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We’re pumped for the new XDubai skatepark coming to Kite Beach in the very near future.
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Guestlist blaggers. Support the event, buy a ticket, don’t be a cheapskate.
OUR PARTNERS People being born in the late 90s getting famous. Aren’t they, like, 12? One Big Vibes and One Big Friday? Someone’s run out of Big Ideas we think...
BLACK LIST
SAY WHAT? RUMOURS John Digweed is rumoured to be coming back to town soon. Wiz Khalifa and Chris Brown are said to be signed up to perform out here soon. Paul Van Dyk has been confirmed for a show at Zero Gravity in April.
OLD JOKES HOME Question: What’s brown and rhymes with Snoop? Answer: Dr. Dre
DANCEFLOOR DICTIONARY Textpectation: The anticipation when you’re waiting for a text reply or WhatsApp.
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WE LOVE Piknic Electronik
One of Newton’s less well known laws is that the older you get, the harder it is to stay up. So as long in the tooth clubbers, we’re very happy that daytime global festival Piknic Electronik is back for its 2nd season in town. A family friendly sunshine party that runs from 1-9pm at the Montgomerie, the bi-weekly Saturday event has a strong line up including French house/techno star Sébastien Léger, Watergate resident Ruede Hagelstein, techno don Michael Mayer and – our pick of the bookings – Claptone who had one of the biggest hits of 2015 with his Gregory Porter remix. They’ve teamed up with local promoters including audio tonic and Deep Like with their resident DJs providing the opening sets. Musically, expect a deep, tech-laced day/night of house music while you sit back and enjoy the sunshine surrounded by the sumptuous greenery of the Montgomerie. Life’s tough in Dubai sometimes...
Saturday February 6, Miss Melera, Jan Blomqvist, Jixo & Danz, tickets from Platinumlist.net
FRI, 5 TH FEBRUARY
LOOKING
BACK
Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.
• WHAT WE DID • PHOTO GALLERY
Looking Back
What we did
RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY & ONE BIG VIBES FEAT. JAMIE WOON @ MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE Red Bull not only gives you wings, it’s also responsible for some of the best gigs in town over the last year – Dam Funk, Nicolas Jaar and now Jamie Woon were all part of Red Bull partnerships. The first big night out of 2016 got off to a cracking start with Freshly Ground hosting 3 local live acts, with the softly sung Physical Graffiti our pick, before Bahraini one man band Cosmo took to the stage and instantly upped the tempo. Armed with a laptop, keyboard and mic, he migrated through several genres before finding his range with some slamming house tracks that got the growing crowd moving. There was just time for birthday boy James Locksmith to drop a quick set (anyone who opens with Bjork is a winner in our books) before Jamie Woon took to the stage, armed with a full band including a pair of male backing singers. It took a while for this neosoul to find its range, but once he dropped ‘Night Air’ the crowd got into the groove. The second half of the show proved why he’s so highly thought of as ‘Sharpness’ from new album Making Time and ‘Lady Luck’ closed out the show in funky style, including a brilliant segue into a cover of Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance.’ Living in Dubai has many, many benefits, but intimate open-air shows with acts like Jamie Woon are one of the best.
MIAMI GRILL @ PURO BEACH UAE, JEBEL ALI RESORT & SPA With a stunning Infiniti pool and beach front surrounded by cabanas, a bar, DJ Booth and barbecue, we were spoilt for choice as to where to base ourselves for the opening of Puro’s Saturday brunch concept. Once ensconced in our beach Cabana and with bottomless jugs of Sangria in hand, we tackled the food. Brunch was an array of freshly prepared Surf & Turf from the grill and salads and desserts, with Jon Besant soundtracking the affair with his usual blend of soulful, funky house classics. Jebel Ali may be a minor trek out of their bubble for some, but Puro Beach UAE is well worth it, and with a Sea Plane on standby to ferry party-goers directly in from Abu Dhabi or Dubai, you can even make the journey in style. Vip Patel
Looking Back
DEEP CRATES CARTEL FEAT. GENERAL LEVY @ VELOCITY It’s been 22 years since General Levy released his hit single “Incredible” alongside M-Beat and the Ragga/Jungle veteran proved he can still pull a crowd as Dubai’s Reggae and DnB heads witnessed an energetic performance at Deep Crate Cartel’s new home. Dubijad, El Frezidante and Break DJ Lobito threw down a balanced mix of Hip hop, Reggae & Jungle on warm up duties, including a well received series of custom dub plates. General Levy grabbed the Mic around 1am, and the crowd erupted. Displaying the same levels of energy he did over 20 years ago, The Wickeder General put on a high octane performance that had the crowd skankin’. The night’s highlight was obviously when ‘Incredible’ was dropped… then rewound and everyone in the venue “tried” to sing along. Wicked wicked. Vip Patel
dysfunktion presents
DEIAN MAKS
TOBIE ALLEN JU LOVETT FRI 12 FEB
SQUARE NIGHTCLUB
JW MARRIOTT MARQUIS
10PM-3AM ENTRY: FREE GUEST LIST B4 12AM / AED 100 AFTER RESERVATIONS +971 50 152 9241
DECIBEL FEAT. BASTIAN BUX @ Q UNDERGROUND
HOUSE OF AFRIKA @ DEK ON 8
ONE BIG VIBES FEAT. JAMIE WOON @ MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE
MIAMI GRILL @ PURO BEACH
LOOKING
FORWARD
Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...
• LOCAL NEWS •IT’S A PACHA PARTY •5 MINUTES WITJ PIG & DAN • DADDY COOL
Looking Forward
Local News JUDGE JULES LAYS DOWN THE LAW
XL’s Mega Brunch is back on January 29, with a full line up of food, music and mischief for 700 lunch brunchers. Ambitious brunchers can also stick around to catch UK DJ Judge Jules who’ll be playing later that night, with support from Mandal & Forbes, Andy Swift and Tango Williams. The Judge initially retired from DJing several years ago, but popular demand brought him back to the clubbing circuit. Tickets are AED150 in advance from Platinumlist.net.
