Infusion # 254: Sep 13-27 2015

MUSIC • PEOPLE • LIFE

ERIC FROM BLACKSTREET + WINGO FROM JAGGED EDGE + RL VOICE OF NEXT

AT HIP TO BE SQUARE – THE DOWNTOWN CLUB’S BIGGEST MONTH YET!

Quantic, Plump DJs, Dam Funk, Dubai Music Week, Skream, Dave Chappelle, Stereophonics, Defected, The Spin and lots more!

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We’re pumped to hear that Conquer, a new independent sneaker store run by one of the Sole DXB crew, is set to open in town soon.

Technics are back in the market with a brand new vinyl deck - woohoo!

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Trainspotting 2 has been green-lit, meaning the return of Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie!

GUEST LIST BLACK LIST Kanye for President? Jog on bruv. America is a whole lot more screwed than we thought if you and Trump can get a sniff at running the country.

Rude and/or stupid people.

Ain’t nobody got time for your attitude.

Tiesto’s new EDM TV show is next level awful. Check the Angry Monkey for his/her take on it...

SAY WHAT? THE INEVITABILITY OF A BIG NIGHT OUT…

CALVIN TOPS RICH LIST AGAIN

He reportedly earned $66 million last year, making him the highest paid DJ on the planet. Which works out at a casual $180,821.92 a day or $7,534 an hour.

YOUNG JOKES HOME

(AS TOLD BY 12 YEAR OLD STAND UP GRACE THE CHILD) “They’re always telling me to live my dreams. But I don’t want to be naked in an exam I haven’t revised for...”

DONALD TRUMP’S HAIR MAKES A BREAK FOR FREEDOM…

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LOOKING

BACK

Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.

• What We Did • Photo Gallery

Looking Back

What we did

THE OTHER SIDE FEAT. ZEID & THE WINGS AND LOOPSTACHE @ ANDLOUNGE Another Other Side, and another 2 quality bands. Both hailing from Beirut, Zeid and Loopstache were as disparate as it’s possible to get – quirky electro pop and hybrid Arabic/English indie. But they were united in one aspect – they both got the 400 strong crowd dancing, jumping and moving, which was a beautiful sight to behold.

3 piece electronic outfit Loopstache kicked off in matching white outfits, with live sax, guitar and a bank of keyboards triggering loops, beats and samples. At their most vibrant, they sounded like a more streamlined Hot Chip, all processed beats and quirky covers.

After a 25 minute break, it was time for Lebanese rock royalty Zeid to take to the stage. As part of Soapkills and The Private Government, Zeid has been a big player in Beirut’s alternative scene, and his 5 piece Wings group took to the stage with confidence, getting the crowd to sing along to their lilting reggae hit ‘General Suleiman’ before embarking on their extensive back catalogue. The highlight was their 20 minute encore at the end of the night, when they upped the tempo and played several ‘last’ tunes, after repeated ‘one more tune’ requests. The Other Side is quickly becoming our favourite side.

Looking Back

FINEST FRIDAY FEAT. OCTAVE ONE @ LEVEL 41 Once again Finest Friday returned to Level 41 with more no nonsense house and techno bookings in the form of Virginia and headliners for the night, Octave One. Sadly we only caught the very end of Virginia’s live vocal and DJ set but by the comments all over social media the next day we missed something quite special.

Octave One’s live set made sure we didn’t dwell on that much.

Brothers Lenny and Laurence took to the stage behind their rows of synths, controllers and effects units and delivered a slick set of analog techno rollers with smiles beaming ear to ear. It was so refreshing seeing legends of the scene really enjoying what they did.

The energy of them both seeped into the capacity crowd and hit its high point when they dropped classic house anthem ‘Black Water’.

Once again the guys behind Analog Rooms have proved you don’t need to go commercial to throw an amazing party. Dubai promoters take note!

UP NEXT:

Finest Friday feat. A Guy Called Gerald - Friday September 25, Level 41

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Looking Back

LADIES NIGHT @ TOKO Walking through the giant door into Toko on ladies night puts you in the middle of a S&TC episode. The tables are cleverly laid out to accommodate any type of get-together: there’s a mix of long banquet tables available for ladies looking to catch-up mid-week with cocktails in hand, two-seater intimate tables set-up for date nights and two or three-seater tables that face the chefs for an action-packed evening. A buzzy lounge bar is also available for those nights when all you want is a chat and a liquid dinner.

We were spoiled with the 12 course limited offer marine day menu at AED395 per person. The winners were the rock shrimp tempura, crispy tuna maki, Japanese salad and the dessert selection. The flavour combinations and textures were incredible and left us wanting more (even though we were stuffed!). All of the dishes were beautifully presented and the dry ice display during dessert put the icing on the cake. This is a great option for ladies night on Wednesdays as ladies can choose either 4 glasses of wine or 4 cocktails and get 30% off the food bill.

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LOOKING

FORWARD

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

• Local News • Cover Story • Plump DJs • Quantic • Square • Pacha’s Big Weekend • Gig Guide

Looking Forward

Local News DUBAI FINDS ITS FUNNY BONE

Dave Chappelle (pictured) and Trevor Noah are confirmed as the headline comedians at Dubai’s new 10 day comedy festival, held at venues throughout Dubai Marina. Running from October 15-24, the program will feature The Daily Show’s South African comic Trevor Noah, a regular in the city as well as American comedy veteran Dave Chappelle alongside a host of regional and international comedians.

A purpose built 4,500 capacity venue will be constructed at Sky Dive Dubai to host Chappelle on Thursday October 22 and Friday October 23, with Trevor Noah taking to the stage the following night. Head to dubaicomedyfest.ae for more info and tickets.

Staying in the comedy world, The Laughter Factory returns to action this month, with Steve Gribbin, Josh Howie and John Moloney doing the honours at Park Rotana Abu Dhabi (Sep 15), McGettigans JLT (Sep 16) and the Grand Millenium (Sep 17), with tickets AED140 from platinumlist.net.

And finally, No.1 Events, the long-running urban night, have branched into comedy and will be hosting 4 comics at their Comedy Jam on Friday September 25 at N’Dulge featuring UK funny men Axel Blake, Travis Jay, American stand up Will E Robo and Jamaica star Wyardie. The show stars at 8pm, and runs till 11pm, with No.1 Friday residents Shero and Brooklyn on deck duties until 3am.

BLUE MARLIN IS BACK! You know that the good times and winter are coming when Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE opens its doors once again, and they’ve got a big line up starting from Friday September 18. Russ Yallop and Digitaria kick things off on the 18th, with Martin Buttrich and Audio Fly the following week. Their October line up is even bigger, with Miss Kittin (Oct 2), Steve Bug (Oct 9) and Lee Burridge (Oct 16) all booked, while the following Friday sees UK dubstep pioneer turned disco/house DJ Skream (pictured) makes his debut in the region on October 23.

PLAY AT THE F1 Play live music and want to perform at this year’s F1? Yasalam 2015 is opening up their Beats on the Beach event to local talent. Simply upload your content to yasalam.ae – any genre is accepted an closing date is October 3. A panel of judges, including composer Reiner Erlings, Clarita de Quiroz and Radio 1’s Saif and Sound will also mentor the successful applicants ahead of the November gig in Abu Dhabi. Good luck!

