Infusion # 259: Nov 22-Dec 6 2015

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TALAL BUDEBS Publisher

We’re looking forward to the launch of Puro Beach Club in Jebel Ali at the start of December. The beach club battle escalates!

CHARL CHAKA

Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae

ANDY BUCHAN

Editor andy@infusion.ae

VIP PATEL

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

CHRIS RAYNER

Online Guru chris@infusion.ae

GUSTAVO CORDEIRO Design design@infusion.ae

CONTRIBUTORS:

Paula Mangueira, Vip Patel

INFUSION IS PUBLISHED BY

Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098

OUR PARTNERS

Happy 100th birthday to DXB trance podcast From Dubai With Love which celebrates with a special episode featuring exclusive mixes from Ferry Corsten and more. facebook. com/FDWLpodcast Sole DXB was another cultural high in the UAE, with brands, fans and bands all coming together for one sundrenched weekend.

GUEST LIST BLACK LIST Calling a night Back2Basics in Dubai is – hopefully – an oversight considering that Back2Basics in the UK is one of the longest running club nights in the world, and nothing to do with each other.

Our post-F1 hangovers. Jamie Jones, Blur, Florence, Solomun, Sven Väth, Tale Of Us, Digweed and so many more. Pass the Berocca please!

Our much-loved designer Gus is leaving, having helped make us a better looking publication. We won’t be sad to see his ninja table football skills go though, it’s not just full size football Brazilians are ace at.

SAY WHAT? OLD JOKES HOME: A sheep, a drum and a snake fall off a cliff.

Baa-dum-Tsss.

CAUGHT RED-HANDED One enterprising smuggler tried to get 48,000 cans of beer into Saudi Arabia disguised as Pepsi. If they’d made it and sold each can at a conservative AED50, that’s a cool AED2.5 million deal that’s gone south…

WE LOVE Superheroes

Bass face: one of our favourite dance music expressions, and something you’ll see in force at Superheroes as the rib-tickling sub bass ripples through the crowd, faces contorted cartoon style.

A mainstay at the Media One Hotel, the bass/house/garage night has become a bastion for bass heads, for people looking for something more than a kick and hi hat or a filtered disco loop. And with a forward thinking line up that blends new comers like Billy Kenny and Taiki Nu-Light alongside shows from bass veterans like Plump DJs and Jack Beats, they’ve balanced their booking policy nicely. Plus, their artwork is just that – art work: bonkers, thought-provoking and cool as f***.

They’ve helped put the fun back into Dubai’s clubbing scene, with breakdancing, shot-drinking and dressing up encouraged, while they’ve also booked a big number of local UAE DJs helping the night become part of the dance music community. So happy 2nd birthday Superheroes, we’ll be the ones there on the November 26 pretending we have superhuman drinking powers.

Superheroes 2nd birthday, Thursday November 26, Dek on 8.

6pm-3am, free entry.

www.analogroom.com THE Q, HOLIDAY INN DUBAI-AL BARSHA

Ladies free till midnight - 35% off for cabin crew at the door

LOOKING

BACK

Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.

• WHAT WE DID • PHOTO GALLERY

Looking Back

What we did

Photo: Sam Dee

SENSATION @ MEYDAN They’d promised bigger and better, and Sensation delivered this year as we rolled into the newly erected 15,000 capacity arena and were immediately greeted by an expansive sea of white. Back for its second year in Dubai, the world’s largest EDM experience had an aquatic Ocean of White theme including extravagant fireworks, pyrotechnics, smoke cannons, fountains, lasers, dancers, acrobats, giant jelly fish (yes, you read that correctly), stunning visual displays and much more. The entertainment was intertwined with the music from Yves V, Martin Solveig, Sander van Doorn, East & Young and Sensation resident Mr White giving you sensual overload. The music and production was on point from start to finish, with Solveig and Co. creating mighty build ups that dropped to a rapturous crowd of white reacting to the beat. Impressively, given the size and scale of the event, everything flowed seamlessly throughout the night, from entry to exit, drinks to toilet breaks. All the minor misgivings of the previous year had been ironed out to create an experience to remember. And with ID&T’s regional partner, Envie events, bringing Martin Garrix to the same venue for New Year’s, we are looking forward to bringing in 2016!

Looking Back

CANDYPANTS BRUNCH @ XL BEACH CLUB With the party season well under way we headed to the Habtoor Grand to check out their Friday afternoon offering Candypants.

The UK & Marbella based brand has been making waves in Dubai for a while, and is renowned for its fun and quirky party vibes. And their latest party was packed, as a queue of high heels and tanned legs flowed around the corner of the entrance to XL. The buffet was sparser than most including a small but decent selection of international plates, but the lack of variety was certainly made up for by the attentiveness of our waiter Mo who made sure none of our party were left without a cocktail or beverage at any time (the key to any decent party brunch). Combine that with a mix of commercial bass house, party anthems and some stunning Candygirls shaking their money makers and you’ve got yourselves a good time. The brunch was reminiscent of Yalumba in its heyday with patrons dancing at – and sometimes on – their tables and singing along to tunes as the afternoon progressed. After 4pm, the party carried on next door as the 350 plus crowd partied as long as their well lubricated bodies could handle. Starting from only AED 295 a pop this is one party certainly won’t leave you potless.

dysfunktion presents

ADAM RAHMAN JU LOVETT

TOBIE ALLEN SL4

LAUNCH PARTY FRI 27 NOV

10PM-3AM ENTRY: FREE GUEST LIST B4 12AM / AED 100 AFTER RESERVATIONS +971 50 152 9241

BOOKA SHADE @ XL

Photos: Alexa L.Weber

CIELO

HOUSE OF AFRIKA FEAT. BORN TO FUNK

@ DEK ON 8

LOADED 90S NIGHT @ CASA LATINA

PEOPLE BY CRYSTAL

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY X ANALOG ROOM 3RD BIRTHDAY FEAT. JUAN ATKINS

REGGAE BEACH FESTIVAL FEAT. WAYNE WONDER @ XL

MAD LAUNCH PARTY @ YAS ISLAND

NO.1 EVENTS FEAT. TIM WESTWOOD @ N’DULGE

LAIDBACK LUKE @ CAVALLI

LOOKING

FORWARD

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

• LOCAL NEWS •SUPER STAR DJ • RINGMASTER YOUSEF • WE ARE 11 •SAFE HARBOUR • START YOUR ENGINES

Looking Forward

Local News MADNESS IN ABU DHABI

There’s a new club in the UAE, as MAD has launched on Yas Island.

Formerly O1NE, the new club is run by the same team behind White Dubai and Iris, and will be bringing White’s award-winning night URBN to host Fridays, with Dany Neville, Neil T, DJAD, DVN and Anthony Bassoulou on board across the Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights. The venue is going big for the F1 weekend, with Tinie Tempah headlining on Saturday November 28 and electro duo W&W playing the following night. The 1565sq metre club is the biggest indoor venue in the country, and boasts a massive DJ booth with lighting and video displays, a multi-level main room, four crowd-scanning lasers and 360 degree projection mapping.

