Infusion # 221: April 6-20 '14

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

Boothy Call WHY FEMALE DJS SHOULD BE JUDGED EQUALLY

Telling stories Tale of Us and Mind Against line up for Groove on the Grass

Andy C, Deep Crates, Ravelations, Horse Meat Disco, Kings of Leon, Eat Sleep Rave Repeat, Angry Monkey and more!

A Note From The Editor

Publisher: 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 Contributors: Nthayi Tshehle, Richard Perez, Vip Patel, Monique Belle

As evidenced recently, it never rains but it pours. And it’s never been truer in Dubai’s club scene at the moment – we’d have created a 200 page issue if we could have, so much is going on at the moment!

So we’ve done our best to fill the space as wisely as possible, which means interviews with Andy C, the Deep Crates crew and their headliner Vadim, a look into the history of Psytrance with the Ravelations team and the full run down on the Groove on the Grass gig featuring hotsteppers Tale Of Us. Plus, we have the return of our Eat Sleep Rave Repeat feature, Infusion Records’ latest release, all the essential gigs, music and film news, Angry Monkey rants and loads more. Which means we’ve had to put all our extra interviews and content that we couldn’t fit in the issue online, check out the extra goodies at infusion.ae.

Enjoy the issue!

Andy

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

Powered by

Listening with

Getting social with

Chillin’ with

Flying with

FEAT

PRESENTS

MC LOWQUI THURSDAY 10th April 2014

The Executioner is BACK! The undisputed KING of Drum N Bass, Andy C, is back at GlobalFunk with MC Lowqui taking you on another 2 hour rampage through the full spectrum of the sound we know and love... Support from MACH4, Under The Moon, Charl Chaka, MC Ollywood & MC Prit.

Free entrance for Music Room privilege card holders from 9-10pm. AED 100 from 9pm onwards. 21+. @InfusionMag @globalfunkdxb

/infusionmagazine /globalfunkDXB /themusicroom

Looking

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

> What We Did > Say What? > Photo Gallery

Looking Back

What we did

Jillionaire (Major Lazer) @ 2Liv Sometimes, anticipation is better than reality. After an afternoon interviewing Major Lazer’s Jillionaire, we were amped for his show at the packed out Palm club, and when we were offered a table and a couple of bottles of Champagne, we certainly weren’t complaining! But with Major Lazer’s best hits in the back of our mind, we were a bit disappointed to find his set crammed full of EDM, all over the top drops and rave stab.

Not that the crowd seemed to mind, they lapped it up, but a bit more sophistication and less noise would have been nice.

Looking Back Live @ Atlantis feat. Carl Cox

We’re not sure whether it was lingering ill feeling from NYE, or because the ticket prices for a DJ show were not far off what you’d expect from a full Sandance show, but come 7.30pm, a normally bustling beach was worryingly quiet. Which is a shame, as they missed a typically excellent set from Gilles Peterson, who dropped Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Night And Day’ just as the twilight was fading, a magical moment. Yousef then picked up the pace, with a well crafted deep, tech set which got the house heads bobbing, before Carl Cox strode on stage. Every action was cheered – he’s got his heaphones out, cheer! He’s mixing his first record, cheer! He’s doing his Carl Cox dance, mega cheer!

With the crowd surging forward, our high point came when he dropped 1997 classic ‘House Music’ by Eddie Amador, a well appreciated blast from the past.

Superheroes feat.

Plump DJs @ Dek on 8

Dubai’s party people came out to play as the Plump DJs treated the crowd to a high octane bass fuelled set that crossed the genres, including a few of their classic Breaks tracks.

Shout outs must go to residents Kasparov, who was on warm up duties and lead the charge with a Garage fuelled set, and Under The Moon who finished the night with a bass heavy deep mix reminiscent of fellow Bristolian, Eats Everything. With Zombie Disco Squad next up at the end of April, there’s no respite for the bass-heads in town.

Waxing lyrical

Jeremy Paxman was at the Emirates Festival of Literature recently and was predictably grumpy. After doing an interview with one woman from a local radio station, she asked him to sign a book for her husband. Paxman’s inscription?

“All the best for the future with your annoying wife”.

Fact of the day

If the history of the Earth was compressed to a single year, modern humans would appear on the 31st December at about 11:00pm.

Did you know?

DJs and live musicians need a permit to perform specific to the venue, date and the performer, costing the venue or promoter approximately Dhs1500? Yup, true story.

Old Jokes Home

A drunk bloke walks past a man repairing a car.

“What’s up?” says the drunk.

“Piston broke”, says the mechanic.

“Ha ha” answers the drunk, “Me too!”

Meme Corner

Boddhi Satva

@House of Afrika

Jillionaire (Major Lazer) @ 2Liv

Live @

Atlantis feat.

Carl Cox

Machu Warriors ft.

Chymera @Story Rooftop

Rock Your Sanity @Boutiq

Super heroes feat.

Plump DJs @Dek On 8

Boombox @Casa Latina

This Is... @ Tabla

PRESENTS

JOJO FLORES

FT

MONTREAL (THERAPY)

FRIDAY11THAPRIL

FREE ENTRY 4PM-3AM I HAPPY HOUR 5PM-8PM

STRICTLY 21+ I FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS: RSVP@INFUSION.AE INFUSIONMAGAZINE

INFUSIONMAG

INFUSIONMAGAZINE

WWW.INFUSION.AE

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

> Local News > Cover Story > Higher state of Psytrance > Deeper Underground > Andy C, Andy Do > Boothy Call

Looking Forward

Local News Kings of Leon Live at Atlantis

There’s always a big closing party before the summer heat descends, and this year’s honour looks like going to The Kings of Leon gig at Atlantis on Wednesday May 28. The US four piece behind ‘Sex On Fire’ will be taking their Mechanical Bull Tour to the Middle East for the second time, having played at the F1 parties in 2009, with advance tickets Dhs385 and Dhs450 on the door.

Nice and EZ: Warehouse Dubai sign up Garage legend

After the success of their launch party, Warehouse Dubai have upped the ante and gone with two big name bass-heavy headliners for their May 16 date at Level 41, with Garage Kingpin DJ EZ joined by mix-master Jaguarskills. Early bird tickets are Dhs100 from Platinumlist.net.

Turn back the clock @ Societe

Ever thought there was too much seriousness in the city’s club scene? Well, Societe Dubai clearly agree with you, as if you bring down a school picture selfie to their Wednesday School Night, you’ll get a free table for six and a bottle to kick-start the night. The offer runs until April 16, so get hunting!

Horse play

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Story Rooftop recently, as there have been some seriously good bookings. But they’ve hit a peak, as much-loved disco outfit Horse Meat Disco will be making their Dubai debut on Thursday April 10 for the Reade St launch party, with Infusion Records’ very own Conan Liquid on warm up duties.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

ROLL MASTER

Rolled by sho cho’s renowned Roll Master with your own combination of super fresh ingredients. Simply design, order and pay online. Then our speedy delivery Ninja’s will suddenly appear at your door. Let’s Roll!

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 Kollektiv Turmstrasse drop live set at Nasimi

More house and techno goodness from the Plus Minus crew, as they’ve invited down cinematic house duo Kollektiv Turmstrasse for their Friday April 11 show at Nasimi. The Hamburg/Berlin duo have released on important labels like Cocoon, Get Physical and Poker Flat, and will be playing their improvised live show.

Turntables on the Gulf

The DUST crew have teamed up with RBMA Quarter Tone Frequency to create an all-day party on Friday April 11, with New York’s Nickodemus headlining with support from the Jungle Brothers’ Bam, DRM, and local talent inclding Hamdan Al Abri, MC’s Toofless and Jibberish and the Dust team.

It all takes place at the Dusk Terrace at the Radisson from 2pm-midnight.

