What with Brexit and all National Cream Tea Day was
rather overshadowed.
A fact not unnoticed by the bemused tea wallahs at
Taylor’s of Harrogate, makers of the delicious Yorkshire Tea.So much so that on June 24 they tweeted: “We're very disappointed to see so
little media coverage for National Cream Tea Day. It's easily today's biggest
story.”
Eager to put this
right – albeit belatedly – I have to say that if you want a cream tea make sure
you opt for delicious nut brown Yorkshire Tea.
Fiercely sticking to
square bags (I always preferred them) this traditional and satisfying cup of
splosh with leave you purring with delight.
Those nice people at
Taylor’s also sent me a lovely little model of their famous Little Urn – a converted
ice cream van which tours all over making sure people have “a proper brew”.
With the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Milton Keynes Bowl just a few weeks away TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian caught up with one of the main attractions – Egyptian trance superstars Aly & Fila.
- SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Here the duo answer our questions ahead of their appearance at the one-day festival extravaganza on July 9. When did you first get into trance and what was the experience like? (Fila) My father worked in Europe a lot in the early 1990s so I used to travel a lot with him to Germany, it was here I discovered Paul Van Dyk and would go to see him play and also bring back tapes of PVD to Egypt where Aly and I would listen to them. Paul Van Dyk was our biggest inspiration. How big is trance and dance music in general in Egypt? The dance music scene in general is very big in Egypt, every week clubs in Egypt are busy and we also have Sharm el Sheikh where Space, Pacha and Privilege are. Trance music has grown over the years, our weekly Radio show FSOE is on Nile FM in Cairo and also our record label has many Egyptian artists on there from Mohamed Ragab , Fady & Mina , A&Z , Omar Sherif to name but a few, this creates more awareness of the genre within Egypt itself, also we host each year our FSOE Celebration in Egypt, in 2016 we hosted FSOE 400 at The Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, that created huge awareness within Egypt and worldwide for us, the genre and the Egyptian artists who performed that night.
What is your favourite trance track of all time? Paul Van Dyk - For an Angel. How does it feel to be playing EDC in Milton Keynes? We are really excited, we have heard great things, and EDC / Insomniac / Dreamstate is a partner of ours so we are very happy to be a part of the festival. What do you like about playing in the UK? The crowd’s intelligence and energy is amazing. How has trance changed over the years and do you think it is as strong as it was? It has changed a lot, every genre goes through cycles where it is more popular than it was at a certain time.
We have been touring now for 10 years and we see worldwide every year how popular trance is and especially since the social media and internet age came in, where people can connect with each other , there are ‘trance families’ all over world, it’s like a worldwide family, we are very proud to be a part of this.
Who are you future heroes in dance music? We are very happy to have some great names signed to our record label Future Sound of Egypt, names such as Ferry Tayle, Dan Stone, Darren Porter, Arctic Moon, James Dymond, ReOrder, Mohamed Ragab, LTN, Alex Ender, A&Z, Ahmed Romel, Bjorn Akesson, Alan Morris, Niko Zografos, Omar Sherif, Jonathan Carvajal, Monoverse, to name but a few, there are several others also.
What has been your career highlight? To become the first Electronic Act since Jean Michele Jarre to play at The Great Pyramids of Giza, in Egypt and also to host our own FSOE 400 Celebration there, we will never forget that moment. There are many other career highlights like being in the DJ Mag Top 100 Top 50 since 2008, being voted ‘Tune of The Year’ on ASOT 2011 with ‘Aly & Fila feat Jwaydan - We Control the Sunlight’, also having released several artist albums - Rising Sun, Quiet Storm, The Other Shore, The Chillout Album and various compilations including Trance Nation for Ministry of Sound. Also being Voted No.1 DJ in the Trance Podium Awards two years in a row.
Other headliners at the EDC UK include Avicii, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Eric Prydz, Ferry Corsten presents Gouryella, Paul van Dyk, Martin Garrix and Pendulum.
Old met new on an amazing night of progressive house and
trance courtesy of J00F Editions in London last night, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian.
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Iconic and historic Koko (formerly the Camden Palace)
provided a stunning contrast to the absolutely cutting edge dance music served
up to a rapturous crowd.
