MUSIC • PEOPLE • LIFE Sept 16th - Sept 30th 2012 l Issue #183 l www.infusion.ae l EST 2005
dXb Music Festival returns
feat. Afrojack, Far East Movement, Kaskade and more! audio tonic returns, Ibiza Round-up, Pan-Arabia Enquirer, Gig Listings, Essential Albums and much more!
From the Editor’s Desk
Editor-in-chief: Talal Budebs Managing Director: Charl Chaka Editor: Andy Buchan Contributors: Buff Wise GarethIsOnIt Lisa Sant Maddy Butcher Miriam Sweeney Nthayi Tshehle Pan-Arabia Enquirer Design: Allan (Jmaxlolo) Tinsay
If ever you wanted proof that EDM — that’s electronic dance music to me and you, just re-branded for America — has taken the global dance scene by storm, then just look to the line up of the returning dXb Music Festival. Hard-hitting dirty Dutch DJ Afrojack might not be American, but he’s one of the top exponents of the big, brash, electro sound that has swept the nation, and in turn, the rest of the world. But in Kaskade and the Far East Movement, the festival has two home-grown stars, who will no doubt transfer their style of aggressive melodies and blitzkrieg beats to Dubai at the start of October. It might not be to everyone’s liking, but it looks like EDM — or commercial electro as you might more sensibly call it — is here to stay. Andy
Grown-up stuff: Infusion is published by Milehigh Media, llc. www.milehighmedia.ae PO Box 73310 Dubai, UAE Contact us: Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098 Advertising: vip@infusion.ae 050 169 8712 Editorial: andy@infusion.ae 055 882 5675
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Friday 07th December du Arena, Yas Island
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dxb Festival, October 5th
Looking
BACK Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.
> What we did > Photo Gallery
Looking Back
What we did
kissy sell Out @ N’Dulge
When we first heard rave pioneer Kissy Sell Out — he of the light-speed mixing technique and itchy trigger finger on his trusty air horn — was playing at N’Dulge, we raised an eyebrow. Sure, the club is trying to change its image, and booking the Radio 1 DJ was definitely a curveball, but would it be too much for the crowd to handle? Thankfully, no, as he dropped a riotous tumble of electrofried beats. It might not have garnered his usual crowd reaction, but the crowd warmed to his 4 deck antics (as did Safe Smokingroove the resident, who was happy to watch from the side as Kissy whipped up a desert storm). Further ahead, Steve Lawler is confirmed to play at the start of October, while we’ve heard whispers that more leftfield bookings are in the pipeline, which we can only applaud.
Bassworx @ Catwalk
Cast your mind back a few months, and DnB fans were sorted — Globalfunk, audiOasis and Bassworx were all vying for your clubbing dirham, each offering a slightly different twist on the classic jungle sound. Sadly, only Bassworx is running at the moment as the others are on the look for new venues, which might have partly explained why Catwalk was packed to the rafters with ravers. The other explanation is that the monthly DnB and dubstep party has built a dedicated following thanks to their resident DJs, VJ and MC who create a full-on party vibe. Sadly, we weren’t big fans of the night’s headliner, New Yorks’ Subset, who dropped a 2 hour set of laser-guided melodies, crunching breakdowns and little else, a come down after the high tempo DnB rollers from the local crew that had preceded him. It seems like we were in the minority with that opinion, however, as the sweaty, grimy crowd went bananas from start to finish. Business as usual for Bassworx, then, as they strive to capture the city’s bass scene.
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dxb Festival, October 5th
Looking FORWARD Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...
> Local News > Cover Story > Seventh Heaven
Looking Forward
Local News
Creamfields headliners announced
Despite what other festivals might claim, Creamfields remains the biggest dance music festival in the region, and they didn't disappoint with this year's headliners as in David Guetta and Armin Van Buuren they've arguably brought two of the biggest names in the electronic world to perform. Perhaps inevitably, they've cut down the festival from 2 days to 1 after last year's dip, but with the rest of the line up to be released, fingers crossed they add some more underground, leftfield names to balance out the big-name headliners. It all takes place at the du arena on Friday December 7, Dhs195 early bird tickets from thinkflash.ae.
Formula won Sticking in Abu Dhabi, Flash have announced their line up for the post-Formula 1 event, with Kylie filling the traditional pop slot on the Friday night, while Canadian rockers Nickelback do the honours for the rock slot on Saturday. As self-confessed Kylie fans we're happy to see the diminutive Antipodean back on our shores, but we're more excited that the weekend will be closed by Enimem, the huge US rapper who'll be taking his quick-witted lyrics and razor sharp beats to Yas Island. It all starts on Friday November 2nd, yasmarinacircuit.com.
Black Lips tour
Thanks to Sandance, Flash, Atelier and the like, our big name pop and indie bases are pretty covered, but sometimes you want something a bit grittier, a bit more underground. And that something could well be The Black Lips Middle East tour, which starts in Cyprus and finishes in Jordan, with a stop in Dubai on Thursday September 27 at the Music Room. An American punk rock and roll band, shot through with a touch of the blues, they're also one of the more provocative bands live on stage. The band are supported by Lebanese group Lazzy Lung on all dates, tickets are Dhs80 in advance and Dhs100 on the door.
