Röyksopp make their debut plus Steve Bug, Agents of Time and more! Dub Pistols • Decibel • Eat Sleep Rave Repeat • Sasha Bob Sinclar • Garage Nation • The Spin and more!
MUSIC
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PEOPLE
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LIFE
TALAL BUDEBS Publisher CHARL CHAKA Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae FRAK FU Sales/marketing sales@infusion.ae ANDY BUCHAN Editor andy@infusion.ae PAULA MANGUEIRA Design design@infusion.ae SONIA IGNACIO Operations operations@infusion.ae CONTRIBUTORS: Ginger S, Stephen Day, Frak Fu INFUSION IS PUBLISHED BY Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098 infusionmag infusionmagazine
Fair play Boiler Room and adidas Originals, you put on an insanely good show, demonstrating via Essarai and Abood that there’s plenty of homegrown talent in our city. A big hit on the food/fun circuit, the Food Truck Jam will be back at Emirates Golf Course on February 11 and 25, hosting 15 food trucks and a host of market stalls from 5pm. Good luck to White Dubai, which is again campaigning to be included in the DJ Magazine Top 100 clubs round up after featuring last year. The DJ Factory have teamed up with the mighty Void soundsystems to power our Thursday afternoon broadcasts – BIG! We apologise in advance to the offices either side and above and below us
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BLACK LIST Donald Trump apologists. It doesn’t really matter what grounds we complain about The Trump: the man is a gloating, finger-pointing bully and racist and shouldn’t even be laughed at let alone supported. Promoters advertising they have a ‘Live DJ.’ Because dead DJs are just rubbish, aren’t they...
Say What? DANCEFLOOR DICTIONARY
Trolleyed - 1. To be intoxicated from a club when at an airport 2. To still be intoxicated from a club when at a 24-hour supermarket. RUMOURS
Good news for 3 of our favourite club nights! House of Afrika is set for a full time return in March, audio tonic have secured a new venue for their house parties and bass/garage night Superheroes are also set to be back in action soon. MEME CORNER
WE LOVE The Boxtones
For those that complain there’s no music culture in the UAE, or there’s no support network we generally point them towards The Boxtones. A self starting band, they’ve done everything – from corporate gigs to nightly residencies to creating their own incredible video shoots and performing original music in front of tens of thousands, they’ve broken the mold for local bands. And they’ve done it through blood, sweat, tears, countless social media posts and hundreds of hours of practise. And while their biggest gig yet might have been cruelly postponed twice – they’ll be taking to the stage with Sir Elton John in December now – they’ve just released their new album Home on Universal Music MENA. Well played guys, well played.
DYSFUNKTION FEAT. WHYT NOYZ @ ON42
JUDGE JULES @ XL
What we did
FLASHBACK 90/00 FEAT. COOLIO @ BILLIONAIRE MANSION
American rapper Coolio kicked off the launch of Flashback Fridays at Billionaire Mansion. Partygoers vibed with Coolio’s songs including ‘1,2,3,4’ and ‘I’ll See You When You Get There’ (which Coolio dedicated to the recent death of West Coast legend Crazy Toones). And of course everyone’s favourite, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ which was almost drowned out by singing from the crowd. Coolio then upped the ante by bringing out a saxophone player which added a new layer to his music. The nostalgic hip-hop kicked in after midnight with DJs Smokingroove and Kennedy dropping classics like “Jump Around” by House of Pain mixed in with Kris Kross “Jump.” They also mixed in 90s pop music such as Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and Daft Punk. With free drinks for ladies every night of the week, great sound and lighting and some seriously stylish décor, Billionaire Mansion is definitely a place to check out. Words by Ginger S Up next: Bob Sinclar, February 10
FLASHBACK WITH BOB SINCLAR
With the launch of retro night Flashback 90/00 a big hit thanks to Coolio’s live show, they’ve gone for a house music star on February 10 at Billionaire Mansion as they’ve booked French DJ Bob Sinclar. A huge commercial name, with a strong underground past, he’s had several radio-conquering hits including ‘Love Generation’ and ‘World Hold On.’
SKREAM FOR ANNA AND MORE AT BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE
There’s just no letting up in the Blue Marlin booking team – first up on February 10 they have Brazilian techno expert Anna and Rony Seikaly for the Fire Festival, before an almighty double header the week after as Sasha goes head to head with dubstep-turnedhouse-techno-pretty-much-anything-good DJ Skream. Not to be outdone, however, Sasha has been working his magic recently, and has up-coming releases on Kompakt and Watergate and his highly anticipated live show at the Barbican this summer.
MR V FOR VICTORY
It’s been a transitional period at 360 for the past year or so as new promoters have moved out, but this season has started strongly for the club as they’ve focused on quality house music internationals, bringing over Mr V and Purple Disco Machine to play this February. First up, Mr V is a true house champion, an American DJ inspired by an upbringing of House, Hip-Hop, Latin, Garage and Disco classics, Rhythm & Blues and Jazz, and is a part of the Masters of Work label helmed by Louie Vega.
