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A Note From The Editor
Editor-in-chief: Talal Budebs Managing Partner: Charl Chaka charlchaka@infusion.ae Editor: Andy Buchan andy@infusion.ae Sales Director: Vip Patel Vip@infusion.ae 050 169 8712
Christmas has always been a time for giving, and that’s never been in sharper perspective recently as we found out that Christian Burne, a long time Dubai DJ and Infusion friend, has a rare form of cancer, and his insurance company have refused to cover the costs. I’ve DJ’d with Christian several times, the most memorable of which was at the Fatboy Slim event several years ago. He wasn’t just an excellent DJ, but one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. You can donate directly using the link at the bottom of the page, and follow his blog to get regular updates. Get well soon Christian from the whole Infusion team x www.youcaring.com/medicalfundraiser/collecting-forchristian/114130 christianburne.wordpress.com/ Andy
Contributors: Nthayi Tshehle, Mariam Nihal, Richard Perez, Vip Patel Design: Allan (Jmaxlolo) Tinsay Grown-up stuff: Infusion is published by Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Contact us: Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098
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Looking
BACK Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.
> What We Did > Say What? > Photo Gallery
Looking Back
What we did We Are 9 @ Atlantis Beach Cypress Hill, the undisputed Kings of stoner hip hop. In the middle of Dubai’s most precious stretch of sand. We’ll be honest, we’re pretty pleased we made that happen. Before we get to that though, here’s a quick round up of what went before. Infusion Editor Andy Buchan made his DJing return and dropped a hip hop/funk/bass-friendly set to get things officially opened, before the Recipe took things up a notch with their call-and-response live hip hop. Well, they did until one member took things a bit too far and dislocated his shoulder, before manfully playing on. From there, the Stereo MCs quickly galvanized the growing crowd, with a bang up-to-date, low slung set, before the Cuban Brothers threatened to steal the show of the night award, thanks to their fast and furious funk-meets-breakdancing show. The stage was then perfectly set for Break DJ Lobito to run through the gears, from classic hip hop through to some DnB and warm up for Afrika Bambaataa and his hype man. With the clock ticking towards midnight, the Cypress Hill trio bowled on stage, and delivered a hip hop masterclass for 90 minutes, and inducing a beach bounce-along when big hitters like ‘Insane in the Brain’ and ‘Dr Greenthumb’ were unleashed. Things weren’t any tamer over on the house floor, as with Karizma and Josh Wink dropping funk and acid-fried sets respectively, it was left to Moodymann to close out the night with plenty of soul-infused tracks, even getting Karizma and Wink onto the floor, finishing off with the original sample to Portishead’s ‘Glory Box’, Isaac Hayes’ ‘Ikes Rap.’ An epic, timeless and very fitting classic to finish up our 9th birthday.
Looking Back
Creamfields @ du Arena After five years, Creamfields reached its pinnacle last weekend in Abu Dhabi, as 20,000 clubbers congregated on Yas Island. While electronic giants The Prodigy were the festival’s main headliner, Calvin Harris was the biggest crowd draw, as fans surged forward for his pop-heavy set, alongside a spectacular laser and light show. His popularity, and that of EDM, was re-inforced when his set ended and clubbers flocked to hear Saudi DJ Omar Baasad drop an unreleased Laidback Luke track ‘Mufasa’ in his energetic, high octane Arena set. Above and Beyond delivered their trademark big trance numbers like ‘Sun and Moon’ and ‘Thing Called Love,’ while Grammy nominated brother-brother duo Disclosure proved why they’re such hot property in Europe with a bumping, garageflecked set. And with the festival filling up as soon as the doors opened, local favourites like Smokingroove, Mark Pickup and audio tonic’s Mr Mr, not to mention main stage live act Hollaphonic, were given one of the biggest platforms in the region to strut their stuff.
PHOTO STRIP: We Are
9 @ Atlantis Beach
ntis Beach
O STRIP: We Are 9 @ Atla
PHOTO STRIP: We Are
9@
@ Atlantis
Best photo bomb everererer
NYE?
Up in smoke So we hear that after the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay, sales of pop tarts, Doritos and crunchy nut have risen
Christmas wish list, 2013 style
It’s a cracker
The best Christmas cracker jokes as voted by the public 1. What does Miley Cyrus have at Christmas? Twerky. 2. Why did no-one bid for Rudolph and Blitzen on eBay? Because they were two deer. 3. Mary and Joseph - now they had a stable relationship. 4. What does the Queen call her Christmas Broadcast? The One Show. 5. What did Santa do when he went speed dating? He pulled a cracker. 6. Why don’t you ever see Santa in hospital? Because he has private elf care. 7. How did Mary and Joseph know that Jesus was 7lb 6oz when he was born? They had a weigh in a manger. 8. Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Because their days are numbered.
Cassidy @ 2Liv
Strictly Vinyl @ 360
We Are 9 @ Atlantis Beach
Technasia
@ Blue Marlin
Wanted
@ Amnesia Underground
ROLL MASTER
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Call 800 SUSHI (78744) or visit chezshushi.com Eat or collect at our restaurant. Find us at Shop 18, Wasl Square, (opposite Safa Park) Al Wasl Road, Dubai.
Looking FORWARD Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...
> Local News > Cover Story > Happy New Year > Breakthrough DJ! > Reggae Robbo
Looking Forward
Local News Q43 opens its doors Located on the 43rd floor, Q43 can not only boast sweeping views over the Marina, but is also a sprawling, multi-purpose bar, lounge, restaurant, pool tables and much more. Located at the Media One Hotel and newly opened, the venue can boast 5 high end pool tables, a mixed up playlist until 10.30pm when their resident house DJ comes on, and a huge array of food and drink menus, making it a one stop shop for everyone from Media City or Dubai Marina. Expect it to become a firm favourite very soon.
A very merry techno Christmas
You’ve eaten enough turkey to make Bernard Matthews blanche, you’ve been hitting the red wine hard and you’ve left a butt impression from 48 hours of sofa surfing. There’s only one thing for it – a post-Christmas rave to dance away the excess. And the good people at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE have just the ticket, as they’ve booked pioneering techno legend and Inner City star Kevin Saunderson for their Friday December 27th bash at the Golden Tulip hotel in Ghantoot.
KEEP THE FAITH
We all love a Boxing day boogie at the Infusion offices, and they don’t come much more tempting than Northern Soul don Russ Winstanley Djing at a new soul night at Wafi. Taking place on the Wafi Rooftop on Thursday December 26, the UK DJ and one of the pioneers of the sound at venues like Wigan Casino, will be dropping hard to find gems alongside big hitters like ‘The Snake’ and ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’. One more reason to put down that leftover trifle and finish 2013 in style.
Laughing matter
Kick start your 2014 with a giggle thanks to the Punchline Comedy Club. Running from January 9th until the 17th, they’re bringing out UK comics Alex Boardman, Johnny Awsum (pictured) and Phil Butler for a 6 night tour taking in Emirates Golf Course on Thu Jan 9, Girders Garden at Oasis Beach Hotel on Wed Jan 15, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel the following day, and closing with a show at the Sharjah Rugby Club on Friday January 17. Tickets cost Dhs150, with the show starting at 9pm.
Looking Forward Rumours
The much anticipated Carl Cox and John Digweed double header planned for the end of December has been moved until February next year. John Legend has signed a deal to come over to Dubai next Spring. Weekly funk, soul and hip hop night Deep Crates is no more, but the spin off nights – Drop Dread and Sunny Vibe Up will continue to run as normal. 90s indie group Texas are heading over to the Irish Village on January 23 for a gig. Black Sabbath have confirmed they're hitting Abu Dhabi at the end of May 2014.
Each and every one of you that attended our We Are 9 birthday and made it the party it was. Respect! Luciano is playing new superclub O1NE on Yas Island on Boxing Day. Sounds like the perfect post-Christmas rave to us... We’re finally being graced by the presence of the greatest living rock band, the Rolling Stones. But…
Having to pay a Dhs65 booking fee per ticket, and another Dhs12 for the right to print it out yourself, is a little steep, even for the best band on the planet. "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." RIP Nelson Mandela Bad news Anchorman fans – the long-awaited follow up is delayed until March in the UAE. Boo! Gutted for the Groove on the Grass team who had Ricardo Villalobos cancel with 24 hours notice. But this isn’t your first, second, or even fifth cancellation, all due to your hardcore partying we hear. Poor show.