Jamrock at Ego Lounge has taken off big time every Thursday night, mabrook!

Mad Men AND Game of Thrones starting new series? Hangovers just became that much better.

Big ups to Infusion MD Charl Chaka who's been nominated for his Outstanding Contribution to the nightlife scene.

We’re pumped about the upcoming KOL gig at Atlantis, but 10,000+ people on top of Wednesday night rush hour?

We smell trouble…

RIP Frankie Knuckles, a true legend in dance music, your legacy will live on!

Fair play to Deadmau5 who dropped an Old MacDonald mashup and 'sarcastically' dropped 'Levels' at the recent Miami Ultra festival.

Shame most of the Molly'd up crowd didn't get it.

LE PETIT CIRQUE presents

17- 19 APRIL 2014

brought to you by:

SILVER AED 150 - GOLD AED 250 - VIP AED 400 Media Partner:

Hospitality Partner:

Ticketing Partner:

Tellin The Groove on the Grass team are back, with another delectable house and techno double header, with a distinct Italian flavour courtesy of much-hyped duo Tale of Us and their frequent collaborators and good friends, Mind Against. We caught up with Alessandro and Fred from the latter duo to find out what’s in store on April 18‌

ng stories Welcome to Dubai, you’re playing with Tale Of Us, who you’ve played with before and collaborated with – what can you tell us about them?

A: Well, we’ve always been close friends before being colleagues, this helped in the studio as well as when we’re touring together.

F: It’s always nice to share something with someone you really estimate.

You have a psychedelic, dark edge to your music – does that come from making rock music when you were younger?

A: Yes, for sure that part of our life influenced the way we’re making music now.

F: I think even if at first listening our music could seem abstract and psychedelic as you said, in some way, you can always find a sort of consistency to it.

How does being brothers affect your music, is there a sibling rivalry?

A: I guess it wouldn’t make any sense to have a rivalry when you’re sharing a communal vision and an important project like this. For sure, being brothers gives us more confidence.

It feels like your success is taking off at the moment – how does it feel to be inside that momentum?

A: The bad part of this job is that you can never feel and enjoy your success, however big or small that could be.

This is an important step in our career, we’re touring quite a lot and the recent records have gone pretty well, but I still don’t feel 100% satisfied. I still wake up in the morning with the same feeling I had 2 years ago for example, when everything was still to do and we did not know what to do with our lives.

F: I think this continuing insecurity is good in some way, because it gives you the inspiration and determination to always try to do better and improve your self. Unfortunately in this business if you stop to rest and enjoy the success you’re in trouble!

How would you describe your sets and your sound?

Both: Melodic, groovy and emotional, at least for us.

What’s next for you, have you got a big 2014 planned?

F: We’re actually trying to understand which will be our next step, musically talking.

We’re always working on new stuff of course, but in terms of releases, nothing is planned that we can announce here now unfortunately.

A: Yeah, we have a busy tour schedule ahead where we’re playing several festivals in Europe this summer as well as our second US tour in July and some other gigs probably somewhere around the world.

We’re looking forward to it!

Groove on the Grass feat.

Tale of Us & Mind Against, Friday April 18, Emirates Golf Course, advance tickets Dhs160 from platinumlist.net

Tale of them

Unless you were hibernating under a sand dune for the past year, you won’t have escaped the Tale of Us remix of Mano Le Tough’s ‘Primitave People,’ a bass-heavy, warped, scuzzy burst of house and techno that slowly erupts over 7 minutes. Their biography starts off describing them as a soundscape project, and that neatly sums up their sound, a shifting sand sound which covers house, techno, rock and electronica.

In short, they’re one of the most in-demand duos around at the moment, and with a gig schedule packed until well into next year, we’re glad the Groove on the Grass team Competition: pinned We have them down a pair of for a Dubai tickets to give debut when away, head to they did! infusion.ae to enter!

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Dirtybird records, Suara records, Panorama Bar Berlin

ATTS THURSDAY 24TH APRIL oonst London

Djs: under the moon. kasparov. Somalie.

THE DEK ON EIGHT @ THE MEDIA ONE HOTEL 6PM TIL 3am

Higher state of

Psytrance Thanks to the dedicated dance crew at Ravelations, Psytrance is very much alive and kicking in the UAE. With their 7th birthday around the corner, we caught up with founder Daiju Raj to talk us through his history of the genre.

When did you first hear it?

And did you like it straight away?

It was in December 1998, celebrating New Years on the beaches of Goa, India.

I was drawn to it right away, it wasn’t just the music, it was the location, the ambience, the energy and the vibe. It was an exhilarating experience for a first-timer.

Who were the big DJs of the scene when you first got into it?

When we first got into the scene, it wasn’t about the DJs. It was about the parties.

No one used to ask who is playing? The only question asked was, where is the party? The big DJs then who are still very well-known today were Goa Gil, Shiva Joerg, Raja Ram, Hallucinogen, Eat Static, Astral Projection, G.M.S, Infected Mushroom, Space Tribe and Electric Universe to name a few.

When was the first Psytrance event in Dubai and what was the reaction like, was it busy, did people know what to do, how to dance?

Ravelations hosted its first official event on 20 April 2007 with Tryambaka from Portugal.

It was a full house and the crowd loved it. Dubai has large communities of people who come from countries where Psytrance has been popular for many years like the UK, Australia, Portugal, Brazil, India and South Africa, so there were a lot of people waiting for the scene to hit Dubai. There’s no real way to dance, it’s all about connecting with the music and allowing it to take you on a journey, so yes, everyone knew what to do!

And what captured you about the sound?

It’s the number of layers.

That’s what makes Psytrance different and unique from other styles of music. Psytrance to me is a bi-product of the Woodstock generation.

Is there something spiritual about the sound, the speed of it?

Music in general is spiritual as long as you have an open mind. There is nothing spiritual about the ‘speed’ of this genre.

As they say, to each his own – that’s what makes it different.

Like with every musical genre, Psytrance also has many subgenres such as progressive psy, psy breaks, full on, goa, night, etc. each with varying speeds, allowing people to connect body and mind at different levels.

Does Dubai get the Psytrance sound and feel, does it work here? And who are your fans?

Dubai more than gets it. Our parties are proof that there is a huge following for intelligent dance music and Psytrance.

We are still not sure that we have reached everyone in this region yet, but we will keep working towards enhancing the Psytrance experience and hoping that people give the music a chance, at least once in their lifetime.

Ravelations feat. Laughing Budda, Friday April 11, Domeland, Chi @ the Lodge, 9pm-3am, advance tickets Dhs100, Dhs125 on the door.

Deeper Underground Rejoice, as Deep Crates is back! They’re taking over weekly Fridays at the Q Underground, and we caught up with their guest DJ Vadim and Deep Crates Cartel main man Lobito ahead of the April 11 launch…

Vadim

A pleasure to have you here, what have you heard about the city?

All kind of things, from Grooverider being in prison for having some jazz mags and weed to a couple being jailed for having sex on the beach (not the cocktail) to 7 star hotels and cheap gold.

So bit of a bizarre mix... the thing is, it’s all in the eye of the beholder and I know Dubai has undergone a big transition in the last few years. There is more culture, things happening so it’s going to be interesting.

And the party you’re going to be playing?

I’m looking forward to it, another notch against the bed post, country No.70 I’ve played in...

How would you describe your sound, and how has it changed during your career?

In one word, it’s rhythm. I’m into musical rhythmical things, specifically Reggae, Hip Hop, Soul, Latin, Boogie, House, Jungle, dubby stuff, things with a good swing...

Pioneer are said to be releasing a new vinyl deck – a good move? What do you use to DJ? I use technics 1210, you can swear your life on them. I have no interest in any other deck because no other deck will ever be as good or sturdy.

