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Sand and Deliver The battle of the beach clubs
Launch Their MIAMI-THEMED Party Groove on the Grass, Atjazz, Marshall Jefferson, Hollaphonic, Globalfunk, The Spin and more! infusionmag
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Publisher: Talal Budebs Managing Partner: Charl Chaka, charlchaka@infusion.ae Editor: Andy Buchan andy@infusion.ae Sales Director: Vip Patel Vip@infusion.ae / 050 169 8712 Online Guru: Chris Rayner chris@infusion.ae Contributors: Richard Perez, Sam Moult, Stephen Day, Matt Zaharias Design: Gustavo Cordeiro
Dance music is all about community, and we’re lucky enough to have built up a small army of on-the-ground freelancers and writers who love nothing more than writing about the good stuff going on in town. So this Ed’s letter is dedicated to Stephen Day, Sam Moult, Matt Zaharias, Sarah Abel V, Garethisonit, Finlay Lefox, Mariam Nihal, David Newsum, Nada Bokir and the assorted cast of friends and Infusion family who have all written for us in the recent past. We’re always looking for new writers, so please drop us a line if you’d like to get involved!
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LOOKING
BACK Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.
> What We Did > Photo Gallery
Looking Back
What we did WAREHOUSE DUBAI FEAT. JULIO BASHMORE @ XL BEACH CLUB
After a long stint at Media One’s rave-cave Level 41, Warehouse Dubai took their bass-friendly crowd and bookings to their new home, XL Beach Club. A bold move, made even bolder by inviting down reclusive Bristol bass DJ and producer Julio Bashmore for his Middle East debut. And for the first 30 minutes of his set, it we didn’t feel it. His mixes got lost in the cavernous white space, while the XL Dancers seemed as bemused as we were by the crowd of resident drinkers mingling with what looked like cast of Dubai’s answer to Skins. As for the group to our right playing Angry Birds for the whole night, the less said the better. But when he started dropping his bass weapons – notably ‘Au Seve’ – it all started to make sense and the dancefloor started to fizz with kinetic energy. High tempo house followed, including 90s classic Ralphi Rosario’s ‘You Used To Hold Me,’ with disco-infused cuts mixed with bass-bin bangers. Rarely did Bashmore look up to the crowd, instead he kept his head down, happy to cut, loop and filter his high energy set. If he had, he’d have seen half the crowd going in with youthful abandon, while the other half wondered just what was going on.
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PIKNIK ELECTRONIK @ DUBAI SPORTS CITY
As a newly minted father, this global festival answered a few of my prayers. Good music + family friendly + park + sunshine = happy days. And with a 500 people already there by the time we rocked up at 4pm, things had got off to a strong start. Raxon was dropping warm, sunshine house music, and the location, a huge lawn in the middle of Sports City, was well set out. Apart from two things. Under 21s weren’t allowed in the dancefloor/bar area, and drinks couldn’t be taken into the kids area (well equipped with bouncy castles and shade), meaning parents had to choose between drinking or playing with their kids, which when you’re a sleep deprived zombie, is more conflicting than you’d think. Unfortunately, the bar queues made the choice a lot easier, as 50-60 people waited at two counters for well over half an hour to get served. Armed with some popcorn and water, we got into the party spirit, bouncing at the back as Matthew Charles launched into his sunset slot with a series of tech-house cuts, before handing over to the international guests Maher Daniel and Joachim Pastor. The dancefloor moved through the motions with the music, which was high class all day, as hundreds of clubbers got into the party spirit, with the parents enviously bopping at the back.
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Looking Back
PAUL VAN DYK @ PACHA IBIZA DUBAI
When trance legend Paul van Dyk swung past Dubai last year, we had the pleasure of seeing him play in an outdoor setting, so we were excited to hear he was coming back on Thursday night for a more intimate gig at one of the most hyped nightclubs in the city, Pacha Ibiza Dubai. Intimate is understating the case somewhat - the dance floor was at capacity from early, and the jam of people wanting to get to a location where they could see the DJ ensured it never emptied. Escaping upstairs gave us room to dance at the expense of actually being able to see anything. Thankfully at 1am and to a massive tempo change, the DJ really did save our night. Working off two laptops running Ableton Live and an Allen & Heath mixer, as well as keyboards and MIDI controllers, Paul van Dyk pushed his relentless enthusiasm and excitement on to a receptive crowd. Not content with just playing his latest tracks, we were taken through a journey of old and new progressive and trance music - it was great to hear Mat Zo’s ‘Superman,’ a forgotten gem from yesteryear among them. Paul even squeezed in some techno, before finishing up with ‘I Don’t Deserve You’ and Above and Beyond’s ‘All Over The World’. Ever the professional, he even hung around afterwards for photos with the fans. Matt Zaharias
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JAZZ FESTIVAL @ DUBAI MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE
Another year, another music festival, another excellent line-up at the Dubai International Jazz Festival. Wednesday featured Christina Perri’s mesmerizing vocals (notably on the haunting ‘1000 Years’) as well as Twitter hero James Blunt, who proved his rock (well pop-rock) credentials by crowd-surfing at the end of his set. Thursday, saw the prancing, and ever-so-charming violinist Lindsay Stirling who wowed the crowds with her energy, bouncing around to the accompaniment of her DJ’s dubstep score. Violin + Dubstep? Nice! Following Stirling’s electrifying set, was the legendary Sting who was responsible for the trending hashtag that floated through the city - #StungBySting. Sporting a full beard, this suave 63 year old hardly showed his age by belting out his most popular numbers and captivating the audience, with the charisma of a promising up-and-comer, but the conviction that only a performer with his experience can exude. Man, he’s still got it! And of course, being in Dubai, how apt was ‘Desert Rose’ as encore? Packed to capacity, Day 3 began with Esperanza Spalding... and that cello! Once again, this act with her intoxicating voice and stellar brass back-up were perfectly placed to set the stage for the final headliner - John Legend. There’s so much to say, but this sensual artist simply owned the rapt audience that night. Groovy and naughty, soulful and intense, Legend’s serenading and the band’s tight set made for such a full show that we hardly noticed time passing us by. His silky smooth vocals poured out all the hits, including a Middle-Eastern flavored “All of Me”, but special mention must go to his covers that included Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”. Sarah Abel V
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DJ Admin @ Pure Sky Lounge
HedKandi @ Nasimi
Stefan Biniak @ Cielo
Tania Vulcano @ O2
URBN @ White Dubai
Paul Van Dyk @ Pacha Ibiza Dubai
Piknik Electronik @ Sports City
Warehouse Dubai feat. Julio Bashmore @ XL Club
LOOKING FORWARD Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...
> Local News > Cover Story > Sand and Deliver > Back to the old skool > House hero > The grass is always greener > Gig Guide
Looking Forward
Local News BLENDED IS BACK
Alternative pop festival Blended returns on April 30 and May 1 at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre with another cross-genre line up. Glastonbury headliners Kasabian (pictured) headline Thursday night alongside pop-soul singer Jessie Ware as well as an acoustic set from Craig David. Friday night features Kool And The Gang and their huge disco back catalogue, Robin Thicke of ‘Blurred Lines’ fame and Norwegian duo Nico and Vinz. Tickets start from Dhs395
THE HORRORS, THE HORRORS!
Fred Perry are back in action following their Sub-Culture gig with Jagwa Ma with another cool indie booking as Horrors frontman Faris Badwan will be DJing at their next event on March 12. One of the UK’s leading alternative acts, Faris will be joined on the stage by Z People, a live electro-soul outfit and David Craig. Tickets cost Dhs100 and it takes place at the Dubai International Marine Club.
