P R E S E N T S
DJ SET
N E W Y E A R ʼ S E V E 2 017 WHEREʼS YOUR HEAD AT THIS NEW YEARʼS EVE... WITNESS ONE OF THE GREATEST DANCE ACTS OF ALL TIME SUNDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2017
TALAL BUDEBS Publisher
Vikings has returned for a 5th season. Enough said.
CHARL CHAKA Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae Sales/marketing magazine@infusion.ae STU TODD Editor editor@infusion.ae PAULA MANGUEIRA Design design@infusion.ae SONIA IGNACIO Operations operations@infusion.ae CONTRIBUTORS: Stu Todd, Charl Chaka, Neil Henderson, Milko Moustache, Mike Mclaren, Secret Affairs, Megadon Betamax, Robert Walker, Pooja B, Salah Sadeq, Madlou INFUSION IS PUBLISHED BY Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098
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NYE is coming up so get ready to be spoiled for choice with the coming events.
The new XDubai zip line looks insane and it is open now!
GUEST LIST BLACK LIST
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Christmas jumpers – just no.
OUR PARTNERS
VAT stresses.
Waiting for vinyl deliveries to arrive in the UAE. Dull.
Say What? MY PRECIOUS
For fans of the now completed Lord of the Rings movie series have recently had fresh hope of a TV series that will pre-date The Fellowship of the Ring. Amazon have confirmed that it will be working in conjunction with New Line Cinema and the Tolkein Estate to delve in to brand new story lines and with Game of Thrones due to finish as of next season, this high fantasy series will quench the thirst of fans of the genre around the world. Watch this space for more details coming soon.
GRAMMIES SNUB TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Founding band member Q-Tip has recently gone on the record blasting the Grammy’s for their obvious snub of the pioneering band and their 6th and final studio album “We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service”. With the band forming in 1985 and quickly establishing themselves as the most successful and artistic hip-hop collective of the time it is clear that Q-Tip has serious grounds for his beef with The Recordings Academy and their seemingly about turn on their pleading with the band to perform at the closing of the previous year’s ceremony. What do you think?
WE LOVE Q43
Since opening in 2013 at Media One Hotel, Q43 has established itself as a staple of the Dubai scene and rightly so. The laid-back post office atmosphere easily segues in to the raucous parties that the venue is known. Boasting some of the best views of the marina and Mina Seyahi resort the towering New York loft inspired hang out is a firm favourite for the hard working and play harder media crowd. Q43 are also very quick recognise that although they have built one hell of a party destination it is the crowds that keep coming back that really make the venue what it is. So much so, that as well as the hugely diverse regular entertainment that is on offer across the week they also throw thank you parties featuring some of dance music’s finest artists, names such as Johnathan Ulysses, Mark Knight, David Morales and Armand Van Helden have all appeared at the skyscraping venue. Fast forward to this New Year’s Eve and yet another legendary DJ will be spinning – Judge Jules. The former Radio 1 DJ will be ringing in the new year with a high octane set that he is infamous for and it won’t break the bank either. facebook.com/Q43Dubai
What we did
MARTIN GARRIX @ BEYOND THE TRACK, DU FORUM, ABU DHABI
Ably bookended by the likes of B Jones, Justin Mylo and Brooks, the main man stepped up to his peak hour set to drop 2 hours of hi-energy progressive gold, every gnarly bassline aching to devastate the surging crowd. Devoid as the modern progressive scene is of any nuance or subtlety, the energy rose to fever pitch within the first few cuts, mashups aplenty care of Sander Van Doorn, DVBBS and Aleesia’s lush collab on “Gold Skies” with the usual suspects Galantis - “Runaway” dropping in to say hello. Calvin Harris’ sampled acapella “Close To You” popped up as a fitting homage to the man who himself graced the main stage just last night while DallasK’s remix of “In The Name of Love” made a welcome appearance in the last 30 tying the whole set into a flamboyant feat of the pyro, smoke, lasers and lights we’ve become so used to in recent years. Du Forum’s definitely sorted itself out since the days of no dancefloor a few years back and the heaving throng of adoring progressive addicts left abused by the bass and thirsty for more. Roll on 2018’s edition and whatever Alchemy Project have up their sleeves! Words by Neil Henderson
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
ZOOTOPIA BY SNOOPY BEATS @ SANDY BEACH RESORT, FUJAIRAH facebook.com/mysnoopybeats
Doug Wimbish American bass player
B-social desktop recording and monitoring solution - B-SOCIAL Straight out of the box, B-Social delivers signature Ashdown bass tone via a powerful 75W stereo amplifier and two custom dual concentric 5� drivers, specifically designed to deliver punchy low-end in the most compact enclosure. Wireless Allowing the bassist to roam at home, B-Social features wireless audio connectivity and a transmitter that lets the bass connect wirelessly to the amp for cable free jamming. Wireless audio connectivity also enables audio streaming from any compatible music player. Adding a new social dimension to the amp, the B-Social includes a second input so the bassist can play along with another bass player or guitarist - electric or acoustic. Recording Recording itself is made simple via the built-in USB audio interface, compatible with all major DAWs on both PC and Mac platforms. The unit features a speaker mute switch for headphone monitoring. Connectivity Rounding out the feature set is a Line In, Line Out and a Headphone Out for silent practice. B-Social is available in two stunning high gloss wood finishes - Black and White.
