Infusion # 261: Dec 20-Jan 11 2015

AFTER HEADLINING EVERY MAJOR FESTIVAL ON THE PLANET, THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTRO AND PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DUO NERVO WILL BE MAKING THEIR FIRST EVER APPEARANCE IN UAE AT EDEN BEACH CLUB.

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If you’re looking for house music classics, tune into Jon Besant’s new show on Radio 2 from 10pm-1am every Friday for 3 hours of the good stuff.

CHARL CHAKA

Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae

ANDY BUCHAN

Editor andy@infusion.ae

VIP PATEL

Magazine / Sales Director vip@infusion.ae +971 050 169 8712

CHRIS RAYNER

Online chris@infusion.ae

PAULA MANGUEIRA Design design@infusion.ae

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Good news Ableton fans. Sign up to the Dubai Ableton User Group on Facebook before January 7, and you’ll get money off their up-coming courses. facebook.com/abletondxb 2015. It’s been a bumper year for Infusion, with HOA rocking, the magazine going from strength to strength and we’ve covered one of the best year’s for music and entertainment in the city. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to write about all the good stuff in town!

Operations Manager operations@infusion.ae

GUEST LIST

CONTRIBUTORS:

BLACK LIST

Vip Patel, Chris Rayner, Stephen Day, Stu Todd, Matt Zaharias, Sam Moult

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Leaving your 8 month old baby with the bouncer while the parents live it up by the bar and then have to be escorted out.

Facebook is now limiting some users to just 50 event invites per user. Time to look at other ways of marketing (*cough cough Infusion Magazine).

We heard on the grapevine that a high profile American DJ duo were arrrested recently after a Dubai gig...

SAY WHAT? OLD JOKES HOME An old man goes to the doctor. The doctor says, “I’m sorry, you have cancer and Alzheimer’s.”

The old man replies “Could be worse. At least it’s not cancer”.

DANCEFLOOR DICTIONARY 2ManyPJs: When the promised after party has more people chilling with Chamomile tea than downing shots and looking for mischief.

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IN A TIME BEFORE THE INTERNETS...

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WE LOVE No.1 Events

Time flies in the clubbing scene, especially when you’re running a weekly night. So to be running No.1 Fridays for well over 5 years, at a variety of venues is testament to the promoter skills of main man Kit Kheedo.

One of the leading urban nights in the city, No.1 Fridays has a crack team of residents including Brooklyn and Shero who tag team through RnB, hip hop, funky, grime and trap. They also have your mid-week clubbing sorted, with equally long-running Diamond Wedesdays making Thursday mornings an urban write off. And let’s not forget their role call of international talent including big-hitters like Lethal Bizzle, Skepta, Wiley, Tim Westwood, Craig David and grime super-stars The Newham Generals.

They’ve now added another night to their clubbing arsenal, and have launched new Friday night party Black Out at Spree. And for those who have been here long enough (too long?), Spree is on the old site of Elegante in Bur Dubai, where No.1 Events originally began life.

No.1 Fridays, every Friday at N’Dulge, The Atlantis Black Out, every Friday at Spree Diamond Wednesdays, weekly at XL facebook.com/No.1EVENTS

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LOOKING

BACK

Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.

• WHAT WE DID • PHOTO GALLERY

Looking Back

What we did

INFUSION WE ARE 11 FEAT. OSUNLADE @ DEK ON 8 It was fitting that it was one of the busiest nights this year at the Dek on 8 as we celebrated our 11th birthday in some style with Yoruba head honcho Osunlade on headline duties for the 2nd year running. A man with soul coursing through his veins, he delivered another deep house masterclass, taking things soulful when needed, and upping the tempo when he wanted. With a lot of the city’s DJs and promoters out in force (we love you guys right back), it felt like a family affair, as the Tequila shots flowed. And you can re-live the night thanks to our Soundcloud page, as we recorded the headline set :: soundcloud.com/infusion-magazine

PLUS MINUS FEAT. TINI @ LEVEL 41 With so much going on in Dubai’s heavily saturated club scene, it’s hard for some brands to stand out from the crowd. One night that has stuck to their guns and in the process garnered a lot of support from the clubbing kids is Plus Minus. Their booking policy and approach to the way they run their events has ensured that big name artists relish the opportunity to turn in a stand out set.

Their last party of 2105 more than lived up to its billing, with the Argentinian Desolat man, Fosky and local lad Michka turning in excellent support sets. tINI’s headline set was full of bass driven tech house from the off, complete with snappy percussion and the odd off kilter curveball in the shape of “Track 1” from Owl’s “Owl 3 EP”.

When 3am rolled around it was down to Matt O’Brien’s seminal rave tinged, brain melter “Serotone” to send people on their way with massive smiles on their faces. The vibe coming from tINI and the way she connected with the crowd is a true testament to why Plus Minus is so popular with clubbers and artists alike.

Stu Todd

Looking Back

KARAK BEATS FEAT. ZED BIAS@ VELOCITY So I recently met a girl who had an obsession with ‘Deep House’.

So much so in fact that her nights out revolved around the various copy and paste ‘deep house’ nights that now populate our city every night of the week. And I realised… I’m not sure what’s more annoying, someone who doesn’t like deep house, or someone who only likes deep house? It’s become a genre somewhat tarnished by its own success not unlike, dare I say it… EDM (quickly washes hands and face). It’s with that thought that I give you the ray of hope that is Karak Beats and The 264 Crew, a collective who are bringing fantastic bookings to the region for people who appreciate a wider angle in their house/garage/bass music. Zed Bias was in town, with MC Chunky (If you reeeally like deep house you won’t know who they are: she didn’t). The music was consistently ‘this is frickin’ awesome!,’ the atmosphere was free spirited, and the crowd was cool, the right kind of cool. So if like me, you’re starting to get royally annoyed by all of these deep house lemmings out there, I fully recommend checking out Karak Beats for your weekly dose of musical goodness. GarethIsOnIt

THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS @ EDEN BEACH CLUB What I love about Techno is that it’s so diverse as a genre, you can’t really put a label on it, it’s constantly reinventing itself. From the driving Detroit thump to the bounce from Berlin, it makes people happy across the world and it’s the music that has defined the last several years in Ibiza. And leading that charge is Circo-Loco at DC10, with The Martinez Brothers a large part of the success.

The Bronx brothers hail from NYC and have a life steeped in underground house – their father was a frequent guest at seminal clubs like The Paradise Garage. Mixmag’s DJs of 2014 were in a playful mood as they took us on a fun journey. The set built, the set dropped, each tune telling its own story and the crowd mostly lapped it up - it wasn’t banging 4 to the floor but that’s a good thing, it required a bit of brain power to fully appreciate the twists and turns. It was a very fine way to spend the weekend: they certainly left their mark and it feels like part of them is still left in the city.

Stephen Day

Looking Back

TRIBECA SUNDAY ROAST What’s better than a traditional English roast dinner and listening to some classic vinyl? Nothing, that’s what.

