Festival Review ”“ Enchanted Valley Carnival 2014 Day 1: What The Hell Is A Silent Party Anyway?

It’s selfie time at the EVC Silent Party

Enchanted Valley Carnival, which boasts of EDM acts and a few live  electronica for the ”˜eclectic,’ kicked off their festival in Aamby Valley City one late night with a covert ”˜silent party’ event.

If you missed the memo, this was a lesson in disconnection. The very concept of a silent party ”” awkward foot shuffling and aural isolation ”” snaps the very spine of the music experience. Even though Delhi-based tech house producer Mashter and Pune progressive house artist Zavion were dishing out the best of their dance catalog, we were left with city escapists stumbling over each other and the DJ console in a ”˜I was there’ selfie parade. If you were paying enough attention, you could even spot a couple of intoxicated revelers who were grooving to the music in their heads, very obviously missing the necessary headphones which were supposed to tie the party together. While conceptually, a silent party is intended to build a club atmosphere minus the sound pollution, this one was all about the novelty. On a more positive note, a nearby campfire drum-circle, between its joint choruses and festival fires, seemed to be everyone’s escape plan.

While the first night seemed lukewarm, we’re hoping that the lineup for the next two days, which expands to include genres such as dubstep, pop, folk, house, drum n’bass and more, will draw a more passionate crowd.