.

Downtempo continues with 'Love & Light’ with ATB bringing back Amurai. This haunting vocal track with strong lyrics will surely captivate your minds. This is followed by downtempo mellow tracks in 'With You,' Titchimoto remix of 'Superhuman' by Virtual Riot which he did an outstanding in making this dubstep track into a very relaxing tune; and the DJ Milews remix of the piano filled tune 'Adriatic Sea' by Coastline.

ATB continues the ambient journey with Gary B's 'Time To Slow It Down,' a guitar-pluck filled track with relaxing vocals; Synthesizer-filled 'Desire' by Polished Chrome and Asheni's 'Lost In Time' which featured some angelic chant before gorgeous vocals come into play. This track will give you chills.

Kaskade ice mix of 'Room for Happiness' follows, a total opposite of the fire mix of this track with Skylar Grey's voice mixed with piano chords and string melody making this another soothing track. He continues with 'Beautiful People' by Summer of Space, a track filled with synthesized samples along with some lovely vocals. This is followed by two Sine tracks, 'Wolke' and 'Chillbar.' Both tracks are filled with melodic guitar plucks with the latter adding some percussion beats into the mix. This two tracks makes you feel like this is not a CD from an EDM artist. ATB ends our ambient journey with Eva Cassidy's rendition of the classic 'Fields Of Gold.' Lovely work by Cassidy with her amazing voice mixed with the smooth guitar plucks.

The 2nd edition of Sunset Beach DJ Session is quite interesting. You can tell that ATB created both disc for two different purpose. Disc 1 is more energetic, uptempo tracks suitable for beach session while disc 2 is more ambient though certain songs, especially the last three tracks, will make you think its a jazz album rather than an edm album. Still a great album to have in your collection.

9/10

ATB - website | Facebook | MySpace | YouTube | @atbandre

Movie Review: The Expendables 2

The Expendables 2 is an all-star action film about 'The Expendables,' a mercenary group that goes to dangerous missions that aren't official. This film is a sequel to the first one that came out in 2010. The Expendables are led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and composed of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lungdren), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Rand (Randy Couture) and new member Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth).

After returning from a mission, the team was forced to retrieve an important item in the jungles of Albania by Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), a CIA operative. The team was also forced to bring along Maggie (Yu Nan), a technical expert who is the only one who can crack the code on the safe. Little did they know that another group, the Sangs, led by Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) was after the same item. The team was forced to surrender the item when Vilain captured Billy the Kid and instead of letting him go, executed him. They will find out that the item is computer map that contains directions to where the Soviets kept all the plutonium after the Cold War. The team now goes on a mission to stop the Sangs while avenging Billy's death.

This sequel basically starts off where the initial film ended - tons of gunfights and actions. It's filled with action sequence, some unbelievable and impossible, that action junkies will surely have a great time watching this film. The acting was good as the actors, including Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger took some of their famous lines and incorporated them in this film ('I'll Be Back', 'Yippie Ki-Yay'). The film was easy to follow and the sets were visually good especially that mock New York City that includes the famous Ray's Pizza. Overall, the film was created well and watching action heroes of the old would surely make you reminisce those good old action flicks.

The Expendables 2 - website

Starring - Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Yu Nan, Charisma Carpenter, Scott Adkins, Nikolette Noel and Amanda Ooms

Samsung vs. Apple - The Battle of the Smart Technology

On Friday, August 24, the U.S. court system side with Apple on it's lawsuit against Samsung Electronic stating that the South-Korean firm infringed six out of seven Apple patents and awarding Apple $1 billion in damages as the two electronic firms duke it out in the battle of global smartphone dominance. This follows after a South-Korean court ordered both companies to stop selling smartphones and tablets in South Korea and pay damages as they infringed each other's patents. Samsung won its case against Apple in Australia court that allowed customer to buy Samsung tablets. Now it's up to the UK court to decide who will be the victor of this current legal battle. 

The court systems of these countries surely varies from each other even if the cases have similarities in them. But why? Ruling should be almost similar since they are hearing the same case but, I am assuming, in different language. Could there be biased in the court system? Some would think so while some won't since the South Korean court didn't side with Samsung while the U.S. court sided with Apple. What really goes into the minds of court judge and/or jury in coming up with the decision? 