Tribeca’s new Retro Sunday Roast offers good music and good food.

We opted for the roast chicken, but there are also beef or cuts of both available. The portions are plentiful and come with a selection of organic veg, yorkshire pudding and roasted sweet potatoes.

There’s nothing fancy about this, it’s just classic good comfort food.

The tunes came courtesy of wax specialists The Vinyl Lounge DJs (vinyl-lounge.net), a for-hire duo who dug deep into their collections and were pulling out some classic rock from the likes of The Stones as well as some off-kilter 60s psychedelia. The perfect remedy after a long weekend.

Chris Rayner

EDEN’S 1ST BIRTHDAY FEAT. GUTI

GARAGE NATION @ LEVEL 41

INFUSION WE ARE 11 FEAT. OSUNLADE @ DEK ON 8

ANALOG ROOM FEAT. KARINA @ Q UNDERGROUND

BE LOCA @ PACHA IBIZA DUBAI

CIRQUE LE SOIR

PLUS MINUS FEAT. TINI @ LEVEL 41

SPRINKLE FEAT. DAVID VENDETTA @ CAVALLI

LOOKING

FORWARD

Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...

• LOCAL NEWS •COVER FEATURE • GO DUTCH THIS NYE •HELLO 2016 • TALKING HEADS •CLUB CLASSICS

Looking Forward

Local News HARDWELL WORLD TOUR HITS DUBAI

Dutch EDM superstar Hardwell has been confirmed for a 3 hour set next February at Meydan. The 8,000 capacity event is part of his United We Are world tour and will feature rising stars Kill The Buzz on support. He’s twice been voted number 1 in the DJ Magazine Top 100 poll, making him the youngest winner in history. Advance tickets for the February 19 show are AED200 from iamhardwelldubai.com.

GROOVE IS IN THE ART

Now a slim-lined act after the departure of Kenny Glasgow, Canadian house DJ Art Department (AKA Jonny White) continues to make head-turning house and hands up techno and will be bringing his global sound to Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE on Friday December 25. Expect to hear their still classic cut ‘Without You’ on Blue Marlin’s impressive rig, while you dance off your Christmas lunch. Meanwhile, Blue Marlin have announced their January line up, including a Cadenza showcase on January 8, a Cocoon night on January 15 and a Route 94 and Finnebassen double header on the 22nd.

Grand Excelsior Hotel ( Ex Dhow Palace Hotel ) Mankhool Street, Bur Dubai.

For More Info. Contact : +971 55 292 1486

ET W!LD GET W!LD AT EDEN AT EDEN

If you fancy deep Parisian house grooves on Christmas Day, you’re in luck as Eden have French house DJs Djebali and DJ W!ld behind the decks on Friday December 25. Both of them are DC10 stars in Ibiza, with DJ W!ld part of the extended Cocoon family. Book your sunbed or private beach bungalow in advance, or take advantage of the swim up cocktail bar, just one of the many advantages of Christmas in Dubai.

FUNNY MAN RUSSELL PETERS RETURNS

UAE favourite Russell Peters is back for another round of comedy shows early next year to banish the January blues. He’s bringing his Almost Famous World Tour to the Dubai World Trade Centre on January 19 and 20, and is warning fans that he likes to interact with the front rows. I use the interaction to take me from bit to bit. Some guys go on-stage with a script and don’t deviate from it. That’s not my style. I have my set and know what I want to cover; I just use the audience to move me in certain directions. It’s very collaborative and each show is unique.” Tickets are on sale now from ticketmaster.ae and start at AED250.

DJ VLADER ON THE CROSS FADER

Snoop Dogg’s official tour DJ Vlader will be taking the Music Room into 2016 with a hip hop masterclass. Part of the Shadyville crew helmed by Eminem and Dr Dre, he’s toured America, Asia and Europe, and is also a regular in the UAE having played recently at the F1 in Abu Dhabi. Support comes from JMax Lolo and the Skratchprf crew, with tickets AED150 from Platinumlist.net.

TIME TO PUKKA UP

Glitzy house brand and renowned boat party specialists Pukka Up are back in action on solid ground at Nasimi and are hosting their own Boxing Day Party on December 26. Pukka Up resident Chris Wright will be joined by a long list of funky, deep house DJs including Mark Pickup, Andy Swift, Billie Clements and Nasimi resident David De Luca, with free entry all day and night.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

STRICTLY VINYL

2015/16

A NIGHT OF HOUSE CLASSICS ON VINYL WITH GREAT VIEWS OF THE FIREWORKS

DJS

THU 31 DEC LEVEL 41

FRAK FU JON BESANT CHARL CHAKA

TICKETS: 100 AED BEFORE 22 DEC (AVAILABLE ON PLATINUMLIST.NET & MEDIA ONE) 195 AED THEREAFTER 21+ | FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS: RSVP@INFUSION.AE/ 0508717493 / 0526461764) INFUSIONMAGAZINE

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INFUSION.AE

Cover Feature

SAY HELLO TO 2016 AT PACHA The three roomed Madinat club celebrates NYE with a headline performance from the Paris House Addicts, with the Rooftop giving the best views of the city’s midnight fireworks display…

The Paris House Addicts

French trio PHA are a tightly knit house-loving crew founded in 2009. Since then, the trio comprised of Caroline Stenger on Electro violin, Fabrice on Saxophone and Chicos BoS as the DJ and percussionist, have performed around the world, including the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Bed in

Bangkok, Baoli in Cannes and the Queen Club in Paris. Alongside that, they’re firm favourites in the UAE, having previously played at Cavalli, Cirque Le Soir and N’Dulge, and now make their debut in Pacha’s main room.

They’ll be joined by long-term resident Ejaz on support, with Paris House Addicts set to come on stage at midnight.

Cover Feature The Rooftop

There are few better places to be as you welcome in 2016, with the award-winning Pacha Rooftop offering spectacular views across the city. Resident DJs Melohman and Tom Crane will be on hand with a high energy back-to-back house set, with tables for 4 starting at AED4000.

The Show

Alternatively, you can start your NYE at their Ziya Show, a stunning journey into the Arabian night that brings together a bespoke menu and some of the best performers in the city. Their NYE show packages start at AED 750, with doors opening at 8pm for the 5 course extravaganza.

Pacha.ae, reservations@pacha.ae, 04 567 000

Go Dutch this NYE Ahead of his NYE date at Meydan, we take a look at Martin Garrix’s spectacular rise to fame…

Cast your mind back to when you were 19 (if your memory will stretch that far). It was probably a blur of spots, exams, chasing girls/boys and life opening up ahead of you, wondering just what you’re going to do with your time on planet earth.

That scenario has never really applied to 19 year old Dutch teenage sensation Martin Garrix.

His weekends revolve around playing dirty club bangers to thousands of people, hanging out with the DJ elite like Tiesto, Guetta and Afrojack and having a global Number 1 hit with ‘Animals.’ Yeah, that’s pretty cool.