JUST GOOD HOUSE MUSIC
2013 CLOSING BASH WITH
NTHAYI CHARL CHAKA THURSDAY 26DECEMBER2013
6:00PM–3:00AM
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Fashion with a foodie twist If fashion and good food is your game and you haven’t had the chance to make your way down to the newest hotspot on Emaar Boulevard, maybe it’s about time you did. We took the chance to sit down and find out a little more about I Love F Café, from its passionate team of managers, baristas, chefs, and even an angel or two. What is Fashion Café? Khalil Itani – Floor Manager Sunset Mall: When you say the word “fashion,” it always means something new. If you were to look at a design from 70 years ago, for them that was high fashion – today it would be considered classical. Fashion Café is a place where everything is new, and beautiful, with all of it constantly
changing. We always have new and different designs and services and there will always be beautiful people serving our guests. Our “uniforms” are constantly changing to reflect the latest fashion trends and we always have new fashion events planned. Everything at F Café is about fashion – even our menu is designed to reflect what is happening in the fashion world.
Why Dubai? Njoud Aghabi – Floor Manager Emaar Boulevard: Basically Dubai is a country that is booming, there is a lot of tourism and a lot of business in Dubai and it has an economic system that is working. So if you are thinking of opening a business in the Middle East, the best place is Dubai. Why Downtown? Njoud: There are so many attractions in this area - Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, Emaar Boulevard. The whole idea of Downtown was to create a place where people would have a choice of places to shop, eat, relax, live, and have fun. We have also opened another outlet in Sunset Mall, another that will open in Infinity Tower in Marina soon and there are still four more outlets in the pipeline. Who are your customers? Njoud: Our target customers will always be people who love fashion – there’s no specific age group, fashion is the common denominator. People come here, not just because of the great menu and the wonderful design, but because of the fashion events. We’ve had quite a few already, including fashion shoots and runway shows, and there are still many more to come. We have a few spectacular fashion events already planned for January – so watch this space!
How important is promoting new and emerging local designers? Njoud: Supporting local designers is very important to us. There are a lot of talented designers in Dubai and the region that haven’t had the chance to be recognised by the media yet and we are always on the lookout for new and fresh talent. So if anyone knows about new and original designers we would be very interested to get together and explore ways to support them in getting their designs noticed. Tell us a little about your menu… Fiesta – Assistant Head Chef: Fashion is international and that is why our menu is a fusion of international dishes. Our customers are fashion aware and they know what is happening in the world of fashion around the globe – so our menu is designed to serve these people. Our dishes are a fusion of international flavours, and each dish is designed to come to the table as a piece of fashion itself. The interior design is really distinctive – what was the inspiration? Svetlana – Supervisior Sunset Mall: We wanted F Café’s design to be unique, just like the concept of fusing fashion and food is unique and thanks to our amazing designer Gianni Ravagani, unique is exactly what we got. Gianni was amazing, every single bit of the design was made with his own hands, his passion is in everything and the result is wonderful. Fashion Café, Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, ilovefcafe.ae, 04 4211486
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JUST LANCE
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Let us take the stress out of the biggest night of the year, with our indispensable 10 page guide to the best events in town...
A quick word with…
Black Coffee We’re super hyped to have one of our favourite DJs back in Dubai for our House of Afrika NYE party…
Welcome back to Dubai, what have your previous gigs been like? Dubai is amazing, the people here are very generous and they show much appreciation for our South African house music, the previous gigs have been mind blowing. You seem to have found a natural home at our House of Afrika events, what have they been like? They are refreshing, I really enjoy them. I’m grateful for every opportunity I get. You’ve written music with Mi Casa, who played an excellent gig for us, what was that process like? MiCasa are a powerhouse, those guys are a great pleasure to work with. Working together was very special and I am extremely humbled they trusted me in their project. Musically, you’re a busy man – what are you working on at the moment? I just announced having started work on my 5th offering due out in late 2014.
You also set up the Black Coffee Foundation, can you tell us a little more about that? The Foundation is something close to my heart, aimed at uplifting and developing people with disabilities. A portion of album sales from my albums also goes to the foundation. You played at DC10 over the summer, how was that – were you surprised at that booking, how did that go down? DC10 was a great experience. I got to witness the greatest underground scene which I think in some parts of the world is slowly diminishing. I was overly excited to be playing there. Happy to be doing it again next year. You also played at Panorama in Berlin recently, how hedonistic was that? That was yet another exceptional experience in my career. I loved every minute of it and the reception was outstanding. What’s likely to be your midnight tune? Right now it will have to be Culoe De Song’s 'Isondo', taken off his 3rd recently released album titled Exodus. House of Afrika feat. Black Coffee, Dek On 8, Media One Hotel, 9pm-3am, Dhs250 advance, more info via infusion.ae
Art Department & Infinity Ink, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE
Analog Room feat. Rolando
More top notch bookings from the cult electronic night, with Detroit music man responsible for ‘Knight of the Jaguar’ headlining. 10pm-4am, Dhs250
Black Coffee, Dek on 8
Another excellent booking from Blue Marlin, as one half of deep house duo Art Department headlines, with support from Hot Creations stars Infinity Ink. 8pm-late, Dhs650 ladies, Dhs850 men for open bar
The House of Afrika team bring back South African soulful and tech house DJ Black Coffee, with open-air views of the fireworks. 8pm-3am, Dhs250 in advance
Desi Distict, Boudoir
New and old Desi tunes, mixed in with some Top 40 hits. 10pm-3am, Dhs500
audio tonic, 360
Donatello Disco Countdown
Residents Mr Mr, Raxon and Rod Lee Winters drop the open-air deep disco tunes, while the 360 views give amazing views to the fireworks. 9pm-3am, tickets from Dhs950 for open bar
The Italian restaurant and bar counts down to 2014 with Stu Laurie warming up for Pierre Ravan, with deep, soulful house all night long. 9.30pm-3am, Dhs2000 for 4 people including dinner buffet and drinks.
Lord of the
trance
A global dance music ambassador, Paul Oakenfold is enjoying a fresh lease of life thanks to his part in Las Vegas’s adoption of EDM. We spoke to him ahead of his return to Dubai as part of the Sandance NYE line up
Welcome back to the city – how do you think the NYE gig will compare to previous experiences? I like Dubai and I have played there many times. With its multi cultural environment I think it’s a wonderful place to bring in the New Year. The line up is fantastic, outside of myself, and I think together we’ll bring the New Year in with a bang! You’ve always been a versatile producer and musician – what is it about EDM that excites you at the moment? A few things, but mostly the amount of great new music that is coming from producers around the world, which has put the scene in a very healthy place. A lot of the countries around the globe are enjoying electronic music and embracing the scene with open arms.
And what tunes are in contention for the midnight slot? Good question, I haven’t been told my set-time yet so I don’t think I’m playing at midnight. If I am, any ideas? The EDM scene seems to be reliant on big stage productions and big bold music – do you think the subtlety of dance music has been lost to some extent? No I don’t. It’s not all about big productions but the current generation enjoy it. The current tour I am on, my Trance Mission tour, is the complete opposite of big production. It’s the music, crowd and small clubs.
Far East Movement, People By Crystal You’re a big fan of Las Vegas, and have said it’s the new dance music capital – what does it offer that Ibiza can’t? Las Vegas is the dance capital of America, like Ibiza is the dance capital of Europe. I have worked very hard for many years to establish this and it’s great to see the success of all my colleagues doing well there. And where do you think cities like Dubai fit into the global scene? Dubai is becoming more and more of a destination for DJs. I know a lot of colleagues enjoy going there, not just to DJ but also to have a break. It’s an exciting time for dance music to have such amazing destinations as key parts of the globe scene. Finally, what should fans look forward to from your set on NYE? I will be playing a cross section of big tracks that they have been dancing to all year along with new music coming in 2014 and some of my classics that are popular in Dubai. Sandance NYE feat. Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, Emeli Sande and more, Atlantis, 4pm-3am, Dhs450 in advance, Dhs530 on the door.