What does hip hop mean to you?

Something that lives forever, a rhythm, a code of the street, a sound, a tribe, a colour…

Being Russian, do you get the chance to play in your home country much, what’s your take on how the country is developing politically?

I play there all the time. The country politically is run by crooks in suits. Then again so are most countries, just the corruption in Russia is more visible. It’s a great place apart from that, wonderful people and culture.

Lobito

Congratulations on the move, you had some great parties at Casa Latina, why did you decide to move on?

Well it no longer made sense for us from a promotion standpoint as the venue had become quite saturated, since starting the place from zero several years ago with Freshly Laced, Casa became a bit of a sanctuary for people tired of the usual VIP Dubai nightlife and Deep Crates cemented that reputation. But the nightlife scene has changed and the identity of the venue has become a bit diluted so it was time to move on and keep things fresh.

And what can the Q Underground offer that’s different, what are you expecting from these parties?

Well Q has hosted a variety of one off parties and become known for Analog Room, so after speaking with the management we felt we could complement what’s already happening there by providing a second weekly so the venue will be known as the home of both Analog Room and Deep Crates Cartel, two totally different concepts.

Competition: We have a pair of tickets to give away, head to infusion.ae to enter!

You’ve been promoting in Dubai for a long time, is the scene as healthy as it’s been do you think?

Some thing’s in Dubai change and others never do, there is still a lot of work to be done in educating the crowd musically here. I think there are more people out there trying to make their mark which is great, all I ask is to see a bit of originality, not re-hashing the same tired ideas or bringing the same internationals over and over again.

You lost your Time Out award for best Alternative night to Electric Days, and were quite outspoken about it on social media – what’s your take on the awards scene out here?

Yes I can see that my comments could have been

misread as someone who’s a poor loser but really I just hate these types of awards.

We didn’t really lose anyways as Deep Crates wasn’t nominated again after we shut down (wink), I think it was a freak occurrence we won the first time anyway based on how these things are judged but that’s not what my comment was about. These awards, and not only ITPs, are a money making exercise and judged by people with little to no knowledge of what we do. The only benefit is if you win it’s another promotion tool but on a personal note, as a DJ who cares about his craft I hope I’m never nominated by any of them again, I don’t really want to be judged by a bunch of people who have no clue about the music we play, let alone what makes a good DJ great!

Deep Crates feat. Vadim, Friday April 11, Q Underground, 9pm-3am, Dhs125 on the door, Dhs75 via deepcratescartel.com

PRESENTS

FRIDAY APRIL 11TH

GLOW YACHT BACCHANAL PARTY FEATURING FRIDAYZ DIVAZ PARTY YACHT 3PM - 9PM

SUBLIME LOUNGE

10PM - 3AM

World Trade Centre

DJ AVINY (US Virgin Islands) MAJOR FLOW | DON CORNEILLE | DJ TEDDY Jam Supported by:

FLAVA

@bacchanaldxb @caribbeanvybez Bacchanal.uae CaribbeanVybezInternational

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT: 055-444-0891 OR 056-782-0331 caribbeanvybezdxb@gmail.com

The Drum and Bass kingpin, and RAM Records head honcho, is back for another 3 deck mixing masterclass for Globalfunk on Thursday April 10 at The Music Room…

Welcome back to the city and Globalfunk, you’ve been over a lot of times and always smashed it.

Where else are you popular around the world?

I’m in the USA a lot this year at some big festivals as well as club shows, Australia has traditionally been a great location for me as well as the EU and of course the UK. Are you on Twitter and Facebook much, and if so, what sort of stuff do you chat about?

I like to look after my social networks myself so everything you see is posted by me. I use it as a way to connect with fans and let them know what I’ve got going on, where I’m playing and whats happening with Ram. If you message me, I do my best to get back to everyone.

DnB has become an increasingly mainstream sound, playlisted on Radio 1 and the like. Do you feel like you’re part of that scene?

Yes it’s become very popular on the mainstream again which is great. Do I feel part of that scene? Yes I do.

My remix of Major Lazer’s ‘Get Free’ was playlisted on Radio 1. We’ve had artists on Ram playlisted with Top 10 records. My track ‘Workout’ got loads of plays on Radio 1 when that was out last year, and I’ve got more to come. We don’t primarily aim at making records to go on the radio, but if they get picked up and supported then that’s only a great thing for DnB in general.

You’re famous for your double and triple drops, how long does it take to perfect those?

I mix at home all the time so I’m always trying out new things but sometimes they just happen by mistake and on the spur of the moment in a club. It’s something I’ve always done as I love all aspects of mixing. For me it’s a case of knowing the tunes inside out.

You’re coming over with MC Lowqui, what is it about him that works with your music?

I thinks it works well as we both respect each other’s job and he knows when the right time to get on the mic is, depending on what or how I’m mixing at certain times. We’ve worked loads together over the years and he has great hosting skills that blend perfectly with the music and the way I mix.

You were here last year for a holiday as well as your gig, what sort of sightseeing did you get up to?

I’ve been coming to Dubai since 2001 and it’s been fascinating to see the city grow and develop over the years. I’ll be having a little break with my family again this time. We love it in Dubai.

And what should the city expect from your latest visit?

Another great night of DnB with lots of new tunes from myself and all the Ram crew for you to enjoy.

Globalfunk feat. Andy C, Thursday April 10, The Music Room, 9pm-3am, Dhs100 including a free Tiger beer.

Nick names Andy C is nicknamed the Executioner, here are some other interesting DJ nicknames Sven 'Papa' Vath, Cocoon's main man and techno party king Bobbito Garcia AKA Kool Bob Love, a NY spinner of repute Norris 'Da Boss' Windross, the UK Garage DJ 'Lil' Louie Vega & Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales

PROUDLY PRESENTS

MICHAEL LESAR (CAPE TOWN)

DJ ARIES (GHANA)

WALTER S. ON PERCUSSIONS

FRIDAY 18TH APRIL 2014

FREE ENTRY I HAPPY HOUR 5PM-8PM 4PM – 3AM I STRICTLY 21+ I FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS: RSVP@INFUSION.AE

INFUSIONMAGAZINE

INFUSIONMAG

INFUSIONMAGAZINE

WWW.INFUSION.AE

BOOTHY Never short of an amusing FB rant or seven, we asked Dubai DJ Sarah Lawrence if she fancied writing a few words for us. This eviscerating, wideeyed, finger-pointing tirade against fake female DJs was the result. Bravo!

“Female DJ”. What comes to mind when you see those words? If you have connotations of a heavily made up woman behind the decks with exposed breasts while her laptop plays the top 40, then unfortunately you are a part of the growing populous that thinks that this is what we are. Even more unfortunate is the fact that you are largely correct. The “Female DJ” these days has become more about the performance, the persona, the costume, the “act”.

Everything aesthetic. Nothing about music.

I recently learned that a client had put me forward for a job, not by sending my DJ bio,

CALL nor my SoundCloud links, or my Facebook fan page, or even by a recommendation. I was submitted for the job by sending over my modelling portfolio link from 2003. And guess what? I got the job. I booked a DJing gig in 2014, in Dubai, based on modeling photos I had taken 11 years earlier in Australia. How does that work? These people had no idea whether I could DJ or not, I could have been anyone.

Why do I continually get requests for “Female DJs” for events, why does it matter?

Why have I continually been asked to provide photos when applying for gigs and not a mix? Is this a joke?

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Female DJs are booked to be seen, while Male DJs are booked to be heard.

Why is it that a female DJ can

get away with being blatantly bad at her job and a male DJ can’t? (With the exception of David Guetta, or course.)

I was recently made aware of a female DJ that simply wears a leotard to play. Whilst I am horrified at this, I am also not surprised, especially here.

