While it snows in parts of the West, the sun lashes itself on Goa’s most famous Candolim beach where music lovers get set to enjoy three days of music by the sea at Asia’s premiere electronic music festival destination – Sunburn.  The fest now in its fifth year is the most anticipated music event in India. What reinforces this is the fact that Sunburn is an opportunity to experience some of the best DJs around the world.

According to techno DJ and record producer Marco Verkuylen aka DJ Marco V, he loves the live scene as it’s extremely exciting even though he’s been doing it for a while now. “I’m in love with the energy here. Now that the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene is growing you’ll definitely see and hear more of me,” he reassures you.

Marco has been DJ-ing professionally since 1996 and is one of the top DJs worldwide and also one of the most respected in the clubbing scene. He is a dance music purist who has always managed to stay ahead of the game. Through his very first releases, he became the architect of tech-trance; a sound that went on to become a fully-fledged electronic music phenomena.

Constantly modifying and fine-tuning his style ever since, he has gone on to create numerous leading-edge dance classics – ‘Godd’,  ‘Indicator’, ‘Echnalava’, ‘More Than A Life Away’ and ‘Coma Aid’ among many others. Behind the decks he has smashed nights in all the world’s farthest corners, played uncountable number of tent-pole events for the scene’s flagship club and festival brands. As a result of which he has spent the last seven consecutive years in the ranks of DJ Magazine’s Top 50.

Marco started as a hip hop artist and later moved onto Electronic Dance music. “Hip Hop was there before Electronic music and when electronic music was introduced it appealed to me very much and I followed through on this path,” states Marco whose musical influences include his own records. While earlier years have seen the Sunburn festival move more into the drum n bass and house, though other genres abound, Marco’s music at the fest would be a mix of techno and trance, and hopefully this time round with him at the console the sound might just undergo a further transformation.

The line up announced for Sunburn 2011 are crowd favourites; Above & Beyond Pete Tong, Gabriel & Dresden, Skazi, Jalebee Cartel, Funkagenda, Pearl, Jerome Ismae –ae John 00 Fleming, Ma Faiza, Liquid Soul, Perfect Stranger, Rae Brute Force, to popular DJs like Anil Chawla and Dale Anderson, Laughing Buddha, Sanjay Dutta, Lost Stories, Nawed Khan, Shaan. The fifth season should bring in hordes of new music lovers to the shores of Goa.

Besides bringing together some of the best DJs across the globe at the world’s most popular tourist destination, the dual objective is consolidating and showcasing some of the most amazing global talent and fostering a spirit of community and harmony through the universal medium of music. “The festival” says an excited Marco “is a ‘glocal’ brand, produced locally and sold globally; it’s the biggest festival in Asia and the ninth best in the world.”

Marco has not thought of collaborating with DJs here for the moment, but his resume is choc-a-bloc with collaborations. “I am working on, my next mixcompilation. TAO Recordings Vol 2 is out soon, ‘Rokker’ my new track on TAO Recordings is out now on beatport. My collaboration with Marcel Woods is testing really well, I’m releasing a track on my other label In Charge with Damian William called ‘Essence’ and a follow up with B Russel Greer.”

We are aggressively expanding our synch network for my monthly top 10 mix and loads and loads more. Damian William is my hero right now. With regard to my set at Sunburn, there’s gonna be a mix of everything for these three days that I play in India. I also have a free give away of the Killers track ‘Mr Brightside’ on my Soundcloud at the moment for those who are interested.”

For those who do not know, TAO is Marco’s new multimedia concept which he started in June 2010. Among its aspects TAO (or The Art Of) his record label expands trance influences out into the techno, tech house and progressive realms. It also signs artists and spawns a new V compilation series as well as featuring special one-off events, full tours and innovative multimedia and social network aspects.

Marco is waiting for the 27th, 28th and 29th December when he performs in front of a live audience. “It’s an amazing feeling to watch people listen to your music and enjoy it. And I think new DJs who want to get into the profession, should produce what they feel and this process should be ever evolving.”

A phenomena in his own right, Marco adores the late Michael Jackson and considers Jackson his all time favourite artist. So do we, Marco.

The Sunburn Festival is scheduled for 27th, 28th and 29th Dec 2011 at Candolim Beach, Goa.