AED 3199 #mymeters #spotthevu WWW.METERSMUSIC.AE
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BMI X COCOON
The big-name dance brands just keep rolling through the doors of Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE and this time around it is the turn of Sven Vath’s mega brand Cocoon. Although Papa Sven is not playing himself he will be sending two long time label mates in Einzelkind and Ilario Alicante. On Friday, December 22 you can expect all the usual atmosphere and décor associated with a Cocoon party but right here on your doorstep and its free entry. Just make sure you get on that all important list. facebook.com/BMIUAE NYE BY THE BOOK
We don’t know about you, but Judge Jules holds a dear place in our heart, he was one of the first DJ’s to speak to me through the medium of radio and he helped to break many a big track back in the day via his Radio 1 residency. This thought has also resonated with Q43 as they have recently revealed that they will be hosting none other than Judge Jules this New Year’s Eve. What is even better is that their shindig won’t break the bank either as they offer a package to suit all pockets. The party runs from 9pm to 3am but don’t try and kick the DJ off early as the Judge won’t budge. facebook.com/Q43Dubai
SUN, 31ST DECEMBER
I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H
F O R I N F O & R E S E R VAT I O N S : + 9 7 1 5 4 4 4 9 6 4 6 4 | R E S E R VAT I O N S @ E L C H I R I N G U I T O - D U B A I . C O M
JAZZ HANDS
Duran Duran have been announced as the first headliner for the Emirates Airline Jazz Festival 2018. Not exactly a jazz act I hear you cry, but in recent recent years the term “jazz festival” has gone on to include David Gray, James Blunt and Sting to name but a few. Regardless of the title of the festival there has been some outstanding guests visiting Dubai in recent years. Keep the dates of February 21-23rd, Duran Duran will perform on Wednesday, February 21. facebook.com/DubaiJazzFest REDFEST 2018
More festival news and it is arguably one of the biggest of the year – RedFestDXB. The 2-day festival backed by Virgin Radio will next year play host to Craig David’s TS5, Kesha, Bebe Rexha and a DJ with a bucket on his head called Marshmellow and that is all just on the first night Friday, December 9. With details yet to be announced regarding the Thursday night session you can be sure the artists will blow your socks off. Keep your eyes and ears peeled of more details of the massive artists going to be performing at Media City Amphitheatre. redfestdxb.com
NEW YEAR’S EVE AT AQUA Party hard this New Year’s Eve and dress to impress at the epic all-inclusive pool deck party with unrivalled views of the city and live DJ sets from Smokingroove and Adam J. AED 500 PER PERSON, including a welcome drink, free flowing house beverages and signature canapés from 7pm -11pm. An à la carte menu and standard bar service will be available thereafter AED 400 PER PERSON Early Bird Ticket Safe Smokingroove from 8pm -11pm Adam J from 11pm - 3am For inquiries, please call +971 4 414 3000 Tickets are available at platinumlist.com *Must be 21 years and above to enter
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE T +971 4 414 3000 | jwmmrr@marriott.com jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com JW Marriott Marquis Dubai JWDubaiMarquis jwmarriottmarquisdubai
BLINDS, BLUFFS AND BEATS Groove on the Grass are shaping up for yet another barn storming party and to see out 2017 in style on Friday, December 15 they have a stacked lineup primed and ready. Returning to Dubai is a Groove on the Grass favourite Steve Bug, Infusion Magazine sat down with the German taste maker to shew the fat‌
You have done some serious travelling since the beginning of the summer, where has touched you most? Well, it is different everywhere, and there are many great places for different reasons. But I am definitely a fan of South America though. Always great people with an amazing energy. Have you come across any rising stars at the gigs you have played? I heard many great DJs, but I couldn’t pick one. And unfortunately, the rising stars are not generally good at what they are doing. There are plenty local DJs that play awesome sets but have no following outside of their hometown/country.