CATCH THE BOOTLEG BEACH BOYS
A band blessed with timeless classics, sadly we’re 50 years too late to catch the Beach Boys in their pomp, but you can catch the next best thing as the Bootleg Beach Boys are playing live at the new Madinat McGettigans on Friday February 10.
GET JUICED AT ON42
There’s a new midweek hip hop, RnB and reggae night in town as Juice launches every Wednesday at Media One’s ON42 club space. Running from 10pm each night, opening guests include Rampage Sound and resident DJ3G Kid, with showcases and live PAs promised during the season, including up-and-coming UK singer Inkra DeBelle (pictured).
FLOWER POWER AT INDIE
Cool DIFC spot Indie have booked Ibiza Flower Power DJ Victor Nebot to play their venue on Friday February 10. The resident DJ at cult throwback night Flower Power held every summer at Pacha. Expect classic 60s beats and grooves from the DJ who’s played at David Beckham’s birthday. GET KRUMP
Time for something a little more cultural as the Alliance Française Dubai are bringing over a choreographed street dance phenomenon born in LA in the mid-90s. The Krump has been brought to dramatic modern day life by choreographer Heddy Maalem in an energetic live show performed at DUCTAC on February 9 from 8pm, with tickets AED80.
Garage Nation all under one roof! DJ Luck & MC Neat
After a break from action, the Garage Nation crew are back in dancefloor destroying action on Thursday February 16 with a classic line up of DJ Luck & MC Neat and Artful Dodger, alongside a live PA from Sweet Female Attitude
CLICK TO WATCH
Like all the best things in life, Luck & Neat started organically when their 1999 dubplate ‘A Little Bit of Luck’ priced at just AED40 took off faster than you could say Emirates Gold Card, with the track hitting the UK Top 10. They quickly followed it with a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Master Blaster’ which hit the Top 5, while they had another Top 10 hit later that year with ‘Breakin’… There’s No Stopping Us.’ Still a highly credible Garage act booked across the world, and with plenty of Dubai gigs under their Gucci belts, they’ve kept the Garage vibe alive well into its second decade.
Artful Dodger Sweet Female Attitude
Another ever-green Garage act, Artful Dodger is a two piece comprised of MC Alistair and DJ Dave Low, who – alongside Craig David – were responsible for one of the Garage anthems, ‘ReRewind’ in 1999. A versatile duo, they not only play Garage classics, but sets can also include Dubstep, bassline, electro, Jungle and DnB and even some Rare Groove. With a packed out gig schedule already for 2017, they’ll be bringing the dancefloor heat for their first DXB gig of the year.
Click to win a pair of tickets
While the headliners are well known club quantities, it’s great to see some new faces on the bill, with Sweet Female Attitude completing the line up. Originally a duo, they’re now fronted by vocalist Leanne Brown who’ll be singing their 2000 classic ‘Flowers’ which was one of the year’s best selling singles. Garage Nation, The Valentines Special, Thursday February 16, XL Club, 9pm-3am, tickets AED125.
5 minutes with
Alberto Ruiz
CLICK TO WATCH
A firm favourite with Marco Carola and Richie Hawtin, and given a big career boost by Dubfire, Spanish house and tech-house DJ Alberto Ruiz is next up for the Decibel crew…
Welcome to the UAE – what have you heard, what do you know? Not much only photographs, but I really want to know the place and give my best to Decibel and the Dubai crowd. We hear you have quite an impressive studio – what's your prized possession? And how much time do you spend in there making music? I am in the studio between 6 and 10 hours or more depending on the day. The most valuable piece and prized possession that I have is my memory hehe, if not I wouldn’t be able to combine the sounds. You had a big lift when Dubfire charted your track Alien, and it went to the top of the Techno charts. Have you met him to say thank you? How much did it help your career? He was the one who made me known for the first time, and my label Stickrecordings. I have not been able to thank him in person yet, but have done so already online. What's planned for 2017, what are you looking forward to? I’m making a library for raw loops, some important collabs, some remixes and many originals that will come out in around 6 months. Which tracks are you most proud of, and how long did it take you to make them? I think the Pig&Dan & Monika Kruse ‘Soulstice’ remix is undoubtedly the track that most are playing. How do you define techno, and how do you describe the music you make and play? It's the kind of sequence it has, I play classic house sounds and I do techno sequences, it's something that could be counted as tech house but it’s my style, it’s a sort of a hybrid style. Who are some of your most famous fans? And what's it been like to meet them and play and party with them? No doubt Green Velvet, I’d get crazy if I got to play with him, I hope I can thank him in person and hug him, he really is the one that helped me the most, and Dubfire is the most important thing that has happened to me. And what should people expect from your show in Dubai? I think as it is my first time in Dubai and maybe I will be judged on my show, I will be giving the Dubai crowd a set full of energy! Decibel feat. Alberto Ruiz, Thursday February 9, ON42, Media One Hotel, 10pm-3am, tickets AED100.