ET W!LD UAE TRANCE AT EDEN NATION It’s a big month for trance fans at Zero Gravity as Gareth Emery (pictured) and Tiesto play the Marina hot spot in February. DJ Mag Top 100 star DJ Gareth Emery kick-starts the month on Thursday February 4 with his signature high energy house and trance sound before global star Tiesto headlines the next installment of DXBeach on Friday February 26.
AUDIO TONIC TAKE ON ABU DHABI
Good news capital clubbers – Dubai’s longest running house night audio tonic is now being held weekly in Abu Dhabi. The house brand have teamed up with Decadent for a weekly Thursday night party at Pearls Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel, with Mr Mr and guests on DJ duty. Not only that, but popular DXB night Urban Education have taken over the Friday night with Radio 1 DJ Rone Jaxx bringing his party-starting collection of hip hop and RnB to the capital every week.
HED KANDI AND ARMANI JOIN FORCES
One time Infusion columnist and ex-Dubai 92 DJ David Newsum is back with a brand new monthly night at Armani Prive. He’s bringing Hed Kandi back to the region on Thursday February 4 with UK house duo The Shapeshifters, while Kings of Tomorrow star Sandy Rivera is back in town on Thursday March 3.
Looking Forward FOLLOW THE HERD
Continuing the-every-night-is-house-night theme in Dubai at the moment, Movida have launched their latest venture, BlackSheep, bringing the best underground house and techno to the club every Saturday. Resident DJ Jean B is joined by a host of talented DXB DJs including Jixo & Danz and Kaytek, with ladies receiving free drinks all night long.
DUBAI JAZZ FEST ANNOUNCED
The full Jazz Festival line up has been announced, with James and Toto kick-starting proceedings on Wednesday February 24, David Gray and Chris Botti feat. Sting on Thursday February 25 and Santana (pictured) closing out proceedings on Friday 26. It’s all taking place at the Media City Amphitheatre with tickets starting from AED395.
SHIBUYA’S BACK FOR 2016 Award-winning house night Shibuya is back in action in 2016, and have hotly tipped UK DJ Emery Warman on headline duties. His tracks come with the Richie Hawtin seal of approval, while he made his name in the UK as a regular at Ministry of Sound. You can catch him, Dante and Smokingroove in action on Thursday January 28 at Square from 10pm.
Looking Forward HOOK LINE AND TINKER
Toil & Tinker, a print and design studio, are moving house and throwing a big party on Friday January 29 to celebrate. They’re taking over the Courtyard space in Al Quoz for the day, with Mo City, Rooman Latif and Paolo Martinez on deck duty, alongside food and drink stalls, live screen printing workshop and a market space for artists, designers and print makers. It’s free entry all day and runs from midday until 7pm.
ROBIN SCHULZ RETURNS German DJ Robin Schulz returns to Nasimi on Thursday February 25. The DJ shot to fame in 2014 with his remix of ‘Prayer In C’ which was one of the most Shazam’d tracks in history, while he’s also had a Grammy nomination for his Mr Probz remix. His second album was released at the end of 2015, with ‘Sugar’ doing dancefloor damage across the world. Early bird tickets are AED150 from Platinumlist.net.
WHO KILLED BRUCE LEE BACK IN DXB
Cult Beirut indie/electro band Who Killed Bruce Lee are the first 2016 booking for excellent live music night The Other Side. They headline the now monthly January 29 party at AndLounge at The Address Dubai Marina, with a full local support list to be announced. Tickets are AED100 in advance from Platinumlist.net with doors open from 9pm.
GILLES BETTER
No sooner have Red Bull given us Jamie Woon, but they’re now foisting Gilles Peterson upon us as well as part of their 3 day Red Bull Bass Camp this February. Gilles will be headlining at Industrial Avenue, a hidden venue at the Westin Dubai on Friday February 5, while Ninja Tune signings Dorian Concept Trio will play live at Tribeca for free the following night. Alongside that, there are a whole host of lectures, workshops (and rumour has it, a sweet Penthouse party) taking place across the weekend. For more info, check out redbull.com/rbmauae
a h c a P a It’sParty!
Cover Feature
Whether it’s dinner and a show, or living it up on the fabled Rooftop, Pacha continues to make its mark on the city’s nightlife scene. And they’re now open 6 nights a week, with Sin Sundays the latest night to join the brand. We caught up with their founder, Chris Wright, as well as looking at the other party options…
Sin Sundays, Chris Wright Going out on a Sunday does sound a bit sinful, how's the night going? To some people Sunday is still the weekend, so if you don’t have work the next day or you’re just not ready to face it, a cheeky Sunday night out is what you need. Sin Sundays is your last chance to have fun and have a blow out before it’s back to reality. What's the history behind the night? Sin Sunday's was actually created in our home town of Liverpool, where it broke the conventional, Saturday night out and gave the people of Liverpool who didn’t want to stay in, a place to party. Sin Sundays welcomed an A-list crowd from the start, from reality TV stars to dozens of footballer’s wives. Sin Sundays became the ultimate place to be on a
Sunday and became home to those who didn’t want the weekend to ever end. In 2010 we took Sin Sundays to Ocean Club Ibiza, extending the brand both internationally and added a daytime pool party. That’s when Sin Sundays really took off, and has since then hosted events across the world including Marbella’s Plaza Beach, Belgium, Amsterdam and now Pacha in Dubai. What's the music policy and who are the Djs? The music policy is always house. We take you on a journey from funky house to deep house to Ibiza classics. DJs are Ibiza residents myself Chris Wright, Billie Clements and Tom Crane the resident DJ of Ocean Club. We also have some special guests lined up for February.