KINKY MALINKI RUGBY 7S SPECIAL

WEDNESDAY 2ND DECEMBER MARTIN OFFIAH

LEON KNIGHT | JON BESANT | CHRIS WRIGHT 5PM – 3AM | FREE ENTRY ALL LADIES ON THE GUEST LIST RECEIVE TWO FREE DRINKS VOUCHERS BEFORE MIDNIGHT (CAN BE USED TILL 3AM)

JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL, DUBAI

WWW.KINKYMALINKI.COM

HAPPY HOUR FROM 5-10PM (HALF PRICE ON SELECTED DRINKS)

Looking Forward ASTRONAUTALIS HAS LIFT OFF

We have a pair of tickets to give away..

Head to infusion.ae

Alternative punk/indie night Bad House Party close out their strong year with US indie/hip hop live act Astronautalis headlining at Casa Latina on Thursday December 3. Compared to a more hip hop heavy Beck, he’s been touring for 10 years and started working with Justin Vernon AKA Bon Iver on their Jason Feathers project pushing him further into the mainstream. Support comes from local electro act Within You Without You, and the usual Bad House Party mixed bag of tunes. Tickets are AED100, and doors open at 9pm.

Looking Forward YEARS & YEARS IN DUBAI Nasimi’s strong season continues as they’ve booked hot UK pop property Years & Years for their debut Dubai show on Friday December 18. The electronic trio have been one of the biggest acts in recent years, having scored Number 1 singles and albums and blend electronica, RnB and early house influences. Support comes from Rudimental, Goldfish and Roger Sanchez!

BEST INTENTIONS

Journey Thru House returns to Zero Gravity on Friday November 27 with Full Intention and Jo Mills (DC 10) on headline duties, plus a live PA from Lisa Millett of ‘Bad Habit’ and ‘Sleep Talk’ fame. The night celebrates club classics from the last few decades of dance music, with free entry for all from 3pm. Support comes from Jon Besant, Mark Pickup, Dan Chadwick and Andrew Hartley.

NEW YEARS EVE 2016

Looking Forward GARAGE NATION RETURNS

Popular UK Garage brand Garage Nation returns to Dubai on Friday December 4 with an action packed line up that includes Pied Piper and MC Creed, So Solid Crew’s Romeo and Lisa Maffia (pictured) and Masterstepz. Running from 9pm-3am at Level 41 on Friday December 4, Media One Hotel, the night will also include a Funktion 1 sound system and a lighting and lazer show. Advance tickets are on sale now from Platinumlist.net.

Looking Forward WINTER IS COMING TO EDEN

It’s been a big month or so since Eden Beach Club re-launched, and their December line up is looking rather special. They turn one on Friday December 4 and have Guti playing a live set, alongside recent audio tonic remixer H.O.S.H. and Steve Rachmad – oh, and they’re bringing in a real snow machine to go all out for their 1st birthday party. The fun doesn’t stop there as they’ve booked Ibiza hot-shots The Martinez Brothers the following week, a deep tech house duo known for their ultra-slick tag team DJ energy.

Looking Forward DYSFUNKTIONAL TECHNO

There’s a new techno only night in town helmed by Ma’ana label boss Tobie Allen that will celebrate the beautifully bizarre, weird and wonderful world of techno at Square on Friday November 27. The launch of Dysfunktion features Tobie alongside guest DJs Ju Lovett, Warped’s Adam and SL4, with dark twisted techno the order of the day. Guestlist is free before midnight, AED100 after.

GRANDE DESIGNS Flash end their season on a pop high as they’ve booked US sensation Ariana Grande on Thursday December 3 at the du Arena, Yas Island. Fresh from a 75 city tour, and having just claimed a Number 1 album, she was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014 while her track ‘Problem’ was Number 1 in 85 countries. Tickets start from AED250, ticketmaster.ae

Looking Forward AXWELL AND DIXON PLAY PROVOCATEUR

Four Seasons club Provocateur are ending the year with a bang having booked Axwell and Dixon to close out their festive month. Ex Swedish House Mafia DJ Axwell is first up on Thursday November 26 as he brings his EDM and house tunes to the club from 11pm. The club then host German Innervisions head honcho Dixon on Friday December 18 as they celebrate their first year in the business – expect deep basslines, tech-house beats and a night to remember from the Resident Advisor No.1 DJ.

Cover Feature

SUPER

STAR DJ

The DJ who’s done it all: No.1 albums, a pop career, being the World Cup’s Official DJ, playing on the Great Wall of China and DJing to half a million people in Rio, he’s been to rehab, created modern day anthem ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat… the Fatboy Slim story just keeps on going. Ahead of his debut at Pacha Ibiza Dubai on Friday December 18, we chart his career in quotes On his round the world tour “I was fine, let’s be honest, my body’s used to far worse abuse than that.”

On DJing “I’m just really enjoying doing the gigs, as a career. This is my job, I love doing it, I still seem to be getting away with it.”

On being a VJ and a DJ “I’m technically a video jockey now. We write scripts for all the tunes, make films. In the past, I used to have to literally hold up the next record I was going to play to the guy who does my visuals, and he’d have to find the images to match it. And they were never synched. But now, because of the technology, no

matter what speed I play at, even if I just chop quickly into it, the visuals are all synchronized. It’s a show.”

On getting old “It doesn’t matter that you’re old and bald and grey and fat, because you were never a sex symbol in the first place. We’re pushing new limits. No one knows what the cut-off age limit of a DJ is. And apparently, it’s not yet. I take great delight in that.”

On playing the Great Wall of China “Everyone said it was like playing at an M25 rave. It was in the middle of nowhere, two hours outside of Beijing, right by the Mongolian border, in

Cover Feature the car park of the tourist center. There’s nobody there at night. We’d had our gear impounded at customs, we were fully prepared for the idea that it might not happen. And 5000 people turned up.

Projecting lasers onto the Great Wall Of China! I don’t know how we got away with it.”

On being a good DJ “A good DJ is always looking at the crowd, seeing what they’re like, whether what you’re doing is working, communicating with them.

Smiling at them. A bad DJ is always looking down at what they’re doing all the time.”

On being popular in Brazil “I am more popular there than I am in England.

It’s an ongoing mutual love affair. I was gobsmacked. I went right to the other side if the world where I didn’t speak the language, and I played my tunes and they went, ‘We like this. We get this.

We like you’.”

On being sober “I quit drinking four years ago, and that makes the whole DJ thing so much more manageable, and my life. Whereas before, I was always just kind of dragging myself up from some hotel room floor, now I fly around the globe and give good parties, and I’m not focused on scraping up bits of myself off the floor.”

Fatboy Slim plays Pacha Ibiza Dubai, Friday December 18, 8pm-3am, early bird tickets AED200.

04 567 0000, reservations@pacha.ae

RINGMASTER

YOUSEF Circus main man and long-standing house and techno DJ Yousef returns for Shibuya on November 26. He tells us why his last gig in Dubai was the best yet and how ‘lame’ EDM has had a positive impact on the scene A lot of DJs don't like to play the city as they view it as too overground, but you've never had a problem with the house scene here…

To be honest, until my last gig in Dubai I’ve never really treated the city as a serious place to play serious new underground house and techno, that certainly changed last January. I loved the gig, it was sold out way in advance and was rocking way past closing time too, my best ever Dubai club experience for sure.

