Infusion # 264: Feb 7-21 2016

GUEST LIST TALAL BUDEBS Publisher

CHARL CHAKA

Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae

ANDY BUCHAN

Editor andy@infusion.ae

VIP PATEL

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

CHRIS RAYNER

Online Guru chris@infusion.ae

PAULA MANGUEIRA Design design@infusion.ae

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ah, the David Craig/Craig David confusion continues, after a local publication told readers that the ‘7 Days’ star would be playing at House of Afrika. We’d rather have the DXB DJ (and ex professional footballer) David Craig any day of the week, but that didn’t stop dozens of you coming up asking for a cheeky re-re-rewind.

Feeling nostalgic over the good old days? Then head to ravearchive. com, a lovingly compiled – and entirely free – selection of mix tapes from back in the day, including rare mixes from Carl Cox, Derrick Carter, Grooverider and more.

INFUSION IS PUBLISHED BY

Big ups to the organisers of the Future of the UAE Music industry discussion and the on point guest panel – we’d love to get the DTCM involved next time please!

OUR PARTNERS

Mass tagging on Facebook.

Seriously, cut that ish out. May you be poked to a slow online death.

Vip Patel, Chris Rayner, Matt Zaharias, Sam Moult Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098

Beatport’s parent company SFX declared bankruptcy recently, which might affect mega festivals like Tomorrow World.

Copy cat nights - oh, hey Deep Like Beirut - that cash in another night’s hard work by stealing the concept and name.

BLACK LIST

SAY WHAT? RUMOURS A new US club concept is set to launch at the Meydan later this year.

Nikki Beach have confirmed they’re opening this Spring on Jumeirah Beach Road.

DANCEFLOOR DICTIONARY: Glory hunter: A DJ who, when playing back-toback, or coming on after another DJ, will happily take the credit for, or start showboating over, a track he didn’t put on

OLD JOKES HOME: How many DJs does it take to screw in a light bulb?

23. Two to hold the ladder, one to climb the ladder and screw it in, and the rest sitting there with their arms folded thinking they could do it better.

MEME CORNER:

instagram.com/infusionmagazine

WE LOVE Deep Like

You know you’re doing something right when copy-cat promoters jump on your bandwagon. It’s not bothered Deep Like though, the deep house party held every week at the JW Marriott Marquis.

Founded by Ohm Events, one of the longest running promoters in town, they quickly hit gold with their approach – pulsating, deep house music that attracted a clued up crowd from day one to dance under their canopy in the open air. Now housed at GQ Bar which is undergoing a renaissance, their bookings have been low-key but consistent, bringing out rising stars like Pete Oak, Rampue and international regular Nico Stojan. Alongside that, they have a tightknit team of resident DJs including Hoolz, Josephine De Retour and main man JC Pinto that never fail to deliver. Running a weekly isn’t easy, especially when you’re battling copy cat deep house nights – but for the last 20 months, Deep Like have been doing their thing, week in, week out, with style and a loyal following.

LOOKING

BACK

Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.

• WHAT WE DID • PHOTO GALLERY

Looking Back

What we did

PIKNIC ELECTRONIK @ MONTGOMERIE GOLF CLUB A new year, a new venue and the best Piknic yet. Now based on the Par 3 course at the Montgomerie overlooking the Marina, the first of 8 up-coming day-time parties filled up quickly with a cool mix of families and house heads. The Deep Like resident DJs were on warm up duties, with Sam Farsio and JC Pinto impressing with their mellow, deep house sounds, before the first of the headliners, Portguese duo Moullineux, took over with a more streamlined, techy sound. With more food trucks, a bigger bar set up and some gently rolling hills (and bunkers that doubled up as kiddy sandpits), the set up gave the mini festival an all inclusive feel. And the stunning sunset was the icing on top of the cake.

Up next: SĂŠbastien LĂŠger & Francesca Lombardo, February 20

BACK2BASICS FEAT. DAVE SEAMAN @ LEVEL 41 We couldn’t get ourselves and our dancing shoes down to Level 41 until the third session of the newly launched weekly club night Back 2 Basics, but it’s a testament to the strong lineup they’ve brought in that we still got to see a veteran of the scene, Dave Seaman.

As you might expect from the name and the venue, Back 2 Basics have stripped out everything superfluous, leaving us with a dark room, a good sound system and a DJ with killer tunes in his crate.

I really have to hand it to them here, as the vibe on the night was unlike any other we’ve seen in Dubai, with big smiles all around and the feeling that you could strike up a conversation with ease with anyone in the club.

Dave Seaman took over at 12:30 from the on-point warmup DJs and as you’d expect, a journey through great progressive tunes followed.

Throwing in a splash of techno here and there, the dance floor never emptied, and he finished the night with the well selected Undercatt remix of Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’. With more big names to come, including Hernan Cattaneo and James Zabiela, you need look no further than front and center here on Thursday nights to find us for the foreseeable future.

Matt Zaharias Up next: Satoshi Tomiie February 11, Harry ‘Choo Choo’

Looking Back

DENNIS FERRER & MAGDALENA @ BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE It may have been freakishly cold and windy last Friday but that didn’t stop the BMI faithful from making the pilgrimage to Ghantoot for Dennis Ferrer and Magdalena. Local legend Fredrick Stone was on warm up duties. Playing on one of the best sound systems in the region we couldn’t help but get into his sundown set. Next up to the decks was Hamburgs own Magdalena who worked the crowd dropping some of her own tracks produced and released on Diynamic, which went down a treat. Last but not least was veteran Dennis Ferrer who turned things up a notch with a well received mix of deep and tech house synonymous with the stalwart of the scene. With an elegant private beach, beautiful people, great music and an extravagantly landscaped DJ Booth that would make Alan Titchmarsh jealous it’s hard not to have a good time at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE. Vip Patel Up next: Blond:Ish February 12, Hot Since 82 February 19

LOADED 60S SPECIAL @ CASA LATINA

BRAZILIAN SPIRIT @ DEK ON 8

BACK2BASICS FEAT. QUIVVER @ LEVEL 41

TRIPLAND @ CIRQUE LE SOIR

JUDGE JULES @ XL

PLUS MINUS FEAT. PIG & DAN @ LEVEL 41

ROSAY @ CAVALLI

LOOKING

FORWARD

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

• LOCAL NEWS •A GUY CALLED GERBER • BEATS ON THE BEACH •RIDE ON TIME • 5 MINUTES WITH KOLOMBO •PURE AND SIMPLE •THE STAGE OF TRANCE •THE 264 CRU

Looking Forward

Local News NIKKI BEACH SET FOR LAUNCH

Renowned beach resort Nikki Beach are launching their 13th global outlet in Dubai this Spring. The 52,000 square meter property includes several restaurants and bars and 400m of private beachfront, and is set to launch in the next few months on Pearl Jumeirah at the Bur Dubai end of Jumeirah Beach Road.