His eureka moment came in 2004, when he watched his soon to be mentor Tiesto in action.

“I had never been interested in electronic music,” he admits.

“Then, I saw Tiësto playing the Olympics on television. I hadn’t

heard that music before. My mom played classical piano, and my dad and I played guitar. It was the first time I witnessed the beats, tempo, and vibe electronic music gives you. From that point, I was hooked. I started listening to trance, and I slowly moved to house. I instantly began saving up money for my first DJ setup.”

Gigs for friends, family and weddings followed, but his first big break was only just around the corner. Aged just 13 – yup, you read that right – he made his club debut in Amsterdam, and a few years later, his production career was up and sprinting.

A bootleg of Enrique Iglesias’s ‘Tonight’ effectively broke the internet, setting the blogosphere alight with Tweets, shares and downloads.

Ground-up support grew quickly, so much so that iconic dance label ‘Spinnin Records’ offered

him his first official release, while the super credible Joris Voorn released his ‘Error 404’ EP on his label.

Garrix then went on to create official remixes for Christina Aguilera and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike & Sander Van Doorn.

Impressive enough for a man double his years, but let’s not forget this is a Dutch boy who’s nearer to nappies than he is to a mid-life crisis.

2013 really saw him break records and set himself up as a global superstar. His club conquering hit ‘Animals’ rampaged to the Number 1 spot on Beatport where it stayed for 4 weeks, and remains one of the site’s biggest sellers over its decade long history. In America alone, it sold over a million copies, helping make him a poster child and figurehead for the exploding EDM scene, where

he went on to play huge festivals like Ultra and Coachella.

“I’ve had that melody since I was 12,” he smiles when asked about ‘Animals’. “It stuck in my head, and I wanted to do something with it for so long.

The drop is very different. It feels like you’re in the jungle. It’s just a blast of energy.”

Now he’s back in the UAE after impressing as the headliner at the first ever Sensation in 2014. And he’s bringing his DJ entourage with him for the show, including Julian Jordan, Justin Mylo and Jay Hardway, making it one of the longest DJ line ups in the UAE on New Year’s Eve. And to make the night even more appealing, it’s an open bar event, with tickets just AED499.

Martin Garrix, Meydan, 6pm-3am, Tickets from AED499 including open bar, Platinumlist.net

RESTAURANT 路 SHOW 路 CLUB Souk Madinat Jumeirah 路 RSVP 04 567 0000 www.pacha.ae pachaibizadubai

Hello 2016!

Never before have so few had so much choice – there’s a dizzying array of DJ talent on display this New Year’s Eve, from party classics to EDM and hard-hitting techno. We’ve got our pick of the NYE parties over the following 7 pages…

Groove on the Grass feat. Richie Hawtin Emirates Golf Course, 7pm A big first for the region, as techno king Richie Hawtin headlines for Groove on the Grass. A cult name in the electronic world thanks to his Plastikman alias, his ENTER parties in Ibiza and over 2 decades of music and DJing, he’s joined by John Acquaviva and a cast of local DJs for 8 hours of straight techno.

Tickets: From AED375, Platinumlist.net

360 8pm-3am A crack team of 360 residents take control of the JBH venue offering spectactular views of the Burj and Palm fireworks display. They’re also laying on a 5 course gala dinner, house drinks and a glass of Champagne for AED1950, or AED1400 without the food.

Tickets: AED600 after the fireworks, from AED1400 for open bar, 055 500 8518

Camillo Franco Buddha Bar, 8pm Buddha Bar get an Ibizan injection on NYE when Space Ibiza resident Camilo Franco gets behind the decks. Voted Ibiza’s best resident DJ in 2010 by DJ Mag, he’s also a noted producer and is signed to Toolroom and Hotfingers.

Tickets: AED1900 including 4 course dinner and house drinks.

Electric Dreams feat.

Pillow Talk DUSK Terrace, Radisson Blu Media City, 8pm Electric Dreams AKA Night Vibes return to action with their NYE show featuring a DJ and live PA show from Pillow Talk with support from MAGA and Amy Wells. Expect deep house and tech grooves.

Tickets: AED150 including welcome drink and Champagne at midnight, info@vibeseries.com

People By Crystal Raffles Hotel, 9pm Hip hop, R&B and all things urban from DJ Bliss and Shef Codes as they close out the year at their 411 home. Tables start at AED1000 per person.

Tickets: Ladies AED400, Men AED700

Jazzy Jeff

Jazzy Jeff Barasti, 6pm-3am What you really want on NYE is good tunes, on a beach, with good people. That, right there, is Barasti’s entire ethos, and one that’s served them very well for nearly 2 decades. And they have international resident and crowdfavourite Jazzy Jeff back for another mash up set of hip hop, dance and rock classics.

Tickets: Early bird AED190, 04 511 7139 Martin Garrix Meydan, 6pm-3am The youngest NYE party starter, and a man with Dubai history having headlined the first Sensation party a year ago, Dutch DJ Martin Garrix is part of the new wave of EDM DJs headlining festivals across the world. His track ‘Animals’ was – and still is – a stadium favourite, and he’s joined by a long list of up-coming DJs on support including Jay Hardaway, Julian Jordan and Justin Mylo.

Tickets from AED499 including open bar, Platinumlist.net

NERVO Eden Beach Club, 6pm-3am More EDM on NYE, this time from Aussie female duo NERVO Expect high energy music from the festival favourites who were signed to Sony at just 18, and were also part of the co-writing team for David Guetta’s smash hit ‘When Love Takes Over.’See below for our interview with them.

Tickets: Early bird tickets from AED150 ladies and AED250 men, 050 287 8703 X X X X X X X X X What’s your take on the term Djane, would you ever use it?

It’s the first time we have heard the term. Ha! Personally, we wouldn’t rush to use the term as it focuses on the gender of the artist and we would rather focus on the music that is made or played.

How special are NYE gigs to you? And what have been some of your best?

Too many great New Year’s Eve gigs to say which one is our best... We have done three New Years Eve’s in Miami so we’re excited to come to Dubai for a change. We also have a few friends joining us so that will add

to the good vibes for us.

If you’re given the midnight slot, what would you choose – current big banger or a tried and tested classic?

Tough question... I guess we would have to see what the crowd was reacting to. If they were reacting well to newer sounds then we would probably try our luck with something more current.

Tune of 2015?

Major Lazer & DJ Snake - Lean On (feat. MØ). Such a great summer tune!

Best memory from the year?

Playing Tomorrowland Brazil. It was the first Tomorrowland in South America and the crowd was absolutely insane.

David Guetta Dubai Media City, 8pm-3am

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the ‘When Love Takes Over’ star actually owns a house here considering how often he plays the Emirate (oh, apparently he does). He’ll be bringing his DJ show to the Media City Amphitheatre for a night of EDM and electro if you somehow missed his previous shows in the city.