And how selective can you be with your gigs after a very successful career?

It’s important to find the balance of the right gigs and knowing when new promoters are doing it for the right reasons. I won’t just play anywhere - far from it - but sometimes trying new places, venues and promoters out helps things move forward.

As the driving force behind Circus, what gives you more satisfaction – DJing or promotion (we're guessing promotion gives you more grey hairs!)

Circus, although 13 years old and really important to me and well known for being successful, is still just a hobby, it’s extra to my life along with the Circus Recordings label. DJing is what I want to really do and what I love the most, and I’m best at too!

What have been the best and worst changes to DJing since you began?

The fact that dance music and DJing evolves is vital, you get nowhere standing still. I’m house and techno, always have been, but even the dreaded and impossibly ugly and lame EDM music genre has had some positive affects on the electronic music scene. So no bad things, only development.

How hard is it to stay on top of the changes when dance music moves so fast?

That’s the trick… knowing you can’t always be on top is one way to stay sane in the entertainment industry. I like to think that I’ve had a full career now, and although I feel like it’s blossoming now more than ever, I’m also cool for it to end if it happens to as I’ve lived it. The key is to be happy in what you play, what you do and recognize the privilege of what touring the world as a DJ actually is.

And what's coming up for you in the next 6 months?

Endless touring around Europe,

New Years Eve and New Years Day in Sydney, new music coming on Circus Recordings.

My new EP is out soon “Are You Ready” which is killer 3 track EP coming on circus recordings, and our next Circus party features Luciano, Adam Beyer, Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Sasha and lots more across 3 stages and two days.

Shibuya feat. Yousef, Square, Thursday November 26 10pm-3am, AED100, ladies free before midnight.

WE ARE 11 Infusion We Are 11 feat. Osunlade, Dek on 8, Media One Hotel, Friday December 4, 6pm-3am, free entry all night

Infusion Magazine turns 11 – eleven! – with one of our favourite DJs, American soulful house DJ Osunlade turning up the heat at the Dek on 8 on Friday December 4. A funk/soul brother with raw house energy running through his veins, he’s smashed it every time he’s played for us, bringing an exotic Afro-souldeep house sound with him. Ahead of his return to play our 11th birthday (we’ll have Café Patron shots, since you’re asking), we take a closer look at his history OSUNLADE NEED TO KNOW • Amazingly – and somewhat amusingly for such a big name DJ – Osunlade started his career working on Sesame Street.

• He’s a devout Burner – he even took his Mum to Burning Man recently and hosts his own arena every year.

• Born in America, he now lives on the stunning Greek island Santorini, where he pretty much ‘lives like a hermit.’ Will he come back to America? ‘Never?’ And why would you, have you seen the place?!

• He’s the main man behind Yoruba Records, the go-to home for spiritual, soulful house and has personally worked on more than 20 albums.

• He’s a super spiritual and soulful man, and found a shared way of living with the Yoruba tribes of Africa, who practiced an ancestral based culture/religion based on nature.

• You’ll know his biggest track, the club-land conquering ‘Envision’ in 2012 on Dixon and Ame’s Innervisions label.

ZEPHYR 2020

Drinks for 20 AED from 12pm – 7pm Address: Grand Excelsior Hotel (Ex Dhow Palace Hotel), Mankhool Street, Bur Dubai 043599992

Safe harbour

Matthias Tanzmann brings his Moon Harbour 15 year to Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE on Friday December 4. We talk to the label boss about bankruptcy, sunshine and social media

Matthias Tanzmann 15 Years of Moon Harbour Tour Friday December 4, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

Welcome back to the region – you've played here a lot over the years, what have been the stand out gigs?

I have always enjoyed coming over to play. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have always been great hosts. One night that stands out was when we celebrated Davide Squillace's birthday at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE two years ago.

That was a memorable party!

And how much do you look forward to UAE gigs compared to Europe? How much do the sunshine and hotels factor in that?

Sunshine and the beach are a very welcome break to the European winter. Especially when coming from cold Germany.

And I have friends from Ibiza working in Dubai now, so it is a nice opportunity to catch up and bring back Ibiza memories.

15 years is an impressive length of time to run a label – what kept you going through the tough times, the piracy, the competition?

Putting out the music we like has always been the main motivation for us to run the label. Be it tracks of our key label acts, friends or upcoming artists, we always felt like this music needs to be released. Even when times were tougher, for example when our distributor went bankrupt a few years ago and we lost a year's sales.

What track are you most proud of putting out?

I am not proud of particular tracks. The exciting thing is to accompany evolving artists and their careers over many years, releasing EPs and debut albums.

Luna City Express and Sven Tasnadi are examples for that.

Social media is such a big part of promoting and labels these days – how involved are you, how much do you enjoy that side of things?

It has definitely become an important part of the DJ and label business. There are different ways to look at this development, also critical aspects. But the ability to reach your followers directly is a major advantage. Social media giving you the opportunity to deliver information to people who actively started to follow you is a powerful tool. Of course we use that for the label.

Is dance music in a healthier state now than 15 years ago when you started?

It is a bigger business now. And it can certainly be argued if the music itself profits or suffers from that. Personally I think it is a great development that dance music has become such a global phenomenon. Not at least because it allows artists to come and play in places like Dubai.

And what should we look forward to from your set?

Cassy, Marco Faraone and myself will bring some fresh house and tech house music. Let's have a night for the books!

Start your engines Undoubtedly the biggest F1 yet, we’ve pulled together an 8 page guide on who to see that spans indie legends Blur, hip pop star Tinie Tempah and Ibiza house heroes like Solomun

Thursday November 26 Live the Corniche Swedish pop star Tove Lo, Filipino rock star Bamboo and local indie-pop quartet The Bridge Incident kick off proceedings at the Abu Dhabi cornice – it’s free, and thousands will be there to support the cross-genre line up.

Yasalam.ae

Jean Claude Ades Iris Yas Island

Regular UAE visitor and Ibiza favourite, Jean Claude Ades is known for his unique brand of deep tech house, and is a resident DJ at Blue Marlin Ibiza and has a winter residency at Pacha Ibiza as well.

Friday November 27 Enrique Iglesias du Arena Son of Julio, husband to Anna Kournikova, adored by millions, life is pretty, pretty good for Enrique. And it gets a little bit better for his UAE fans, as he’ll be opening the festivities at this year’s F1 dropping Latino-pop classics like ‘Bailamos’ and ‘Lloro Por Ti.’ Yasalam.ae

Solomun Yas Island Rotana The biggest name on the house market for the past few years, Solomun’s groove-laden take on house and tech-house has seen him become an Ibiza favourite (especially his +1 parties at Pacha), while his label Diynamic has gone from strength to strength with showcase vparties around the world. Expect house music with real emotion, energy and a party spirit from the start. reservations@edenbeachclub.com

Live The Corniche

A showcase for live music, both local and international, UAE funk rock band Carl & The Reda Mafia take to the stage alongside US rapper J Cole and Lebanese born singer Wael Kfoury. Yasalam.ae

Jamie Jones and Tale Of Us

Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE One of the biggest bookings ever by Blue Marlin, they’ve got festival-topping German/Italian techno duo Tale of US joined by Hot Creations main man Jamie Jones. Tale of Us are hugely in-demand at the moment, and have given rise to a new strain of emotive tech-house with rumbling basslines, while Jamie Jones will bring the house music goods as usual.