BLUE MARLIN HOT SINCE 82

Blue Marlin are back with another fierce triple bill on Friday February 19 as they have hard-hitting house stars Hot Since 82, Josh Butler and Popof behind the decks. Josh Butler was a stand out hit for audio tonic last season, while Hot Since 82 is a global house star now thanks to recent club hits like ‘Damage’ and ‘Veins.’

Expect this to be a big one, so get down early.

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BE A BLACK SHEEP” /Black-Sheep-UAE

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Looking Forward

ET W!LD GET DSYFUNKTIONAL AT EDEN

New techno only night Dsyfunktion is back at Square on Friday February 12 with an all star local line up. Groove on the Grass founder Deian headlines, with support from Maks and Dysfunktion residents Tobie Allen and Ju Lovett. The twisted techno night is free before midnight, and AED100 after.

BEEDLE’S ABOVE

Soulful house outfit Cuts Above have their first international booking of the season at 360, and it’s none other than X-Press 2’s Ashley Beedle on Thursday February 11. A man with an encyclopedic knowledge of music, he’s best known for his discoleaning house remixes, and was referenced in Daft Punk’s ‘Teachers.’

Looking Forward

ET W!LD REDFEST AT EDEN FEAT. STEVE AOKI

RedFest returns again this February, with festival favourite Steve Aoki and Rita Ora our picks of the Thursday February 11 line up. Friday meanwhile features BBC Radio 1 DJ Mistajam as well as Adam Lambert, Queen’s new lead singer, as well as UK pop stars 5th Harmony. Tickets are AED400 for a day pass, or AED700 for the weekend from redfestdxb.com

LIQUID REFRESHMENT

In what’s possibly a world first – and definitely for the region – Bassworx are throwing a DnB brunch on Friday February 19 at Story Rooftop. Cunningly called Liquid, they’ll be throwing down 4 hours of liquid DnB grooves over the AED250 brunch, with UK DJ Mistanoize headlining, with a strong local support bill including Somalie, Mach 4, Woodle, Anderson Lima and Cruz. The party then continues on, with entry AED50 after 4pm.

KRAAK & SMAAK GO BANANAS

Weekly wonky house night Bananas is back in action with Dutch trio Kraak and Smaak making their regional debut on Friday February 12 at Story Rooftop. The highly rated group started making waves in the music world in 2005 with their low-slung, bass-friendly house and disco sound, and are currently working on their 5th studio album. Support comes from Rutherford and Ben Echo, with free entry all night.

Looking Forward

ET W!LD HARDWELL AT EDEN RETURNS TO THE UAE

DJ Magazine’s No.1 DJ Hardwell is coming back to Dubai on Friday February 19 to play an exclusive 3 hour set as part of his I Am Hardwell world tour. Held at the 8,000 capacity Meydan venue, Hardwell will be bringing his signature big room house and EDM sound to the city, supported by fast-rising act Kill The Buzz. Tickets start from AED295 from Platinumlist.net, with doors open from 7pm.

DECIBEL GO TECH

New night Decibel have upped the ante and are taking over Level 41 on Friday February 19, and have Spanish tech-house DJ De La Swing on headline duties. He’s warmed up for Marco Carola, Loco Dice and Richie Hawtin during his career, and is one of the resident Djs at famed Barcelona club ElRow. Support on the tech-house and techno night comes from Soberboy and Decibel resident KruchO. Tickets are AED80 in advance, and doors open from 10pm.

LUXURY HIP HOP EVERY WEDNESDAY DJ S E T

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Cover Feature

A GUY CALLED GERBER

Eden’s strong season continues as they host Jean Claude Ades and – in a first for the region – Guy Gerber this February. Here are 7 reasons why you should be making the Palm beach club your regular party spot for the next two weeks

1

It’s Guy Gerber’s Dubai debut It’s rare to still find a DJ debut in the region, but the Rumours star will be making his first appearance here on February 19. A fiercely alternative house music star, as much in love with bands like Joy Division as he is with the 909, his set will be truly unique.

2

That album with P Diddy The man behind The Wisdom of The Glove, his truly mind-melting series of events at Pacha Ibiza teaming up with P Diddy, for an album?

And it’s actually, genuinely, good? Yeah, that happened. The 2014 album, which was released for free, featured several classic tracks, notably ‘I Hear Her Calling’ and ‘Broken Windows.’

3

Jean Claude Ames ditched pop for house JCA – as he was known back in 2004 – was behind Danni Minogue’s biggest hit, ‘I Wonder’ (it’s actually still a really good track) and went Top 20 around the world. But after signing to a big label who wanted hit after hit, he turned his back on the pop world, moved to Ibiza and became a big player in the house music scene instead.

4

Gerber is a fan of long, weird and wonderful sets Memorably – or perhaps not so much for the Burners there – he dropped a solid 12 hour set at Burning Man in 2014, while his sets at Rumours, his clandestine beach party in Ibiza (see point 5) are the stuff of legends.

5

Gerber puts on free Ibiza raves It’s hard not to love a man, who, having confused Pacha’s Champagne sipping glitterati for a season with bookings like Four Tet during his Wisdom of the Glove season, decided to up sticks and create a free beach party in Rumours.

The good word spread like wildfire, with a 3rd season expected this summer at Beachouse, Playa D’en Bossa.

Cover Feature

6

Jean Claude also has Ibiza in his blood After moving to the party island full time, Ades quickly became in demand, with residencies at Blue Marlin and a winter residency at Pacha for his BeCrazy! party. It was maybe his 2013 residency at Ushuaïa’s Tower complex that marked his party down as essential, as he brought acts like M.A.N.D.Y., Blond:ish, Tiefschwarz, Lee Burridge, Radioslave, Claptone and many more to the brand new venue.

7

Eden have a crack team of residents on board. Jean Claude Ames comes with support from Smokingroove, Sam Farsio, Trix and Kaytek, while Guy Gerber is backed by Diamond Setter, Hoolz, Bachir Salloum and Kaytek again. Which means the music will be on point as soon as the doors open in the afternoon.