THE DRAKE AND BUBLE WEEKEND Louder Entertainment have a big weekend of live music planned, with classic crooner Michael Buble playing on Thursday March 12 and Friday March 13, before handing over to rap superstar Drake (pictured) who plays the Saturday night. It all takes place at the same venue, the Dubai International Stadium at Sport City, with tickets for Buble from Dhs295 and Dhs320 for Drake.
ANALOG ROOM GO LOCAL One of our favourite weekly nights in Dubai, Analog Room are turning their attention towards local talent for March and have hooked up with three other party providers. They’ve teamed up with crossgenre party DUST for their March 12 gig, while long running techno night Warped are invited down the following week to the Q Underground.
NASIMI BACK IN ACTION The Atlantis beach club have booked fastrising DJ and producer Philip George on Friday March 20. The British DJ released ‘Wish You Were Mine’ to acclaim earlier this year, and was only held off the British No.1 spot by Mark Ronson’s pop juggernaut ‘Uptown Funk.’ His sets feature classic vocalfriendly house music, and he’s tipped to be the next wave of big name DJs, so head down on the 20th to catch him before he really blows up. Alongside that, it’s been confirmed that Craig David will be returning to the region for a live show on April 3, also at Nasimi.
HOUSE OF AFRIKA'S BIG MARCH
Our homegrown hit House of Afrika continues to grow and grow, and we've got a big March line up, all free of charge at our weekly home, Dek on 8 at the Media One Hotel. Atjazz (pictured) kicks things off on Friday March 13 with his soulful take on Afro house, before Andrew Hartley headlines the following week, with cult South African star Culoe De Song playing at the end of the month. All the headline acts start at 10pm.
Looking Forward RUMOURS
House of Afrika could soon be launching a sister party in Doha and Abu Dhabi. Benoit & Sergio are coming out soon for a live set. Karmon is back and this time playing at XL Beach Club on March 26. Tube & Berger are confirmed to play at Barasti in April. Groove Armada (botton left) are set to DJ at Eden Beach Club on Friday March 27. Massive Attack's Daddy G (right) is the latest big name act to be confirmed for Zero Gravity, and plays on Friday March 27.
We're getting creative and checking out all the local galleries and exhibits for this year's Art Dubai, artdubai.ae News just in - there might be a purpose built concert arena coming our way in 2016, meaning an end to make-shift options and better views, parking and, importantly, bar options :-)
#derphouse. Derrick Carter went on an epic Twitter rampage aimed at #derphouse DJs and producers. It's very funny, and also worryingly true. Great Djs playing in odd venues.
THU MAR 12
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After braving a sandstorm and coming out trumps at their last event, Hed Kandi are back in action on March Friday March 13, with a brand new line up and a Miami-themed party. We caught up with Hed Kandi’s resident DJ and promoter Lokate to find out what’s in store, and dig into his music history…
What’s lined up for the Miami event? We wanted to bring the people of Dubai, a slice of some of the biggest parties happening in the world this month in Miami for the yearly Winter Music Conference! So we based our next party around the theme of Miami! The party also co-insides with the release of the latest Hed Kandi compilation album “Miami” which is out now! On the night we have glamorous Miami Vice styled dancers, characters, artists and performers who will make you feel like you’re on a beach parting in Miami. Nasimi Beach is a beautiful venue which is the perfect setting for a Miami themed Hed Kandi. We’re bringing in extra sound and lighting to make sure the music is loud and the light show is something special. Expect glitz, glamour and outlandish entertainment, including live sax, percussions, violinists, stilt walkers, fire dancers as well as international DJs playing the biggest and best house music. We have Ministry of Sound, Toolroom and Hed Kandi producer/DJ Nathan Cozzetto flying in from the UK to play a two hour set along side myself and one of Dubai’s finest home grown talents, Benyamin. We also have Nasimi resident David De Luca who always gets the crowd rocking. It’s free entry for ladies between 5 and 7pm, so get there early! We did some digging, and it turns out that you were pretty famous in your previous life as dubstep DJ Mrk1 – how big did things get for you as a dubstep DJ? Around 4 years ago when dubstep was at its peak, DJ bookings and shows for me were through the roof. Especially in the states where I would usually spend half of the month going back and forth playing shows. At one point I lived in LA for 6 months where I spent my time playing shows on the weekends and producing during the week. And were you sad to see the scene die away (at least in the mainstream)? I wasn’t sad to see it die from the mainstream as dubstep had changed so much from what it started out as when I first started making it in 2002. Back then the sound was completely different to how it ended up sounding when it went into the mainstream a couple of years ago. It then imploded, which I think that it was a good thing as it will end up coming back in the form that it first started as. When it went mainstream it lost everything it originally stood for, and along with that it lost a lot of the original fans and followers.
What extra skills does being a dubstep producer and DJ give you as a house DJ and producer now? I started out producing and Djing 15 years ago and dubstep is something that I specialised in for many of those years, so I think some of the sound that I created in dubstep have crossed over into my house records now making them sound a little different to the norm. I like the old raw sounding house music with big baselines, just like dubstep used to be except with a 4x4 beat. We also heard you’ve got some serious pop production credits to your name as well… As a music producer I produce everything, all different genres of music. I think I would get bored otherwise. I linked up with Hank Shocklee from Public Enemy at Miami Winter Music Conference in 2008 and we became good friends from then. He opened my eyes and ears to making other forms of music. We then worked together on a few projects together over the years and he linked me up with some great people in the New York music scene. I ended up making some pop tracks with some decent pop acts, most of which I wouldn’t admit to, haha. I have worked and released with some cool people like DJ Chuckie, DMX, Public Enemy, Mike Skinner, Neyo, Bass Nectar. You’re the DJ and promoter for Hed Kandi, which gives you the most satisfaction? I fell into the promoting and it wasn’t something I planned on doing. My misses lives in Dubai where I end up spending quite a lot of time so my manager who worked at Ministry of Sound suggested the idea of putting on Hed Kandi events whilst I was out here. I then met my Dubai based business partner Abdo from Spot On Events through a mutual friend from London and everything fell into place. I definitely get more satisfaction out of DJing and producing than I do out of promoting, there’s a lot less stress involved and I am all about a stress free life! But I do admit it is a good feeling when you put on a huge party where everyone has an amazing time.
Hed Kandi Miami Friday March 13, Nasimi Beach, 5pm-2am, ladies free before 7pm. Tickets Dhs100 in advance, Dhs150 on the door.
Sand and deliver Beach clubs are big business in the UAE now, so following the new arrival of Eden, we put them all to the test, with an anonymous set of reviews over the past month. Let the battle for the beach begin! Reviewers: Sam Moult, Stephen Day, Chris Rayner
BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE Golden Tulip Hotel, Ghantoot - 056 1133400 bluemarlinibiza-uae.com
JOURNEY TIME (FROM TECOM): 25 minutes door to door on a good day to The Golden Tulip Hotel in Ghantoot. GETTING IN IF NOT ON GUESTLIST/VIP/TABLE: Not that difďŹ cult in a mixed group or couples but you may get turned away if just hairy and lairy blokes rock up. DRINK PRICES: Glass of house wine Dhs50, beer Dhs45, premium vodka and tonic Dhs70.