Ronson
Some nights enter clubbing folklore, and are spoken about reverentially in hushed tones — and Mark Ronson's debut visit to Dubai, when he re-opened Trilogy 2 years ago, is one such night. The round-the-block queues have never been seen since, while Ronson delivered an adrenaline-charged set that took in funk, soul, house, dubstep, DnB and more. He returns to the Madinat venue for the club's birthday on Thursday September 27, with tickets Dhs150. Better start queueing now then‌
Playing GAMES
Got thumbs that are bigger than most girls' biceps? Then you and your Xbox/Playstation/Wii probably spend far too much time together. Which is why you should know about the 5th Games12 festival, which unites all the computer games companies, including SEGA, Sony, Electronic Arts and Capcom for three days of pixellated fun. It all takes place at Festival City from 2pm on Thursday September 20, and includes exclusive plays of All-Stars Battle Royale and Halo 4 on Xbox. mygames12.com.
Rumours
Word on the grapevine is that fresh from her recent comeback, Alanis Morissette could be heading to Dubai for a show. Electro-techno doyen Miss Kitten could be heading out to play in the city soon. Sandance have confirmed they're throwing another party on Friday November 9, we'll bring you the line up when it's released. XL is undergoing a refurb during September and will be closed until its re-opening, sometime in October we think. Go West, Haddaway, Snap, Culture Beat and more 90s dance-pop stars are said to be playing in Dubai at one event later this year. Blue Marlin re-opens on the September 21 weekend, with San Francisco house star Behrouz playing on Friday, and Bull Funk Zoo on Saturday.
Rejoice Beliebers, you just have to wait 236 until your idol, the great Justin himself, makes his Middle East debut at the 7s ground. Props to Virgin who have further beefed up their vinyl collection, keeping waxhunters in Dubai happy.
Tables and chairs on the dancefloor at N'Dulge. We'll say it again, tables and chairs, on the dancefloor, in the middle of the club. What's with that? The Black Lips, Mark Ronson and the return of the Infusion Magazine Experience at 360, all on the same night. Operation clone can't come soon enough‌
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afrojack
kaskade
With a near 100% electronic slant, we were always going to be big fans of Live Nation’s dXb Music Festival which returns this year with a strong American/EDM presence and 9 hours of dance music across 2 stages. We chat to returning favourite Tommie Sunshine, some of the local DJs who’ll be setting the tone and profile the event headliners.
Afrojack:
While David Guetta might be ruling the electro-pop roost, he has a pretender to that throne, namely fast-rising Dutch dance star Afrojack. With a banging electro beat and a knack of releasing chart-topping gold, he’s quickly established himself as the next big thing, while his 2 shows at Creamfields Abu Dhabi have only cemented his reputation in the emirate.
Kaskade:
America has recently gotten dance music like it gets fast food — it’s everywhere at the moment, and being consumed at a staggering rate. And
leading this charge is American born and bred DJ Kaskade, who blends Deadmau5-esque beats with, aptly enough, cascading electro melodies.
Far East Movement:
The main live act on the bill, this 4 piece hip hop act from LA have a strong electronic slant, blending big basslines with even bigger beats to create what they call a Dirty Bass sound, best represented on their biggest hit ‘Like a G6’. And it’s a sound that’s seen them emerge from LA to become big name pop stars, working with the likes of Justin Beiber and Jay Z.
tommie sunshine
5
minutes with Tommie Sunshine The Pacha New York resident returns for another hand-raising electro set Welcome back to Dubai, how did you find the city and your show last time around? What a great city. So many rules inspires such brilliant lunacy. A few DJ riders have been released recently, what do you ask for on yours? Evian. My wildest days are thankfully back in the ‘90s. And who are you looking forward to seeing? Honestly, all of them. Afrojack and I are in the midst of finishing a track together so it will be good to see him so I can bug him about that. You’re a very active FB user, and have a lot of interaction with your followers — what’s the
weirdest/oddest thing you’ve been asked by your followers? Too many to list, but to be civil, I will add that my work with The Disco Fries was dubbed “Fries & Shine” in a comment on my page. You recently said ‘there’s a moment in every artists’ career where he’s no longer interested in how he’s perceived. that moment is now.’ How do you think people interpreted that statement? I am an artist. It is my job to create and speak my mind. In order to stay focused in my art I can’t worry about how it’s perceived.
Local DJs
There’s a strong EDM theme to the bookings this year, has that sound influenced you? B.I.G Rossi: Yeah man, of course! I’ve grown up with house music, I love how it’s simon reid
b.i.g rossi
dominating the charts at the moment and I think it’s doing great things for the genre. Why should people come and see a local DJ instead of one of the headliners? Simon Reid: I think people should take a listen to the local DJ talent as they may find a new favourite who they can go listen to every week at one of the many venues in Dubai. Jared McCulloch: Local DJs know the crowd better than any guest ever could as they are playing to them week in week out. BR: We can add that little local flare that headliners may not know. Working on the radio, I know what songs are doing well locally, so I’ll be sure to drop those badboys! What have you got planned for your set?