Tickets: From AED495, Platinumlist.net The White Masquerade White, 10pm-3am Take in the panoramic views from Meydan’s stunning rooftop terrace with White’s resident DJs delivering their trademark mix of EDM, Progressive house, Hip Hop and RnB, while each booking comes with open sushi and an open premium bar.

Tickets: Tables from AED1800 per person, 050 443 0933

David Morales Q43, 9pm Classic house music from one of the finest 90s house music DJs, as US DJ David Morales

returns to Q43. You can also get involved in Q43’s 5 course restaurant meal, cocktails and canapés or just take advantage of the open bar and re-live some of the finest house tracks known to shape-throwing man.

Tickets: Early bird tickets from AED399 including open bar, info@q43dubai.com

Pete Tong & Duke Dumont Zero Gravity, 5pm Zero Gravity double down on NYE with two big names: Radio 1 star Pete Tong and ‘Need U (100%)’ DJ Duke Dumont.

If you’re after clear skies, top notch house music and beach clubbing – and the fireworks over the Palm – this comes highly recommended.

Tickets: Early bird from AED250, www.0-gravity.ae Luciano & Davide Squillace Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, 7pm Avoid the traffic chaos in the city, and head to Blue Marlin for a house/tech-house masterclass from Cadenza boss Luciano with CircoLoco resident Squillace

on support, who we speak to below.

Tickets: Open bar ladies AED650, men AED850, Platinumlist.net Welcome back to Dubai, we hear your birthday party at Blue Marlin last year was quite the party!

Woooow what a night! I remember that at certain point the crowd split right through the middle and these 2 guys were carrying a surf board with a huge cake on top of it which resembled a DJ booth and a DJ playing …. I was like no f***ing way! I will never forget it.

How special are NYE gigs to you?

They are very special because it means I can finally go on vacation shortly after, haha.

January is the only time of the year in this scene where all of us Artists get to disconnect, recharge, rethink your path and I get reorganize myself as a human being, not only as a musician.

The Vinyl Countdown

Infusion Magazine host a classics and Vinyl only night on NYE, with Journey Thru House DJ and new Radio 2 Friday night host Jon Besant on headline duty. We quiz him on why wax is back and whether he prefers 7” or 12”.

What does vinyl mean to you, is it a superior format to you?

I think firstly, it means we were there in an amazing era! Not just the sound it creates, the work put into a set but meeting all your mates every Saturday morning at specialised shops around the UK. What was the first piece of wax you bought?

Survivor Eye of the Tiger, but on a house level, I think it was Nightcrawlers ‘Push the Feeling On.’ And most valuable piece you own?

At a guess I would say it’s the original version of Massive Attack’s ‘Unfinished Sympathy’, It cost me 79p from Woolworths... it’s still got the sticker on it!

What gets played every set?

Jamiroquai ‘Space Cowboy.’

DJ Sneak said recently that only Djs who's played on vinyl could be considered real Djs? I love Sneak for his conflict comments, but saying that is like having access to a mobile phone yet walking a mile to the nearest phone box to call your nan, times change!

How hard is mixing on real vinyl compared to today?

Oh my god, I don’t know! I'm actually scared about NYE as I haven’t mixed on decks for over 10 years. If I'm honest, I find it boring now, I’m not the most technical when it comes to mixing, I’m very old school. Four to the floor, and it’s kind of all done for you now!

There was maybe more quality control when making music on vinyl as the music had to be good to be worth the effort and cost – what's your take on that?

Without a doubt, vinyl made producers a lot of money, well the record labels, and now it costs nothing to put a download link online, so I think that reflects why the classics are so amazing compared to the non stop stuff out now. I mean, when was the last tune that you can honestly say this will be an anthem in 30 years?

And are you a 7” or 12” man!?

Hahahahah.... I like it no matter what way it’s played!

Strictly Vinyl feat. Jon Besant, Charl Chaka & Frak Fu, NYE, Level 41, Media One Hotel, tickets AED100 before Dec 22, AED195 after and on the door. 9pm-3am.

Talking

Heads

Miami has one, Amsterdam has one and obviously Ibiza does. Dubai has now joined the party with their own Dance Music Conference which launches next February 18-19 at the JW Marriott Marquis.

The 2 day Dance Music Conference has partnered up with 3 of the world’s most influential record labels who’ll be bringing their experience and DJs to the party. Toolroom Live feature record label heach honcho Mark Knight and Beatport favourites Prok & Fitch, Suara Nights will be hosting tech-house stars Coyu and Olivier Giacomotto while Kittball will be showcasing Tube & Berger, Juliet Sikora, Paji and P.A.K.O. Alongside those DJ gigs, the Dance Music Conference will host conference sessions each day curated by an international panel.

Topics for debate include the Middle East’s Record labels and what they can do for local talent, discussing the future of DJing and producing and digital workshops on Ableton and Traktor. dancemusicconference.com

Club classics Back2Basics – not to be confused with the UK brand of the same name – is promising to live up their name when they launch as a weekly night on January 14 with Nick Warren at Level 41. We caught up with the masterminds behind the launch, Ram Nath and Andreas Constantinides Welcome back to Dubai club land, can you fill us in on your history in the city a little bit?

Ram: We launched A&R back in 2007 with Tiesto to launch our weekly weekends at Chi @ the Lodge. In 2008, we did the Middle East’s first-ever dance festival, COMA, which went on for two days: the first day on an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi and the second was in Beirut Lebanon.

We hear you have some great deals on entry, guestlist and season passes?

Our customers can register on our website back2basicsdubai. com to be added to the free entry guest list. Ladies also enjoy free entry before Midnight. We have only one set of tickets, 120 AED, we don’t believe in “VIP” tickets inside clubs. We don’t know who came up with his concept, aren’t we all in the same club hearing the same music? Isn’t that the point?

Most club line-ups are

released at the most a month in advance, but you’ve got your next three months booked and released – why is that?

It’s all part of the nostalgic experience. Before 2009, most clubs used a similar concept, everyone knew when a certain DJ was coming and where. We used to be excited and prepare for it for weeks in advance, and this is what we envisioned for Back2Basics.

And who do you see as your competition?

No one and everyone, we tried as much as possible not to step on anyone’s toes and at the same time by releasing our line up so far in advance, prevent others from stepping on ours.

Which DJ are you most excited about bringing out and why?

Andreas: Hernan Cattaneo and Satoshi Tomiie stand out as this is the first time we’ve worked with them and they are absolute

superstars of house. Quivver and Wehbba are also bookings to be excited about as they play amazing music, and their production work is great.

Level 41 is a blank space, and fits the Back 2 Basics ethos – are you doing anything to the venue each Thursday?

Ram: We have a concept curated by Anahita FP, who designed the space for us. The best way to relay the message to our customers and make them understand our concept is giving them a 360 journey in music, feel and visuals.

Musically, what will the night be playing?