Patents are double-edge swords. Patents are meant to protect the intellectual property of a company which can result into a global dominance in the market but total domination might mean that innovation  lessens or even ceases. And decisions on patent/copyright cases are again different from each other. In 1994, Apple lost its case against Microsoft and HP after U.S. Court found no basis that they copied Apple's GUI interface used in Lisa and Macintosh operating systems. Xerox then sued Apple stating Apple copied it's GUI interface but the court squash it without hearing any arguments. 

Currently, the global smartphone market is dominated by Samsung (32.6% market share) which produces numerous devices and tablets that runs on Android OS while Apple is second (16.9% market share) which only produces a single device, the iPhone. Could this be the reason why Apple is going after Samsung in the fear of losing more market shares it once dominated?

Sources:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/samsung-found-infringe-most-apple-231101124.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Computer,_Inc._v._Microsoft_Corporation

Album Review: Matt Darey - Blossom and Decay

After 15 years of providing EDM tracks for the masses, Matt Darey finally releases his debut album entitled Blossom and Decay. The album features 17 new and old tracks.

The album kicks off with the title track ‘Blossom and Decay.’ This track features amazing guitar strings before mixing in the stunning vocals of Cath Porter and then adding some dubstep-electro bass. He change things up with ‘Hold Your Breath’, a mellow-relaxing track with progressive beats and the haunting vocals of Leah. He continues our journey to the past with the melodic progressive track ‘Chasing the Sun’, a track he collaborated with Aeron Aether that features break beats and amazing vocals by Ridgewalkers.

The first remixed track comes into play in ‘I Still Remember’. The original version of this track is quite melodramatic but MuseArtic change the pace adding faster progressive beats and rhythms while keeping intact the haunting voice of Kate Louise Smith. Aelyn’s heavenly voice graces us in ‘Follow You’, a Stan Kolev collaborated track filled with trance melodies and amazing guitar string break. Then in comes ‘Too Far’ featuring the voice of Erica Driscoll. This track got the typical Nocturnal beats in between amazing guitar strings and melodic bass.

The next three tracks are remixes. Colorless did a great job in remixing ‘Still Waters’ infusing progressive beats with amazing guitar riffs and Smith’s voice. Matt Darey turns back the clock with Luiz B remix of ‘Lost At Sea,’ slowing things down with a laid-back vibe mixing in the great voice of Ashley Tomberlin. Aether comes back, this time as a remixer, with 'Red Is Rising' infusing dubstep breaks into a trance track resulting into a harmonious track.

Matt Darey continues with ‘Into The Blue’, a track with flowing beats and rhythmic break beats and features the voice of Tiff Lacey. Before dropping in probably one of the best remixes of his track, the Aurosonic remix of ‘See The Sun’ with Smith. This track was voted one of the most popular tracks in 2009 and you can clearly see why with its amazing beats and melodies and stunning vocals. This track would surely be a classic in the future. Turning back the clock again with the Josh Gabriel remix of ‘Black Flowers.’ This progressive track is filled with great beats and the amazing lyrics and vocals provided by Kirsty Thirsk.

Next up are two new tracks. ‘Altitude’, a track he collaborated with Kolev which features the voice of Polina Hubavenska and stunning guitar strings. Next is 'Hold On', a solo track by Matt Darey with progressive beats and melodies that would surely be a hit on the dance floor. Bringing back another classic is the Taurus & Vaggeli remix of ‘Black Canyon’ which speeds things up with progressive beats and haunting voice of Smith. Then comes in ‘Reality Bites’ a track with Sir Adrian providing vocals and Sebastian Krieg adding stronger beats and rhythms before ending the album with the Aurosonic remix of ‘Crown Of Thorns,’ a track that features the voice of Smith and filled with guitar riffs and piano keys giving it a more Balearic feel.

I have no qualms that this album will be one of the tops of 2012. I just wish that Matt Darey will have an un-remixed edition of the tracks for the next album.

10/10

This review is also available in TranceHub - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/matt-darey-blossom-decay/

Album Review: Tenishia - Memory Of A Dream

Collaborating since 2005, Malta's finest producers Joven Grech and Cyprian Cassar, or better known as the group Tenishia has finally released their debut album 'Memory Of A Dream'. The 16-track album will showcase their own personality and sound, mixing with an array of different styles.