You could be the worst DJ in the world, but so long as you have your false eyelashes on, some skin showing (and your laptop), nobody is any the wiser.

The thing that is most concerning about this growing trend is the fact that I am now in the minority. Why? Because I refuse to leave the house without wearing pants.

Sue me. I am the one who is losing jobs. I am the one who is losing money. I am the

one who gets funny looks when I show up for a job in jeans and sneakers. I am the one who will not get re-booked because I am more interested in the music I am playing than flirting with the management/ customers. I was recently asked by a venue if I could please “wear a nice dress and chat with the customers at the bar”. I’m sorry, are you booking me to DJ or to be an escort?

Moral of the story: If you put more time and effort into picking out an outfit for a gig than figuring out what music to play, you are one of them and you are bringing down our worth. And if you are booking these girls, please try and distinguish between those of us with actual talent and those of us who have bought two lots of talent from Thailand and stapled it to our chests. soundcloud.com/ djsarahlawrence twitter.com/sarah_ lawrence

Sister Act…

Just a few of the female Djs we dig Maja Jane Coles Miss Kitten Magda Anja Scheider Ellen Allien Annie Mac B Traits Steffi Miss P.M. Sarah Main Smokin' Jo Sarah Lawrence Jo Jo De Freq Heidi Anna Lunoe Kim Anne Foxman DJ Rap DJ Heather Cassy DJ Venus Natalie Brogan Rich & Hoyt Cooly G Nicole Moudaber Nina Kravitz Colette Mary Anne Hobbs tiNI Blond:Ish Eli & fur

PRESENTS

20TH ANNIVERSARY CELE BRATION

1PM - 11PM

ARNO CARSTENS

DJ READY D

MANDOZA

CRAZY WHITE BOY

FAMILY DAY ACTIVITIES SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD & DRINKS MORE INFO RELEASED SOON ON WWW.INFUSION.AE

MONSTER MIDDLE EAST Tel: +971.4.883.04.05 Ema

ail: support@monsterme.com www.beatsbydre.com

ARTY GUIDE

ONTHE THE RADAR ON RADAR

April 25 Macklemore, du Arena

April 25 A Skillz, Level 41, Media One Hotel

April 25 Dub Pistols, Barasti

April 25 Luciano, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

MaY 1-2 Blended feat. Joss Stone, Elvis Costello, Media City Amphitheatre

May 15 LTJ Bukem, Music Room

May 15 Neil Finn, Dubai Tennis Stadium

May 23 – Dubai Rock Fest, Al Nasr Leisureland

May 16 Warehouse Dubai feat.

DJ EZ, Media One Hotel

MaY 28 Kings of Leon, Atlantis

MaY 23 Justin Timberlake, du Arena

MaY 29 Black Sabbath, du Arena

June 19 DJ Marky, Music Room

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

MaY 22 Boyzone, Tennis Stadium

ARTY GUIDE

Sunday 6 Magnum Sundays, Boudoir

Hard-hitting urban DJ line up of Brooklyn, Emtee and Shero deliver the hip hop and RnB cuts. 10pm-3am.

Weekly.

Occupy Sundays, Cavalli

Brand new Sunday night, where you have to gain guestlist to the event via the occupysundays.com website.

9pm-late.

Monday 7 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 hip hop vibes from start to finish courtesy of DJ Bliss.

10.30pm-3am.

Mixed Mondays, XL Beach Club

The first 100 ladies and first 75 men get free drinks all night, with Dhs50 a drink ladies and Dhs100 beer buckets after that. 7pm-3am.

Manic Mondays, Zinc

Greg Stainer and Andy Swift play old and new skull anthems, with a 10pmmidnight happy hour. 10pm3am, ladies and couples free.

Weekly.

INFUSION PICK! Therapy feat.

Betoko, Boutiq

Easily the biggest mid-week booking this week, as Betoko, who recently played Blue Marlin, drops a deep tech house set. 10pm-3am.

Tuesday 8 Barasti

Popular ladies night, with a Dhs50 entrance fee getting you free flowing bubbly all night. 6pm-late, Dhs50.

Champagne and Strawberries night, Horizon Lounge

3 complimentary glasses of Mojitos or Bubbly from 6pm, with a happy hour from 4-8pm.

Girls Don’t Q, Q43, Media One Hotel

3 free drinks for ladies at this brand new, gorgeous-looking Media City venue. 6pm-1am.

Hunters Gentlemen’s night, Hunters (Westin) 50% off your steak or red wine at this male-focussed mid-weeker. 7pm-late.

Pink Ladies Pin Up Night, Mahiki

Complimentary pink Champagne, with plenty of guilty pleasures on the decks in this paradise-themed club. 7pm-late.

Pop Your Cherry, Cirque Le Soir

More mid-week funkiness at the popular circus-themed club with Tim Kay headlining.

10.30pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! This Is, Tabla

Brand new ladies night with free drinks and hip hop and RnB throwbacks from Nthayi and David Craig. 11pm, free.

Weekly.

Wednesday 9 90 Degrees North, Story Rooftop

Deep house and tech house from Dubai DJ Matt Charles and friends. 6pm-late.

AfroBeats, 2Liv

Djs Aklef, Skinny Loop and Shoni drop the Afro-Urban tunes from the likes of Wizkid, 2Face, Fuse and more. 9.45pm-3am.

Bootik, Vanity (Al Murooj Rotana)

INFUSION PICK!

Christian Pommer, Calabar, Address Downtown Deep house and jazz/funk grooves from the Compost Records star, with JC on support. 6pm. Repeated Thursday and Friday.

Diamond Wednesdays, XL Beach Club

Shero and Brooklyn drop the urban tunes at this popular weekly night. 9pm-3am. Weekly.

Flashdance, Cavalli

80s classics all night long at the high end club. 8pm-late.

The ever-excellent Schooly delivers the grown up soul classics. 8pm-late.

Societe School Night Retro pop hits, classic TV shows (including Biker Grove and Grange Hill) and Dhs30 vodka Red Bulls.

10pm. Weekly.

INFUSION PICK!

Toys in the Attic, The Act

A new theatrical themed night, focusing on your childhood toys that are gone, but not forgotten, alongside their excellent Peruvian food.

8.30pm, repeated Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Thursday 10 The Act 1st Birthday, Shangri La Live acts, mixed up music and tasty Peruvian food as the popular club celebrates its 1st birthday. 8pm-3am, repeated Sunday.

All Star Pinoy Rappers, Domeland Chi

7 freestyle rapper line up of the best Pinoy rappers, with DJ support from Flowmaster John and Jmaxlolo + SkratchProof crew. 8pm-3am, Dhs100 in advance.

Analog Room, Q Underground

All things electronic, at this cult weekly Thursday night spot.

9pm-3am, Dhs75. Weekly.

PARTY GUIDE

Excellent mid-week house party, with support from resident Fred Stone. 11pm-3am.

Soulful Sessions, 360

ARTY GUIDE

Cause We Love Music, Bliss

Live Thursdays, District Lounge

Clique feat. Slow Hands, 360

POP, N’Dulge

A jackin’ house session, with US DJ Camouflage joined

by Smokingroove and Sami Dee.. 9pm-3am, free.

Slow mo deep house and disco from the New York DJ with the DUST DJs Megadon Betamax and James Locksmith on support.

8pm, free.

INFUSION PICK!

Globalfunk feat.

Andy C, The Music Room

Layla and the Free Sound Project play a range of covers live in their own style, with support from DJ Rich-E. 8pm-late. Weekly.

80s, 90s and 2000s on the terrace courtesy of mixmaster Dean Curtis.

9pm-3am, ladies free before 11, Dhs100. Weekly.

INFUSION PICK!

Reade St feat.

Horse Meat Disco, Story Rooftop

3 deck Drum and Bass from the Ram Records main man, with local support from Mach 4 and more. 9pm-3am, Dhs100 including a free Tiger beer.