Eden feat. Jean Claude Ades, Friday February 12 Eden feat. Guy Gerber, Friday February 19 edenbeachclub.com/ 055 277 1477 or 04 277 1477

Beats on the beach Long running urban night No.1 Events celebrate their 7th birthday with a big beach bash on Friday February 19 at Nasimi featuring rising stars WSTRN, Angel, Lady Leshurr and Fonti and MC Mighty Moe and Scottie B and Bushkin One of the hottest pop properties around at the moment, WSTRN – a London based collective comprised of Akelle Charles, Haile and Louis Rei – are behind huge track ‘In2’ which has taken over the charts since its release last October.

Another English rapper and pop act, Angel – or Sirach Charles to his mum – collaborated with Wretch 32 on his debut track ‘Go In, Go Hard,’ kick-starting his career with a Top 40 entry. Bigger and better things were round the corner, however, as ‘Wonderful’ – a fine slice of radio friendly RnB – zoomed up the charts into the Top 5, while he’s also written music for JLS, Cheryl Cole and Roll Deep.

Brummie rapper Lady Leshurr is best known for her Queen’s Speech series of freestyles which quickly went viral in 2015 with nearly 40 million hits, marking her out as a hugely talented rapper and singer.

With lyrical dexterity and a free form flow, she should be one of the 2016 highlights.

DJ Fonti & MC Mighty Moe + Scottie B & Bushkin Former members of the UK trio Heartless Crew, Fonti and Mighty Moe will bring an up-tempo mix of house, garage and more to Nasimil, while award-winning UK DJ Scottie B will also be on hand with another ex Heartless Crew member, MC Bushkin.

WSTRN

Angel

Lady Leshurr No.1 Fridays Beach Party, Friday February 19, Nasimi, 7pm-3am, AED200 advance.

Ride on Time Chameleon Club in Tecom is back with a bang, and have long running UK house classics night Retro hosting their February 12 party. We caught up with night’s founder Paul Taylor to talk trends, acid house and what tunes still give him goosebumps…

Hello from a sunny Dubai, how has 2016 started off for you?

This is looking like a very big year for the UK’s largest house classics event - as the years go by it seems the brand grows stronger, I believe nostalgia grips everyone, people wanting to relive the past and visit their “good old times memories” it’s a very human and natural thing to do. We have already confirmed a Retro beach Festival in August and are also on the verge of signing contracts for two major venues in Ibiza and Mallorca for the 2016 summer season.

How did Retro start, what were the peaks, can you tell us a bit of history behind it?

I have been Djing since 1976 and played many genres of dance music in my long career.

The whole Retro thing began in 1986 when the early Chicago/ Detroit scene created the house music genre out of the disco scene with Acid House being very prominent. I realised straight away there was a new dance revolution starting. The whole world soon jumped on and there were hundreds of releases every week. I felt that a lot of these new releases were being lost and decided to pull out tracks that

deserved recognition and stuck with them, this is how Retro was conceived. In 1989 there were already enough Classics established to devote a full night to them.

Each year that went by Retro grew and was respected for finding underground gems that had slipped through the net.

We spiralled and developed a fabulous reputation around the early 90s. I owned a nightclub in Lancashire and we would get people travelling to the venue from every corner of the UK. Dance music works in cycles, how many times have you seen the music you played in the 80s/90s/2000s come back into fashion?

I’d say that since 1989 I have seen around three cycle changes when house music started to fragment into different off

shoot genres like Progressive House and Techno for instance.

I have seen real drops in the scene when I believe House got overly trendy for its own good but Retro was never effected because we always played the best carefully chosen gems and were never swung by differing genres, for me House music is House music - end of! The best years from my perspective were 1987, 1991, 1995 and 1998 with maybe 2002 and 2006 from the new millennium.

What do you think the next retro cycle will be?

It is happening right now because there is a new generation wanting to understand the history. Our age range on our events range from 21/22 year olds right through to 40 to 50 year olds!

Goosebump tracks Bassheads - Is there Anybody Out There Bizarre Inc - Playing With Knives Parra Dice - Can You Hear Me David Guetta - The World Is Mine Asha - JJ Tribute Shades of Rhythm - Sound of Eden NJoi - Anthem Evoke - Arms of Loren Sweet Mercy - Take me Away Loveland - Let The Music Lift You Up

Retro feat. Paul Taylor, Chameleon, Byblos Hotel Tecom, Friday February 12, 10pm-3am, 050 113 5858

5 MINUTES WITH Kolombo After taking the metaphorical roof off at 360 on his first visit, audio tonic have rightly asked Kolombo to return on Friday February 19. We caught up with the high flying DJ/producer/ label head on the way back from a weekend shopping in London‌

Your set in Dubai is still one of the club’s highlights, do you remember it, was it as good for you?

Of course! There were lots of nice people around, the weather was beautiful and the party was very good. ​​

House music has gone increasingly mainstream and popular in the last 5-10 years – are you happy with the change, how has it affected you?

Indeed. This kind of style has grown up so fast but it’s still weird to me that I’m playing festival stages after EDM artists. ​​

As the man behind LouLou Records, you put out a staggering number of tracks – what do you look for when signing music, what does the track/EP need to sound like?

The style doesn’t really matter, if we don’t play the track, we won’t release it. It’s worked for us so far!

What are your predictions for dance music in 2016?

Still house music but with more techno and dry sounds.

You’ve made music under a lot of different names – can you tell us some of them? And which were your favourites, which might you re-visit?

I’ve done a lot of projects, and even ghost producing. I had more time before but I’ve been really busy the last few years with gigs. One of my favourites was Mugwump, who were signed to Kompact, Cocoon, Gigolo and Future Classic. It was a very different sound.

And what should people expect from your set on the 19th?

A lot of unreleased tracks, demos and promos from our label coming out soon.

Audio tonic feat. Kolombo, 360, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Friday February 19, 4pm-3am, free.

Pure and simple

Now a big name on the DJ circuit, South African DJ Nora En Pure returns to the UAE to play at XL on February 12. We caught up with her to talk Coachella, pinch-me moments and the future of electronic music

You've quickly become a big name on the DJ circuit – how have you dealt with the rise to fame? And what have been the pinch-me moments?