GET WET IN ABU DHABI Castaway have teamed up with fast-rising Abu Dhabi label KZ Records for a Wet Beats boat party on Friday September 18.

Departing from the Marina opposite Marina Mall at 1pm, the Mothership Yacht will take you on a 6 hour cruise, with Moe Turk (Armada) and Ed Wise supported by live percussion. Tickets are AED200 for lades, and AED350 for men including unlimited drinks. castaway-abudhabi.com

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Looking Forward NO U-TURN Two of our favourite artists are taking part in the No U-Turn exhibition at the A4 Space Gallery Al Serkal Avenue from September 13-19. Alongside Dubai by Design and Toil & Tinker, Maddy Butcher will be showcasing her portrait-illustrations of local, regional and international personalities and heroes, while Clare Napper, who’s behind the excellent Highlife Dubai series of posters, will debut a new range of satirical artworks.

Affordable art, sketches, prints, bags and miscellaneous will be on sale, as well as the chance to chat to each artist.

STEREOPHONICS PLAY PARTY IN THE PARK Welsh rockers Stereophonics have been confirmed to play this year’s 2nd Party in the Park event on Friday November 13.

The 10 hour event runs from 2pm-midnight, and will feature the ‘Thousand Trees,’ ‘Have A Nice Day’ and ‘Dakota’ stars at the Media City Amphitheatre. Last year’s Hype Club House will also return, featuring some of the UAE’s best DJs. Tickets cost AED295.

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Analog Room’s Finest Friday returns to Level 41 on Friday September 25 with Analog Room favourite A Guy Called Gerald playing a live techno set. The ‘Voodoo Ray’ star has always delivered in his previous sets for the cult night, and is joined by Jonas Kopp playing a straight up no BS techno set.

Entry is free before 8pm, AED50 until 9pm, AED100 9-10pm, AED120 1011pm and AED150 after 11pm.

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BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL Kisstory return with another action-packed transAtlantic line up on Friday October 9 at Nasimi, as they welcome down members of US hip hop groups Blackstreet, Jagged Edge and Next as well as UK garage DJs The Artful Dodger and DJ Luck & MC Neat.

Eric Williams from Blackstreet ‘No Diggity,’ Blackstreet’s breakout hit in 1996, is a timeless slice of hip hop – don’t just take our word for it though, as it’s one of the most streamed tracks on Spotify with over 30 million plays. The track with Dr Dre scored the American group a Billboard No.1 while they won a Grammy in 1998 for Best R&B Performance. The album went huge, going four times Platinum in the US, and landing them guest spots on Jay Z’s album The City Is Mine, while they were also part of the Rugrats soundtrack (a pretty big deal in the 90s (trust us millennium kids). The band then went through a prolonged period of turbulence, with break ups and reunion tours, before past members including Eric Williams agreed to carry the name on and bring ‘No Diggity’ and ‘Don’t Leave Me’ around the world again.

RL from Next RL, or Robert Lavelle Huggar to his Mum, is the lead singer and frontman of 90s R&B group Next, and hit the big time in the late 90s with a trio of hits including ‘Too Close,’ ‘Wifey’ and ‘I Still Love You.’ With RL working alongside the Brown brothers, the band were named the Top New R&B artist by Billboard, while they also appeared on Destiny Child’s The Writing’s On The Wall album in 1999. They were also one of the first acts to collaborate with 50 Cent in 2000 on their Welcome II Nextasy album which spawned one of their biggest hits, ‘Wifey.’ They briefly signed to Interscope in the mid 00s, while RL also worked on several solo albums, before the band re-grouped and started releasing new music last year, including new single ‘Leaving With Me.’

Wingo from Jagged Edge The last of the American R&B acts at Kisstory, Jagged Edge are another 90s band who have released music consistently since their launch in 1997. They’ve released 8 albums to date, including 2014’s JE Heartbreak and are currently signed to Jermaine Dupree’s label So So Def, with Dupree producing many of the band’s biggest hits.

Artful Dodger No stranger to Dubai, this veteran of the UK Garage scene is a regular in the city, and knows what works – namely 90s UK Garage, with UK bass. A DJ and MC duo, The Artful Dodger is MC Allister and DJ Dave Low, and have had a busy summer tearing up festivals and clubs, including recently playing at Outlook and Sun City in Ibiza.

Luck & Neat Another DJ and MC duo, DJ Luck and MC Neat have been working together since the late 90s, and had 3 consecutive Top 10 hits in 1999 and 2000, including their breakthrough hit ‘A Little Bit Of Luck.’ The duo have made the trip to Dubai several times, and have never failed to work the crowd into a frenzy thanks to their behindthe-booth antics.

Baby D One for the 90s rave kids out there, Baby D’s big smash was 1994’s ‘Baby Let Me Be Your Fantasy,’ while a 2000 UK Garage remix of the track brought it back into fashion with a Top 20 chart position. They’re still performing live on the festival and club circuit, and will be bringing their day-glo rave sound to Dubai on October 9.

Kisstory, Friday October 9, Nasimi, 5pm-3am, headline acts on stage at 10.30pm.

Advance tickets AED150 from Platinumlist.net.

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Fat beats Bass warriors Plump DJs are back once again for the Superheroes team. We caught up with Lee and Andy from the UK duo to chat ESP, Doobies and golf…

A warm welcome back, you've got a lot of musical history with Dubai – any of your tracks been written over here or on the plane?

We have road-tested many records over the years in Dubai at the various parties we have played. Last time we played the Superheros was our favorite ever in Dubai and we had recently made our records ‘Gobbstopper’ and ‘Hammerhouse’, which won a great reaction on the rooftop.

Can you make any generalisations about the crowd, what works well out here?

It’s a real party crowd, people are drawn from all over the world to be here and are united under the stars. It’s safe to say the 'The Doobies' like a drink, love to dance and know how to party.

Musically, you span a real range now – are you best summed up as part of the UK bass scene? And how does your classic breaks material fit into your sets at

the moment?

Yes we agree with you here, we would be known as playing bass motivated music. Including breaks, beats, techfunk, electro and garage bass too. We like to call our sound 'Plumpmusic,' it’s broad and big. We like to educate but also rock the party and make people feel good!

Who's coming from the Plumps for the Dubai show and how does it work?

We play on 4 CDJ Pioneer decks and mix at the same time, using a bespoke Q2 box that allows us to hear what each other is doing before the dance floor gets it. It’s a set we have been working on for 10 years nearly now. We love to DJ side-by-side, and never plan our set like some DJs. We watch the crowd and play what we feel is right for the moment, it’s the only way. It’s an organic thing, no 2 sets are the same. We have been friends and musical team mates for nearly 20 years now, we have a kind of Plump ESP.

How's the summer been, what have been the festival highlights?

We have played some incredible gigs this year, taking on shows in Spain, Poland, Czech Rep, Romania and all over the UK. Festival wise playing our Plumpmusic to large crowds at Glastonbury, Beat Herder, Secret Garden Party and Wickerman Festivals. It’s safe to say that we are having the time of our lives still!

We remember that you're big golfers – will you be braving the Dubai heat in September?