SR: I have never planned a set in my life. I really enjoy turning up on the day and reading the crowd and atmosphere that is presented to me. JM: I’m on early, so it will be some deep house to get people moving on. far east movement
And what’s your big festival tune? SR: Ashley Beedle, ‘Run The Track’. BOOM! JM: Maceo Plex, ‘Stay High Baby’! BR: I loved Calvin Harris’ remix of ‘Spectrum’ by Florence and the Machine. She’s got a great set of lungs on her! dXb Music Festival, Festival Park, Dubai Festival City, Friday October 5, 18+ event, tickets Dhs350, dxbfestival.ae, VIP Dhs500, vip@livenation.ae
jared
kick ass sushi and knockout bevies at sho cho modern japanese restaurant & lounge
Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, Jumeirah, Dubai +971 4 3461111 Souk Qaryat Al Beri (Shangri La Hotel) Abu Dhabi +971 2 5581117 Characters reproduced with the kind permission of huckgee.com
Seventh heaven audio tonic returns for its 7th season at 360 on September 21, and with a brand new second room to boot. We spoke to one of the new residents, Helen S, a leading London DJ, who can boast working alongside John Peel and Mary Anne Hobbs at BBC Radio 1, while we also speak to founder Mike Bufton AKA Mr Mr to find out what's in store Welcome to Dubai and the audio tonic team — what do you think you’ll be bringing to their sound? There’s so much exciting new hybrid stuff around — fusions of house, disco, bass-y rhythms and melodic techno — and some excellent new producers from Europe like George FitzGerald, James Welsh and Duff Disco, so I’m definitely going to be adding those kind of vibes to my sets over here. You’ve had a long career in music, and started off as the tea girl on John Peel’s show — that’s got to be the best first job ever? I think it possibly was! I was lucky enough to work with John and his team for about a year before his
untimely departure from our airwaves. It was an incredible introduction to the world of radio and a very important lesson in how to listen and appreciate sounds from heavy metal to cutting edge dance music. I attended lots of sessions at the legendary Maida Vale studios, including a ridiculously good set from Jeff Mills live down there, made lots of good friends who are all doing similar things to me now and drank copious amounts of red wine — John never did a show without a good bottle by his side! You then produced several shows at BBC Radio 1 — what do you make of the channel’s programming and content now? I did indeed! I went on from
John’s show to produce the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs (just as we were trying to introduce the then rather unpopular concept of ‘dubstep’ to the wider world), as well as Giles Peterson, Roger Sanchez and a good few more! I think I’d have to follow Mary Anne’s lead on this question. As an inspiration to me and the reason I wanted to get into radio, she has since left the good ship Radio 1 to join Xfm in Manchester because she wanted to explore new territory and have the freedom to do so. I still think Radio 1 is an excellent platform for new music and some of its specialist output is great, but it’s not really my style anymore and it can take a while to catch on to new sounds. What can radio DJs learn from club DJs and vice versa? Good question! To be honest, not that much. The two skills have quite different tenets and what works on radio won’t always work when you play out, though for both knowing your audience is absolutely 100% vital. A good radio show is always very tightly produced and well planned; a DJ set can be quite off the cuff as you need to be able to read a crowd and respond in minutes! However, knowing your music, knowing how to listen to music and understanding what your
helen s
audience wants is something every DJ needs and I think there is many a radio DJ that perhaps doesn’t spend the time on that! mixcloud.com/HelenSDJ/
Mr Mr
Congrats on getting this far — were there points were you didn’t know if you’d get to this stage? Thank you! I guess there were, points which were out of my and the teams control but we got through them for the better. Other than the minor ‘blips’ it's been a positive ride with a packed venue every week so we must be doing something right. Why do you think you’ve come so far when other nights have slipped by the way, how important is the venue? Of course the venue is very important, that’s like anywhere in the world (location location location). I think what should be noted is the delivery of the
MR MR
product, and without sounding too business-like, our USP is the fact that we play a different sound to anywhere else in the city – a careful combination of cutting edge music and guest DJs with a very listenable music policy. What’s planned for the 2nd room downstairs? We’ve got a house party vibe on the cards, think old and nu disco, funk, soul and maybe even some old skool hip hop thrown in for good measure. It’ll be fun, and the girls will love it! We’ve got 2 new residents in the form of Megadon Betamax who plays sensational cosmic disco (as he proved last season when he debuted at the local showcase) and 360 resident Tristan Bain who is comfortable playing a wide selection of endorphin inducing sounds – possibly one of the best jocks in the city. Guest DJ wise we’ll stay in line with that policy, but
on the more disco re edit tip – The Revenge, Feel My Bicep, Horse Meat Disco kinda vibe. And any sneak peaks into the line up? Sure, expect the likes of Danny Daze (upstairs) and The Revenge (downstairs) for our grand opening on Oct 12th, Maxxi Soundsystem on Oct 19th, then in November the likes of Huxley and Rodriguez Jr plus more of course! And how’s the record label coming on, has it been a big growth for the brand? It’s doing fantastic! We’ve just celebrated our ONE YEAR ON release (Release No 14). So far we’ve taken on support from the likes of Hernan Cattaneo, Luciano, John Digweed, Yousef, Jimpster, Dave Seaman and many many more. It’s definitely helped get the brand out to a global audience, unfortunately the Middle East is shadowed from the rest of the dance music world but the label is our beacon! Hats off to my main man Raxon (our label manager) for doing such a great job! audio tonic, Friday September 21 and every Friday, 360, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, 4pm3am, free entry, guestlist 4-8pm via platinumlist.ae
ARTY GUIDE
We’ve tweaked the listings, and give one-off events preference. For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae. Please submit your listings to andy@infusion.ae for possible inclusion.