I actually don't feel that way at all! I do my music and love every moment of it. I feel very grateful for where it has taken me but I’m very critical with myself. Pinch-me moments are most probably those when I get remix requests for really epic

names that I have known all my life, or playing really big festivals where I used to go myself when I was younger!

You're on the bill for Coachella this year which is huge news – how does that feel? And who are you looking forward to seeing when you're there?

It is really amazing! I was so happy to hear that they were

interested in me... I thought it was a joke at first. I'm not sure yet if I get to spend a lot of time there, but I’d certainly be excited for the Guns & Roses concert as well as Black Coffee and my friends from Australia, RÜFÜS. I love their sound.

South African Djs like Black Coffee and Culoe De Song have become big name stars in the last few years – do you feel part of the SA house community, do you play there often?

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to play there often for routing reasons. South Africa is very close to my heart and it's always very special for me to play there.

I'm sure this year I will be able to play there a couple of times.

What's planned for 2016, what are your big goals and what are you looking forward to happening?

2015 has set the bar high, but I'm sure 2016 will be even better! The sound is growing rapidly. I just wish for good moments with people that support me, as sharing the passion for music is what makes me happy in the end. Being at big festivals and playing the best clubs is nice, but what stays with me are the interactions with the audience and seeing their reaction to the music.

What's the secret to success – what was your pathway to

where you are now?

I started with music production many years before people actually started following me. I played around with sounds and started with different styles until I found "my sound". Otherwise have a healthy balance for being open for inputs and critics but also listen to your inner feeling.

Many young artists try to copy other styles and that normally doesn't get you far. Always try to do your own thing!

Dance music has become very commercial, and hugely popular – do you think it's reached its limit, can it keep on growing?

It is actually amazing that it is so popular! With the streaming platforms I'm sure it will grow even more. Passive listeners will be playing an active role. That will change the game and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with electronic music in the next years.

And what should we expect from your set in Dubai on Feb 12?

I’ll try to take people on a journey through soulful and funky deep house with positive and sentimental atmospheres. In any case I'm very much looking forward to it! I always have a very good time in Dubai.

Nora En Pure plays XL, Friday February 12, 10pm-3am

The state of trance Whisper it quietly, but trance is back, with 6 gigs across the UAE this February.

Matt Zaharias and Sam Moult reach for the lasers and chart the fall and rise of the genre…

“It has been an uphill struggle. Trance, whilst not dead, has suffered a big set back and was very quiet whilst the rest of the world jumped up and down. We kept going, kept growing and now we’re in the midst of a revival.” David, TranceFamilyUAE Cast your mind back to 2008, and four of the top five DJs on the DJ Mag list were trance producers. With their high energy sound and hypnotic breakdowns. Tiësto, Paul van Dyk and Armin van Buuren were on top of the world and trance acts were regulars in the UAE. A year later, the EDM boom

happened in the US - but the bookings here dried up, and trance was essentially dead and buried in the region.

The magic of dance music is that it’s cyclical, re-spawning, re-emerging, cannibalising past genres as it moves forward, and trance is undergoing a revival.

DJ Mag and Mixmag DJs of the

Ferry Corsten

Aly & Fila

eddie halliwel

tiesto

year Bicep recently put together a pitched down set of lost trance classics for Radio 1, trance motifs and sounds can be found in a lot of current house tracks (see Man-Trance), while EDM – the dance music juggernaut – has always had its fair share of bastardised trance elements.

And that support has been found in the grass roots of the genre, with DJs like Max Graham and John 00 Fleming pushing back against wave and wave of over produced pop house.

Producers like Gai Barone and John Askew are focused on making whole tracks that are incredible, rather than just trying to make the biggest drop (if they even have one at all).

The brains behind Electric Daisy Carnival launched their first all-trance event, Dreamstate, at the end of 2015, with Armin van Buuren and Above and Beyond nowhere to be seen.

Transmission in Prague draws crowds from around the world, and the Luminosity Beach Festival in the Netherlands is a hive of underground trance lovers.

Perhaps it’s the momentum of this new shift that has seen Dubai’s promoters sit up and take notice: February has the biggest ever line-up of Trance artists in Dubai. The month started with ‘Concrete Angel’ producer Gareth Emery at Zero Gravity, with household name

Ferry Corsten touching down at the same venue a week later.

The 18th features Egyptian trance duo Aly Fila at Chameleon fresh from their Essential Mix on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 (itself, the first trance mix in that slot for 2 years) while homegrown heroes TranceFamilyUAE are back for their monthly party at Square on the 19th.

If that wasn’t enough, Eddie Halliwell will show off his pyrotechnics behind the decks at Chameleon on the 25th before the grand finale with Tiësto at DXBeach on the 26th. Although he might not be trance anymore, if/when he drops Adagio for Strings expect hands in the air and some serious grins.

It’s more than you can shake a well thumbed glow-stick at and perhaps the guys at TranceFamilyUAE are to thank.

David and Sam (a regular Infusion contributor) set up the community page in 2012 as a place to share memories, tracks and meet up with fans of the genre: since then, they have interviewed top-name DJs, travelled the world, gathered autographs, partnered with some of the UAE’s top venues and are now organizing their very own night.

We’re big fans of variety and to have more genres well represented in Dubai can mean only good things for the nightlife in the city.

Four artists we’d love to see in Dubai: Basil O’Glue: Influenced by the likes of Sasha and Digweed, his productions span the bridge between progressive and trance brilliantly. “The last couple of years I think were bad for trance music, but now something changes…”

Indecent Noise: His sets are as furious as the music he creates, but you can expect a range of genres from the artist who was influenced by Paul van Dyk’s style of performing “[My set is] not like a regular DJ set – it’s more like a live one… you’re going from motif to motif – there’s no sixteen bars of a song [that] you don’t want to play” Solarstone: Although he’s been in the game for nearly twenty years, his Pure Trance releases today sound as fresh as ever and he’s not afraid to make his voice heard “I know DJs who don’t produce their own music, have nothing to do with ‘their own’ music, and I hate it.”

Max Graham: Another veteran of the scene, the last two years have seen him shift towards a unique combination of Techno, Progressive and Trance. On popular music, he says: “I use the baby food analogy: you start with apple sauce out of a jar but after a few years you want to try Thai food, wasabi, Indian, Italian.”

INFUSION + TECHFUI PRESENT

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Aeli

MoCity

Finlay Lefox

WOULD THE 264 CRU PLEASE STAND UP

Kev Fresh

Radyous

Rishabh

Essarai.