#BRAAIDAYDXB
IS BACK!
A smash hit for the last few years, we’re back once again doing what we best – braais, bands and baking sunshine. Ahead of our February 24 return to Emirates Golf Course, we take a closer look at what you can expect from the entertainment
CLICK TO WATCH
DESMOND AND THE TUTUS
One of the best named bands in history, DATTs have been making a quiet fuss in their native South Africa for the past decade thanks to their blend of kwela-indie-punk. The trio have an established fan base thanks to tours across Japan, France, Sweden and the UK, and have 3 albums under their belt meaning they’ll have plenty of ammunition when they make their UAE debut.
KURT DARREN
Kurt Darren is a South African singer, songwriter and television presenter, who won 7 South African Music Awards (SAMA) from 2007 to 2011, and has also appeared in a number of South African films. His debut album ‘For Your Precious Love’ was released in 1995, while from 2006 to 2011, he was the presenter of popular South African show Jukebox on kykNET.
DJ CLOCK
DJ Clock broke into the music scene in 2007 when he produced his big hit “Úbala” for Kwaito band “Big Nuz” which went on to win a number of awards at the South African Music Awards and Metro FM Awards. 2009 saw him release his debut album ‘The First Tick,’ which quickly went Platinum landing DJ Clock two SAMA nominations.
PAUL SNODGRASS
Paul Snodgrass (also known as Snoddie) started his career in the Fresh Faces section of the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival. He is best known for his work on eTV’s “That Sport Show.” He quickly made a name for himself as a multi-talented stand-up comedian and MC for many SA rock bands, and he’ll be our MC for the event and also be doing some impromptu sets throughout the day. BraaiDayDXB, Friday February 24, Emirates Golf Course, 3pmlate, early bird tickets AED100 via platinumlist.net
Firing on all cylinders CLICK TO WATCH
Much loved dub, hip hop and DnB outfit The Dub Pistols return for another live show of epic proportions at the Baggot McGettigans JLT on Thursday February 16. We caught up with ringmaster Barry Ashworth to talk 9/11, life on the road and the perils of music streaming…
You tour incredibly hard for a well established band – do you ever wish you could take it a bit easier, or is there a drive in you to play to as many people as possible? Not sure it's a drive, we live in a world of declining record sales and one way to have a career in the music industry is to be a touring band, so I guess that's part of it. It's not a life many people could handle: you’re constantly on the move always away from home, family and people you love
but on the plus side life has been one long adventure. A constant party where you get to meet new friends everyday and travel the world. You were snapped up by big label Geffen, and were expected to break through in America but the album was released during 9/11 – how did that hit the band, do you ever wonder what might have been? A lot of bands where hit by the circumstances that 9/11 caused. We were number 2 in the US Billboards chart and had been voted best newcomers on a few US radio stations. We were on the front cover of magazines and had just written tracks with the likes of Busta Rhymes and a host of music for US films. We were Universal Record’s
number 1 priority at the time, things looked good. Our album was due for release the week after 9/11 and that never happened, it took 3 more years for the album to finally come out and we went from spending 8 months a year touring the US to never going back. So yes it affected us, but that’s life, sometimes things are not meant to be. It was incredibly hard at the time as our careers were effectively on hold and there wasn't anything we could do about it. When we finally got the album back things had moved on in the world and we had to start back from square 1. I never think about what could have been as I'm only interested in the now and where we are going!
Click to win a pair of tickets The Dup Pistols play The Baggot JLT McGettigans on Thursday February 16, tickets AED100, show starts 9pm.
ALL
RIZE WE CAUGHT UP WITH AJ AND BRENT FROM THE RIZE GROUP, TO GET THE LOW-DOWN ON THEIR BIG DXB EVENTS THE LIST, DAYVIBES AND UPTOWN.
