Infusion # 253: Aug 30-Sep 13 2015

MUSIC • PEOPLE • LIFE

PACHA LAUNCH THEIR NEW LADIES NIGHT When Gigs Go Bad!

Audio tonic, Sensation, Quantic, Lethal Bizzle, The Narcycist, Julio Bashmore, Dr Dre, Games 15, Marco Bailey and more! infusionmag

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at four seasons resort dubai | jumeirah beach road 055 211 8222 / 04 343 8411 | reservations@provocateurdubai.com www.provocateurdubai.com

at four seasons resort dubai | jumeirah beach road 055 211 8222 / 04 343 8411 | reservations@provocateurdubai.com www.provocateurdubai.com

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For more details and full dj lineup visit our facebook page: /360dubai

TALAL BUDEBS Publisher

We’re celebrating the new November 30 national holiday already, woo hoo!

CHARL CHAKA

Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae

ANDY BUCHAN

Editor andy@infusion.ae

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CONTRIBUTORS:

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OUR PARTNERS

Get your last-minute summer staycation on in the city, there are some great hotel deals in town at the moment.

Beware, America – our main man Chaka is there for Burning Man. Hope you get out of the way of party hurricane Charl before he does any real damage ☺

GUEST LIST BLACK LIST We’ve heard on the rumour-mill that there’s no Creamfields event this year, which is a real shame if true!

Nights booking 2 headline DJs for a 5 hour party, squeezing the resident DJ ever earlier on the bill.

It’s only September, but our calendar is already booked up with ace events - can we have a new liver (and body double) for the up-coming season, please?

SAY WHAT? MEANWHILE IN BEIRUT…

OLD JOKES HOME

“I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free”

HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND…

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LOOKING

BACK Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.

• We Love • What We Did • Photo Gallery

WE LOVE audio tonic 10 years is a looooooong time in dance music.

Chi, Alpha, iBO, Trilogy, Catwalk, Basement, Ego Urban Lounge, Supper Club, Eden, Submarine, Sanctuary, The Apartment, Spin, Lotus One, Plan B, Peppermint have all closed in that time, and yet – and yet – audio tonic have thrived in that time, owning the peak time Friday slot at one of the region’s most stunning venues.

Through 10 years of sunshine (and a few memorable nights of rain), they’ve delivered over 5,000 hours of butt-shaking deep tech house to thousands and thousands of clubbers, week in, week out. The club scene might be overloaded with international talent on a weekly basis, but turn back 5 years (or even longer), and audio tonic were one of the few nights bringing over international talent every Friday. Their consistency, their dedication to unearthing the best music opened up a lot of ears, and opened the way for other promoters to follow in their wake. They’ve hosted their own tent at Creamfields, branched out into one of the region’s most successful dance music labels and spawned the region’s latest DJ superstar in international resident Raxon.

Dubai is a city where you can make your mark, you can grow with the city and you can create a homegrown brand that represents the city. That audio tonic have done so for 10 years is remarkable, in a business that shifts as quickly as the Middle East sands.

Here’s to another big season, the Patron is on us!

Audio tonic, every Friday, 360, Jumeirah Beach Hotel. 4pm3am, free entry all night.

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Looking Back

What we did MA’ANA ALBUM LAUNCH @ 360 Friday 21st August saw the official launch of the MA’ANA Album, a compilation album featuring a united collective of some of the most talented producers in Dubai.

Held at 360 in association with audio tonic, this felt more like a house party than an album launch. A who’s who of the Dubai music and nightlife scene got together and celebrated the first in what looks to be a series of albums based out of our fair city.

Shaun Warner kicked off the night with some head bobbing deep house and then at 8pm the album playback started. Artists’ ears suddenly picked up when they could recognise the opening bars of their tracks and the smiles throughout the room was a pleasure to witness. Safe Smokingroove and the album’s head honcho Tobie Allen closed things out for the night with some tasty house and tech house cuts. A night to remember and hopefully a first of many.

CANDYLAND @ PROVOCATEUR

PLUS MINUS FEAT. LAURA JONES @ LEVEL 41

FOCUS FEAT. KAISERDISCO @ LEVEL 41

DIAMOND WEDNESDAYS @ XL

PLUS MINUS VS AUDIO TONIC @ 360

STEP ON VS LOADED @ CASA LATINA

LOOKING FORWARD

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

• Local News • Cover Story • Sensation • Gigs go bad

Looking Forward

Local News

LETHAL BIZZLE SIZZLES IN DUBAI

Long-running urban night No.1 Fridays are bringing the grime star Lethal Bizzle back to Dubai for a show at N’Dulge on Friday September 11. The UK artist is currently riding high thanks to his smash hit ‘Fester Skank’ and has been producing killer material like ‘Forward Riddim’ since 2005. Expect Urban, R&B, hip hop, UKG and funky house from resident DJs Brooklyn and Shero, ladies get 2 free drinks before midnight.

TUBE AND BERGER GET SQUARE

Square have unveiled a bighitting September line up to get the club heads in a spin.

Syncro kick start proceedings on Friday September 4 as they have deep house DJs Leftwing and Kody on deck duty: anyone who caught their set at audio tonic last year won’t want to sleep on this booking.

Square’s mid-week Warriors session sees Tube and Berger (September 8) return to the city for a deep, tech house session before melodic whizz-kid Eelke Klein (September 15) plays the following Tuesday night. They then have Music:On residents Neverdogs playing on Thursday September 17, one of this year’s must-see Ibiza resident DJs. Free entry every Tuesday, and Dhs100 at the weekend.

DEEP CRATES SIGN UP QUANTIC

Much-loved hip hop outfit Deep Crates Cartel return to action on September 24 with funk/soul genius Quantic behind the decks at the Music Room. The renowned British DJ and producer has worked with industry names like Alice Russel and Spanky Wilson, and has travelled the world sourcing the best funk, soul, reggae, cumbia and more for his live projects and DJ sets.

