MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE GUIDE
Wu Tang Forever! U-God, Cappadonna and DJ Mathematics launch Ego Urban Lounge Creamfields, Groove on the Grass, Bassworx, Patife, Wanted, Essential Christmas presents, NYE events, Supperclub, Party pics, Gig guide and loads more!
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Editor-in-chief: 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 Contributors: Nthayi Tshehle, Mariam Nihal, Richard Perez, Vip Patel
Dubai might not have the most Christmas spirit in the world, but there’s definitely something magical in the air during December. The short days, clear skies and series of big name events make it a hectic time of parties, nights out and liver abuse. It’s also a good time for reflection, which is what we’ve been doing over the past few weeks, as we’re piecing together the musical and clubbing highlights of 2013 for our annual round up – well, what we can remember of them. For now, we have another hardhitting issue, with the lowdown on Creamfields, Groove on the Grass, NYE events, your last-minute Christmas shopping list and loads more. And if you’re really stuck for Christmas ideas, Infusion is free, pocket sized and doubles up as an excellent drinks coaster... Andy
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Looking Back
What we did
DUST & audio tonic feat. Al Kent @ 360 With a private function putting 360’s Below out of action, DUST were moved upstairs, creating a 7 DJ line up on the main floor. And while it might not have been ideal for DUST fans who’d planned to come down later, it was good news for the busy 7pm 360 dancefloor, as Scottish disco don Al Kent got to drop a two hour set full of dancefloor dynamite in the post-sunset slot. Going off hard with a gorgeous edit of ‘Haven’t You Heard,’ before dropping into Oliver Cheatam’s classic ‘Get Down on Saturday Night,’ Kent then eased off on the disco gas, and the more laidback material later in the set hit the right note with the audio tonic and DUST crew.
Looking Back
Him Self Her @ Electric Days Running a weekly event isn’t easy. You have to keep things consistent, you have to have a big enough support network to sustain it, and you have to keep moving things forward. And all 3 were in evidence at cult night Electric Days at Tamanya Terrace. With a decent crowd milling around from 8pm, and with resident Amy Wells keeping things tight on her techy warm up, it was all set up for Abu Dhabi electronic veteran Shadi Megallaa, and he didn’t disappoint with his vinyl only set, slamming in big tech heavy hitters from the start, and getting the dancefloor nice and rowdy for the UK duo Him Self Her. And you know you have done things right, when Analog Room’s Salar is front and central on the dancefloor, helping push the atmosphere onwards and upwards. Which is just what Electric Days seem to be doing at the moment.
ails PHOTO STRIP: Puma Fisht
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O STRIP: Puma Fishtail
a PHOTO STRIP: Puma Fisht
shtails
Old jokes home A photon checks into a hotel and is asked if he needs any help with his luggage. “No thanks, I’m travelling light”. Q: What is Nigella doing on her new Xmas show? A: Cold turkey. Short and tweet @ Tiesto I do not always flying private jet. I only try to use that option when I need to. Hashtag keepingitreal
Photoshopped If only this was real…
Meme corner
Analog Room @Q Underground
audio tonic @ 360
Magnum Sundays @ Boudoir
Miss Dynamite @ No.1 Events – N’Dulge
Rewind @ Embassy
Vintage
@ Pure Sky Lounge
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Call 800 SUSHI (78744) or visit chezshushi.com Eat or collect at our restaurant. Find us at Shop 18, Wasl Square, (opposite Safa Park) Al Wasl Road, Dubai.
Looking FORWARD Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...
> Local News > Cover Story > EDM in the UAE > Rave New World > Make Some Mistanoize > Carnival Beats > 6th Sense
Looking Forward
Local News Jumping Jack Flash
It's been rumoured for as long as there's been sand in Dubai, but finally – finally! – The Rolling Stones are coming to the UAE. The greatest band alive, responsible for classics like 'Satisfaction,' 'Jumping Jack Flash' and 'Sympathy For The Devil' will be hitting Abu Dhabi's du Arena on Friday February 21 as they kick off their 14 On Fire World Tour. Early bird tickets are available from thinkflash.ae for Dhs395, but get in quick as this will sell out well in advance.
NYE news
Sandance has been dominating the NYE news, and rightly so with its Emeli Sande, Paul Oakenfold and Axwell line up, while they’ve now revealed that Pete Tong will also be dropping a set at Atlantis Beach on the 31st. Urban and 90s fans meanwhile have the return of Vanilla Ice (pictured) to be excited about, as he headlines the No.1 Events bash at N’Dulge. Back to house music, and the House of Afrika team are bringing South Africa’s finest, Black Coffee back to the Dek on 8 for what should be another sell out show. As we rumoured last week, one half of massive Canadian deep house duo Art Department will be playing at Blue Marlin’s bash, with support from Infinity Ink. And finally, Far East Movement, the hip hop group behind ‘Like A G6’ will be taking their bass-heavy sound to People By Crystal for their New Year’s Eve bash.
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Looking Forward
All White The Lebanese certainly know how to party, so we’re happy to see that Beirut institution White will be opening an open-air club in Dubai on Thursday December 19. Already running at a temporary space at the Al Marooj Rotana, they’ll be moving to the Meydan Racecourse and their 860sqft rooftop terrace this month, offering the same array of live entertainment, light and visual display that made the Beirut version so popular. Musically, they’re promising to keep to the deep house template, and with a 1,000 capacity, it’ll be one of the biggest open air clubs in the city when it opens.
Societe Dubai If you’re looking for an alternative to I2’s retrotastic nights out, then help is at hand thanks to the new bar/lounge/club concept Societe Dubai. Located in the Byblos Hotel in the Marina, it'll offer feel good hits from the 70s onwards with a relaxed, non-pretensious vibe, with its grand opening on Thursday December 12.
Looking Forward Rumours Dutch party Sensation have confirmed they're bringing their all-white party to Dubai next Spring. As we rumoured a few issues ago, Paul Van Dyk has confirmed he’s returning to Dubai for a show at the end of February. Carl Cox is in town at the end of December for a big post-Christmas gig alongside John Digweed, according to his Twitter feed. The Dub Pistols are in talks with one beach bar to come out early next year.
Congrats to Dubai for the Expo 2020 win, well deserved. Less well done to the Dubai One reporting team, good job you’ve got 7 years to brush up on your skills. Another cracking Rugby 7s weekend, with some excellent action on the pitch – Fiji were immense! – and the usual drunken tomfoolery off the pitch. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Big ups to Analog Room for persevering with their brand and creating a go-to Thursday night over the last year, and for being one-in, one-out for the past two weeks.
Calvin Harris has joined the headphone race, alongside Beats by Dre, 50 Cent’s SMS Audio and, loosely related, Beamz by Flo Rida. Enough with the celebrity endorsements already, what’s next, DJ Cowboy endorsing schwarmas? DJs who make hand hearts above their head when they’re DJing. Unless you’re giving us something to aim our warm beers at, we suggest you cease and desist. Kanye West. The only redeeming feature about your latest video is the Seth Rogen/James Franco spoof.