Who are The Rize Group, and what do you do? We are a group of party-makers, from major cities all over the world, who have spent their lives in this industry. The Rize Group is originally a Toronto based company that started off as a talent-buying agency and now we provide end-to-end solutions from concerts to weekly events. What have been the biggest events you've put on? We are proud to have powered some of the biggest events like NYE DXB and have delivered artists such as The Weekend, Kid Ink, Steve Aoki and Trey Songz. Another signature event that became the talk of the town was The Hub featuring Busta Rhymes, Robin Thicke and even French Montana. One of the most memorable ones though, was bringing Nervo down to Dubai for New Year’s Eve 2016! What events and parties are you working on at the moment? We work on a couple of events that are quite popular, not just in Dubai but that pull in an international clientele who fly in to party with their favorite artists. The List at Billionaire Mansion is our most popular event. It’s one of those nights that is different every single time and always keeps people guessing about what we are going to do next. Even Will Smith was blown away when he dropped in the last time. Day Vibes and DIP are two outdoor
(pool/beach) events that have a regular following. And for old school Hip Hop fans, there’s Uptown every Wednesday at Stereo Arcade in JBR. Who are your customers and how hard is it to keep on attracting clients when the city keeps changing and people move on after a couple of years? Well, the thrill of working in events is that everything changes all the time. We don’t believe in following trends but instead, we set the benchmark. The biggest compliment in this industry is when other people copy you. Musically, what works for you? We like to focus on vocally oriented music. A lot of our events are Hip Hop and RNB centric. Our resident DJs all know how to read the crowd and can feel the pulse of the energy in the room and tap into it. What are the best venues in town at the moment? Billionaire Mansion, which is the home of The List, is definitely one of the best venues in town. You can’t miss White for sure. What juicy rumours do you know for the rest of the year?We don’t deal in rumours but we can tell you two things for sure…Dubai get ready for a new dinner concept launching in DIFC in February and Day Vibes will be back in March.
SUPERLOUNGE AND THEIR DEEP HOUSE DREAMS CLICK TO WATCH
Click to win a pair of tickets After 2 stellar parties, All Day I Dream is now a big part of the city’s nightlife scene, and returns to action on February 11 with German deep house duo Superlounge. They spoke to Infusion Magazine about juggling day jobs with DJing and life lessons they’ve learned
You've been together as a duo for over a decade – what lessons have you learnt in that time? All lessons are good lessons, but some appear to be harder than others depending on where you’re at with life. Letting go of control to achieve your goals and to reach your desired destination, which was the hardest one. Things will happen, maybe not immediately but eventually; and that’s OK. And who does what in the duo? Social Media and Bookings was mostly my (Oli) part in the past. Now we are signed with Jackmode Agency which allows us to focus more on the music. In the studio, we always work and decide together. You played several gigs in America at the end of last year – how was that? How do the American crowds compare to Europe and elsewhere? It’s always great to play there. The US scene changed a lot in the last years; in a really positive way. They have this friendly open minded crowd which allows
you to play everything you like. Electronic Music is everywhere at the moment and that’s good. Dance music today is as much about talent as it is about putting yourself out there on social media etc – how involved do you get? Is Djing and music your full time profession? Unfortunately sometimes it’s more about social media than talent these days. But we won’t complain. Social media helps to generate new followers and share our music to the world. We both work in daytime jobs but not full-time. Alex is a physical therapist and I’ve been working for a German car company for 15 years. It doesn’t reflect our DJ business and we can travel. It’s hard sometimes but doable. How would you describe the music you make and play? When it comes to music production we often don’t have a "plan". It’s always deep house music with a touch of melodic. But the most important part is the groove. For ADID we’ll try to build an emotional sunny daytime vibe.
PureInk presents All Day I Dream ft. Superlounge and Oona Dahl, Saturday February 11, D3 Design District, 1-10pm
CLICK TO WATCH
GROOVE ON THE GRASS RETURN WITH A BANG! The event season doesn’t truly get started until Groove on the Grass roll into action, and they’re back doing what they do best on Friday February 17 with another killer line up featuring Röyskopp, Steve Bug, Agents of Time, DeWalta and Marc Houle across 2 stages.
5 FACTS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT RÖYSKOPP 1 2 3 4 5
Their name literally means mushroom cloud – Royk means cloud and Sopp is mushroom, but the band have a different explanation. ”It's just a ridiculous name for a group,” chuckles Svein Berge, one-half of the Norwegian duo. ”Let's call ourselves something that is hard to pronounce and harder to spell, and people won't even know what the hell it means.” The band were formed by Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland in 1998 in Tromso, Norway, and were at the time a prominent part of the Tromso techno scene. The duo bonded over electronic music and bought a drum machine, and 3 years later their timeless classic Melody AM was released. Royksopp were nominated for a Grammy in 2015 for their album Do It Again alongside Robyn. Also nominated were Deadmau5, Aphex Twin and Disclosure: impressive company. Their first big break came when ‘So Easy’ was used on an advert for T Mobile, and was so popular it was released twice. It was just the start of the endorsements as Apple signed up ‘Eple’ (Norwegian for Apple), and used the music when their Panther operating system was booted up, while Geico used ‘Poor Leno’ for a car insurance commercial. The band have released 6 albums, and remixed for some true giants including Coldplay, Peter Gabriel and The Streets. But they had to draw the line at remixing Britney Spears.