The album starts off with the title track "Memory Of A Dream", a track that begins with lovely guitar chords courtesy of Eller van Buuren before the beats and piano keys blends in for a melodic track. Chris Jones provide some stunning vocals to this track that would surely be one of the best tracks of 2012. Tenishia continues mixing piano chords with stunning synths and beats in "As It Should", the second single from the album. Jan Johnston provided the vocals for this lovely track.

The next track, "Chords Of Life", is filled with ambient sounds with some wicked beats. This style continues with "Jaguar", but with more synthesized beats to make it a more livelier track. Next up is the vocal track "Crash & Burn", an upbeat track with deep bass line and pounding melodies mixed in with Aneym’s angelic voice that would surely be a hit on the dance floor. Tenishia continues with another vocal track, infusing house and trance melodies in "Broken Wings". Seems like the vocals of Elleah don’t gel well with this track, yet it’s still a melodic tune filled with piano chords and electro bass. "Attention" follows next with Kyler England providing vocals in this track with deep bass line and melodies.

The next three tracks will surely be a hit on DJ sets. "As We Speak" opens with a haunting chant before going into Tenishia’s style of pounding beats and uplifting melodies with emphasis on a wind instrument, guessing a flute. The duo continues this style in "Where Do We Begin" creating a melodramatic harmony – blending piano chords with amazing vocals – between synthesize bass lines and house beats. Blending in more house beats and uplifting melodies with a faster BPM, the track "Always Loved, Never Forgotten" has already caught us by a storm being the first single out of this album and garnering massive airplay in various radio shows and live sets and was included in Armin van Buuren’s ‘A State Of Trance 2012‘ compilation CD (Disc 1, track 9).

Next up is "Across The Border" a track they collaborated with Australian producer Ahmet Atasever. This track is filled with Balearic guitar-riffs blend with synthesized bass lines and treble. Tenishia brings back some vocals in "Ghost Of Love" with Ivan Grech. A dramatic track filled with string chords and melodic bass accompanied by Grech’s strong vocals. This is followed by "Face Your Fears", an uptempo, high energy track geared towards live set, though certain parts of the track is similar to a previous massive track.

Tenishia switches back to vocals with "Love Survives" collaborating with Ruben de Ronde on this upbeat melodic track with Shannon Hurley providing some lovely vocals. Up next is "Shores Of Eden", a track which was released last year. This stunning track is filled with amazing chant and uplifting trance beats that would surely bring bliss to your mind and dance to your feet. "Memory Of A Dream" ends with "Point Of No Return", a track with an operatic intro before bursting into a full bloom of sound with synthesized beats and uplifting melodies resulting into a blissful end of the journey into the sounds of Tenishia.

Though not a perfect album, Tenishia’s ‘Memory Of A Dream‘ is still filled with amazing tracks that would surely be a hit whether on the airwaves or on the dance floor.

9/10

This review can also be found on TranceHub's website - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/tenishia-memory-of-a-dream/

Tenishia - website | Facebook | MySpace | Youtube | Total Access International | @tenishiamusic

Update: 365 Days of Birthdays

As part of my bucket list, I want to know a person who has a birthday for each day of the year, including leap year (29th), so far, I need to get to know 4 more dates in November. That is the closest  to completion month. 


So I was just looking through my calendar and adding birthdays of new people I have met (it helps me remember) and came up with an idea. Wouldn't it be great if I would be able to know someone who is celebrating his/her birthday in each day of the year. Yep, that would be 365 birthdays - I'll even include the leap day. But I will not just ask anyone for their birthdays, I have to know the person. This is going in to my Bucket List

Jan - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Feb - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Mar - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Apr - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
May - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Jun - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
July - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Aug - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Sept - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Oct - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Nov - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Dec - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

This does not include my own birthday.

This is the fourth update since I started this post. 
Initial Post - August, 2010
Second Update - December, 2010 
Third Update - February, 2011

Album Review: Alex M.O.R.P.H. - Prime Mover

Prime Mover, one of the most anticipated albums of the year, is from legendary German DJ, producer and avid trucker hat fan Alex M.O.R.P.H. The album, his second, includes 17 melodic and energetic tracks that would surely make waves in the EDM scene.