Atelier and People team up to bring the ‘Like A G6’ Californian quartet over for a live show. 10pm-4am, Dhs350
Gatsby Party, Cavalli
Bring in 2014 in 1920s style at this fancy dress party. 10pm-3am, Dhs950 ladies, Dhs1150 men for open bar.
Greatest Show on Earth, Cirque Le Soir Strong men, bearded ladies, lion tamers and more at this wild night out. 10.30pm-4am.
Jazzy Jeff, Barasti
One of our favourite DJs returns to Dubai for an NYE mega mix, with Jazzy Jeff dropping hip hop, funk, rock and more. 7pm-4am, Dhs210 advance
Karnival, Karma Kafe
Kick off the night with a nine course Pan-Asian menu paired with drinks, before resident DJ Margo Sahara takes over. 9pm-3am
Jaguar Skills
With a huge hit, Knight of the Jaguar, to his name, and decades of house and techno experience, Detroit DJ Rolando is the latest big-name booking to hit the Analog Room massive
Welcome to the city, what have you heard about us and the party you’re playing? I’m very much looking forward to visiting Dubai and the UAE, can’t wait to eat all the delicious food and experience what I have heard is a warm and generous culture. The feedback I have received from other artists about this NYE party at Analog room is all good and I’m really looking forward to a great night.
Where does NYE fit in for you, is it one of the biggest nights of the year? NYE fits in just after Christmas, of course it is one of the biggest party nights of the year and it’s an exciting one this year to be coming to Dubai for the very first time. How do you try and match the atmosphere with the music? Same as always; the music comes first and I hope that works for everyone else too!
Lace & Leather Masquerade Ball, Movida What has 2013 been like for you, and what do you want to achieve next year? It’s been a great year, exciting new alliances; next year you should expect a great deal more on the production side from me as I have been working busily away in the studio. So some exciting new projects to come in 2014. You made a very famous track, ‘Knights of the Jaguar’ which was voted as one of the best dance music tracks of all time – do you still drop it in sets, how does it sound compared to modern music? Yes indeed I did and yes indeed I do play Jaguar from time to time. You were part of the Underground Resistance Crew – what was that? This has no relevance to me. And could you see something like that existing in today’s musical climate? This has no relevance to me.
A fancy dress bash – or just a normal night out if you’re a leather fan – as Movida welcomes in the New Year with their usual flair. 11pm-4am, Dhs500.
Meydan Beach
Promise Land headline, with support from Stereo Punx and Afroboogie at this sprawling JBR bar. 6pm-4am, Dhs200 entry
Omarion & Mims, 2Liv
It’s an RnB double header at the brand new Palm club, with 2 more guests to be announced. 9pm-4am, Dhs600 including open bar.
Sandance, Atlantis
Emeli Sande performs live, while Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong and Axwell are on DJ duties. And you get a prime firework spot, get those ‘oooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’ ready. 3pm-3am, Dhs450 in advance
You’re a renowned turntablist, do you still play off vinyl and if so why? I play with Vinyl, CD and USB. I can hear the difference but to be honest I doubt the crowd would notice. It’s not hugely relevant anymore – but I enjoy what I can do with vinyl, you really can’t replicate that with other mediums. The Detroit Music Festival is back after a long break – is that a sign the city and its music scene is on the up again? There will be two festivals this year: Movement which has been running for quite a number of years very successfully and to international acclaim with the essential back up of organisations such as Paxahau and Red Bull. And then there is DEMF (Detroit electronic music festival) which is re-starting again this year too. I wasn’t
aware the scene in Detroit had been on the way down, in fact it’s always been on the cutting edge – there would be no techno without us. We have Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson to name a few that have given the city a positive worldwide notoriety and then new blood such as Kyle Hall. Then there are people like Keith Worthy who have been around DJing and producing for a while but this is their moment to really shine. Couldn’t be prouder of my city it has a lot to offer on many levels. And what’s your take on America’s EDM culture? It’s pop music. What’s the problem? Next J NYE Analog Room feat. Rolando, Q Underground, 10pm-3am.
Story Rooftop Lounge
Nader Razdar is charged with dropping the midnight tunes, while the open air terrace gives you excellent views of the city’s fireworks. 9pm-3am, Dhs300
Q43, Media One Hotel
Take in the excellent views of the city’s fireworks at Dubai’s latest bar/lounge concept. And if you get bored of the explosions, there are 5 full size pool tables to keep you occupied. 9pm-3am, from Dhs900 for open bar
Vanilla Ice, N’Dulge
Hip hop star Vanilla Ice performs live, while the Smokingroove brothers hold it down with their house grooves on the terrace. 7pm-4am, early bird tickets Dhs300
XL Beach Club
eSquire headlines dropping an EDM set, with support from S3r-Han and Danny Whitlock. 9pm-3am, Dhs300
After a hard fought competition, we narrowed down our first ever Breakthrough DJ competition to 4 finalists and you, the good reader, chose your winner. And he is Londoner in Dubai, Adil Elaoud. We sat down with the funk, soul and house brother to find out what’s in store when he drops his headlining set at 360 in 2014
Congrats on winning, you had to overcome 2 power outs during your set, and a few video cameras – did you enjoy it? And how much thought went into what you were going to play? I had a great time playing in the Infusion digs. The power cuts and stuff is all part and parcel really, you just gotta be ready to roll with whatever may happen. In regards to thoughts into my set, well it was funny really as I was set to play a Garage set as it’s a sound I haven’t really heard anyone playing over here, however after seeing the flyer state I was playing a disco set I had to tweak that slightly! You’re a vinyl man, so how was the transition to CDJs? Well, I’ve been collecting vinyl for over 10 years now and have amassed a pretty varied selection. To be honest, I was really impressed with the CDJ2000 as it was pretty much the same as using turntables. However, I must say you lose a special connection you have with your music when playing them off USB’s. People that play vinyl will know what I’m talking about, it’s hard to describe.
And what does winning mean to you, have you entered DJ comps before? It was fantastic to win and especially against such high calibre competition. Musically on the basis of the Breakthrough competition, UAE has got some fantastic DJ talent coming through. What’s your DJing history like, where have you played before? I'm originally from London, but never had a chance to play in any of the glitzy high profile venues. Before moving to UAE last year, I used to be part of a clique which threw warehouse parties across East London, especially in Hackney and for me these were the best parties to throw down at. The venues we sourced always had to adhere to two policies… can Disco be played extremely loud and can our party-goers do whatever they please once in the venue! To be fair, looking back they were pretty hedonistic. Stories… well there were plenty at our parties but these are better left there! What’s your music background like, how long have you been in the UAE? I’ve only been in the UAE for just over 1.5 years now and I’m
enjoying the country, the people and the music vibe too! I was thoroughly surprised at some of the gigs and acts that I’ve seen in Dubai from Moodymann, Jamiroquai, Norman Jay, Chic to name a few. The music scene is burgeoning which for me is extremely exciting as there’s a real buzz especially with people like you guys at Infusion magazine, you just brought Cypress Hill and Moodymann over to Dubai for goodness sake, that’s pretty special! And what nights are you a fan of, where can you be found at the weekend? I’m a real fan of the Deep Crates nights due to the diversity of music on offer and the Drop Dread night too, they’re big bad and bassy! You have a pretty diverse music taste – what do you think you’ll play on January 9th? My favourite types of sets are 4-5 hour sets where I can take people on a journey through my collection taking in along the way people like 4Hero, MF Doom, Sylvia Striplin, Jackson 5, Theo Parrish, Tribe Called Quest (literally the first names that popped into my head). However, on the night I think I’m going to keep it straight up Disco with stabs of Detroit and UK Garage thrown in for good measure! And how do you think this will help your career, are you ambitious to start playing more? I’m extremely ambitious to play out more in UAE, I just want to bring my sound to the country and spread the love of good music! And hopefully winning the Infusion comp will go some way into helping me on that journey. Breakthrough DJ winners @ 360, 6pm3am, date TBC. Elaouad, Shy and Loose Goose playing house upstairs, Terpit dropping drum and bass downstairs.
