Infusion # 271: May 15-29 1 2016

MUSIC • PEOPLE • LIFE

SPANISH CLUB GIANT ELROW HOST IBIZA TECH-HOUSE WIZARD DAMIEN LAZARUS AT

Audio tonic's last dance, Armand Van Helden, 5 Alternative Ladies Nights, Analog Room, Armin Van Buuren and more! infusionmag

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WEEKEND 2 nd -3 rd -4 th JUNE

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CHARL CHAKA

Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae

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Editor andy@infusion.ae

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Online Guru chris@infusion.ae

PAULA MANGUEIRA Design design@infusion.ae

CONTRIBUTORS:

Vip Patel, Chris Rayner

Oh, no biggie, we only hosted Disclosure, Rudimental and Public Enemy’s DJ Lord at our House of Afrika party a few weeks ago. Oh, yeah – and Disclosure did a special hour long DJ set to close the night.

Booya!

Congratulations to White Dubai who were voted at Number 49 in the DJ Magazine Top 100 clubs poll. The power of a good club and a strong voting campaign.

McDonalds have turned some of their in-store placemats into music production stations that are connected to your phone.

Bad food just got a little more attractive.

INFUSION IS PUBLISHED BY

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

OUR PARTNERS

So first Marco Carola DJs for 24 hours straight at Sunwaves festival in Romania, before tINI did 30 hours. A full day of the same techhouse beats? Yikes, no thanks.

Sad news from the hip hop world as allegations of child molesting have appeared against Afrika Bambaataa, with his former bodyguard claiming that the former Zulu Nation leader abused hundreds of boys since the 70s.

BLACK LIST

SAY WHAT? RUMOURS Media One hotel have launched a brand new dedicated club space, On 42, over the summer, with Plus Minus rumoured to be holding a weekly night.

Funk/soul/jazz legend Roy Ayers is coming to Dubai to play two nights at Rogue Trader in DIFC at the start of July.

OLD JOKES HOME: Q: Who’s the nicest man in a hospital?

A: The ultra-sound man Q: Who covers his shifts while he’s away?

A: The hip-replacement guy.

DANCEFLOOR DICTIONARY Sub Focus. That moment when the night starts to blur around the edges, and you start to believe you can dance to drum and bass like you did in your teens.

MEME CORNER:

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WE LOVE Eden Beach Club

For a long time, there was just Barasti. And then came Nasimi, which for several years established itself as the beach hang out before Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE came along 4 years ago and blew everyone out of the water.

Since re-opening, however, Eden have challenged that status quo and have given house heads in the region another beach club option. Their line ups are immense – just look at the Solomun/Seth Troxler pairing on May 13: that’s a bill that would dominate Ibiza, let alone a city in the middle of the desert. They’ve also had 2ManyDJs, Joris Voorn, Sasha, Dubfire, Sharam and many more this year alone.

They’ve upped their production game as well, and in KayTek have one of the best resident DJs in town. You’ll need to get past their door policy (couples and mixed groups), and get there early to get Eden at its best, but with only a few weekends of clubbing left, that’s even more incentive to make the most of it.

Eden Beach Club, Rixos The Palm, 055 2771 477, 042771477 facebook.com/edendubai/

Looking Back

What we did

LIVE MUSIC YOUR WAY FEAT. RUDIMENTAL & DISCLOSURE, MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE One of the biggest electronic events in Dubai, Live Music Your Way didn’t disappoint on their debut. By the time Ms Dynamite took to the stage, the Media City event started filling out, and properly got into a groove by the time the Disclosure brothers stepped up. For a seriously fresh-faced duo (25 and 22), they displayed excellent cratedigging skills, including serving up Cajmere and Dajae’s forgotten classic ‘Brighter Days.’ Rudimental came on to a huge roar, and proceeded to ramp up the atmosphere another notch. Their dynamic live show – including an awesome live drummer – included all the classics including a riotous ‘Feel The Love.’ Well organized, with good sound, live graffiti, a flea market and some of Dubai’s finest food trucks, this was one of our favourite gigs this year.

More please!

PLUS MINUS ARENA FEAT. KINK @ MEDIA ONE CARPARK

Having held an impressive array of parties this season, Plus Minus anteed up and took their brand to the next level with the Plus Minus Arena. They transformed the Media One Hotel’s P7 car park into a full on rave, complete with food stalls, Bacardi bar and a host of local acts laying down live sets. The real action was on the main stage: the set up was phenomenal, with LED visuals, a crystal clear L Acoustic sound system, C02 cannons and some amazing street art.

And that’s not to forget the music, which was on point throughout.

Henry Saiz and his live act, Audiofly and Kink all delivered, with Kink’s acid workout headline set a spectacular highlight. Plus Minus delivered on their promise to bring Dubai’s club scene something different, bring on the next installment!