NUMBER OF BARS: 2 main bars on the floor area and more up in the VIP tables. BAR QUEUES: We’ve never had a major wait, the beach bar seems to be a little easier than the main one at the back. CLIENTELLE: Mixed, clued up clubbers wanting to chill out before their favourite DJs kick off right up to Dubai wannabes giving it the large with their cars and table on finance. They wont make the distance so just ignore them, be nice, relax and enjoy yourself. COST OF SUNLOUNGER/DAY BED: Dhs350 for a single bed + tables available with minimum spends ranging from 4k -8k depending on how many people (8-10 usually). FOOD: Mixture of Sushi, grills and snacks starting around the Dhs50 mark. MUSIC/DJS: These people know their music, their Visionquest from their Cadenza, their Cocoon from their Minus, week after week with solid bookings all on the tech-house or techno side. Special shout out to their residents who are always on point. ENTRY COST: Free entry all day, but for the big events, you’ll need to get down before 3pm to secure your spot. OPENING HOURS: 1pm till around midnight (Fridays & Saturdays) EASE OF GETTING A TAXI AFTER: Not too bad, there are private hire cars outside but a little walk up to the roundabout and you will usually find a licensed cab although they also offer a safer driver service if you prebook it. COMING UP: Sven Vath returns to the UAE after a long break to play on March 27, with Art Department confirmed on May 15.
BARASTI
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi - 4 399 3333 barastibeach.com JOURNEY TIME: 5 minutes if you don’t get hit by Marina traffic GETTING IN IF NOT ON GUESTLIST/VIP/TABLE: If you’re turned away from Barasti, it’s time to call it quits for the day. DRINK PRICES: Glass of wine Dhs35-40, beer Dhs35-40, vodka Dhs35 NUMBER OF BARS: 4-5 bars scattered throughout the venue. BAR QUEUES: Varied from very quick to very slow. CLIENTELLE: Everyone in Dubai has been to Barasti at least once. Mainly Western expats between ages 25-50. COST OF SUNLOUNGER/DAY BED: Free. FOOD: 92 AED for a burger!? Yikes! There’s a good range of grub on offer, all freshly made and quickly delivered. MUSIC/DJS: The new deck area has a range of cover bands dropping hits from the past 50 years. Their resident DJs are good at what they do, and this season there are some bigger events with Toploader among the guests. ENTRY COST: Free. OPENING HOURS: 11am to 1:30am (3am on Weekends). EASE OF GETTING A TAXI AFTER: We were lucky - usually disorganised pickup and parking area makes this a lucky-dip when it’s busy (and it’s always busy). COMING UP: Jazzy Jeff has been confirmed to play at the start of May.
NASIMI BEACH
Atlantis Hotel, The Palm - 055 200 4321 facebook.com/NasimiBeach JOURNEY TIME (FROM TECOM): 15 minutes. GETTING IN IF NOT ON GUESTLIST/VIP/TABLE: Usually OK on a regular night, but if there’s an event it’s normally Dhs100 or Dhs150 for the bigger names. DRINK PRICES: Glass of wine Dhs30-55, beer Dhs35-40, vodka Dhs40. NUMBER OF BARS: 1 bar inside and 2 outside. BAR QUEUES: Too much job-separation - one cashier, one order taker, one runner makes you wait longer. CLIENTELLE: Young people’s place. Not many over 30s. COST OF SUNLOUNGER/DAY BED: Free based on an AED 250 minimum spend at the restaurant. So not free, it’s 250. FOOD: Using the burger as the standard, they’re looking for 95 AED and you’ve got a feeling that it’s gonna be one of those onebite ones too. MUSIC/DJS: The venue has definitely lost its allure from a few years ago but they’re bringing more promoters on board this year. Expect deep house and a touch of progressive most weekends. ENTRY COST: Normally free. OPENING HOURS: 12pm to 3am EASE OF GETTING A TAXI AFTER: Usually pretty good. COMING UP: Hed Kandi are confirmed for a residency, with Philip George playing on March 20.
ZERO GRAVITY Skydive Dubai - 04 399 0009 0-gravity.ae/
JOURNEY TIME (FROM TECOM): 10 minutes if you don’t get hit by Marina traffic. GETTING IN IF NOT ON GUESTLIST/VIP/TABLE: Pretty easy, it’s free entry before 10pm every weekend night, and Dsh100 after. DRINK PRICES: Glass of wine Dhs30-50, beer Dhs35-35, vodka Dhs30. NUMBER OF BARS: 1 outside, 1 inside. BAR QUEUES: Pretty slow. The inside bar is much faster. CLIENTELLE: Families during the day but at night it’s more for the young crowd (21-30). COST OF SUNLOUNGER/DAY BED: Dhs250 for a single on the weekend, with Dhs100 back in food and drink. FOOD: Dhs85 for a burger. The food is well worth checking out, especially their Friday and Saturday brunch offers. MUSIC/DJS: The set up is much better for their 2nd year, and they’re regularly getting crowds into the thousands. The line up is pretty forward thinking, with a good mix of genres including house, breaks, funk, DnB but they’ve lost a fe of their specialist resident Djs which might impact the club’s consistency. ENTRY COST: Free until 10pm, Dhs100 after. OPENING HOURS: 8am to 3am. EASE OF GETTING A TAXI AFTER: So-so. If there is an event on, it’s OK, but if not you might have a short walk to beach road. COMING UP: A Skillz and Krafty Kuts are confirmed as monthly residents, as are Chicane, with Daddy G playing on March 27.
EDEN BEACH CLUB
Rixos Beach Club, The Palm - 04 277 1477 edenbeachclub.com JOURNEY TIME (FROM TECOM):35 minutes, but it feels like forever getting to that end of the Palm. There is a boat service that leaves from Al Sufouh beach as well. GETTING IN IF NOT ON GUESTLIST/VIP/TABLE: No issue getting in, staff were friendly enough but are used to most people having tables. So if you’re just coming in on your own be ready for some confused looks. DRINK PRICES: Beer Dhs55, Gin & Tonic Dhs38, Shisha Dhs150. NUMBER OF BARS: 2 large bars either side of the DJ booth. BAR QUEUES: Hardly any on the night, but it coped well with their big Steve Aoki night. CLIENTELLE: A bit of a mix, mostly an older monied crowd and given their recent line ups quite a few musically educated peeps. COST OF SUNLOUNGER/DAY BED: Dhs200 including welcome drink, tables have a minimum spend Dhs8,000-20,000. FOOD: The restaurant serves a good selection of food from salads to main courses all of which looked great. MUSIC/DJS: They’ve got a very competitive line up, with up-andcomers (Laura Jones) alongside established big hitters (Above and Beyond). Top notch residents in Kaytek and Sasa Mendone as well make it a strong contender. ENTRY COST: Most events are free, but they’ve started charging Dhs200 for bigger events like Dubfire and Booka Shade. OPENING HOURS: 10am till Midnight. EASE OF GETTING A TAXI AFTER: Straight into a waiting taxi when we decided to leave but I can imagine on a busier night you might have a bit more of a wait. COMING UP: Sci-Tec overlord Dubfire is confirmed for March 20, Groove Armada on March 27 and Steve Bug on May 15.
L Club DANCE TILL YOU DROP! Best Arabic Hits @ the most Luxurious Arabic Club in town Get your groove on with Micho every Thursday and Friday night Doors open at 11pm For reservations Call: +971 52 810 3333 or +971 50 226 6432 Mรถvenpick Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, Dubai.