The last time we saw you spin you were playing on turntables, is this still your preferred format or does it change all the time? I do use the turntables to control Traktor. Only if the turntable set up is not good enough (too much vibration, or other issues) I play on the controller only. Something I lately enjoy more than I used to. Gives you plenty of extra time for track selections and additional fx, beats, vocals. What is your stance on vinyl releases for your labels? Even with the resurgence in popularity do you find wax releases a struggle? Which resurgence? These numbers come from re-presses of old rock albums. In the electronic music scene vinyl is less and less relevant. Even though there are a few great vinyl-only labels out there. We also started a Poker Flat Wax Only edition, which works great. Musically slightly different from the stuff that we release on Poker Flat. It is more track oriented I’d say. Stuff that vinyl-only DJs dig. But with our normal releases we are doing less and less EPs on vinyl. Do you think that Poker Flat, Audiomatique or Dessous will go fully digital in the future? Audiomatique is basically digital-only these days. It is very rare that we are releasing vinyl. And Poker Flat is also heading towards that direction. Unfortunately, there are not
enough people out there who still buy music on vinyl these days. The vinyl-only heads do, but they are looking for rather rare, wax only stuff. As soon as something is out digitally as well, it becomes less interesting for them. What do you have coming up on your labels and also in your own release schedule? On my own schedule has just been the Chord Cluster EP together with Langenberg and there will be an EP with Clé on Knee Deep In Sound in December. The latest release on the label is Martin Landsky’s ‘Being Me’ to be followed by Tim Engelhardt ‘Moments Of Truth Remixes’, an EP by Marcos in December and an EP by Joeski and Doc Martin in January. On Audiomatique there are Eps from Renato (DE) end November and Ken Hayakawa in January. And there are two excellent vinyl Eps from Chocky on Dessous.
facebook.com/GrooveOnTheGrass
LONG PLAYER Barac is not an artist that the average club goer will be immediately familiar with and should you look up this Romanian selector up on Beatport you will find only one track and even that is a reworking of another artists’ track. Step in ECHO festival who will be showcasing this mystic sound in all its glory at Dubai Design District between December 14-16‌
With his DJ sets and live performances taking place in front of some of the more discerning dancefloors around the world you could be forgiven for thinking that Barac flies under the radar. Not so, in all honesty Barac and his contemporaries such as Raresh, Rhadoo, Pedro and a whole raft of other Romanian artists walk a higher path. Their mixing skills honed to perfection during marathon party sessions, well, they might seem like marathon parties to some, but to Barac and his pals this is the norm and have stood them in good stead. Previously, when the phrase “Romanian sound” was uttered in hushed, clued up nonchalant tones this meant rolling grooves, off kilter basslines and just a touch of madness but this is all currently in a state of flux. Lead by a similar strain of artists Barac is beginning to inject more melody in to what is perceived as the “Romanian sound”, all be it sparingly such as Steve O’Sullivan has such a deft mastery of.
For an idea of where Barac stands in all of this, check out his recent Pata Din Mijlocul Naturii EP [Lick My Deck]. One of the Romanians newest 12’s typifies where his sound is going. Clocking in at over 13 minutes, “Asa E Omul” really spreads its minimal wings over the course of the track and with its cavern like percussion and undulating sub bass uses up every single bit of wax. Head to the flip and you will find a much more musically minded track in “Sapte, Numarul Magic” a dream like cut that floats along gently underpinned by an ever so slightly gnarled bassline. This is a fine example of the musicality that has often been missing from much of the Romanian sound. With Barac, like his Romanian piers being out and out selectors, expect this sound to be just one of the many shades of house and techno to be on display during his extended set for ECHO festival.