We love your golf courses, and have been lucky enough to play the Tiger Wood Jumeirah Beach and Montgomery tracks over the years. We have some pals that we hope to entice out for a hack when we return. Last time we were out, luck and fortune found us playing your

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best course with a dear friend, legend and UK PGA Pro Peter Seal. Who came to the disco afterwards with us to party. An unforgettable day, but a very forgetful golf performance from me.

And what else is coming up in the Plump DJ world for the rest of the year?

We are releasing a new album soon, with a string of new releases from us. We have been working on this project for some time and are chuffed with the results. In many ways the record looks back at the breaks sound that we are more famous for pioneering, but also reflects on a fresh new direction for Andy and I. Superheroes feat. Plump DJs, Thursday September 24, Level 41, Media One Hotel, 9pm-3am.

You've been living in South America for a while, are you still there? And what lessons can other people learn from their way of life?

I was living in Colombia from 2007 till 2014, a great time was had and it was a real nice way of getting to know not just Colombian culture but Brazil, Venezuela & Panama, though Colombia itself has enough to keep you occupied. I moved to New York 2 years ago, which is a nice halfway point both culturally and geographically speaking.

You could learn a lot from Colombian living, it’s a country with a lot of beauty, but also a conflicted history, though the Colombian mentality I feel is very positive regardless.

And where else have your musical travels taken you?

Travelling for music can often be falsely interpreted as being somewhere, getting to know it, engaging with your surroundings. More than often DJ trips are the opposite: you come in late, go straight to the club and leave early morning having had an exchange with locals over the DJ booth or breakfast buffet. The nicer version of travelling is when it's a little slower, where you get a couple of days, travel by road and learn about where you are visiting, that can be a luxury sometimes but I always enjoy it.

I'm looking forward to getting back to the Middle East, I'm also

playing more and more in Mexico which is such a beautiful country and the people are very open.

We're read that you'd love to record more in the Middle East – is that something that might happen on this trip?

Sadly not due to a pretty tight tour schedule. But I hope to come back soon and that this is a nice re-introduction.

We love your collaborations with Alice Russell and Spanky Wilson – how do you keep your inner fan boy in check when you start working with them?

Yeah sometimes! Working with singers is one my most favourite parts of the production process, it’s a real joy to sit beside a tender singer and hear those tones in person.

Musically, what's working in your sets at the moment?

A lot of original stuff, Quantic bits and bobs from the archive and also new rhythms I'm trying out. I keep things fresh with new selections each tour and demo a lot of material from the studio I'm working on.

And will you be playing any accordion solos during your gig here?

No, not this time around! Too many things to carry… playing with records is no joke. Having an accordion in the club is always fun though, it’s like the unruly uncle at your Christmas party making unexpected sounds.

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GET FUNKY Musical troubadour and beats and pieces wizard Quantic returns to the city after a 10 year break with his assorted bag of funk, soul, Cumbia, hip hop, South American oddities, reggae and whatever else heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found with a rhythm on his travels. Ahead of his September 24 date, we caught up with him to ask him about living in Colombia, his accordion solos and recording in the Middle East

Deep Crates Cartel feat. Quantic, Thursday September 24, Music Room, 8pm-3am, AED100.

Hip to be Square Since launching earlier this year, Square has been the go-to club for clubbers, a place where music comes first, second and third, a place where underground house meets a pumping Funktion 1 soundystem. With a big September line up ahead of them, we take a look at some of the in-coming talent, including the return of award-winning house night Shibuya, and catch up with fast-rising house star Cristoph

THE LAST TIME CRISTOPH Ahead of his gig at Square on Friday September 18, we caught up with the Noir Music signing The last time I came to Dubai I thought…

I've been to Dubai quite a few times now and each time ends up more crazy than the last. I love the place though. A lot of friends from the UK live over there now so it's always great to catch up with them. The last time I was there I played Basement, was a really cool vibe there.

The track I'm most proud of making is…

I don't think I could pick one track as a lot of them have a specific meaning to me or are named after a family member or close friend. I work hard trying to improve my productions and constantly trying to learn new things. I'm really enjoying studio time at the moment and enjoying writing a few darker tracks as well.

Over the years, my sound has…

Matured and progressed over the two years since I broke out. I think it's quite melodic nowadays with quite a few darker elements in too, compared to the start where it was more bass led. This however doesn't mean I will continue to go down this route, I literally just write what I'm feeling that day.

My biggest fan is…

Ever since I was a young boy my biggest fan was my Dad. He did everything for me and constantly encouraged me to pursue my dream, he came to a lot of my gigs and I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am without him. Sadly he passed away a few months ago and since then my family and friends have stepped into his shoes. We are all very close and they are always pushing me to better myself. A lot of my friends try and get to most of my gigs which is great and I appreciate massively as I know it's not an easy task for them to do

My Mum thinks my music is…

I don't really think my music is up my Mam's street, if I'm honest. She would never admit that to me but she always goes "very good yes" when I show her a new track, haha. However, she knows it makes me happy doing what I do so she is always encouraging me and shows interest in what I'm making or where I'm playing. I have to ring her before I travel and when I arrive at the hotel for every gig. I'm her youngest so she's very protective.

One thing no one knows about me is…

I have a degree in Criminology.

I even keep forgetting that.

Probably because my sister did all my coursework!

The most expensive thing I've bought is…

Probably some of my new hardware for the studio or a few of my holidays over the past couple of years.

My biggest vice is…

Not knowing when to say no. Definitely!

The last time I cried was…

My Dad's funeral.

My show in Dubai will be…

I'm hoping it’s going to be fun. A lot of friends are heading down so I'm sure it will be.

Underground Artists feat.

Cristoph, Friday September 18, Square, 10pm-3am, support from Safe Smokingroove and Somalie

Get to know…

Ian Pooley If you know your house music, you’ll know all about Shibuya, the back to basics house brand that ran at the Basement, a gimmick-free night that brought over great DJs (DJ T, Ralph Lawson, Jimpster to name a few) to a clued-up crowd. After The Basment closed, it’s now found a home at Square, and is re-launching with German house DJ Ian Pooley on Thursday September 24.

The head honcho of Pooledmusic has 5 studio albums under his belt, and has remixed for some huge acts, most notably Daft Punk at the start of their career.

More recently, he’s released on cult labels like Innervisions, Ovum and Tsuba, proving that 2 decades after he started, he’s still got the musical love.

Support on the night comes from a heavyweight trio of Smokingroove, Mr Mr and Charl Chaka, and ladies get free entry before midnight.

Shibuya feat. Ian Pooley, Thursday September 24, Square, JW Marriott Marquis, 10p-3am, ladies free before midnight, AED100.

Don’t miss: Neverdogs

You know you’re doing something very right if you’re the residents at Ibiza’s best night, Music On. Supporting Marco Carola, the duo have quickly become one of the most respected White Isle residents, playing deep, bassheavy, sub-friendly techno to the Amnesia faithful. The Italian duo of Marko and Tommy have been together for over a decade, DJing and producing tech house club killers, with packed DJ schedules every weekend equipping them to become residents at one of the most talked about nights in the world. And you can get your taste of Ibiza at Square on Thursday September 17 at Square.

