Mental Destination

ERMANNO MAINARDI aka DJ PANDA DJ Panda’s career began over 30 years ago as a DJ and record producer. His music appeals to every generation, from 16 to 50-year-olds, and he has become a true evergreen artist. During the 1990s, he kept people dancing both across Italy and internationally. Not only was he a DJ in some of the most renowned clubs along the Riviera Romagnola, such as Cellophane, Gheodrome, Ecu, Embassy, Altromondo, Cocorico, Baia Imperiale, and others, but he also made a name for himself as a producer with hit records like It’s a Dream, Dreaming of Fantasy, and the globally best-known My Dimension. This track reached 63rd place in the Billboard Top 100 European chart and was also featured in Music & Media. Was born a collaboration in 1996 with ITALIA NETWORK, a national radio station where MasterQuick went on air daily. He has performed at many European events, including the Street Parade in Zurich and the Love Parade in Berlin. In the early 2000s, he played throughout the Emilia-Romagna hinterland in clubs such as Cap Creus, FedExx (formerly Teatriz), J & J, Hobby One, Ruvido, and Villa delle Rose, supporting a musical genre that, during those years, revolved around progressive house. Although he took a brief break from techno/trance, those genres have always been a part of his musical journey. From 2010 onwards, DJ Panda returned to the forefront, just as he had in the 90s, making a significant impact. He participated in numerous parties and festivals both in Italy and abroad, from Hamburg’s TUNNEL Club to Zurich’s Street Parade, from Brescia’s NUMBER ONE to a fantastic collaboration with RADIO COMPANY at Energia '90 and the 90 Festivals. In 2013, the well-established duo DJ Panda & Ricci was formed. They performed both together and individually at major events, including the Memorabilia tour at Cocoricò and several events organised by Radio Company, where they achieved great success. DJ Panda has consistently appeared at Italy’s most important festivals and events, such as Genesis, Holi Dance Festival, and Memorabilia Cocoricò. In 2017, he returned to production with the single Look at the World, and together with Dogz & Pigz, he released a remix of the famous My Dimension in 2019. At the end of that year, he launched a new version of his most iconic hit, It’s a Dream 2k19, signed by Dr. Peacock & DJ Panda — a true uptempo track! He has also been working on many new productions within the Progressive Trance scene, signed under DJ Panda & AxelPolo. In recent times, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, he has launched numerous virtual initiatives, the most notable being “All in Raving,” broadcast live on Radio Sunshine Live across all social platforms. In recent years, when everything came to a standstill, DJ Panda and his music continued to fill the space by creating a programme called Mental Destination. Mental Destination was born out of the need to bring together the best techno and trance music from the international scene, regardless of genre distinctions, thus creating a perfect harmony that exudes great energy. Melodic Techno, Uplifting Trance, Tech Trance, and Vocal Trance tracks, alongside Hard Trance, are expertly selected and mixed by DJ Panda. Each week, the latest releases are showcased, along with unreleased promotional articles on the musical genres covered. Today, Mental Destination has reached and surpassed 200 episodes. The moment of infusion arrives... that is, when the music of Mental Destination meets the poetry and verses of Countess Pinina Garavaglia, giving life to Infusion Power. Thanks to this collaboration, the Live Book titled Per Sempre Giovani has been published, in which the Countess shares anecdotes, encounters, and poems. Included within the book are the musical productions mentioned, accessible via QR code to accompany the reading. In this context, we must also remember the new productions signed by DJ Panda, released between 2020 and 2022, su