Andreas: Different styles of electronic music, anything from Tech, Progressive House to Trance, as well as some DJs TBC that will be playing Tribal House.

And who do you think your crowd will be at Back 2 Basics?

Ram: Anyone who hates EDM and what it stands for, haha, just joking. Our customers fit any or all of the below: got hammered in Ibiza or Mykonos, stood willingly in long lines front of dark unknown joints to hear their DJ, never owned an iPod, called a DJ “God”, and think Martin Garrix is an engine spare part.

Back2Basics launches every Thursday from January 14 with Nick Warren at Level 41.

10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, AED120 for men.

Satoshi Tomiie, February 11

Andreas & Ram

Nick Warren, January 14

Dave Seaman, January 28

ON THE RADAR JANUARY 14 BACK2BASICS FEAT. NICK WARREN Level 41

JANUARY 22 ROUTE 94 Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

JANUARY 15 ONE BIG VIBES FEAT. JAMIE WOON Jebel Ali Shooting Range

BACK2BASICS FEAT. DAVE SEAMAN

JANUARY 19&20 RUSSELL PETERS

World Trade Centre

JANUARY 22 LOADED’S 60S/NORTHERN SOUL/MOTOWN SPECIAL

Casa Latina

JANUARY 28 Level 41

JANUARY 28

SHIBUYA FEAT. EMERY WARMAN

Square

JANUARY 28

SIMPLE MINDS

Tennis Stadium

For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae

JANUARY 29 PLUS MINUS FEAT. PIG & DAN Level 41

FEBRUARY 19 AUDIO TONIC FEAT. KOLOMBO 360

FEBRUARY 11 REDFEST FEAT. STEVE AOKI Media City Amphitheatre

FEBRUARY 19 HARDWELL Meydan

FEBRUARY 11 BACK2BASICS FEAT. SATOSHI TOMIIE

JAZZ FESTIVAL FEAT. TOTO

Level 41

FEBRUARY 12

REDFEST FEAT. 50 CENT,

Media City Amphitheatre

FEBRUARY 24

Media City Amphitheatre

FEBRUARY 25

JAZZ FESTIVAL FEAT. DAVID GRAY

Media City Amphitheatre

ON THE RADAR NYE

DECEMBER 31 JAZZY JEFF Barasti

DECEMBER 31 MARTIN GARRIX Meydan

DECEMBER 31 DAVID GUETTA Dubai Media City

DECEMBER 31 NERVO Eden Beach Club

ON THE RADAR NYE

DECEMBER 31 DAVID MORALES Q43

DECEMBER 31 PETE TONG & DUKE DUMONT Zero Gravity

DECEMBER 31 LUCIANO Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

DECEMBER 31

GROOVE ON THE GRASS FEAT. RICHIE HAWTIN

Emirates Golf Course

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 24 Analog Room feat. Soho, Q Underground

The Analog Roomers bow out for the season, with UK DJ Soho playing a special 5 hour set.

10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! DJ W!ld & Djebali, Eden Beach Club French deep house and techno from the Parisian DJs and Ibiza DC10 stars. 10am-midnight.

FRIDAY 25 Audio tonic, 360

The residents at this awardwinning club get into the festive spirit with house and techhouse. 4pm-3am, free entry.

Art Department, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

Deep house and tech-house from the Canadian DJ and regular DXB visitor with Marc Romboy on support. 11am11pm.

House of Afrika Christmas Party, Dek on 8

Charl Chaka and friends carry on the Christmas party at the Dek on 8 with their usual blend of deep, afro soul rhythms. 6pm3am, free entry.

FOR NYE LISTINGS, SEE OUR 7 PAGE FEATURE

FRIDAY JANUARY 1 Audio tonic, 360

An 8 DJ line up including Jack Woodcock, Somalie, Miss PM and Tobie Allen go from sunset disco to tech-house over the 11 hour party. 4pm-3am, free.

Cadenza feat. Michel Cleis & Gas, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Luciano’s label represent for the club’s first date in 2016, with Michel Cleis and Gas dropping deep, tech-heavy house.

11am- late.

House of Afrika, Dek on 8 More deep afro soul and tech house from the House of Afrika team as they welcome in 2016.

6pm-3am, free.

FRIDAY 8 Alex Niggeman, Eden Beach Club

Properly good house music from the German DJ and Pokerflat signing. 10am-late.

Decibel feat. Bastian Bux, Q Underground

Michka and Karam Toubba open up for ElRow resident and Suara signing. 10pm-3am, AED100.

Tse Tse Fly, Casa Latina

More forward thinking, challenging audio and visual fun from the sound art club night, with live shows from Ram Nath, Ghada Da and Nour Sokhon.

6pm-late, free.

NEW YEARS EVE 2016

LOOK AND

LISTEN

Music be the food of love, so read on...

• ALBUM * MUSIC NEWS • DEAR SANTA • SOUNDSTAGE •TECH TALK • DJ BOOTH •CHRISTMAS HITLIST

Album Reviews PURE TRANCE VOLUME 4 Trance // puretrance.com

 While it began as one artist’s final attempt to push-back against the commercialised agendas of formerly respectable labels, the Pure Trance movement has grown massive in its own right; but instead of focusing on the past, Solarstone told us “...[it] is all about new music, but which has got the spirit of pure trance.”

The resurgence in progressive house and trance brings maestro Gai Barone in to mix the first CD of the now annual compilation, and he delivers an exquisite selection of deeper tracks and his own ‘Blank Pages’ which invokes a dreamy progressive feeling.

With the stage set, Solarstone compiles the uplifting second disc, with plenty of his own remixes as you’d expect. Fittingly, it’s his collaboration on Basil O’Glue’s ‘Infatuation’ that stands out as the best track on the compilation. Newer producers feature too, with Factor B ‘Sacrosanct’ and Peter Steele’s ‘Mantra’ making some veteran producers look like amateurs.

Although trance invokes an EDM association these days thanks to certain big names, albums like this one prove that there are artists who still care about their craft and aren’t willing to sell out their integrity for the lowest common dancefloor demoninator.

Matt Zaharias

Music News SOUNDS OF DUBAI Following the success of the first album, the follow up Ma’ana Sounds of Dubai is out on worldwide release from February on Sony. The 25 track album again spans nu-disco, house and techno, with big names like Hollaphonic, Moe Turk and Darko Je Jan confirmed alongside newer names like Kicks & Keys, Impaulce and Tanvir Ahmed. Stay tuned for more details on the album and the album release party.

DIXON DOES IT AGAIN Seen by many as the credible alternative to the DJ Magazine Top 100, Resident Advisor announced their user-voted list with German DJ Dixon again reigning supreme at Number 1, perfect timing for his recent Dubai double header. The list includes tried and tested favourites like Carl Craig, Hernan Cattaneo and Luciano, as well as more recent names like Helena Hauff, Blawan and John Talabot. House and Techno remain the mainstays, but bass DJs and more leftfield DJs like Four Tet and Floating Points have also made a big impression on the list this year. Check it all out for yourself at residentadvisor.net

Dear Santa…

We asked some of Dubai’s best DJs to tell us which record boxes they’d most love to swap with so we could put the request onto the big man himself…

Megadon Betamax, DUST I would definitely swap with Floating Points, as he plays amazing records from across a load of genres and is a serious digger!