Neverdogs, Thursday September 17, Square 10pm-3am.

Pacha’s Big Weekend Pacha are back in the big time again and will be running across all three rooms from the Eid weekend onwards. We’ve got the lowdown on who’s playing and also look ahead to their upcoming Defected takeover on October 2

Kiko Navarro

Zepherin Saint

Melohman

Eid weekend Praise be, the fabled Pacha Rooftop is back open for action once again after a long summer. Resident DJs Melohman and Rico will take control of the action on Wednesday September 23, dishing out the best in deep house and disco across the stunning open air venue.

The club are then back into the international groove with global Pacha superstar Kiko Navarro back behind the decks on Thursday September 24. The Spanish soulful house DJ is no stranger to the city, having impressed on every visit, having played at 360, Armani, Trilogy, Cavalli and Story Rooftop before in the city. He’s also one of the goto DJs for Pacha across the world, having been the Pacha Mallorca resident for a decade, as well as a regular in Ibiza at Pacha Ibiza (2008) and Space Ibiza (2011) over the years. A DJ happy dropping soulful house cuts, as well as tougher techier beats, he’s got an ear for the dancefloor, and straddles the commercial/credible divide easily.

The following night sees the return of London-party Can You Dance To My Beat who continue their monthly residency at the club.

Launched in London 3 years ago, the global house music party incorporates afro and tribal rhythms, with vocals and melody their key weapons to get you on the dancefloor. The party has held a 3 year residency in London, as well as an annual festival in Kefelonia in Greece. The party will feature Tribe Records’ star Zepherin Saint, alongside local support.

Defected In The House – Friday October 2

After their successful collaboration last season, Defected are back for another session at Pacha, taking over the Rooftop on Friday October 2 with head honcho Simon Dunmore (pictured) joined by Rae and killer percussionist Shovell.

Defected have been pushing quality house music for the past 15 years, and were one of the first record labels to embrace the digital revolution, which has been part of the label’s resurgence in recent years.

The label can boast an amazing list of signings, including Noir, MK, Sandy Rivera, Guti, Flashmob, Osunlade, Oliver Dollar, Yousef, Dennis Ferrer, Bob Sinclar. And their list of recent hits is staggering: recently, they hit the top pop spot with MK’s remix of Storm Queen’s ‘Look Right Through,’ while they can also boast Number 1s from Bob Sinclar (‘Love Generation’), Roger Sanchez (‘Another Chance’) and Tensnake (‘Coma Cat’). Then there’s Noir & Haze ‘Around’, Flashmob’s ‘Need In Me’ and Pirupa’s ‘Party Non Stop.’ Name another record label with that sort of hit rate?

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ON THE RADAR OCTOBER 1 KRAFTY KUTS & A SKILLZ Zero Gravity

OCTOBER 8 Dave Matthews Band Yas Island

OCTOBER 1 Bon Jovi du Arena, Yas Island

OCTOBER 8 Superheroes feat. Orbital Level 41

OCTOBER 2 David August Level 41

OCTOBER 9 Steve Bug Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

OCTOBER 2 Al Murray World Trade Centre

OCTOBER 16 South African Braai Emirates Golf Club

For a full list of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on, please head to infusion.ae

OCTOBER 22 MARK RONSON Abu Dhabi Golf Course

OCTOBER 30 Sensation Meydan

Dubai Comedy Festival feat. Dave Chappelle

OCTOBER 22-23 Skydive Dubai

OCTOBER 30 Karmon Eden Beach Club

OCTOBER 23 Skream Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

OCTOBER 30 Take That Media City Amphitheatre

OCTOBER 29 Prime Circle TBC

Party in the Park feat. Stereophonics

NOVEMBER 13

Media City Amphitheatre

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, Y Not Lounge, Bliss Lounge, Zinc, Pulse, Cinnamon - Raddison, La Terrasse, Fashion Lounge, OcactI, Soul Al Bahar, The Scene

A+E | DEIRA TUESDAY 15 INFUSION PICK! Night Warriors feat. Eelke Klein, Square Bouncy house and deep house from the ‘Ein Tag Am Strand’ producer. 10pm-3am, free.

WEDNESDAY 16 The Laughter Factory, McGettigans

Steve Gribbin, Josh Howie and John Moloney are the funny men in charge at this popular stand up monthly. 8pm, AED140.

THURSDAY 17 Analog Room meets Warped, Q Underground

Two of Dubai’s long running electronic nights go head to head in a battle of the techno beats, with Adam representing Warped and Shemroon playing for Analog Room. 10pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Bassworx feat. Patife, Casa Latina Brazilian-tinged drum and bass from guest headliner Patife, with support from Somalie, Woodle and more. 9pm2.45am, free entry.

Deep Like, GQ Bar

More deep house fun and games, with Pet Recordings’ Patlac headlining.

10pm-3am, AED100.

The Laughter Factory, Grand Millenium Tecom

Steve Gribbin, Josh Howie and John Moloney are the funny men in charge at this popular stand up monthly. 8pm, AED140.

Prok & Fitch, Cavalli

DJs for more than 8 years, the UK duo behind Floorplay Music, and with several Beatport Top 10s to their name go back-toback at Cavalli for the night.

9pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Spandau Ballet, Trade Centre The classic 80s act run through their pop tunes, including singa-long favourites like ‘True’ and ‘Gold.’ 8pm, AED300.

INFUSION PICK! Sidney Samson, XL EDM and bouncy electro from the Dutch DJ behind big 2009 hit ‘Riverside.’ 10pm-3am.

Clique, 360

The local tech-house night returns to 360 with Deian, Kaytek, Jixo & Danz and Tobie Allen on deck duty. 6pm-3am.

Neverdogs, Square

Techno from the Music:On resident DJs and one of the hottest Ibiza residents. 10pm3am, AED100.

FRIDAY 18 Audio tonic vs Cuts Above, 360

House and choice disco cuts from the Cuts Above team featuring Dan Chadwick and Megadon Betamax. 4pm-3am, free entry.

Café Opera feat. Tim Henri, Cavalli Stockholm DJ and Café Opera resident Tim Henri is a regular in Las Vegas, Miami, Mykonos and LA, and now brings his brand of house music to Cavalli.

9pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Christoph, Square The Newcastle-based deep, melodic house producer returns for another set of driving house music, with Somalie and Safe Smokingroove on support.

INFUSION PICK! Red Bull Music Academy feat. Dam Funk, Music Room Renowned LA musician Dam Funk performs a solo live show and a DJ set consisting of multiple synths, synth guitar, vocoder, vocals, samples and live beats. 8pm-3am, AED100.

Russ Yallop & Digitaria, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

The beach parties are back, with deep, tech house from Russ Yallop and Digitaria.

11am-11pm.

INFUSION PICK! Tse Tse Fly, Casa Latina Brand new sound art night featuring Johnny Farrow and A Taxi For My Uncle, pushing adventurous audio/visual not seen before in the region.

7-10pm, free.

Plus Minus feat. Bill Patrick & Livio & Roby, Level 41

Strong techno double header, with American DJ Patrick joined by the tag-team Romanian duo Livio & Roby. 5pm-late, free until 9pm, AED100 until 10pm, AED120 until 11pm, AED150 after.