GOT GAME?

Games 15, the region’s biggest gaming event is coming to the Dubai International Marine Club from September 10-12, featuring the latest titles and tech from Playstation and Xbox.

The all-new Project Morpheus will be on display, while Street Figher V, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, Metal Gear Solid V and more advance titles will all be showcased at the 3 day event.

There will also be a $250,000 eSports tournament featuring 6 professional teams from around the world competing on CounterStrike: Global Offensive, as well as forums, workshops, cosplay and celebrity guests.

Tickets cost Dhs100 from tickets. virginmegastore.me

CLASSIC ROCK AT THE MUSIC ROOM

The Classic Rock Festival returns for a 3rd time on Friday September 11, as Core 304, Moonshine, Flames, Sandstorm, Roots and Vin Sinners rock and roll their way through 50 classic rock anthems from the past 4 decades. Entry to the Music Room gig is Dhs70, with doors open at 8pm.

Looking Forward HALF BAKED RETURN WITH THE MOLE

Following their successful launch in Dubai, UK party Half Baked are back once again at Level 41 on Friday September 11 with Berlingbased Canadian techno DJ and Wagon Repair signing The Mole headlining, alongside international support from French DJ Le Loup.

Alongside that, Ronin, Salah and Frederick Stone will be on hand to lay down the deep, techy grooves. The party starts at 5pm, it’s free entry until 9pm, AED100 until 11pm and AED120 after 11pm.

FOCUS ON MARCO BAILEY

New techno night Focus has already made a swift impression on Dubai’s club scene since launching, and that looks set to continue as they’ve booked Drumcode signing Marco Bailey for their September 10 party at Level 41. Alongside that, they have Reset Robot from the UK on the bill, as well as local support from Deian, Adam and Ejaz.

BACK TO SCHOOLY!

He might have only just played his leaving party (things got emotional!) but one of our favourite DJs is back, as Schooly is playing House of Afrika on Friday September 4.

The ex Radio 1 and Radio 2 DJ always throws it down at House of Afrika, laying down funky, soulful, tribal deep house that gets the whole floor up and dancing. The free entry night starts from 9pm, with Cory Centric and James Justin on support duties.

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Ladies (and gentlemen) – there’s a brand new ladies night in town that’s going to make Tuesday the new Friday. Over the next 3 pages, we’ve got the lowdown on what you can expect every Tuesday night at Pacha for their Don’t Touch My Cherries event, as well as the weekend nights Be Loca and This Is Pacha.

Don’t Touch My Cherries, every Tuesday @ Pacha THE MUSIC As is customary in the city, ladies night at Pacha is all about the smooth sounds of RnB getting you in the mood to dance and enjoy the 360 Pacha experience. Their resident DJs are on hand to deliver classic cuts and new sounds on the crisp and powerful d&b audiotechnik soundsystem.

THE ENTERTAINMENT Pacha are turning the usual ladies night upside down. As soon as you enter Pacha’s doors you’re met by a team of Cheerleader hostesses to guide you into the night. To follow that, there’s also a dedicated make up station at the main door, so you can get creative with your look. There’s also a photo booth close by so you can piece together the night the morning after! Deeper inside there are 2 Go-Go dancers encased in a steel metal cage, as well as Go Go podiums on the main dancefloor under the pink neon lights.

BE LOCA, EVERY THURSDAY @ PACHA Pacha have put together an animal-themed night with a colour explosion and constant entertainment throughout the night. The music has no set time period or genre, giving the resident Djs Stu Laurie, Ejaz and Soulninja free reign across the classics. The performers are dressed in extravagant costumes releasing their inner animal and projecting it onto the dancefloor.

THIS IS PACHA, EVERY FRIDAY @ PACHA ‘This Is Pacha’ hosted on Fridays takes the club into the here and now. Musically, the club focusses on current house tracks, with a few well-chosen classics thrown in for good measure.

The night will often play host to international artists alongside their resident DJs, with the music and the DJ at the forefront of the experience.

Pacha Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah | pacha.ae, 04 567 0000

THE LINE UP

Ahead of Sensation’s return on October 30, we take a look at their freshly revealed line up…

EAST & YOUNG

MARTIN SOLVEIG

MR WHITE

SANDER VAN DOORN Sensation is noted for its trance/EDM soundtrack, and Dutch DJ Van Doorn will be bringing the reach-for-the-lasers vibes on October 30. A mainstay on the clubbing scene for 10 years, he’s an ever-present in the DJ Magazine Top 100 poll, and has remixed for The Killers, Depeche Mode and the Swedish House Mafia. He’s a regular on the festival circuit, including Ultra and Tomorrowland, meaning he’s well primed to bring the festival beats to Sensation Dubai.

MARTIN SOLVEIG The French electro and pop-house DJ returns after his sell out show at Pacha Dubai earlier in the year. A classically trained musician, he’s had huge global success with hits like ‘Hello’ and ‘C’est La Vie,’ while he’s worked alongside industry titans like Madonna. Expect the charismatic DJ to bring the funk and high energy house for his festival debut in the UAE.

YVES V Belgian DJ Yves V has quickly risen through the EDM ranks in the past 2 years, with a huge summer including several trips to Ibiza and a stand out set at Tomorrowland. His remix of ‘Insane Pressure’ broke him on the club scene after nearly a decade of hard craft, and newer club cuts like ‘Sonica (Running on a Highway)’ and ‘Wait Till Tomorrow’ have seen him rub shoulders with Tiesto and Hardwell on club line ups.

QUINTINO Another Dutch DJ (seriously, what’s in the water over there), Quintino is signed to none-bigger Spinnin’ Records and has one of the essential summer tunes in EDM banger ‘Devotion.’