You might have heard about the 264 Cru, a collective of DJs, artists and musicians. You might have heard of their signature night, Karak Beats, which we love.

We tracked down the 7 members for a chat, so you could hear direct from this exciting group of musically minded brothers

What's your real name and DJ name if different?

Mo: Mohammed Abood aka DJ MoCity.

Kevin: Kev Fresh.

Aeli: Ali Aloulou / Aeli.

Youssef: Radyous.

Danilo: Essarai.

Rish: Rishabh Chadha aka C.O.B. Finlay: Finlay Lefox.

What does the 264 Cru mean to you (in 5 words or less)?

Mo: Community building audio/ visual vigilantes.

Kevin: Community, friends having fun but making things happen!

Aeli: Music and art passionate team.

Youssef: Artistically driven, forward-thinking music collective Danilo: Friends doing what we love.

Rish: High octane exploration and education.

Finlay: A family with artistic and eclectic minds.

Karak Beats is…

Mo: Big Like Burj Khalifa.

Kevin: Wild, untamed vibes, everyone is welcome!

Aeli: The party I wanted to go to before it existed.

Youssef: Our first of many cultural projects where there's a kick ass party and the loveliest of people.

Danilo: Current, fun, and The 264 Cru presents Karak different.

Beats Soulection Showcase, Rish: Our no-holds barred Thursday February 18, Velocity (JW Marriott Marquis), platform to realize Dubai’s untouched ratchetness potential.

10pm-3am Finlay: A place to hear the unexpected.

If you had a super-power, what would it be and why?

Kevin: Time travel!

Aeli: Making pauses in real life like in videos, to take a thoughtful break and enjoy the silence.

Youssef: The ability to create what my mind conceptualizes.

Danilo: Time manipulation, so I could finally get a handle on all the s*** I want to do.

Finlay: Teleportation, so I could teleport to all the international gigs/ festivals I keep missing.

Genres of music you play…

Mo: Hip-Hop, Beats, Electronica, Reggae & Dub. Kevin: Bass, beats, hip hop, disco, house, heavy bass s***.

Aeli: Neo Hip-Hop. Youssef: A mix of groove based music with a good dose of bass.

Danilo: Deep minimal tech, housey deep tech, and minimaly house tech.

Rish: Jazz, World, Roots, Dub and a touch of New Age Meditation & Yoga music.

Finlay: UK Dance music.

What's your end game, what do you want to achieve?

Mo: Creative Agency, curation of bigger events, having our own venue!

Kevin: To become a buddhist monk.

Aeli: To be a full time musician, so I don’t need a vacation from work.

Youssef: To be a trustworthy name in the regional music scene.

Danilo: To give music I love a home in Dubai, bring variety to the nightlife scene and increasing credibility on an international level.

Rish: Record Label and a portfolio of events, artists, creatives and experience to allow us to hold our own on the global music, arts and culture scene.

Finlay: More sick DJs, more banging parties, more festival sets, 264 record label!

So Solid Crew or 264 Cru? Mo: 264 Cru all day every day.

Kevin: 264 cru.

Aeli: Hein?

Youssef: Same same.

Danilo: “Oh No.” Rish: Manabadmans 264.

Finlay: Your Mom.

ON THE RADAR FEBRUARY 24 JAZZ FESTIVAL FEAT. TOTO Media City Amphitheatre

FEBRUARY 25 ROBIN SCHULZ Nasimi

EDDIE HALLIWELL

FEBRUARY 25

Chameleon Club

FEBRUARY 26 TIESTO Zero Gravity

FEBRUARY 25

FEBRUARY 26

Pacha

Blue Marlin Ibiza

FEBRUARY 25

FEBRUARY 26 ESQUIRE XL

BACK2BASICS FEAT. JAMES ZABIELA

SUPERHEROES FEAT. DANCE OFF SOUNDSYSTEM

Dek on 8

JACKMASTER

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

FEBRUARY 26

MARCH 5

HEIDI

PIKNIC ELECTRONIK FEAT. CLAPTONE

MARCH 3

Armani Prive

MARCH 10 JOHN DIGWEED Pacha Ibiza Dubai

MARCH 4 CLUB MTV FEAT. EXAMPLE

MY DIGITAL ENEMY

MARCH 4 DANNY RAMPLING Zero Gravity

MARCH 17 DARA O’BRIAIN World Trade Centre

Eden Beach Club

HED KANDI FEAT. SANDY RIVERA

Nasimi

Montgomerie Dubai

MARCH 11 XL

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

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

MONDAY 8 INFUSION PICK! DJ Bliss Album Launch, The Fridge Noted hip hop DJ and radio personality, DJ Bliss releases his debut album. 7.30pm, AED50.

WEDNESDAY 10 Rosay feat. Jermaine Dupri, Cavalli Mariah Carey and Run DMC collaborator Dupri plays live at Cavalli’s popular mid week Urban night. 10pm-3am.

THURSDAY 11 TUESDAY 9 INFUSION PICK! Sub-Culture 1st Anniversary, Chameleon Club (Tecom) HMDN, Maga and Amrit take control of the techno at this newly revived mid-weeker.

10pm-3am, free.

Analog Room feat.

Bambounou, Q Underground Much loved house and electronic night Analog Room welcome 50 Weapons star Bambounou with local support from Shadi Megallaa. 10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Back2Basics feat. Satoshi Tomiie, Level 41 Classic house and progressive house grooves from one of Japan’s biggest dance music exports. 10pm-3am, ladies free until midnight, AED120.

Mischa Daniels, Zero Gravity Dutch DJ and producer Daniels plays upfront house and elctro, with support from Infusion favourite Andrew Hartley, AED100.

Pepelz, Cirque Le Soir A DJ for over 15 years, French DJ Pepelz started his career at David Guetta’s club Pink Pardise, and has toured the world playing alongside names like Bob Sinclar, The Game and more. 10pm3am.

INFUSION PICK! Cuts Above feat. Ashley Beedle, 360 Funk soul brother Beedle, one third of X Press 2, brings his bag of disco and house to 360 for the soulful house night Cuts Above. 6pm-3am, free.

DJ Yella (NWA), N’Dulge NWA’s DJ Yella plays the Atlantis venue, bringing nothing but the finest hip hop and RnB cuts with him. 10pm-3am, AED150.