Back to the Old Skool! Globalfunk and Bassworx are teaming up once again, and going back in time to bring you one of the drum and bass pioneers, Randall, who was making mixtapes, Djing on pirate radio and at raves before you were in your nappies. He’s been there, done that and got the smiley face t-shirt. And now he’s answering our questions ahead of his March 19 gig…
Welcome to Dubai, what other interesting places have you been to play, and good/bad/funny memories from there? I think Tokyo Japan is always a place I look forward to playing over the years, I was back there last year for the Red Bull Music academy event. It’s an amazing place, the technology over there is miles ahead of us. And not forgetting the craziest things I’ve seen there, including a puppy store vending machine where you can just go in a pick up a puppy out just like that. Crazy! You made your name at the start of the 90s with the summer of love and rise of acid house, was it as good as people often remember it to be? It was definitely exiting times. Acid house/Rave brought all different walks of life together under one roof or open country field and even aircraft hangers around the UK. We were the lucky generation to be able to been around them times... How did you get your big break into Djing? And do Djs have it easier or harder today trying to break into the scene? My break came from my mixtapes being passed around the area until it hit the right person to book us for an event. Then that took me to pirate radio then to other things. Back then it was easier to break through as a artist, now you have to have something special or be writing great music to hit the right places. Is there a time when you might consider hanging up the headphones or are you in this for the long haul? I’m here till I can’t get on a plane or car. By then we most probably will be DJing home, a Go Pro camera next to the deck and a screen projection to the club, haha! And I just saved on air travel and hotel costs. What advice would you give a younger Randall if you were just starting out on the scene now? Believe in what you’re doing and making, stay focused on your education just in case it doesn’t happen. But remember it always will come off if you’re prepared to put the work in. Trust me there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, stay true to yourself...
Globalfunk vs Bassworx feat. Randall, Thursday March 19, Casa Latina, 9pm-3am, Dhs100.
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AI. TICKETS: 180 -220 AED
House hero One of the original stars of the house music scene, ‘Move Your Body’ DJ Marshall Jefferson is at Superheroes on March 12 for a night of house (house) music. We caught up with the American DJ now based in England to find out what to expect We think you've been here before, but it was a long time ago if memory serves – what do you remember from the gig/region? Beautiful scenery and beautiful weather. A very reserved party people, great food. A 6 and I believe a 7 star hotel. Lots of building going on. And I don’t know if this counts, but sensational airlines. Are your sets old school house, or do you mix it up with new content? I mix it up with as much new content as I can. Usually during a set I get loads of requests for old school music because well, most people at the party think of me as from that era and a lot of them want to relive or experience that vibe. How much do you embrace the technological revolution? A lot when producing records but for DJing I’m staying with CDs for a while until I can get comfortable with performing with
computers and controllers. Right now computers make me feel like I’m up there reading e-mail. Not hating on anyone else’s thing if that’s what they’re doing, but for me personally I have to have physical media. Do you still get the same buzz from Djing as when you first started? No, but close. The thing is though I still get buzzed/charged when I play. And how have the crowds changed, better/worse? The crowds are the same - you rock the party, they go crazy. We've read you live in Manchester now, what was it about the UK that attracted you from America? The UK is closer to Europe and I play mostly in Europe, so shorter flights. A gig in Amsterdam is a 1 hour flight from the UK, but 10 hours from Chicago. What's your take on dance music at the moment, are you proud of the journey it’s taken? Not really. Things are a bit too formatted on the dance floor for me. I come from a time when all forms of dance music played on one dance floor and you didn’t have to go to 37 different clubs to hear every genre one at a time. How have capitalism and commercialism affected dance music? I think it’s affected pop music more than dance music, the thing is a lot of dance music has turned into pop, so it’s indirectly affected. If you were starting out now, what advice would you give a younger Marshall? Play the lottery, there is a better chance of success than the music business. And what can we expect from your set in Dubai? Uplifting house music. Superheroes feat. Marshall Jefferson, Thursday March 12, Dek on 8, 6pm-3am, free entry.
MUSIC AND NIGHTLIFE AWARDS 2015
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THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER Boutique techno festival Groove on the Grass returns after their winter break, and they’ve got another line up rammed full of techno goodness, and new acts to the Middle East including Adam Beyer’s better half and Drumcode techno queen, Ida Engberg. We spoke to Deian Markov, one of festival’s organsiers and resident DJs to find out what to expect this year… Welcome back for another season, how much have you missed your party over the winter? And how many hours of planning go into each event? Thanks we’re looking forward to 2015! It’s safe to say we miss the party over the winter but are really happpy to have time off. It’s crucial to reflect and explore in order to grow. I haven’t counted the hours, but it’s non stop all year round. You’ve got another box-fresh line up for the city, it must be harder and harder bringing over Dubai debuts when there’s so many good Djs here every weekend? Yes we love to bring debuts and introduce new artists but the market has become oversaturated with a lot of promoters booking good DJs
at unsuitable venues. The end result is diluting the scene. It’s becoming more challenging yes, but this is where we thrive because we are music people. The market is currently picking up all of the low hanging fruit, but we will stick to what we do best, find talent before it’s ripe and also bring artists who we respect and love. Does it feel like there’s a good community of DJs and promoters in the city right now, especially in the techhouse/techno scene? It’s growing, a lot of people are interested in the music and a lot of people are pushing it, however we all know quantity is not quality. There are a lot of events happening in this industry which is good because eventually when these start up events mature and some of them drop off we will be left with a very healthy scene, this is just the beginning for Dubai. It’s hard to imagine when this will happen and if we will be around to see it, but we certainly hope so! Introduce us to the line up with a sentence selling each act… Ida Engberg - Drumcode Techno Legend, enough said. Gaiser - Richie Hawtins right hand man and Minus release artist for over a decade!
And who are your local Djs this time around? Myself, Adam from Warped, Cheh & Maks. And any hints/clues for your next line up? Think legend, think modern, think dark. Groove on the Grass feat. Ida Engberg, Gaiser and more, Friday March 13, Emirates Golf Club, 7pm-3am, Dhs180 in advance, Dhs220 on the door.
ON THE THE RADAR ON RADAR
MARCH 27 Sven Vath, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE
APRIL 10 Paolo Nutini, Media City Amphitheatre
MARCH 27 Daddy G, Zero Gravity
APRIL 10 30 Seconds To Mars, Trade Centre
MARCH 27 Groove Armada, Eden Beach Club
APRIL 17 Benoit & Sergio, Level 41
APRIL 3 David Craig, Nasimi
APRIL 24 Tube & Berger, Barasti
For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae
APRIL 26 Robbie Williams, Yas Island
APRIL 30 Todd Terry, Q43
MAY 8 Jazzy Jeff, Barasti
MAY 15 Art Department, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE
APRIL 30 Kasabian, Blended, Media City Amphitheatre
MAY 15 Steve Bug, Eden Beach Club
MAY 1 Kool and the Gang, Blended, Media City Amphitheatre
MAY 21 Globalfunk’s 12th birthday feat. Ulterior Motive, The Basement
We’ve re-worked our listings – one-off events will appear in the magazine, for everything else please check infusion.ae for our day-to-day listings. For inclusion, email andy@infusion.ae Pick up a copy from our Infusion Magazine stands at these locations and more across the city Every A+E outlet, Every MMI outlet, Double Decker, Media One, Zero Gravity, 360 club, Casa Latina, Barasti, Pure Sky Lounge, Beatz and Cuts, McGettigans JLT/DWC, Music Room, China White, Nasimi, Story Rooftop, El Fuego, The Basement, Bliss Lounge, Zinc, Pulse, Cinnamon - Raddison, La Terrasse, Fashion Lounge, OcactI, Serafina, Soul Al Bahar, The Scene
THURSDAY 12 MICHAEL BUBLE, DUBAI INTERNATIONAL STADIUM The Canadian crooner brings his hits of yesteryear – and a few modern classics – to the Sports City stadium for the first time. 7pm-late, Dhs295. Repeated Friday March 13. FRED PERRY SUB-SONIC FEAT. FARIS BADWAN, DIMC The Horrors lead singer headlines with a DJ set, with live support from Z The People and local DJ David Craig. 9pm-3am, Dhs100. SICK INDIVIDUALS, N’DULGE Big room EDM from the Spinnin’ Records and Ultra signings, with DJ Dan on support. 9pm-3am, Dhs100 advance, Dhs150 on the door.