His tour schedule before Dubai is punishing: Greece, Holland, Spain, Brazil, Las Vegas, Paraguay, Guatemala and more!

EAST & YOUNG Partly living up to their name (they’re annoyingly young), this Dutch duo play and produce big room progressive house, and have had their tracks released by Fly Eye (Calvin Harris’s label) as well as Sony during their 5 year long career. More recently, the duo have remixed for Kings of Tomorrow, Dizzee Rascal and John Legend, further cementing their growing reputation.

MR WHITE The global Sensation resident, Mr White is on hand at every event to get the party started right.

SANDER VAN DOORN

QUINTINO

YVES V

Sensation Dubai, Friday October 30, Meydan, 6pm-3am, tickets from Dhs425 from Platinumlist.ae

When Gigs Go Bad Not every gig is a hand in the air spectacular – occasionally, very occasionally, being a DJ sucks. The sound system implodes, you get stuck in DJ request hell, the warm up DJ ends on Drum and Bass at a house gig, no one shows up etc. So we thought we’d ask some of Dubai’s finest DJs to share their bad times…

Andy Buchan

I

run a night called Loaded, and after my co-founder left a few years ago, I had to find a new resident DJ. After a few months of searching, I found a local Dubai DJ who fitted the bill, and he played some good sets.

I then got hit with glandular fever, and couldn’t be at the April event – I asked our new resident if he could cover for me, sorted out the promotion and booked a guest DJ. All my new resident had to do was turn up, play some tunes, drink the bar tab and have fun.

Fast forward to midnight, and I get a text from the headline DJ telling me that he’s about to run out of tunes and that the resident DJ had rinsed the bar tab, got hammered and disappeared. Riiiiiight.

Half an hour later, the manager rings to tell me that the guest DJ has left, the resident left hours before and there is some random dude plugging his iPod into the mixer and playing Wham to 300 people. All while I’m feeling like a knackered 85 year old with glandular fever.

Riiiiiiiiiight.

Thankfully, a mate of mine was there that night, and armed with some spare CDs kept in the booth but no headphones (!), he manfully wrestled back control and restored a little bit of credibility to what must have been the worst night ever.

Needless to say, the resident was fired, but is now a good mate and runs a very cool night in Dubai, so there’s a happy ending.

Deian I

am being very selective with the gigs I accept. I do not play requests or commercial music so it is definitely a challenge to play at the majority of venues in this city, Luckily there are fantastic venues and events suitable for the music I play.

I wish I could just pass on the rings to the next guy willing to play Shakira remixes and RNB or Arabic music (these seem to be the most common requests).

No matter where you are playing out around here, there seem to be at least 1-5 absolute d#@kheads who expect you to play their music of choice.

Recently I was offered Dhs1,000 by some absolute moron who approached me and said "Amazing set bro, you’re killing it", shook my hand... and in his hand he tried to pass me the cash while requesting Arabic music. I will not mention the venue where this happened, but I will mention that this was a peak time set with a full crowd engaged into the night and this idiot thought he could request his own selection with a bribe... Sure mate let me just abruptly change everything for you! F*#k off douche, haha.

Ali Taher/Altitude

T

he year I left university, more years ago than I care to mention, I had the bright idea to stick around in Brighton in the UK to get a bit more snug with the local and quite respectable music scene instead of going to the big smoke up the A23 to find a proper job.

I hatched a plan to put on an "alternative" freshers week event to show the new students coming into two universities in the city where it was at! This would entail 5 genre-hopping events across one week in the city's finest hang-outs. The launch went deceptively well. We had a full house and ended the evening wide-eyed and grinning about how "Initiation" - the somewhat cheesy event name was going to be a sell out success across the week.

The 2nd night was reasonable but on the mid week Tuesday

night, some middle rung of the ladder reggae and Dub outfit had been booked to come down from London and I was in support starting off the night.

They arrived to... Well, no one. I was nervously watching my wax spin with a couple of bar staff visible through the exaggerated club lighting hanging around like vultures waiting for this nonstarter of an evening to finally succumb so they could clock off early. Â 30, 40, 60 excruciating minutes and well, no one came. The evening took its last laboured breath at about 12am when we shut the night down.

The reggae guys from London, having made a train journey into town were "vexed" and I had lived both a DJ and a promoters worst nightmare in one go. On the bright side, the only way was up from there, even if that meant getting a real job.

M

y first NYE in Dubai. I was playing at a new hotel on JBR. On arrival there were about 20 people in the bar, mainly hotel guests.

By 11.30pm there was about 5.

The hotel wanted me to do a countdown but there wasn't a mic. After a frantic search we found a mic. The soundsystem was that poor that we couldn't get the mic to work. They found another mic. This one worked.

By 11.55pm everyone had left so they could watch the fireworks.

I was left with the bar staff.

The manager still wanted me to do a countdown. I asked one of the bar lads to watch the tv screen and tell me when the countdown was about to begin.

"Wait....Wait....Wait", he kept saying. Then he looked at me and said, "It's midnight!"

Tool. Needless to say, that was probably the worst and loneliest gig I've ever had.

Thank The Lord for a decent pay check!

Alternatively, my very first paid

gig was at a club in Doncaster.

The manager had heard one of my promo CDs and invited me to play. It was a midweek slot I think but I was buzzing that I had received the call.

When I reached the club, it was closed. Maybe I was too early and caught up in the excitement of it all. The first thing I noticed was a list on the door of all the people banned from the club for fighting.

They were all women. Brilliant!

Can't wait to get inside and get glassed by Doris.

I then saw the poster for the night. It had the name of the resident DJ and his musical style was "trace". Brilliant!  I'm on after a dyslexic trance DJ. Suffice to say, the resident DJ banged it out from 10pm to a packed dancelfoor of 4 people.

Then I came on with a banging selection of soulful house. What a smooth transition that was.