facebook.com/ECHOsound17
TALE OF TWO CITIES After the last time that Beirut party brand Ăœberhaus stopped by Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE for a joint party it was only a matter of time before they joined forces in Dubai again. On Thursday, December 14 the lineup is just as strong but a different direction has been explored‌
Headlining is the 2-time Resident Advisor number one DJ – Seth Troxler. The outlandish Detroit native has never shied away from playing records which are somewhat left of centre but yet always on point and it is this fearless approach to his performance that has won him legions of fans. From his time as part of Visionquest, to his legendary sets for Circoloco and of course his performances as part of DJ super group JESuS with Jackmaster, Eats Everything and Skream, Seth is never far from the next hot topic. Joining Seth underneath the infamous dome is Chicago legend Lil’ Louis. Responsible for much more than just his seminal “French Kiss”, Louis has been a DJ since the age of 12 and hasn’t put his headphones down since. Louis is widely credited with throwing the first “rave” in 1977 and at the age of 16 he was not even old enough to be in mainstream venues, but this didn’t stop him making history. As well as hosting two leading names from the new school and old school, the resident DJ’s from both parties are just as important. The pairing of Nesta and Frederick Stone are known for pushing the good word of their respective parties in such a way that their brand reaches far and wide.
For more information go to facebook.com/uberhausclubuae.
TO THE MOON AND BACK
Since being founded in 2000 by Leipzig artist Matthias Tanzmann, Moon Harbour Recordings has become one of the most recognised house and techno labels in the world. Ahead of the Moon Harbour showcase at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE on Friday, December 15 with Huxley and Blond:ish, Infusion Magazine spoke with Matthias about his label‌ How has 2017 been for Moon Harbour? What have been your you’re struggles and successes? We had a good year with the label. Our schedule was busier than ever with a lot of well-received releases. The biggest challenge for a electronic music label may be the transition from downloads to streaming these days. What has been the labels biggest tracks of the year so far? Daniel Stefanik - Deep Inside What are your thoughts on the vinyl format for your label? Will it always have a place at Moon Harbour? We have been releasing on vinyl for almost 18 years and we have no intention of stopping it.
I am a huge fan of your track “Loved Shaped Feeling”, from your massive back catalogue, what track still gets the biggest reaction? Why do you love playing it so much? Thank you. I don’t play a lot of my own back catalogue, but my remix for Marlow feat. Delhia - ‘Movin’ from more than 10 years ago still works pretty well. Also, my remix for DJ Clé ‘Nomads’ on Poker Flat. Being a touring artist how has this impacted your performance set up in recent years? I stopped touring with vinyl about 10 years ago. This wasn’t only because of the busy traveling schedule but also because of the evolution of technology. Would you ever return purely to vinyl as a performance format? I don’t think so. The advantages of playing digitally are too prevailing - instant access to my whole digital music collection, the ability to manipulate the music live and being able to have all that available in hand luggage while traveling. What is the future for Moon Harbour, both in concept and musical direction? With the 20th label anniversary only 2 years away from now, we will continue doing we have always done. Our main motivation will remain releasing the music we love. We will keep our eyes open for new talents to have the artist family grow. And Moon Harbour will be holding label showcases in cities around the world. What do you have coming up on MH in the near future? We will close the year’s catalogue with a Best of Moon Harbour 2017 compilation. This is actually coming out on the same day of my Blue Marlin Dubai performance (15th December). Next year will start off with releases by Ninetoes, Leftwing & Kody and a new collaborative EP by Daniel Stefanik and myself.
moonharbour.com / facebook.com/B
DECEMBER
31 2017
TOUCH OF CLASS It is hard to imagine a world of house and techno before Solomun entered it in and that is nothing to say about his Dynamic record label. So, it is fitting that Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE would sign off yet another record breaking year with Solomun at the helm for their NYE party… Since he announced his arrival on to the tech house scene in 2006 with his Solomun EP and also debut EP on his own label Diynamic, Solomun has systematically gone about rearranging the landscape of modern electronic music. That same year that he broke through to the wider consciousness of club land he brought with him a collective of artists that have all gone on to help shape the music scene around them. It has been the strength of this collective of artists that has propelled Diynamic to stratospheric status and with Solomun presiding over it all, this gave the label its undeniable music direction and identity. Although Solomun and his releases had been making waves, it was his collaboration on the 2008 “Radar” with label mate H.O.S.H. that really pricked up ears around the globe, the abrasive synth rises finally giving way to a beautiful and unexpected Rhodes section had summer heater stamped all over it. By 2009 Solomun was already releasing on top labels such as Dessous, Sonar Kollectiv, Freerange, Compost and Poker Flat Recordings but it was his summer smash remix of DJ T’s “Dis” that bumped him up to A list status. This re-rub sound tracked the summer for many a dancefloor and the Get Physical Music bomb was everywhere.