Mo City, Ohm Events I’d swap with The Gaslamp Killer, his selection is so diverse , you never know what he might play next. I have seen him twice and each time he just takes it a step further. He could drop classical rare Arabic gems, unreleased music from Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawk, and the late king J-Dilla.

Danilo Venegas, Karak Beats I think I’d most love to swap record boxes with Theo Parrish... he’s just such a legendary selector, there’s no telling what you’ll find in those crates. Most of the music I’ve ever heard him play is very up my street, there are tracks I know well and love as well as obscure Opera songs that are so interesting. The only thing I’m not sure I would get much of is the more Latin flavored stuff like the rad Brazilian boogie and disco stuff I’ve been digging recently, but who’s to know what he’s got in them archives.

Drinky, Square Farley Jackmaster Funk. I actually got to meet him this year. He’s not only one of the pioneers of house music and the voice behind “In the beginning there was jack, and jack had a groove, and from this groove,” he’s also one of the loveliest guys you can meet. Extremely humble. I’d guess there’d be everything from disco through to funk, house, techno, I dunno... Barry White?

Lobito, Deep Crates Cartel This is probably predictable but I would swap boxes with Afrika Bambaataa, the founder of hip hop culture and “Master of Records.” There are still records he played out almost 40 years ago that myself and other top diggers are searching for, definitely a holy grail for any music junkie. Cut Chemist & DJ Shadow recently did a tour where they played out selections from his crates. I do have a few records he asked me to rip for him so that was a proud moment!

Mark Pickup, Arcade 82 It would 100% be Miguel Campbell, every set of his is jam-packed wit uber-cool downtempo nu disco promos or more chunkier deep disco grooves, most of which are hot off the press from his own studio. Every track he plays is fresh and ooooozzzeees coolness and yes I would love to find his records bag!

Rutherford, Superheroes I would like to swap record collections with Somalie. The reason for this is because I once got a look inside his headphone bag where he keeps his USBs. He had a collection of hundreds of unclaimed USBS in there from different DJs, local and international. Anyone that has ever got drunk and left their USB in a club, Somalie will have it. Get Somali’s records, get everyone’s records!

Stu Todd, Bussola It would have to be Motor City Drum Ensemble. I love the depth of musical knowledge he shoehorns in his sets. Every time I see him play, I am always amazed at the old and dusty tracks he manages to unearth and the way in which he plays them. I would definitely expect to find loads of totally unknown disco bangers and acid face melters that would blow my mind.

DaSendri, Loca A difficult question, I would love to swap with Little Louie Vega, Larry Levan, Dimitri From Paris, DJ Ease and Joey Negro but the main guy I would love to swap with would have to be Gilles Peterson. He’s got such a varied collection from Motown though funk and disco, chill out and house. I can’t think of any DJ I’ve ever known play Marvin Gaye in Space Ibiza, Gilles did: genius.

Somalie, Warehouse Dubai My choice would be Megadon Betamax or James Locksmith because they pull out these unknown or long forgotten gems every time I hear them DJ somewhere. I expect to find quality funk and disco from the most obscure places on earth. Probably something like a Guinean disco group from the 70s that released only 1 EP or a Polynesian Funk act that only released 1 record and then vanished from the face of the earth!

Chris Wright, Pukka Up/Sin Sundays I would like to swap records with old school legend Brandon Block, but only if it was in the 90s when he was a caner. There would be some unexplainable findings in his record bag as he was known for partying, he’d also have some awesome original classics.

Soundstage

LA GLOBUS

Pop and Blues from the Dubai based musician behind new album Fall & Rise

My first musical influence was… When I was a kid my dad used to carry me to school by car, listening to an old Santana compilation. I remember I was ‘playing’ the guitar with his umbrella.

From that moment I started wanting to play and I bought my first LP “Are You Experienced” by Jimi Hendrix. That is where everything started…

The last pop star I liked was… Lately I really appreciate John Mayer. I like artists that can create Pop songs with interesting and fresh chords progression, away from banality.

My sound is best described as… Is mainly Pop but with a deep Blues feeling and mood.

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

To focus on and cultivate my own style and personality, with honesty above all.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

Well I’ve been to a Take That concert, and sometimes I listen to their songs. But please don’t spread the word!

The best band in Dubai is…

Carl & the Reda Mafia. I think they’re a good band with interesting sound.

Lamest claim to fame?

I know by heart all of Top Gun’s best lines.

My musical motto is… Do what you do at your best.

Best gig you’ve played?

It was back in Italy during a Blues festival, when I first played my songs live. That was very exciting as in that moment I was telling my story and let my emotions flow out.

Best lyrics of all time?

Well I love the ‘Romeo & Juliet’ lyrics by Dire Straits: “Juliet the dice were loaded from the start, And I bet and you exploded in my heart.”

soundcloud.com/laglobus

TECH TALK Look and Listen

In a country where gold plated cars, buildings and boats seem to be common place, the Monster 24K’s offer some serious bling to compete on the headphones front.

At first glance these gold painted cans may look heavy weight, however upon closer inspection they’re surprisingly light.

Incorporating padding on the underside of the headband and memory foam cushioning around the ear cups they are both comfortable on ear and around the neck. The ear cups also rotate backwards which is a handy feature for DJs along with the extra wide, detachable coiled cable. The box includes a thinner cable with a remote control and microphone to use with your smartphone, carry pouch and adapter. The 24Ks certainly have some oomph, able to drive high volumes from Laptop and MP3 devices without distorting, whilst still projecting the aggressive Bass synonymous with Monster headphones. These shiny gold plated cans might not be to everyone’s taste aesthetically, but I’m certain they’ll be a hit amongst the Arab bling and Urban communities and at AED 1299.

You could almost say they’re worth their weight in…

DJ BOOTH: JAYE WALKER

Look and Listen

The Caramel Abu Dhabi resident DJ talks us through his Timmy Mallet confession, 80s house music and clubbing in the capital One thing you might not know about me is…

This will show my age, but I was on Wacaday with Timmy Mallet My worst ever job was… As an estate agent.

I hated it and wasn’t very good at it – so glad I swapped the desk for the decks!

My favorite ever record is… Kariya “Let Me Love You For Tonight” and Joe Smooth “Promised Land,” two 80s classics!

DJing is much like… My life – I’m forever gaining experience and trying to be better at it.

Abu Dhabi’s clubbing scene is… Getting there. With the help of amazing venues like Caramel Abu Dhabi, we’re certainly starting to put ourselves on the map. There are some great DJs out here; more just need to have their opportunity to shine.

I’m really proud of… Anyone in the world who does something for others that won’t benefit themselves.