AGENTS OF TIME
MARC HOULE
DEWALTA
STEVE BUG Groove on the Grass feat. Rรถyskopp, Steve Bug, Agents of Time, DeWalta, & Marc Houle, Friday February 17, Emirates Golf Course, 5pm-2am, tickets from Platinumlist.net
ON THE RADAR DUBAI JAZZ FEST FT. TOM JONES
NORMAN JAY
FEBRUARY 22 - MEDIA CITY
FEBRUARY 24 - ZERO GRAVITY
DUBAI JAZZ FEST FT. MARIAH CAREY FEBRUARY 23 - MEDIA CITY
PLUS MINUS FT. MATT TOLFREY FEBRUARY 24
#BRAAIDAYDXB FT. KURT DARREN
ROD STEWART
FEBRUARY 24 - EMIRATES GOLF COURSE
MARCH 2 -DU ARENA, YAS ISLAND
DUBAI JAZZ FEST FT. ENRIQUE IGLESIAS
GUNS’N’ROSES MARCH 3 - AUTISM ROCKS ARENA
FEBRUARY 24 - MEDIA CITY
ON THE RADAR H.O.S.H MARCH 10 - PROVOCATEUR
KODE 9 APRIL 13 - VENUE TBC
ADRIATIQUE MARCH 24 - EL CHIRINGUITO
APRIL 21 - EL CHIRINGUITO
PLUS MINUS FT. OLIVER KOLETZKI MARCH 24
ELECTRO BRUNCH FT. DETROIT SWINDLE
APRIL 8 - DUBAI POLO CLUB
SOUL CLAP
PLUS MINUS FT. ALAN FITZPATRICK APRIL 21
JUSTIN BEIBER
MAY 6 - AUTISM ROCKS ARENA
Music News CARL AND THE REDA MAFIA HIT THE ROAD
One of the city’s most talented and hard-working bands in the country, Carl And the Reda Mafia are taking to the road this February and playing dates across Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, with gigs at Jordan’s Corners Pub on February 17 and Radio Beirut on February 23. The band, who released their excellent What The?! album last year, will also be taking a tour photo diary for Infusion, so watch out for that exclusive soon. JAYE AND FOE AIM FOR A GOOD REACTION
Folk and jazz influenced band Jaye and Foe are releasing their debut EP Bad Reaction on Monday February 13, and will be expanding from a trio to a full 6 piece band as they stomp their way through it at the The Fridge. The DXB band, who won an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville to record original music courtesy of the Jack Daniels Music Scout Competition, are regulars across the UAE, with up-coming gigs at the Emirates Literature Festival and the UK Boomtown Festival, while they’re also the resident act every Sunday at the Pizza Express Jazz Bar JLT.
HIP HOP KARAOKE GOES WEEKLY
Good news hip hop fans, as the cool as Coolio event Hip Hop Karaoke has now found a weekly home at Tribeca every Friday. Already a cult event in London and New York, budding rappers and MCs will be able to take the mic every Friday from 8pm at the JBR bar, with over 800 tracks to choose from including bangers from Rihanna, Jay Z and Kanye.
Abri And The Funk Radius – My Music
A living UAE legend – and we don’t use that term lightly – Abri is one of the most talented dudes we’ve met. Period. Ahead of his band’s return to play the Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Saturday Brunch on February 18, we pinned him down to talk music…
The first song I learnt to sing/play was… ‘No Woman, No Cry’ by the legendary Bob Marley. I learned it and performed it with my Dad on keys. It was one of my first times performing live. The song I'm most proud of writing is… Probably the first song I ever wrote, I must have been 17 or 18 years old. The crazy thing is I don’t even remember how it goes but I definitely remember the feeling of pride and accomplishment after writing a complete song. My biggest achievement to date is…Just the fact that we are still here creating and performing music, and the fact that some people like what we are doing. My goal is to… Make timeless music. The song I could never cover is… Hmmm that’s a tricky one. There are certain legendary artists, now and in the past, who have written, performed or recorded songs where they left a piece of themselves out there with that particular song or songs and it’s just so powerful and moving that it feels almost blasphemous to cover it. I don’t know if other artists have that feeling too sometimes but there you go. Our music has been described as… Soulful? You will have to ask the people who listen to our music. My best claim to fame is… Hmm, I really don’t know. Maybe when a few people started recognizing me in public after I released my first album… Playing at Blue Marlin Ibiza is… Chilled out in the beginning and crazy at the end. The Dubai music scene is… Happening. So many things are going on as far as the scene is concerned and it’s sometimes hard to keep track and attend every single event or happening, which is a good thing. I am excited to see where it is now and where its going to go. If I could collaborate with any living artist it would be… I could put a whole list here, but right off the top would be Erykah Badu or Sade or D’Angelo or Frank Ocean or Stevie Wonder or Damian Marley or Kendrick Lamar or QuestLove or… see what I mean!