GROOVE ON THE GRASS FEAT. ADAM BEYER @ EMIRATES GOLF COURSE

HOUSE OF AFRIKA FEAT. PIERRE RAVAN @ DEK ON 8

STEREO PALMA @ XL

ANALOG ROOM @ STORY ROOFTOP

PLUS MINUS ARENA FEAT. KINK @ MEDIA ONE CAR PARK

SPRINKLE FEAT. ROGER SANCHEZ @ CAVALLI

Looking Forward

Local News BLUR DJ FOR FRED PERRY

Fred Perry’s alternative party SubSonic is back in action with a DJ set from Blur’s drummer Dave Rowntree. Taking place in the Pub at Stereo Arcade on Thursday May 26, expect a night of new and old indie from the drummer behind classics like ‘Song 2’ and ‘Coffee & TV.’ Entry is free all night, but get down early to secure your spot.

PARTY UNTIL DAWN IN RAS AL KHAIMAH

Fancy dancing until dawn on the sand to Goldfish and Thomas Gold? Well, that’s actually happening at Destination Dawn at Ras Al Khaimah on Friday May 27. Held at the Al Marjan Resort, the 12 hour party will feature a live show from Hollaphonic, as well as Defected stars Goldfish, before German Lady Gaga remixer Thomas Gold steps up to the decks. Advance tickets are AED100, or get a free ticket when you book an over-night stay at the Double Tree Hilton or Rixos.

NASIMI CLOSE OUT WITH DJ SNAKE

Grammy nominated DJ and producer DJ Snake is heading to Dubai to play Nasimi on Thursday May 19. The French DJ is best known for ‘Lean On,’ his 2015 collaboration with Diplo and MO which was one of the biggest tracks of last year clocking over 500 million plays on Spotify. DJ Snake has also collaborated with Dillon Francis on another club smash ‘Get Low’ which featured on the Furious 7 soundtrack. Support comes from Tchami and Nasimi resident David De Luca. Entry is free before 9pm for ladies, with early bird tickets AED150 and AED200 on the door.

Looking Forward DEFECTED STAR GUTI PLAYS PROVOCATEUR

Four Seasons club Provocateur are back in international DJ action on Friday May 20 with Argentinian house DJ Guti headlining. Best known for his contributions to the Defected and Desolate record labels, Guti was discovered by Loco Dice and immediately signed to Desolat for his low-frequency, bass-heavy sound. Since then, he’s become a main player in the house and techno scene, and is one of Carl Cox’s final guests at his Space Ibiza residency.

HEALTHY LIVING

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PROJECT CO-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND GREECE

Looking Forward JAY SEAN PLAYS CAVALLI

Popular British singer and songwriter Jay Sean is heading back to Dubai to play Cavalli’s Rosay night on Wednesday May 25. A big name on the UK’s Asian scene, he was a member of the Rishi Rich Project at the start of the noughties before branching out successfully on a solo career with several Top 10 hits including ‘Eyes On You’ and ‘Stolen

SMOOTH GROOVES WITH TREVOR NELSON

DWA, or Dubai With Attitude to the non-acronym friendly, is one of the city’s leading urban nights and is hosting Trevor Nelson at The Act on Thursday May 19. A leading radio personality in the UK, he broadcasts across BBC Radio 1Xtra and Radio 2 and was awarded an MBE in 2002. Musically, he’s one of the tightest funk, soul, hip hop and RnB Djs we’ve heard, and will certainly be bringing the urban attitude to Dubai.

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DIXON IS BACK

With just 3 more weeks of clubbing to go before the long summer break at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, the beach club are going out with a bang as they host Resident Advisor’s Number 1 DJ Dixon for another night of weird and wonderful house and tech-house on Friday May 20. The Innervision star will be joined by South African DJ Culoe De Song who is one of the new wave of SA DJs making their mark on the dance music world.

HOA

GIRL POWER

Cult Filipino all girl rock band Flying Ipis are heading to Dubai to play the Music Room on Friday May 20. Fresh from their debut show at Texas music festival South by Southwest, the Manila 4 piece released their debut album in 2013 and are supported by Behold The Locus, Dead Shakes, Pull Box and more.

Cover Feature

It’s a family affair Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE have teamed up with ace Barcelona club Elrow for their Friday May 27 party, with wonderfully weird tech-house DJ Damian Lazarus headlining

Elrow – It’s a family affair It’s doubtful the bleary-eyed clubbers who stumble out into the dawn after a night of hedonistic clubbing in Barcelona know the club’s long and fascinating history, but it actually stretches back to the 18th century (seriously, true story).

Elrow might be best known for its spiritual home in Barcelona, its long-running Ibiza residency and increasingly parties across the world – including in Dubai for the first time on May 27 – but it actually started off life in the 1870s as a Café. Over time and following transfers through several family members, this evolved into the Florida Saloon, which by the 60s had turned into a fully fledged discotheque.

From there, the family branched out into Club Florida, the interior based on the set from Blade Runner (which might just be the coolest thing ever), before at the start of the 90s the family became involved in the Monegros Desert Festival, growing it from a gathering of 200 friends in 1993 to a fully fledged festival holding over 40,000 by 2014.

By 2001, the family had opened Row in Barcelona, before expanding into an after-hours club by 2008 on the outskirts of the city that hosted Laurent Garnier on their opening night. Those (slightly illegal) sessions came the club’s calling card, a late night, early morning session of colourful club kids that by 2011 had become an institution in the city, and led to their first Ibiza residency at the Zoo Project.