ON THE THE RADAR ON RADAR Steve Lawler, N’Dulge, Oct 4 dXb Festival, Oct 5, Festival
City
Hernan Cattaneo, 360,Oct 11 Sandance, Atlantis, Oct 12 Maxxi Soundsystem, audio tonic, Oct 19
Monday 17 Manic Mondays, Zinc
Greg Stainer and Andy Swift play old and new skull anthems, with a 10pm-midnight happy hour. 10pm-3am, ladies and couples free. Weekly.
RnB Mondays, Velvet Underground
No.1 Events presents Shero and Brooklyn on urban duties. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
RnB Anthems, Sensation Dev Master and DJ Badir are joined by MC Money Plus at this Urban weekly. 10.30pm3am, buy-one get one free bottles all night.
Tuesday 18 Devine, oeno
Buy two glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle free. Weekly.
Ladies night, Trilogy
Mass Ramli supplies the midweek tunes. 10pm-3am.
Uber Tuesdays, Sho Cho Free cocktails from 10pmmidnight, and tunes courtesy of Stephane Karl. Weekly.
Enrique Iglesias, Oct 26 Kylie, Nickelback, Eminem, Yas
Island, Nov 2-4
Sandance, Atlantis, Nov 9 Gotye, Trade Centre, Nov 21 J-Lo, Nov 22
Wednesday 19 Diamond Wednesdays, Boudoir
Radio 1’s Brooklyn and DJ Shero on the urban soundtrack, with free Diamond cocktails for ladies until 1am. 9pm-late. Weekly.
Glitz, Alegra
The former C-Bar at the Al Murooj Rotana hosts a midweek night aimed at high end clubbers. 10pm-3am.
Mingle, Left Bank (Souq Al Bahar & Madinat Jumeirah)
Dhs5 cocktails for ladies (no, really) from 8pm-late.
The Ultimate Ladies Night, Zinc
One of the most popular ladies nights in town, with free bubbly for ladies before 1am, and house, electro and hip hop. 10pm-late. Weekly. Ladies free, men Dhs75 after midnight.
Think Twice, Mansion
Afroboogie heads up this midweek shindig at the new Melia Hotel club. 10pm-late.
Thursday 20 Aks, Velvet Underground
Lee Foss, Trilogy
The Hot Creations deep house star returns after impressing at Trilogy last time. 10pm-3am, Dhs100.
Commercial, Desi, house and Bollywood from DJ/Producer Aks. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Republique, The Address, Dubai Mall
The after-work destination continues as M-Dek gets a covered, AC-controlled tent for the summer, meaning more Dhs25 after work Peronis. 5pm-10pm, Free. Weekly.
Sasha Lopez feat. Broono and Ale Blake, N’Dulge
Desi and Bollywood hits all night long. 10pm-3am, ladies and couples free entry until midnight.
Soulful Sessions, M-Dek
Apertivo, M-Dek
Bollywood Party, Sensation
Boudoir
Free shots for ladies until 1am, and commercial RnB and house. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Club Anthems, Zinc
Deep Crates, Casa Latina
Funk, hip hop and B Boy breaks. 10pm-3am, free. Weekly.
i2, Habtoor Grand
Cheesy but fun 80s and 90s anthems from start to sweaty finish. 10pm-3am. Weekly Thursday and Friday.
Jamrock, Sublime
Reggae and Caribbean vibes from a revolving roster of Dubai’s best urban DJs. 9pm-3am, ladies free before 12am. Weekly.
Ladies first, Blends
4 free Cosmos and party tunes from Patrick Pereira. 8pm-3am, every Thursday and Friday.
Commercial house and dance at the Atlantis club. 10pm3am, women free before midnight, Dhs100. Schoolys excellent disco/funk/ hip hop sessions continue under M-Dek’s summer cover. 10pm-3am, free. Weekly.
XPerience, Chi
House music in Chi Club, with Flowmaster J dropping RnB and urban tunes in Chi Red. 10pm-3am, Free for ladies and couples. Weekly.
Friday 21
INFUSION PICK! audio tonic, 360
The much loved brand returns, with deep house and tech upstairs and house party tunes in the brand new second room. 4pm-3am, free.
Behrouz, Blue Marlin
Deep house and nu-disco from the San Fran DJ at the beach club’s grand re-opening. Midday-late.
PARTY GUIDE
Greg Stainer and the rest of the Zinc crew drop chart bombs. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Alternative party anthems at this perma-packed downtown club. 10pm-3am. Weekly Thursday and Friday.
ARTY GUIDE
Brunch Beat Session, Bahri Bar Ambient and chilled out grooves from Jeli Maniago. 4-8pm. Weekly.
Connoisseur, Velvet Underground Sophisticated urban soundtrack. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
INFUSION PICK!
DUST 1st Birthday, Music Room One of the Middle East’s biggest and best underground hip hop DJs, Jordan’s Sotusura, returns to the DUST decks. 9pm-3am, Dhs50.
Fridays, Eurasia
Jmaxlolo and resident DJ Amok drop funky house, with ladies night drink deals. Carlton Tower Hotel, Diera. Weekly.
Hangover Fridays, Chi Jean B headlines this new Friday night concept, with big room electro the order of the day. 10pm-3am, Dhs100 men, ladies free. Weekly.
No.1 Fridays, N’Dulge
One of the city’s leading urban nights continues its weekly Friday night residency at the Atlantis superclub. 10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, Dhs100 after.