It seems Christmas is coming a few days late for urban music fans this year, but the opening of the all-hip hop Ego Uban Lounge on December 27 will be worth the wait. Ahead of their all hip hop opening, we spoke to the club’s creative director RonE Jaxx and take a little true and false quiz on main headliners U-God, Cappadonna and DJ Mathematics from the Wu Tang Clan
What was the thinking behind the name? The word ego plays a huge role in this region. If you notice, the letter G is reversed in the EGO logo, indicating that we want to achieve the opposite of what it normally stands for. We want to create a family atmosphere minus the pretentiousness. And what does Ego do that no one else does in the city? There is no shortage of clubs in Dubai, however if there’s one thing that this city lacks it’s a club that represents nothing but urban beats. We want to create a venue that is open to everyone who is craving real music and real entertainment that is strictly dedicated to the urban culture and lifestyle. Urban is a pretty open description now for music – what exactly will you be playing? We will be playing everything ranging from Hip-hop, Reggae,
Dancehall to breaks, Neosoul, Northern soul, Motown and Funk. We’re trying to provide our clients with 6 consistent nights of pure urban music that no other club in Dubai offers. Will there be more internationals after the Wu Tang Clan, and if so, can you tell us who’ll they’ll be? Yes, we are hand-picking a lot of international artists that we believe portray the true essence of urban music and its culture. You’ve also put a lot of faith in your resident DJs, who are they? Ego Urban lounge is proud to announce exclusive resident DJs that have helped build the urban scene in Dubai. DJs Dany Neville, RonE Jaxx and Soulninja can be seen playing at Ego Urban Lounge and nowhere else.
MATHEMATICS
Cappadona
U-GOD
•
The Wu Tang Clan are as much legends of music as they are myths of the modern world – but what’s true and what’s false?
There are 11 members of the Wu Tang Clan: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, Wastaman ODB and Cappadona.
• •
Their debut single, ‘Protect Ya Neck,’ cost $300 to record, and they paid the producer in quarters. RZA came up with the original template for Serato back in the 90s, spending a fortune on creating 50 of his ‘Replicator’ units, only for his unpatented idea to be copied.
•
ODB escaped from his court-ordered rehab and appeared onstage at a New
York City Wu-Tang show in 2000, telling the audience: “Y’all know they had the ODB locked down, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that they can’t keep me down,” before running from the police across town for several days.
•
The late ODB once piled several of his kids into a limo and went to get food stamps, with an MTV camera crew in tow.
Answers
1. False – There are 10, Wastaman is entirely ficticious. 2. True 3. True 4. True 5. True Ego Urban Lounge, Boutique 7 Tecom, Opening Hours: 10pm – 3am, 6nights a week. Closed on Sunday. Friday 27th Dec: Official launch with U-God, Cappadonna and DJ Mathematics from Wu Tang Clan
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With a modern yet classic line up, Creamfields is once again looking to be the electronic highlight of 2013 in the Middle East with The Prodigy, Calvin Harris, Disclosure and Above and Beyond the big international names. We spoke to two of the local acts looking to have a big impact on their debuts, with EMI signed duo Hollaphonic dropping their bass-hybrid sound on the mainstage, and Saudi EDM producer and DJ Omar Basaad set to play in the 2nd arena.
EDM in the UAE
Congrats on what’s probably you’re biggest gig yet at Creamfields – how did it come about, who approached who? Olly: We work closely with Red Bull as a sponsor and they support us musically in various ways; they happened to propose us to the event organisers, Flash, for Creamfields. Flash decided we were a main stage act now, and the rest is history... we are very lucky and appreciative to have such staunchly supportive brands to work with, and can’t wait to prove they backed the right musical horse (neigh). It seems that Hollaphonic have been destined for success from the start – how do you plan to break out of the region? Greg: We have a lot of plans in the pipeline. Some of the tracks on the album are much more ‘club’ oriented so they are currently being serviced to the big club DJs around the world, recently featuring on a podcast from Gareth Emery, and no less than Tiesto. I have already had support from Axwell, Roger Sanchez and many others, so fingers crossed they will latch onto the Hollaphonic sound and we can see it grow. Most importantly it’s being shared to the right people, by the right people and that makes all the difference. Olly, you’ve always wanted to be a pop star and MC, and been very single minded about it – have you achieved what you thought you would? I’ve never ever said I want to be a popstar, that’s a presumption based on my need to be the
center of attention and perform, but that’s just who I am, there’s nothing as vacuous as ‘wanting to be a popstar’ behind our music. I’m single-minded that today’s music world creates popstars genetically and mechanically, I literally just want more people to hear my/our music. If fame is a bi-product then so be it, but I’d happily be incognito whilst the masses enjoy our sound, then I can be really bloody loud when we are live onstage and everyone can look at us. Perhaps we should wear robot heads, has that been done yet? Greg, you’re a long time music producer, and the Hollaphonic music is quite different from other tracks you create. Which is your true love, and who do you look to for inspiration when you’re making Hollaphonic music? The Hollaphonic sound and production has always been a collaboration between the sounds that Olly and I are more accustomed to, for me it’s very much ‘House’ and
for Olly it’s ‘Bass music’ as a whole, and then whatever our favourite pop tracks are at the time of production. We feel that we can combine the best of what we hear in nightclubs and festivals with the sound that we hear on commercial radio and TV. Our ‘pop’ inspirations include anything from Rudimental to Calvin Harris, Will.I.Am to Disclosure.
Your sound could broadly be described as EDM. What came first, the chicken or the egg, Hollaphonic or EDM? Greg: Olly once described our sound as “Electropoptastic-smile on ya facebass” so we are coining the abbreviation “EPSOYFB” as the new “EDM.” EDM has always been around since the birth of the electronic synth & drum machine, it’s had many different names over the years, but the goal has always been to make people dance and feel good using some kind of electronic musical devices! How will your Creamfields show work, is it a DJ/MC affair? Greg: We have a
more ‘Live’ show lined up, with a set list of brand new exclusive never heard before Hollaphonic tracks. Only our Mums have heard the tracks and they love them, so we’re hoping the Creamfields massive will do too.
A quick word with
Omar Basaad
The first Saudi to perform at Creamfields, Omar Basaad was also one of the first Arabic dubstep producers. With a Sandance gig already under his belt from last year, Mariam Nihal sat down with the DJ and EDM producer to find out what’s in store. Tell us more about yourself. Where you’re from and where you’re headed. I’m a Saudi/Turkish producer that has been producing for a while, so it is not a new thing for me. Reach out for the stars, there’s where I'm headed! What do you think of the EDM scene in UAE? What does it need? The UAE is the center of what’s happening in the Middle East. With the multinational community, it allows the UAE to be a hub for international artists. These people get their own culture into the local
culture. DJs come here and play fresh sounds and educate the crowd so that gives birth to a new scene altogether. Who inspires you? Daft Punk. Do you think Creamfields will help your career? I am grateful for the opportunity as it allows me to represent my music to a different audience. However, how far it advances my career with Creamfields, will be evident if they give me the mainstage next year. What next, after Creamfields? It’s always music. I’m working on my dreams, just one song at a time. What expectations do you have? I am excited to preform at Creamfields, it’s a huge thing! Creamfields, Friday December 13, Yas Island, 6pm-3am, tickets from Dhs275, thinkflash.ae
Congrats on your first birthday – what have been the high and low points of the first year? Thank you! I can’t say there have been any low points. It’s been a lot of hard work to get to where we are now, but it’s all been worth it. We have grown from 500 people to over 1,500 over the past year so that is definitely a high point for us. And what lessons have you learnt? We are constantly learning as we go, not only in how to run this project as a a business but also about each other. Learning each other’s strengths and Now a year old, the Groove on the Grass weaknesses and how team have been doing things differently with to deal with each other their open air techno festival. And for their to keep our relationship next event, they've teamed up with Cocoon strong as partners has featuring Ricardo Villalobos and Raresh. We been very important in spoke to one of the main organisers Lisa making this work.