PRESENTS
FRIDAY BRUNCH Showcasing a range of live stations while you soak up the sun… or take a soak in the pool… with some surprise entertainment.
AED 295 inclusive of house wines and spirits
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FT. DA SENDRI
Free entry and pool access
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Reggae fans have never had it so good in Dubai, as Horace Andy, Earl Gateshead, Tippa Irie and more have all played live this year. And the latest luminary to hit our sandy shores is BBC 1Xtra’s Robbo Ranx, who DJs at the second installment of the Reggae Beachfest on December 28
Welcome to Dubai, guess the warm beach weather will be a nice change from the UK right now… Anywhere is a nice change from right now, 5 degrees and rain – anywhere that is warm and hot, and the sun is out is going to be a nice change. Does reggae on a beach work better than reggae in a club, what do you prefer? I suppose reggae on a beach is always going to work better. I like the open air atmosphere, I grew up in London where we never really had venues that would let you play outside, apart from the Notting Hill Carnival. And there’s something different when you play the music outside. Reggae and dancehall is a very infectious thing, but I don’t think you can top being out on a beach. We’ve had some big hitters out here recently, including Earl Gateshead and Tippa Irie – have you heard any word on the grapevine about Dubai and its scene? To be honest, I don’t know much about the scene out there, apart from speaking to DJs like Masterstepz. I’m pretty open and curious to know how reggae and
dancehall works in that region. It seems like the scene is really growing, and dancehall, which is like the new reggae, is definitely growing in Dubai so I’m looking forward to coming.
And how much good new reggae is there out there? Back when I first started DJing in the 90s, people would say ‘naw, the music’s not as good as it was back in the 80s’ and being very critical. I think there’s brilliant, brilliant new talent emerging out there. We don’t have the same networks like we used to have like the record shops, those things have changed. If you search hard enough, you will find it though. Reggae is as alive and kicking, to me it’s the same powerful, forceful music it was 20 years ago, and still connected to people in the streets. And what can we expect from your set in Dubai? My thing is about bringing energy to the dancefloor, an electric energy to the dancefloor. It’s all about the power of reggae and dancehall, when we turn on the switch, everything goes high voltage. Be prepared to be electrocuted.
Reggaebeach Fest 2 feat. Robbo Ranx, Crown Prince, Adonai and more, XL Beach Club, Saturday December 28, 2pm-3am, Dhs100
How much crate digging do you do for your sets, are there still nuggets of gold waiting to be found? I do a hell of a lot of crate digging. I’ve got a big vinyl collection, but I don’t travel with it as they mean a lot to me and don’t want them to go missing. But it’s just as important when you’re crate digging, or sourcing music digitally, you still have to search far and wide to find tracks to play. It’s one of the great joys of being a good DJ is to source good music and deliver it.
ARTY GUIDE
ONTHE THE RADAR ON RADAR
January 23 – Texas, Irish Village
January 17 Mixtape Rewind feat. Boney M, Snap!, Emirates Golf Course February 6 & 7 – Tracy Morgan, du Forum, Yas Island
January 17 – Sunny Vibe Up feat. Shepdog & Rodney P, Radisson Blu
February 14 Redfest feat. The Lumineers, Media City
February 19 Dubai Jazz Festival feat. Jamie Cullum, Festival City
March 21 Herbie Hancock, Abu Dhabi
March 6 Eric Clapton, Media City
May 29 Black Sabbath, du Arena
For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae. Please submit your listings to andy@infusion.ae for possible inclusion.
PARTY GUIDE
February 27 Paul Van Dyk, venue TBA
ARTY GUIDE
Sunday 22 Magnum Sundays, Boudoir
Hard-hitting urban DJ line up of Brooklyn, Emtee and Shero deliver the hip hop and RnB cuts. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Monday 23 Club Classics, Boudoir
All the classic house and electro cuts courtesy of DJ Destroyer. 10pm-3am.
Hip hop Mondays, Cirque Le Soir
Bustling early-week party with excellent hip hop vibes from start to finish courtesy of DJ Bliss. 10.30pm-3am.
Industry Night, XL Beach Club
50% discount for industry people, with free entry for couples and ladies all night. 7pm-3am.
Manic Mondays, Zinc
Greg Stainer and Andy Swift play old and new skull anthems, with a 10pm-midnight happy hour. 10pm-3am, ladies and couples free. Weekly.
Tuesday 24 B:Lush, Media One
4 free drinks for ladies, with Da Sendri dropping funk, soul, disco and house. 7-10pm, free.
Bad Santa, Societe Dubai
A Christmas Eve ladies night,
with 3 free selected drinks and table bookings Dhs400 with a bottle of bubbly. 10pm-3am.
Barasti
Hugely popular ladies night, with a Dhs50 entrance fee getting you free flowing bubbly all night. 6pm-late, Dhs50.
En Vogue, Armani Prive
Darko De Jan takes control of this high class ladies night, with complimentary mojitos until 1am for ladies. 10pm-3am.
Pawas, Calabar
The Spectral Sound DJ is joined by JC for a mixed bag of electronic beats. 6pm-late.
Pop Your Cherry, Cirque Le Soir
More mid-week funkiness at the popular circus-themed club. 10.30pm-3am.
Red Christmas Party, VIP Room
A glamorous Christmas party with a red or white dress code, with resident DJ Pepelz on the decks 9-12.
Wednesday 25 Pawas, Calabar
The Spectral Sound DJ is joined by JC for a mixed bag of electronic beats. 6pm-late.
Twisted Winter Wonderland, Cirque Le Soir
Bad Santa, mischievous fairies and the usual mixed bag of tunes make for a very different way to spend your Christmas. 10.30pm
Thursday 26 Abri & The Funk Radius, Pizza Express JLT Abri and the extremely funky Funk Radius drop funk, soul, hip hop and rock covers and originals at this bustling Thursday night joint. 9pm, weekly.
The Act, Shangri La
Live acts, mixed up music and tasty Peruvian food at this very popular new club. 8pm-3am, repeated Sunday.
A Night’s Tale, Story (Holiday Inn, Media City) Mr Mr and Rich Showell drop the festive beats, meaning you can dance off all your turkey. 10pm-late, free. Weekly.
Analog Room, Q Underground
High end design, cocktails and food at this newly launched venue. 6pm-late.
Fleurs, Radisson Royal Sheikh Zayed Road
A brand new concept club involving live music, Arabicaccented food and lots of flowers. 11-3am, repeated Friday.
High Impact Festival, Meydan
An African themed festival with Redsan, Fally Ipura, Mr Vegas and loads more playing live. 4pm-2am, Dhs299.
Identity, N’Dulge
Hip hop and house across the main room and terrace from Eric Francis and friends. 9pm-3am, ladies free before 11pm, Dhs100.
Boudoir
In Da House, Movida
Conan Manchester, Loca
INFUSION PICK!
Free shots for ladies until 1am, and commercial RnB and house. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
Foot-tapping funk, soul and rock and roll from Conan at one of our favourite bars in town. Weekly Thursday and Friday.
Fashionista, Donatello Lounge
Stu Laurie drops a funky, deep house soundtrack at this fashionable start to the weekend. 8pm-late. Weekly.
More weekend-starting party action at this high end Sheikh Zayed Road club. 11pm-3am. Weekly.
Infusion’s End of year Bash, 360 Charl Chaka and Nthayi hold it down with deep house all night long. 6pm-3am, free.
Jamrock, Sublime
Calypso, dub, reggae and urban from Sir Taz and DJ Crown Prince. 10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, weekly.
PARTY GUIDE
All things electronic, at this cult weekly Thursday night spot. 9pm-3am, Dhs75. Weekly.
Fashion Café
ARTY GUIDE
INFUSION PICK! Luciano, O1NE
A huge booking as Ibiza favourite and Vagabundos main man touches down for a tech-house set at the brand new superclub on Yas Island. Expect deep house, and some classic curveballs from the highly respected DJ. 11pm-3am.
Pawas, Calabar
The Spectral Sound DJ is joined by JC f or a mixed bag of electronic beats. 6pm-late.