HVOB and Smash TV 40 Kong Pop Up Regulars to the UAE, German duo Smash TV recently headlined at Night Vibes, and will be bringing their Get Physical sound to the party alongside electronic duo HVOB who are residents at the 40 Kong Pop Up for the entire race weekend. Nice work if you can get it!

Freemasons and Katherine Ellis and Fierce Angel

Podium Lounge The Podium Lounge kick off their 72 hours of partying with a funky house soundtrack – Mark Doyle brings his Fierce Angels label to play alongside UK duo The Freemasons with ‘Turn It Out’ vocalist Katherine Ellis on live vocals. podiumlounge.com/ae/

Saturday November 28 Florence and the Machine du Arena Bumped up to Glastonbury headliners this year after the Foo Fighters had to pull out, Florence and Co. knocked the proverbial ball out of the park and played a set that will last long in the memory. Now an established force across the world, with chart-conquering tracks like breakthrough cover ‘You’ve Got The Love’ and newer classics like ‘Ship To Wreck,’ she’s got the back catalogue to go with the star presence on stage. A definite weekend highlight. Yasalam.ae

Sky Blu (from LMFAO) Podium Lounge

While electro-pop pranksters LMFAO might be on a (permanent?) break after an argument between Sky Blu and his band mate/uncle Red Foo, Sky Blu is a free agent and a very talented one at that: rapper, singer, producer, DJ and dancer. Expect party classics and antics from the grand-son of Motown main man Berry Gordon. podiumlounge.com/ae

Live The Corniche

UK dance duo Faithless are the big draw for this free series of events, with huge tracks like ‘Insomnia’ and ‘God Is A DJ’ sure to get the beach bouncing. They’re supported by Middle East hip hop star Malikah and popular hard rock Dubai group Point of View.

Yasalam.ae

Tinie Tempah MAD

Formerly O1NE Yas Island, the circular club has been transformed into new venue MAD which launched a few weeks before the F1 madness.

A state of the art venue with impressive sound and lighting and an enviable location on Yas Island, the venue hosts UK rap star Tinie Tempah on the Saturday night. He’s had an impressive 6 No.1 singles, and collaborated with Ellie Goulding, Jess Glynne and the Swedish House Mafia.

Yasisland.ae

HVOB and Dr Dru 40 Kong Pop up

Sultry nu-disco and deep house from German DJ Dr Dru who’s remixed house anthems like Claptone’s ‘No Eyes’ and taken his record bag around the world several times over.

John Digweed Yas Beach

A long-standing legend of the house music scene, John Digweed has been a big part of house music since the early 90s, helping create the progressive house scene alongside regular back-toback partner Sasha. His Bedrock label is still a by-word for quality house music, and he’s embraced technology and new changes in clubbing with all the energy of a man half his age. Still relevant, still revered, his gig on the beach should be something special.

Sunday November 29 Blur du Arena

There’s no doubt British indie band Blur will bring it when they close out the F1 concerts. Alongside Oasis, they were the giants of the Britpop scene, with tracks like ‘Song 2’ and ‘Parklife’ becoming anthems for a generation. More recently, lead singer Damon Albarn has branched out into writing operas, collaborating with animated monkeys (the much-loved Gorillaz outfit) and writing musicals with Fatboy Slim. Yasalam.ae

Sven Vath Yas Island Rotana You wait years for Sven Vath to return to the UAE, and he comes twice in the same 12 months. A techno overlord, and the boss of well respected label Cocoon, Papa Sven as he’s known to his fans is as good as it gets for techno fans. A vinyl addict and a sure-fire party starter (just watch him move and grin in the DJ booth), make sure to book the next day off work as this will go right until the 4am finish. reservations@edenbeachclub.com

Joey Negro and Dimitri From Paris Podium Lounge Podium Lounge close out their bookings with a classic disco double header, as Joey Negro plays alongside Dimitri From Paris.

Negro AKA Akabu, Sunburst Band, Dave Lee, Mistura, Jakatta, Doug Willis, Raven Maize, AC Soul Symphony, Z Factor, Sessomatto, Raw Essence etc. is one of the most prolific producers around, and has a way of working pure sunshine into everything he touches.

Dimitri From Paris, is as you might expect, a man named Dimitri from Paris who has impeccable taste in disco and house music. His compilation, A Night At The Playboy Mansion, is still one of the best mixes we’ve heard 15 years after it was first released. podiumlounge.com/ae

W &W MAD White Dubai favourites W&W are back for another hands-inthe-air session. As they told us recently, their sound has changed and matured, with their original trance background now blended with EDM and rough and ready electro house. If you’re a fan of big breakdowns, big BPMs and big basslines, this is the one for you. Yasisland.ae

50 Cent VIP Room (3rd floor Yas Marina Building) Entertainer, rapper, businessman and film star, 50 Cent has come a long way since bursting on the scene with his crew G-Unit. The swagger is still there, as are the big hits – ‘In Da Club’ and ‘Candy Shop’ were huge smashes and will get the models and bottles crowd at VIP Room dancing on the tables.

ON THE RADAR DECEMBER 11 TINI Level 41

DECEMBER 18 FATBOY SLIM Pacha

DECEMBER 11 THE CORONAS McGettigans JLT

DECEMBER 18 DIXON Provocateur

DECEMBER 11 THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS Eden Beach Club

DECEMBER 18 DJ EZ Zero Gravity

DECEMBER 11 RYAN CROSSON Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

DECEMBER 18 YEARS & YEARS Nasimi

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

DECEMBER 18 ADRIATIQUE Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

JANUARY 8 THOMAS GANDEY 360

DECEMBER 25 ART DEPARTMENT Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

JANUARY 14 BACK2BASICS FEAT. NICK WARREN Level 41

DECEMBER 25 DJ W!LD Eden Beach Club

LOADED’S 60S/NORTHERN SOUL/MOTOWN SPECIAL

JANUARY 8 ALEX NIGGEMAN Eden Beach Club

BACK2BASICS FEAT. DAVE SEAMAN

JANUARY 15 Casa Latina

JANUARY 27 Level 41

ON THE RADAR NYE

DECEMBER 31 JAZZY JEFF Barasti

DECEMBER 31 DAVID MORALES Q43

DECEMBER 31 MARTIN GARRIX Meydan

DECEMBER 31 PETE TONG & DUKE DUMONT Zero Gravity

DECEMBER 31 DAVID GUETTA Dubai Media City

DECEMBER 31 LUCIANO Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

DECEMBER 31 NERVO Eden Beach Club

GROOVE ON THE GRASS FEAT. RICHIE HAWTIN

DECEMBER 31

Emirates Golf Course

We’ve re-worked our listings – one-off events will appear in the magazine, for everything else please check infusion.ae for our day-to-day listings.