Disco champions and London scene veterans HMD make their Dubai debuts, with Conan Liquid and Matthew Charles on support across 2 rooms. 9pm-3am, Dhs100.

House of Cuba, Cuba, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel

Something Big Yacht Party, Pier 7

Pete Doyle and Smokingroove on rotation dropping Latin-tinged beats.

Weekly.

Big bass and DnB beats from Icicle, ANT TC1 and a host of local support on this 125ft yacht. 9.30pm, Dhs295 including open bar.

History of House, Level 41

Vintage, Societe Dubai

Jamrock, Ego Lounge

We Are One, 2Liv Palm Sofitel

The retro night returns at Media One’s stunning venue, with K Klass and Angie Brown among the stars. 9pm3am, Dhs100.

Calypso, dub, reggae and urban from the expert residents. 10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, weekly.

80s, 90s and 00s at this newly launched alternative venue, with tables for 4 starting from Dhs1100.

10pm-3am. Weekly.

All things urban at this jumping Thursday night spot. 10pm-3am. Weekly, Thursday and Friday.

Wally Lopez, XL Beach club

The Spanish house champion and Space Ibiza resident hits XL. 10pm-3am.

VIP Room On Air, VIP Room

A new Thursday night concept, with live acts and celebrities promised. 10pm3am. Weekly.

Friday 11 Audio tonic, 360

Raxon, Rod Lee Winters and Russ Cooper are on deck duty upstairs at this weekly house night, with Marko Smokingroove dropping a jackin’ set Below.

4pm-3am, free.

Trance vibes from the Amsterdan record label and their guest DJs. 1pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK!

Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE feat. Jamie Jones A big big booking, with the Hot Creations main man Jamie Jones dropping a deep house set. 11am11pm, reservation@ bluemarlinibiza-uae.com

Deep Crates feat.

Vadim, Q Underground Hip hop, soul and all things funk from the Deep Crates crew, with guest Russian DJ Vadim. 9pm-3am, Dhs125.

Wall-to-wall urban tunes 6 nights a week, with a strong roster of residents including Dany Neville, Rone Jaxx and Soulninja.

Electric Days feat. Fur Coat, Tamanya Terrace

The popular rooftop party turns 1 with guests Fur Coat dropping the main house set. 6pm-1am, guestlist only via doorlist@ electricdays.net.

Freaks and Beats, Cirque Le Soir

Nick Tohme heads up this weekly night, where entertainment is at the fore.

10pm-3am. Weekly.

House of Afrika feat. Jo Jo Flores, Dek on 8

More Afro-themed house and techno, with US DJ Jo Jo Flores the main act.

4pm-3am, free.

Irie Fridays, Sublime

Bosscity DJ Rabu and Ras Dru drop the reggae riddims.

9pm-3am, Dhs60, ladies free before 11pm. Weekly.

Insomniacs, Story Rooftop

Deep, tech house from guest DJ, Rosario Internullo.

9pm-3am, Dhs50 in advance.

PARTY GUIDE

Armada Night feat.

David Gravell and Ruben De Ronde, XL Beach

Ego Urban Lounge, Boutique 7 Hotel, Tecom

ARTY GUIDE

Kings of Leon Tribute, Music Room If you can’t wait for the real thing, then get your rock fix from this tribute act. 9pm3am, Dhs100.

Massive Fridays, Sensation

Urban, hip hop and RnB vibes ever Friday at this Sheikh Zayed Road hangout.

10.30pm.

INFUSION PICK! Plus Minus Sessions feat.

Kollectiv Turmstrasse, Nasimi

Deep, emotional house with some techier edges from the German duo playing live.

2pm-2am, Dhs130 advance.

Ravelations feat.

Laughing Buddha, Domeland Chi

A Psytrance rave in the heart of Dubai, with the UK’s Laughing Buddha headlining.

9pm-3am, Dhs125.

Rock Your Sanity, Boutiq

House of all shapes and sizes at this very cool 2 room venue in the Address Hotel, Dubai Mall. Weekly.

Soap feat. Ferry Corsten, People By Crystal

Big room trance and electro from the Dutch star.

10pm-3am.

Sunset Soul, Cuba, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel

Trusted DJs David Craig and Schooly rotate, dropping a classic urban soundtrack.

Turntables on the Gulf, Dusk Terrace

An all day funk, soul, hip hop and house party featuring NYC’s Nickodemus, Bam from the Jungle Brothers and a long local support list including Hamdan Al Abri.

2pm-midnight, Dhs80.

Saturday 12 411, People By Crystal

DJ Bliss and Shef Codes drop Urban classics, new and old, at this World Cup Edition. 10pm-3am. Weekly.

Homegrown, 360

Sunset house grooves to peak time floor fillers from the Homegrown crew. 4pm3am, free.

Thursday 17 Lionel Richie, Media City Amphitheatre

Classics all night long from living legend Lionel Richie.

7pm, advance tickets Dhs295.

Dave seaman, 360

Pumping house music from the dance music veteran, 8pm, free entry.

Friday 18 audio tonic feat.

Mic Newman, 360

Freerange Records star Newman stars Above, while Analog Room’s Medhi takes care of business below, with house across both floors.

4pm-3am, free.

Darius Syrossian and Just B, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

Another hard-hitting house double header, with Viva Records Syrossian and Just B (AKA Bushwacka of Layo & fame) on the decks. 11am-11pm.

INFUSION PICK!

Groove on the Grass feat. Tale of Us, Emirates Golf Course

Electric Days feat.

Smash TV, Tamanya Terrace

Another weekly dose of rooftop house party vibes. 6pm-1am, guestlist only via doorlist@ electricdays.net.

House of Afrika feat.

DJ Aires & Michael Lesar, Dek on 8

Afro, deep and tech house vibes from the bustling weekly party, with DJ Aires & Michael Lesar guesting from South Africa. 4pm-3am, free.

Jay Wud, Eye and Two Wooden Spoons line up for this celebration of local live music. 7pm-late, Dhs80.

STep on feat. Peter Hook, Level 41

New Order’s bassist and Hacienda owner turns indiedance Dj for the night. 9pm3am, free before 11pm.

Tea Dance by Ganz feat. Sharam Jey, The Address Montgomerie Glamorous house party, with Nu-Disco champion Sharam Jey joined by local stars The Toyboys. 5pm-midnight.

Saturday 19 Social, 360

Live music at sunset followed by some of the city’s best house DJs until the early hours. 5pm-3am, free.

Monday 21

INFUSION PICK!

Hip Hop Chic feat.

Jazzy Jeff, Cirque Le Soir One of our favourite DJs returns for a mixed up masterclass. 10pm-3am.

PARTY GUIDE

Another on-form booking from the GotG team, with Italian duo Tale of Us dropping a widescreen house set, with international support from Mind Against. 7pm-3am, Dhs160 in advance, platinumlist.net.

Journeys of the Eastern Mind, Music Room

BARASTI BEACH SUNSET CONCERT WITH

THE DUB PISTOLS

feat. MARTY METCALF . DJ VENUS . MARC T . DAVE ARMSTRONG . TOM FERGUSON

Friday APRIL 25TH 2014

THE DUB PISTOLS LIVE ON STAGE FROM 6PM FREE ENTRY all day, all night 11am until 3am BARASTI . Le Meridien Mina Seyahi . Beach Resort & Marina

m a k i n g t h e m o s t o f yo u r d ay a n d m o r e o f yo u r n i g h t !

Look AND

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

> Music News > Album Reviews > DJ Booth > Meet the Promoter > Soundstage > DJ Top 10

Look and Listen

Music News...