INFUSION PICK! Journey Through House feat. Jon Pleased Wimmin, Zero Gravity Classic house beats and grooves all day and night from the 90s club star. 3pm-late.

ABU DHABI CONTENT Soaked Pool Party, Centro Yas Island Scottie B, Rone Jaxx, Neil T and Cliff Townley head up this 10 hour pool party, with an electric soundtrack. Midday10pm, AED100 men, ladies free all day.

resident Payam playing his third set to date. 10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Deep Crates feat. Quantic, Music Room Funk-loving DJ and globetrotting record collector Quantic headlines for the Deep Crates Cartel massive. 9pm3am, AED100.

ABU DHABI CONTENT Wet Beats Boat Party, Abu Dhabi Marina Moe Turk and Ed Wise handle the deep house tunes, with live percussion as well. 1-7pm, AED200 for ladies, AED350 for Gents.

SEPTEMBER 23 Dubai Music Week feat. Jason DeRulo, Trade Centre

The first of the big names for Dubai Music Week is Jason Derulo who has sold over 50 million singles, and boasts over 2 billion Youtube views, including his debut single ‘Watcha Say.’ 6.30pm-late, tickets from AED295.

THURSDAY 24 Analog Room feat. Kai Alce & Payam Parvizi

Detroit techno act Kai Alce is supported by Analog Room

Deep Like, GQ Bar

The popular deep house night returns for its weekly summer sessions with Oliver Schories headlining. 10pm-3am, AED100.

Dubai Music Week feat.

Ellie Goulding, Trade Centre

The UK pop singer behind big albums Halcyon and Lights performs live as part of the Dubai Music Week program.

7pm-late, tickets from AED295.

DJ Ravin, Karma Kafe

Global beats and house music from the Buddha Bar DJ as the Souq Al Bahar venue re-launches after a re-fit. 10pm-late.

Midge Ure, Irish Village

The Ultravox singer and copromoter of Live Aid plays live to the Irish Village faithful. 8pmlate, AED125.

Night Vibes, 360

Deep house and techier vibes from the Night Vibes crew, with ProMoe, Amy Wells and Miss PM on deck duty. 9pm-3am, free entry.

ABU DHABI CONTENT Sundown, Iris Yas Island Ibiza regular Lea Dobricic headlines this popular evening/ night time party, playing deep, tech house with a splash of techno. 9pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Shibuya feat. Ian Pooley, Square Award-winning house night Shibuya returns to action after a summer break with German Daft Punk remixer Ian Pooley as the guest DJ, with Mr Mr and Charl Chaka on support.

10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Superheroes feat. Plump DJs, Level 41 The bass crew are back in action, with break legends Plump DJs supported by Got Some and a host of local DJs. 9pm-3am, AED100.

The Rolling Stones Tribute Act, Music Room Live rock and roll including ‘Jumping Jack Flash,’ ‘Satisfaction’ and ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ from the tribute act.

8pm, AED100.

FRIDAY 25 INFUSION PICK! Analog Room Finest Friday feat. A Guy Called Gerald, Level 41 More live techno action from the Finest Friday team, with A Guy Called Gerald bringing his ‘Voodoo Ray’ tech-funk back to the city. 5pm-3am, free until 8pm, AED50 8-9, AED100 9-10pm, AED120 10-11pm, AED150 after 11.

INFUSION PICK! Audio tonic vs We Are Your Friends, 360 French house and nu-disco from the Loaded and We Are Your Friends crew as they go head to head with audio tonic on the main deck. 4pm-3am, free entry.

ABU DHABI CONTENT Caribfest, Aloft The creators of Reggae Beach Fest have moved onto the capital, with this all day/night event featuring food and drink from Jamaica, Brazil and Cuba, and several DJs, dancers and live acts. 5pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Dubai Music Week feat.

30 Seconds From Mars, Trade Centre Live rock and roll from Jared Leto and his band for the last of the big names at DMW. 7pm-late, tickets from AED295.

No.1 Fridays Comedy Jam, N’Dulge

4 comedians from the UK, America and Jamaica run through their funniest work, with No.1 Friday residents Shero and Brooklyn on deck duty after.

8pm-3am, AED100.

Martin Buttrich & Audio Fly, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

More tech-house goodness, and another strong double header as Blue Marlin get back into action.

11am-late.

House of Afrika feat.

Soulroots, Dek on 8

Dutch DJ duo Soulroots started making music 5 years ago, and have quickly become in-demand, working along side Afro-house legends and House of Afrika stars like Black Coffee, Culoe De Song and Mi Casa.

6pm-3am, free.

Modaa, Zero Gravity

The Welsh DJ and Pukka Up resident DJ brings a taste of Ibiza to Zero Gravity. 3pm-3am, free.

th, could be bo u o y e c n e c quor li W ithout a li E THE RISK! DON’T TAK

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

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

STEP 2 Attach copies of the required documents.

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

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

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LOOK AND

LISTEN

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

• Music News • Tse Fly • Soundstage • On The Record • DJ Booth • Tech talk

Look and Listen

Music News...

KANYE FOR PRESIDENT! Americans, prepare to emigrate because come 2020, Yeezy could well be your President.

He announced his candidacy in a sprawling 13 minute speech at the MTV Video Awards, saying his bid was ‘not about me, it’s about ideas, new ideas, people with ideas.’ We have an idea: leave the politics to politicians and stick with music, trainer design and being the butt of internet memes.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, THE MUSICAL What do Bowie, John Legend, Steven Tyler and The Flaming Lips all have in common? Well, they’ve all been hand-picked to write songs for the up-coming Spongebob musical, which has been billed as a ‘rousing tale of a simple sea sponge.’ Bowie has previous history with Spongebob, having appeared as a guest character in 2009, as Lord Royal Atlantis SquarePantis (seriously, true fact).

The musical, which also includes Cyndi Lauper is the latest part of the Spongebob empire, which has already spawned two hit films and 9 award-winning series.

WE AREN’T YOUR FRIENDS After all the bombast and snide comments, it’s official – We Are Your Friends, Zac Efron’s EDM dance music film has officially bombed, and had the third worst opening weekend at cinemas since records began. There is better news for musical cinephiles, however, as Straight Outta Compton, the NWA biography, is still going strong and has been getting great reviews, but we’ve yet to see a release date for Dubai on the cinema listings.

MAKE SOME NOISE!

The city might be full to bursting with underground DJs and commercial clubs, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now a dedicated noise club night in the city. Tse Tse Fly will feature sound installations, sound art and musical experiments. Intrigued, we caught up with co-promoter Simon Coates to find out moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Is there a meaning behind the name, other than the actual sound/pronunciation of the title makes for a good fit?

I had thought of calling it the Ministry of Sand but was worried we might get the wrong type of crowd. You're right, the name is onomatopoeic in that saying the words tse tse fly is a kind of phoenetic version of the buzzing sound that flies make. Also, flies and the noise they make are irritants, and sound art can invoke all manner of emotional responses including irritation.

So our night is the fly in the otherwise perfectly pleasant local club scene ointment.

You've said the night will be the anti-thesis of commercial club nights – so no tables for sale or Superman theme tunes when a bottle of pop is bought?