Sant to find out more…
You’ve done something very different in Dubai, when did you know
that the city was open to an open air techno festival? This event was made by clubbers for clubbers. We knew there was something about clubbing that was lacking for us personally so we felt that there would be enough people out there that feel the same. The response to this festival has been amazing. It’s brought out a crowd I haven’t seen in Dubai before who are very international, very creative, full of energy and just want to dance!
We don’t want there to be a monopoly in the city. There are a lot of people out there that want another option to the bigger festivals, and we have successfully tapped into this crowd every time because our music and vibe are totally different.
You’ve teamed up with Cocoon for this party, what do they bring to the party? We are huge fans of Cocoon and respect what they have done for techno music internationally. Being associated with such a worldAnd has the support renowned brand I think helps surprised you at times? change the attitude of clubbing It has surprised us in the best possible way. Nothing has been in Dubai. Musically we will be bringing two of the best more satisfying than seeing so DJs from their roster, Ricardo many new faces all creating Villalobos and Raresh, who this friendly vibe on the grass. are famous for their sets and I always knew that there were these types of people in Dubai, lively attitudes behind the decks. We are so excited to be they just didn’t have the right welcoming them both to Dubai outlet before. There are some for the first time! great club nights for sure, but being on the grass, and being And presumably you’ve tried completely independent of a to get Papa Sven over for hotel has given a new kind of energy we haven’t experienced GOTG… We’d love to have Papa over, here before. there are big plan for GOTG in the future, so stay tuned! You’ve not been shy of going head to head with big Groove on the Grass, Friday names like Sandance and December 13, Emirates Golf Creamfields – just a fate of scheduling, or are you trying Course, 7pm-3am, tickets Dhs200 in advance, Dhs250 on to prove a point? the door. A bit of both to be honest.
Make some
Mistanoize! Casa Latina’s bass night, Bassworx, continues to make the right kinda noise, as this month they’ve brought back UK drum and bass talent Mistanoize, a RAM Records DJ competition winner and Turntable pimp… You’re stopping off here after a mini-tour in Australia... What countries have you played in? Which was your favourite? I have seen a lot over the years but highlights for me include going to the US and playing in New York, and hitting Moscow a few months back – that place is insane. This is your second time in Dubai after playing at Bassworx last year. What do you make of the city? Dubai is an amazing place. I really enjoyed it last time and seeing the city was cool. I can’t wait to get into full on tourist mode and check out all the sites, as well as the obligatory brunch session after the event. How did you get into DJing? Fully cliché, but it was literally from hearing a tape in 2002 and I was hooked. Knowing so little about the music I didn’t actually realise what I was listening to was being mixed – I just thought it was some cool music! Then after being told it was played in nightclubs by DJs, that week I got my first set of decks, some wobbly ass belt drive Numark TT1510s. And that’s where it all started! We understand that you run Turntable Pimp as your ‘day job’. Tell us about the company and what they do?
We specialise in the customisation and repair of DJ equipment. Fixing, upgrading and pimping turntables, CDJs and mixers to have them running like new, with the option of custom paintjobs, lights etc. I have worked with hundreds of DJs and clubs from around the world and have an upcoming business arrangement in Japan next year. You are one of the few DJs to still use Technics turntables... What is your ideal setup? I wouldn’t say few, a lot of DJs are still using turntables now, although CDJs have become the new standard. My ideal set up is three 1210s and an Allen & Heath Xone:92. The crisp 4 band EQ and filters on those things really allow me to mix the music together exactly how I want it to sound - nothing comes close. Most Drum & Bass DJs produce and release their own music, but you’ve made your name through DJing alone. Have you thought about getting into production? I started production years ago, but it’s something I have never had the time to persevere with. I am too fussy to actually sit there and get something finished, and have always preferred bopping about mixing the music. I know I should take
time off for it, but I just love DJing so much and it’s what I’m actively doing now, and I don’t see any reason to slow down. What are your biggest achievements in DJing? I would say just keeping at what I’ve always loved doing and now being blessed to get the chance to play the music to clubs all over the world, as well as through my Soundcloud page. I have won various DJ competitions including for Drum & Bass Arena and RAM Records, and was invited by UKF to put together a podcast for them – all which have helped build my reputation across the globe. What is your favourite release of 2013? Literally cannot name one track! It really has been a year packed full of great music. I have bought more tracks in the last 12 months than ever before… You’re playing at Bassworx on the 12th December, what can the Dubai ravers expect from your set? Loads of D&B and Jungle right across the board, mixed up with some classic Hip Hop cuts. Bassworx feat. Mistanoize, Thursday December 12, Casa Latina, Ibis near Tecom, 9pm-3am.
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Returning night Wanted is promising the best of deep house, techno and tech house, and among the first guests they’ve got are nu-disco champions 6th Borough Project, made up of The Revenge’s Graeme Clark and Scottish DJ and producer Craig Smith…
Welcome to Dubai, The 6th Borough Project is a bit of a dream team with The Revenge and Craig Smith – who brings what to the partnership? We never really think about the dynamic as it just works, but I suppose his (Graeme's) grounding in sound engineering and eye for great design and my experience and extensive record library. How often do you go out DJing together? And who’s got the better DJ skills? We’re not out that much together as two DJs is an expensive business for promoters but we enjoy it when we do. You gave away a lot of your edits recently, where do you find the balance between selling music and promoting your name and label? The original music you make should be what you sell, the edits etc should really be for personalizing your own sets rather than trying to make a buck. You’re a vinyl collector Craig, how many do you have now and where are they kept? I’ve been collecting for 30 years now and amassed around 16,000. I got rid of about 4,000 to Oxfam a few years back (unwanted promos etc) for some karma points! I think a rough guess would be around 12,000 now. I have about
2,000+ in my house just now, with the rest in storage. I’ll be moving them back in at the start of the year so look forward to having it all together for the 1st time in a few years. You’re also Irvine Welsh’s favourite DJ, how did you two meet? Through a mutual friend giving him my old mix tapes (when they actually were mix tapes!) and him coming to my club nights a long, long time ago. Oh and a love for Hibernian FC Slow seems to be the new fast, with deep house now the norm at 122 BPM, what’s your favourite speed? I never worry about the tempo, whatever the mood takes me. And what can slower jams offer, are they the polar opposite to EDM? I think that people should be open to music whatever the tempo. Music, even dance music shouldn’t be stuck in one groove. What’s in your sets at the moment, what are you playing? Again, it depends on the party but we always try and bring a bit of variety. Wanted feat. 6th Borough Project, Thursday December 12, Amnesia Underground, 10pm-3am, Dhs80, ladies free before midnight.