INFUSION PICK! DUST feat. Kon, Velocity Alternative night DUST returns, with disco and funk champion Kon headlining with support from Megadon Betamax.

10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! RedFest, Dubai Media City Ampitheatre EMD hitmaker Steve Aoki headlines the returning 2 day festival, with support from Rita Ora, The Vamps and more.

AED400, AED700 for the weekend.

INFUSION PICK! Together feat. Rod Lee Winters, Dek on 8 House and techno gathering Together returns with audio tonic star Rod Lee Winters joined by Elaouad, Adam and Salah. 6pm-3am, free.

FRIDAY 12 INFUSION PICK! Dysfunktion, Square Wonky techno night Dysfunktion returns with a strong line up including Groove on the Grass founder Deian, Maks, Tobie Allen and Ju Lovett. 10pm-3am, AED100.

Ferry Corsten, Zero Gravity House and trance from Dutch master Ferry Corsten, with support from New ID. 6pm-3am, free before 10pm, ladies free before midnight, AED100.

Fire Festival feat. Sante & Blond:Ish, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Another big double header, with Sante joining high energy female duo Blond:Ish behind the decks.

11am-late.

INFUSION PICK! Go Bananas feat. Kraak & Smaak, Story Rooftop The fruity Bananas crew return for their weekly house throwdown, with Dutch trio Kraak and Smaak delivering a funk laced set. 5pm-3am, free.

Maga House of Afrika, Dek on 8 French DJ raised in Monte Carlo takes over the decks, offering up deep, soulful house and tech vibes. 6pm-3am, free.

INFUSION PICK! Jean Claude Ades, Eden Ibiza resident and firm Dubai favourite, Jean Claude Ades brings his energetic house and tech-house sound to Eden.

Midday-late.

My House is Your House, 360 A new in house night from 360, with Andy Buchan and CN Williams on DJ duties. 4pm-3am, free entry.

RedFest, Dubai Media City Ampitheatre Day two of the festival sees Adam Lambert joined by Fifth Harmony, Mistajam and more.

AED400, AED700 for the weekend.

INFUSION PICK! Step On, Casa Latina Long running indie night Step On returns playing new and classic indie hits, with ME and Rude Larry on deck duty.

8.30pm-2.45am, free.

Retro feat. Paul Taylor, Chameleon Club The UK’s biggest classics night comes to Dubai, with 80s/90s/00s house hits on rotation all night, with Mark Pickup on support. 10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Nora En Pure, XL A-list Swiss/SA DJ and producer Nora En Pure brings her funky, soulful deep house sound back to Dubai. 10pm-3am, AED120.

THURSDAY 18 INFUSION PICK! Aly & Fila, Chameleon Club Egyptian trance titans touch down for a high tempo set at Tecom’s revitalized club. 10pm3am.

Alex Kenji, Zero Gravity Italian house DJ Kenji plays Zero Gravity’s outdoor terrace. 6pm3am, free before 10pm, ladies free before midnight, AED100.

Analog Room feat Nasrawi, Q Undergound One of our favourite local DJs gets the whole night to showcase his wonky, leftfield selections. 10pm-3am, AED100.

The Game, VIP Room Grammy nominated American hip hop star The Game brings his A-game to VIP room for a live show. 10pm-3am.

Swallow The Sun, The Music Room Finnish Doom Metal pioneers play live, 16 years after starting their hard-rocking project. 8pmlate, AED125.

INFUSION PICK! Karak Beats feat. Jarreau Vandal, Velocity Alternative beats and pieces night Karak Beats invite down Soulection star Vandal, while it’s also Aeli’s album launch (see Soundstage for our interview).

10pm-3am, AED100.

FRIDAY 19 INFUSION PICK! Audio tonic feat. Kolombo, 360 The LouLou Records main man and party starting house DJ returns, with support from MrMr. 4pm-3am, free.

INFUSION PICK! Carl & The Reda Mafia Album Launch, Tribeca Leading local funk rock band Carl & The Reda Mafia launch their new album with a full live show. 9pm-late, free.

INFUSION PICK! Decibel Tech feat. De La Swing, Level 41 Tech-house and techno from rising DJ De La Swing, with support from Soberboy and KruchO. 10pm-3am, AED80 advance.

Dubai Trance Sessions, Square TranceFamilyUAE host this monthly trance throwdown, with Daniel Jamsheed on deck duty.

10pm-3am, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Guy Gerber, Eden Beach Club The Israeli DJ makes his UAE debut: expect weird and wonderful house and techo from the Rumours Ibiza star.

Midday-late.

INFUSION PICK! Hot Since 82 & Josh Butler, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE A monster line up, as ex audio tonic star Butler is joined by huge Leeds DJ Hot Since 82, plus Popof on support. 11amlate.

Michael Ashe House of Afrika, Dek on 8 Michael Ashe takes over the decks this week, dropping deep, soulful, Afro tech house. 6pm3am, free.

INFUSION PICK! I Am Hardwell, Meydan The world’s No.1 DJ according to the DJ Mag Top 100 poll brings his EDM and Big Room sound to Meydan for a spectactular show, and a 3 hour set. 6pm, AED295.

INFUSION PICK! No.1 Events Festival, Nasimi WSTRN, Angel and Lady Leshurr line up for this urban party on the beach, as No.1 Fridays celebrate their 7th birthday. 7pm-3am, AED200 advance.

Tse Tse Fly, Casa Latina The experimental noise night returns, with Kumah dropping a live keyboard set, with Santahana laying down a dub soundscape. 6pm-midnight, free.

Liquid Drum & Bass Brunch, Story Rooftop A first for the region, as Bassworx and Story host an AED250 brunch, with liquid DnB from midday, before Mistanoize, Mach 4, Woodle and more turn it up from 4pm. Midday-8pm, AED250 brunch, AED50 after 4pm.

Journey Thru House, Zero Gravity Legendary Liverpool night Garlands takes over Zero Gravity, with funky house from Dave Booth, Rob Tissera and a live PA from Livin’ Joy. 6pm-3am, free before 10pm and AED 100 after.

Ladies are free before midnight and AED 100 after.

SATURDAY 20 INFUSION PICK! Piknic Electronik feat.

Sebastien Leger & Francesca Lombardo, The Montgomerie Dubai More family friendly house music fun, with French star Leger our pick of the action.

1-9pm, tickets from AED130.