As well as having a keen ear for what works on the dancefloor and in the studio, Solomun also has a sixth sense for nurturing talent and one of his many master strokes came in the form of David August. The classically trained German artist’s debut EP “Instant Harmony” in 2010 still devastates dancefloors to this very day and with tracks such as “Moving Day” and “Music Is The Place To Be” what a way to announce your arrival on to one of the biggest house music labels of the time. This was then followed up the next year (2011) with the just as explosive “Peace Of Conscience” EP and featured favourites such as “Hamburg For Lovers” and “Roco Coco”. Not one to rest on his laurels, Solomun pushed ahead with his plan for global domination of the tech house scene and in some way accomplished this and has over the years managed to maintain his standing at the top of this extremely saturated market. One thing above all else has helped him to do so – consistent quality. From his own releases, his label output, his own legendary Solomun +1 parties in Ibiza and the various after parties that he throws around the world, Solomun is a class act plain and simple.
Solomun last visited these shores in May and the temperature, like the atmosphere when he got on the decks was red hot. Although the air has cooled somewhat since then you can expect the Diynamic boss to bring some serious heat this New Year’s Eve at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE.
facebook.com/BMIUAE
Prior to Axwell & Ingrosso taking to the Creamfields Abu Dhabi main stage, Infusion Magazine managed to catch up with the Swedish super star DJs…
How has life been on the road this year? Busy but amazing! What has been your biggest moment of the year so far? Releasing our “More Than You Know” EP! What is your best Creamfields memory from years gone by? This year’s UK event was actually one of the best we can remember. The weather is usually terrible but this year it was a perfect day. How do you combat the effects of constantly travelling? Eat healthy, try to exercise, and speak to our families back home as much as possible.
What has been the biggest track of the year for you this year? Definitely ‘More Than You Know’! If your life didn’t revolve around music what would you be doing? Ax: I initially wanted to be a farmer haha! Seb: I would probably work in fashion or something else creative. What is your view on the vinyl resurgence? Would you ever make a return to the format? It’s super cool. Owning the vinyl copy of an album or song is like a badge of honour for a fan. You never know if we might, but USBs weigh a lot less! Do you have any special tracks up your sleeve when you perform at Creamfields Abu Dhabi? Maybe! :)
axwellingrosso.com
ON THE RADAR
BLUE MARLINE IBIZA UAE W/ SOLOMUN
DECIBEL W/ KLAUDIA GAWLAS
DECEMEBER 31 – GOLDEN TULIP HOTEL, GHANTOOT
JANUARY 11 – ON42, MEDIA ONE HOTEL
Q43 W/ JUDGE JULES
REDFEST ’18 W/ CRAIG DAVID TS5
DECEMEBER 31 – MEDIA ONE HOTEL
FEBRUARY 9 - MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE
INNER CITY ZOO W/ BASEMENT JAXX DECEMEBER 31 – RIXOS PREMIUM HOTEL, JBR
JAZZ FESTIVAL ’18 W/ DURAN DURAN FEBRUARY 21 – MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE
NYE RAVE W/ SPECTRADOT DJS
MOVE W/ ADAM SHELTON FEBRUARY 22 – CASA LATINA, IBIS HOTEL, AL BARSHA
DECEMEBER 31 – MARRIOT HOTEL, WORLD TRADE CENTER, ABU DHABI
䔀䄀刀䰀夀 䈀䤀刀䐀 ☀ 䜀刀伀唀倀 倀䄀䌀䬀䄀䜀䔀匀 䄀嘀䄀䤀䰀䄀䈀䰀䔀
㈀ 㠀 䤀渀挀爀攀搀椀戀氀攀 瘀椀攀眀猀 漀昀 䘀䤀刀䔀圀伀刀䬀匀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 㐀㈀渀搀 ˻漀漀爀 吀愀戀氀攀 䈀漀漀欀椀渀最猀㨀 ⬀㤀㜀 㔀㈀ 㘀㐀㘀 㜀㘀㐀 ☀ ⬀㤀㜀 㔀㈀ 㘀㈀㔀 ㌀ 䐀漀漀爀猀 漀瀀攀渀 㤀瀀洀 簀 ㈀礀爀 ⬀ 䴀攀搀椀愀 伀渀攀Ⰰ 䐀甀戀愀椀 䴀攀搀椀愀 䌀椀琀礀Ⰰ 䐀甀戀愀椀Ⰰ 唀䄀䔀 伀一㐀㈀䀀洀攀搀椀愀漀渀攀栀漀琀攀氀 簀 洀攀搀椀愀漀渀攀栀漀琀攀氀⸀挀漀洀
TECH TALK METERS CUBED DESKTOP BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS
Being an avid music consumer, I always need the best audio quality where possible and whether I am auditioning music for my DJ sets, listening to music on my balcony, in my office or while I am getting ready for a night out I need to be able to hear the music I am playing. I must admit that I had high hopes for the Meters Cubed Bluetooth speakers and I have to say that these more than delivered straight out of the box. Unlike some devices that offer a somewhat convoluted connection process, the Meters Cubed are very simple to set up and I soon had my favourite music streaming out of these tidy units. There is also the option to connect via AUX, but in these technologically centric days I see this being an available option less and less. For the size of the units they sure put out some serious volume and audio clarity with it. With each speaker only coming in at 90mm squared and only boasting a 2.5� speaker driver pushing 10 watts, the sound levels that are reproduced are surprisingly high. The third cube that makes up the system is the micro amplifier, this also