Cover Feature And why does Pacha work for you, what do you like about the venue? Pacha is a well known Ibiza icon and as Ibiza is the spiritual home of Sin Sundays it’s the perfect venue for our event. Pacha Dubai is really cool; we can host our parties on the rooftop, giving our guests a view of the amazing Dubai skyline or the more traditional club inside, which gives us the option and ability to switch up the event depending of the vibe of the evening. What are the plans for the rest of this season? And further ahead to the summer? We have a lot of things planned for 2016. In Ibiza, Sin Sundays will be returning each month to the amazing Ocean Beach Club (Ibiza’s fastest sell out pool party!) Dates are 15th May, 5th June, 3rd July, 7th August & 18th September. In Marbella, we will be hosting a Sin Sunday Brunch at Plaza Beach every month and once a month on a Friday at Aqwa Mist Nightclub. Sin Sunday's Andora and Sin Sydney will also be launching in March. Sin Sundays promises to make 2016 an unforgettable year.
The weekly line up: SIN Sundays: One of the best house nights from Ibiza to Pacha, with DJs including Chris Wright, Billie Clements and Tom Crane. Ladies receive a 7 deadly SIN cocktail on arrival.
Be Loca: Anything goes at this crazy night, with dressing up and getting down highly recommended. Expect animal costumes, high energy dance music and more.
Cherry Jam: Pacha’s famous Ladies Night on their Rooftop includes complimentary drinks for ladies, with Masterstepz, DJ Slim and Lucas Dirty dropping the smooth gooves, while J UK DJ JFUNK from Unique Parties in London headlines on January 26.
This is Pacha: Pacha’s signature weekend night with the Mainroom and Rooftop in full operation – expect house and commercial music across both floors from the Pacha Residents. And keep an eye out for the renowned Pacha dancing girls!
Pacha Wednesdays: The resident DJs – Melohman, Soulninja, Ejaz and Tom Crane - take care of Rooftop with a mix of house and commercial music.
On AIR: Classic house and disco grooves from the 80s and 90s on the Rooftop as the residents take you back in time.
Pacha Ibiza Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, pacha.ae, 04 567 0000
5 MINUTES WITH PIG & DAN From working with The Stone Roses and Depeche Mode, to Drum and Bass sets, to finally finding their feet as big room techno DJs and producers, it’s been a long and interesting ride for Pig & Dan. Interview: Stu Todd
Plus Minus feat. Pig & Dan, Friday January 29, Level 41, Media One Hotel, 10pm-3am, tickets from AED80, Platinumlist.net
What were your highlights and low points of 2015? All in all it‘s been another amazing year as far as our progression as producers and DJs. One of the biggest highlights was finishing our brand new album “Modular Baptism” which is due for release in March 2016. Also, we’ve had an insane year of touring and broke all records for the most amount of travel since we started this many years back. Only in the last three months we’ve managed to circumnavigate the earth more than three times. During these incredible travels we’ve had some unforgettable experiences behind the decks. ith techno being a staple W of your back catalogue, you also have a varied musical interest. Tell us about some of your other projects (James Brown is Annie) We both learned how to work in studios through working on music in different genres. I (Dan) worked with a lot of pop bands in the late 80s such as The Cure, Stone Roses and Depeche Mode and Igor worked more in the rock domain with German bands based in Bavaria. After that, I worked in Drum & Bass for over ten years and was signed to Goodlooking Records and toured as a DJ globally with LTJ Bukem and Fabio. Igor went straight in to the House and Techno scene
and played all over as himself and also put on parties that were renowned for their musical purity and underground locations. In 1999 we both met each other on a plane and started to work together as a team a couple of years later. We worked mostly in the techno realm however a couple of years ago decided to involve our other influences and released a double down tempo album on Bedrock Records titled “Destination Unknown”. You haven’t played in the UAE for around 5 years. Have you been keeping up to date with the scene here? The last time was just electric when playing in Dubai. We extended the set because the crowd were so energetic and open to hearing different sounds. We very much like to play non-linear sets and pull in a lot of different styles thus keeping folk on their toes so to speak. We are all about dynamics and hope that the crowd down there are just as they were the last time. What can we expect from your set at Plus Minus’ first party of 2016? Ups and downs and all arounds. As I said above, we like to build a story and keep people focussed, if not lost in the music. We very much enjoy building up a set instead of just coming in full steam ahead.
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Becoming a Dad isn’t the death knell for your clubbing and DJing career, as (soon to be) father of two Andy Buchan explains Parenthood: the moment when you cash in whatever cool you had, adopt a bleary-eyed zombie walk through life and ditch your deep house tunes in favour of endless Peppa The Pig re-runs. Honestly, no. I thought the same. Creating and looking after a newborn human life is the best job in the world (oh, hey Lyla!). And it’s tough, impossibly tough when you’re in the middle of a 48 hour tantrum and it’s coming out of both ends like a Mr Whippy machine gone bad. But it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had, and nearly 2 decades of clubbing mean that I’m well equipped to handle the pressures of parenting...
Staying up late Sure, you might have had endless Vodka Redbulls and a pumping soundtrack to keep you awake when you were younger, but now you have a Nespresso machine mainlining to your arteries and a screaming baby. Who. Will. Not. Let. You. Sleep. So. Deal. With. It. And smile. And breathe. Always breathe. Oh, and make that a Nespresso Martini, actually. The mess Anyone who’s hosted a proper after party knows the biblical mess involved. There are enough leftover drinks to make Patsy and Edina blush, there are randoms that even the randoms don’t know on the sofa and takeaway pizza hanging from the lampshade. Fast forward to your 1 year old child, and the only difference is the randoms: you know them all as Charlie, Aria and Josh and you willingly – willingly and under the influence of nothing stronger than Panadol – invited them round for a play date. Madness. The music So, yeah. Peppa Pig will lurch in your head like a predatory earworm, and you’ll catch yourself humming it in the supermarket, only noticing when fellow parents give you a pity smile down the baby food aisle. But, on the flip side, babies and toddlers love new music. And babies and toddlers don’t get upset when you have a 4 bar loop to your new track on repeat, and then soundcheck your kick/hi hat combo for 30 relentless minutes. See, wife, Lyla likes my music! Ahem.