SUPERHEROES FEAT. MARSHALL JEFFERSON, DEK ON 8 The popular house/bass party gets a visit from house music royalty as ‘Move Your Body’ DJ Marshall Jefferson headlines. 6pm-3am, free. TRANCE FAMILY UAE FEAT. HAZEM BELTAGUI, DJ ACADEMY Trance from the Egyptian star, with a strong local support roster. trancefamilyuae.com VELOCITY FEAT. KRYDER, ZERO GRAVITY Up tempo house music from the Axtone signing, with support from Nick Hussey, Grant Collins and Farhad. 6pm-3am, Dhs100 after midnight, ladies free until midnight.
WATERMAT, CIELO The cool bookings keep coming at Cielo, as ‘Bullit’ star Watermat plays the stunning Creek-side venue. 8pm-late, free.
FRIDAY 13 ANNA TUR, XL CLUB Ibiza DJ, and regular guest at Pacha, Space, Ushuaia and more plays house music all night long. 10pm-3am. AUDIO TONIC, 360 The residents take control of the stunning JBH venue, with deep house and tech house Above and Below. 4pm-3am, free. Weekly. BALEARIC PARTY, PACHA After the success of their opening parties, the Pacha All White Balearic party return, with Marshall supplying the sundrenched sounds. 2pm-late, free entry. BEG STEAL BORROW PRESENTS SUPERDISCOTHEQUE, CASA LATINA A brand new night of funk, soul and disco grooves. 9pm-3am, free before 11pm, Dhs60 including 2 drinks after. BOB GELDOF, IRISH VILLAGE The Boomtown Rats star returns for his ninth consecutive year to see in St Patrick’s Day. Dhs100 advance, Dhs120 on the door.
GUTI, PROVOCATEUR Bass-heavy producer and DJ Guti returns to the UAE with his live show. 10pm-3am. GROOVE ON THE GRASS FEAT. IDA ENGBERG, EMIRATES GOLF COURSE The boutique techno festival returns for their 2015 season, with Drumcode queen Engberg joined by Minus star Gaiser and a host of local acts. 7pm-3am, Dhs180 advance, Dhs220 on the door.
HED KANDI MIAMI PARTY, NASIMI Hed Kandi return with a Miami-themed party, with live entertainers, DJs, bongo players and more. 5pm-2am, ladies free from 5-7pm, Dhs100 in advance, Dhs150 on the door. HOUSE OF AFRIKA FEAT. ATJAZZ, DEK ON 8 Deep house, Afro and Soulinfused techno from the Atjazz head honcho. 6pm-3am. LOS SURUBA/SABB, EDEN BEACH CLUB Another house and techno session, with Spanish duo
Suruba joined by Kosovo DJ Sabb. 10am-late, Dhs200. RESURRECTION, THE MUSIC ROOM Heavy metal with 5 acts from around the region bringing the noise, including Devoid from India and Stigmata from Sri Lanka. 8pm, Dhs100. UNER AND NAKADIA, BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE More house and techno, and another big double header, with highly rated Asian female DJ Nakadia opening up for Spanish techno don Uner. 1-11pm.
SATURDAY 14 DRAKE, DUBAI INTERNATIONAL STADIUM Canadian rap star, known as Drizzy to his fans, brings his mournful rap sound to the UAE for the first time. 7pmlate, Dhs320.
JAN BLOMQVIST, EDEN BEACH CLUB Live electronic music from the Berlin artist, playing
deep house, electro and indie dance at Eden’s new Saturday party. 12pm-late, Dhs350 for wine and brunch.
WEDNESDAY 18 XANDRIA, THE MUSIC ROOM Symphonic heavy metal from the highly rated German band. 8pm, Dhs100.
THURSDAY 19 BASSWORX VS GLOBALFUNK FEAT. RANDALL, CASA LATINA Old skool drum and bass legend Randall drops a classic set, with support from Mach 4 and Woodle. 9pm-3am, Dhs100.
LIVE VIBES, RAINTREE HOTEL, BUR DUBAI Electric Days are behind this new live venture, with Lebanese act Who Killed Bruce Lee playing live, joined
MAMBO BROTHERS, PROVOCATEUR The Café Mambo brothers bring some Ibizan beats to the UAE. 10pm-3am.
EQUINOX FEAT. WAFF, DAVIDE SQUILLACE AND ROBERT JAMES, BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE A big triple booking, with three seriously good deep and tech house stars in charge of the Terrace. 1-11pm.
FROM THE JAM, MUSIC ROOM A full live show, with Bruce Foxton from The Jam playing all the classic hits live, including ‘Town Called Malice,’ ‘That’s Entertainment’ and more. 8pm-late, Dhs120.
HOUSE OF AFRIKA FEAT. ANDREW HARTLEY, DEK ON 8 The residents drop deep, afro and tech house at the popular weekly night, with guest DJ Andrew Hartley headlining. 6pm-3am.
by James Locksmith, Le Jackal and Amy Wells.
FRIDAY 20 AUDIO TONIC, 360 The PBitch Control star headlines upstairs with house and tech-house, with Mark Pickup in charge of the tunes Below. 4pm-3am, free. DUBFIRE, EDEN BEACH CLUB The techno half of Deep Dish, and big Iranian favourite, Dubfire drops a Sci-Tec heavy set at Eden. 10am-late, Dhs200.
PHILIP GEORGE, NASIMI Fast-rising British DJ and producer behind pop house hit ‘Wish You Were Here’ is joined by Hollaphonic, Nasimi resident David De Luca and more. 5pm-3am, Dhs100.
ATJAZZ FRI 13 MAR I FREE ENTRY BIG BRUNCH AFTER PARTY ON THE DEK ON 8, 4-6PM BRING YOUR BRUNCH BILL FROM ANY OTHER BRUNCH THAN MEDIA ONE’S AND GET A FREE DRINK TILL 7PM 6PM–3AM I STRICTLY 21+ I TABLE RESERVATIONS: RSVP@INFUSION.AE
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LOOK AND
LISTEN Music be the food of love, so read on...
> Music News > Album reviews >Hollaphonic >Soundstage > DJ Booth >Dj top 10
Look and Listen
Music News... NO BREASTS, NO REQUESTS
That’s the title of the new must-have DJ book, from Mick Di Maria who turned his quest for the best – and worst – DJ request notes into a published book. Titled No Breasts No Requests: Notes from DJ Booths Around the Globe, it’s a full colour book full of laugh out loud, random, rude and brilliant notes from DJ booths far and near. Plus, the book comes with a foreword by esteemed author and DJ Bill Brewster who cowrote Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. You can check out the orginal Tumblr that inspired the book here: nobreastsnorequests.tumblr.com/
GET YOURSELF HEARD
Bootleg Social Records are looking to put out a Dubai-based compilation later this year and are looking for record submissions. Primarily a house and techno label, they’re opening up the electronic genres for their forthcoming album. To date, they’ve had support from DJs like Tiesto, Hawtin, Morillo and Pete Tong, as well as several Top 10 and Number 1 releases. The deadline for submissions is the end of March, hit up tobie@bootlegsocialrecords.com for more info.
THE RESURRECTION IS HERE
Heavy metal night Resurrection takes place on Friday March 13 at the Music Room and feature no less than 5 international metal bands, including headliners Devoid from India (pictured), Stigmata from Sri Lanka and Creative Waste from Saudi Arabia. Early bird tickets are Dhs60, Dhs80 on the day and doors open from 8pm.
LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION. With 15 great locations we’ve got Dubai covered. AL THANYA
COMMUNITY 04 885 4550 04 380 7655 GREEN ............................................................................................................................
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AL WASL 04 394 0351 ............................................................................................................................