I played my set, got paid and vowed to never ever return to Donnie. Lesson learned.

Danny Kwang

Tom Chubb

I

was DJing at Cyclone in 1996 and a water line above the DJ booth started leaking over the equipment. They ended up having to get one of the staff to stand with a bin on his head until it filled up, then he'd go and empty it and another guy stood there and they kept on doing that for the whole of my set!

At The Mansion House in Worthing, the Formula Sound mixer in the main room was on its way out and sometimes the music would cut out. If you tapped it on the top, it would come back on. One time, it happened a few times in quick succession which was annoying me so I hit it a little harder than usual but this time all the lights went out and the club went quiet during the peak time.

I quickly realised I'd blown the fuse and had to change it with 600 people cheering and jeering. To make matters worse,

it was the internal fuse and not the one in the club. It took less than 5 minutes but seemed like an hour until the music was back on!

At Glam in Puerto Banus (Marbella) I decided to check the club out the night before my gig. I was on my own, had a few drinks and then walked down some steps onto the dancefloor and missed a step.

I tore the stitches in my knee from an operation 2 weeks before and it swelled up to twice the normal size.

I realised there was no way I'd be able to return the hire car to the airport, etc. as I wouldn't be able to drive, so I flew my brother out the next morning who was on a plane 4 hours after me calling him. The cost of the last minute flight and his taxi, etc. meant that I needed the money from the gigs so I played two venues that day on a stool and crutches!

I

n my first year at Uni, the now defunct Millennium Club in Bournemouth was running a DJ Competition to win a residency. I'd only had Technics for a few months but planned a quick-fire set with vinyls stacked 5 a piece on the deck so that I could get the next on ASAP. I'd practiced to the point I could do it blindfolded, and subconsciously had a

rough idea of the various track pitches.

In the heat of the moment I just couldn't get my head around what was wrong.

Turned out one of the club's decks were nearly 6% out and it was impossible to get some of the track combos locked. I quickly headed for the door, cheeks red and tail firmly planted between my legs!

Woodle

Gareth Davies/ Garethisonit

I

t was a chilled, calmer affair at Leftbank on a Friday night so I was playing some nice groovy electronic stuff, some broken beat, some nice 4Hero type stuff whilst people were having their food and enjoying the nice atmosphere. Very much enjoying the more eclectic vibe myself I posted on Facebook ‘I love it how playing music can perfectly reflect the mood you’re in and the mood of a place, lovely night, chilled crowd, good food and drinks, beautiful weather… happy days!’

I’d barely pressed submit and this lone random lady walks

aggressively towards the door, taps me on the shoulder and shouts ‘RUBBISSH MUSIC.’ In shock, I laugh it off and say ‘Excuse me?’ And she repeats slowly, ‘RUBISSSHHHHH MUSICCCCCC’. And then struts off.

Fortunately the comedy of the moment helped subdue the offensiveness of the situation, I should have run after her and asked her who she thought she was speaking to people like that. But I didn’t, I just cracked on with a bit of Domu and Bugz in the Attic with my middle finger firmly in the air.

A

s Liquid People, myself and Dan Liquid were booked to play a club in Hong Kong for a Defected night. They flew us Business class, everything seemed great.

Hotel was lovely, the guys were sound.

something. Nothing for us to worry about. At least nothing to worry about up to the point when a Captain-looking type came over to me and Dan and said "Daniel Smith, Conan Manchester, you must come with me".

The club was amazing. It was packed and everyone was dancing and having a great time. All good so far. It came to midnight. Time for me and Dan to do our thing. Headphones out, first CD ready. Literally as we went to play our opener, the lights come up and there are armed Police everywhere.

And I mean ARMED police.

Machine guns and stuff. But to be honest, I was brought up in a pretty rough town so at this point I am not really alarmed.

We figured a drugs raid or

Ok, alarm bells began to ring.

We were promptly escorted from the building under armed escort and taken to a police station and placed in a holding cell. Here we were held until the owner of the club paid $6,000USD to have us released.

Turns out this is quite a common occurrence. They had not processed our work permits correctly and a rival club had told the police we were DJing illegally. In hindsight I laugh about it now, but at the time, it was a nightmare.

Conan Liquid

ON THE RADAR SEPTEMBER 15 EELKE KLEIJN Square

SEPTEMBER 24 Ellie Goulding World Trade Centre

SEPTEMBER 17 Spandau Ballet Trade Centre

SEPTEMBER 24 Midge Ure Irish Village

SEPTEMBER 18 Dam Funk The Music Room

SEPTEMBER 24 Deep Crates feat. Quantic The Music Room

SEPTEMBER 24 Superheroes feat. Plump DJs Level 41

SEPTEMBER 25 30 Seconds To Mars World Trade Centre

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

OCTOBER 1 Krafty Kuts & A Skillz Zero Gravity

OCTOBER 8 Dave Matthews Band Yas Island

OCTOBER 1 Bon Jovi du Arena, Yas Island

OCTOBER 16 South African Braai Emirates Golf Club

OCTOBER 2 David August Level 41

OCTOBER 22 Mark Ronson Abu Dhabi Golf Course

OCTOBER 2 Al Murray World Trade Centre

OCTOBER 30 Sensation Meydan

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, China White, Nasimi, Story Rooftop, El Fuego, Why Not Lounge, Bliss Lounge, Zinc, Pulse, Cinnamon - Raddison, La Terrasse, Fashion Lounge, OcactI, Soul Al Bahar, The Scene

A+E | ARABIAN RANCHES THURSDAY 3 Bad House Party, Casa Latina

The punk and indie night returns (along with their blow up toys) for another session of alternative music. 9pm-2.45am, free entry.

Mel DeBarge, Vip Room

New York celebrity DJ Mel DeBarge headlines, having recently played at JLo’s birthday bash, and previously for Missy Elliott, MTV and fashion labels like Hugo Boss.