Down the club An unfortunate by-product of being a DJ Dad is that I occasionally have to go to work. At night. In a club, with fun, cool people. I know, it sucks, but someone has to do it. This does not mean I don’t wish I was at home with my wife, falling asleep infront of the TV with beans on toast in a vest on at 8.30pm on a weekend having power-drank my way through a bottle of wine, but work is work, no matter how unpleasant the calling might be. The feed Cunningly, you can combine your re-entry back into the civilized world at 4am with a night feed. The sight of your baby can do one of two things: send you into a somnambulistic snooze in his/her cot, or you’re still hyper and get him/her up for play times Both have bad outcomes, for everyone, including your soon-to-kick-in-hangover. But your intentions were from the heart, just like offering your Little One a bite of your Burger King Whopper meal that you’ve trudged home with. The wife None of this – quite literally – would be possible without your other half. So thanks, Stef, for indulging my hobby and 2nd career and thanks for picking up the slack the next morning when I’m snoring blissfully in bed. There’s a weekend away with your name on it very, very soon.
Tim ‘Woodle’ Woodstock The first few weeks lure you into a false sense of ‘my baby is an angel and will sleep forever’... And then the first post-gig hangover kicks in, seemingly triple dropped with a puking baby, “Mummy’s lie in” and a desperate lack of bacon. Dubijad, Deep Crates Cartel Things that stay the same: ‘Repetitive and annoying tune requests by your child or drunk obnoxious girl...’ Shaun Warner I tried to prioritize things in my life to work out how I’d do everything I wanted to. Spending time watching TV is the biggest loser but I’m pretty happy with that. The best advice I would give anyone is invest in a good pair of headphones. My little guy sleeps in the studio and when he goes to sleep, I get to work. My Beyerdynamic DT 990 have virtually no sound leakage and amazing clarity. Perfect for mix downs. With regards DJing, try to plan your re-entry into the house in time for the dream feed. It’ll prevent one of you having to get up and in the middle of the night and probably earn you some brownie points. Mark Pickup It’s great to have some events like ‘Piknic Electronic Dxb’ where you can combine the 2 together and actually bring your boy/girl to watch you play. My son loves coming in my studio, every time he is in there he picks up my drum sticks and plays on my drum machines or he jumps on the synths (literally). You can’t beat Father/Son dance offs to house music!
ON THE RADAR FEBRUARY 11 REDFEST FEAT. STEVE AOKI Media City Amphitheatre
FEBRUARY 19 AUDIO TONIC FEAT. KOLOMBO 360
BACK2BASICS FEAT. SATOSHI TOMIIE
FEBRUARY 11 Level 41
FEBRUARY 19 HARDWELL Meydan
FEBRUARY 12 REDFEST FEAT. 50 CENT Media City Amphitheatre
FEBRUARY 24 JAZZ FESTIVAL FEAT. TOTO Media City Amphitheatre
FEBRUARY 19 GUY GERBER Eden Beach Club
FEBRUARY 25 EDDIE HALLIWELL Chameleon Club
For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae
FEBRUARY 25
MARCH 5
BACK2BASICS FEAT. JAMES ZABIELA
PIKNIC ELECTRONIK FEAT. CLAPTONE
FEBRUARY 25 ROBIN SCHULZ Nasimi
MARCH 10 JOHN DIGWEED Pacha Ibiza Dubai
FEBRUARY 26 TIESTO Zero Gravity
MARCH 17 DARA O’BRIAIN World Trade Centre
FEBRUARY 26 JACKMASTER Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE
MARCH 24 UB40 & BILLY OCEAN Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Level 41
Montgomerie Dubai
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, Nasimi, Story Rooftop, Y Not Lounge, Bliss Lounge, Zinc, Cinnamon - Raddison, La Terrasse, Fashion Lounge, OcactI, The Scene
THURSDAY 28 Simple Minds, Dubai Tennis Stadium 80s anthems from the Scottish rock band behind tracks like ‘Don’t You’ and ‘Belfast Child.’ 8pm, tickets AED225.
INFUSION PICK! Shibuya feat. Emery Warman, Square The award-winning house night returns for its monthly party with hotly tipped UK techno star Warman on headline duties. 10pm-3am, AED100.
INFUSION PICK! Back2Basics feat. Dave Seaman, Level 41 Dave Seaman brings his classic 90s/2000s house sounds to Back2Basics for their 3rd weekly party. 10pm-3am, ladies free until midnight, AED120.
Andy Daniell, Zero Gravity House music from the long term Defected resident (and their youngest ever resident DJ when he signed up back in 2003). 6pm-3am, free before 10pm, ladies free before midnight, AED100.
FRIDAY 29 Audio tonic feat. Montel, 360 House music all night long as UK DJ Montel (Knee Deep In Sound) headlines, with support from Mr Mr and Rich Showell. 4pm-3am, free entry. INFUSION PICK! Dennis Ferrer & Magdalena, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE House music from the American DJ behind huge hit ‘Hey Hey’ with Diynamic signing Magdalena on support. 11am-late.
House of Afrika David Craig, Dek on 8 One of our favourite local DJs takes over the decks, offering up deep, soulful house vibes. 6pm3am, free.
The Four Fighters, Music Room Expect classics like ‘This Is A Call’ and ‘Learn To Fly’ from the Foo Fighters tribute act. 8pm-3am, AED100. INFUSION PICK! Mobilee Showcase feat. Anja Scheider, Eden Tech-house and techno from the cult label, with head honcho Anja Scheider joined by Ralk Kollmann and Ray Okpara. Midday-late.