With dance music literally in their veins, ElRow have grown from humble beginnings into one of Europe’s most important clubs. They’ve recently hosted big names like Claptone, Hot Since 82, Eats Everything, Pan-Pot and Guy Gerber and have thrown parties in Liverpool, Madrid and are now bringing Damian Lazarus to headline their party at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE.

Cover Feature

Damian Lazarus As the man behind Crosstown Rebels, Day Zero, Get Lost and Rebel Rave, Damian Lazarus is one of the most influential men in dance music. And also one of the most leftfield, a musical story-teller that’s been at the heart of DC10 for nearly a decade. Pushing adventurous, challenging house and techno music, he’s helped launch the careers of Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex and Art Department through his A&R work, and continues to push forward-thinking dance music. A fan of DJing in outdoors spaces – including playing jungles, beaches and Mayan ruins in Mexico – playing Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE’s beach party should see the UK DJ in his element at the second last party of the season.

Elrow feat. Damian Lazarus & Andres Campos, Friday May 27, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, 1-11pm, 056 113 3400 or email reservation@bluemarlinibiza-uae.com

Dubai’s local restaurant guide

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5 Alternative Ladies Nights An institution in the city, there are no shortage of Ladies Nights in the city, but some offer more than just bottomless free drinks. We teamed up with Zomato to find 5 ladies nights that are top of their user rankings, reviews and popularity‌

Karma Kafe

Perhaps better known for its brunch, Karma Cafe is an extremely chic, stylish and popular restaurant and bar at the Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai. Ladies can enjoy three complimentary drinks on Tuesday, and take part in some excellent Pan Asian fare from their newly re-designed menu. The stunning view of the fountain and Burj Khalifa from the terrace isn’t bad, either.

Toko Dubai, Vida Downtown Dubai

Sporting a contemporary Japanese design with a separate dining area to the bar and an outdoor area, this restaurant is great for a girls night out on a Tuesday. From the moment you walk into Toko and spy their gorilla geisha and pop art kitty cat, you know you’re in for a good time. Ladies receive four free drinks and 30% off the total food bill.

Q43, Media One Hotel

If your main concern when heading out on a Tuesday is if the dance floor can handle all your moves, then this is the spot for you. Probably the most hip and happening venue on a Tuesday, it’s a multi-faceted venue that houses a pool room, a bar and multiroomed restaurant, with ladies receiving 3 free drinks.

Salero, Kempinski Hotel

If you and your girls are looking for a chilled atmosphere and some casual dining, then take a culinary journey to Spain and make your way to Salero. Housed on the ground floor of the hotel and within easy distance of Mall of the Emirates, this tapas and bodega joint is the real thing. Salero offers ladies either three complimentary cocktails or a small pitcher of sangria.

Maya Modern Kitchen and Lounge Le Royal Meridien

Rooftop? Check. Authentic Mexican food? Check. Three complimentary drinks for ladies on Tuesdays? Check. A mix of canapes served from 7.30pm till midnight? Check. Yup, there’s a lot to recommend the Maya Modern Kitchen for a mid-week night out.

VAN THE MAN

Trance icon Armin Van Buuren brings his Armin Only show to Dubai on Friday May 20 including several guest vocalists, and a vinyl only set to close the night. Ahead of his Meydan gig, we took at look at some of his best quotes throughout his long career…

On labels…

We, as a people, we have a strong need to categorize everything.

We put labels on everything and it’s a totally understandable need because we are animals and we need to understand order and where to fit in.

On producing vs DJing…

I think I prefer producing a little more than DJing because you have more freedom, you can make anything you want; it doesn’t necessarily have to be four to the floor. You can go more with your mood, or the atmosphere that you’re in.

On being a lawyer…

I’m very grateful I went to school to study law, particularly tax law, which really is interesting to me and very useful to me now with my position. Music, however, will always be my number one passion; I like how it connects everyone.

On requests…

I’m not a jukebox; I don’t play exactly what the crowd wants to hear - that doesn’t make sense. But, I do look at people requests.

At the end of the day, they are the ticket payers and they are the ones that come to the show. If I played music that purely entertains me, I’d play very weird music.

Armin Only, Friday May 20, Meydan, 8pm-3am, AED499 open bar. arminonlydubai.com

Grand designs When Analog Room announced they were moving home, few expected the changes to be so big. Not only did they custom build their own DJ booth and dancefloor, they brought the Story Rooftop venue back into focus, re-energising the club.

• It took 2 weeks to make the installations and the new DJ booth.

• It takes 7 people to create the new Analog Room venue every week.

• The club is powered by Analog Room’s two HP-700 Meyer subwoofers at 2250 watts each, and 4 UPQ-2P Meyer Speakers at 1275 watts each. In case you were wondering, that is enough to rattle the foundations, so they’ve had to move sound system from its original position. In total, the club is powered by 9600 Watts of Meyer Sound System.

• To date, they’ve had over 1,500 people through the doors for their first 4 events.