For inclusion, email andy@infusion.ae Pick up a copy from our Infusion Magazine stands at these locations and more across the city Every A+E outlet, Every MMI outlet, Double Decker, Media One, Zero Gravity, 360 club, Casa Latina, Barasti, Pure Sky Lounge, Beatz and Cuts, McGettigans JLT/DWC, Music Room, Nasimi, Story Rooftop, Y Not Lounge, Bliss Lounge, Zinc, Cinnamon - Raddison, La Terrasse, Fashion Lounge, OcactI, The Scene

THURSDAY 26 INFUSION PICK! Axwell, Provocateur EDM and house music from one third of the Swedish House Mafia and the man behind big record label Axtone.

11pm- 3am.

INFUSION PICK! Shibuya feat. Yousef Square Award winning house night Shibuya returns with Circus main man Yousef on house and tech-house duties for their last party of the year. 10-pm3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Brazilian Spirit, Nasimi The popular Brazilian night returns to Nasimi with Marcelo Flugel and Anderson Lima playing the best samba sounds.

8pm-3am, ladies free, AED60.

Corona Sunsets Festival, Barasti The first of the 3 day festival, with funky house from The Freemasons, with Marc Trowsdale and Marty Met on support. 4pm, free entry.

INFUSION PICK! Superheroes 2nd Birthday feat. Tom Real, Dek on 8 The bass, house and garage crew celebrate their 2nd birthday with an all star local line up and international guest star Tom Real. 6pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Velocity feat. Don Diablo, Zero Gravity A high profile EDM DJ over the past few years, Dutch DJ Don Diablo makes his Dubai debut. 6pm-3am, free before 10pm, ladies free before midnight, AED100.

Vibe Series feat. Scarlett Etienne, 360

The Night Vibes crew return to 360 for their monthly party, with globe-trotting house DJ Scarlett returning for another handsin-the-air session. 6pm-3am, free entry.

FRIDAY 27 Audio tonic feat. David Jach, 360

The German in demand house DJ headlines, having recently played Germany, China, Holland and Switzerland. 4pm-3am, free entry.

INFUSION PICK Corona Sunsets Festival, Barasti A 3 day party, featuring Crazy P Soundsystem on disco and house duties with Jazzy B and Nora En Pure as DJ support.

4pm, free entry.

INFUSION PICK Club MTV feat. David Zowie, Nasimi ‘House Every Weekend’ star Zowie headlines with a strong support line up including Sisqo and Q Parker from 112 alongside UK Garage DJ Scott Garcia and more. 6pm-3am, early bird tickets AED150.

Distract & Disable vs Tse Tse Fly, Casa Latina

More aural experimentation, as Tse Tse fly go up against New York night Distract & Disable.

Expect live performances, sound art and experimental music.

6pm-midnight, free.

INFUSION PICK! Jamie Jones & Tale Of Us, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Blue Marlin’s biggest bookings of the year, as Hot Creations head honcho Jamie Jones is joined by dark techno kings Tale Of Us. 11am-11pm.

INFUSION PICK! Empty Yard Experiment & Jay Wud, Music Room Local live music from two of our favourite acts – EYE play guitar heavy post prog rock with support from indie/rock act Jay Wud. 9pm-3am, AED60.

INFUSION PICK! Dysfunktion Launch Party, Square A strong techno line up including Tobie Allen, Adam Rahman, SL4 and Ju Lovett do their wonky, driving techno thing.

10pm-3am, AED100 after midnight.

Journey Thru House, Zero Gravity

Classic house sounds from the nostalgic night, with DC10’s Jo Mills supporting turn of the century producers Full Intention and Lisa Millett (‘Bad Habit’) performing a live PA. 6pm-3am, free entry all night.

ABU DHABI INFUSION PICK! Solomun, Yas Rotana Deep house from the Pacha resident DJ and Diynamic founder, the perfect Formula 1 after-party. 10pm-4am.

Steve Paradise, Dek on 8

The popular Italian DJ returns to weekly House of Afrika night playing deep house and Afro soul. 6pm-3am, free entry.

SATURDAY 28 Corona Sunsets Festival, Barasti

The last day of the free festival at Barasti, with Charl Chaka, David Craig, Just Lance and Smokingroove warming up for Mr V. 4pm, free entry.

Jean Claude Ades, White Dubai

House and tech-house from the Blue Marlin Ibiza star and regular visitor to the UAE. 11pm-3am.

ABU DHABI INFUSION PICK! John Digweed, Yas Beach Audio tonic co-host the Bedrock star at this brand new beach club on Yas Island, with Raxon on deep house and tech house warm up. 10pm-late, AED100 men, AED150 women.

SUNDAY 29 ABU DHABI INFUSION PICK! Sven Vath, Yas Rotana The Cocoon main man and living techno legend brings his unique sound to Yas Island as part of the F1 celebrations.

10pm-4am.

Sunstroke feat. John Morales, 360

Disco champion and Dubai favourite John Morales returns for more classic disco and house action. 6pm-3am, free.

Velocity feat. Krafty Kuts & A Skillz, Zero Gravity International residents don’t come much better than these tried and trusted party starters who play breaks music across the genres. 6pm-3am, free until 10pm, ladies free until midnight, AED100.

FRIDAY 4

THURSDAY 3 INFUSION PICK! Bad House Party feat. Astronautalis, Casa Latina The alternative punk and indie night sign up the American hip hop/indie and Bon Iver collaborator, with local support from WYWY. 9pm-2.45am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Nasimi Sessions feat.

DVBBS, Nasimi Tomorrowland regulars DVBBS bring their big arena EDM sound to Nasimi riding high off the back of big hit ‘Tsunami.’

7pm-3am, free entry.

INFUSION PICK! 15 Years of Moon Harbour feat. Mattias Tanzmann, Cassy, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Tanzmann takes his world tour to Dubai as he celebrates 15 years of his house music record label. 11am-late.

Audio tonic feat. Dario D’Attis, 360

Swiss house DJ Dario D’Attis makes his debut with his high energy deep house sound. 4pm3am, free entry.

Aurora feat. Chicane at sunset & Michael Woods, Zero Gravity

Chicane return for their monthly sunset sessions, with guest EDM DJ Michael Woods on support.

6pm-3am, free entry before 10pm, ladies free until midnight, AED100 after.

ABU DHABI Holi Festival of Colours, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club Egyptian trance duo Aly & Fila headline, with a long local support bill including Taya Kruzz, Dion Mavath and Omar Basaad. 3pm, AED170.

Original Sound feat. Leon, Square Music: On star Leon makes his UAE debut, playing upfront house and techno. 10pm3am, ladies free all night, men AED100 after midnight.

INFUSION PICK! Eden 1st Birthday feat.

Guti (live), H.O.S.H, Eden Beach Club The re-vitalized beach club celebrate their first birthday with a huge house and techno line including Guti’s impressive live house set. 10am-late.