INFUSION PICK! One Big Friday, Zero Gravity Duke Dumont, Norman Doray and Max Vangeli line up for this house/EDM heavy weight line up. 3pm-3am, free before 6pm, AED 150 after. INFUSION PICK! The Other Side feat. Who Killed Bruce Lee, AndLounge (The Address Hotel, Dubai Marina) The alternative live music night returns with Beirut indie/ electro band Who Killed Bruce Lee playing live. 9pm-3am, AED100 in advance. INFUSION PICK! Plus Minus feat. Pig & Dan, Level 41 German techno duo Pig & Dan return for another blistering set of tech-house and techno – expect a long, twisting set. 9pm-3am, tickets from AED100.
X-Loco feat. Judge Jules, XL The Mega brunch is back from midday for over 700 hungry clubbers, with UK house and trance DJ Judge Jules playing at XL later that night. 4pm-3am, AED150.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 1 The Fridge Concert Series Sergio Catalan Sergio launches his new album, Desde El Sur at this intimate musical gathering in Al Quoz. 7.30pm, AED50.
WEDNESDAY 3 Ink, Souq Al Bahar Andy Buchan joins resident DJ Olivier Garth for a night of funk, soul, nu-disco and house. 8pm2am, free.
INFUSION PICK! Gareth Emery, Zero Gravity Uplifting electronic and trance sounds from the popular UK DJ who’s a virtual ever present in the DJ Mag Top 100 poll. 6pm3am, free until 10pm, ladies free until midnight, AED100. INFUSION PICK! Hed Kandi feat. The Shapeshifters, Armani Prive The global record label and party provider is back with UK house duo The Shapeshifters (the guys behing huge club hit ‘Lola’s Theme’) headlining. 10pm-3am, AED150.
Original Sound feat. Fabio Florido, Square Tech-house and techno from the Italian DJ signed to Enter and Minus, with support from Dante and Daniele Travali. 10pm-3am, AED100, ladies free before midnight.
Repeat/Rewind, Level 41
THURSDAY 4 Dannic, MAD (Yas Island) Dutch house from one of Hardwell’s frequent collaborators who has over a million Facebook fans. 10pm-late.
The Back2Basics residents Jean B and Ilona Maras take control of the night from start to finish. 10pm-3am.
Brazilian Spirit, Dek on 8 It’s a Carnaval celebration, with live music from Brazilian Beatz and DJ Anderson Lima. 6pm3am, free entry.
Sunstroke feat. Soul Central, 360 The popular funky, soulful house monthly returns, with Andy Ward and Timmy Vegas on DJ duties. 6pm-3am, free.
FRIDAY 5 INFUSION PICK! Afrocentric feat. Ralf Gum, Square A new monthly house night focusing on Afro House, with soulful, tribal house star Ralf Gum headlining alongside live vocals from Monique Bingham. 10pm-3am, free entry.
Dannic, White Dubai Dutch house from one of Hardwell’s frequent collaborators who has over a million Facebook fans. 10pm-late.
House of Afrika feat. Soph-Eye Richards, Dek on 8 Hugely talented female DJ and live vocalist Soph-Eye drops deep, Afro, soulful house jams. 6pm-3am, free.
Iman Baildi, The Music Room Greek hip hop/Cumbia act Baildi brings her pop/electro sound
to the UAE, having had several albums in the European World Music Charts. 8pm, AED160 advance.
Lee Foss, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Deep house from the Hot Creations co-founder and US DJ. 11am-late.
Plus Minus feat. Edu Imbernon & Los Suruba, Level 41 It’s a Spanish take over as ANTS residents Los Suruba are joined by Imbernon for a 6 hour house and tech-house session. 9pm, tickets from AED80.
SATURDAY 6
INFUSION PICK! Piknic Electronik feat. Jan Blomqvist & Miss Melera, The Montgomerie Dubai The day time house and techhouse festival returns to a new home at The Montgomerie Golf Club. Tickets from Platinumlist.net
Teke Teke Extravaganza, Music Room A night of rock reggae roots as Kenyan artist Mbusii makes his Dubai debut with support from DJ Prince. 8pm, AED75.
LOOK AND
LISTEN
Music be the food of love, so read on...
• MUSIC NEWS • HEAR AND NOW • DJ BOOTH •MUSIC THAT MATTERS
Look and Listen
Music News BOWIE BOUNCES BACK
We might all still be in musical mourning, but David Bowie’s music has bounced back up the charts, with his albums taking No.1, No.2 and the No.3 spot in the UK, while streams of his music have increased by over 2,000% since his death. He now holds over a quarter of the Top 40 single and album charts, testament to the love and adoration music fans held him in. RIP Starman.