Analog Room feat. Mike Huckaby, Thurdsay May 19, Shadi Megalla May 25. 10pm-3am, Story Rooftop, Holiday Inn, Internet City, analogroom.com

5 MINUTES WITH Marc Maya

Decibel continue their Spanish house invasion with ElRow resident Marc Maya for their May 19 party at On 42. We spoke to the Barcelona based house and techno DJ ahead of his DXB debut Welcome to Dubai – how long have you been DJing for? And who was your DJ inspiration?

I’ve been DJing for 12 years and have played under different names, I was even part of a hard techno duo! There’s not just one inspiration, I like many different kind of artists, even from different styles so would be unfair to say just one or two.

You’re part of ElRow can you describe the club to us, what music do you play there, guest Djs? I’ve been at Elrow since the very beginning, I consider it my baby and it’s been a super nice journey. When the club started there were just a few hundred of people partying and now there are a few thousand! There are now worldwide events, it’s just crazy. The atmosphere is unique, the people that go there just want to have fun and forget their routine during the week. The guest DJs are part of the family already, they feel like they’re home when they’re here, and that’s very important for us as we are a family and like to consider everyone part of it.

You have a busy month coming up playing Argentina and Italy – what was Argentina like, we’ve heard the crowds there are insane?

It was amazing, I was really looking forward to play in Argentina, the word to describe them is passion. They truly live for the clubbing scene, it was such a pleasure to play for them. Same as in Italy, you feel something different in those countries.

And what are you expecting from your show in Dubai?

I think we’ll have a lot of fun, I just need people with a smile on their faces.

Decibel Tech feat. Marc Maya, Thursday May 19, On 42, Media One Hotel, 10pm-3am, AED100 advance.

THE LAST DANCE After 10 monumental, city-defining years, audio tonic are leaving their home for the last decade. But not without one almighty leaving party, of course. We spoke to some of the city’s DJs and promoters to get their take on what audio tonic means to them, and where we’d be without the longest running weekly night in the region…

James Locksmith, DUST

audio tonic was my first introduction to the alternative and underground side of Dubai’s club culture, nearly 5 years ago. I’ve had the pleasure of playing there a couple of times and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to introduce myself there as a new DJ in Dubai. Mike has done an amazing job over the years and it would be more than fair to say that his contribution to the city’s club culture has definitely paved the way to where it’s at today. Big ups Mike Bufton and audio tonic!

Jixo & Danz, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

We will always remember the good old times and great lineup they had throughout the years! We will always have a big respect to the audio tonic boys who were the first to start a quality scene in Dubai.

Marko Smokingroove

There’s no denying the overwhelming effect that audio tonic had on the cities nightlife culture over the last decade. Every local DJ worth their weight attended and wanted to play at the infamous Friday nights at 360. They led the way in a new musical wave that proved there was life away from the glam and sparklers.

I’d personally like to thank Mr Mr and the team for all the great parties, inviting me to perform there and to co-hosting a very special one off Vs party with Shibuya! audio tonic will reign true in the nightlife hall of fame for years to come!

Charl Chaka, Infusion/House of Afrika

Much love and respect to Mike Bufton and audio tonic crew for this longstanding house night in Dubai. It’s the night that put 360 on the map, put Dubai on the house map of the world and will go down in the history books of the Dubai clubbing history… hats off!

Sam Farsio, Deep Like

I had two options every Friday: either stay home or go to audio tonic... The night was very special in every way; the music, the people’s love of the music, the energy and vibe was out of this world. audio tonic played a very important role in the house music movement in Dubai, it introduced a lot of people to house music and educated them about it too. I’m so proud and happy that I could be part of this amazing party. Thanks to the one and only Mr Mr and our own Raxon.

Kaytek, Eden

audio tonic was one of my first parties I attended during my move to Dubai. For me they are the reason why house music is where it is at now in Dubai. It was a great honour to have been behind their booth few times.

Andy Buchan, Infusion/Loaded

We Love and Space, Circo Loco and DC10, audio tonic and 360: the perfect combination of the right music at the right venue. It’s hard to over-state the importance of audio tonic in the city’s club scene – they opened the door for virtually every underground night that followed. They straddled that line between cool but accessible music, and for years audio tonic had the best venue in town. And as a DJ myself, playing a sunset gig at 360 was my benchmark, that was as good as it got.

Tobie Allen, Ma’ana

audio tonic have paved the way for so many to follow. You could not ask for a nicer, more genuine, more passionate and I might add more knowledgeable person on house music. Others have and will continue to imitate the ethos of the audio tonic brand. In a city where the dollar bills reign, one thing you are sure of is Mike and the audio tonic crew will put the music first. That pretty much sums it up.

James Locksmith

Marko Smokingroove

Tobie Allen

Mehdi

Sam Farsio

Somalie

Kaytec

Mark Pickup

Mehdi, Analog Room

audio tonic has done so much for this city and so much of whatever you get every week in Dubai comes from what Mike Bufton has done for trhe past decade. Nowadays big events happen all the time.

Big artists are here all the time who don’t really care about our music culture in this city but they must know they would never be able to come without the hard work of people like Mike, the man who pushed things for past 10 years and supported everyone.