Cafe Mambo, Nasimi The world famous Ibiza venue bring their sunset sound to the Middle East, with Ibiza resident John Jacobsen playing alongside a crack team of Nasimi residents.

5pm-midnight.

WEEKLY DJ SHOW LIVE FROM THURSDAYS 4 - 6 PM

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LOOK AND

LISTEN

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

• MUSIC NEWS * ALBUMS •SOUNDSTAGE • DJ BOOTH

Look and Listen

Music News KANYE’S BACK

So, Kanye’s finished another new album, and humbly told his millions of Twitter followers that he was “so happy to be finished with the best album of all time.” Ah Kanye, how we love to hate you. The album, Swish, is out on February 11 and includes new track ‘Real Friends.’

RADIOHEAD RETURN Not seen in the live arena for nearly 5 years, Radiohead are in for a busy year of touring in 2016 having already announced that they’re headlining this year’s Primavera in Barcelona. The Kid A stars are due to head out on a number of European and North American dates this summer, with their 9th studio album set to drop later this year.

Look and Listen

Album Reviews

JOSH MONTEATH – THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS Acoustic / Indie // soundcloud.com/josh-monteath

 Being successful in 2016 is a bewildering prospect. You have to be talented, you have to master social media, you have to book your own gigs, manage your music and your profile. Josh Monteath proved that he had the social media aspect nailed when his campaign to open for Ed Sheeran went viral in style (but sadly didn’t see him take to the stage with the ginger wizard), while his gigs for The Other Side and Freshly Ground marked him out as a very confident frontman.

With this extended EP, seven tracks recorded acoustic in the great outdoors, he’s set to become even more of a Dubai institution.

Tracks like ‘Follow My Heart’ and ‘On Air’ take inspiration from Elliot Smith and Conor Oberst (but with the raucous edges smoothed out), while ‘Our Crazy Little Story’ will be a proper pop hit when it comes with a full band backing. 2016 has got off to a cracking start for Josh Monteath.

Album Reviews

MOON TRIPPER – ANCIENT SPACE Psy-Trance // soundcloud.com/moon-tripper

 Dubai based Brad Ashter has been producing trance music of various forms for a few years, but his first album release comes from his psy-trance alias Moon Tripper. The first LP to be released on the newly re-branded JOOF Mantra - run by long-time underground champion John ‘00’ Fleming - Ancient Space is a ten track journey through ethereal soundscapes, with the twists and turns we’ve come to embrace from the Goan infused music.

The psychedelia isn’t unpleasant though: cosmic synths, well balanced samples and smooth driving basslines keep each track fresh as the album progresses through themes both natural and supernatural. The progression of the songs feels natural, not forced, with true attention to detail evident throughout the whole album.

Designed for the dance floor but just as good in your headphones, it’s guaranteed to suck you into a vortex where time passes with barely a notice.

Matt Zaharias

Soundstage

AELI

Future beats and hip hop instrumentals from the recent Sole DXB star who grew up on rock and hip hop My first musical influence was… It started when I was 10 and discovered French Hip Hop like Paris Sous Les Bombes by NTM and L’Ecole Du Micro d’Argent by IAM and rock albums Smash by The Offspring and Nevermind by Nirvana.

The last pop star I liked was… Definitely Justin Timberlake. He’s got everything I expect from a pop star. He’s consistent and stays away from trends and hypes. He’s doing his thing.

My sound is best described as… I like to call it Neo Hip Hop. I produce beats for rappers and singers and now I’m focusing on instrumental music. It’s usually called Future Beats.

I make Hip Hop music keeping in mind all my influences.

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

“Do it yourself, no one will do it for you.” I guess it’s related to my perfectionism obsession. When you’re a music producer today, you have to be a composer, arranger, coach, sound engineer, sound designer and DJ, and at the same time you must take care of the business, marketing, public relation and advertising. You should do it yourself unless you’re part of a structured team.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

Listening to the same song or album on repeat until I know every single detail. Sometimes this addiction takes months!

My musical motto is… Do something you really love. There is an audience for everything. Just do it the right way!

Best gig you’ve played?

Sole DXB 2015. I’ve never had that much positive feedback, it was really flattering. www.aelimusic.com

DJ BOOTH: CHRIS WRIGHT

The Pacha and Zero Gravity resident tells us why clubbing is a stress reliever and why there’s always a rabbit in his hat...

One thing you might not know about me is... I used to be a magician when I was younger and do birthdays and private events.

My worst ever job was… When I did my first season in ibiza in 2007, I used to sell photo key rings in the West End. My favourite ever record is... Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall.

DJing is much like… A full time party, you get paid to be in a night club or venue and you’re allowed to drink and have fun.

I’m really proud… That I’ve DJ’d in my favourite 3 clubs before I was 24 years old - Pacha Ibiza, Space and Amnesia.

What track could you drop in every set? Rhythm is Rhythm, ‘Strings Of Life.’

My biggest DJ achievement to date is… Warming up for Annie Mac & Eric Prydz at Amnesia in 2012.

What is your guiltiest pleasure? Coffee Patron.

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be…. The 70s, it’s my favourite era.

If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... Fatboy Slim, he’s a legend.

I’m not a politician but… If I was I would make it the law that everyone should go clubbing every weekend, it’s the best escape if you’re stressed with life. soundcloud.com/djchriswrightmusic

LOOKING

CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

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

Looking Closer

Weird News HEADLINE OF THE ISSUE “Dog accidentally runs US half-marathon, finishes in an impressive seventh place�

The amazingly true story of 2 year old Bloodhound Ludivane who got lost on a regular walk, and ended up finishing the 21km race in just over 90 minutes.

SLOTH MOVING TRAFFIC A cute sloth held up traffic in Ecuador for several hours after he was found clinging to a motorway crash barrier. The post quickly went viral after the police posted about the bizarre incident and had to coax the reluctant hugger from the motorway.

BRICKING IT Spent Christmas morning constructing Lego mansions?

Then you could be the man or woman for the new Legoland job, who are looking for 20 builders to work with the bricks.

Constructors must have a sense of humour, Lego building experience, and able to build life-size models.

4 - 6 PM | THURSDAY 18TH FEB

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EO

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THE SPIN FEBRUARY 2016

PAGE 217

ISSUE 35

UNDERWATER CLUB TO LAUNCH IN DUBAI THIS YEAR

Submerged, the latest club to launch in Dubai, has one big defining feature – it’s underwater! The aquatic club is set to launch after Ramadan this year, and will be set 20m below the sea level in an offshore development near the Palm.