Selflessness is a truly admirable quality.

What track could you drop in every set?

It has to be: Robin S’ “Show Me Love” (Stonebridge Mix). Such a great tune and it always goes down well at Caramel Abu Dhabi – no matter who the audience are.

I can’t live without: Coffee, it gets me through any set, especially when nearing the 2/3am mark.

My biggest DJ achievement to date is… The longevity of my career – I’ve been in the industry for more than 20 years and have no plans on stopping. I’ve been able to play music all over the world, in some of the greatest venues in the world.

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... The year 3000. As much as I love the ‘old school’ stuff - the majority of it has been done and redone – I want to see where music goes in the future, especially the extent of the production skills. We’ve already come so far when you look at the 80s to now. Imagine what it’ll be like in another 10 years, never mind 1,000!

If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Lockin, who sadly passed a few years a back. He taught me so much in the late 90s and really shaped who I was as a DJ and a person. I would give anything to do one more back-toback set with him, so he could see how much I’ve progressed.

I’m not a politician but… I’ll end it there, I’m so glad I’m not a politician – too much stress, I think I’ll stick to DJing!

soundcloud.com/djjayewalker

The Infusion Christmas Hitlist Teh 4 must-have gadgets and tech this festive season

Roland Boutique Synth On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... a slamming acid bass line. These limited edition modules recreate Roland’s most legendary synths (the JP-08, JX-03 and JU-06), and are truly portable with their own in-built speaker and battery pack. Rolandus.com

Synth Kit This is easily the geekiest – and best – thing we’ve seen as litteBits Synths have teamed up with Korg to create a powerful range of truly customizable synths, a bit like really cool Lego bricks. Made of 12 components that simply snap together, you can use the synth parts including a micro sequencer, oscillators, a delay and more to create your own keytar, add it to an existing instrument or even play it via your decks. littlebits.cc/kits/ synth-kit

Design your own slipmat Nothing says ‘I love you’ like getting your boyfriend/girlfriend their own personalized slipmat.

You can customize from their range or send over your own design on 7” and 12”. turnlabels.net

WIN! Polaroid Zip Mobile Printer This tiny, wallet-sized machine prints photos directly from a phone using Bluetooth technology, with instant access to Instagram, Snapchat, and other apps.

We have 6 sol republic punk speakers to give away.

To win, simply head to Infusion.ae and answer our easy question.

Good luck!

LOOKING

CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

•WEIRD NEWS • THE SPIN • STAR WARS • JUST FOR KICKS •COOL TEST • FILMS • ANGRY MONKEY

Looking Closer

Weird News SKY DIE Throwing yourself out of a perfectly good plane with a parachute - bit bonkers right?

Throwing yourself out of a perfectly good plane with no parachute and expecting 2 others to catch you? Full blown, weapons-grade mental. And yet, that’s what Antti Pendikainen did when he leapt from 4000m and got 2 parachute equipped jumpers to dive down after him and save him. “I’ve always wanted to jump without a parachute, and now I’ve done it,” he told reporters.

CREDIT TO THE EDIT

The “I’m with the band”blag just got that bit easier thanks to one enterprising Peking Duk superfan. Denied entry at their Melbourne gig, he quickly edited the Wikipedia page of the EDM stars to say that David Spargo was a member of the band’s family, and showed it to the bouncer who promptly let him in. “It was probably the most genius, mastermind move that I’ve ever witnessed,” band member Hyde told The Guardian.

“It’s crazy. He just did it on the spot, in a second on his phone.” The band wound up having beers with Spargo, who Hyde called “an absolute legend.”

both, u could be o y e c n e c li quor W ithout a li E THE RISK! K DON’T TA

The process couldn’t be simpler, just follow these 3 easy steps.

STEP 1 Complete the Application Form and get it stamped by your employer.

STEP 2 Attach copies of the required documents.

STEP 3 Visit any MMI shop to submit your Application Form and documents.

For more information please contact our Liquor Licence team on 04 304 0331/0332 or e-mail lipsadmin@mmi.ae mmidubai.com

/mmidubai

@mmi_dubai

MMIDubai

THE SPIN DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 217

ISSUE 33

SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD TO BE TURNED INTO GIANT NYE CLUB

One enterprising company has launched DJ booths and fully licensed bars down Sheikh Zayed in preparation of the biggest party the road has ever seen.

With bumper-to-bumper traffic expected from early evening on New Year’s Eve, Abdul P. Arty has come up with a cunning solution and brought the party to the frustrated clubbers stuck in traffic with his Gridlock’d party. DJs and sound systems will be located from Mall of the Emirates every 50m until Garhoud, with mini bars fully operational from 6pm. Entrance couldn’t be simpler: drive into the 20km long car park, wind down your window, order your drink and listen to drive-time classics like ‘Highway To Hell,’ Tiga’s ‘Bugatti’ and Gary Numan’s classic ‘Cars.’ + *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.

Behind the scenes

on Star Wars

Two of the city’s DJs, Safe Smokingroove and Mark Pickup had extra roles in the film of the millennium, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. We caught up with them to talk action figures, JJ Abrams and try to get some clues as to what will happen in the film‌

What does Star Wars mean to you, when did you first see it?

Safe: I first went to the cinema as a kid to watch Return of the Jedi, which I think was my first movie. That whole period for me was just bright lights and Ewoks, but Star Wars became so much more than the toys (I had most including the Millennium Falcon), the lunch box I had with Vader on the front and the Christmas repeats.

Pickup: I’m an avid collector of original vintage Star Wars figures and memorabilia from the late 1970s and early 1980s, I collect Adidas Orignals ‘Star Wars’ limited edition clothing, wore an exact replica StormTrooper outfit for my engagement party and even have a mini Stormtrooper tattoo in my forearm sleeve, so yes you could say it means a lot to me!

If you were a Star Wars character, who would you be and why?

Safe: The Emperor. I like being the boss. And electric fingers looks pretty slick.

Pickup: Probably Boba Fett, I love the suit and the fact he has the ability to fly.

Who were you in the film, what extras? Did you get back stories? How long in make up?

Safe: I (along with my brother Marko) play a drug dealer and a random Tatooinite. As I had a full costume, I didn’t need make-up. The 3-layered costume was pretty heavy in the searing desert heat and being out there for up to 17 hours every day was one of the hardest things I’ve done.

Pickup: My character was a security guard at a smuggler’s market and I was one of only 5 extras who were given a weapon. The laser gun was about 2ft long and strapped to my left leg and was security chipped, I had to check it in and out before and after every scene.

Make up usually took a good hour each day, they had to roughen me up and make me look very dirty.

What was the set like, how big, how many people? Were the stars there as well?

Safe: It was effectively a proper Hollywood location set but we can’t say much more till the movie comes out. But yeah, the main stars were there with us.

Pickup: JJ Abrams was obviously on set every day, so were John Boyega and Daisy Ridley the two new main characters, oh and BB8!