Somalie, Warehouse Dubai

In a city where promoters, clubs and the like suffer from inconsistency, audio tonic kept at it, delivering on a weekly basis and are still keeping it true. The fact that Mike kept audio tonic going for 10 years and survived a global economic crisis is testimony to his courage, intelligence and professionalism. audio tonic to me and those who grew up here, or lived here long enough, is the pillar that kept electronic music and its fans alike going. In my opinion, Mike has paved the way and given confidence to the others to push the envelope of underground dance music in Dubai. He is also one of the most humble people I ever met!

Mark Pickup, Arcade 82

It’s hard enough to maintain an underground club night in cities like Berlin, London, Amsterdam but to stick to your musical ethos and maintain an underground party in a city like Dubai for 10 years takes some doing, bravo to you Mike, an outstanding achievement. It’s been a pleasure to have been apart of it and an absolute pleasure to perform our live show as Arcade 82 on your 10th anniversary party.

Audio tonic, Friday May 20, 360, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, 4pm3am, free entry

MY MUSIC – BRYAN GEE After their storming launch party, Bassworx are back with their Liquid DnB brunch at Story Rooftop with one of the original Liquid DnB pioneers Bryan Gee of V Recordings…

My first DJ inspiration was… Reggae as that was the music I grew up with. I started a local sound system which ran for 5-6 years and was influenced by the guys that played like Shaka, Coxsone, Small Axe, Mafia Tone and Quaker City.

My first gig was… When I moved to London and went around south London playing rare grooves, funk and reggae at house parties. We’d find an empty flat, go to the cash and carry and buy loads of drinks print fliers, distribute them around the area and that was your Saturday night!

My first international gig was… In Iceland with Jumpin’ Jack Frost. This was around 1990, we were working at a shop called Mash on Oxford Street in London’s West End. Our job was to DJ every Saturday in the shop playing techno and acid house, garage and house - they had a speaker outside the shop to attract people in the shop, but most people would just come in and dance, some even came to the shop to carry on raving from the night before. It was a mad experience but the owners had some friends in Iceland so they invited me and Frost to do a couple of gigs.

The first time I heard drum and bass music was… I’m not sure, it evolved slowly from jungle as people started to experiment more and gradually there was a new kinda sound without the reggae baselines and samples and people started to use different sounds.

The first time I sold a record was… Would probably have been the first release on the label in 1993, DJ Krust’s The Deceivers EP which was sold on the black market.

The first time I realized I could make a living from music was… Was probably after the label started to get popular. We had no idea there was money in it, that you could make a living.

We were just having fun and releasing music we liked and those days music brought in a lot of money.

Drum and Bass over the last 20 years has… I’m not sure if it’s got better but the journey’s been great. It’s hard to say because back in the day it was fresh and we all approached it having no idea what was gonna happen next. You can’t get better than those early days when the scene was tighter and there were fewer divisions and music genres trying to tear it apart - it was just jungle or DnB but now it’s got all these styles which has caused a big split and a lot of snobbery.

My go to track at the moment is… I’ve got a few classics that I like to have around me including ‘It’s a Jazz Thing’ Utah Jazz VIP and ‘Duppy Man’ by Chase and Status.

My gig in Dubai will be… Sick, a complete roadblock. I’m gonna play 2 hours of more not like in UK where they want you to do 30 min sets or b2b for 45 mins.

I’m comin’ to take you guys on a ride!

Liquid Drum and Bass Brunch, Friday May 20, Story Rooftop, 1-4pm, AED250 brunch. After party 4pm-1am AED50.

5 things you never knew about Armand Van Helden

Ahead of his free – yes, free – gig at Q43 on Thursday May 26 we dug deeper into Armand Van Helden’s musical history…

He has Lebanese blood in him thanks to his French-Lebanese mother, and a Dutch Indonesian father. As a child, he spent time in Holland, Latvia, Turkey and Italy following his father who worked for the US Air Force.

He never made a penny from his legendary remix of Tori Amos’ ‘Professional Widow’ as it was an un-official remix. It did, however, lead to work remixing The Rolling Stones, Daft Punk and Britney Spears, so every silver lining and all that!

He was one of the pioneers of the Speed Garage scene, which blended deep jungle basslines with house music. His remixes for ‘Sugar is Sweeter’ by CJ Bolland and ‘Professional Widow’ are still played out today, notably by Marco Carola at his Music:On residency last summer, some 20 years after it was released.

He’s part of Duck Sauce with partner in crime A-Trak (yeah yeah, we know you knew that), but did you know that their first hit ‘Barbara Streisand’ was actually a cover of Boney M’s ‘Gotta Go Home.’ You’ve got it stuck in your head now, haven’t you? Sorry.

He was an early starter. He got his first drum machine at 13, became a paid DJ in his mid-teens and had his first releases in 1991 aged just 21.