Wanted & House Arrest, Amnesia Underground
House, techno and deep house at this returning underground night in the heart of Bur Dubai, with the House Arrest joining on hosting duties. 9pm-3am, Dhs80.
We Are One, 2Liv Palm Sofitel
The 10,000 square foot, 3 level club with an impressive LED light set up plays urban and Top 40. 10pm-3am. Weekly, Thursday and Friday.
Friday 27
INFUSION PICK!
Audio tonic, 360
Russ Winstanley, one of the biggest names in the UK’s Northern Soul scene, makes his Dubai debut dropping all manner of funk and soul goodness. 9pm-2am
INFUSION PICK!
Soul of Dubai, Wafi Pyramids
Hisham Zahran headlines Above with support from Megadon Betamax and Vas Floyd, with Eats Retro dishing out the classics Below. 4pm-3am, free.
Blue Marlin Ibiza feat. Kevin Saunderson
It’s a late Christmas present for clubbers as the Detroit house and techno legend makes his Blue Marlin debut. 11am-11pm, reservation@ bluemarlinibiza-uae.com
Vingate, Societe Dubai
80s, 90s and 00s at this newly launched alternative venue, with tables for 4 starting from Dhs1100. 10pm-3am.
INFUSION PICK!
Ego Urban Lounge opening feat. Cappadona, U-God and DJ Mathematics from Wu Tang Clan, Boutique 7 Hotel, Tecom
The grand opening of the allurban club, with 3 of the Wu Tang clan joining residents Soulninja and Dany Neville.
Follow Friday, Vanity (Al Murooj Rotana) Urban tunes courtesy of the Real Flava DJs. 10pm-3am.
Friday Pool Party, XL Beach Club
An all day pool party with everything from deep house to party starting electro on the playlist. 1pm-3am, Dhs150 on the door.
High Impact Festival, Meydan
Part 2 of this weekend-long festival, with The Eraserheads and Parokya Ni Edgar, two Filipino bands, headlining. 4pm-2am, Dhs259.
House of Afrika, Dek on 8
More Afro-tech at this hugely popular weekly house night. 4pm-3am, free.
Shef Codes and friends hold it down with urban tunes all night. 10.30p-3am, strict dress code no trainers or flip flops. Weekly.
Freaks and Beats, Cirque Le Soir
Metal Asylum presents Rock or Die, Music Room
#FFriday, Movida
No.1 Fridays, N’Dulge
Nick Tohme heads up this weekly night, where entertainment is at the fore. 10pm-3am. Weekly. Residents Nick Waters and Mitchell are joined by guests at this high end Sheikh Zayed Road club. 11pm3am. Weekly.
A 5 band line up including Plainwave, Goddamn Electric and more at this end of year party. 9pm-3am, Dhs60. Urban, hip hop, dubstep and EDM from this popular longrunning night. 10pm-3am, ladies free before 11pm, Dhs100 after. Weekly.
PARTY GUIDE
Massive Urban Fridays, Sensation
ARTY GUIDE
Saturday 28 411, People By Crystal All things urban at this DJ Bliss hosted party. 10pm3am. Weekly.
Balearic, Dek on 8
All day, early evening party, with Balearic classics on rotation, with brunch 2-6pm, and happy hour 5-8pm. 2pm10pm, Dhs240 for brunch. Weekly.
Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Saturday Brunch
Wind down your weekend with live cooking stations and free flowing Spanish sangria. Weekly. 1pm-5.30pm, Dhs240-285, reservation@ bluemarlinibiza-uae.com
Destination, Zinc
UK Garage, Funky house and urban with Richie D and Mister Ash. 10pm-3am. Weekly.
INFUSION PICK! Reggae Beach Fest, XL Beach Club
Social, 360
Live music from sunset, with house of all shapes and colours into the night. 4pm3am, free.
Monday 30 Florian Keller, Calabar
Compost Records main man and one of our favourite DJs drops by for another 3 night stint behind the Calabar decks. 6pm-late.
NYE – see main feature
Wednesday 1 Florian Keller, Calabar
Compost Records main man and one of our favourite DJs drops by for another 3 night stint behind the Calabar decks. 6pm-late.
Another all day, low-skanking reggae festival on the beach, with Robbo Ranx from BBC 1Xtra headlining. 4pm, Dhs100.
Thursday 2 A Night’s Tale, Story (Holiday Inn, Media City)
Deep house and nu-disco from the rotating residents. 10pmlate, free. Weekly.
Friday 3 audio tonic, 360
The residents take control of this weekly deep disco and house party. 4pm-3am, free.
INFUSION PICK! Chicago, DWTC
The Broadway musical brings its all singing, all dancing story of fame and crime to the city for a 2 week stretch. Last night. 8pm, tickets from Dhs245.
Thursday 9 Punchline Comedy Tour, Emirates Golf Course
UK comics Alex Boardman, Johnny Awsum and Phil Butler kick star 2014 with some well timed comedy. 9pm, Dhs150.
Friday 10 Warped, Casa Latina
Adam and Madhu go back to back dropping a classic techno 5 hour set. 10pm3am, free.
Sunday 12 Decades feat. 2Unlimited, Societe Dubai
House of Afrika, Dek on 8
Another weekly dose of Afro-tech vibes with DJs Charl Chaka, Nthayi, Just Lance, Afroboogie and more on rotation. 4pm-3am, free.
Metal Asylum presents U2 Tribute, Music Room
All of Bono’s biggest and best hits belted out by U2Gulf, with support from Core 304, Daisygrim and Fighting Superheroes. 9pm-3am, Dhs60.
PARTY GUIDE
The 90s popsters play a live set including their hits ‘No Limits’ at this newly launched Byblos venue in the Marina. 10pm-late, Dhs80.
Look AND
LISTEN Music be the food of love, so read on... > Music News > Album Reviews > Puma Spokesmen > Meet Your Promoter > Soundstage > DJ Booth > DJ Top 10
Look and Listen
Music News... New Resident Advisor DJ poll winner
While the DJ Mag Top 100 poll continues to slide into EDM obscurity, the rival popularity contest at Resident Advisor continues to be the benchmark for all house and techno DJs. And this year’s winner, as voted for by the readers, is Innervisions head honcho Dixon, with Tale of Us, Richie Hawtin, Ben Klock and Seth Troxler filling the Top 5. Hopefully we’ll be seeing some of them, and fellow high risers Eats Everything, Marco Carola, Maya Jane Coles and Mano Le Tough in Dubai next year.
Kanye not as much of a d*** as first thought
He’s still a colossal, black hole-sized moron of the first order, but it turns out that Kanye West’s comments on Nelson Mandela’s passing that he was ‘going to be a bigger hero than he ever was’ were fake. The Daily Currant site, similar to the Onion or the Pan Arabia Enquirer were to thank/ blame for the story which quickly went viral, and had Kanye West flexing his not inconsiderable ego. What’s more worrying is that we heard the story and despite our in built cynicism alarm, still thought it was true.
MUSIC BITES “There are vastly more releases coming out each week, which means someone has to dig deep into the pile and sort out the dross from the cream. that’s essentially all a good dj does. Legendary UK journalist/ DJ Bill Brewster says the role of the DJ/writer curator ‘has never been more necessary than it is now.’
ooops!
In Infusion 213, we incorrectly inferred that Monster and Beats were the same company in our Christmas Wish List. We apologise for the mistake.
Another DJ Sneak Twitter tirade
Social media: great for, you know, being social. Not so great when it’s in the hands of larger than life, self styled house gangster DJ Sneak who’s been abusing the entire city of Liverpool this week. It started when he Tweeted that his gig in Manchester was great, but there was a ‘no so good turnout at circus [in Liverpool]. I think they need to pack it in, they’ve had a good run. Bye bye.’ Turns out that everyone was actually in the other room for the sold-out night watching Fatboy Slim turn it on in style, with no one bothering with Sneak’s set. Which is a shame, as his Tweet inspired a flood of hatred from Liverpudlians, not least of which was from the bemused Circus team who had supported him from the start, only to find out he’d openly slagged them off.Jog on Sneak.