The album kicks off with Eternal Flame, a track filled with breakbeats that develops into a harmonious melodic track filled with amazing piano keys and haunting vocal hums. This is followed by An Angel’s Love, a track that broke into the scene during the last quarter of 2011. This melodramatic track is filled with uplifting beats and riffs combined with the powerful and haunting voice of Sylvia Tosun. He switched things with Sucker Punch, a deep and highly energetic track with melodic riffs that would surely be a hit on the dancefloor and live sets.

M.O.R.P.H. brought back some vocals in Monday Morning Madness courtesy of singer/songwriter Shannon Hurley. This progressive track has deep basslines and melodic synths with a pop-ish groove to it. Up next is Waking Up The Stars, a track filled with ambient sounds and melodic beats, that he collaborated with South African producer Protoculture. This track burst out of the scene during the first quarter of this year as part of Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance 2012 compilation. Jawa is the next track and Alex brought in the percussion while blending house beats into trance elements. He continued with the mixing of genres with Secret Universe, bringing some rock flavor into trance with strong and heartwarming vocals by Christian Burns. He slow things a little bit in Bay of Bengal, a chill track with soft bassline and melodic beats before bring in up with Connected, a track that contains a massive buildup and an amazing drop that would surely make you want for more. This is followed by Antara (The Circle), an emotion-filled track with melodic beats and uplifting riffs that blends well with Tosun’s melodic voice. The title track follows next and Prime Mover got the darker beats and big room riffs which reminds me of early M.O.R.P.H. productions.

Bringing us back to the lighter side of trance is From The Universe With Love, a track that features the voice of Sue McLaren. This track blends strong riffs and ambient sounds with Sue’s voice to transform the track into a melodic journey. This was followed by Sun of Ilena, a progressive track with synthesize-filled melodies and Tales Of The Black Panther Pt. 1, a chill upbeat melodic track that is ideal for those long rides. He introduced another vocal track in I See You, a nice collaboration he did with Woody van Eyden and Tiff Lacey. The deep melodic beats of this track blends perfectly well with the haunting vocals of Lacey. Up next is Exstatic Avenger, a track he collaborated with Claudia Cazacu which combines dark-deep trance elements with tribal sounds. He then ends Prime Mover almost the same as how he started. The melody he use for When I Close My Eyes is almost similar to Eternal Flame but this one features rolling piano keys blend with the sounds of the ocean and the amazing voice of Hannah.

Prime Mover shows you the production prowess of Alex M.O.R.P.H. He blends ambient, progressive and uplifting trance together with other genres and mix in his own of music to create quality tracks. Prime Mover will surely be in contention for the best album of 2012.

This review can also be found on TranceHub.com - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/alex-morph-prime-mover/

Alex M.O.R.P.H. - website | Facebook | Flowd | @alexmorph

Album Review: Arnej - Unreleased

What would you say if I told you a DJ/Producer decided to release 15 previously unreleased tracks in an album? What would you say if I told you it’s free? Yes, Arnej has just released his new album aptly titled Unreleased. You can grab a copy of the album through his facebook account.

Unreleased contains 15 previously unreleased tracks by Arnej with half under his moniker 8 Wonders. Releasing your own tracks allows you more freedom to create tracks and shows how creative Arnej can be. Arnej kicked started with Intro, a track with chime-filled lead that transforms into some massive synths before continuing with some deep melodic beats in Simple, Beautiful. Then he kick in the drums in Simple Things, blending the sounds of percussions and strings resulting into a harmonious production. He continued this production with Come Back adding some chop strings and turning to a more big room sound before bringing it back down with The Road Ahead, a melodic chill track with emphasis on piano keys. Drums come into play again in the melodic track, Union. Arnej switched things in Coincidences bringing in more darker melodies that would surely be a great hit on the dance floor.

The second half of the album kicks off with Where Yesterday Began which Arnej began using his moniker 8 Wonders. And with this comes techy trance synths couple with high-pitched percussion and melodic strings before an amazing drop that would surely get you into the right mood. Equllibrium comes in with a gradual increase in bpm along with melodramatic beats and bass. He continued with the techy progressive trance sound in A Thought Away, Return to Paradise, and Embrace It before adding some dnb into the track Chimera, a track which contains percussion sound coupled with high-pitched synths and haunting vibe.

