Those who follow the psy-trance community have all listened to or attended a live set by StarLab, the stage moniker for Bharat Bindal, who has taken his career to a new level by showcasing his music at back-to-back major music festivals of Boom (Portugal) and O.Z.O.R.A. (Hungary). As part of his summer tour, which started in June, Bhindal made his way through Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and, of course, Goa. A chat with the psy-trance artiste who hails from New Delhi.
How and when did you get these opportunities to play at two major music festivals?
It’s a combination of a lot of things. I’ve consistently worked hard to release quality music over many years. Building up strong relationships along the way in the ecosystem goes a long way. As for when, the bookings for these festivals came way back in 2019 for the 2020 editions, then Covid came along, delaying everything by two years. Finally, 2022 was the year the concerts took place.
What was it like representing your country on such big platforms?
To say it was an incredible feeling and experience to play my music at these massive events would be an understatement. I gather only a few from India have played at these festivals. In future, I hope to see more psy-trance producers coming out of India being showcased on these platforms.
We have seen movie reels of the festivals. What was it like?
First, I went to Boom Festival in Portugal and it absolutely blew my socks off. In my books, the art and music being represented there is truly the pinnacle of humanity. Incredibly well organised and eco-conscious. The level of detail and thought behind everything has a strong sense of purpose. It was just amazing. I’m still trying to come to terms with everything I experienced over the five days I was there. In way of weather, it was very hot and dusty but I was prepared for it.
O.Z.O.R.A. in Hungary was mind-bending. It’s a smaller festival in comparison and the weather is better. Also incredibly well organised and deeply thought out. I had a really good time slot; it was a really blasting dance floor. I thought the music programming was well done on all the stages. A lot of my favourite artistes were playing.
StarLab’s set at O.Z.O.R.A. Festival
Is there a different approach when it comes to building your sets for such a varied audience?
The idea was to play a good balance of unreleased as well as released music that people recognise. I was able to play a few unreleased tunes from my work-in-progress album, which were well-received. As I never prepare my sets in advance, both were quite different in terms of order and track selection.
Whose set did you enjoy the most there?
From Boom I remember enjoying Altruism, Ace Ventura, Astrix, Dekel and Emok, to name a few. At O.Z.O.R.A., I loved the sets of Vlastur Dub Band and Braincell.
Would you consider this a milestone in your career?
The concerts are undoubtedly a huge milestone and turning point in my career. I have waited for this moment. Next, I will go on an India tour to Kolkata, Raipur, Goa and Bangalore. Later this year, I have a Brazil tour and winter tour in Europe is in the works. As for releases, I have a track with Avalon releasing soon as well as a few singles.
Kolkata is waiting for your arrival in September. What do you have ready for us?
I will be bringing the Boom and O.Z.O.R.A StarLab experience to Kolkata. So get ready!