INFUSION PICK! Garage Nation, Level 4 The popular UK Garage brand returns, with DJ Pied Piper, Lisa Maffia and Romeo from So Solid Crew and local star Masterstepz. 9pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Infusion We Are 11 feat.

Osunlade, Dek on 8 Our pocket rocket of a magazine celebrates 11 years of being generally ace by inviting down Yoruba Soul main man and house music connoisseur Osunlade. 6pm-3am, free.

Sam Feldt, XL

Melodic house from the Dutch DJ who hit the big time with his smash ‘Show Me Love.’ 10pm3am, AED120.

LOOK AND

LISTEN

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

• ALBUNS • DJ HEREOS • MPFREE •SOUNDSTAGE • DJ BOOTH

Look and Listen

Album Reviews

THE RECIPE – THROWBACK TO THE FUTURE Hip Hop/RnB //therecipedxb.com/

 We’ve had plenty of local talent make a break for the big time, but few efforts have been as concerted as The Recipe’s comeback. Their recent single, ‘Death To Get Here’ came with a hugely impressive 360 video, while their new Mixtape has been pulled together by the Beastie Boys’ DJ Hurricane and produced by iconic 70s rap pioneer Glenn ‘Sweety G’ Toby.

And on the evidence of this album, they could well break into the big time. An action packed ride across 36 minutes, it updates classic hip hop with their own influences.

So they’ve taken seminal works by Big Daddy Kane, ASAP Mob and Grand Puba and put their own spin on it. Swapping bars, Swerte, P Storm and Kaz Money wax lyrical on the classic backing tracks. It’s a clever idea, and one that works brilliantly, as they playfully update the sampling ideology with their own funny/angry/ conscious lyrics. Go get it now for free, and help get The Recipe one step closer to the big time they deserve.

Look and Listen

Album Reviews

POKER FLAT – FORWARD TO THE PAST House/Acid //pokerflat-recordings.com

 Poker Flat’s third Forward To The Past compilation returns with the same musical mandate – ask a cross-section of producers to recapture the raw energy and vibe of the golden years of house from 1985-1992.

Over the 9 tracks, label boss Steve Bug has pulled together Manik, Simon Baker, Wouter De Moor, Debukas and more to channel primeera Chicago house, acid and Detroit techno, taking inspiration from the classic producers of the time.

The chugging acid of ‘Bon Voyage’ opens up, before giving way to ‘Casino Time’ a sun-dappled, funk and acid fried roller that had us chair dancing like a bad boy in the office. Hot Creations star Denney then takes us into rave territory with the monstrous ‘Acid (You’re Free)’ which you will be hearing a lot in the next few months.

Another dancefloor destroyer is DJ Aakmael’s ‘Dubb 3’ which goes for a pounding acid rhythm that cleverly builds on a classic Juno bass sound, giving it a proper Trax feel.

Essential listening for acid house fans, and those who want a nostalgic look back into the future.

DJ Heroes #8 Greg Stainer

Next up in our series is the Zinc resident, Radio 1 DJ and Hollaphonic beats man, Greg Stainer – a true Dubai DJ hero over the last decade

First club you played in Dubai?

Zinc.

First track you played?

Something from a Hed Kandi CD I think, since I arrived in Dubai with a box of records and all they had at Zinc at the time was a rack mounted dual CD player. Luckily I had a couple of Hed Kandi funky house CDs with me at the time. It was around the time that Modjo “Lady” and Daft Punk “One More Time” were smashing it in the clubs, so probably one of those or something similar.

Best change in the city’s club scene?

The quality of the nightclub and event production.

Worst change in the city’s club scene?

Due to the amount of venues nowadays, there’s not the sense of community in the clubs as there was back in the day, when you knew every night of the week where most of your friends would be.

Now everyone is scattered about all over the place every night.

Best club still running from when you started?

Of course I’d have to say Zinc! It’s really stood the test of time, with so many multi million dollar venues popping up every year, and Zinc is still there just being Znc! I’ve been fortunate enough to play at some great venues and events in the UAE over the years and I have a some really great memories. But Zinc will always stand out in my memory as I have met a lot of my good friends… and my wife there!

Key to longevity as a DJ is… Passion.

The best way to get gigs is… Consistency.

Unsung Dubai hero?

2 guys who have always stood out for me are Andy Swift and Mister Ash. Great DJs but most importantly they are good people.

Dubai DJ you’d most like to go back to back with?

I’m not really into back to back sets to be honest. I find it tough to ‘get in the zone’ when playing one track on one track off.

Catch Greg at Zinc on Mondays & Radio 1 every Thursday & Friday.

soundcloud.com/gregstainer

MPFree

how music became disposable

onfession time: I knew where my Mum used to hide my Christmas presents, and one year – probably when I was 14 – I’d asked for 5 CDs for my Christmas. I used to have to save up for a few weeks for one album, so getting 5 in one go was like, well, Christmas and my first snog all rolled into one. Except, knowing what I knew, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. So I snuck in, recorded them, listened to them flat out, and then was a little disappointed when I got the physical albums on Christmas Day. Sorry Mum.

C

I can’t imagine myself having the same reaction today – just this week, my promo folder topped out at over 300 emails, on top of the countless PR emails I get telling me this new DJ is ‘re-defining dance music for his generation’ or this band are ‘like the Stones jamming with The Beatles, only betterer.’ That’s me tired of people trying to give me free music, something I could only dream of when I was a

sweaty-handed music-hooked man-child in Selectadisc.

I used to love music, live for it, save up for it, look after it. I’m now drowning in it, cut adrift in a landfill sea of half-finished Ableton projects, bad band promos and anodyne, cookiecutter pop that’s as personality free as the team behind it. The moments of magic are still there, the tracks that still put your

hairs on end, the music that still makes you fall in love all over again. But finding them amongst the sheer volume of clutter out there has got so much harder.

Music is so disposable, that people won’t pay Dhs2 for a new track on iTunes, but they will stretch to Dhs25 for a dishwater coffee that will give them a tenth of the buzz that the new Jamie xx album will.

Music is so disposable that streaming is now seen not just a viable option, it’s the only real option – the streaming companies don’t make money for it, the artists don’t make a penny from it (0.0007Dhs per play ain’t going to pay your rent) but the record labels (surprise surprise) manage to scrape together a profit, boosted by the fact they own 20% of Spotify meaning they get paid twice for every stream.

Music is so disposable that Pirate Bay is Bookmarked by millions as they illegally download Terra bytes of content, with virtually no impediment, with music fansfrom Omaha to Oman

downloading the new Chemical Brothers album that leaked early.

Piracy is accepted, it’s part of the music industry now. Despite the internet obviously being the future, record companies were achingly slow to react to piracy, and to embrace the online world – Apple only recently launched their streaming service Beats while Guvera, the region’s dedicated music service, only came online in the last few months.

Spotify and Apple offer free services, while Soundcloud and Mixcloud are both 100% free. So that’s all the music you could ever need, all for the price of an internet connection.