Soundstage OLLIE HOWELL
Noted eclectic jazz musician Ollie Howell is the first resident act at Quincy Jones’ Q Bar at The Palazzo Versace Dubai, and can boast of shows at the London Jazz Festival. Oh, and Quincy just happened to call him an ‘so creative I couldn’t believe it, he really is a 360-degree beautiful young cat’… high praise indeed from the legendary record producer! My first musical influence was…
Elvis Costello. My mum used to play him and Bruce Springsteen all the time when I was younger. I’d also have to say my dad as he used to play the piano at home regularly so I was constantly surrounded by music. Having a piano in the house was definitely what got me interested in music.
The last pop star I liked was…
I really like George Ezra. I think he’s extremely talented! He produces the best ‘feel good’ songs and has the most distinctive voice that I could listen to all day. You can’t beat a bit of old school Justin Timberlake sometimes too.
My sound is best described as…
My sound is probably described as eclectic, contemporary and melodic - It’s heavily routed in jazz but there are a lot of other influences too. Grooves and melody play a huge part in what I do and what I produce. I’m constantly listening to new music and trying to mix anything that inspires me into my music somehow.
Best piece of advice you’ve received?
Quincy Jones often says that “you should always have humility when you create, and grace when you succeed.” That’s definitely a piece of advice that has led me to where I am today.
What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
John Mayer - I secretly wish I could play guitar and sing like him…
Best claim to fame?
Without a doubt being the opening artist at Quincy Jones’ first ever bar is my best claim to fame. The whole experience here at the Q’s Bar and Lounge at Palazzo Versace Dubai has been one of the most humbling and incredible experiences of my life.
Talent competitions are…
I think they’re often very misleading as they sometimes give people a false expectation of the music industry. They portray this career and lifestyle as one that doesn’t entail a lot of work, whereas it involves hard work, dedication and long hours. Anything worth having doesn’t come that easily or quickly.
My musical motto is…
Try not to overthink things and just react to what inspires you, and try to be true to yourself as an Artist at all times.
Best gig you’ve played?
My best gig to date has to be the launch night of Q’s Bar & Lounge at Palazzo Versace Dubai. We did a double-bill with Dirty Loops and it was just incredible - definitely a career highlight for me. I’ve played a number of shows at London Jazz Festival and I’ve really enjoyed them too.
And the worst?
When I was a student I drove 4 hours to a gig which I was really looking forward to. I had told all of my friends and family about it as I was hoping for it to be my ‘big break’. When I eventually got to the bar I discovered that the promoter had completely forgotten about the show and I didn’t get to play in the end. I was gutted to say the least!
Best lyrics of all time?
One I really like at the moment is by Bon Iver from one of his songs called ‘Stacks.’ “There’s a black crow sitting across from me. His wiry legs are crossed. He is dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss. Whatever could it be, that has brought me to this loss?” www.olliehowell.com
DJ BOOTH: ADAM ALDOUS
Zero Gravity’s resident DJ talks us through his Hollywood history, cooking and his guilty love of boy band Five…
One thing you might not know about me is… I’ve been in a Disney and a Guy Ritchie film. Come for a night at Zero Gravity and I might tell you which ones! My worst ever job was… Avon door-to-door sales… Thanks mother. My favorite ever record is… Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters. DJing is much like… Cooking. It’s all about adding the right ingredients together at the right time to create an unforgettable taste. Dubai’s clubbing scene is… Abundant. Bring on the season! I’m really proud of… My UK events company Beyond The Beat, and what we, as a team, are accomplishing. You may see the rest of the squad in Dubai soon. What track could you drop in every set? ‘Anytime’ by NuBirth. I can’t live without… Heinz Baked Beans and a Squat Rack. My biggest DJ achievement to date is… Starting my own club night. We created a platform for like-minded artists and did what we love to do. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Cheesy boy band FIVE and their track “Got the feelin.” Don’t act like you know don’t know the words too. If you could DJ in any decade which would it be… The 90s, when UK garage was in its prime. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be… DJ EZ. I’m not a politician but… I could do with their expense accounts.