The club’s signature sound will be Deep House, with clubbers able to throw shapes next to the sealife including imported sharks, stingrays and dolphins.

Entry to the club is by private submarine, and thanks to its offshore status, the club has unique licensing hours and can stay open all night. Steve Zizou, the club’s PR representative, told us that ‘Submerged will take clubbers to previously unknown depths,’ while the club are promising a new level of clubbing sophistication. *These stories are not true, this is not a real newspaper. This is a parody/fiction/satire/joke. The Spin is not intended, in any way whatsoever, to be taken as factual.

Cool Test ANDREAS VS RAM They’re the guys who are behind 2016’s hottest new club night, Back 2 Basics, who are bringing out James Zabiela, Satoshi Tomiie and Hernan Cattaneo over the next few months. Who’s back for good, and who’s just basic?

Who’s the coolest person in your phone book?

ANDREAS: The grocery delivery guy for sure, oh and Andy Horsfield, the head honcho of Global Underground. .

RAM: Bambi LeFist.

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

ANDREAS: I can’t remember but it has to be 1 hour longer than Ram, haha.

RAM: I can tell you the longest I slept, 24 complete hours straight.

Describe your best bass face...

ANDREAS: Haha, I would say eyes closed tight and a satisfactory smile drawn on my face.

RAM: More like Steve Buscemi in a hurry.

Coolest word in the world?

ANDREAS: Juventus! And not just coolest word, the coolest everything.

RAM: Inshallah.

Coolest DJ in the world?

ANDREAS::Tiesto from experience, but I feel Danny Tenaglia is too, I’ll tell you when I meet him!

RAM: Aphex Twin.

Coolest track ever made?

ANDREAS: I will stick to house music on this one and not music in general cause that could take a while. I would choose 2 tracks I love Trancesetters ‘Roaches’ and, John Creamer & Stephane K ‘Forget the world.’

RAM:‘BABY’S GOT A TEMPER,’ THE PRODIGY.

Your best dance move is...’

ANDREAS: It has to be the good old fist pump, I know it’s a cliché but it’s what I feel every time that bass drops.

RAM: Elaine’s from Seinfeld.

What’s your best claim to fame?

ANDREAS: My INFUSION interview!.

RAM: 50 cent asking me for weed.

It’s not big and clever but…

ANDREAS: I love it and wanna do it again!

RAM: I’ve watched ‘Bigger,Stronger Faster’ documentary more than 365 times.

What’s your answer to everything?

ANDREAS: Sure, lets discuss it over a drink... lets?

RAM: I will do it tomorrow.

THE VERDICT:A CLOSE FOUGHT TUSSLE, BUT RAM’S OUR WINNER FOR RIGHTLY REALIZING THAT APHEX TWIN IS THE COOLEST. Back 2 Basics feat. Satoshi Tomiie, Thursday February 11. Level 41, Media One Hotel.

Eat Sleep Rave Repeat We’ll Meat Again Stephen Day gets his Atkins diet fix at Fogueira, one of the city’s leading Brazilian restaurants

I love this city. I love the weather, I love the beach, I love the hustle and bustle and of course the tax free money but most of all I love the urgency of everything. We need to build, grow, develop and everything happens at pace. The one place I don’t enjoy the urgency is food trends. Something’s happening in Europe, Asia or South America and before you know it 10 of them have popped up in Dubai; this is just as true for the Brazilian style of eating churrasco.

Churrasco is all about the meat, 15 different cuts to be precise, all carved at the table and you eat as much or as little as you want. It’s a protein marathon of the highest order. With that in mind, we headed up to Fogueira, one of the city’s first Brazilian meateries, on the 35th

floor of the Ramada Plaza hotel down on JBR. We arrived to a welcoming restaurant dimly lit with beautiful views across the Marina and Dubai. Our waitress explained the concept, and we launched ourselves into the starter buffet, which was a little underwhelming. There were a few choice elements, with some nice Latin touches, but I’m not sure you’d find Aubergine Lasagna, Quaills Eggs or 3 kinds of lettuce on tables in Rio… Back outside on the terrace, we were greeted by 2 incredibly generous Caipirinhas and the real meal began. You control the meat flow by using a 2 sided card: green for go red for no, you decide when and what you would like to eat. We opened our account with some tenderloin, a delicate juicy piece

of rump and slow cooked short rib. All the meat was very well cooked and highly seasoned with herbs.

We took a quick breather, before flipping the card and getting our frango on, with chicken wings and chicken hearts (one of my favourites) next to arrive. They were light and succulent as they popped in my mouth, and were followed by the highlight of the meal – cinnamon dusted pineapple, roasted to perfection and dripping with flavour, cutting through the saltiness of the beef. It was the perfect palate cleanser, lifting the food that followed, so we kept to our pineapple/meat rotation.

With our Atkins diet well and truly done, we headed into dessert territory and plumped for the Coconut Flans. They were rich, gooey and sweet, but could have used some ice cream to balance out the heaviness, especially after our meat fiesta.

With attentive staff, a live band with Brazilian dancers and some stunning views, there’s a lot to recommend about Fogueira.

We’d suggest maybe ditching the starters and adding some vegetable skewers to offset the avalanche of meat. With good value for money, this is a great spot for family and friends when you want to get more of an event from your evening meal.

Fogueira, Ramada Plaza, JBR, 35th Floor, 04 439 8888

We’re doomed, we’re all doomed 2016. China is dooby ducked, Saudi is in a right fiscal state, oil prices are plummeting faster than you can say ‘and how much for the night?’ and the world is eyeballing yet another crippling financial crash.

Yet, despite this – or maybe because, everyone’s got to eat I suppose – Dubai clubs are raising their prices ever higher.

AED175 to see a tired, semi-retired washed up has been DJ limp his way through a DJ set? Are you actually smoking crack? A whopping AED280 to see some live music from someone we’ve never heard off? And AED65 for a bottle of beer that costs at - the very most - AED1 to make?

Dubai isn’t just expensive, it’s a joke – we’re going down with the ship (again), but the city is insistent that we empty out our pockets, grip our ankles and grin and bear it before we all go down in a blaze of capitalistic glory. Time to get out of Dodge…

Monkey Out...

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

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

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

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

STEP 2 Attach copies of the required documents.

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

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

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