Wow. No wonder the current generation places no value on music. It used to be the music business. Now it’s just music.

There are also countless music magazines (oh, hey Infusion), blogs, online and FM radio stations, DJs, streaming sites and more shouting for your attention. Who do you trust, where do you go for music, what are you missing out on?

I’ve been part of the quantity over quality problem – I’ve got 18 tracks out there in the internet ether, only 10 of which I’m actually proud of in retrospect, the rest are musical misteps that are now cluttering up servers somewhere in Sweden and have been downloaded by my Mum and Dad. My first release went up against thousands on Beatport, on that day alone, not to mention the millions of tracks already up on their database.

DAWs like Ableton and Logic have opened up the dancefloor to millions of people, while online record labels mean there’s no physical cost to making music, taking out one layer of quality control, making it easier to spam the world with your half formed musical thoughts. For every Soundcloud champion like Kygo there are thousands and thousands all fighting to get your attention.

Further up the food chain, the

charts have become increasingly homogenized, with Twitter spats, ‘controversial videos’ and countless back-slapping award shows sight the norm.

The way artists make money has changed. Music is how you get people interested, how you get them hooked: you pay your rent by playing live/DJing, by using the corporate/sponsorship world to your advantage and selling merchandise. Which is great, if you like the hustle and grind of 5 gigs a weekend, the red-eye of over-night flights and 2 hours of sleep, the highs and extreme lows of being a touring band playing to 8 people on a Monday night in Uttoxeter.

As always, the answer is right infront of you/us. The good stuff is still out there – somewhere. It just needs more digging, more patience, a more trusting approach.

Hopefully you trust us enough to point you in the right direction.

Soundstage

WYWY

Head down to Casa Latina on Friday December 4 to hear experimental trip-hop/ electronic act Within You Without You open up for Bad House Party’s international guest Astronautalis

My first musical influence ... I grew up listening to 60s and 70s music, my influences are mostly from my Dad’s music library.

The last pop star I liked was… Amy Winehouse. Her music tells story about her life, you will get to know more about her love, struggles, etc if you listen to her songs.

My sound is best described as… Dark, “high-on-drugs-withoutdrugs-feels” something like that.

Best piece of advice you’ve received? YOLO. What’s your musical guilty pleasure? ‘Stars’ by Simply Red. The best band in Dubai is… LIPSLID. Back in 2010, they are all about positivity and solid friendship.

When I make it, the one thing I want on my rider is…

Oh geez when we make it, we will probably want massive visuals and mind blowing lighting effects... and unlimited food.

My musical motto is… Music is like a window to your soul, it’s pure, real and it represents yourself as a person. It may inspire other people or maybe not but as long as your music comes from the heart, it won’t matter.

Best gig you’ve played?

It was in Beirut, my previous band was invited to play there with other bands from different parts of the Middle East and it was an amazing experience.

And the worst?

None so far, but I guess the only gig that would make a gig worst is a bad sound system.

Best lyrics of all time?

Try to realise it’s all within yourself No one else can make you change And to see you’re really only very small And life flows on within you and without you (Beatles: Within You Without You) Bad House Party feat.

Astronautilus & WYWY, Friday December 4, Casa Latina, 9pm-3am.

We have a pair of tickets to give away.

Head to infusion.ae

DJ BOOTH: MARY G

The Bliss Lounge and Qbara resident DJ talks us through her favourite tunes, Carl Cox and taking the crowd on a musical journey

One thing you might not know about me is... I always give waiters a headache when I have to order the food and drink due to my healthy habits!

My worst ever job was... I worked for nearly 10 years as a bartender, it’s not the worst job, but definitely one of the most difficult ones.

My favorite ever record is... Phonique, ‘Feel What You Want,’ I love the emotional vocals.

Djing is much like... Taking people on a musical journey.

Dubai clubbing scene is... Very vibrant and innovating, where we are able to experience the world’s top DJs. The underground sound is definitely on the top at the moment.

I’m really proud of... Never smoking.

What track could you drop in every set?

Flash of light, Luca C & Brigante feat. Róisín Murphy (Solomun Mix).

I can’t live without... My healthy lifestyle.

My biggest DJ achievement to date is... Playing with artists like Flashmob, Yaya, SIS, Supernova, Copyright, Leon, Ilario Alicante and many others.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Coffee and sweets are amongst the top 3.

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... Now. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... There are so many great names that I would love to play back-to-back with, but one of the first would be Karmon and of course Carl Cox! I’m not a politician but… I don’t like all these political games that governments are playing with innocent people.

soundcloud.com/djmaryg

LOOKING

CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

•WEIRD NEWS • THE SPIN • EAT SLEEP RAVE REPEAT • COOL TEST • FILMS • ANGRY MONKEY

Looking Closer

Weird News HEADLINE OF THE WEEK

SONY TO STOP MAKING BETAMAX TAPES: Wait, they were still making Betamax tapes?!

TIME PLEASE! Our cue to go home is when we start hankering for Zaatar W Zeit, but one cunning company has come up with a fun solution. The ePint Smart Beer Mug will tell you how much you’re drinking and can even be linked with a taxi app or Uber to automatically call you a cab at the end of the night.

It comes with flashing LED lights that let you know when you need a top up, and even has an in-built bottle opener on the bottom so you need never go thirsty again. The idea is on Kickstarter at the moment, but we can see it getting the green light very soon.

PIC OF THE WEEK What happens when you cheat on your wife and she gets creative with your car…

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

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

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

STEP 2 Attach copies of the required documents.

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

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

/mmidubai

@mmi_dubai

MMIDubai

THE SPIN NOVEMBER 2015

PAGE 217

ISSUE 31

DUBAI DJ DADS TO INTERVENE AS PROMOTERS SPEND THEIR FATHER’S MONEY

A group of concerned fathers have come together to stop their children and would-be promoters from spending their hard earned money on ‘creating a scene.’

‘We don’t care about the scene, or how underground this DJ is,’ said Mr Smith whose son is a promoter in the city. ‘I worked long hours for years saving money for my children’s nest egg, and now he’s spending it on putting on parties for 20 people. This generation have no respect,’ he added before mumbling his son wasn’t too big to be bent over his knee.

Clubbers in the city are worried at the move, however, as it looks set to wipe out nearly half of the nights in the city that are funded by their parent’s credit card. *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.