Does that really happen? I'm quite pleased to admit I've never been to a club where the Superman theme's played to celebrate someone opening a bottle. No, there will be not tables for sale. In fact the night is free entry and open to all. I'm fairly certain that any city gets the culture it deserves although I know from my own experience that there are people here who aren't really catered for when it comes to going out. with those people in mind.

Where have you drawn inspiration from, what other nights/events do what you're doing?

There are a few dotted across the globe although the idea of having a club night dedicated solely to sound art is still a relatively new idea. The Zero Wave Club and Sonic Imperfections in London are both very interesting nights that spring to mind. I took inspiration from something I took part in as an artist a couple of years ago. A guy in Seoul put together a night where he DJ’d with sound art rather than music. He used one of my pieces and I loved the idea of a bunch of people sitting and listening to this kind of art in a night club environment.

Sound is often take to the limit by bands like My Bloody Valentine and Swans who give out ear plugs to fans before gigs – will you be testing out the Casa Latina speakers that way?

It had crossed my mind that we should get some ear plugs to give out, to be honest.

Whenever we're talking to people about the night we're warning them that it might be loud. We've yet to test the capacity of the Casa Latina speakers but we'll definitely do that beforehand.

Realistically, what can people expect from the night – are people meant to dance, and will the night evolve musically/stylistically?

I think we expect a certain level of indulgence from the people that come along. I don't want to draw too many comparisons between Tse Tse Fly and an art exhibition in a gallery but there are parallels. For example, there are those that visit exhibitions with an open mind and I guess we'd hope that people do the same with what we're doing.

Sound art can be difficult in the same way that conceptual art can be seen as difficult. So, along with the noise warning, we're also emphasising that these events are not typical club nights. Some of the stuff we'll be playing will be rhythmic and some will be wilfully arrhythmic so opportunities for dancing might be patchy.

Who are the Djs and acts on board (A Taxi for My Uncle and Jonny Farrow)?

Jonny Farrow is an American multi-media artist that lives in Abu Dhabi and works at the New York University there. We met just over a year ago and share a passion for sound and radio: we especially like to chat about feedback. He actually has a monthly radio program called Distract and Disable that he's run for a few years now via the WGXC network in New York. I really don't know what he'll be

doing on the night. I asked him if he'd like to do something with sound and video for an hour and he said yes straight away.

A Taxi For My Uncle is my own project wherein I look at framing sound and noise within a sound system framework. So I use all the generic Jamaican sound system meters - spinbacks, sirens, samples and so on - but apply them to all kinds of noise. For the Tse Tse Fly night I'll be playing an hour of full-on dub as A Taxi For My Uncle, mostly because, of all experiments in sound of the past fifty years, I believe the invention of Jamaican dub has been one of the most influential. I should add that the night is just three hours long: Jonny and I play an hour each and the first hour is a curated mix of sound art.

How multi-media will you be getting on the night, what will be used to make/ play sound?

Originally I just thought we'd play sound art pieces one after the other over the venue PA. This sounded a bit testing on reflection, so all the work played will have accompanying video.

So all the stuff in the first hour will be audio plus video. Jonny's stuff will be A/V too and there will be accompanying images for the dub set.

Simon, you're now the head honcho at Hungry Castle, a bonkers but very fun company – what's coming up in the pipeline?

Yeah, my job is to run the Middle East office for Hungry Castle.

Hungry Castle make large-scale, interactive public artworks that pop up at cultural events and music festivals worldwide. As well as the Middle East we're looking to bring the Hungry Castle artwork to India, East Africa and South East Asia, with Dubai as a base. We opened the Dubai office at the end of May so I've been putting out feelers and looking into opportunities. The Main Hungry Castle studio is in Barcelona and that's where Killian and Dave (the founders) make artwork like 'Lionel Richie's Head' and 'Laser Cat'. 'Lionel Richie's Head' is a giant hollow sculpture of Lionel's head that people can go inside. 'Laser Cat' is a huge model of a cat's head that projects artwork via the lasers in his eyes. What's not to like? The latest Hungry Castle artwork is called 'Nicolas Cage In A Cage'.

Tse Tse Fly, Friday September 18, Casa Latina, 7-10pm Free entry all night.

Soundstage

COAT OF ARMS The Qatar/UAE industrial/groove metal band take on our Soundstage questions issue. Their third album, A Shade Of Red, is out now.

Our first musical influence was… Looking back it has to be the music we listened to as teenagers when we started taking up instruments. Bands like KoЯn, Deftones and Linkin Park. That whole Nu-metal phase was the generation we were musically raised up with.

Our new album is… “A Shade of Red”. It’s our third full length and without doubt the best album we’ve ever made. The colour red can depict so many meanings depending on the shade (love, hate, anger, royalty, pride, etc). The album talks about sociological issues and asks questions about the way we are dealing with them. The lyrical content is very much inspired by regular life in Dubai; whether it’s about technology addiction, digital conditioning, slave labour, slaveocracy, or the education system. Each song represents a different shade, or different question we are raising.

The last pop star we liked was… It’s probably Adele. Her “19” album was incredibly unique but when she released “21” she literally brought the 60s back into fashion. Her voice is incredible too, which obviously helps. Ed Sheeran comes a very close second.

Our sound is best described as… Groove driven metal with particular emphasis on melody and clean vocals.

Best piece of advice you’ve received? “An entire sea of water cannot sink a ship, unless the water is allowed inside”.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure? Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR. But saying guilty about it implies that I’m embarrassed about it. I’m not.

Lamest claim to fame? Boasting and saying that you’re famous at any point in time is pretty sad. That’s about as lame as it gets.

When we make it, the one thing we want on our rider is…

Free WiFi at all times.

Our musical motto is… Never forget why.... #neverforgetwhy.

Best gig you’ve played? Either the YAS Arena in Abu Dhabi or when we played the Music Room last year. There were so many people stage diving it was unreal.

Best lyrics of all time? Of all time is impossible to choose. Lyrical content is very much related to the period in time it was written in. But I’d say our current favourite lyric would be “The higher I get, the lower I sink, I can’t drown my demons, they know how to swim” from the song ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ by Bring Me The Horizon.

Facebook: facebook.com/coatofarmsband Bandcamp: coatofarms.bandcamp.com Youtube: youtube.com/coatofarmsband

ON THE RECORD

VL Records Next up in our Middle East record label series is Beirutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VL Records, who have been putting out quality music for nearly a decade now

NEED TO KNOW

RUNNING SINCE: 2006.

NUMBER OF RELEASES: 145.

GENRES COVERED: Deep House, Nu Disco, Tech House, Breaks, Techno.

MAIN ARTISTS: Moe Turk, Fady Aswad, Trash Inc., Esc., Cheh, Ceasar K. WEBSITE: www.vlrecords.com

The best thing about running your own label is… Discovering how much unknown good music there is out there and playing a role in exposing it to the world.

The worst thing is… Having to do all the tough promotional work in an increasingly savage and competitive market.

Our biggest seller is… Currently Moe Turk’s nu disco release ‘Together.’

We’ve had support from… Several well established DJs throughout the years, namely DJ Icey, M.A.N.D.Y, Danny Tenaglia, Dubfire, 16 Bit Lolitas and many others.