ARTY GUIDE
ONTHE THE RADAR ON RADAR
December 27 Ego feat. Cappadona, U-God and DJ Mathematics from Wu Tang Clan
December 31 Art Department, Blue Marlin
December 31 No.1 Events feat. Vanilla Ice, N’Dulge
December 31 House of Afrika feat. Black Coffee, Dek on 8
December 31 Sandance feat. Emeli Sande, Paul Oakenfold & Axwell
January 1 Strictly Vinyl NYD Party, 360
February 20 Dubai Jazz Festival feat. Jamie Cullum, Festival City
March 6 Eric Clapton, Media City
February 14 Redfest feat. The Lumineers, Media City
March 21 Herbie Hancock, Abu Dhabi
For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae. Please submit your listings to andy@infusion.ae for possible inclusion.
PARTY GUIDE
January 17 Mixtape Rewind feat. Boney M, Snap!, Emirates Golf Course
ARTY GUIDE
Sunday 8 Magnum Sundays, Boudoir
Hard-hitting urban DJ line up of Brooklyn, Emtee and Shero deliver the hip hop and RnB cuts. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Monday 9
Barasti
Hugely popular ladies night, with a Dhs50 entrance fee getting you free flowing bubbly all night. 6pm-late, Dhs50.
Pop Your Cherry, Cirque Le Soir
More mid-week funkiness at the popular circus-themed club. 10.30pm-3am.
Club Classics, Boudoir
En Vogue, Armani Prive
Hip hop Mondays, Cirque Le Soir
Jam Night, Music Room
All the classic house and electro cuts courtesy of DJ Destroyer. 10pm-3am.
Bustling early-week party with excellent hip hop vibes from start to finish courtesy of DJ Bliss. 10.30pm-3am.
Industry Night, XL Beach Club
50% discount for industry people, with free entry for couples and ladies all night. 7pm-3am.
Manic Mondays, Zinc
Greg Stainer and Andy Swift play old and new skull anthems, with a 10pmmidnight happy hour. 10pm3am, ladies and couples free. Weekly.
Tuesday 10 B:Lush, Media One
4 free drinks for ladies, with Da Sendri dropping funk, soul, disco and house. 7-10pm, free.
Darko De Jan takes control of this high class ladies night, with complimentary mojitos until 1am for ladies. 10pm-3am. Some of the city’s best live musicians playing live and jamming amongst themselves. 9pm, Dhs50 including 1 drink.
Pretty Little Singers, VIP Room A themed karaoke night, with complimentary cocktails and canapés for ladies from 9-12.
Wednesday 11 Diamond Wednesdays, XL Beach Club
Radio 1’s Brooklyn and DJ Shero on the urban soundtrack, with free Diamond cocktails for ladies until 1am. 9pm-late. Weekly.
The Ultimate Ladies Night, Zinc
One of the most popular ladies nights in town, with free bubbly for ladies before 1am, and house, electro and hip hop. 10pm-late. Weekly. Ladies free, men Dhs75 after midnight. Weekly.
Industry Night, Movida
DJ Mitchell and DJ Nick Waters play back to back at this free entry Industry night. 11pm-3am. Weekly.
INFUSION PICK! Laughter Factory, Zinc
Big belly laughs from Phil Nichol, Josh Howe, Gordon Southern. 9pm, Dhs140. Repeated Friday.
support from audio tonic star Raxon. 10pm-late, free. Weekly.
Bassworx feat. Mistanoize, Casa Latina
The UK DnB DJ and Ram Records competition winner headlines at this popular bass monthly, with support from residents Woodle and JAB. 9pm-3am, free.
Rock Nation presents Hatefield, Music Room Egyptian band Hatefield headline, with Behold the Locus and 2 other local bands. 10pm-3am, Dhs60.
Soulful Sessions, 360
Thursday 12 Analog Room, Q Underground
All things electronic, at this cult weekly Thursday night spot. 9pm-3am, Dhs75. Weekly.
The Act, Shangri La
Live acts, mixed up music and tasty Peruvian food at this very popular new club. 8pm-3am, repeated Sunday.
A Night’s Tale, Story (Holiday Inn, Media City) International name Tom Budden headlines, with
Boudoir
Free shots for ladies until 1am, and commercial RnB and house. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Conan Manchester, Loca
Foot-tapping funk, soul and rock and roll from Conan at one of our favourite bars in town. Weekly Thursday and Friday.
Deep Crates, Casa Latina
Popular vinyl-friendly hip hop, funk and soul night led by DJ Lobito. 10pm-3am, free, free wine for ladies 10-12. Weekly.
Fashionista, Donatello Lounge
Stu Laurie drops a funky, deep house soundtrack at this fashionable start to the weekend. 8pm-late. Weekly.
PARTY GUIDE
Schooly heads up this weekly soulful party, featuring everything from funk, soul, urban and house cuts. 6pm3am, free.
ARTY GUIDE
Fleurs, Radisson Royal Sheikh Zayed Road
A brand new concept club involving live music, Arabicaccented food and lots of flowers. 11-3am, repeated Friday.
Identity, N’Dulge
Hip hop and house across the main room and terrace from Eric Francis and friends. 9pm3am, ladies free before 11pm, Dhs100.
In Da House, Movida
More weekend-starting party action at this high end Sheikh Zayed Road club. 11pm-3am. Weekly.
Jamrock, Sublime
Calypso, dub, reggae and urban from Sir Taz and DJ Crown Prince. 10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, weekly.
Laughter Factory, Grand Millenium Tecom
Big belly laughs from Phil Nichol, Josh Howe, Gordon Southern. 9pm, Dhs140. Repeated Friday.
PJ Gallagher and Dave McSavage, McGettigans
Two of Ireland’s greatest comedians live in Dubai, with RTE’s Naked Camera star PJ Gallagher with Dave McSavage from The Savage Eye. 7pm, Dhs120.
Societe Grand Opening, Byblos Hotel, Dubai Marina
An open-minded new bar and lounge playing 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. 10pm-3am.
Step On Christmas Party, Dek on 8
Indie and rock from the long running alternative monthly, with DJs ME and Rossy dropping the guitar hero anthems. 5pm-2am.
Strictly Vinyl, 360
More vinyl only dance music with Kristian Valdini, Charl Chaka and DJ Alex. 6pm-3am, free.
INFUSION PICK! Wanted feat. 6th Borough Project, Amnesia Underground
The 2nd of the new parties from the Wanted crew, with nu-disco champions 6th Borough Project headlining. 9pm-3am, Dhs80.
We Are One, 2Liv Palm Sofitel
The 10,000 square foot, 3 level club with an impressive LED light set up plays urban and Top 40. 10pm-3am. Weekly, Thursday and Friday.
Friday 13 +971, Mansion
New EDM focused night, with Nitesh on the decks. 10pm3am.
Audio tonic, 360
INFUSION PICK!
Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE feat. Technasia & Jean Claude Ades
The open air festival returns with a heavyweight techno line up including Chilean star Villalobos and Romanian DJ Raresh, alongside a host of local talent. 7pm-3am, Dhs160 early bird, Dhs250 on the door.
Julian Jinx, Megadon Betamax and Rod Lee Winters drop the deep house upstairs, with Markii on a 4 hour set downstairs. 4pm-3am, free.
Jean Claude Ades returns with his big bag of Balearic beats, while Technasia make it a double header with their techier beats. 11am-11pm, reservation@bluemarlinibizauae.com
Groove on the Grass presents Cocoon feat. Ricardo Villalobos
INFUSION PICK! Creamfields, Yas Island
The Prodigy, Calvin Harris, Disclosure and many more play at this one-day electronic festival. 6pm-3am, tickets from Dhs275 from thinkflash.ae
Freaks and Beats, Cirque Le Soir
#FFriday, Movida
Residents Nick Waters and Mitchell are joined by guests at this high end Sheikh Zayed Road club. 11pm-3am. Weekly.