ESSENTIAL ALY & FILA Egyptian duo Aly & Fila are the first trance act in more than 2 years to be asked to mix Radio 1’s Essential Mix, which airs on February 13. The pair have become one of the genre’s biggest names, with their Future Sound of Egypt 400 party in September 2015 attracting thousands of clubbers to the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Look and Listen
HEAR AND NOW Taking care of your ears isn’t just a nice idea, it’s essential unless you want to end up with permanent hearing damage. Which is why we’ve started our Earplug Campaign to get as many clubbers and DJs wearing earplugs as possible. It’s easy to do, can cost as little as AED50 and will make sure you can still enjoy your Guetta and Garrix when you’re 70. Words: Matt Zaharias
“People who experience tinnitus describe hearing intertwining sounds like ringing, hissing, roaring, crickets, screeching, sirens, whooshing, static, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, clicking, dial tones and even music.�
We’ve all experienced ringing in our ears the day after a gig – this is temporary tinnitus, an audible warning sign that you’ve been exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound. Repeating this every weekend is a sure fire way to end up with serious hearing damage. And you’d be joining a rather impressive club if you did: Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter stopped DJing because of it, while Carl Craig, Yousef and Eats Everything have suffered from its effects for years. I first noticed my ears had been damaged several years ago when I did a hearing test online for a bit of fun – everything was normal up until the 14 kHz point (a high pitched Mosquito sort of noise), but then I couldn’t hear any of the tones after that in my right ear. The generally accepted maximum safe level for listening is 85dB, with clubs in the city regularly clocked at over 100dB, which means only 15 minutes of fun before you risk damaging your ears. It’s easy enough to find yourself listening to music at this volume when you’re
out and about, even without intending to. The music might be low when you arrive, but as more and more people fill the venue, the volume is increased to counteract the background hum of the club filling up and it’s certainly not helped by the mediocre resident DJ who redlines his mixer to try and make his bland deep house sound better. After scaring myself with the hearing test, I decided to do what I should have done when I started clubbing regularly: head down to an audiologist and have some impressions taken for custom ear plugs. After discussing my concerns with the audiologist, he took a baseline hearing test and confirmed my suspicions – my right ear has a minor loss in hearing, centred on the 4000 Hz band, which was attributed to loud music from gigs. In the grand scheme of things though, it could have been much worse. The next step was the actual impressions of the ear. This is done by squeezing a special foam mixture into and around the ear canal, which then
Look and Listen hardens and is removed, creating a perfect mould of your ear. Vienna Trading in Bur Dubai (04 396 5585) will create a pair of custom earplugs for AED500 that you can pick up 3-4 days later. Alternatively, get your mould from any audiologist (Mediclinic at Dubai Mall, 04 449 5111), and mail them to ACS in the UK (acscustom.com/uk, 4-5 week delivery time) who will keep a 3D scan of the moulds on file, so that when you do lose them you don’t need to go through the whole process again. There are a range of filters available: -15dB, -25dB and -35dB, with -15dB the norm for DJs and clubbers. The filters are designed to be as flat as possible in frequency response – so the -15dB filters
Custom-fit uniform attenuation earplugs consist of a button-sized filter attached to the outer end of a sillicone earplug moulded to the shape of your ear canal
overall effect when you put them in is like someone has just turned the volume down. The difference is incredible. With the -15dB filters, I spent a whole night at a gig and had no ringing the next day. I didn’t notice any real loss in sound fidelity, and strangely enough, it even made it easier to hear conversations on the dance floor. The ear plugs are made from medical grade silicone, and once they’d been in for about 5 minutes I barely noticed them until the end of the night, well after I’d left the club. Since then, they’ve gone with me to every gig and are an indispensable piece of kit – even after three days straight at a music festival my ears have held up fine, and they’re comfortable to wear, even under headphones. When your ears are your career, you have to protect them. Permanent tinnitus is no joke and even minor hearing loss can be enough to affect the quality of your mixing and EQing. If you can’t get your hands on a pair of custom ear plugs, then the next best thing are off the shelf hearing protectors – check out desertcart.ae for their range of earplugs. Although they’re not as comfortable, the frequency response is still good and much better than shoving a bit of wet toilet paper in your ears.
Listen up - DXB DJs on why earplugs matter Raxon The best money I’ve ever spent. The most important thing is to make sure you have the option to have it as a digital mould as well so they can get it sent to you anywhere in the world when you lose them, because you will lose them many times. Marko Smokingroove The best and most important money spent in your DJ career. Thomas Ferguson (Barasti) I had some moulded and customised around 7 years ago, an essential bit of kit but don’t take them out until you are well clear of the club. They can only protect you from sound levels and harmful frequencies your ears haven’t yet been exposed to. I’ve seen a few people take them out when they finish whilst still stood in the booth or not put them in until they play their first song, the damage has already been done! Mark Pickup I use them not only when DJing but also when in a club. The proper moulded ones are quite pricey but well worth it and I can’t recommend them enough to not only DJs but to all you dance floor enthusiasts also. Matthew Charles Amazingly I’ve had the same set for nearly ten years now. I struggled to use them at first but persevered. The key is to wear them an hour or so before you get to the club so your ears and you get used to the feel and sound so once you get to the club it doesn’t feel like you’re in a separate space from everybody else. I haven’t been so militant in wearing them in the last couple of years, especially in outdoor venues and on boats but I’m on damage limitation now not prevention. If your ears are still good get them and get used to them, your older self will thank your younger self much further down the line.
DJ BOOTH: NINA KAY
Puro Beach’s resident DJ talks us through her love of the 90s, her shoe addiction and why she’d go back-to-back with Fatboy Slim
One thing you might not know about me is… That I drive like a Formula 1 driver. My favourite ever record is…Haddaway ‘What is Love,’ I love 90s dance music DJing is much like… Connecting with people through music. I’m really proud of… The support of my family and friends, without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today – they have always encouraged me to strive to achieve my goals. What track could you drop in every set? There are many, but I would drop some of Jess Glynn’s music and for some deep house Sonic Future’s ‘For Me,’ I love it! I can’t live without…Music! I listen to music each day whether I’m having a good or bad day, the power of music can change my mood. I can’t even imagine the world without music. My biggest DJ achievement to date is…That in one week I had gigs booked in 4 different countries. It was nonstop flights from the Middle East, Asia and Europe. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Buying that third, fourth or even fifth pair of shoes! Even though I have the same style at home! If you could DJ in any decade which would it be…. The 1990s, as it was the time that dance music inspired me. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Many names that spring to mind, but it would be Fatboy slim. I’m not a politician but… And I never will be that’s why I play music and music is peace.