Dubai's Award Winning Indie Alternative Night

LOADED

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15

60s SPECIAL NORTHERN SOUL MOTOWN 9pm-2:45am / Free Entry all night Best Bar Deals in Town

DJS ANDY BUCH A

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UP NEXT LOADED FRIDAY FEB 12

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CASA LATINA | IBIS HOTEL For more info, search for LOADED on FACEBOOK

Looking Closer

Eat Sleep Rave Repeat

Pure Shores

Our galavanting foodie Stephen Day (hopefully) walked up the 35 floors to Pure Sky Lounge in preparation of his 9 course tasting menu‌

Looking Closer As much as we all moan about this city, there are a few things you can do that you can’t do in many other places on the planet: sitting really high up on a roof bar is one of them. We recently spent a lovely long weekend in Stockholm and guffawed at the sign enticing us in to the viewing lounge on the 9th floor. Yet here we were two weeks later sat on the 35th of The Hilton in Pure Sky Lounge JBR overlooking the Palm on the right and the sea stretching out into the distance. The lounge itself is split into 2 main sections, one indoors the other out, all ice white and blue with tables, standing areas and inviting sofas. There’s a long, sleek well-stocked bar running down one side and the DJ booth prominently placed as you enter.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of Peruvian food: it seems to be everywhere and ceviche is top of my bored list as it normally arrives cut into little cubes and perched on the end of the spoon. But the tuna ceviche here included lovely chunks of tuna each with a delicate ribbon of fat running through them bursting with flavour, all swimming in tart lime and chilli, it was a very promising start. Then our cottage cheese, beetroot and watermelon arrived. Individually I loved every element, but what they were all doing together on a plate was a little bit beyond me.

We were treated to some warm starters next, including a beautiful seared scallop sat upon a butter miso risotto that was a little heavy on the cheese, swamping the scallop slightly. We move on to a roasted curried cauliflower which was crunchy, spicy and delicate with a light mascarpone acidity to cut right through it - without doubt my favourite course so far as we moved to the mains.

Pure Sky Lounge, 35th floor Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach The Walk, 04 374 7888

First up was our chicken, truffle butter and asparagus dish, all well executed and tasty and then onto salmon with a green pea mash.

Again it was all well cooked and full of flavour but the star of the night wasn’t far behind: a pepper marinated veal loin. The dark sticky meat fell away, the heat hit my tongue and my mouth could do nothing but smile. Accompanied by a spicy tapioca to soak up any left over sauce, we wiped the plates clean.

While our table was being cleared, we took in the stunning view across the Arabian Gulf, and returned to find a rubber mat placed on the table and our sharing desert being prepared by a chef who built a sweet work of art in front of our ever expanding eyes. There was a chocolate shell full of gooey mess in the center, surrounded by a dash of strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, a dart of dulce de leche, a pipe of vanilla custard, crumble, meringue, lumps of apple brûlée, cheesecake and mango foam. We’d started to imagine that Chef Sven is the son of Willy Wonka and Jackson Pollock, it really was something to behold but it didn’t stop us from all digging in.

From sundowners with a stunning sea view, a drink on the way out to a club, or perhaps just somewhere to unwind after a long day at the office, Pure Sky Lounge offers many things to many people. We’d highly recommend coming to eat here, as the menu is full of pleasant surprises like duck ham and muesli or the sirloin with bone marrow jus, all enticing and interesting. Of course you could just rock up on your way home, grab a table and ask for the sharing dessert, it’d be rude not to.

WEEKLY DJ SHOW LIVE FROM THURSDAYS 4 - 6 PM

INFUSIONMAGAZINE

INFUSIONMAG

INFUSIONMAGAZINE

WWW.INFUSION.AE

Cool Test JU VS SL4 Ahead of new techno night Dysfunktion, we get up close and personal with their DJs Ju Lovett and SL4 – but who’s tech-no and who’s tech-yes?

Who’s the coolest person in your phone book?

JU: Krafty Kuts. He broke his leg once but still played his gig from a wheelchair. Respect.

SL4: My old man - He once killed a bear with his hands. True story…

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

JU: I lost count after day 3, but I know I woke up in one country and passed out in another.

RADYOUS: Sleep when you’re dead is my motto.

Describe your best bass face…

JU: Ear to Ear grin. Obviously.

RADYOUS: Wonky with a little bit of mystery.

Coolest word in the world?

JU: Ma’am/Sir - It’s literally correct all the time.

RADYOUS: Halcyon - denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.

Coolest DJ in the world?

C.O.B: Sven Väth, especially when he told Pete Tong to do one live on BBC Radio 1.

RADYOUS: All DJs are cool. DJing is cool.

Coolest track ever made?

JU: Total Departure (Cirez D remix)

by Christian Smith & John Selway.

I know I should probably say something like ‘it’s too hard to say’ or whatever, but no, it’s this track, really.

SL4: The James Bond Theme dundedun dun dun dun dundedun dundedun dun dun dun dundedun dun dun dun de. DON Do do do. Bad ba daa ba da daa ba daa da deda daa Badap ba daa da deba daa.

Your best dance move is…

JU: Ski Arms, so I’ve been told.

SL4: The worm. Everyone loves the worm at a party.

What’s your best claim to fame?

JU: My Mum said that I got first place in Hull’s most beautiful baby competition back in 1982.

SL4: I once punched Paul Oakenfold in the face when I was raving away in Cream.

It’s not big and clever but…

JU: Spongebob. .

SL4: Slapstick humor is the best.

What’s your answer to everything?

JU: Be happy, dance and let music into your heart. And if that doesn’t work, go to the pub.

SL4: A cup of tea, solves all the problems in the world.

THE VERDICT: A tough call, but we’re going with Ju on this one – waking up in a different country is next level partying!

Dysfunktion, Friday November 27, Square, 10pm-3am, free before midnight, AED100.

Looking Closer

JUST FOR

NIKE LUNAR FORCE 1 DUCKBOOT

Nike have gone head to head with Kanye’s latest boot for adidas, with their sneakerboot, the Nike Lunar Force 1 Duckboot.

The ultra smart boot features a spiked toe box that’s more high fashion than high street, and an all black upper with rigid laces that gives it a strong look and feel.

And with the wet and rainy season upon us (well, we had a day of rain so far), this is the perfect winter season boot.

MOVIE BRIDGE OF SPIES Tom Hanks is on top form in this thrilling Cold War epic. He plays an American lawyer recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then helps the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

Classification: PG13 Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Alan Alda

CREED ROCKY’S LEGACY Sly returns to the ring, this time as the trainer as he puts Apollo Creed’s son through his paces in this blow-by-blow boxing film.

Classification: PG13 Director: Ryan Coogler Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson

PREVIEWS MACBETH Macbeth, a Thane of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.

Classification:15 Director: Justin Kurzel Starring: Michael Fassbender, Elizabeth Debicki and Marion Cotillard

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA

Moby Dick for the new generation. Based on the 1820 event, a whaling ship is preyed upon by a sperm whale, stranding its crew at sea for 90 days, thousands of miles from home.

Classification: PG 13 Director: Ron Howard Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson

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

The name’s DJ Tw@t You have two choices as a DJ. Stick with your name, or create a name, an identity. Both equally fine – Carl Cox is every bit as good as Deadmau5.

But some of you Dubai lot seem to have taken the name game to extremes. Your DJ name should not be related to the size of your guns, your DJ name should not have missing vowels or RaNdoM capital letters, your DJ name should not already be taken by someone much more famous, your DJ name should not need a degree in linguistics to pronounce, your DJ name should not pronounce you as the number one and your DJ name should not be something you’re ashamed of in 10 years time. And if you’re female, sticking DJane on the front is the equivalent of hanging a sign around your neck saying ‘I press SYNC and get my boobs out when I play.’

DJ Angry ‘Simian Mobile Disco’ Monkey

Monkey Out...

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