Follow Friday, Vanity (Al Murooj Rotana) Urban tunes courtesy of the Real Flava DJs. 10pm-3am.
Eats Retro, 2 Liv
A deep house and nu-disco post-brunch party with Mark Pickup and guests. 4pm-late, free.
Friday Pool Party, XL Beach Club
An all day pool party with everything from deep house to party starting electro on the playlist. 1pm-3am, Dhs150 on the door.
PARTY GUIDE
Nick Tohme heads up this weekly night, where entertainment is at the fore. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
ARTY GUIDE
House of Afrika, Dek on 8
More Afro-tech at this hugely popular weekly house night. 4pm-3am, free.
Massive Urban Fridays, Sensation
Shef Codes and friends hold it down with urban tunes all night. 10.30p-3am, strict dress code no trainers or flip flops. Weekly.
INFUSION PICK! Balearic feat. Samir Maslo, Dek on 8
All day, early evening party, with Balearic classics on rotation, with brunch 2-6pm, and happy hour 5-8pm. 2pm10pm, Dhs240 for brunch. Weekly.
Never get out the boat, Jebel ali
One of our favourite boat parties makes its last voyage of the year, with deep house and tech house beats from start to finish. 1.30pm-6, info@wearedumm.com for reservations.
No.1 Fridays, N’Dulge
Urban, hip hop, dubstep and EDM from this popular long-running night. 10pm3am, ladies free before 11pm, Dhs100 after. Weekly.
Thank God I’m A VIP feat. Mikael Weermats, VIP Room
Swedish DJ and EMI signing returns after his show earlier in the year for more house hits. 9pm-3am.
Saturday 14 411 feat. Young Guru, People By Crystal
Jay Z’s tour DJ Young Guru headlines this weekly urban throwdown, with DJ Bliss and Kaboo on support. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Saturday Brunch
Wind down your weekend with live cooking stations and free flowing Spanish sangria. Weekly. 1pm-5.30pm, Dhs240-285, reservation@ bluemarlinibiza-uae.com
Destination, Zinc
UK Garage, Funky house and urban with Richie D and Mister Ash. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Social, 360
Live music from Jeremiah at sunset, with Darko De Jan and Tristan Bain supplying the beats afterwards.
INFUSION PICK!
Brazilian Spirit feat. Patife, The Warehouse, Le Meridien Garhoud
Samba drum and bass from the Brazilian DJ at the last Brazilian Spirit party of the year. 10pm3am, Dhs60.
Friday 20 audio tonic, 360
It’s a residents take over, with JC, Rich Showell and Raxon upstairs, with Mr Mr on the deep house session Below. 4pm-3am, free.
Eats Retro, 2 Liv
A deep house and nu-disco postbrunch party with Mark Pickup and guests. 4pm-late, free.
Electric Days feat. Digitaria, Tamanya Terrace
Another deep/tech house session at this growing night under the stars, with Spanish/ Brazilian duo Digitaria headlining. 6pm-1am, Dhs100.
Thursday 19 A Night’s Tale, Story (Holiday Inn, Media City)
INFUSION PICK! Chicago, DWTC
The Broadway musical brings its all singing, all dancing story of fame and crime to the city for a 2 week stretch. Running until Jan 3. 8pm, tickets from Dhs245.
Wanted feat. Andre Lodermann, Amnesia Underground
Deep house and techno from the Dessous man, at this new night at Amnesia Underground, formerly Submarine. 9pm-3am, Dhs80.
Another weekly dose of Afro-tech vibes with DJs Charl Chaka, Nthayi, Just Lance, Afroboogie and more on rotation. 4pm-3am, free.
Warped, Casa Latina
A five hour marathon set from Warped main man Adam at this long-running techno night. 10pm-3am.
Saturday 21 411 feat. Young Guru, People By Crystal DJ Bliss and Emir man the decks at this popular urban party. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Homegrown, 360
Some of the best local DJs soundtrack the setting sun and the end of the weekend in style. 6pm-late, free.
PARTY GUIDE
Deep house and nu-disco from Rod Lee Winters and Nader Razdar. 10pm-late, free. Weekly.
House of Afrika, Dek on 8
Look AND
LISTEN Music be the food of love, so read on...
> Music News > Album Reviews > Meet Your Promoter > DJ Booth > DJ Top 10
Look and Listen
Music News... Moby Mocks Thom Yorke
Moby chatted about his decision to release every single musical part (stem) from his brand new album Innocents as a free BitTorrent Bundle this week and in an interview with Mashable ridiculed Thom Yorke’s recent tirade against streaming. Chatting to Mexican website Sopitas in October the Radiohead front-man attacked Spotify for ‘trying to become gatekeepers’, declaring ‘to me this (streaming) isn’t the mainstream, this is like the last fart, the last desperate fart of a dying corpse.’ Speaking this week, Moby sounded deeply unimpressed. “Artists who are adaptable are doing fine. A musician who makes records, tours, DJs, remixes, does music for video games and films is doing fine,” he said. “I love Thom Yorke, but when I heard him complaining about Spotify, I’m like, “You’re just like an old guy yelling at fast trains.” Speaking on bittorrent’s blog about his giveaway some week’s earlier, Moby emphasized his love of the ‘democratic anarchy’ he believes the online world offers. “One of the things that I love about the digital present (as opposed to the digital future) is the way in which people can bypass the old and arbitrary gate-keepers,” he said
MUSIC BITES “Even if I am tired of hearing some of the songs – and I am obviously completely super sick of them – I never get tired of the reaction they get.” Swedish superstar DJ Avicii insists he really doesn’t mind having to play his EDM crossover pop hits Levels, Fade Into Darkness and Silhouettes night after night after night after night…
A night of house classics, the way it used to be
PRESENTS
kristian valdini alexander charl chaka thursday 12 december 2013
FREE ENTRANCE
360째, JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL I +21 I DOORS OPEN 6:00PM TABLE BOOKINGS: 056 682 6617 I INFO@INFUSION.AE TWITTER.COM/INFUSIONMAG I TWITTER.COM/360DUBAI FACEBOOK.COM/INFUSIONMAGAZINE I FACEBOOK.COM/360DUBAI W W W . I N F U S I O N . A E
Look and Listen Raxon added to BPM line up
Big ups to audio tonic’s Raxon who’s been announced as one of the acts at this year’s BPM festival in Mexico. Running from January 3-14, he’ll be playing alongside names like Maceo Plex, Luciano, Green Velvet, Skream, Eats Everything and loads, loads more at the Playa Del Carmen festival. Have a tequila or 3 for us, Raxon.
MUSIC BITES “I would do the DJing, but maybe before me we have another famous DJ, maybe somebody after. We of course have a ball, dancers in a cage: recreate Studio 54, and have it in Vegas, Macau, London.” Disco legend Giorgio Moroder confirms he’s in talks with ‘a huge American management company’ to launch a show in Vegas to be called ‘A Night With Giorgio Moroder.’and Silhouettes night after night after night after night…
Record records
Independent record labels have reached a sales share high for this century, with 26% of the UK sales, up 5% on last year. Analysts attribute it to the high sales of bands like Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age who are on Beggars and Domino. Overall, however, album sales have dropped 30% since 2005.