IBN BATTUTA MALL 04 368 5626 ............................................................................................................................
BUR DUBAI
04 335 1722 04 393 4361 KARAMA ............................................................................................................................
DEIRA
OF THE EMIRATES 04 341 0371 04 294 0390 MALL ............................................................................................................................
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04 447 4900 dnata BUSINESS BAY 04 321 4805 MOTOR CITY ............................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................ DUBAI FESTIVAL CITY
ZAYED ROAD 04 321 1223 04 232 5522 SHEIKH ............................................................................................................................
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Look and Listen
Album Reviews... SÉBASTIEN LÉGER - 20 YEARS COMPILATION House // soundcloud.com/sebastienleger
20 YEARS IS A LONG TIME – just look at Dubai, we’ve gone from a speck in the desert to a global city. It’s been a productive time for French DJ Sébastien Léger as well, as he’s racked up quality house track after quality house track on big labels like Ovum, Mouseville and his own Mistakes. And now, entering his third decade, he’s celebrating his history with a 20 track compilation of his best work. From his wonky techno to French touch to electro-funk bangers, all of Leger’s various styles are on display, as well as some of his biggest hits, notably his acid-fried re-work of Claude Von Stroke’s ‘Deep Throat’ which does not sound anywhere close to 9 years old. His expansive take on Rolando’s ‘Jaguar’ still sounds as tropical and fresh as it did back in 2008, while newly released material like ‘Dark Forest’ is typical Leger techno bizniz, with its wandering melody, tribal rhythms and relentless synths. Here’s to another 20 years.
DAN SIEG – A SENSE OF WONDER Progressive House // soundcloud.com/dansieg
AMERICA’S DAN SIEG has been releasing tracks for a few years as Dan & Sam (with Sam Wilkinson), but with his venture into solo territory comes his debut album, A Sense of Wonder. Opening track ‘Iris’’ is a delightfully progressing uplifting number, setting the scene nicely for the excellent first half of the album. The catchy and dancefloor dominating ‘Erko’, the glorious riff of the title track A Sense of Wonder and ‘No Way Back Up’ - a collaboration with Perth based rising-stars Illuminor - are the stand out tracks of the release. Dan’s definitely not afraid to experiment though, and the quality of the other tracks doesn’t suffer, even if the genre moves around a bit - ‘Techbruary’ alone is worth the price of admission thanks to its vocal sample. Matt Zaharias
the making of Personal Space
One of the biggest music stars of the Middle East, Hollaphonic have ďŹ nally released their debut album, Personal Space. Greg Stainer and Olly Wood talk us through the making of the album, and how each track started life‌
RUNAWAY FT. AARON CAMPER This track was very much a meeting of minds and a convergence of various musical minds. We met Aaron after he joined ‘The Tennessee’ kids in our studio when Justin Timberlake was in town. We immediately clicked and headed to London during his next break in touring to nail down some vocals, that was the start of ‘Runaway’. We really wanted to create something big for the various end of year concerts we had in 2015. This was the jam; it went down really well and has arguably been our biggest hit to date, it’s a catchy hook and we really tried to bring the passion of the words out in the way the music built and grew around them. DANGEROUS FT. VINCE KIDD We’d made contact with Vince Kidd quite a while before he hit the screens on The Voice UK, so all that coverage was second to the fact we loved his unique tone and style. We’d already wanted to change direction with Hollaphonic post-electro pop vibes we’d been releasing; this track opened up 2015 for us with a bang and announced that, in dance/house music terms we are as current as we are commercial. Our roots lie in this sphere, so the success of this song means a lot to us. The idea was to use Vince’s vocal as the bed of the track, playing around with it to create different moods and melodies, then supplement it further with the bassline drop and general funk of the tune. I’d actually watched The Beach the night before, so the plucky guitar riff is inspired by that famous flick, and it always makes me smile. This will be our first venture into the UK with plugging into all British radio stations, so lets see how this track unfolds. NEON LIGHT(S) You’ll always notice that our production is rather epic, we really try to squeeze out the emotion of each track with a stacked amount of rich sounds and atmosphere. This track is a perfect example, a really musical piece that twists and turns, but is as haunting as it is raver ready. Olly actually does the vocal, we had fun layering his harmonies then twisting it up with some vocoder action to replay everything through the lead synth. As is our style, we then worked on the chord progressions and added that to this deep rolling bass that we believe has resulted in something quite special and fresh. BE SOMEBODY FT. PETE SIMON Everyone always asks why Olly doesn’t actually rap enough on our singles, this hopefully solves that problem and is one of a few tracks with the MC vibe running through it; it also shows how the band has evolved, including the rich vocals of Pete Simon
with quite a poignant story. At the center of the track is the tale of someone with ambition that has stumbled in life but is fighting for independent success. It was written after a moving encounter we read about with a homeless man that used to be a business leader, but made a bad decision and was left destitute; now all he wants is am opportunity and his passion was so strong in this pursuit. BURNIN UP Both of us are massive fans of the discovery channel, this is a pure homage to the US Deep South Docu-Soaps such as Gold Diggers, Swamp People, Gator Boys and so on. We took the country vibe and mixed it up with a trap beat for fun and what happened was a sick new vibe that we decided to make into a love song for the Deep South. It was great fun to make, and we reckon it’s going to be one of the album’s dark horses in terms of fan reaction. DEEPAPHONIC FT. KEVIN MURPHY The first of the tracks with Kevin featuring has a true deep house vibe, pulling out some awesome soulful funk vocals. There’s a huge amount of production that has gone into this vibe, definitely one for the headphones, it rolls and grows throughout. This has been a favourite for the ladies it seems; apparently Kevin has some George Michael styles going on? Anyway, it’s a delicate house track that keeps giving, we really wanted to showcase how diverse we are as artists and provide the essence of Hollaphonic, whilst going through a range of dance genres for which we are equally as passionate. ONLY MEANT FOR ME FT. BRIT CHICK Lucy Lawrence, aka Brit Chick, was a revelation. We had been searching for a female vocal that would fit with the music we were creating; lo and behold Greg suddenly remembered his cousin could sing! Enter Brit Chick. As crazy and fun-loving as she is professional and focused, Lucy was a breath of fresh air in the studio, constantly wanting to learn and getting better each time we went to work. ‘Only Meant For Me’ follows that familiar Holla path of relationships and drama,
inspired by the Brit Chick vocal it has evolved into a real UK Garage vibe that everyone seems to love. KRAZY We created ‘Krazy’ initially as something to hype up the crowds as we began touring around various large scale festivals and concerts, it’s a massive track that absolutely pounds its way through the speakers. However, it’s equally as gentle and thoughtful in parts. ‘Krazy’ was our first global success, picked up by Radio One in the UK, as well as synced globally with Ford as they launched the 2015 Mustang worldwide. This track definitely turned heads, and is a fan favorite on middle east electro dancefloors. FABRIC FT. KEVIN MURPHY The writing behind Fabric has great depth, we really wanted to play on the way sound wrapped around us like material, something we try to achieve in all our music. So we personified this experience to create a dramatic romance between the singer and the track, this large vocal from Kevin really pushed us creatively and we think the result is an electronic pop song that truly crosses different boundaries in sound; it was a great success in the charts too, landing us another coveted No.1 on iTunes. FOUND YOU (STAY ALIVE) FT. DIA Staying true to our ongoing push for regional talent, we had known Dia Hassan of Juliana Down for some time now, and his rock vocals really presented an interesting challenge. Knowing that he wrote as well, we got him straight into the studio after the success of our first single and started putting down vocals. The track really changed over time as we searched for hooks to pin the tune onto, it was a great learning process working with a different sound and style, but it was an immediate connection and the result was something that always goes down well during our live shows.