Rick Ross, Nasimi
Def Jam’s larger-than-life hip hop star Rick Ross makes his Dubai debut. 4pm-late.
Trilogy Fridays
Dany Neville, the Radio 1 and urban/hip hop DJ takes over for his weekly packed-out sessions. 10pm-3am, Dhs100.
Saturday 22 411, People By Crystal The award-winning urban night returns with DJ Bliss and Shef Codes. 10pm-3am.
Bull funk zoo, Blue Marlin
The Hamdan Abri fronted band play live at the out-oftown, high-end beach club. Midday-late.
Destination, Zinc
UK Garage, Funky house and urban with Richie D and Mister Ash. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Wednesday 26 Claude Challe, Karma Kafe
The Buddha Bar founder returns to the decks at this sumptuous downtown bar for a night of eclectic music. 8pm-late.
Pioneer DJ Championships Under 21 final, N’Dulge
The Under 21s battle it out in the final. www.dj-me.ae
Thursday 27 Deep Crates, Casa Latina
Hip hop, soul and funk at this long-running weekly night with great drink deals. 10pm-3am.
Coolio, Armani Prive
The ‘Gangster Paradise’ star who has sold over 30 million records performs live. 10pm3am.
Japanese Popstars, n’dulge
The Irish electro trio return to Dubai, helping to judge
the Pioneer DJ final and then deliver a big-hitting, peak time set. 10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, Dhs100.
Infusion Magazine Experience, 360
We return in style, with Charl Chaka and N’thayi hold it down with deep, Afro, latin-influenced house. 6pm2am, free.
INFUSION PICK! Mark Ronson, Trilogy
The Versions star returns to the club he memorably re-opened 2 years, this time helping the club celebrate its birthday. 10pm-3am, Dhs150.
Friday 28 audio tonic, 360
Round two from the house champions, featuring the new cast of residents. 4pm3am, free.
Loaded, casa latina
A through the decades theme, spanning 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s with guest DJ Just Lance. Dhs20 drink deals and free entry all night. 9pm-3am, free.
No.1 Fridays, N’Dulge
Hip hop, RnB, garage, funky and dubstep at this hugely popular Friday night. 10.30pm3am, ladies free before midnight, Dhs100 after.
Red man, Nasimi
INFUSION PICK!
US rapper and Def Jam favourite Red Man performs live on the sand. 4pm-late.
The grand final of the leading DJ competition in Dubai, good luck to all! www.dj-me.ae
10 local bands take to the stage, including Point of View, Primo and Pepsquad. 9pm3am, Dhs50.
Pulse
Live drums over an electro and house soundtrack. 10pm-3am, ladies free.
INFUSION PICK! The Black Lips, Music Room
Punk rock and roll US four piece, The Black Lips continue their Middle Eastern tour with Lebanese band Lazzy Lung on support. 8pm-late, Dhs100 on the door, Dhs80 in advance.
Reformed Absolutizm, The Music Room
The Proclaimers, Irish Village Altogether now, ‘And I would walk 500 hundred miles…’ 7pm-late.
Trilogy Fridays
Dany Neville, the Radio 1 and urban/hip hop DJ takes over for his weekly packed-out sessions. 10pm-3am, Dhs100.
Saturday Sept 29 411, People by Crystal
Hip hop, RnB and dubstep from the . 10pm-3am.
PARTY GUIDE
Pioneer DJ Championships final, N’dulge
dxb Festival, October 5th
Look AND
LISTEN Music be the food of love, so read on...
> Music News > Album Reviews > DJ Booth > Soundstage
Look and Listen
Music News... Pioneer Make Beat-Matching Obsolete
Pioneer have added ‘sync buttons’ to their next generation CDJ2000 players which automatically beat-match up to four tracks instantly. The new Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus machines also feature a new ‘traffic light’ system providing mixed in key information and a new Quantize button which provides perfectly placed cue button marking and looping functions that will dramatically alter possibilities for DJs using the machines. “Dedicated controls for Master and Sync let you choose which new songs are automatically beat-matched to MUSIC BITES the master deck. DJs can now focus on taking their performance to new heights through The fame and the their mastery of loops, cues and new live edit success was just a functions, all perfectly in sync,” the company by-product mistake declared in the press release announcing of doing something the new models. “Slip Mode is an essential that I wanted to do. performance tool that takes the risk out of So many people using remix functions such as loop, scratch and now get involved because they solereverse. DJs can create live edits while Slip ly want their face Mode keeps the music playing muted in the on a magazine, the background, bringing it back in when the edit is champagne, the finished,” they continued. limousines, the “Another new feature is Active Loop; DJs can models, girls in the use (software preparation program) rekordbox booth to set automatic loops in any track. So DJs can extend part of a track, never miss a trick, or Josh Wink discusses the changing lifestyle prolong the end of a song so the music never of superstar DJs. runs out unexpectedly.” Pioneer ambassador James Zabiela hailed the development. “Finally true quantization comes to hardware users,” he said, “opening up possibilities for those who want to retain traditional DJing methods but with the advantages of technology.” The new machines go on sale at the end of September.