The set was unreal, I vividly remember driving across the salt plains on the bus into the middle of nowhere but due to the flatness of the landscape as we got closer the set started to become more visible and when we arrived it was literally like I had just arrived in Disney World!

Was it as glamorous as it sounds? What hours were you working?

Safe: Extras don’t get the glamour but we were well taken care of on set. They were really concerned with our health and hydration.

The Stormtroopers and non-CGI characters had a rough time.

Pickup: To be honest, it was gruelling 12 hour days with a 6am start standing in the middle of the desert in full costume and head gear. But you didn’t care, adrenalin and excitement got me through it and any time I felt exhausted I just kept looking around at my surroundings and kept saying to myself – “How on earth did I end up on this set.”

Did you get directed into place by JJ Abrams, did you get to speak, hear him talk?

Safe: I did indeed, a few times. And when he calls you by your name and comes over to you with a smile, you instantly want to help him make the scene perfect.

Pickup: Day 3 was ‘pyrotechnics day’ and a team of Pinewood Studios ‘Pyro’ engineers and fire officers were on set alongside us. We were all moved round and because I had a weapon I was put right in the thick of the action in the middle of a shoot-out with the StormTroopers in the smugglers market I was guarding.

Besides my wedding day and my son being born this was most probably the 3rd best day of my entire life, having a shoot-out with StormTroopers on the set of a Star Wars movie, well you couldn’t make this up!

Do you get action figures of you created?

Safe: Maybe. We had a 360 degree scan made so who knows.

Pickup: We were all 3D scanned for Mattell Toys and also the official computer game. For this we had to stand in a studio with over 200 cameras all around us that created a 3D visual of each of us.

How does it feel to be a part of the biggest film of the Millenium?

Safe: Amazing. To be a part of our generation’s movie history is perfect and I’m glad I got to participate. Special thanks to our mate Drinky for the link-up.

Pickup: It’s not even the sort of experience I would have on my bucket list as it’s just not something that you think could ever happen but the biggest thing for me to take from this experience is that my son will be able to say to his friends one day at school that his Dad was in Star Wars – not that any of his friends will actually believe him!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out now

JUST FOR

SOLE DXB X PUMA DISCS ASPHALT BLK

You know you’ve made it in sneaker culture when one of the big boys collaborates on their limited edition global range with the city’s trainer festival, Sole DXB. PUMA have taken inspiration for their jet-black Puma Disc from Sheikh Zayed Road, and the miles and miles of black asphalt that layer the multi-lane motorway.

The upper is made up of textured black felt with black leather details and a Sole DXB logo embossed on the heel. A big step in the right direction for sneaker fashion and the city.

Cool Test KRIS FADE VS TWO TONE

Kris Fade and Two Tone resume their musical bromance with their 2nd collaboration, the EDM radio hit ‘I Woke Up Like This.’ But when they go head-to-head in our Cool Test, who wakes up with bed head and who wakes up with a horse’s head?

Who’s the coolest person in your phone book?

KRIS FADE: John Claude Van Damme.

TWO TONE: Kris Fade.

What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep?

TWO TONE: 48 hours straight during a video shoot.

KRIS FADE: 37 hours.

Describe your best bass face...

KRIS FADE: Eyebrows down and lip up.

TWO TONE: When the drop comes in on “I Woke Up Like This.’

Coolest word in the world?

KRIS FADE: Catabolic.

TWO TONE: Swag.

Coolest DJ in the world?

KRIS FADE: Steve Aoki.

TWO TONE: Martin Garrix.

Coolest track ever made?

KRIS FADE: There are too many cool ones to name.

TWO TONE:‘In Da Club’ by 50 Cent.

Your best dance move is...’

KRIS FADE: The ‘Sitting Down With Drink in Hand, Nodding My Head’ dance.

TWO TONE: The two step…

Your answer to everything is….

KRIS FADE: Chillax.

TWO TONE: In a minute.

What’s your best claim to fame?

KRIS FADE: Having 2 # 1 songs on iTunes Middle East.

TWO TONE: My songs with Kris Fade!

It’s not big and clever but...

KRIS FADE: It will get the job done.

TWO TONE: I like Kris Fade.

What’s your answer to everything?

KRIS FADE: Kris Fade: Stupidity always wins..

TWO TONE: Everything is going to be all right.

THE VERDICT: The verdict: Kris Fade had us reaching for the dictionary with Catabolic, which is very cool, and he knows Jean Claude Van Damme so we’re saying nothing against him just in case!

I Woke Up Like This is out now ’I Woke Up Like This’ is out now

MOVIE STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

The most awaited film of the Millenium, as JJ Abrams tackles the last trilogy in the Star Wars saga. Set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, the old crew are re-united with new stars Rey, Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma.

Classification: PG13 Director: JJ Abrams Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher

PEANUTS Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home.

Classification: PG Director: Steve Martino Starring: Madisyn Shipman, Francesca Capaldi and Noah Schnapp

PREVIEWS JOY Jennifer Lawrence stars as Joy, in this fun and powerful story of a family across four generations and the woman who rises to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.

Classification:15 Director: David O. Russell Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.

THE REVENANT

Could this be Leo’s Oscar? It’s the 1820s, and frontiersman Hugh Glass sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling. Birdman’s acclaimed director Alejandro Inarritu leads the grizzly action.

Classification: 15 Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Starring: Tom Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio and Domhnall Gleeson

DISCLAIMER: Film release schedules are subject to change, please check reelcinemas.ae, novocinemas.com and voxcinemas.com for full schedules.

Go figure Throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care! OK, now do the ‘Jesus Pose’. OK, how about the ‘Scratchin’ Pose’? With the new Hardwell and Armin van Buuren action figures the only limit is your imagination.

Wait…what?! DJ Action Figures?! No, you’re not having a stroke, you have just found out about the latest piece of kit to grace the decks.

The two ‘DJs’ showcased the brand new action figures in a presentation entirely in Dutch. Whilst my monkey-Dutch is a little rusty, I could still use my eyes to absorb what I was seeing, before using my mouth to vomit a little as another commercial nail was hammered into the electronic coffin.

As if the industry hadn’t already become too mainstream, Barbie can now ditch Ken and give Hardwell the night of his dreams from underneath the booth. Action Man was quoted saying “War is everywhere now. Nobody wants to play with us heroes. Even G.I. Joe has just started a Vegas residency with Pauly D.” Elsewhere, other action figures are resisting the new wave of DJs with Stretch Armstrong staying ‘firmly vinyl’.

Sadly, though, the new Hardwell and Armin action figures don’t come with real CDJs, but they can be bought separately.

And – like the real thing – press play and a pre-recorded mix starts. The figures are unable to enter ‘studio and production mode’ on their own. Batteries not included.

Monkey Out...

The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

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A NIGHT OF HOUSE CLASSICS ON VINYL WITH GREAT VIEWS OF THE FIREWORKS

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