www.mixcloud.com/adamaldous/
TECH TALK Roland Go Keys
Everyone is a DJ these days, it’s only a matter of time before Trump is booted out of the White House and becomes a topless DJ (shudder!). And now everyone can be a producer as well thanks to Roland’s new Go Keys keyboards. Battery powered and with in-built speakers, they’re aimed at beginners: you simply start playing any of the 500 in-built instruments and it’ll generate a musical pattern which can then be tweaked using the touch-panel. The keyboards can also be used as controllers for the more adept producers, and there’s audio/ MIDI Bluetooth compatibility meaning that you can wirelessly stream music through the speakers and play along, with an in-built recorder and USB option. But it’s the innovative Loop Mix function that really makes this stand out, meaning people with no musical background or training, but with an ear for music, can put their ideas down and let the keyboard do the talking. Simple and easy to use, it comes in at under $300 and will be released this Spring. www.roland.com
THE SPIN DUBAI, FEBRUARY 2017
PAGE 217
ISSUE 54
DUBAI BRUNCHES AT THE CENTRE OF WORLD FOOD DEBT
The World Wide Food association recently announced that Dubai’s brunches are currently using up 27% of the world’s food, creating a food crisis across the rest of the world. With brunches on average using over 17 sq kilometers of food every Friday afternoon, the city is taking away food that would otherwise be feeding Africa for a day, or America for 3 minutes. A WWF spokesman Mr L. Ardy told The Spin, the food disparity was quite shocking. ‘The UAE brunches are the number one hazard for food producers across the world – not locusts, El Nino or aliens making crop circles, it’s Jumeirah Janes and Satwa Steves that are truly eating their way to the core of the earth. Which in Dubai, is no doubt gilded with edible gold and a side of foie gras.’ 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.
Food News LOCA PART 3
Already a firm favourite in Dubai thanks to its laid back charm, excellent drinks range and killer food and music combo, Loca has now launched in Abu Dhabi at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island. The 300 plus capacity bar and restaurant will be dishing up their Latin-American options plus over 42 varieties of beers and some of the best margaritas in the country.
GET WET AT MISS LILYS
Not that we’re booze-hounds – honest – but we’re very excited to hear that Miss Lilys, the excellent Jamaican-themed diner has been granted its alcohol license. They’ve already launched their signature cocktail – the Ting-a-ling featuring Red Stripe and grapefruit soda – as well as the pun-tastic Cool Rummings drink. They’ve also launched Ting-a-Ling Mondays, with DJ Crown Prince playing classic Reggae, dancehall and soca grooves and their Three Little Birds ladies night, with 3 free drinks and 30% off food.
Cool Test BEN ECHO VS KEV FRESH
The Brunswick’s Thursday night throwdowns have quickly become a go-to party, largely thanks to the ultra-cool eclectic selections from resident DJs Ben Echo and Kev Fresh. But who’s too cool for school and who’s just a fool? The coolest track in the world is… BEN: If ‘Find A Way’ by A Tribe Called Quest is the benchmark of cool, then ‘Suede’ by NxWorries came pretty close recently.
KEV: Right now anything that Anderson.Paak or Kaytranada touch is pretty damn cool.
The best comeback to a bad request is… BEN: Applaud their suggestion and invite them to stream it from Youtube. Watch them suffer for a few minutes as they try and pair their phone to the decks. Wonderful.
KEV: “I’m not sure how that one goes. Could you sing it to me?”
The coolest DJ is… BEN: Jazzy Jeff. But our mate Nagu is defo the best dressed.
KEV: Ben Echo.
My biggest claim to fame is BEN: I was once asked by Rio Ferdinand to play some RnB while I was playing an Aaliyah track.
KEV: I was a backup singer for Whitney Houston throughout the 90s.
The coolest person in my phone book is? KEV: The youngest brother, of the 2nd cousin, of the sister in law, of Snoop Dog’s grandmother.
BEN: :Mum. Obvs
Have you ever used your name or fame to get out of trouble?
BEN: A man once accused me of sitting in his seat but he was wrong because it was indeed my seat and I had a ticket saying so.
KEV: When I was resident DJ at studio 54 in the 70s I would often steal donuts from Andy Warhol’s table, but he knew I played the best disco so would let me get away with it.
It’s not big and clever but… BEN: Dyslexic gnomes.
KEV: He is now the president of the US
Your answer to everything is… BEN: Get out of town!
KEV: Why?
What’s the best insult you could give to each other? BEN: I remember my first beer mate.
KEV: You look cute in that top.