Arnej continues with some techno flair in Dark Horizon. But make no mistake as this track contains melodramatic beats and pounding bass that would surely make you want to hit the dancefloor. He then ends Unreleased with Moment of Truth, a techy trance with dirty baselines and melodic percussions.

The album is filled with melodramatic production that would surely be enjoyed by listeners out there. Each track is seamlessly blended well showing his production prowess and his unique style in the ever growing electronic dance music genre. These tracks are truly work of a genius though you will need to have an open mind to enjoy each track.

7.5/10

This review can also be found at http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/arnej-unreleased/

Arnej - website | Facebook | SoundCloud | MySpace | @arnejsecerkadic

Manila Ocean Park

This are the images I took from Manila Ocean Park - a nice attraction right on Manila Bay in Philippines.

Album Review: Solarstone - Pure

‘Pure‘ is the third studio album by Richard Mowatt, or better known to many as Solarstone. The multi-talented DJ, producer, singer and songwriter unleashed the power of trance in this 13-track album. This album is a way of him reclaiming what trance is really about.

Solarstone starts things off with the title track of the album, "Pure". The track begins with lovely piano keys before the synths and rhythms blends into the track producing uplifting sounds that is a great way to start things off. "Jewel" follows suit, the first vocal track of the album and the first one with the sultry voice of folk singer Clare Stagg. This tune, filled with melodic synths, will surely put your mind at ease. Such a relaxing and soothing tune.

Another vocal track comes in featuring the voice of Bill McGruddy in "Shake The Demons." McGruddy’s almost deep voice compliments the electronica sounds of this track with the synthesizer in full display. This almost has that new wave sound to it. Blending in the next tune, Solarstone changes things up with "Voyager." This higher BPM track is filled with pulsating melodies that takes you to a journey in outer space. The next track shows the versatility of Solarstone and is one of my favorite tunes. In the track "Where Do We Go From Here", he didn’t only produce the track but even sang a duet with New York based singer Betsie Larkin. This emotional vocal track features melodic strings and break beats with some lyrics that most of us can relate to.

"Fireisland" is the track he collaborated with Egypt’s own Aly & Fila. And with this collaboration, one can only expect a very uplifting trance track and they surely delivered with piano keys and bass guitar opening up to a salvo of melodic synths and beats that would surely lift your mood up. Clare Stagg’s vocals came into play in "Requiem," a mellow track that features lovely strings that compliment well with Stagg’s folksy voice. "Falcons" follows in which Solarstone collaborated with Italian producer Giuseppe Ottaviani. Amazing production on this track filled with melodic beats and haunting female harmony that would surely be part of live DJ sets in the future.

Solarstone does a solo in "Please," a melodramatic track with amazing beats, synths and drops that would surely be a favorite of trance lovers out there. And he did have a guest in this track, the voice of a legendary 60s rock legend. Then came my favorite tune of the album, "The Spell", the last tune in the album which features the voice of Clare Stagg. This track is absolutely gorgeous and has gotten massive airplay in radio shows including A State Of Trance, Global DJ Broadcast and Corsten’s Countdown. Combining melodic bass and uplifting melody with the strong and sultry voice of Stagg, this tune is one of the best tracks of 2012.

Solarstone continues with another solo act in "Lovers." Showing his versatility once more by helming the vocals of this track, "Lovers" is a haunting track with melodic break beats and uplifting strings that would surely melt your heart. This track is almost an ode to someone who is far away especially the lyrics. Then he follows this with another melodramatic trance track in "Present To The Past" which begins with some heavy strings with emphasis on the guitar keys before adding ambient bass and synths that would soothe one’s nerves.

Solarstone closes out the album with the haunting track "Swansong". Another melodramatic track with haunting vocals of Hannah Magenta and a chilled ambience that would surely be ideal for those nights when you just want to relax and meditate.

Solarstone is utterly a genius and stayed true to his roots, combining various melodies into forming a sound that we longed for, that is, pure trance.

10/10

This review can also be found on TranceHub - http://trancehub.com/reviews/albums/solarstone-pure/

Solarstone - website | Beatport | Facebook | iTunes | MixCloud | @RichSolarstone