Look and Listen
Album Reviews... The xx - Coexist
Where most pop current albums are in a seemingly endless race to cram as many influences and sounds into their work as possible, The xx are the polar opposite. Thanks to Jamie xx’s in house production, their second album is an exercise in sparse space, as the dusky, two-toned voices of Sim and Croft hover gently over rumbling bass, 808 kick drums and, if they’re feeling particularly exuberant, a guitar and piano melody. But where their debut album xx was rightly praised for its laconic dynamics and ghostly, Burial-influenced gossamer-thin beats, Coexist is a little too light to be a true heavyweight. Lead single ‘Angels’ is a stunning, hazy slice of emotive pop, and ‘Swept Away’ is a gorgeous sliver of washed out house, but the rest merely ambles with little purpose, haunting and beautiful, and all too easily lost from focus.
Bedrock 14
While clubbing might, largely, be a young person’s game, it’s heartening to see that DJs well into their 40s and 50s still have the same infectious desire to share their music and make people dance like loved-up Tasmanian Devils as they ever did. And surely at the top of that tree is the ever-green John Digweed, and his reliable record label Bedrock. Now on their 14th installment, Diggers has impressively kept this double CD sounding as fresh and vibrant as ever. CD 1 is home to the dark, mechanical techno that you might find him playing at BO18, schizoid, frenetic, fistpumping techno and tech house that takes no prisoners, with stand-out cuts supplied by techno stalwarts Pig and Dan and Christian Smith. CD 2 meanwhile is a lighter and funkier affair, taking in the techier side of deep house, and a truly timeless slice of electronic wizardry from Robert Babicz that defies categorization. Andy Buchan
Look and Listen ALBUM BITES Rita Ora - Ora
If you look at any selfrespecting pop star these days, it’s easy to spot the methodology in the music. Get good looking man/woman, introduce them to a host of famous beat-makers, market them as the new Beiber/Rihanna/ Kanye and sit back and watch the royalties flow in. Which isn’t to say there aren’t highlights on Rita’s debut album - her DJ Fresh collaboration ‘Hot Right Now’ is still the summer soundtrack and the Diplo-accented ‘Facemelt’ is big, brash fun - but it’s so disjointed, so clearly a product of her record company’s imagination that it doesn’t even come close to being a cohesive album, nor give you much insight into Rita. Jesse Ware - Devotion
Jessie Ware is to post-dubstep what Katy B was to the initial mainstream explosion of dubstep - which is to say that Jessie Ware’s debut album is all scattered beats, dreamy melodies and crisp, concise beats, and with a strong swell of support behind her (not to mention good looks), could well break through to more commercial ground like Katy. While the beats are seamless (Julio Bashmore and SBTRKT deliver the post-club soundscapes), the breathy, dreamy vocals and lyrics lift the album into an altogether higher territory, making this a beautifully crafted pop album.
MUSIC THAT MATTERS
Send tracks/edits/ remixes to andy@ infusion.ae
Jixo & Danz - Ibiza Aftermath Deep, bassline friendly house from the Lebanese duo, rammed full of the current crop of Ibiza classics. soundcloud.com/jixo-danz Mark Pickup - Atari Sessions 2 Pooltime nu-disco at its finest, with cuts from Miguel Campbell, Soul Clap and Mario Basanov. soundcloud.com/dj-mark-p Rob Love - Salt Shaker Peak time, electro-jackin number with more bounce to the ounce from the Dubai producer. soundcloud.com/rob-love Wriggly Scott - More Green Foot-tapping, head-nodding hip hop rework of Miles Davis’ ‘Blue In Green’ with added glitchy bass from the DUST resident. soundcloud.com/ dj-solo-wriggly-scott Indian Soul - Sexy Deep House Part 1 Bad mix name aside, this is a deep house/nu-disco masterclass, featuring Azari & III, Noir and Finnebassen alongside housier cuts from Pete Tong and Sandy Rivera. soundcloud.com/dj-indiansoul
DJ Booth: Vas Floyd
One of the founding residents of audio tonic, Vas also heads up events website Platinumlist, making him one of the cornerstones of the city’s dance music scene‌
One thing you might not know about me is... I grew up on the streets of Sharjah and I drive a 4x4 with a Sharjah number plates and tinted windows. I’ve never had a problem with other drivers cutting me up… My worst ever job was... I worked in a one-stop convenience stores in Guildford, UK in 2001. We used to get robbed once a week at least and yet the Police never came. My favourite ever record is... I am known to be the biggest musical snob, and I suppose I should mention some uber underground remix of a remix of a remix that no one has heard of and which is probably not that great anyway. But the answer is simple: Jamiroquai’s ‘Cosmic Girl.’ DJing is much like... A mystery. You will probably end up being broke and wifeless and addicted to something they don’t sell in UAE, yet everyone wants to be a DJ…. Dubai’s clubbing scene is... Great, as long as 360 and Trilogy are open. I’m really proud of... Platinumlist.net. 6 years of connecting clubbers, event organisers and DJs. If I could change one thing about anything it would be... I wish Beatport didn’t exist. I wouldn’t need to have a day job. My biggest DJ achievement to date is.... Being an audio tonic resident for the least 6 years. Nothing beats 360 and its crew. If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... Now is perfect and I’m looking forward to the future. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Julian Jinx, Raxon, Mr Mr, Rich Showell, JC, Andy Buchan, Soul Fisher and Megadon Betamax. soundcloud.com/vasfloyd
Soundstage
Rachael Calladine
She’s one of the city’s most accomplished singers, and can boast of a residency at Ronnie Scott’s legendary jazz club…
How would you describe your sound? Honest. My big break came when... I got paid for my first professional gig in 1988! The weirdest thing a fan has said or given to me was... A love letter with certain sections underlined in red pen! I shall not elaborate. My best ever gig was... The first time I appeared at Ronnie Scott’s in London with my own band. I went on to perform for another 25 or so gigs over the next few years, but the first was special as it took 19 years of practise to get! And the worst/funniest was... Last week we did a very ‘special’ gig. Confidentiality prevents me from giving more details... What’s the one thing you’d like to request on your rider? Water and hot food (we have other requests for outside the UAE!) Fame or respect? Respect every time. If we could change one thing about dubai’s music scene, I would... Make it more free, the system here can really inhibit spontaneity. If music is the answer... Let life be the question. My favourite dubai band is… Few As Much are very cool.
