Go Madras is a festival that has been running for the past 8 years along the coastline of Chennai and Mahabalipuram. Dance music has a rich history of making any space into a festival space but few are as spectacular as Go Madras in Mahabalipuram. Held at the Radisson Blu Resort, you can ask any attendee what they like most about the festival and the location will be one of many answers. Most people go for a finely-tuned lineup that features the best from the Indian music industry and some international legends we always forget about. Some people love themusic, I love the friendly and intoxicating atmosphere.
It was time for the eighth edition of Go Madras. A festival where dancemusic fans, artists and industry management alike were all gathered in the beautiful town of Mahabalipuram, Chennai. Chennai and its people are well known for embracing the underground sound, which made it the perfect venue for GoMadras.
Arriving a day earlier than the actual festival, I came with a blank mind, as it was my first visit. My first impression of the festival was a team of six individuals brainstorming to create the perfect atmosphere, deliver the best music and create an intimate experience most festivals lack today. And at the peak of this weekend of artistic beauty lies the one and only Go Madras Festival; that flanks both the beginning and the end of this ultimate experience.
For those who attend, Go Madras is much more than a music festival. Many see it as a festival where the love of music is still alive and well. Where every person can be entirely accepted regardless of his or her beliefs and actions. This year GoMadras was made up of one intimate main stage and an after-hours stage; which showcased some of the best talents the Indian scene has to offer today. The standard of music and performances by our homegrown talent couldn’t have been personified the way it was by GoMadras. Not to forget spell-bounding performances by Adrian Hour and Maksim Dark as well.
Go Madras gives plenty to write about. 2016 was the festival’s eighth year and it keeps getting better every year. Massive acts like Adrian Hour, Maksim Dark, Kohra, Blot and Ash Roy were on the bill alongside the usual long list of regulars, including me. Many things contributed towards my experience and it was probably one the most invigorating weekend I had in a very long time.
The doors would open bright and early at noon. Much like every year, Go Madras had a condensed set-up keeping it very intimate and retaining that vibe they are known for. The sound was set up with great scrutiny and that RCF soundystem gave the chest thumping sound I was expecting.
During the day most of the DJs played very comfortable and contained sounds. While it was hot in the afternoon, DJs like Ajmal, Vinaya and No Latency kept it breezy and elegant. The very relaxed tone in their sets transpired extremely on the dancefloor. Go Madras did a good job by getting the crowd early on both days and kept the vibe alive as we moved into
The Sound
When in full swing the main stage was more like a ‘dance temple’ rather than any regular stage. There was no way to avoid being drawn into the infectious techno and psytrance beats being hurled at you from a gargantuan sound setup. One could easily identify that a professional DJ designed the sound and the stage. Most festivals know how a stage should ‘look’, however most festivals forget the most integral part of a festival ‘the sound’. During a conversation with Tuhin and Shiv (The men behind GoMadras), it was explained to me in detail how the sound was developed for this particular stage.
Most rock festivals and sadly most dance music festivals today adapt the ‘flying’ sound to get maximum volume. However, GoMadras applied the hard hitting, chest thumping laid down sound. The sound you would expect from RCF. The stage was powered by a collection of speakers, which provided rib-shaking bass even from 100 meters away, but remained clear and crisp, without any kind of ringing in the ears afterwards. Much of this is thanks to the fact that all of the stages were run by trained DJs and technicians. Clearly one could see that it was all about the music and nothing else.
As I said before, GoMadras festival hosted some of the most talented artists our country has to offer and rightly said it indeed was a surreal experience. The festival featured artists such as Vinayaka Meets No Latency, Sequ3l, Bit of Both, Bombay Central, Blot!, Adrian Hour
I realised that the greatest things about GoMadras are, well GoMadras. The energy, the people and the venue were fantastic. After walking around the venue for a few hours I decided to settle down with a pint of beer and witness acts I would never get to see at any other festival. By the time I arrived I was welcomed by the deep and groovy sets by Vinayaka meets No Latency which set the perfect tone for what was to come. For me, it was the best musical experience I’ve had in years and remains till date.
Soon it was followed by an extra special set by Bit of Both, which portrayed his own versatility and experimental sound. The fantastic light show combined with his sound was enough to en-trance me by itself.
However the party was just starting, it was time for the after-hours lineup to take over. The after-hours party had only one purpose, showcase the meanest sounds in a boiler room type atmosphere. With nothing less than spectacular sets from Kohra, Adam, Arjun Vagale and Tuhin Mehta one could easily leave with a broken body. Although the entire line-up continued to impress for the next 5 hours, Kohra & Tuhin Mehta delivered my favourite sets of the night.
For the most part, the people at GoMadras are amazing. These are the people I want representing my music genre, not the commercial house goers but the ones that truly stand for pure music, unity and respect. It was reassuring to be around with such calibre of people. Most attendees on this day really cared about the music and the like-minded people around them. It was not about using recreational drugs or seeing a Dj play the Beatport top 100. It was beyond comparable.
Verdict
We live in a country where often a festival is judged by its line-up and it’s ‘extravagant’ larger than life set-up. However, the eighth edition of Go Madras proved one doesn’t need a 100-man team to organise a spectacular festival. In fact, it also proved one doesn’t need many international acts to prove it’s worth. India has a big pool of talent andGoMadras utilised that talent very gracefully. One can undisputedly say ‘GoMadras’ is one of the best festivals this country has to offer. It’s also one of the most important festivals in the country and I hope they carry the tradition forward. All in all, I would rate this year’s edition 8.5/10.
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