soundcloud.com/nina-kay-official
Look and Listen
MUSIC THAT MATTERS PAUL MENDEZ – YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO
Hard hitting electro with a big drop from the DXB resident and tune maker. soundcloud.com/paul-mendez/paulmendez-you-know-what-to-do-preview
Sultry nu-disco from the Abu Dhabi beatmaker, out now on popular label Prison Entertainment. soundcloud.com djsneakypetesmusic/ CHAD PHUNK – HOUSE BEATS BASS PODCAST
The Abu Dhabi DJ delivers the 2nd installment of his podcast, a smooth 65 minute journey that includes tracks from Florian Muller and Hamo. soundcloud.com/dj-chadphunk/housebeats-bass-podcast-002 MATTHEW CHARLES – EMBODIED
More driving, bouncy tech house from Matthew Charles which just claimed the Traxsource Techno No.1. Out now on Konneqt. soundcloud.com/konneqt/matthewcharles-embodied-1
Send tracks/edits/remixes to: andy@infusion.ae
PYM – LIVING FOR TODAY
JEFTY – RAISE THE BAR
DXB label Box Logic release the latest Jefty track, a bumping tech-houser with Jibberish on vocal duties. https://soundcloud.com/box-logic-records/ jefty-ft-jibberish-raise-the-bar-original-mix JOHN SPOOR LIVE AT 360
Soulful, funky house mix recorded live from 360 by Dubai DJ John Spoor. hearthis.at/john-spoor-360-live/ EJAZ – LIVE AT GROOVE ON THE GRASS
Re-live the magic of NYE with this atmospheric, chill out set that kick-started the Richie Hawtin night. soundcloud.com/ejazdxb/live-groove-onthe-grass-31122015 MARKO SMOKINGROOVE – BASEMENT BEATS VOLUME 8
Marko continues his mix series with this up-beat, chunky house mix featuring cuts from Emery Warman, Butch and Ninetoes. soundcloud.com/marko-smokingroove/ basement-beats-vol-8 CHIC – GOOD TIMES (OLIVIER GARTH REMIX)
House remix of the Chic classic that has a nice acid undertone and makes sparing use of the vocal. Free download. soundcloud.com/oliviergarth/good-timeschic-olivier-garth-remix
LOOKING
CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...
•WEIRD NEWS • THE SPIN • COOL TEST • EAT SLEEP RAVE REPEAT •JUST FOR KICKS • FILMS • ANGRY MONKEY
Looking Closer
Weird News SNAKE HOLDS FAMILY OF 7 HOSTAGE
No, that’s not a made up headline or an excerpt from the next installment of Snakes on Planes – a UK family were forced to hide out in their living room after a 1m long snake slithered into their house. The reptile, left behind by the previous owners, bit the family dog and is now thought to be hibernating under the floorboards until summer. “After the attack we decided to move into the front room - all seven of us,” said the son Clint. “We went out and bought camp beds to sleep on. It is quite cramped but it’s the only room we think is totally safe.”
TOP TROLL We’ve all been there, a wrong number texts and you quickly inform them of their mistake. One joker in the UK decided to have some fun after he was (wrongly) asked to headline at a Leeds club. After confirming the start time and fee, he started putting in some unusual requests – like foxes on stage, a Jacuzzi for the DJ and a playlist that involved S Club Seven, Cher and Belinda Carlisle, before the club promoter realized he’d got the wrong number.
THE SPIN JANUARY 2016
PAGE 217
ISSUE 35
BRAND AMBASSADORS BLAMED FOR RECORD LOSSES
Stock markets were left reeling on Friday after a European sportswear giant issued a profit warning due to the spiralling costs of its brand ambassador program in Dubai. Traders watched in horror as the share price tumbled, wiping 25% off the listed value. The company’s CEO immediately responded to angry shareholders and provided the following explanation. “We started the program with a number of select individuals within Dubai’s music scene in an attempt to spread brand reputation across social media; however, we did not account for the exponential growth in DJ numbers that Dubai has experienced over the last few years and the subsequent impact on costs.” A leading regional analyst offered more detailed insight. “It’s been rumoured for a while that there are now more brand ambassadors in Dubai than actual customers and today’s announcement provides evidence to support that theory. In addition, I think the company grossly underestimated the human appetite for free stuff.” Despite the warnings, local corporations remain convinced of the brand ambassador concept: just this weekend Karama Shawarmas revealed DJ Cowboy as their new figurehead following a low key 12 hour fire work display. *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.
FREE TASTING FROM 24TH – 31ST JANUARY Grand Excelsior Hotel ( Ex Dhow Palace Hotel ) Mankhool Street, Bur Dubai. For More Info. Contact : +971 55 292 1486
TWISTED THURSDAYS BEST OF RNB, COMMERCIAL AND BOLLYWOOD
MUSIC BY DJ MAVERICK BEST BAR DEALS IN TOWN FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT VALET PARKING
EAT.DRINK.DANCE.REPEAT
Grand Excelsior Hotel ( Ex Dhow Palace Hotel ) Mankhool Street, Bur Dubai. For More Info. Contact : +971 55 292 1486
Cool Test PERFECT STORM VS KAZ MONEY The Recipe’s Perfect Storm and Kaz Money go head to head in this issue, but who’s hip hop, and who should just stop? Who’s the coolest person in your phone book? PERFECT STORM: My ex, she’s pretty cold.
KAZ MONEY: Fredwreck..
What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep? PERFECT STORM: A little over 48 hours I think.
KAZ MONEY: Probably 48 hours.
Describe your best bass face... PERFECT STORM: I describe it as a ‘can you smell that fart’ face.
KAZ MONEY: Imagine eating a dirty prune while getting punched in the belly and you get the picture.
Coolest word in the world? PERFECT STORM: It has to be the Australians favourite word. For Obvious reasons I ‘kant’ say it here.
KAZ MONEY: The F word.
Coolest DJ in the world? PERFECT STORM::Every massive DJ that headlines Dubai.