10pm-3am.

Night Vibes feat. Manik, Story Rooftop

The Night Vibes crew return to Story Rooftop, with deep house/tech house DJ and producer Manik headlining alongside a strong local support crew. 6pm-late, AED100 after 8pm.

Paul C & Paolo Martini, Square

House and tech house from the duo who have released on Great Stuff and Terminal M. 10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Sander Kleinenberg, XL XL’s strong bookings continue, with Dutch house DJ Kleinenberg on deck duty.

10pm-3am.

FRIDAY 4 Audio tonic vs Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, 360 Deep, tech house from start to finish, as audio tonic go head to head with the much-loved Blue Marlin team, including Jean B and James Field. 4pm-3am, free entry.

Aurora feat. Jay C, Zero Gravity

The Space Ibiza resident and Manchester based DJ has supported big names like David Guetta and Fatboy Slim on their album tours, and headlines indoors at Zero Gravity. 3pm3am, free entry all day/night.

No.1 Fridays feat. DJ Target, N’Dulge

Urban and hip hop from the Rolldeep member and BBC Radio 1 XTRA DJ, with residents Shero and Brooklyn on support. 10pm-3am. Ladies free entry before midnight.

Sunstroke feat.

CN Williams, 360

Funky, soulful house for the Sunstroke massive courtesy of Welsh DJ CN Williams. 6pm3am, free entry.

INFUSION PICK! House of Afrika feat.

Schooly, Level 41 Soulful Sessions’ Schooly returns for big night of soulful tribal, deep house with Justin James and Cory Centric on support. 9pm-3am, free entry.

Syncro feat.

Leftwing & Kody

Deep house from the dynamic duo last seen smashing audio tonic last season, with Drinky on support. 10pm-3am.

SATURDAY 5 Freddie for a Day, Hard Rock Cafe

It’s international Freddie Mercury day (it should always be Freddie Mercury day), so don your moustache and practice your best Queen impression and rock along to the Queen tribute act. 8.30pm.

TUESDAY 8 INFUSION PICK! Night Warriors feat. Tube and Berger A huge booking as German deep house stars Tube & Berger play the Downtown venue. 10pm-3am, Free entry.

THURSDAY 10 INFUSION PICK! Focus feat. Marco Bailey, Level 41 Drumcode signing Bailey is joined by Reset Robot, Deian, Adam and Ejaz for this popular techno night. 8pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Game 15, Dubai International Marine Club The largest gaming event in the Middle East, with exclusive game previews, competitions and celebrity guests.

AED100 from Virgin. Repeated Friday and Saturday.

Laughter Factory, Movenpick JBR

Three more comics, including John Moloney, Josh Howe and Steve Gribbin, tickle your funny bone. 9pm, AED140.

Warehouse Open Air, 360

No:ID and Somalie drop the bass and house beats, as Warehouse start their new monthly party at 360. 6pm-3am, free entry.

FRIDAY 11 Audio tonic vs Deep Like, 360 Deep house masterclass, with Sam Farsio, JC Pinto, Hoolz and Josephine De Retour on deck duty. 4pm-3am, free entry.

Aurora feat. Bombossa Brothers, Zero Gravity

INFUSION PICK! No.1 Fridays feat. Lethal Bizzle, N’Dulge Grime superstar, and the man behind current radio smash ‘Fester Skank’ plays live with support from Shero and Brooklyn. 10pm-3am, ladies free until midnight.

Party-starting house grooves from the Pukka Up residents and Ibiza regulars. 3pm-3am, free entry.

Classic Rock Festival, Music Room

6 local bands rock and roll their way through 50 classic rock covers from the last 4 decades.

8pm-late, AED70.

INFUSION PICK! Loaded vs Step On, Casa Latina The indie nights return for another battle of the beats – expect everything from The Jam to Jamie xx, and some of the best drink deals in town.

9pm-2.45am, free entry.

Laughter Factory, Movenpick JBR

Three more comics, including John Moloney, Josh Howe and Steve Gribbin, tickle your funny bone. 9pm, AED140.

InfusionSize.indd 1

Night Vibes feat. Nadia Ksaiba, Story Rooftop

This week’s guest house DJ is London spinner Ksaiba, who’s toured with Simian Mobile Disco and played Bestival and Bugged Out. 6pm-late, AED100 after 8pm.

INFUSION PICK! Half Baked feat. The Mole, Level 41 The Half Baked crew return after their excellent opening party with The Mole (Wagon Repair) and Le Loup (Half Baked) on main set duties, with support from Salah, Ronin and Frederick Stone.

5pm-3am, free until 9pm, AED100 9-11pm and AED120 11pm and later.

The Other Side feat.

Bosaina + Z The People, AndLounge, Address Dubai Marina

Live music from Egyptian singer Bosaina and Palestinian duo Z The People at this popular bi-weekly night.

8pm-late, AED100.

6/29/15 5:15 PM

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LOOK AND

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

• Music News • Album reviews • The Narcicyst • DJ Booth • Music That Matters

Look and Listen

Music News...

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK

‘SURGEONS WARNED ABOUT PLAYING DRUM AND BASS DURING OPERATIONS’

We like the idea of our medical staff having good taste in music, but we’re wary of them snipping the wrong bit when the drop kicks in…

DO THEY KNOW IT’S MIDGE URE

Scottish singer Midge Ure is returning to the city on Thursday September 24 at the Irish Village. The Grammyaward winning artist, was part of cult 70s and 80s bands like Ultravox and Thin Lizzy, and was also a big part of Band Aid’s success in 1984. Pub quiz alert, he also co-wrote and co-produced the ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ single which sold over 4 million copies in the UK. Tickets are Dhs125 from Virgin and Tixbox.com.

JAGGER AND SCORSESE TEAM UP FOR VINYL

It’s a golden age for TV at the moment, and HBO’s new series Vinyl looks set to be a firm favourite when it launches.