thefridgedubai.com
dxb Festival, October 5th
Looking
GOOD Stuff to brighten up our world.
> Lets All Do The Mambo > Movies
I was fortunate enough to discover Ibiza during my formative clubbing years, 1994 to be precise. It was your typical 18-30s lads on holiday trip. Every night we visited some of the less salubrious establishments in the West End of San Antonio, apart from when we were getting ripped off by our tour reps (something they did very skillfully). However one thing one of the reps did for me that I will be eternally grateful for was introduce me to Café Mambo. This was Café Mambo’s first year of existence and it became something of a spiritual home for me. For years I would return as a punter with designs on frequenting that legendary DJ box which has held nearly every DJ worth his or her’s salt. I’ve had some amazing times
there at Radio 1 weekends and Pre Parties for Pure Pacha with Pete Tong, Defected In The House, and Renaissance. It took until 2001 before my working relationship started with Café Mambo: I was putting up and taking down the décor for Roger Sanchez Release Yourself when it was in its first year at Il Divino. However it took a further 5 years before I became an official resident DJ at Café Mambo and since I last talked to you, I am very happy to say this year I am back where I feel most comfortable as a Café Mambo resident DJ. Positioned on the west coast of Ibiza on what has
become affectionately known as ‘The Sunset Strip,’ the setting sun is the highlight of Café Mambo’s day. Each and every sunset is climaxed with applause from the thousands of people who have gathered there to get a taste of a quintessential Ibiza moment and sound-tracking that moment is nothing less than a privilege. Legend says the applause was started back in the day by the large community of hippies who still live on the island to encourage the sun to comeback and rise again the next day, I prefer to think it’s to bring in the night which is when Ibiza and Café Mambo really comes alive. On a recent visit Café Mambo and Ibiza legend Brandon Block quite rightly announced Café Mambo invented the Ibiza Pre Party and today they still lead from the front. Hosting Pre Parties for Pacha nearly every night and
Amnesia once a week brings in some of the DJing elite. My highlight so far was house legend Frankie Knuckles, who expertly blended the new with the old. However it’s not just the DJs that play that makes this place special it really is a meeting place for the industry on the island: while Paul Oakenfold, Danielle Davoli and A-Trak delivered the beats, the Nervo sisters, Kaz James, Benny Bennasi and Arthur Baker were down for a drink or two and to check out what was happening. It could be the best residency in the world - either way I feel really fortunate to be part of this and having experienced it from the beginning I can’t wait for what Ibiza does best: throw parties. And Café Mambo’s 18th season is going to be a corker. fromibizawithlove.com, cafemamboibiza.com
MOVIE The Watch What should have been a heavyweight comedy (Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill provide the supposed laughs), ends up as a supremely tired, sight-gag led romp as 4 suburban dads battle an alien invasion. Classification: 15 Director: Akiva Schaffer Starring: Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill
Resident Evil 5: Evil Goes Global
The long-running zombie saga continues (we’re sure the world ended at the end of the first one) with Jovovich reprising her leather cat suit for another round of guts and gore. Classification: 18 Director: Paul W.S. Anderson Starring: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez
PREVIEWS Dredd 3D
Another reboot, this time a more violent and grungey affair than Sylvester Stallone’s mid-90s telling, as a futuristic city is besieged by a gang toting reality-altering drug Slo-Mo. Classification: PG 15 Director: Pete Travis Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby
Finding Nemo (3D) While the recent Pixar output might be merely OK, its back catalogue is beyond reproach - so much so that merely refitting Finding Nemo in 3D is enough to justify another trip to the cinema to see it, a decade after it was first released. Magical. Classification: PG Director: Andrew Stanton Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres
dxb Festival, October 5th
Looking
CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and jiberish...
> Weird News > Pan Arabia Enquirer > Cool Test > Big Q > Angry Monkey
Looking Closer
Weird News... Strip art?
We’ve heard some great excuses as to why companies shouldn’t have to pay their tax bill, but one New York strip club has gone the extra mile in their attempt to dodge their Dhs300,000 bill by claiming their lap dances are works of art. Nite Moves argues it’s so-called ‘couch sales’ are ‘live dramatic or musical arts performances’ equivalent to theatre or ballet. Andrew McCullough, an attorney for the club, said: “If you saw what these dancers do, you’d be saying: “It’s not the Bolshoi, but it’s good”.” “It’s definitely a form of art,” one dancer at Nite Moves told the AP news agency. “Some girls are up there practising for hours when nobody’s in here.” A ruling in favour of Nite Moves could spark a wave of tax claims from the estimated 200 adult nightclubs across the state.