What does your label sound like? We like to think of VL Records as an open minded record label with no strict genre restrictions.

Founded in the small town that is Beirut, VL’s aim was to discover and promote as much local and regional talent as possible which automatically means that you should broaden your spectrum and keep your eyes open for different genres of quality music.

Although the label currently releases a lot of Deep house and Nu Disco, we’ve also released a lot of Breaks, Techno and Tech House...

The best online portal for us in general is… Beatport because it still has the biggest reach among DJs but depending on the genre released, we are also big fans of Juno Download which most of the time attracts a more eclectic clientele.

How do you make yourself stand out? By always trying to bring in new interesting sounds and not being stuck in one repetitive loop...

You should keep an eye out for… The Beirut based producer Trash Inc. who has been releasing a signature sound of deep house which heavily relies on filtered vocal samples and deep basslines.

How does a smash hit happen? When talking about independent music and labels, ‘a smash hit’ is most of the time the result of a well known artist supporting the track or getting the attention of a major label. It’s never enough to produce a great track, you have to be able to push it to a maximum amount of people in a very short period of time.

How involved are you with UAE/Middle East producers, how can people get in touch with you? We are always looking to promote, first and foremost, artists from the middle east and mainly Lebanon and the UAE. People can easily get in touch with us through social media or email. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve become known for always guiding and helping upcoming producers and DJs and providing a platform that allows them to make their first steps in the ever-growing electronic music industry.

How hard is it to make money as a record label? With a lot of hard work and dedication it is possible for small independent labels to make enough money from music sales to finance their activities and sustain a steady growth. But, it would be wrong to pretend that a label can still rely on sales and only sales-labels have become more of a distribution network for artists, a way of getting their music heard and then make money from gigs...

And whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for your label? Next, we are planning to accompany our music with more music videos and going into physicial distribution which will include CD compilations and Vinyl Albums and singles.

DJ BOOTH: PAUL MENDEZ

The Cargo and Zinc resident DJ talks us through his long clubbing history...

One thing you might not know about me is...

I attended the world famous ‘Pineapple Dance studios’ in London and trained for many years to be a professional dancer.

My worst ever job was… Picking mushrooms in a field when I was 16, I left after 2 hours.

My favorite ever record is... Age of Love, ‘Age of Love.’

DJing is much like... Never growing old, it keeps you young at heart.

Dubai’s clubbing scene is... Very different from the first time I played here around 10 years ago

at a small club called Chaos.

Now in my opinion there are far too many nights all trying to do the same thing and not enough real clubbing types to fill all the venues.

Plus there are a lot of DJs in Dubai with world class resumes who do not get the opportunities they deserve or are performing gigs they really should not be.

I’m really proud of...

Working as a DJ and producer every day for 20 plus years and having been able to travel and see the world through my passion which is a dream I turned into reality.

Also the first gold disc I received from ID&T records was a special moment and gave me that sense of belief that I did have the talent to continue and I was going in the right direction.

What track could you drop in every set? Robin S ‘Show Me Love’ as it doesn’t matter which type of crowd you play to everyone knows this seminal classic.

My biggest DJ achievement to date is...

Far too many to mention but a few that stand out are getting my 1st USA super club residencies in Las Vegas and Los Angeles in 2001, having a weekly radio show on

Capital FM for 5 years, being voted top 100 DJ in the world 5 years in a row on DJ List (when it was relevant), having #1 selling tracks on vinyl and downloads and playing in 60+ countries worldwide for many of the worlds biggest clubs and brands.

What is your guiltiest pleasure? Trainers, I’ve got an Adidas addiction but Nike and Puma have started to make their way back into my collection.

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... The 90s, the rave era was when I started and the unity for partying was the best I’ve ever seen.

If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Roger Sanchez , I used to play 5 decks (3 turntables and 2CDs) in my resident club in Scotland and used to show off as no other DJ would attempt it until 1 night Roger was playing after me and he not only did it but turned around to speak to me at same time.

So I think it would be a great experience to go back to back with him.

I’m not a politician but… I would sack all the politicians. soundcloud.com/paul-mendez

TECH TALK

MOMENTUM 2.0 These foldable headphones are Sennheiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest edition to their Momentum range, a lovely looking on ear closed headset that folds neatly into a portable pouch

Coming in a range of colour options (silver, ivory, black and brown) the headphones sound and feel great: I’ve not actually worn a more comfortable set of phones. The only gripe I had with these was at low volume levels, the headphones just didn’t cut it – the bass dropped out almost entirely. Crank the sound up though and you have a very clear, richly detailed and powerful bass-friendly sound.

With so much choice at the moment, they do feel like they are sitting in a no-mans-land of headphones. They might be foldable, but the parts are relatively fragile and don’t feel robust enough to chuck in a bag and use on a day-to-day commute. But for using at work, or at home they’re a strong contender, as long as you’re willing to part with AED1499.

LOOKING

CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

• Weird News • The Spin • Eat sleep rave repeat • Just For Kicks • Cool Test • Movie Preview • Angry Monkey

Looking Closer

Weird News

HAMAS CLAIMS CAPTURED DOLPHIN IS ISRAELI SPY No, seriously, that’s actually a true story.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MORRIS DANCERS AND BLIND FOOTBALLERS FIGHT? Nope, that’s not the start of a bad joke, but what happened in the UK recently when a group of blind footballers, who were using a ball with a bell in it to locate it, started playing next to a group of morris dancers. One errant footballer kicked a morris dancer’s bell by mistake thinking it was the ball, leading to a group brawl. Three morris men suffered severely bruised legs, while one of the footballers had a cut caused by being hit on the head with a morris dancer’s stick.

Police were called, but after explaining the situation, both groups retired to the nearby pub and made friends.

CASH, NO QUESTIONS A California man has won $1m on a scratch-off ticket bought with a $20 bill he found on the street. The lucky man, unluckily called Hubert Tang, stumbled across the cash while outside San Francisco Airport, and used the money to buy two scratch-off tickets, one of which netted him a cool million dollars. It was the first time he’d bought a lottery ticket in a decade, he said: “This is really just lucky chance. Maybe I’ll start leaving $20 bills on the street in random places.”

THE SPIN SEPTEMBER 2015

PAGE 217

ISSUE 26

DUBAI’S CLUBBING STOCK PRICE ROCKETS AS OIL PRICES CONTINUE TO FALL

Stock market analysts are predicting a boom and bust situation for the city’s rampant club scene. City traders are advising clients to ‘buy buy buy!’ in the coming season after promoters promised it would be ‘their biggest yet.’

Ironically, while oil prices continue to stagnate, the prices of liquid gold – or alcohol to the regular investor – have continued to rise, with the price of a pint, the industry staple, now more expensive than Plutonium, another regional benchmark.

Inside traders are remarking that the current boom, which sees every DJ in Berlin de-camp to the city every weekend, can’t sustain itself, and that it will implode at some point in the future. We’re currently investing in tech house and shots of Patron, two sure-fire winners in the coming months, but on the advice of our brokers have taken our money out of deep house which has reached its commercial peak.

Dance music now world’s 2nd most understood language

*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.