Than-Q feat. Armand Van Helden, Thursday May 26, Q43, Media One Hotel, 9pm-3am

ON THE RADAR

JUNE 2

PARLOTONES

JUNE 3

RICHY AHMED

McGettigans JLT

Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

JUNE 3

JUNE 3 HOUSE OF AFRIKA FEAT. SCHOOLY Dek on 8

GABRIEL IGLESIAS

Autism Rocks Arena

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

JULY 8-9

ROY AYERS

Rogue Traders

NOVEMBER 25

CHEMICAL BROTHERS du Arena

JULY 29

NOVEMBER 27

Level 41

du Arena

EINMUSIK

RIHANNA

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 BurgerFuel, Bliss Lounge, Zinc, Cinnamon - Raddison, La Terrasse, Fashion Lounge, OcactI, The Scene

THURSDAY 19 INFUSION PICK! Analog Room feat. Mike Huckaby, Story Rooftop Detroit techno DJ Huckaby is joined by Nasrawi on warm up duties, for more underground house and techno sounds.

10pm-3am, AED100.

DJ Snake, Nasimi Nasimi close their strong season with the French DJ and producer behind 2015 smash hit ‘Lean On’ behind the decks. 7pm-3am, AED150.

Ravelations feat. E-Clip, Star Muse Nightclub Ravelations continue with their Psy-trance parties, this time at the Star Muse club in the Capitol Hotel on Al Mina Road.

INFUSION PICK! Decibel feat. Marc Maya, On 42 Decibel close out their season with Elrow resident Marc Maya dropping a tech-house set.

10pm-3am, AED100 advance.

INFUSION PICK! DWA feat. Trevor Nelson, The Act UK radio and TV presenter Trevor Nelson brings his big back of hip hop, funk and soul to The Act. 9pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Karak Beats feat. Barely Legal, Velocity Beats and pieces night Karak Beats host underground female DJ Barely Legal at their last party of the season. 10pm3am, AED100.

Tom Swoon, Zero Gravity Polish EDM DJ Tom Swoon makes his Dubai DJ debut, with support from residents Andrew Hartley and Jon Besant. 6pm3am, free before 10pm, ladies free before midnight, AED100.

INFUSION PICK! Liquid Brunch feat. Bryan Gee, Story Rooftop Bassworx return for their liquid DnB brunch with V Recordings star Bryan Gee headlining, with support from Woodle, Mach 4 and more. 1-4pm, AED250.

Warehouse Dubai, 360 More bass friendly house and tech-house from the Warehouse crew, with Somalie, SL4 amongst the guest DJs. 6pm-3am, free.

FRIDAY 20 INFUSION PICK! Electronic Odyssey, Eden A sprawling 12 hour, 12 DJ party featuring Laura Jones, Matt Tolfrey, and tINI & Bill Patrick alongside Deian, Kaytek and Maks from the UAE. 1pmmidnight, free before 5pm, AED100 from 5-7pm, AED150 after 7.

INFUSION PICK! Journey Thru House, Zero Gravity The last classics night of the season, with Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk of ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ fame headlining, with a live PA from Baby D. 6pm-3am, free before 10pm, ladies free until midnight, AED100 after.

INFUSION PICK! Armin Van Buuren, Meydan The world’s leading trance DJ brings his Armin Only show packed with live performances to the UAE for an extended set.

8pm-3am, AED499 including open bar.

All Good, Cocktail Kitchen 90s party focusing on classic hip hop, with David Craig, Megadon Betamax and James Locksmith on DJ duties. 8pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Dixon & Culoe De Song, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE The 3rd last party for the Blue Marlin team, with Innervisions main man and Resident Advisor No.1 DJ Dixon headlining.

11am-late.

Flying Ipis, Music Room All girl Filipino rock band Flying Ipis headline, with a strong local support bill including Dead Shakes. 8pm-late, AED100.

House of Afrika feat. Dave Mayer, Dek on 8 Dutch afro house DJ Dave Mayer guests alongside Pacha’s resident DJ Melohman. 6pm-3am, free.

INFUSION PICK! Audio tonic The Last Dance, 360 It’s time to get emotional, as after 10 amazing years, it’s the last ever audio tonic as they move onto a new venue.

They’ve an all star line up of local talent including head honcho Mr Mr. 4pm-3am, free.

INFUSION PICK! Armand Van Helden, Q 43 Jacking house from one half of Duck Sauce and the man behind still classic house track ‘Funk Phenomena.’ 9pm-3am, free.

INFUSION PICK! Fred Perry Subsonic feat.

Blur DJ set, Stereo Arcade Blur’s drummer Dave Rowntree swaps the sticks for a set of decks for a night of new and old indie anthems. 10pm-3am, free entry.

Robin Thicke, Eden

WEDNESDAY 25 Jay Sean, Cavalli The 16 time Asian Music Award winner plays live, with support from Scottie B. 8.30pm-3am.

THURSDAY 26 INFUSION PICK! Analog Room feat. Shadi Megallaa, Story Rooftop Analog Room resident – and vinyl junkie – Shadi is honoured with a 5 hour set. Get down early to hear one of Dubai’s best residents show you how it’s done. 10pm-3am, AED100.

Eden’s urban night The Hub host the ‘Blurred Lines’ star Robin Thicke for a live show, with support from Shefcodes and Tony H. 8pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! Sander Van Doorn, Zero Gravity Zero Gravity go Dutch with trance/EDM DJ Sander Van Doorn headlining, with support from Andrew Hartley, Chris Wright and Jon Besant.