Battle of the bands competition

Calling all unsigned bands – Zippo have teamed up with a crack squad of judges including Dany Neville, Fatiniza and Nikotin to find two new Dubai acts. Entrants should submit their original music to zippoencorearabia.com, where the 5 English and 5 Arabic bands with the most Facebook votes will be narrowed to two winners by the judging panel. Entries must be in by April 13.

The Imagineer

Combining the visual stimulation of an acrobatic circus with the world-class IMAX experience, the 3 day Imagineer show kicks off at the Meydan on April 17. The 70 minute show is a blend of circus and big screen treats, with stunning performances by the Las Vegas cast Le Petit Cirque, and renowned Dutch actor Halili Gashi. For more information and tickets, head to Platinumlist.ae.

Sunny Outlook

The Something Big team have teamed up with Croatian festival Outlook and are putting on a bass heavy yacht party in Dubai on Thursday April 10. Shogun Audio’s Icicle and Metalheadz’ Ant TC 1 are on Drum and Bass headline duties, with local support including DJ Mocity from the Reggae Rajahs. Advance tickets for the 125 ft yacht party are Dhs295 including unlimited drinks and pizza, available from Platinumlist.net.

Winners o f 4 Gramm ys including Hip-Hop album of the year presents

special Guest:

Friday 25th april CALLING ALL DESIGNERS

Design Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ official Abu Dhabi event merchandise.

du arena, yas island, abu dhabi

www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores or call 800 TM UAE (800 86 823)

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.ThINkFLASh.AE HOtel partner

Official tV

Official radiO

Official Magazine

ticketing retailer

ticketing partner

talent partner

Look and Listen

Album Reviews...

Andy Buchan – Repeater EP (Infusion Records) House/Nu-Disco I Infusion.ae



Another month, and another dose of musical goodness from the Infusion Records crew. With his last EP picked up by some of the Middle East’s best DJs, and with props from Bicep to boot, Andy Buchan has upped the tempo for his 3rd EP and headed into filter disco territory for his lead track.

With its funky guitar backbone, glistening synths and hypnotic vocal stabs, ‘Repeater’ is a Nu-Disco gem, with plenty of filtered licks to give it that 90s feel. And, in keeping with his other work, it has a wellcrafted breakdown leading to a mid-track drop. Equally funk-laden is follow up track ‘You You You’ which drops the tempo to a chunky 108BPM, but ups the ante with a Burj-sized bassline sat on top of a sweet Rhodes riffs and a riotous Moog lead line. In short, it packs a serious punch: yet more proof that slow is the new fast.

Sean P – Rock It Don’t Stop It Hip hop/Funk

I



www.bbemusic.com

Crate-digging is a talent, it’s a skill, and it’s about being in the right place at the right time. So it’s no surprise that cult label BBE turned to groove aficionado Sean P for this mustown collection of boogie-heavy hip hop classics from the late 70s. After all, this is the man commonly called the Black Music Oracle.

With funk to the fore, these 10 tracks showcase a 6 year period that gave the world tracks like ‘Good Times’ and ‘Rapper’s Delight.’ So we have funk-fried hip hop treats like opener ‘Boom’ by Hardcore and the electro squelch of Rickey G and the Everloving Five’s ‘To The Max.’ There’s not a dud track in the package, and with BPMs ranging from 98 to 124, there’s something for everyone. Now if only the current crop of ‘hip hop’ stars could get a dose of this musical history, the world would be a better place.

Look and Listen ALBUM BITES Fidgit – Sky High

Experimental/Indie

fidgit.bandcamp.com/album/sky-high

For more Album Reviews go to www.infusion.ae



It was easier to characterize Fidgit’s earlier work – the Dubai producer created careering dubstep, with fizzing drops and balls out bass. This new material is entirely different, and pleasingly so.

Musically, it’s a surging dark mass of melancholy, with ‘Heat On The Hills’ the stand out: it’s the sort of track you could imagine the Walking Dead closing on. Elsewhere, ‘Six Feet From the Sun’ has a Fourtet sparkle about it, while ‘Down River’ sounds like a Tycho remix of Nine Inch Nails, all weird electronic burbles and punchy drums, while ‘Bones Like Grass’ is the only nod to history, thanks to its dubstep-ish beat. As an EP, it more than holds its own, and is yet more proof that Dubai’s music scene can evolve and grow, just as Fidgit has.

MUSIC THAT MATTERS

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

Wriggly Scott – Del La Soul mix 2 hour, 47 track mix cramming in all their classics, as well as crate-digging for some of the original samples. Excellent. mixcloud.com/djSolo/flavourof-the-month-de-la-soulspecial-20-03-14/

Miss PM – Sundown Session Up-tempo tech house from the Atlantis resident, with some deeper, trippier moments thrown into the mix. soundcloud.com/miss-pm/ sundown-session Jorge Montia – Shake It Up (Groove Society) High energy, funky house track from the Dubai label that brings to mind Gramophonedzie. soundcloud.com/ thegroovesociety/shake-it-uporiginal-mix Nader Razdar – Live from Story Rooftop Drivin tech and deep house mix from Spanish DJ Nader Razdar recorded live for the Insomniacs night. soundcloud.com/naderrazdar/ nader-razdar-live-at Monsafe Smokingroove – Underground House Set Street-smart 2 hour live mix from one half of the Smokingroove duo, with cuts from H.O.S.H, Lovebirds, Ninetoes and more. soundcloud.com/monsafe/ monsafe-recorded-live-march

PRESENTS

RD 3 & T S 1 Y ER H T DJS EV N O M E H T SAT OF

19TH APRIL – CHARL CHAKA & SHY AYNETCHI

DOORS OPEN 6PM–3AM I 360°, JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL I FREE ENTRANCE I STRICTLY 21+ I ID REQUIRED DRESS CODE : SMART CASUAL, NO FLIP FLOPS ALLOWED I TABLE BOOKINGS : 056 682 6617 I INFO@INFUSION.AE /INFUSIONMAG I /360DUBAI

/INFUSIONMAGAZINE I /360DUBAI

WWW.INFUSION.AE

DJ Booth: Nick Tohme Behind the scenes with the Dubai veteran and Cirque Le Soir resident DJ‌

One thing you might not know about me is… I’ve had a crush on Mira Sorvino since I was a young boy.

My worst ever job was… What’s a job?

My favourite ever record is… There are no favourite records, good music is good music in all of its forms. When you’re a DJ/Musician and are exposed to lots of new musical material on a daily basis, it becomes extremely hard to have a preferred record that would last more than a week, because 1 week later another one will come and top it.

DJing is much like… Saying “I love you” but only when you mean it.

Dubai’s clubbing scene is… Generating a lot of money.

I’m really proud of… Turning 35 in few weeks, and realizing that when I was a young kid, this is exactly how I visualized my career would be!

I can’t live without… Having goosebumps.

My biggest DJ achievement to date is… Having my name said with a smile.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Haagen Dazs (Strawberry Cheesecake).

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be… Well I’m pretty happy where I am right now, and definitely wouldn’t want to go to any older era.

If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be…

Only my twin (if I had any) because it’s really not easy at all to go back to back with another DJ, he can “unintentionally” put you out of your mood in no time, and ruin your flow, and this is very dangerous when you’re on a mission to rock a crowd!

I’m not a politician but… You can vote for me. soundcloud.com/nicktohme www.facebook.com/clubbeats

MEET YOUR PROMOTER

Now a year old, Electric Days have gone from a cult underground party to an award-winning weekly, with a dedication to bringing out fresh house DJs, with an emphasis on getting the right crowd together on their rooftop terrace‌ What events do you currently run?

Electric Days and Go Baby Go and we recently launched Dub Ethics with Sami (our third partner).

What’s the key ingredient to building a good brand and promoting?

Being original, always reinventing, staying true to the music and involving our community.