Rap music
Stuck for the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas turkey? Then help is at hands to the good people at Mad Decent, Diplo’s record label, who have put out A Very Decent Christmas compilation for the festive period. The 8 tracks feature Diplo, DJ Snake and Mitch Murder among others giving classics a bass heavy, wonky makeover. Our favourite is Diplo’s reworking of ‘Jingle Bells’, although we can’t imagine the whole family twerking to it, especially not Grandma.
Essential Mix
Bigs up to one of our favourite South African DJs and producers Craig De Sousa as his latest mix, Heads and Tails presents AudioFlux, has just rocketed into the Number 2 spot on the mixes chart. And with essential cuts from himself, Dusky, Doctor Dru, Cajmere, Karmon, Teenage Mutants, and Benoit & Sergio, it’s not hard to see why. Keep up the good work!
Look and Listen
Album Reviews... Eminem – Marshall Mathers LP 2 Hip hop I Eminem.com
Eminem has been through it all. The highs, the drug-addled lows and the obligatory fat period. And yet he’s come out of it with more credibility than most thanks to his firebrand passion for hip hop. And that’s obvious from the title alone: the first Marshall Mathers was his self-admitted peak, so he’s aiming high on the 2nd chapter of his career by creating a 21 track follow up. Opening track ‘Bad Guy’ is a bold statement: a tri-part, firespitting 7 minute work out that breaks into orchestral mode half way through. And it’s quickly followed up by the fast-and-free rap showcase ‘Rhyme or Reason’ and ‘So Much Better’ which pairs classic Eminem material (a light-hearted ode to a groupie wishing her dead) with a happy-sad piano line, and the stand out line: ‘I got 99 problems, and a b*tch ain’t one, she’s all 99 of ‘em, I need a machine gun.’ With simple but effective music underlays, and Eminem’s utterly unique delivery, this is Marshall back at his best. Business as usual then, and business is good.
Cut Copy – Free Your Mind House/Electro I cutcopy.net
That one Australian band quintessentially captured the essence of the acid house revolution, and Madchester’s partystarting spirit is impressive. But fellow Antipodeans Cut Copy have followed in Jagwar Ma’s stellar footsteps, and once more breathed fresh life into the rave scene. Detractors might moan that CC’s fourth album is merely an updated take on Primal Scream’s timeless Screamadelica, but by ramping up the tempo on tracks like ‘We Are Explorers’ and the title track, they’ve added hands-in-the-air piano lines, chugging acid drops and dovetailing harmonies. And any album that attempts to take on the spiritual/hedonistic qualities of Screamadelica, and marry them to surging electronics is quite alright by us. Some tracks take their homage a little too far – ‘Meet Me In A House of Love’ is slightly too frothy and ‘Dark Corners and Mountain Tops’ is a forgettable 60s sounding number. But when they get it right, memorably on ‘Take Me Higher,’ they cleverly update the best parts of the Summers of Love for a new audience.
For more Album Reviews go to www.infusion.ae
Look and Listen
Rami Lakkis – Origin
Jazz I facebook.com/ramilakkisorigin
Abri, once Dubai’s great musical hope, are sadly no more. But two of their group, golden-voiced Hamdan and bass-fiend Rami are still very much alive and kicking in the region. And it’s now Rami’s turn in the spotlight thanks to his nine track debut album. Musically, it’s a jazz odyssey, an exploration in freeform sound. ‘To The Right’ sets things up, a Four Tet meets Treme soundclash that wouldn’t sound out of place in a New Orleans dive bar. Title track ‘Origin’ is more of the same, with exploratory keys overlaid by skitterish drums and tumbling basswork, while ‘This Is Now’ is a high class, low-slung workout. But it’s on tracks like ‘Talk’ and ‘Insomnia’ where this album really shines, as off-kilter, almost Aphex Twin style beats clash and evolve, giving jazz a fresher, more modern definition.
When Puma decided they needed a soundtrack for their new range of bikes, the Fishtail, they got in touch with two very musical men in the Middle East – DUST’s Megadon Betamax and vocalist Hamdan Abri. We sat down with them to find out how the magic happened.
Puma
spokesmen Congratulations on the new track, ‘Chase The Sun,’ how quickly did it come together? Hamdan: The basics of the track happened really quickly. It was one night of Megadon having a basic track, and the both of us working on the lyrics and putting a melody together. Megadon: Thanks! We’re super happy with the end result. The whole process I guess took a few months, starting from meeting with Puma and the creative team from Moloobhoy & Brown, but the track itself came to together really quickly when Hamdan first came over to the studio.
What was the remit, and how did you try and meet Puma’s brief for the project? Hamdan: Basically, Puma and Moloobhoy & Brown came up with the concept as to what Fishtail Rides is all about and they told us about what vibe they were going for as far as the teaser/trailer visually speaking. They gave Megadon and I a few examples of music tracks that they heard and liked the vibe of and told us to listen to them but they really didn’t want to be too specific with it just so we could put in our creative ideas in and make it our own. Megadon: The remit was based loosely on a bunch of tracks that the creative team had in mind for the video, so we all shared and what came out was an overall vibe for the track; summery, cruising, funky and organic you might say, which suits the way I work perfectly. When Hamdan came over the first time I had a few different beats I had started with him and the project in mind. Although in the end the track we both were feeling most was a quick 5 min thing I started waiting for him to arrive. Is it a help or a challenge to write to a remit like this? Hamdan: The only challenge for me is the genre of music that 'Chase The Sun' is under,
it’s not the type of music that I usually do but I loved that challenge! Megadon: I think it is a bit of both, certainly a good challenge having so many people to give feedback on the track and bounce ideas off; definitely provides an extra push, it would have been a totally different situation if the Puma and M&B guys had awful taste in music though, haha! Megadon, have you played the track out yet, if so any good reactions? Yes, Charl dropped it at House of Africa a few weeks ago and apparently the reaction was huge; I also played it last week and it definitely got the dancefloor going. Stay tuned for the DJ friendly version (soon) and a bunch of remixes though (a little later). And any other collaborations planned between you now? Hamdan: Definitely! I really get along with Megadon and the vibe is amazing so you will definitely be hearing another collaboration from the two of us very soon. facebook.com/FishtailRides soundcloud.com/ megadonbetamax/chase-thesun-megadon-betamax
MEET YOUR PROMOTER Our Promoter series continues this issue with one of the longest running nights in the Middle East, as we get to grips with Adam Rahman who runs highly respected techno night Warped Who are you & what do you do?
I am Adam Rahman. Primarily a DJ, I specialize in underground electronic music. More specifically Techno/ Tech House. I work for Ohm Events and also run/promote a Techno / Tech-House party called WARPED. WARPED is in its 10th year in Dubai and is one of the longest running genre specific nights in town. It’s a party I created to provide a platform for myself and local talent in the city and region, to be able to showcase what they are about. We feature artists who play sounds from Deep house to Techno. On the odd occasion we book Internationals to spice things up, but it’s a night that predominately revolves around local talent platform which I still feel lacks heavily in our city. I like to think we fill in that gap.
What’s the key ingredient to building a good brand & promoting?
The key ingredient? Wow! I am not really sure ‘cos it’s a combination of stuff. Promoting a night in Dubai is always a toss-up. You need
– WARPED Need to know Running since: 2004 Run by: Adam Rahman Artists played: Phil Keiran, Adam Kroll, Shoody Lynn, Ralf Kollman, Pawas, Karotte Local Residents: Adam, Dan Price, Madhu, Salah Venues worked at: Casa Latina, Trilogy, Alpha, Touch, N’Dulge, Silk, Catwalk
a combination of the venue/ artists/location and ambience. A great venue in a spectacular location is half the job done and then a good line up of internationals always does the trick. It’s been like this for the last 11 years. There are few exceptions and one would be WARPED. We have hosted parties in many different clubs most of them have not been very fancy and always run mostly with local talent and no entry fee. We have always wanted people to follow us for the music. We host these parties for the love of the genre and what I mean by this is that it isn’t a business – so the way we promote our parties is a lot different from the other promoters. We would like to take the experience a notch higher but we have to stay within our limits.
What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?
Man I’ve made so many. The point is to learn from them and not make them again so I’ll leave it at that!