THE VERDICT:STAND UP KEV FRESH FOR TAKING LIBERTIES WITH THE QUESTIONS – AND FOR HIS ILLUMINATING INSIGHT INTO ANDY WARHOL’S DONUT PROCLIVITIES. Kev Fresh and Ben Echo DJ funk, hip hop, breaks and all things good at The Brunswick Sports Pub at the Sheraton Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, every Thursday from 7pm
Eat Sleep Rave Repeat Socially amazing
Christmas comes 11 months early for Stephen Day as we send him to check out The Marina Social
Finally after close to 4 years of writing this feature, it’s paid off. Yes there have been some great eateries along the way, and yes there have been some fine dishes devoured, plus my love of the food scene in Dubai has grown. However as much as I adore great street food and the latest culinary trends, my heart is in fine dining and quality cooking. So I was over the moon when Andy sent me an email saying the next assignment would be at The Marina Social. Full disclosure: I’ve eaten here many times, I’ve also eaten at its spiritual home The Pollen
Street Social. I’ve followed head chef Jason Atherton from his time in Dubai at Verre to Maze back in the UK. I think he’s an exceptional chef and exceptional chefs put together talent to deliver their food wherever in the world it may be, and Dubai is no exception with his Head Chef Tristan Farmer and crew. The Marina Social is a big space. It’s dark but warm and inviting, and you get a great sense of the hustle and bustle of the open kitchen while the pinned back doors onto the Marina give one of the best views in the city. The front of house are
as good as you would expect for somewhere of this level. The menu is split into many sections: raw, cold, pasta, fish, meat as you would expect, but ignore all that and plump for one of their fun ‘feed me’ options. After a brief discussion on your likes and dislikes, the kitchen will bring plate after plate of dishes that more than meet your own personal taste. We started with tea and toast, a British pastime reimagined for dinner. We were presented with mushroom tea, sourdough bread and bone marrow butter. Then came our first surprise of the evening - we had bought along a friend who was in town for the night and he requested the beef tartar. Little did we know how good it would be. I’ve eaten a few in my time but this really was special. Perhaps it was the freshness of the beef or the homemade ketchup, but everything just danced, making this an instant classic. It was followed by some deliciously light tuna and a burrata stuffed tomato that looked and tasted the part. Cold starters over and it was pasta time. We ordered a duck leg agnoloti, with the skin crumble raising it a level or two, some punchy lemon ricotta tortellini and then the 2nd surprise of the evening. I know you wont believe me, so you’ll need to go and try yourself, but they gave us the
finest gnocchi I think I or anyone around me have put in their mouths. Ever. They were slightly larger than normal, which meant more surface area to soak up a pumpkin and mushroom sauce, and were like potato marshmallows inside, divine. This was followed by a duck breast, some giant prawns and a beef rib. All these dishes were expertly cooked and thought through but all we could do round the table was discuss how much we would love another plate or two of the gnocchi, simple peasant food wins yet again. Surprise number 3 arrived in a cone, a pre dessert of parsnip ice cream (yes, you read that correctly). I’ve never eaten it before, I hope I don’t have to wait as long to eat it again. Sweet, sticky, yet with a real depth of flavour you wouldn’t get from any fruit based ice cream, it was more than enough to get us off the topic of gnocchi. Actual deserts arrived
and were a slightly mixed affair. We loved their clever take on an Eaton mess, encased in a wall of meringue longing to be smashed open, while we were also presented with a so-so chocolate bomb. But before we had time to pause, the final pleasant surprise arrived in the shape of a rhubarb soufflé & custard. It was exceptional. I don’t know how they did it, but it was the perfect finish to the meal, in fact it would be the perfect finish to any meal. A triumph, and the pastry chef should be very pleased with themselves. If there were any complaints, the music choice was maybe a bit weird, all 80s synth pop plus the service occasionally lagged at times, especially when it got busy. But outside of that The Marina Social is, in my opinion, without doubt the best restaurant in this city and one that should be top of your list to visit again and again.
The Marina Social, InterContinental Dubai Marina, 04 446 6664 marinasocialdubai.com/
COOLSTUFF we want
Camping Essentials
It’s outdoor season in the UAE, which means taking to the hills, wadis and beaches to get away from city for a weekend. And that means 2 things – you need to a) tell people how adventurous and outdoorsy you are and b) have a mainline of coffee to keep you going. To help with a), you need this solar powered portable charger, which will power up 2 devices at the same time using the power of the sun – pretty much a given in Dubai. It also comes with a builtin carabiner, a compass and a waterproof coating, plus a built in flashlight. That way, you can take night time selfies in the middle of an Oman Wadi and tell your FB friends about it: essential camping rule number 1. Then, the next morning, you’ll need a caffeine hit as Starbucks don’t deliver – welcome to Kuju coffee. Simply pour hot water over the pouches and you’ll end up with steaming, strong, fresh coffee. Both retail for $20 each online, and will help get you through your adventure in some style and comfort.
Dear Elton John It’s not often I write personal letters – other than all those to the 7Days letters page, they were mostly me – but I felt obliged to write to you via this column . Now, I respect that you’re a multi-million selling artist, who commands million dollar fees and is a bit of a dude, by all accounts. But I was mighty shocked – well, that’s not quite what I said to Mrs Monkey, the air was a bit bluer – when I heard that you’d ducked out of your gig in Dubai AGAIN, this time to play at the wedding of an 18 year old Russian Oligarch’s daughter. Now, apart from ogling the page boys and getting a rather handsome fee (you don’t take anything less than AED5 million, do you Reg), is there any particular reason why you decided to blow off Dubai for the 2nd time, or was it just bad manners? You, Sir took the city for fools, and while you’re largely correct, I was not amused and will be boycotting your show in December. Unless I get freebies, then I’m there. Obvs.
Monkey Out... The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.
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