– Electric Days Need to know Running since: April 13, 2013 Run by: Third Eye Crew – Rima Rached and Dania Ismail Venues: Tamanya Terrace, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City Artists played: Laura Jones, Chloe, Digitaria, Francesca Lombardo, Fur Coat, Aquarius Heaven, Anek, Kim Ann Foxman, Mr Ties, Louie Fresco, Mia Lucci, Cassette, Alley Oop, Connie, Lauren Lo Sung, Him_Self_Her, Kate Simko, Anna Lunnoe, and a whole bunch of legends from Sydney.

Local residents: Amy Wells, Le Jackal, Rishi, James Locksmith

You have a very unique door policy, what are you looking for in your guests, and why did you initiate it?

Our venue is quite small which forces us to be selective on entry, having a guest list allows us to get to know our crowd better and make everyone feel like they are part of the Electric Days family. We really just want our guests to come to Electric Days for the same reason we go and the same reason we created the party.

We appreciate a crowd that appreciates us, we put our heart and soul into making these parties special and by having a strict door policy we make sure people that feel the same way about music and partying get to come and enjoy it with us.

What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Not being prepared for a stormy Dubai day! But we survived and fortunately so did our crowd.

And the biggest success?

Being able to book some of the most respected names in house music, we feel such gratitude and pride to be able to host the likes of Laura Jones and Kim Ann Foxman (to name a few) at ED parties.

What’s been the most outlandish/odd thing you’ve seen on an artist rider?

Crackers? Most of our artists are really cool and down to earth people, no divas so far.

How does your day job affect what you do?

Well it’s hard and stressful but it works, we are focusing more of our time on building up the agency and representing our DJs so we will both be full time on Third Eye very soon.

How do you balance what you want to see and what the crowd wants, and when have you got that wrong and right?

Generally, the crowd wants good music and so do we. The music has been consistent at Electric Days and that’s what keeps our people coming back. It’s always tricky with live acts, but to be honest we have always been blown away by the international DJs, our local DJs, and the regional ones like the kick ass C U NXT SAT peeps.

Who do you see as your competition in the city?

No competition, we love how the Dubai music scene is super friendly and supportive, we consider everyone in the industry a friend and support each other’s events as much as we can, we love it when we see DJs and promoters from other parties at Electric Days on the dance floor, we do the same!

Who would you most like to bring out to the region?

So many, there are not enough Fridays in the year! We have a long wish list!

Pro mo ters I ad mire: All, especially Analog Room, Dust, Infusion, GotG, Audiotonic, Blitz, and the list goes on‌.

Electric Days, every Friday, Tamanya Terrace, Radisson SAS, 6pm-1am, guestlist only via doorlist@ electricdays.net

Soundstage

Craig Perry

With a debut album set to be recorded in the summer, and with a strong local following, Dubai singer-songwriter Craig Perry is taking 2014 by storm‌

The last pop star I liked was… Liked or like liked?! To be honest I wish I had more time to listen to new music, currently the travesty known as local radio only pushes the usual suspects. Justin Timberlake is a legend though; the man every woman wants, and the man every man wants to be.

My music has been compared to… A diamond in the rough.

You can see the sparkle but it just needs polishing a bit. That’s kind of the point though. One rather inebriated person at a gig last week said it was like Damien Rice cheered up and decided to get drunk and write some rock music - I liked that.

When I make it, the one thing I want on my rider is… A talking parrot. Or a talking monkey, but that’s probably going a bit far. Basically any animal that can talk.

My musical motto is… Be honest. If people believe what you are singing then it’s much easier.

Best gig you’ve played?

The Music Room in February. It was the debut of me and the band as well as the EP ‘launch’. The crowd honestly seemed to have a great time and we’ve been approached for more work, bigger stuff, as a result. I’m still waiting for Sandance to call, I’d love to play on that stage, an early slot is fine. Call me.

And the worst?

Easily the Formula 1 pre-show on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Nearly 2,000 local kids at a free gig, all revved up by the DJ on before me. I mean they were going mental - dancing around, shouting, cheering. As soon as the music stopped for me to go on they started booing and chanting ‘DJ DJ DJ’. When they introduced me they booed, then I walked out and they booed some more! The organisers were great though, although the only advice they offered was “it was worse last night, they will soon get bored”. And in fairness they did eventually. Eventually.

Dubai has a strong cover song culture – what’s the one song you couldn’t cover?

‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis. So fed up of hearing that song. I do have to play covers occasionally in sets and that one always gets requested, but I refuse to play it. I guess couldn’t is different to wouldn’t though. I couldn’t cover most things by Jeff Buckley… I love him but that voice, perfection. www.facebook.com/CraigPerryMusic

DJ Spider Wavebreaker - Hilton Dubai JBR

Chris Cab - Liar Liar (DJ Dan Edit) Duke Dumont feat. Jax Jones - I Got U Gorgon City - Ready For Your Love ft. Mnek Ruben Mandolini - Fire Nut (Original Mix) Wade - Together is Better (Original Mix) Yousef ft Roy Davis Jr - Believe In Love Booka Shade - Chateau Rouge (Original Mix) Daft Punk - Instant Crush ft. Julian Casablancas Pan-Pot - Rosinenbomber Raxon - Soul Storm (Original Mix)

DJ Kirk Caramel Lounge soundcloud.com/ deejaykirk

Route 94 – My Love (Original Mix) - Rinse Storm Queen - It Goes On (Vox) - Environ Le Youth - Dance With Me (Original Mix) – Sony Music Ent Atumpan - The Thing (Todd Edwards Remix) Ministry Of Sound S Black Boi - Drunk Kissing - Babii We Str8 Music Shift K3Y – Touch - Columbia Stylo G -Move Back (Grant Nelson Mix) – 3Beat Ferreck Dawn – Love Too Deep (Original Mix) Material Sub Focus - Turn It Around (MK Remix) – Mercury Busta Rhymes – Thank You (Teddy’s Philly Sound Remix) - Teddy Philly

Hollaphonic soundcloud.com/ hollaphonic

Fox Stevenson - Tico Icarus - Like I Do (Wile Out! Remix) GotSome Feat. The Get Along Gang Bassline (Chocolate Puma Remix) Tchami - Promesses (feat Kaleem Taylor) My Nu Leng - Masterplan (Ft. Fox) Buku - No One Does Jamtech - That Life Martin Garrix - Wizard (Tchami Remix) The Aston Shuffle - Tear It Down (Low Steppa Remix) Crazy White Boy - Love you Better

To submit your Top 10, send in the above format to andy@infusion.ae

ARE YOU THE

NEXT BIG ARTIST?

It’s your chance to become a LEGEND.

BUY YOUR EVENT TICKETS & GET DISCOUNTS ON MUSIC, MOVIES & BOOKS

Looking

CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

> Weird News > Eat Sleep Rave Repeat > Cool Test > Movies > Angry Monkey

Looking Closer

Weird News...

To be, or not to be ripped off

Revenge was very sweet for one Bristol man. After the PS3 games console he’d bought for Dhs400 failed to be delivered, he texted the fraudster the collected work of Shakespeare, spread over a beep-tastic 29,305 individual text messages.

Jizz face

Want to know the secret to youthful skin? Well, 67 year old Stella Ralfini, reckons her long-lasting good looks are thanks to her face masks made from sperm. The self-titled ‘tantric guide and practitioner’ earns a living coaching couples on how to ‘throw off their inhibitions’ while lovemaking.

She says: “Your lover’s semen is the freshest cell therapy available on our planet. It’s packed with recognised proteins and minerals that are known to reduce the aging process and the best part is, this beauty secret worth its weight in gold is free.”

Grand theft auto

Next time you drop your Ferrari in for a tune up, bear in mind that it could be razzed up and down Sheikh Zayed road, thanks to this cautionary tale.