And the biggest success? I would like to do a lot more but for now I think it would have to be starting off the Techno scene in Dubai and my home town Chennai.
Do promoters in Dubai take enough risks? There have always been a few promoters who have taken risks from the time I have been here and witnessed this city grow. A lot of new comers to Dubai have not had the opportunity to witness parties like Bong’s Cellar parties and iBO who also paved the way for the underground
parties and made it easy for promoters to do what they do today. These guys also took risks in their time and started the scene which was a lot more risky as there was no scene. Yes there are promoters making cooler bookings and taking risks now as well and it’s paying off, but also remember now the whole world wants in on “Underground”. Everyone is booking Deep house and Tech house artists. A lot more people traveling to places like Ibiza and Berlin, which mean a lot more people to come to your parties. Let me give you an example – I have booked some famous underground DJs here in Dubai a few years ago for less than 700 euros but now you can’t get them for double or even 10 times the price as the genre and scene has grown tremendously. Which is not such a bad thing ‘cos it has broadened the reach of the genre making it a bit easier for promoters to pull in a crowd today.
What’s the best venue you’ve worked at?
I love where we are today Casa Latina. We have always tried to work with small venues and better still if the venue is not some place everyone knows. Casa is not a club. It’s a loud bar that we convert into a dingy club for the night. From the name to the decor it’s a contrast
to what we do and that’s something I really dig. Add to this an amazing team managing it and that for me is the most awesome venue. That aside, I will also have to say that iBO and Alpha were two venues that are really close to my heart for what they were in their time. I am honored to have been a part of their history here in Dubai.
How do you balance what you want to see & what the crowd wants, & when have you got that wrong & right?
At WARPED it’s very clear – it’s a platform for what we want to play and how we want to express ourselves. I started the night in 2004 when I realized that there was no place for my music. There were no venues in Dubai playing Techno and there was no venue showcasing local underground music. I realized that I had to start something like this to make a name for myself in this industry. I started on Wednesday night in a small club in Bur Dubai with 20 people and today we pull anything between 200-300 people. The crowd comes there because they get to experience a true and raw portrayal of the artist’s vision of his or her music. It does not matter if the act is International or local, the artistic freedom is the same. It’s been the rule since day one so there is no wrong or right but more if you
like it or you don’t. Most often if you come with an open mind, you will like what we do.
Who would you most like to bring out to the region?
I would love to say artists like Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath.... but i’ll leave that for all the promoters with bigger budgets. Realistically I like to see quite a few new faces in the Techno scene. I would like to see fresh talent who are the future of the scene. I am already in talks with agents and friends to feature a few artists that I am digging at the moment. Stay tuned. www.facebook.com/getwarped soundcloud.com/warped-music
Pro mo ters I ad mire: I like what a few promoters are doing and how they came in and started with a bang. Apart from Ohm Events. Worldwide I love what ENTER is doing. They stormed Ibiza and the world with a blitz not seen before in the Techno scene. Richie Hawtin and the team around him are spot on – they are marketing gurus. Warped, Casa Latina, Friday January 10, Adam and Madhu (Back to back), old school techno all night, 10pm-3am.
Soundstage
One of the hottest bands to come out of Beirut, the explosive blues/funk duo the Wanton Bishops are in the middle of their first World Tour, having recently played the Fred Perry Sub-Sonic event in Dubai‌
Welcome to Dubai, how was your set? Nader: Pretty cool actually! It’s always highly satisfactory and slightly arousing to put fashion peeps through a s*** load of sweat, bourbon, and blues! The result is quite shocking. You have a very cool blues, rock and indie sound – which acts are you inspired by, who got you into that sort of music? Nader: Why thank you sir/mme! I’m personally inspired by a lot of dead African American blues men, and lately African blues. I’d say the road’s been paved a bit for a sound like ours by many modern acts. Check out the Black Keys, The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, John Spencer and The Blues Explosion, Radio Moscow, Seasick Steve, The White Stripes, Hanni El khatib… Eddy: I’m inspired by pretensious guitars and bold words, and the people behind them. When did the band begin, and how did you meet? Eddy: We met over tea and biscuits, it was 5 in the afternoon Nader: Hah! Late 2011 the band was officially born. You’re in the middle of a mini tour, taking in Egypt, Austria, India and Dubai. How hard is it for a Beirut band to sort an international tour out like this? Eddy: Harder than you imagine. We struggle with visa works, the cost of traveling and all the agonizing logistics behind it, but it’s all worth it, especially with friends like Redbull supporting us, and making it easier on us. Nader: Well the more you play the more you make noise, and the more you make noise the more you get booked! Beirut’s always had a strong indie scene, with bands like Soap Kills and Lumi – why do you think you have a stronger scene than anywhere else in the Middle East? Nader: Because bombs are frequent, drinks are alright and sex is just fine! We’ve heard that you get some of your best song writing done while sat on the toilet… Eddy: Hah! That’s Nader. It’s not like he has the choice though, he eats 10 times a day. Nader: This is going to haunt us!! It was a bad joke, but I would dare anyone to deny that it’s a very inspiring place! thewantonbishops.com
DJ Booth: Societe Dubai Charged with mixing up the best of the 80s, 90s and noughties, Societe Dubai’s resident DJ will be getting down to some serious monkey business at the new Byblos Marina venue
One thing you might not know about me is… I’m mildly Deuteranomaly colour blind. My worst ever job was… Building marquees for an agricultural fair company. I lasted 2 days. My favorite ever record is... There are so many, but it has to be ‘Burning Up’ by Tony De Vit. It’s a goosebump track. DJing is much like... Having a day off everyday, work is play. Dubai’s clubbing scene is... Very good. Having been to Miami, Ibiza and all around the UK, Dubai definitely stands tall with the best of the cities. I’m really proud of... Dubai winning the Expo 2020. It means so much to every person living here and I’m very grateful to be a part of it. What track could you drop in every set? Robin S, ‘Show Me Love’ (Stonebridge Mix), even the sternest of people can’t help but sing along. I can’t live without... The internet! Phone, home, work; I’m lost without it. My biggest DJ achievement to date is... Winning a local DJ competition back in the Northwest of England, as a result of that I won the North of England DJ competition and then I went to the UK finals, the Movida Corona DJ Competition, which I lost! The highs and lows... If you could DJ in any decade which would it be... The 90s of course! But the mid to late 90s, so many great tracks came from this decade. If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... The late Tony De Vit. For me, he was an absolute legend and transformed the 90s house scene. He paved the way for so many genres that we have today. I’m not a politician but… I’d vote for Societe anyday...