Following the music industry in the disco and punk era, it’s created by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese and revolves around struggling label boss Richie Finestra (played by Boardwalk Empire’s Bobby Cannavale). The cast also includes Tron star Olivia Wilde while scriptwriters on the show include Terence Winter who worked on The Sopranos and Breaking Bad wrtier George Mastras.

Look and Listen

Album Reviews

JULIO BASHMORE – KNOCKIN’ BOOTS House | soundcloud.com/juliobashmoremusic



As anyone who heard his scattergun set in Dubai earlier this year will know, Julio Bashmore is a man who loves disco and bass. And on his long-awaited album, he’s married the two, along with enough pop hooks to string up the Top 40.

Largely, the marriage works. Tracks like ‘For Your Love’ and ‘Holding On’ make good use of his guest vocalists, and his love of French house shines through with organ riffs, crunchy beats and filtered disco loops. He gets out of his comfort zone several times, including the excellent African-chant of ‘Umuntu’ and ‘Bark’, which as you might suspect is a dog barking set to a crisp snare and pad combo.

But, considering this is the man who gave us ‘Au Seve’ and ‘Battle For Middle You,’ the album is a little light on epic tracks, there’s no stand out, ‘holy s*** did you hear that’ moment. The nearest is ‘Simple Love’ which is a cold-cider-ona-sunny-day Radio 1 feel-good house hit. But considering his track record, we were hoping for something a little more.

DR DRE – COMPTON

Hip Hop | www.drdre.com



There are plenty of reviews out there about Dre’s latest and last album, but we asked Deep Crates Cartel Lobito for his take on it.

It’s not an album for old school or golden era heads, but at the same time it’s not totally cutting edge either on the production side of things, although it tries to be. There’s a lot of shine, bling and polish and great actors but something at the core of it is lacking, a bit like the man’s own line of headphones. It is a solid offering with a couple of standout tracks for discerning DJs whether commercial or underground, but it can’t please everyone and falls far short of being a classic.

It is however a celebration and curtain closer for Dr Dre’s hugely successful career, rushed and timed perfectly to coincide with the movie release about his N.W.A. heydays.

It is an essential listen to anyone remotely interested in Hip Hop and will hopefully be a further boost for the talented new generation in Anderson Paak and Kendrick Lamar (who is already on a stellar rise). And it’s a timely reminder for the new generation of golden era giants like DJ Premier who delivers one of the album’s standout tracks, ‘Animals.’

Lobito Brigante, Founder, Deep Crates Cartel

RHYME AND REASON Dubai born, Iraqi/Canadian rapper The Narcisyst is back with a new album, World War Free. An outspoken and highly intelligent voice of reason in the Middle East music scene, we caught up with him to talk about love and hate, honest music and why ‘sleep is for suckas’

Congratulations on your new album – is the title, World War Free, a hopeful title in that you're looking forward to a day of peace? And is that feasible?

Thanks! World War Free is a wish more than a reality. I do not assume that mankind/ womankind is able to rid itself of violence and abuse of power. It is a part of our nature. I believe there are two overriding powers that sway our being, love and hate. You choose which side to be on, this album is about the love for mankind, for family and for self. World War Free is a dream.

As a Dubai born Iraqi now living in Canada, you're well placed to look back at the Middle East – what do you see, is it home, is it changing, is it somewhere you'll move back to?

I move back and forth between the East and West for family and work. I think life is striking a fair balance between both worlds and I wouldn't ask for it any other way. These days, I am feeling uncertain about pledging any allegiance. Really, I am a child of the world, of the planet, so I don't see one country as my responsibility; the world and its people are our responsibility. Home is the planet.

Your music has always been very emotionally charged, and very political – where does that passion come from, to make a difference?

Well, for the political, I am Arab, I am Muslim, I am a man, father, son, husband, business partner. Everything has its own politic. And our external being, to the world, is politicized. I don't have a choice but to reflect that back into my music. As for the emotional, music is really where I speak to things in my life that I feel but can't express. The musicality allows me to channel feelings I can't describe in words only. The passion comes from those that inspired me through hip hop music and seeing the injustices, both personal and political, worldwide.

But this new album is less politically driven, and more personal – what made you step back?

I hit my 30s, I didn't want to make a 'hip-hop' record, I just wanted to make music. I approached the production from the music to the structure, to writing to recording. I was part of the entire process, so I went back and re-did songs over and over until I simplified my thoughts to the core emotion I wanted to convey. I think that process made the album more personal.

Should music be more political, is too much music set on pop auto pilot?

Music should be more honest.

What is on the radio, or what is selling the most, is not that honest. The fantasy we sell to people through music is one of the cardinal sins of cultural exploitation. If you look at any medium out there - cinema, literary, musical the most mainstream is the violent and the carnal. You have to ask yourself, what does that say of society? Who's fault is it? The consumer or the product? I think if music became more honest, it could change the world.

You had a role in City of Life, the 2009 Dubai film – any more film/acting roles coming up?

I don't have a film lined up, but I'm surrounded by scriptwriters, film makers, photographers, artists - I've been dabbling in many forms of art in the last couple of years. But if a role came by, or I got cast, I would be thrilled.

I loved acting so much.

You've also written a book, written for CNN, taught a University class on hip hop

history and are a Dad – when do you have time to fit in a life!?

Sleep is for suckas.

You've played live in Dubai a few times, and lived here on and off – how have you seen the city grow, what's your take on the culture and history and future of Dubai?

Dubai is unreal. I have such a strong attachment to the city because I was born there.

At the same time, it was very hectic for me and I prefer coming there to really soak in for a period of time and leave. It lets me reflect on the growth and be real about the state of the world. Dubai, like Montreal, is one of the reels in my brain, my Inception places if you will. A lot of people get hype when I tell them I am going to Dubai, but it's where my momma and poppa live. I see more than just the lights.