An Austrian mechanic couldn’t resist taking a customer’s Lamborghini for a spin, and wrote off the Dhs800,000 sportscar. Niklas Schwartz lost control of the 520PS, slamming it into a barrier and flipping it, while he escaped without a scratch.

BEFORE AFTER

Cool

It might not be wise, considering the audio tonic boys work 3 floors below us and revenge could be quick and sweet, but we’ve paired up Mr Mr and Raxon for this issue’s cool test.

MrMr

Who has the cooler DJ name?

Raxon

I’d say we are on par to be fair.

Mine might need decoding in order for someone to actually realise what it means (my title, first and middle name) but it could be construed as cheesy. I wish mine sounded cool twice.

However every time I say his name I get the urge to catch a fly with chopsticks – just like Mr Miyagee (wax on… wax off).

Where’s the coolest place you’ve DJ’d?

The dark dank toilets in Privilege Ibiza! The rest of the club was a sweatbox, it was nice and cool down there, if not a little wiffy.

Has to be at the BPM Festival in Mexico right on the beach, I did the closing slot in the Akbal party.

And the coolest track in your arsenal right now?

Jaymo & Andy George -’Tales It’s called the ‘Heart is a Lonely from the Basement’ (Original Hunter’ by Scotty.A (Mike Mix). I’ve been dropping this for Griego Remix). a while now, just gets the party started instantly.

Your best answer to a request/heckle is…

Sorry, I have that on one of my hard drives at home, somewhere I can’t find, and I’ve just played it, where have never will. Or for a heckle, simply smile persistently at you been!? them and put your thumbs up, they eventually go away.

MrMr VS Raxon

What’s your biggest claim to fame?

Saying hello to Trevor McDonald at a cash point in London, we had a bit of Meeting the actual artist that banter and he went on his draws the characters of Street way. He’s the coolest man Fighter. in the world after all (after Morgan Freeman).

It’s not big and clever but…

Raxon has a mini hairdryer for It can do back flips and his beard. moonwalk.

Your answer to everything is…

Send me an email. Good luck.

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

Get some head hair you Mike The Ripper, he knows hound. exactly what I’m talking about!

The verdict: We’re going to hand this one to MrMr, as we’re not sure The Ripper is someone we want to mess with.

Audio tonic every Friday @ 360, 4pm-3am, Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

eat sleep rave repeat are no shortage of four OKKU There letter Japanese eateries in town, but there’s only one of them that’s home-grown, Okku. We sent our roving food reporter Stephen Day down to 1 Sheikh Zayed Road to investigate

To say you’ve sampled Japanese cuisine because you had some Sushi once is a bit like stating you’ve experienced all that America has to offer after a Big Mac. In the right hands Japanese food can be a revelation and one that I’m particularly fond of. Its balance of ingredients along with traditional, centuries old techniques creates something truly unique.

We were greeted by a row of very friendly hostesses and led past the well stocked and highly competent bar with its illuminated

jellyfish tank and into the main restaurant.

We had great seats, sat at the back of the long open kitchen, while a DJ dropped solid Nu-Disco and house tunes throughout the night (including some Disclosure), expertly setting the mood.

Our waiter, Dedy, was on hand to offer extensive knowledge of the menu and suggest his favourites. And so we went with the signature Okku salad and a crispy duck salad, followed by some smaller fish and seafood dishes, all paired with different wines, thanks to the attentive Sommelier.

The generous the duck salad was one of the nicest I’ve eaten in a long time, a mess of fresh leaves, sticky plum dressing and moist shredded meat, layered with a crisp handful of pomegranate seeds.

Equally good were the ‘O’ style scallops, including a perfectly judged amount of truffle.

Next came our Sushi, Maki and Temaki, expertly matched with a chilled Junai Sake from the Gekkeikan brewery, a lean and tasty beef, some light and crunchy Prawn Tempura, several to-die-for Seabass dumplings and - my personal favourite - a garden maki consisting of beetroot, asparagus, cucumber, topped with creamy avocado. It all came served on a large sharing plate and looked (briefly) like a work of art.

After a quick change of glasses for our incoming bottle of warm Sake to complement some larger plates, we carried on with our fishy theme. The Miso Black Cod might be a signature dish across the city, and it didn’t disappoint. Rich, creamy and sharp, it sums up the Japanese dining experience: take a simple ingredient and, with a few carefully thought out touches, it’s transformed into something amazing. We also chose the Dynamite Kani, which although eye-wateringly expensive, did come with two whole baked King Crab legs and was a lovely, clean meaty plate of food.

With bellies full, it took a lot to tempt me, with the light Green Tea Soufflé, which came with a bowl of Japanese alcohol doing just that as subtle hints of tea and sweet liquor balanced nicely.

We had a fantastic evening at Okku: the staff are fun, professional and enthusiastic whilst the vibe itself is laid back yet dynamic without the attitude you get at other places beginning with N or Z. It can be pricey, but the portions are generous and there’s a wide range of items on the menu, and with 15 new dishes on the menu for March, there’s never been a better time to visit.

Okku, The H Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04 501 8777 okku.com

MOVIE Transcendence

Much hyped Sci-fi as a terminally ill scientist (Johnny Depp) downloads himself onto a computer, granting him unstoppable power.

A Matrix for 2014? The signs look promising.

Classification: PG 13 Director: Wally Pfister Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman

The Last Days on Mars

More Sci-fi, but this time a bit more far flung, as a group of astronauts succumb to a mysterious force while collecting specimens on Mars.

Classification: 15 Director: Ruairi Robinson Starring: Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai

PREVIEWS Walk of Shame

A reporter’s dream of becoming a news anchor is compromised after a one-night stand leaves her stranded in downtown L.A. without a phone, car, ID or money and only 8 hours to make it to the most important job interview of her life.

Classification: 15 Director: Steve Brill Starring: Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden

The Grand Budapest Hotel Off kilter goodness from Wes Anderson, as he tells the tale of a legendary concierge at a famous European Hotel between the wars, with an all star cast.

Classification: 15 Director: Wes Anderson Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton

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

COMING SOON

Not Import-ant This city is built on imports. We import our talent, we import our food and we probably even import our own sand, cos we’re that stupid.

And there are no shortage of imported clubs in the city – Movida and Mahiki from London, White from Beirut, Tabla from Egypt, Pacha from Ibiza (eventually) and countless more.

But it seems there’s trouble with the latest import, a high end UK chain that just launched.

The owners initially denied all knowledge of the club and its Middle East franchise, before they quickly did a U-turn and backed the new venture. Which leads us to the main thrust of this rant – no one gives a s***, no one cares about a has been club in London launching a money-making franchise in a clogged up business model in Dubai. Unless you’re bringing over Space Ibiza and all the hedonistic after hours messiness that guarantees, we genuinely don’t care.

Monkey Out...

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

this is your LATEST FUNKY LADIES NIGHT in town this is FREE DRINKS for LADIES ALL NIGHT this is DAVID CRAIG & NTHAYI this is TABLA every TUESDAY this is YOU... this is ME this is LADIES this is WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE this is INFUSION MAGAZINE & No.1 EVENTS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

FREE ENTRY I SELECTED COMPLIMENTARY BEVERAGES FOR LADIES ALL NIGHT I 21+ TABLA, GRAND MILLENNIUM HOTEL, TECOM I DOORS OPEN 11PM–3AM I BBM 2A2A7911 #InfusionMagazine #No.1EVENTS #tablaclubdubai

#InfusionMag #No1Events_Dubai #TablaClub

#InfusionMagazine #no1events_dubai #tablaclubdubai

For Reservations Please Call 800 Cavalli (2282554) or 04 332 9260 or 050 991 0400 Reservations@CavalliClubDubai.com - www.CavalliClubDubai.com