WEIRD BITES I didn’t realise it would take so long A Chinese man tried to surprise his girlfriend by mailing himself to her — but his sealed box got lost for 3 hours, and he was passed out when he was finally found.
Playing the numbers game
Quadruples will put a strain on any mother, but what about if they’re all identical? Well, Mum Tan Chaoyun, of Shenzen in China’s Guangdong Province, shaved the six-yearolds’ heads with the numbers one to four so she’d be able to recognise them. “My sons are identical, even to me, I could only tell the difference between them by having different ankle tags on them before they turned 18 months old. “Even now, their father can’t tell them apart. Sometimes he punishes the second one for something the third one has done.”
panarabiaenquirer.com
Dubai to sink mall off coast to offer unique diving facility
DUBAI: One of Dubai’s less popular malls is set to become the city’s new must-visit destination – after it is sunk into the waters of the Arabian Gulf, two kilometres off the Jumeirah coastline. Mall Under The Waves (formerly Deira Sunshine Plaza) is expected to be ready for visitors by the second half of 2013. The mall will – according to reports – combine the excitement of SCUBA exploration with world-class retail opportunities. “Not only are we creating a luxury watersports facility for residents and visitors alike, we’re breathing new life into one of our older malls,” said project manager Leighton Buzzard. “We expect ‘submarine urban regeneration’ to become the buzzword of next year.” Buzzard also confirmed rumours that some parts of the mall would remain open for business while underwater, and that “several” bigname brands had expressed an interest in leasing space. “We’re inviting diving enthusiasts to wave goodbye to reefs and say hello to retail,” added Buzzard. “Where else in the world could you see starfish in Starbucks, or mingle with manta rays in Massimo Dutti? Only at Mall Under The Waves.” Buzzard also suggested that, given the site location, Mall Under The Waves will be able to offer duty free discounts. “For those who forgot to stock up at the airport, this could be the perfect destination – just make sure your wallet is waterproof!” he chuckled. The Pan-Arabia Enquirer is the Middle East’s premier source of satirical news. This means that it’s entirely made up and not intended, in any way whatsoever, to be taken as factual.
Cool REFRESHED BY FIJI WATER
PETE DOYLE
maDJam
They’re two of the judges for this year’s Pioneer DJ Championships, but who’s got the cool edge and who’s not fit to mix David Guetta’s drink?
Have you ever used your name or fame to get out of trouble? I have used the record bag over I was dressed “too sporty” for one the shoulder trick and walked into club in Beirut until one of the girls a club for free (with mates) which with me threw a fit and said “It’s I wasn’t playing it and got a round maDJam, you can’t reject him!” of drinks in! Have you ever injured yourself on stage? Yes, I fell off stage about 10 years Of course, many times. The ago in the Isle of Wight (UK), slipped harder injuries are the ones I can’t on a poorly constructed step, and remember. shattered my ankle bone in 3 places. It’s not big and clever but… A few years back during my Mambo residency in Ibiza, I was stalked Cats are the best thing to come by 3 separate girls on one night. I home to. pretended “I speaka no Engleeish and my name was Pedro.” My best claim to fame is… I’ve played on every continent, Being more of a clown than a DJ at except Antarctica. private/house parties. The coolest about being a DJ is... Getting to travel, meet cool Interacting with thousands of people people, have fun and doing what constantly, online, at parties, airports, you love best – playing house music and rocking dancefloors on events… everywhere! a world-wide stage! The coolest DJ move is... The one where you look at the lighting/sound guy to make out it’s Clapping hands, it’s the universal their fault something went wrong…. body language for “Yes we’re having When clearly, you know it’s because a good time.” you pressed the wrong button on the mixer/CDJs.
The verdict: It’s a close-run thing, but Pete Doyle takes the plaudits having played on every continent apart from Antarctica, now that would be a cool gig (ahem, sorry).
Looking Closer
The Big Question
Anonymous: See all my loving friends, and party till 7am!
Kevin: I would take my mum to the 7 wonders of the world as she’s never left Africa.
C: I would go dancing and drinking and have a blast!
Sany: Pleasure myself and say a prayer.
?
The world’s about to end, what would be the last thing you do?
Dumi: I’d organize the biggest party, it would be super solid!
DJ Soulninja: Put on a Marvin Gaye record, light a cigar and relax!
Girl in the red dress: Tell my family I love them, I love you, never forget!
Tami: Take my best friend and run to the ocean and just enjoy the peace and nature. Refreshed by FIJI water
ANGRY MONKEY You know who the Angry Monkey hates this week? You — yes YOU, reading this through one eye in the back of cab or sitting on the toilet, or wherever you choose to read this publication. Because you — yes YOU — bitch and moan when promoters bring out the same big hitters as last year, you get on your FB and Twitter high horse and you bash these promoters to death, moaning about a lack of inspiration. But what you fail to realise, is that by not supporting those promoters when they brought out underground leftfield acts, by doing something a little bit different, you’re forcing their hand and literally making them bring back David Guetta et al for their millionth visit. Commercialism does rule in this city, but so too does the lazy music and club fan. So instead of wasting your time moaning, help those trying to help you (yeah, sorry, that did sound a bit Jerry Maguire, didn’t it).
Monkey Out...