GOIN’ NOWHERE FT. HAUSJACKER We have worked with Scott Forshaw, aka Hausjacker, for quite a while now as he helps mix and master a few of our tracks; so as we embarked on this trap banger, we decided to enlist his help in the creative process as well. Firstly designed as a bit of fun, this track features a brontosaurus – quite how we recorded him, I cannot reveal! But it’s a mash up of Olly doing different voices and some huge noises which saw this feature on Radio One & XFM back in the UK. It’s been causing quite a buzz ever since and we think it will definitely surprise a few people out there when they hear it. I DON’T WANT IT TO END FT. SHADUNO Our first single and the product of only a matter of hours in the studio, we knew that the Hollaphonic train had truly started rolling. This was what had the record labels approaching us, a perfect pop mix of uplifting vocals, big sounds and catchy melodies, it also plays on our production capabilities and many of the styles you hear running throughout the first album were discovered in this very first creation. The vocals from Shaduno were superb, and wrapped up with an emotion so positive, it was a great way to start of this journey as a band.
NOBODY KNOWS FT. KEVIN MURPHY Olly originally started writing this track about falling in love with his wife, then we had Greg’s 3yr old daughter Kiera sing at the end of the track, so it really is a family affair. This is definitely one of our favorite songs & we believe that it will be a Universal opinion. Inspired by the 90’s pop vibes of Simply Red, encompassed by a rich house production and finished off with a massive chorus; Kevin delivers the vocals again, and this is always one of the top tunes people pick out from the album, so we anticipate it having a single release one day, cant wait for the world to hear this one, its very different for a Hollaphonic sound, but equally as identifiable as our style. SCREAM MY NAME FT. BRIT CHICK We made this track over quite a long period of time, and like many of the songs it has really progressed with the band. Originally there were no big piano chords and the song was generally a bit more muted in its style, but after a few sessions focusing purely on chord progressions we started to carry this theme throughout our music, you can hear big progressions in Dangerous & Neon Light(s). Brit Chick’s vocal is equally as powerful in this as we chart the story of a young girl who refuses to be ignored and is powerful in the way she pursues attention. Massive vocals accompany big beats, and this tune sets the dancefloor alight when the beat drops. Personal Space is out now
Soundstage
Sarah El Gohary
With over a million plays on Soundcloud, and 50,000 fans on social media, Egyptian singer-songwriter has been making waves in the UAE for the last couple of years My first musical influence was… Definitely the king of pop, MJ! The last pop star I liked was… Christina Aguilera.
Building up a fanbase is… The most rewarding thing for a musician. My sound is best described as… A happy sound!
Best piece of advice you’ve received? “Virtue is its own reward.” What’s your musical guilty pleasure? That would definitely be ‘Wannabe by’ the Spice Girls.
The best band in the UAE is… It’s hard to tell, there is some great talent in here! But I can say that I very much enjoyed When The Night Comes last performance at Urban Bites Abu Dhabi, these guys are definitely among the top. Great music and strong stage presence!
Lamest claim to fame? in Ramadan 2011 I was on a huge production for a Vodafone TV ad that was literally being aired every minute on every TV station you can think of. I took 10 days of leave to be able to attend the shoot, and 12 hours every day. I ended up appearing in less than a second and nobody noticed me, haha. My musical motto is… Music is mankind’s 6th sense.
Best gig you’ve played? That was my last gig in Cairo, a few months back. I had left the country for more than a year now and did not know that my music reached so many people. I booked the gig while I was in the UAE, and had no idea that my audience base grew this much. I was overwhelmed by the size of my fans and felt like a big-shot celebrity for the first time in my life. After the gig my fans surrounded me and the security guards had to intervene!
And the worst? My worst gig is when I performed to a silent audience. I didn’t know what to do! It’s very hard when you perform before an audience that barely interacts with you. But in the end my band-mates and I agreed that first and foremost we play music for ourselves and that we must enjoy it regardless. Which we did. Best lyrics of all time? The last song that deeply touched my heart from the very first time I heard it on the radio. John Legend’s ‘All Of Me’, simply because I am in a state of love!
facebook.com/sarahelgoharyofficial
DJ Booth: TODD
Scottish newcomer TODD is next up for our DJ Booth, the resident DJ at new organic bar Tribeca as well as Superheroes and Electric Days guest DJ One thing you might not know about me is... I used to be very sporty, I played football, basketball, volleyball, hockey, swimming - all at quite a high standard. You wouldn’t guess that now if you see the rubbish I eat! My worst ever job was… It has to be a washing dishes in a nursing home, it was my first ever job - grim! My favorite ever record is... That is tough one! Pepe Bradock, ‘Deep Burnt’ is right up there!
DJing is much like... Painting, take a blank canvas (the dancefloor), use your tools (tunes) and create something special. Wow that was deep! Dubai’s clubbing scene is... Very healthy! I’ve only been here for just over 3 months and the calibre of guests and residents that play here is very high! I’m very impressed with the venues and the quality of the decor and equipment. I’m really proud of... Everybody that puts in so much hard work, week in week out to make Dubai’s scene what it is! Hats off ladies and gentlemen. What track could you drop in every set? Either ‘Deep Burnt’ or a go to weapon: DJ Assassin ‘A Face in the Crowd’ (Intelllidread Mix). Nu school garage vibes! I can’t live without... My wife Jenny! She has been my rock through some really tough times recently and making the transition to Dubai life. My friends and family are also amazing and I wouldn’t be where I am with out them. Literally, my mate Pauly drove me to the airport. My biggest DJ achievement to date is... Warming up for Mark Ronson at the Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party. Playing on 3 decks in front of 80,000 people, on your town’s high street at New Year is a very daunting prospect but I loved every minute of it. What is your guiltiest pleasure? 80s pop; Kate Bush, Spandau Ballet, Tina Turner - they all have a very special place in my heart. If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... It would have to be the 90s. Dance music culture had some very important defining moments in the 90s - house, techno, trance, garage - it had it all!. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... It would have to be Loco Dice, either playing his original minimal techno/DC 10 style or his current bumping house – he’s got it! I’m not a politician but… It should have been a yes! soundcloud.com/stu-todd
MASSCON
Something Big
Kolectiv - Voices (Original Mix) [Flexout Audio] Loxy - 20 Below (Original Mix) [Abducted LTD] Kalm & Carera - Smoke & Dust (Original Mix) [All Nurtured Beatz] Roy Green & Protone - Dachs (DJ Chap Remix) [Blu Saphir Limited] Shiver - Falling Down [Flexout Audio] Lenzman & FD - Joanie’s Theme [Metalheadz] Atmospherix - Silver Tears (Original Mix) [Architecture] Bcee - Breath in (Original Mix) [Fokuz Recordings] Hybrid Minds - Halcyon (DLR Remix) [Spearhead Recordings] Retraflex, Philth, Mystic State & Ryps - Reflections [Flexout Audio] soundcloud.com/masscon
Her Kiss - Ben Grunnell How Do I - Tapesh, Dayno S Like That (Slideback Remix )- Crazibiza Ft. Jerome Robins & MC Flipside Feel Good (Original Mix) - Slideback, Phillipe D Wish you were mine - Philip George Again - D-nox & Beckers Sweet Love - Luca M, Just2 I’m too Sexy for my Ex (Benedetto, Farina Remix) Fapples, Saccao
DJ JABU
Al Murooj Rotana
Zora - Prompt, Onuba All my Friends - Coyu soundcloud.com/djjabu
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PLX-1000 BORN AGAIN High-torque direct drive system Removable power, ground and phono cables ±8%, ±16% and ±50% tempo control, and Tempo Reset Professional sound quality and build
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Weird News...