Superheroes feat. FOOR, Dek on 8 Bass/house/garage night Superheroes return for their monthly party with rising UK stars FOOR. 6pm-3am, free.

FRIDAY 27 Afrocentric, Story Rooftop Afro-house night Afrocentric host ‘City Rains’ star Mobi Dixon for their season closing party.

8pm-3am, free entry.

INFUSION PICK! Desert Experiment IV, Music Room A live mashup of musicians including Bull Funk Zoo, Point of View, As Per Casper, Empty Yard Experiment and more.

8pm-3am, AED80.

INFUSION PICK! Rogue Sessions feat. James Taylor Quartet, Rogue Traders The DIFC bar and restaurant host jazz/soul pop legend James Taylor Quartet for a 2 night stint. 8pm-late, AED499 for 3 courses and drinks or AED150 including 2 drinks.

INFUSION PICK! Elrow feat. Damian Lazarus, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Famed Barcelona club Elrow hit the road and bring their super colourful club night to Blue Marlin, with Crosstown Rebels main man Lazarus dropping house and techno. 11am-late.

House of Afrika feat.

Nader, Dek on 8 Afro house with some deep house cuts from Nader, with HoA residents on support. 6pm3am, free.

Kisstory, Nasimi Fatman Scoop, Majestic, Shortee Blitz and more line up for this urban, UK Garage party. 3pm3am, AED150.

INFUSION PICK! The Late Late Brunch with Loaded feat. Carl & The Reda Mafia, Stereo Arcade One of Dubai’s leading bands play this popular brunch at Stereo Arcade, with indie/rock and alternative anthems either side. 2-5pm, AED250.

Lost Frequencies, Zero Gravity Belgian DJ and producer Lost Frequencies returns to Zero Gravity fresh from his 2015 hit ‘Reality.’ 3pm-3am, free before 10pm, AED100 men, AED100 after midnight.

INFUSION PICK! Destination Dawn, Al Marjan Ras Al Khaimah A brand new 12 hour party that runs until 5am with Thomas Gold and SA live act Goldfish the big draw. 5pm5am, AED100 online.

Music News JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET PLAY DUBAI

If you’re in need of a serious jazz, funk and soul injection head to new DIFC bar and restaurant Rogue Traders as they host UK act James Taylor Quartet on Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28.

Famed for his ‘Howling Hammond’ sound, he’s a prolific artist who takes inspiration from the 60s and 70s and frames it in a jazz-pop context. Tickets are AED499 for a 3 course menu and free flowing drinks, or AED150 including 2 drinks.

FISHY BUSINESS

McGettigans JLT are hosting Irish star Jerry Fish on Friday May 20. Known during the 90s as the frontman of An Emotional Fish best known for ‘Celebrate,’ he’ll be playing Dubai with his 5 piece brass band. Entry is free all night, with the show starting at 10pm.

Soundstage JAYE & FOE Whimsical, magical and utterly unique, Jaye and Foe are a three-piece on the fast-track to success after winning the Jack Daniels’ Music Scouts competition in Dubai, including a trip to Nashville to record a single.

My first musical influence was…

Faye: “Hello Children tapes!” - brilliant kids songs!

Dean: James Morrison, the jazz trumpeter, not the pop singer!

Our sound is best described as…

Joe: Jazzy, folky Balkan beats with some hootin’ and a tootin’ thrown in!

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

Perform every gig like it’s your last and support ALL local music, we’re all in it together!

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

Joe: Hmm.....I would only see this as musical education, but Level 42 - 80s funky-cheese at its best!

Faye: Cher, specifically “Believe!” – Ye! Dean: There are so many! I’m a Belieber!

The best band in Dubai is…

Too many to pick, but we’re loving Carl and the Mafia right now, and we saw our good friends Da Vinci Park play their first gig a few weeks ago which was awesome!

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

Quality coffee and cappuccino machine - shlurrp!

My musical motto is…

Faye: Do do do do doooo...

Best gig you’ve played?

Joe: Ah it’s got to be the final of the JD Scouts Competition at Lockstock and Barrel. What an amazing night! We had the whole crowd singing our songs which was really something quite special, and then to go on and win... we were just blown away! facebook/jayeandfoe

TECH TALK Model 1 Mixer A pioneer of new DJ technology, it’s no surprise that Richie Hawtin has just released his brand new project, a custom-made PLAYdifferently Model 1 mixer.

With 6 stereo channels (plus a couple of send/return channels), it’s made for the DJ who likes to do more than just mix 2 records together. He’s removed the cross fader and added two cues for each channel so DJs can now go back to back to each other in full flow.

But it’s his approach to the filters and EQ that marks it out from the competition. Each channel – including the booth monitor – has low-pass and high-pass filters and a sweepable EQ. ‘You can contour sound but also be scientific and scope sound,” he says. “Why have only three bands of EQ? Let’s have the ability to dial into the frequency that the record needs. It’s a different mentality.’