I arrived early and already the venue was in full swing,
with a pulsating soundtrack – I’ve not seen a club so busy so early in many
years.
The stripped back DJ table was bathes in fairly simple
purple light, which lent an otherworldly appearance, but this was all about the
music.
And on that J00F Editions did not disappoint – excellent sets
from John 00 Fleming and Steve Arnold were also joined by the awesome Astrix,
who I’d never seen before, but will definitely seek out again in future.
His was the stand out set in a night of stand out sets.
The genres ranged from progressive to trance to psytrance in
what was a futuristic whir of musical mayhem.
The knowledgeable and fervent crowd were loving every morsel
of the aural feast as was I.
Quite simply it was a fantastic night and I will be looking
out for the next J00F Editions event wherever it may be and so should you.
The myth that cruising is for old people has been
dramatically blown apart with the advent of two new super ships heralding a new
era of pleasure sailing, writes
TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian.
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Everyone seems to have heard of the massive Harmony of the
Seas, but almost as gargantuan and concentrating on fun and quality rather than
quantity (but still massive!) is the fabulous Carnival Vista.
I had the honour of joining the fantastic team on board a
short while after it first sailed last week on an epic voyage from Barcelona to
Rome.
First of all the size of the Carnival Vista is staggering,
then when you get on board via a stunning bar with tulip-shaped CGI-centrepiece
bar you realise you are in for a treat.
The experience becomes ever more luxurious when you reach
the beautiful staterooms and sample the terrific array of food at specialty
restaurants like the Asian-inspired Ji-Ji or the fine-dining fayre at
Fahrenheit 555.
Filet mignon and lobster, crisp pinot grigio and rich Barolo
accompany the sublime dishes, transporting passengers to a bygone era of quality
and refinement – but this is not a stuffy experience in the slightest.
Modern innovation like the first on-board IMAX cinema, the excellent
SkyRide suspended cycle track at the top of the ship and deck-top water park
hurtle this ship into the 21st century.
Sensational bands, singers, entertainers DJs, bars and
eateries guarantee and party every day and every night.
Food options include Seafood
Shack, a delectable New England-inspired eatery; RedFrog Pub, including the
line’s first on-board brewery and other enhanced dining, bar and entertainment
options; as well as new scenic and family-friendly accommodation types.
And the European stops are terrific, with Barcelona,
Marseille, Livorno and Rome among the picture book destinations and shore
excursions to places like Florence and Pisa, the Colosseum and the Vatican.
A voyage on the Carnival Vista is guaranteed to be an
unforgettable experience.
A night of upfront funky, deep and
soulful house delighted revellers at one of London's coolest venues
last week, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian.
Let There Be House's fantastic event at
McQueen, in Shoreditch, was eagerly-anticipated and did not
disappoint.
A fantastic crowd lapped up the
beat-driven party vibes at this unique and very stylish venue.
DJs on the night included Groovepunk,
Glen Horsborough, Fatfly, Mister H and Carl Hanaghan.
The event returns to McQueen in August
and TopReviews4U can't wait.
Uber-cool London venue McQueen, in
Shoreditch, will play host to a funky and soulful explosion tomorrow
night (Saturday, April 23) as Let There Be House bounces in.
The eight 'til late party will feature
DJs including Groovepunk, Glen Horsborough, Fatfly, Mister H and
Discopolis Recordings' Carl Hanaghan.
TopReviews4U will
be there on the night and will review the action on social media and
on this blog afterwards.
London's iconic Camden Palace (now
known as Koko) will play host to banging electronic beats and soaring
soundscapes once again next month as trance titan John '00' Fleming's
J00F Editions sweeps into town.
Mr Fleming (pictured with TopReviews4U
editor Paul Christian) will be joined by psytrance star Astrix as
well as Steve Arnold for a night which promises to showcase the
bleeding edge of trance and progressive music.
TopReviews4U will
be there on the night and will review the action on social media and
on this blog after the tumultuous tunage has subsided.
The
event will take place on May 29 and the combination of the
ultra-atmospheric dance music and the fantastic, historic setting
makes for a mouthwatering prospect.
Eager to put this
right – albeit belatedly – I have to say that if you want a cream tea make sure
you opt for delicious nut brown Yorkshire Tea. 