And any plans to come back soon for live music?

We got something special coming in November, Inshallah!

World War Free is out now, thenarcicyst.com/

DJ Booth: Drinky – Bad Catholic

The Square and Syncro resident takes over the DJ Booth this issue, telling us about Star Wars (he’s only in it!), his blender and world domination…

One thing you might not know about me is... I was the military consultant on the new Star Wars 7 movie. I was an extra too!

My worst ever job was…

I worked in a factory over Christmas packing butter. So bloody depressing!

My favorite ever record is... Retrograde

by Finnebassen (Finn Pilly Edit). That guy’s voice is just breathtaking.

DJing is much like... Playing music for drunk people! (and I love it!)

Dubai’s clubbing scene is...

Progressing nicely I think.

There are a few really good house nights but alongside people like Marko SG and Mike Bufton, we’re moving things in the right direction. I love techno, but you can have too much of a good thing sometimes.

time. One of my faves at the minute is ‘Delta Disorder’ by Kevin Over.

I can’t live without... My blender! I looooove to blend, haha!

My biggest DJ achievement to date is...

Still to come hopefully! I’ve so many great stories and have got to play with some greats.

However my little back-toback session with Allister Whitehead a few weeks back has to be right up there!

What is your guilty pleasure? Single malt, it has to be over 18 years old.

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... This one! I’ve got to say, I love my classics and I’ve been lucky to be able to dust them off for a few History of House nights. However, I never look back, I look forward ‘cause that’s where we’re going!

I’m really proud of... My peers here in Dubai. The music industry is fickle to say the least, however, there are some truly great individuals to work with here.

If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Hmmmm, wow there are so many! I have to say I’d love to smash the techno out of it with Ben Klock.

What track could you drop in every set? Difficult one!

There are so many over the years, it depends on what I’m playing (and feeling) at the

I’m not a politician but…

WORLD DOMINATION! soundcloud.com/djdrinky

Look and Listen

MUSIC THAT MATTERS KZ RECORDS – SESSION 08 (JIXO & DANZ) Deep/tech house masterclass from the Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE residents for Abu Dhabi’s KZ Records featuring tracks from Maxxi Soundsytem and Butch. soundcloud.com/k-zrecords/kz-sessions-008jixo-danz-blue-marlin-ibiza-uae

JEFTY FEAT. ARQAM – COME ALONG Deep house with a serious jazz infusion and killer soul drenched vocals from DXB producer and DJ Jefty. soundcloud.com/manyomarecords/jefty-featarqam-come-along ALEX GEORGE – CLIMBING THE WALLS (EJAZ REMIX) Pacha’s Ejaz steps up for remix duties on this techno monster on Omid 16 B’s label, ramping up the tension and layers to create a propulsive slice of dark techno. soundcloud.com/sexonwax/alex-georgeclimbing-the-walls

PAUL HAMILTON – TIME (SUBANDRIO REMIX)

Relentless, deep and dark techno rework, that comes to life 3 minutes in with a magical, otherworld melody. Properly good. soundcloud.com/subandrio/paul-hamiltontime-subandrio-remix-1

JULIAN MICHEL – LAST NIGHT

A new talent on the Middle East’s urban scene, ‘Last Night’ features tinkling keys, stripped back beats and some neat rhymes (especially the opening couplet). soundcloud.com/julian-michel-10/last-nightexplicit

OLIVIER GARTH – PROJECTION Beautifully produced deep house with a jazzy edge, with plenty of tinkling keys, warm brass and snatched bass loops. soundcloud.com/oliviergarth/sets/projectionspring-strut

Send tracks/edits/remixes to: andy@infusion.ae

JEAN B – DTH 05

Crisp, rolling tech house and techno mix from The Act and Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE resident, with plenty of heavy hitting percussive rollers. soundcloud.com/djjeanb/dth05

VANILLA ACE & CONSOUL TRAININ – LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY Bouncy nu-disco rework of the dance classic from Vanilla Ace and Cielo resident Trainin. soundcloud.com/consoultrainin/sets/vanillaace-consoul-trainin UNDER THE MOON – SUPERHEROES LIVE WARM UP

Superheroes main-man Under The Moon’s live warm up for Low Steppa, featuring bottom-end bass action from Doorly, Sinden, Jack Beats and Eats Everything. mixcloud.com/SuperheroesDubai/under-themoon-superheroes-xxxl-set-july-warming-upfor-low-steppa/

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CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

• The Spin • My Abu Dhabi • Movie Previews • Angry Monkey

THE SPIN AUGUST 2015

PAGE 217

ISSUE 25

COPY CAT NIGHTS ON THE RISE IN DUBAI Following the news that Deep Like’s popular house night has been shamelessly stolen for another venue’s DeepLikeMondays venture, the city has become inundated with copy cat nights.

New urban night Diamonte Wednesdays has just been launched, while a new Jumeirah venue has added the audio tonic drink to their cocktail list.

Meanwhile, one up-coming tech house DJ has renamed himself Raxun hoping to capitalize on the ex Dubai Dj’s fame. Rumour has it that an XXL Club is set to open after the summer.

One promoter, asking for anonymity (oh f*ck it, it’s JBR’s Penthouse 25) argued that the lack of copyright and intellectual laws in the city meant they ‘could do what they wanted with the Deep Like name,’ before mumbling into their humble pie when we pointed out they were talking rubbish.

Promoter employs all of sub-continent as click farm to battle deluge of negative FB comments on his Facebook event.

*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.

#myAbuDhabi

CLIFF TOWNLEY The Rush promoter in Abu Dhabi gives us the lowdown on what his city means to him…

The best thing about Abu Dhabi is… The people. It doesn’t have the hustle of a big city so everyone has a bit more time for each other. Abu Dhabi is a lot smaller nightlife wise as well to Dubai so everyone knows each other. While not always a great thing, it definitely brings a uniqueness to the city.