KAZ MONEY: DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Coolest track ever made? PERFECT STORM: Wu Tang Clan – ‘C.R.E.A.M.’
KAZ MONEY:‘Ice Ice Baby.’
Your best dance move is... PERFECT STORM: No dance move.
KAZ MONEY: The worm.
What’s your best claim to fame? PERFECT STORM: I stole Afrika Bambaataa’s veggie burger then took a selfie with him while he was fighting the staff about it.
KAZ MONEY: We’ve worked on a track with Mobb Deep.
It’s not big and clever but… PERFECT STORM: When it comes to creating sweet music my pen is notorious.
KAZ MONEY: I need to Google an answer for this one...
What’s your answer to everything? PERFECT STORM: I don’t know, you know what I’m sayin...
KAZ MONEY: Blind violence followed by deep regret and apology letters.
THE VERDICT:PERFECT STORM HAD US WITH HIS FIRST ANSWER YEESH!
Eat Sleep Rave Repeat
With another 5 months of beach life ahead of us, Andy Buchan got to grips with Riva Beach Club on the Palm
There are few better things in Dubai than sitting on a beach with the latest copy of Infusion Magazine, cold drink in hand, watching the world go by as you wind down the weekend. Which is exactly how we ended a recent Saturday at Riva Beach Club on the Palm. The beach was busy from early, with beds positioned for maximum tannage, as families, bronzed bodies and slightly more hungover bodies cooled themselves in the sea and the pool, including the swim up bar. We started off on the sloping beach overlooking the Burj side of the Palm, a pristine slab of sand giving you excellent Downtown views. If you are a tanning machine, the sun dips behind the Palm in the late afternoon (meaning you miss the sunset) so get there early to make the most of the Vitamin D. Musically, there was a very pleasant mix of tropical and deep house wafting over the sand while the beach BBQ almost had us floating towards the grilling station cartoon character style. With tastebuds well and truly awake, we ambled up to the restaurant at the top of the pool. A large, open white terrace with an indoor restaurant and bar, it’s a popular weekend spot, and with good reason. There’s a large Mediterranean influenced menu
with 26 starters, a huge range of artisan pizzas, 13 burgers (including an apple infused capponata) and more fish dishes than you could shake a fishing rod at. It took a while for us to decide, but thankfully the venue is fully licensed so there was an ice cold bottle of beer to help out. We plumped for the tomato and burrata salad, calamari, a medium rare tuna steak with avocado and corn salsa and a Quattro Formaggio pizza. The calamari was fresh, lightly battered and came with a fiery dipping sauce, while the Burrata was full fat creamy and came with ruby red tomato slices and was lick-your-lips good. The pizza was a rectangular work of art and generously topped with goodness: crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, it disappeared in no time. Lastly came the rich and meaty Tuna steak with sides of sweet potato fries and mashed avocado and corn – the latter might have had the consistency of baby food, but it was packed full of creamy flavour and got mopped up by the pizza crusts. With the dessert menu calling, we went for the Tiramisu and the chocolate fondant. The Tiramisu was soft and buttery, with clearly defined, generous layers. The Chocolate fondant meanwhile still has a special
place in our hearts (and tummy): the fondant burst into the melting ice cream, making a chocolate/vanilla soup that had us licking the bowl. Maybe not the high point in table manners, but needs must. With a chilled, family friendly atmosphere, hundreds of beach beds, excellent service and some great food on offer, Riva will be high on our list of weekend hang outs until the summer heat invades. Riva Beach Club, 04 430 9466 info@riva-beach.com, riva-beach.com
JUST FOR
ADIDAS NMD
We could have previewed the up-coming Jeezy range, but that would have been relatively pointless because a) there’s the rest of the internet for that and b) you’ll never bag a pair unless you have more money than sense (oh wait, this is Dubai, scrub that last point). So we’re going with the other high profile adidas launch, the NMD runner. A slip on shoe with a Primeknit woven upper and a Boost sole with red and blue blocks reminiscent of their classic 80s designs, they’re a slim-lined, ultra-light trainer that’s perfect for the Middle East. Call it good sneaker fashion, a late Christmas present to yourself or go sober for January and use the money saved to buy yourself a pair – however you do it, get involved.
MOVIE OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton go head to head as campaign strategists in this real life tale of Bolivian politics. Classification: 15 Director: David Gordon Green Starring: Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie
CONCUSSION In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play. Classification: PG 13 Director: Peter Landesman Starring: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks
PREVIEWS SISTERS Laugh out loud, gross out comedy from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler who are two sisters that decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home. Classification:15 Director: Jason Moore Starring: JAmy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Tarrantino’s 8th film is another take on the Western, as a band of bounty hunters and odd balls take shelter in a cabin from a ferocious winter storm. Classification: 18 Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh
DISCLAIMER: Film release schedules are subject to change, please check reelcinemas.ae, novocinemas.com and voxcinemas.com for full schedules.
Sharing is caring In today’s world, it’s bad enough that a laptop with internet access is all that’s required to be ‘a DJ’. The Monkey has noticed that it doesn’t have to stop there. Add a healthy dose of unabashed confidence, sprinkled with a dash of reality separation, and superstar DJ status is there for the taking. Social media will be left in no doubt of your (self) importance. Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the ‘delusional DJ’. It’s happening. Everywhere. Increasingly. Oblivious to their narcissism, these plucky upstarts attempt to elevate themselves to the status of the headliner by proclaiming to be “SHARING THE DECKS with *insert guest DJ*”. Whilst, literally speaking, you may be accurate; your semantics aren’t fooling anyone. You’re “WARMING UP for *insert guest DJ*”. Step down from your self-assembled perch and get back in your box. Embrace the warm up. Be proud of it. It isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s a lost art disappearing down a hole along with DJs who don’t know their place. Monkey Out... The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.
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