The Play mixer has all the creative hallmarks (and look) of the renowned Allen & Heath series, and was created in tandem with Andy Rigby-Jones who worked on the Allen & Heath Xone mixer series for over a decade.

It’s very expensive at $3,650 but it might appeal to die hard audiophiles and progressive club owners.

DJ BOOTH: ADAM GRACA

Mahiki’s respected and versatile DJ Adam Graca makes his debut in our DJ Booth this issue One thing you might not know about me is… I’ve got mum tattooed on my bum.

Also, I had my first DJ residency before Justin Bieber was born.

My worst ever job was… Every job I’ve ever had to set an alarm for. And a post brunch gig I used to do! People are unbelievable after brunch.

My favourite ever record is... Orange Theme Cygnus X. DJing is much like… Making dinner for the same people every night, you have to find a different way of cooking your potatoes daily.

Dubai’s clubbing scene is… A social scene.

I’m really proud of… My brother. He knows why.

What track could you drop in every set? I DJ so many different styles in so many different places, but I guess the only tune I can play anywhere is Add SUV Armand van Helden and Pharrell. Class.

I can’t live without... Larry David.

My biggest DJ achievement to date is... Robin Schulz has cooled down for me twice now in front of 6,000 people at Nasimi, although he never sets his watch to local time.

What is your guiltiest pleasure? Watching Test Match cricket.

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be…

The 90s, obviously which I did. Best music, best parties, best clubs, best crowd, reliable Japanese cars. f I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be... It’s gotta be either Jazzy Jeff, or 2 Many DJs. Or is that too many? Imagine vibing off the Jeff?!

I’m not a politician but… I’m always dropping bombs! soundcloud.com/adamgraca

Looking Closer

Weird News FLIGHT CLUB From shoe bombers, drunk passengers and screaming kids, there’s a lot of tension on flights these days. But one passenger mistook a scribbled math equation from an Ivy League professor on an American Airlines flight for something a lot more sinister and alerted the authorities. The 41 minute flight was delayed for 2 hours as the economics teacher was questioned, before the flight eventually took off.

DOG DAYS A crack team of UK sniffer dogs have excelled at discovering small amounts of cheese and sausages, but have failed to find any drugs in the last 7 months. At a cost of AED6 million, the sniffer dogs at Manchester Airport have turned up 46kg of cigarettes, 181kg of meat, but no heroin or cocaine. So be careful next time you’re smuggling a cheese and ham sarnie into the UK…

WITHOUT A LI

QUOR

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E RISK!

APPLY NOW, just follow these three simple steps.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

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

Attach copies of the required documents.

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

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

/mmidubai

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MMIDubai

Cool Test FARLEY ‘JACKMASTER’ FUNK VS JIM SHAFT RYAN The Journey Thru House stars battle it out ahead of their May 20 gig at Zero Gravity, but who’s keeping the funk alive in this Cool Test?

Who’s the coolest person in your phone book?

FARLEY: My wife, because everything that I’m not – she is. She has been around me long enough to be a help and not a hindrance!

JIM: I promised not to tell!

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

FARLEY: Two days.

JIM: One weekend after another.

Describe your best bass face…

FARLEY: Mouth wide open while shouting.

JIM: Stern and unscrupulous.

Coolest word in the world?

FARLEY: Awesome

JIM: Ambiguous.

Coolest DJ in the world?

FARLEY: Who else, fool? Me.

JIM: Norman Jay.

Coolest track ever made?

FARLEY: ‘Acid Life’’

JIM: Quentin Harris ‘My Joy’ Harry Choo Choo Remix.

Your best dance move is…

FARLEY: The MC Hammer move.

JIM: The jitterbug.

What’s your best claim to fame?

FARLEY: God blessed me with a street named after me in Chicago town centre, for starting house music in 1984 and giving kids a place to party in Chicago’s biggest club The Warehouse.

JIM: Writing ‘Ibiza the Musical.’

It’s not big and clever but…

FARLEY: My 128 GB USB can rock the roof off any joint.

JIM: You never know!

What’s your answer to everything?

FARLEY: Prayer.

JIM: Hello, my name’s Shaft.

Best insult you could give each other?

FARLEY: You Can Kiss My Black Ass, Mitches

JIM: Love definitely can turn around!

THE VERDICT: Farley inches this one, largely as we’d like to get our hands on his USB after his gig.

Journey Thru House, Friday May 20, Zero Gravity, 3pm-3am

Marathon Man There are some things which are better when done longer (yes, including that, you dirty minded human).

But there’s a limit to DJing. DJs love to boast about their marathon sets, which in today’s squeezed clubbing climate is normally a 2 hour set.

Some DJs are well equipped for longer sets – you know you’re in for a treat when Danny Tenaglia is leading the sermon for 7 hours straight.

But when the Monkey heard that Marco Carola and then tINI had DJ’d for over 24 hours straight at the recent Sunwaves festival, we just had to ask why? The same plodding tech-house groove for a full day? Can you imagine what else you could have done in that time?

Flown around the world/read Infusion over 500 times/ listen to the 469 greatest songs of all time. But no, these self indulgent DJs suffocated them with 24 hours of mind-numbing inanity. Yawn.

Monkey Out...

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