The worst thing about Abu Dhabi is… Summer heat. Not fun.

Formula 1/Creamfields weekend is… Absolutely mental. From what I remember!

Dance/club music in the city is… Just the right side of commercial. Lots of room for growth.

Best place to take tourists is: The corniche. Love it down there.

Best place for a weekend getaway: Dubai!

Best pool party: Centro at Yas Island.

Favourite club: Rush of course!

Favourite bar: Stars and Bars.

Favourite restaurant: Moti mahal. Check it out if you’re in town on Madinat Zayed, behind Salam Street.

Best kept Abu Dhabi secret is… Saadiyat public beach, don’t tell anyone!

Best late night takeaway/munchies? Special cafe on the corniche. Best shawarmas and shisha till about 5am.

Best shop? DJ corner at Al Wahda mall. Not great for the bank account though. facebook.com/RushAbuDhabi

dd 1

Cool Test STEP ON VS LOADED

After a few years in the wilderness, popular indie nights Step On and Loaded are back, with another head to head battle at Casa Latina on Friday September 11. But who’s back for good, and who’s on the highway to hell?

Loaded’s Andy Buchan goes up against Step On’s Mark, who’s answered the questions on behalf of Larry, with amusing results...

Who’s the coolest person in your phone book?

LOADED: Fatboy Slim, I’ve

interviewed him a few times and warmed up for him once. Totally got my bromance on with him, lovely man.

STEP ON: Mark

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

LOADED: 48 hours. Although as a Dad to a 1 year old (hey Lyla), sleep is still elusive sometimes.

STEP ON: 11 minutes.

LOADED: Mouth looks like a cat’s bum, and eyes pinballing around my head.

STEP ON: Crumpled.

Describe your best bass face…

Coolest word in the world?

LOADED: Wizard. As in, ‘that tune is well wizard.’

STEP ON: Rat.

Coolest band in the world?

LOADED: Belle and Sebastian.

Pleased to say we brought them over for a DJ set to Dubai years ago.

STEP ON: Test Icicles. “We were never, ever that keen on the music.

I understand that people liked it, but we personally, er, didn’t.”

6/29/15 5:

Coolest track ever made?

LOADED: New Order, ‘Blue Monday.’ Stone. Cold. Classic.

STEP ON: John Cooper Clarke – Hire Car.

Your best dance move is…

LOADED: The Buchan shuffle, playing keyboard/air guitar behind the decks.

STEP ON: …probably not as good as your worst one.

What’s your best claim to fame?

LOADED: I wrote my dissertation on Star Wars, and how you could see American history through the story lines. I got a 2:1 and an obsession to call any future son Lando from it.

STEP ON: I’ve appeared in the popular Dubai magazine Infusion.

It’s not big and clever but…

LOADED: We invented the Tequila bomb.

STEP ON: …it’s the popular Dubai magazine Infusion.

What’s your answer to everything?

LOADED: I’ll play it next, promise!

STEP ON: Charl Chaka’s Instagram account.

What’s the best insult you can give each other?

LOADED: You have the full Menswear and Gay Dad back catalogue. On vinyl.

STEP ON: You’re so money supermarket.

THE VERDICT: In the name of impartiality, we’re going for an entertaining score draw.

Step On vs Loaded, Friday September 11, Casa Latina 9pm-2.45am, free entry all night.

SEPTE M BE R 2 4

MOVIE WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS Zac Efron stars as the EDM DJ trying to make it in America. Initial trailers were cheesier than an Adam Sandler DVD fondue, but director Max Joseph helmed the excellent LCD Soundsystem documentary, so there’s hope for the film yet‌ Classification: 15 Director: Max Joseph Starring: Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Jon Bernthal

A WALK IN THE WOODS After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson returns to the U.S., where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends.

Classification: 15 Director: Ken Kwapis Starring: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson

PREVIEWS TRANSPORTER: REFUELED

Statham has finally left this adventure franchise, handing over to Ed Skrein. In the south of France, former special-ops mercenary Frank Martin (Skrein) enters into a game of chess with a femme-fatale and her three sidekicks who are looking for revenge against a sinister Russian kingpin.

Classification: PG 13 Director: Camille Delamarre Starring: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson

SOUTHPAW Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the boxer who aims to get back on track after losing his wife in a tragic accident and his daughter to child protection services.

Classification: 15 Director: Antoine Fuqua Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams

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

The first thing that I do in the morning is log in to Facebook (after snogging the face off Mrs Monkey, obvs). It has become a way of life for me and the Monkey crew. I like to catch up on what my friends have been doing and to see if I have missed any important news (because who checks news sites, right?). And every morning, I have some notifications.

Could it be a funny comment from a friend? Maybe even a witty picture on my wall. No. It’s a birthday reminder, a notification that a distant relative has liked something I posted a year ago and another event invite! No, make that 3 event invites. Nope, 4, and another and… well, you get the picture.

Without fail, Dubai’s promoters turn into keyboard warriors overnight and incessantly feel the need to spam my feed, notifications and even send me friend requests to get me to go to the next night that promises to ‘redefine Dubai nightlife’. No, I’m not going to your event; no, I will not ‘share to win free entry’ and NO, I will not become friends with Valentina Sparkles Events!

And why is it that you can spend so much time on the computer inviting people but cannot afford to spend anytime on better artwork? I’m not going to spend half an hour hacking through poorly placed text in hideous fonts to even find out where the event is happening! Maybe if you spent more time on your event than Facebook you might actually have more people going!

Monkey Out...

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

FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER

DJEBALI

PAULO MARTINEZ

L EVEL 5 , J W MA R RI O T T M ARQ U I S H O T E L B U SINES S B AY D U B AI