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DAN soundcloud.com/ilikedanmusic Ninetoes - Finder (Kravers 1984 Remix) Trikk - Floorwave (Original Mix) Marlon Hoffstadt, Dansson - Shake That (Jesse Rose Re-Fix) Cristoph - Guffaz (Original Mix) Andre Crom - New Day (Original Mix) Claptone - No Eyes (Kyodai Remix) Solomun - YesNoMaybe (Summer Began Mix) Kyodai - What You Give (Original Mix) NTFO - Testify (Original Mix) Andhim - Boy Boy Boy (Original Mix)
Ronin & Nesta Uberhaus, Beirut In the Mix, Family Matters - Beirut Stefan Z - No Words (Original Mix) Trevino - Another Lifetime (Original) Andre Buljat, Timid Boy Acid Fantastic Patrick Bateman - Club Queen (Frank Haag Reinterpretation) Hanfry Martinez - Nothing Written Richard Seeley, Paul Loraine - The Fall (Original Mix) Adham & Hisham Zahran Substance (Original Mix) Genius Of Time - Same Old Place (Original Mix) Recondite - Stems (Original Mix) Tiefschwarz - Ghostrack (Shonky Remix)
DJ Jen The Terrace Park Hyatt, Saturdays C O O L - Le Youth (Atapy Remix) Deepfear - Sidekick (A Roma Remix) Ibang feat. Nancy - Acid Pauli (Original Mix) I Feel Fine - Hectik Rivero Hotwire (Sonny Fodera Deep Dub) Party People - Moonwalk Flash of Light - Luca C, Brigante, Roisin Murphy (Solomun Mix) Hanging On - Andre Crom, Teenage Mutants (Original Mix) One Day - Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix) No Diggity vs. Thrift Shop - Ed Sheeran & Passenger (Kygo Remix)
Carl soundcloud.com/carlthedj Gorgon City Feat. Mnek - Ready For Your Love (Extended Mix) Art Is A Consequence & Rafael Cerato - I Hear You (The Mekanism Remix) Electricano - Spin More Time (Original Mix) Maxxi Soundsystem - One in Three Cucumbers & Lessovsky - Apologize (Patrick Podage Remix) Re Dupre - Danger Zone (Return of The Jaded Remix) Raxon - Nightwalker Dean Tyler - Ordinary Things Lonely Boy - Somewhere Else Vanilla Ace & Donny Bravo Reaching Out (Ryan Dupree Remix)
To submit your Top 10, send in the above format to andy@infusion.ae
Mr Switch 3 x DMC World Champion
DJM-900SRT & DDJ-SP1 VINYL DESTINATION DJM-900SRT 4-channel mixer with Serato sound card: PHONO inputs on every channel / PRO-DJ LINK via LAN connection / Inbuilt Serato sound card / 6 Sound Colour FX / 13 Beat Effects / Quantize / Touch sensitive X-Pad / 3-band EQ and 3-band isolator / MIDI assignable DDJ-SP1 add-on controller for Serato DJ*: Plug-and-play control of Serato DJ / Performance Pads with Velocity Mode / MIDI assignable / Syncable six slot sample bank / Auto Loops, Manual Loops and Loop Roll / Slicer to chop up tracks and create new arrangements Vinyl DJs, look no further. The DJM-900SRT four-channel mixer is the versatile solution that boasts PHONO inputs on every channel – so turntables can sit alongside CDJs for effortless switching between sources. Plus, the mixer’s inbuilt Serato sound card gives you the option of mixing music from Serato DJ via control disc (CD/VINYL).
Combine with the DDJ-SP1 add-on controller to enjoy seamless access to Serato DJ’s four decks and inspiring performance features, including six syncable samples, multiple loop options and a slicer. Set the software free with the tactile Performance Pads – which put dynamic triggering of samples, hot cues and loops at your fingertips.
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PioneerDJGlobal * The DDJ-SP1 does not have an inbuilt Serato sound card; it requires connection to a Serato sound card or hardware containing one.
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CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and jiberish...
> Weird News > Capsule Arts > Movies > Angry Monkey
Looking Closer
Weird News... Hot air
Wish you could make money out of nothing? Well one enterprising young French student has done just that, selling 250ml cans of fresh air from his hometown of Montcuq in south-western France. The phrase mon cul translate as ‘my backside’ in English, which is perhaps why the product has been so popular, with thousands of orders for his ‘100% organic’ air. Bulls*** has never sounded so appealing to us before.
WEIRD BITE “It’s not my fault that I look like Jesus”
A bearded darts fan was banned from a UK tournament for the 2nd year running because he looks like Jesus, and the chants from the 5,000 strong crowd put off the competitors.
Spin cycle
We’ve all been there, steaming drunk, coming home from the pub. One drunk cyclist got it very, very wrong though after he was discovered the next day fast asleep in a snow drift on the outskirts of Oslo by a snow plough. The man quickly recovered in hospital and, surprisingly, had no recollection of getting there. He said that the last thing he remembered was riding home from a friend’s house. “He had probably been out on a p*** up, which may have contributed to the ride ending the way it did,” the police’s Knut Henning Bjune said.
ART ATT ACK No need to stress your wallet and your heart when it comes to buying something nice for your wall – just launched Capsule Arts have affordable, high end art from some of the region’s best talents, making them an ideal last-chance Christmas present. We spoke to Rachael Brown to find out more…
Congratulations on the launch – there are already lots of art galleries and spaces in Dubai, what marks you apart? We’re actually an online store where people can buy high quality art prints via our website www.capsulearts.com and then we’ll deliver them to you for free in the UAE. To accompany the online store we are holding a host of 1 day pop-up shops that allow us to meet people direct and explain about the artworks. Keep an eye on our social media for updates of the next one. Aside from the limited edition print collection, we also offer a bespoke service where we bring unique art solutions to design projects. Which artists do you represent, and who have been popular since you launched? We work with a diverse spectrum of artists who
work with varying themes, techniques and mediums. The prime emphasis and connection between them all is that the print collection artists all work and create in the UAE and GCC. Our most popular artists to date are Emirati illustrator Khalid Mezaina, Jordanian artist Lama Khatib Daniel with her charcoal drawings, and Jordian British Digital artist Julia Ibbini. You also have prints for sale of the mysterious tagger in Tecom, what do you know about him, is his identity a closely guarded secret? It’s been really interesting and exciting working with Arcadia Blank, his works have captured real interest from the community. I’m afraid his identity is so closely guarded even we don’t know!
Can artists get in touch with you for representation? We’re always open to seeing the work of new artists, if you go to our website you can download our guide to working with artists that gives full details about how to submit your portfolio for review. Dubai has lots of high end galleries and shops and obviously Art Dubai – where does Capsule Arts fit into the scene? We really fit into a new gap in the UAE’s art scene and that is the affordable realm, what we maintain however is originality and quality. Our limited edition art prints are on museum quality archival paper using the giclee printing process, and each print comes with an authenticity certificate signed and numbered by the artist. Another component is that the artists we work with are based in the
GCC offering a platform for local creatives, something that is currently sparse considering the growth we’ve witnessed in the gallery scene in recent years. And why should everyone have a piece of art on their wall… We strongly believe you don’t need an arts education to know what you like when it comes to art, it’s an involuntary reaction and it’s all about connecting personally with your chosen piece. With that in mind a great piece of art in your life can lift your spirits on a bad day, can transport you to a different time and place, or spark a memory. It’s truly a vehicle to another world. www.capsulearts.com
JANUARY 9
JANUARY 2
MOVIE The Hobbit A more rounded film than the previous Hobbit, the 2nd of the trilogy follows our intrepid hobbit as seeks to help reclaim the Dwarves’ homeland from Smaug, the firebreathing, gold-obsessed dragon. Classification: PG-13 Director: Peter Jackson Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman
Saving Mr Banks
Emma Thompson excels as the Mary Poppins author P. L. Travers, as she battles with Walt Disney during the production of her adapted classic. Classification: PG 13 Director: John Lee Hancock Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson
PREVIEWS Wolf of Wall Street
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. Classification: PG 18 Director: Martin Scorsese Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio, Jon Favreau
47 Ronin An ambitious remake of the Japanese legend, in which a band of samurai – led by Keanu Reeves – avenge the death and dishonour of their master at the hands of a ruthless shogun. Classification: PG 13 Director: Carl Rinsch Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada
Disclaimer: Film release schedules are subject to change, please check reelcinemas.ae, grandcinemas.com and voxcinemas.com for full schedules.
PRESENTS
NEW YEAR’S EVE TUE 31 DEC 2013 8PM–3AM DR. CHETTY CHARL CHAKA FACEBOOK.COM/INFUSIONMAGAZINE
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OFFICIAL PARTNER:
Opinions are like Baboon ars*holes, everyone has one (yeah, especially you reading this on the Gary Glitter). And in Dubai, those ars*holes with their opinions like to think that they matter more than the every day ars*holes who decide to keep their opinions to themselves. There’s no right or wrong answer – an opinion is entirely valid, as long as you can justify it. But The Monkey has noticed a worrying trend for opinion sharing – or bulls*** as you could call it – from people on Social Media. Apparently it’s fair game to go onto an event or homepage, call out the promoter/DJ for selling out/not living up to their standards/failing to book Deadcat or whichever pumped up EDM DJ is currently flavour of the day on the internets. And by doing so, they’re the grumpy twat equivalent of Points of View viewers, spouting off like they own the internet – and that particular event – just because Mark Zuckerberg gave you the option to do so. Walk a mile in a man’s shoes, goes the old adage, so why don’t all you whiners and moaners toddle off back to whichever dark hell hole you came from and let the rest of us get down to business eh? Merry humbug!
Monkey Out...
The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.
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