Look and Listen
Album Reviews... The Killers – Direct Hits Indie/Electro I thekillersmusic.com
If there’s one band that was destined to have a killer Best Of, it’s The Killers. Throughout their 4 lopsided albums, they’ve veered from bombastic pop brilliance to barely B-side worthy cuts that were elevated to album fodder territory. As brilliant as debut album Hot Fuss was, beyond the stone cold brilliant singles – with debut single ‘Mr Brightside’ not only their best track, but one of the best tracks of the decade – their back up material was average at best. Which makes Direct Hits a filler free, stomping, four-to-thefloor listen, neatly encapsulating the band’s high point. Which as we found out from their recent Sandance sell out show, are many. From the indie-chorus genius of ‘Somebody Told Me’ to the New Order aping ‘Spaceman’ and the guitar hero rockathon of ‘When You Were Young,’ all the hits are present and correct. And with a largely chronological running order, you can see your last decade of musical memories passing your eyes as you power through the collection. And, as a little treat, they’ve added the original demo of ‘Mr Brightside,’ which even as a rough and ready electro pop song, still demonstrates their raw, harmonic power which they’ve harnessed so well across 16 incredibly strong tracks.
London Grammar – If You Wait Indie/Pop I londongrammar.com
Gone are the days of long gestated bands. No more do aspiring acts have to tour the indie toilet circuit, building up their fan base and slogging it around the UK and Europe for years to break their band. Just look at London Grammar – their debut single ‘Hey Now’ was only written just over a year ago, and yet they’ve since collaborated with Disclosure and been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for this debut album. Sounding like a more upbeat The xx or a more downcast Florence and the Machine, this Nottinghamshire trio make subdued but sunny pop, with plenty of reverb and intricate beats, even incorporating some Portishead textures along the way. Their Disclosure track, ‘Help Me Lose My Mind,’ is the stand out in this 17 track album, with the dulcet hip hop of ‘When We Were Young’ and their cover of Kavinsky’s electro anthem ‘Nightcall’ running it close, but the rest of the album is just as stylish and polished.
Look and Listen
Rolling Stone Third Anniversary Mixtape Indie/Eclectic I rollingstoneme.com For more Album Reviews go to www.infusion.ae
Getting to grips with the local music scene can be a bit tricky – with no focused hub, venue or online platform, it can sometimes feel a bit disparate. Which can be frustrating, as the talent is clearly out there as this compilation proves, but thanks to red tape, the expat culture and various other factors, most local bands don’t get the lift or support they need or deserve. So big ups to Rolling Stone Middle East for compiling this sprawling 27 compilation spanning indie, rock, blues, metal, hip hop and more from across the region. Highlights are many, but include Beirut’s answer to the White Stripes, The Wanton Bishops, kicking things off with a smoldering, scuzzy rock and blues number, & The Centurions proving that nimble electro rock isn’t just the perverse of Foals, and Dubai’s Bull Funk Zoo delivering a rumbling bassline fueled funk stomp. And the best bit? It’s free, entirely gratis, from the Rolling Stone website. Go get it now!
PRESENTS
FRIDAY BRUNCH Showcasing a range of live stations while you soak up the sun… or take a soak in the pool… with some surprise entertainment.
AED 295 inclusive of house wines and spirits
2PM TO 6PM
FT. DA SENDRI
Free entry and pool access
FACEBOOK.COM/INFUSIONM A G A Z I N E
W W W.I N F U S I O N . A E
MEET YOUR PROMOTER
Our series continues this issue, and we take a look into the hip hop and urban world, where No.1 Events have been making their mark for as long as we can remember. We caught up with main man Kit Kheedo for an insight Who are you and what do you do?Â
I’m one of the most ancient people you could ever meet with a bloodline that stems over 10,000 years (no joke). I am half Egyptian and half Babylonian and my name is Kit Kheedo. Born and raised in West London, I decided to take a leap of faith back in 2006 to this city I now call home. I am the founder of No.1 Events and as it stands we have the longest consecutive running Urban night in Dubai called No.1 Fridays (which turns 5 on December 20th 2013 ) that has won 3 Timeout Dubai Nightlife awards for Best Urban Night in 2010, 2011 & 2013.
– NO. 1 EVENTS Need to know Running since: 2008 Run by: Kit Kheedo Artists played: Miss Dynamite, Wiley, Heartless Crew, So Solid Crew, Lethal B Local Residents: Brooklyn, Eric Francis, Shero, Dean Curtis Venues worked at: Elegante, Sensation, N’Dulge, XL Beach Club, Rixos, 2Liv
What events do you currently run?
Diamond Wednesdays at XL Beach Club every Wednesday, Identity at N’Dulge every Thursday and No.1 Fridays at N’Dulge every Friday.
What’s the key ingredient to building a good brand and promoting?
I have always believed that you need a core following that appreciate what it is you do and that doesn’t mean how many people you have on BBM, BookFace, Insta or Bitter. Although social media plays a major role in promoting events now, you have to remember that before all these avenues were available to the industry we had to graft and call people up directly to invite them to the nights. It’s important to have a relationship with the people that come and support you week in
week out. Customer service is ‘KEY’, the right music is ‘KEY’ and the right act and DJs are ‘KEY’ as well as having the right team. Building a brand from scratch is never easy but persistence and patience is ‘KEY’. My job is to provide clubbers a great night out and an experience that makes them forget about work, breakups, heartache and so on... Another important factor is to always bring something fresh to the region whether it be new concepts or new acts and DJs that have never been here before.
What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?
Investing money with a thieving club owner. I got my money in the end through unconventional methods, but I left behind 2 successful nights I built from the ground up at a club that no one knew of.
And the biggest success?
Definitely being recognised in the nightlife industry and winning 3 out of 4 Timeout awards. The expression ‘Hard work pays off’ really is a testament to my story. In all fairness I never thought I’d win any off them, but I feel truly blessed that I have. I do this for the love of entertainment and music. Being acknowledged makes it all worth while.
Do promoters in Dubai take enough risks?
Every event a promoter starts is a risk with the amount of clubs available to your direct target audience. When No.1
Events started No.1 Fridays in December of 2008, we and only one other urban night ran on a weekend. Today there over 15 urban nights being promoted on Thursday and Fridays.
What’s been the most outlandish/odd thing you’ve seen on an artist rider?
To be fair all the artists and DJs I have booked in the past have been down to earth and normal. I have yet to encounter a strange demand.
How does your day job affect what you do?
Day Job? I live, eat, dream No.1 Events. It’s 24/7 365, 366 in a leap year!
And any nightmare acts you’ve had to deal with?
Only once! Wiley is a great guy and very talented, but is notoriously known for being a nightmare. He does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants! In some nostalgic way, I appreciate the way he is and how he presents himself both personally and professionally.
What’s the best venue you’ve worked at?
The one thing I have to say is that I have always dived into the deep end. No.1 Fridays 1st home ‘Elegante’ was a 1,800 capacity venue and now at N’Dulge it’s a 2,500 capacity. White X Beach I do miss as the venue was huge, on the beach with grassy areas and we operated from 12pm – 3am.