SEPTEMBER 24

Eat Sleep Rave Repeat

CR AB TAVERN

ed Media One Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly open t Crab Tavern gets put to the tes g this issue by our crab-crackin resident foodie Stephen Day

If you've ever watched 'The Deadliest Catch' on the telly you will understand how much effort goes into bringing some produce onto our plates and some of these deserve the respect of a restaurant devoted to them.

The Crab Tavern is tucked away on the 9th floor of The Media One hotel (turn left out of the lift) and we found it surprisingly busy and full of life for a Monday evening in late July.

The front of house is nicely spaced out with a large bar area filled with tables and long tall sharing benches whilst the back is normal tables and booths.

The music is pumping a little too much for my liking in a restaurant but the whole thing creates a nice friendly atmosphere. The menu is split into standard courses with a mixture of seafood and meat dishes plus a whole section devoted to, unsurprisingly, crab. We felt it rude not to jump in with both feet and ordered the seafood sharing platter to begin.

The starter arrived on two large plates, one containing hot dishes and the other cold, some potted crab, large

prawns, crab eclairs, cold crab legs and a soft shell crab. Whilst everything was perfectly nice, there were a few too many ideas on the plate – sometimes less is more. We would have been more than happy with just a plate of the soft shell if truth be known as it stood out by a mile.

Hot crab donuts and crab legs for mains were an interesting choice. Taking something so amazing to start with like a crab and putting it on a savoury donut is very novel, but just missed the spot as it was a little lost amongst the donut seasoning.

The crab legs however were totally on it: with produce this good nothing fancy required. We had just returned from a trip to Seattle and ate crab fresh on the dock and I would put these up there with them: meaty, sweet, flakey and packed with a delicate taste of the sea. We ate every last piece and would have happily ordered more but desert was calling.

Our brownie arrived and was hot and gooey as you would want but my apple pie

was something else: buttery pastry, crumbly topping and a delicate cinnamon pitch from someone who really understands balance. It was one of the nicest pies I've had for a long time: order it with the bourbon ice cream rather than the vanilla.

Opening a restaurant to focus on one type of product is a gamble but if you get the balance and ambience right then people will come and judging by the full tables, Crab Tavern has got off to a great start. Some of the dishes need a little tweak to really elevate them but I would return for a pint and the crab legs alone.

The Crab Tavern, Level 9, Media One Hotel crabtavern.ae

JUST FOR

NIKE FREE SOCFLY Nike have brought out the perfect summer shoe (and all year round Dubai classic) in the form of this super lightweight, seamless mesh sneaker.

The innovative slip on comes with a sock upper and Velcro strap fastener, making it ultra slim and comfortable. The range was developed following an 8 year study into the benefits of shoeless running, resulting in this flexible running shoe that focuses on the footâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural landing angle, pressure and toe position.

The range is available in several colour schemes including the super clean black and white versions, but the sunset black and pink get the nod from us.

Dhs545 from Nike stores in Dubai

Cool Test BILL PATRICK VS LIVIO & ROBY

This week’s Plus Minus guests Bill Patrick and Livio & Roby go head to head before their September 18 date at Level 41. Let’s hope that Bill Patrick recovers from his Maceo Plex tourettes before he arrives…

Who’s the coolest person in your phone book?

BILL PATRICK: Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: Santa Claus: 101 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole, AK 99705

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

BILL PATRICK: 47 minutes.

LIVIO & ROBY: Always on 1’st of May during Sunwaves - the average is 3 days “without afterhours!”

Describe your best bass face…

BILL PATRICK: I don’t know what bass face is, but it sounds like something you would make while listening to Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: Please ask my wife!

Coolest word in the world?

BILL PATRICK: Maetrik.

LIVIO & ROBY: Buchla [a vintage make of synthesizers].

Coolest DJ in the world?

BILL PATRICK: Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: Kickardo Kickalobos.

Coolest track ever made?

BILL PATRICK: “Conjured Dreams”

by Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: Any Radiohead track.

Your best dance move is…

BILL PATRICK: Whatever comes out when listening to Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: “The Wrist dance” at the bar!

What’s your best claim to fame?

BILL PATRICK: Meeting Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: Dj Booth and analog gear.

It’s not big and clever but…

BILL PATRICK: Neither is this interview.

LIVIO & ROBY: Sometimes we post stupid selfies.

What’s your answer to everything?

BILL PATRICK: Maceo Plex.

LIVIO & ROBY: In order to answer this question, I need more years to spend on this planet.

THE VERDICT: Bill Patrick’s Maceo Plex gag wore thin after the first attempt, so we’re going with Maceo Plex, damnit he’s got us doing it now, Livio & Roby Plus Minus feat. Bill Patrick and Livio & Roby, Friday September 18, Level 41, Media One Hotel, 5pm-3am, free 5pm till 9pm, AED100 9-10pm, AED120 10-11pm and AED150 11pm and after

MOVIE AMERICAN ULTRA A twist on the time-old stoner story as Jesse Eisenberg is a government agent that’s been marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he’s too well-trained and too high for them to handle. We’re surprised this has got an official release in Dubai, be prepared for savage cuts.

Classification: 15 Director: Nima Nourizadeh Starring: Jessy Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Connie Briton

ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING This Simon Pegg vehicle features a group of eccentric aliens who give Pegg the power to do absolutely anything, with mildly amusing results. Not his strongest work.

Classification: 12A Director: Terry Jones Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale

PREVIEWS SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE A good-natured womanizer (Sudeikis) and a serial cheater (Brie) form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways, while a mutual attraction sets in.

Classification: 15 Director: Leslye Headland Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie

PAWN SACRIFICE

Tobey Maguire stars as the American chess champion Bobby Fischer as he prepares for a legendary match-up against Russian Boris Spassky during the height of the Cold War. Classification: PG 13 Director: Edward Zwick Starring: Liev Schreiber, Lily Rabe and Tobey Maguire

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

We Are Not Your Friends Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles will be turning in their graves.

One daily newspaper in Dubai decided to take some DJ lessons and write about the creative process. Apparently, all you need to do is match the ‘BPM counter on the decks’ by speeding them up or down and then when the numbers match ‘fade into the new song, to fill the gaps or lulls in songs.’ If that sounds like the plot to Hollywood dance film We Are Your Friends, that’s because they both echo the same empty soundbite approach to DJing, as Zac Efron (shirt on, thankfully at this point) repudiates that to make it, ‘All you need is a laptop, some talent, and one track.”

Surely Tiesto has our backs, a man who knows what it is to create and construct dance music, who’s DJ’d at the Olympics? Nope.

That sniveling, awkward-smiling excuse for a past-it trance DJ has jumped on the bottom-feeding bandwagon, and is part of the YourShot TV show in America. Their retarded EDM genius lies in not un-earthing the best DJ out there, but finding the best talentless vacuum that they can then train into their DJ monkey, complete with contestants who ‘live for music’ and ‘would do anything to get into the DJ game’ apart from already learning to DJ, it appears.

I’m all for music and DJing hitting the mainstream (and a big payday), but seriously – do some homework and stop reducing the club scene to the lowest common denominator and making us look like button-pressing monkeys,that job is taken already thankyouverymuch.

Monkey Out...

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

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