HEADLINE OF THE WEEK (FROM THE DAILY MAIL)
Married TV actor wakes up to find his testicles have been stolen after he is drugged in Russian bar by attractive blonde working for organ traffickers.
RAS AL KHAIMAH THE NEW IBIZA?
Sometimes truth outdoes satire, and this following story could well be from The Spin, if it weren’t true. A group of investors are hoping to turn a man-made island 3 miles off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah into a 20,000 capacity island set to rival Ibiza. It will include two mega clubs, four beach clubs and five hotels. The Al Marjan development is looking for Dhs19 billion in investment to create ‘the new Ibiza,’ while they’re also looking to lure festivals like Burning Man to the party-island. We think you might have overlooked one vital difference between Ras Al Khaimah and Ibiza…
WHIPPED INTO SHAPE
It’s like the greatest plot to Prison Break that never made it. Three women wearing dominatrix costumes sprung prisoners free from a Brazilian jail after drugging the guards and locking them up with their handcuffs. Wearing skimpy black PVC outfits, they tempted the guards with what promised to be a kinky orgy. But after giving them sedative laced whisky, the women handcuffed the men and released 28 prisoners from the Nova Mutum prison near Cuiaba. Police Chief Angelina de Andrades Ferreira said: “From the moment they drank the whisky, the agents don’t remember a thing. One was found dizzy, trying to wake up. Another slept for the whole afternoon and couldn’t even be questioned.”
THE SPIN MARCH 2015
PAGE 200
ISSUE 16
Time poor promoters create new day to maximize profits With dance music taking over the city, party promoters in the city have created a new day of the week. Named Jizzday, the new club devoted day extends the current weekend, and falls between Friday and Saturday. With recent report estimating that the city is comprised of 56% deep/tech house, with urban making up the rest of the playlist, it was a no brainer for the promoters, says Abdul Cashin, the man behind cult parties like the Hideously Rich List and Models and Callgirls. ‘Every day there’s a party, every day. But with so much competition, and instead of doing something new, we thought why not just make up a new day, overcharge our normal 250% on the watered down alcohol and invite down our VVVVIP list to be the first ever to party on a Jizzday.’
Dubai metal band breaks world record for number of unintelligible grunts in a minute *These stories are not true, this is not a real newspaper. This is a parody/fiction/satire/joke. The Spin is not intended, in any way whatsoever, to be taken as factual.
Eat Sleep Rave Repeat
TRESIND
Our raving food reviewer Stephen Day channels his inner Heston Blumenthal and heads down to Tresind, an Indian restaurant using molecular gastronomy across its menu
Food trends come and food trends go. Nouvelle Cuisine in the 80s, foraging and street food in the noughties and of course Molecular Gastronomy in the 90s. The use of chemicals and scientific techniques have become standard in the fine dining kitchens of the world from the sorely missed El Bulli in Catalonia, The French Laundry in California to the Fat Duck in Bray in the UK. I’ve had many a foam, liquid spherification, powder and fluid gel in my time but never when it comes to Indian food, so I was very interested to be asked to head to The Radisson Royal to eat at Tresind. Opened only four months ago, the first thing that hits you is the space: it’s a lovely intimate setting, with well thought out
tables and a separate bar area with nice subtle lighting. We sat in the window with a great view of SZR below and took in a drink whilst we reviewed the menu. There is a lot to take in, so we plumped for the chef’s taster which comes in a veg and non veg option to get a real sense of what they are trying to achieve. First up was a deconstructed Pani Puri, presented on a spoon and downed with a single mouthful of mint, puffed rice and tamarind gel. The chef then turned up with a trolley, a jug and a tray, very intriguing but it all became clear when he placed a handful of Dhoklas (South Indian sponge) into a Nitrogen bath while creating a Jackson Pollock inspired scene
all over the tray. With a splash of yogurt, a handful of fried pastry sheets, a pinch of Japanese Togarashi seasoning (which I am a bit partial to on anything) and some masala in the mix, he then crushed the now ice cold sponge into it to make a modern take on the Papri Chaat that is common place on the side streets of India. It was lovely, spicy, soft, crunchy and refreshing. We then moved to a course inspired by the Eastern love of tea, this time a pungent wild mushroom soup poured from a pot into a cup with dried mushrooms and truffle powder. Thick and peppery, it coated the inside of my mouth whilst we wait for the next delight. It duly arrived, with a beautifully presented tuna tartar in a dry ice smoking bowl, delicate to the touch and balanced with a slight cumin kick. Three smaller plates followed: a succulent lamb chop with mango chutney two ways: one a light puree and the other a flavor bomb of a jelly, each complementing the delicate lamb in different ways. This came alongside a light coconut and curry leaf king prawn, again perfectly cooked and full of flavour plus a tip to the Middle East with a chicken Shwarma Kulcha that was creamy and hearty. We were then left with a Khandvi flavored sorbet; this is normally an Indian savory snack but was used very cleverly and was a beautiful palate cleanser for the main course. By this point we had eaten quite a lot so I wasn’t really expecting a full sized main as part of the tasting menu, but I was very happy when it arrived as I’ve never eaten anything quite like it before. A succulent duck meatball sat in the middle of the plate surrounded by a rich
meaty dark brown gravy: I cut in and a runny egg yoke spilled out and enveloped everything. And with a buttery black lentil dhal and two veggie kulchas (and the bread basket to help mop up the eggy overspill), it was a joy to eat. I was intrigued by the concept and part of me thought that these type of techniques had had their day but I hold my hands up - I was wrong. Used sparingly with a little showmanship, there is still life in the old dog yet and if you want to go and eat some amazing modern Indian fine dining fare then Tresind totally delivers at a very reasonable price.
Tresind, Radisson Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, daily 7pm to 11.30pm. Tel: 04 308 0440. Metro: World Trade Centre.
MOVIE INSURGENT Another teen action flick, as Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley from The Fault In Our Stars) confronts her inner demons and fights against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side. Classification: PG 13 Director: Robert Schwentke Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Theo James
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 John Cusack wisely misses this sequel which finds the hapless bunch of hot tub time travellers 10 years in the future saving themselves from a shotgun toting mad man hellbent on revenge. Classification: 15 Director: Steve Pink Starring: Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry
PREVIEWS The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Another sequel this time, with the retired British expats in India having to expand their beloved hotel hideaway when fresh arrivals mean there’s not enough rooms in the inn. Classification: PG Director: John Madden Starring: Maggie Smith, Richard Gere, Bill Nighy
KILL ME THREE TIMES Professional hit-man Charlie Wolfe finds himself in three tales of murder, blackmail and revenge after a botched contract assignment. Classification: 15 Director: Kriv Stenders Starring: Simon Pegg, Theresa Palmer
DISCLAIMER: Film release schedules are subject to change, please check reelcinemas.ae, novocinemas.com and voxcinemas.com for full schedules.
Tweet cheat So, the Monkey, while browsing for mail import Orangutan brides online the other day, came across a site called Twitter Audit. As the name suggests, they try to determine what percentage of your followers are real or fake. So, let’s start at home. Infusion Magazine has 3321 real followers, and 633 fakers, giving us an audit score of 84%. Not bad. DJ Bliss has a respectable 14,154 real followers, and just over 4000 fake giving him 76%, while Kris Fade has mainly real fans with an 83% rating. DJ Shadow Dubai isn’t quite as good though – with a staggering 15,887 fake followers, only 25% of his Twitter entourage is real, while Dany Neville has 12,729 fake followers, giving him just a rating of 35%. Hollaphonic meanwhile have no problems with real fans, but have just a 54% rating on Twitter Audit. Head to twitteraudit.com and try it out for yourself. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
Monkey Out... The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.