Pro mo ters I ad mire:
Most of the acts I bring have never been here and it’s their 1st time in the region. That works in my favour because people want to see and hear artists they haven’t seen here before. I try to bring a little London to the expat Brits here and that’s why I have booked acts like So Solid, Wiley, Lethal B, Donaeo, Angel, Luck n Neat, Heartless Crew etc.... Luckily for me it’s right 99.9% of the time.
Done Events for being professional and bringing the region the right acts. Audio Tonic because they have their scene on lock. Infusion because they mix it up. Real Flava because they have social media down to a T and Alchemy Project for taking over in such a short period of time with great bookings and diversity with there shows.
Who would you most like to bring out to the region?
facebook.com/ No.1EVENTS
How do you balance what you want to see and what the crowd wants, and when have you got that wrong and right?
One Direction.... They are 5 Justin Biebers that would make me an absolute fortune, lol. I’m an Urban promoter but also a business man.
DJ Booth: Shaun Soomro We get the lowdown on the Lick My Deck founder and DJ, Shaun Soomro
One thing you might not know about me is… I’m a Leo. My worst ever job was… Trying to find my dream job. My favorite ever record is... Lil Louis - French Kiss. DJing is much like... Telling a story and trying to keep it interesting, so the people listening to you get absorbed and hang onto your every word. Dubai’s clubbing scene is... Commercial clubbing aside, it’s growing and slowly becoming more educated in underground music. I’m really proud of... My label, Lick My Deck. What track could you drop in every set? M4 - Maurizio. My biggest DJ achievement to date is... Touring Japan and having a chance to play at Tokyo’s world famous club Eleven before it closed down. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Vinyl. If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... The early 80s in New York. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Ricardo Villalobos. I’m not a politician but… Make love not war.
soundcloud.com/shaun-soomro
www.facebook.com/clubbeats
Haidz soundcloud.com/haidz Ten walls - Requiem (Original Mix) Los Suruba - Can Pilot (Juliche Hernandez Remix) Vintage Culture - Disco Nights Eric Volta, Sebastian Voigt, Forrest - Words And Chance (Original Mix) Benja (CH) - Save me (Original Mix) Andrey Exx, Fomichev - Be Good (Original Mix) Della Zouch - Rebel (Raxon Remix) Ran Salman, Ordonez, Shlomi Last Night ( Original Mix) Hector Couto - I Believe (Original Mix) Dusky - Esperanto Juggler (Original Mix)
Jay Lieutenant Deep Crates, Casa Latina
Q-Tip - Wait Up [Arista Records] Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf Red Light, Green Light Funkommunity - Dandelion What Do People Do All Day - Aim Erykah Badu - Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long J.Rocc - Thru The Tulips Damu The Fudgemunk - Colorful Storms (Ruff Instro) Metal Fingers - Peach Extract Masta Ace - Can’t Stop The Bumrush Kev Brown - Albany
A-Fax, Ravelations, mixcloud.com/A_Fax/
Yar Zaa - Rara Avis 2012 - Illusion Box Spectra sonics - Anyone out There Ital - Love Is Coming Hypnoise - Harmonic Spectrum Block Device - Never Enough Rmx Mad Maxx - Suspect Spotted Mekkanikka VS Mad Maxx - Dreams Take Over Deeper In Zen VS Mad Maxx Rainbow Body State Circuit Breakers - Congadroid
Mikey soundcloud.com/ mikey0fficial
Angger Dimas Fest. Will Brennan - Speakers ‘Bout to Blow The PartySquad & Mitchell Niemeyer - #Pantsdown Gregori Klosman - Funk it (Original) Chuckie - Sky Dive (Original Mix) Nadastorm - !!! Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (Afrojack Remix) Josue Carrera - TTMF (Original Mix) Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Dubvision - Triton GLOWINTHEDARK & Willy Monfret - Death of Triplets (Original) New World Sound & Thomas Newson - Flute
To submit your Top 10, send in the above format to andy@infusion.ae
Mr Switch 3 x DMC World Champion
DJM-900SRT & DDJ-SP1 VINYL DESTINATION DJM-900SRT 4-channel mixer with Serato sound card: PHONO inputs on every channel / PRO-DJ LINK via LAN connection / Inbuilt Serato sound card / 6 Sound Colour FX / 13 Beat Effects / Quantize / Touch sensitive X-Pad / 3-band EQ and 3-band isolator / MIDI assignable DDJ-SP1 add-on controller for Serato DJ*: Plug-and-play control of Serato DJ / Performance Pads with Velocity Mode / MIDI assignable / Syncable six slot sample bank / Auto Loops, Manual Loops and Loop Roll / Slicer to chop up tracks and create new arrangements Vinyl DJs, look no further. The DJM-900SRT four-channel mixer is the versatile solution that boasts PHONO inputs on every channel – so turntables can sit alongside CDJs for effortless switching between sources. Plus, the mixer’s inbuilt Serato sound card gives you the option of mixing music from Serato DJ via control disc (CD/VINYL).
Combine with the DDJ-SP1 add-on controller to enjoy seamless access to Serato DJ’s four decks and inspiring performance features, including six syncable samples, multiple loop options and a slicer. Set the software free with the tactile Performance Pads – which put dynamic triggering of samples, hot cues and loops at your fingertips.
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PioneerDJGlobal * The DDJ-SP1 does not have an inbuilt Serato sound card; it requires connection to a Serato sound card or hardware containing one.
PIONEER-MEA.COM
Looking
CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and jiberish...
> Weird News > Eat, Sleep, Rave Repeat > Movies > Christmas Hit List > Angry Monkey
Looking Closer
Weird News... Light fantastic
Houses decked in so many Christmas lights they’re a distraction to jumbo jets are the bane of many people’s lives, but thank your lucky stars you’re not living opposite The Richards family in Canberra, Australia, as they’ve just installed over half a million Christmas lights for this year’s festivities, setting a new World Record. Having previously held the record for 330,000 lights, only to lose it to a New York family, Mr Richards decided to go all out this year, and is raising money for a children’s charity, with the local green energy company helping out with the extra Dhs8000 a month electricity costs. We don’t think Santa will have a problem finding that house…
WEIRD PIC Residents of a Merseyside housing estate are worried that property prices may droop – after realising it looks like a giant penis on Google Maps
A real doughnut
A Florida man has been arrested for pretending to be a policeman trying to get cheap doughnuts from Dunkin’ Donuts. Charles Barry, 48, regularly flashed a fake badge to workers at a Dunkin’ Donuts stall in Pasco County and demanded a police discount. “I did a stupid thing! I showed a badge to get the law enforcement discount of my food,” he told investigators, according to a sheriff’s report. Worker Michelle Hoeltk told deputies that Barry had even turned up at weekends with
Starting this issue, we’re sending our intrepid food critic Stephen Day out to some of the best food and nightlife joints in town. First up is the newly opened Supperclub on the Palm, but does dazzling all-white venue have a menu that can live up to its entertainment?
eat sleep rave repeat
Over the last few years Chefs have gained Rockstar-like status, so it seems fitting that a nightlife publication like Infusion would choose to send me to a venue like the Supperclub for its first ever restaurant review. The Supperclub is a world wide brand with established venues in its orginal home Amsterdam as well as L.A, San Francisco, Istanbul and London, each offering a mix of bar, restaurant, club and live entertainment. Essentially, it’s formal dining in an informal environment, with the Dubai Supperclub finding a home at the Zabeel Saray on the Palm. We arrived a little early due to our taxi drivers foot being fixed firm to the accelerator, but
this didn’t phase the hostesses waiting at the door and we were politely shown to our table. I say table in the loosest of term, the first thing you notice about the Supperclub is its relaxed atmosphere: yes there was a table, but you sit on large comfortable ice white sofas around it. We were then made even more at home by our waiter for the evening Stiaan; he explained the concept was all around interaction and exploration, whether it was whilst eating or just taking in the sights and sounds. He handed over the menu and pointed out that most dishes were smaller plates designed for sharing and that a few plates to start would be good rather than a traditional approach of one each.
The menu itself is an eclectic mix of Modern European, Pan Asian and a few local influences. We opted for a plate of house cured duck breast with foie gras parfait and buttermilk toast, braised veal ribs and a Burrata with muscade squash and Yemini honey. All 3 arrived separately but that’s part of the fun. The parfait was light and delicate but the duck breast was a little lost on the plate, the ribs whilst meaty and succulent were just ribs, but the star of the show was the Burrata and muscade squash: it was an outstanding dish, perfectly balanced, light, whilst creamy, the buttery squash danced in my mouth and the honey cut through the lot. Oh and I’m not sure what Stiann idea of small plates is as each portion size was more than adequate and excellent value for money, I think 2 between 2 is fine for a couple.
For the mains, I opted for the half loin of lamb with grilled aubergine and my guest the chicken, roast onion and cep gnocchi, both arrived plated up to easily share. The lamb was beautifully cooked as was the rest of the dish, but the menu had promised ginger, soy and miso which was slightly lacking. The chicken on the other hand fully delivered, earthy, vibrant and packed full of herby flavor. During this time the entertainment started and we were greeted by a fantastic magician at our table who did a few slight of hand tricks, including an amazing one that blew my mind, I’m still trying to work out how he did it.
When it was time for desert, we ordered the chocolate fondant (a test for any kitchen) and it arrived warm, gooey and opulent as you would hope. I had plumped for the Williams pear with caramac mousse and orchard granite, a lovely way to end the meal, crisp, sharp and just the right balance of fruit, cream and ice. Then the evenings entertainment really kicked off, firstly with an acrobatic display high above the diners and then as the evening’s DJ really got into his stride. There had been house playing all night but it turned up a notch around 10.30pm. Later in the evening the tables are removed, meaning we were free to chill out or get up and dance. After the amount of food eaten the latter wasn’t really an option for us! So bottom line, if you take away the experience does the food hold up and would I return: the answer is a definite yes. Perhaps I would choose a little wiser from the menu but the Burrata and squash alone would make the long journey out to the end of the western crescent of the Palm worth it of me. Add into the mix that you have a table in a club environment for the rest of the night and there is no one rushing you out the door, the Supperclub delivers a truly unique experience for Dubai and one worth checking out. Supperclub, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, The Palm, 04 451 1100, facebook.com/SupperclubDubai, reservations@supperclubdubai.com
MOVIE Dubai Film Festival Special 12 Years a Slave Hard-hitting period piece following Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York then sold into the South’s slave trade. Showing at Dubai Film Festival, Monday December 9, 4.45pm, tickets from dubaifilmfest.com Classification: PG-15 Director: Steve McQueen Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender
Inside Llewyn Davis
More leftfield goodness from the Coen Brothers, this time focusing on a 1960s folk singer in the heart of Greenwich Village as he battles a New York winter and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Showing at Dubai Film Festival, Saturday December 14, 4.45pm, Madinat Theatre, tickets from dubaifilmfest.com Classification: PG 13 Director: Coen Brothers Starring: Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake
PREVIEWS Nebraska
An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize. Showing at Dubai Film Festival, Thursday December 12, 9.30pm, Madinat Theatre, tickets from dubaifilmfest.com Classification: PG 15 Director: Alexander Payne Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb
The Secret Life of Walter Heart-warming big screen re-work of the 1947 classic, as the day-dreaming Walter Mitty escapes into a world of fantasies, heroism, romance and danger, before embarking on a very real global journey to save his job, and get the lady. Showing at Dubai Film Festival, Tuesday December 10, 4.30pm, Madinat Theatre, tickets from dubaifilmfest.com Classification: PG 15 Director: Ben Stiller Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott
Disclaimer: Film release schedules are subject to change, please check reelcinemas.ae, grandcinemas.com and voxcinemas.com for full schedules.
DECEMBER 12
So, you’re stuck for ideas, and the internets is offering far too many solutions to compute, let us do some of the work for you, with this essential hit list.
Die Hard Christmas Jumpers Christmas jumpers are ace. Fact. Which makes this Die Hard Christmas Jumper, replete with John McLane’s best quotes, essential December 25 fare. And at just Dhs140, they’re a snip. So much so, that they’re nearly sold out, so get in there fast! darkbunnytees.com/products/die-hard-christmasjumper-red.html The Beats team have gone Beats back to their first big hitter, Studio 2.0 adding a more streamlined fit, an adaptive noise cancelling option which comes with a 20 hour rechargeable battery, and Beats’ trademark bass-heavy sound. Dhs1,299 from leading electronic stores.
After a wave of high end combined Serato and Traktor mixers earlier in the year, Pioneer have revealed their next wave of goodies, which keep the high end tech, but drop the prices. The Pioneer DJJ-SB is a portable, two channel controller built especially for Serato, and you can get one preordered now for its January release. And if you want something to open on the day, head for the similar but slightly better equipped DJ SR, which has an in-built soundcard, pre-mapped Serato control pads and full USB support. Pioneer DJ SB from $299 facebook.com/PioneerDJMEA
Pioneer Serato Controller
Banish tinny iPhone speakers forever with this hand-held mini speaker which packs a powerful punch. With 8 hours of playback, Bluetooth connectivity, and a solid, durable rubber casing, it’s the perfect beach afterparty companion. That and booze smuggled Jabra in your water bottles, obviously. Dhs399 from Solemate leading electronic stores.
Skatey
Walking is so 2013, get your electronic skateboard on with this remote controlled board on wheels, which is easy enough for novice skaters to get on board. And with a range of wheels and sizes, it’ll get you going along grass, sand, roads and even the beach. Available from Virgin, approx. Dhs2400
Want bass you can physically feel? Then pop on a pair of Skullcandy's Crusher range which come with their own bass slider on the left earcup, meaning you can Skullcandy maximize the bassline, and get Crusher that wasp-in-a-bottle bassline affect. $99, skullcandy.com
The Monkey loves a middle man: in my world, he’s the guy with his hands over his eyes. But what I realized after writing my last diatribe about w*nky, promoters is that when it comes to nightlife and clubbing, they’re the quintessential middle man, bringing the talent (DJs, bands etc) to the masses (erm, you lot). And there are several excellent reasons why promoters should be in business – to make money, out of a credible event, to fill a hole in the industry, to create a niche event, or even just to do something better than everybody else. But promoters should never start working because they were the fat/lonely/geeky kid at school, and they’ve worked out they can make friends by running a new night in town. Nor should promoters just use their own wealth to bring out their own personal hit list of DJs, even if there are 5 punters in the crowd – no scene or event was ever created this way. But promoters should never, ever get into the business just to collect a set of celebrity Facebook photos, with your squished fat, sweaty face pressed hard against whatever C-list talent you’ve persuaded to play your shoddy event.
Monkey Out...
The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.
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