comes complete with their trademark VU meter. As well as looking the part, I have found this to be a great reference tool and is especially handy when double checking the input level coming from the various audio sources that can be hooked up to the system. For instance, when using the speakers with my laptop, I noticed that the VU Meter was reading especially high compared to the relatively low volume, this lead me to check the various volume settings and I soon had a normal reading on the VU meter and an equally normal volume output level. With the Meters Cubed being fairly small, one thing I did notice that if the listener’s ears are not on a similar plane to that of the speakers then various frequencies, especially the low-end punch can be lost. Saying that, for a general listening session in most situations these speakers definitely require your consideration as they more than pack enough punch and at the price of just over a nice brunch at AED799 they won’t break the bank either (available in black and white). Words by Stu Todd metersmusic.ae
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Soundstage KHAN
My biggest gig ever was…personally, my first gig with the band was special, it’s what I consider the biggest because it was when we put ourselves out there, in front of the public. But if you’re talking about biggest turn up, we played Abu Dhabi Beats on the Beach in front of 7000-8000 people, that was fun and memorable. I’m best known for…my beard and sometimes my voice. I’m most proud of…our band, we’re like a band of brothers. Our music chemistry is something I’m proud of. The artist I’d most like to work with is…Ok…way too many. I guess Eddie Vedder personally speaking. One thing you may not know about me is that… I’m pretty nasty when I need to be. This year, I’m playing in…a bunch of festivals and local gigs, look up Chronicles of Khan. My sound is described as…how rock n roll should be. My music sounds like…I’ll let you be the judge, come to the shows. I can tell you’d be pretty satisfied. If I had to live in one decade it would be…70’s….. because why not. The one piece of music kit I can’t live without is… my guitar.
DJ BOOTH: POOJA B
Globe-trotting DJ - Pooja B lifts the lid on her pursuit of techno nirvana… Dubai’s clubbing scene is... Slowly but surely being noticed internationally for home-grown events like Analog Room and Groove on the Grass which I’m very proud of :) My favourite ever record is... Hard to choose one. I absolutely love Ben Klock’s “Subzero” as well as “Sky and Sand” by Paul & Fritz Kalkbrenner (soundtrack of Berlin Calling). What track could you drop in every set? On Off by Cirez D. No matter how hard I go, I find a way to end my set with this ;) Setup of choice? Working on integrating the Elektron Analog Rytm into my current set up which is Native Instrument’s Traktor. It’s like being in a complicated relationship! My biggest DJ achievement to date is...Playing at Womb in Tokyo and being recognized as an Indian girl playing some serious techno across the world in my own small way. What is your guilty music pleasure? Organizing tracks in folders with names of clubs I aspire to play in, some becoming reality :) If you could DJ in any decade which would it be...The 90’s when clubs like Dorian Gray and Omen existed. If I could go back to back with any other DJ it would be...Rebekah.
soundcloud.com/djpoojab facebook.com/PoojaB.CDWM
ED LIMIT IRD B Y L EAR IAL C E P S 99 3 AED
OPEN BAR
9pm -
3am
THIS NEW YEAR’S EVE WITNESS THE CITY’S SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS FROM THE 43RD FLOOR For bookings contact 052 465 7870 / 044 435 403 or email info@q43dubai.com
052 465 7870
DJ CHARTS MILKO MOUSTACHE - MILKO MOUSTACHE
Jan Mir – Murmuration [MUKKE] Pauke Schaumburg - Out of The Dark [EIN2] Fake Mood & Mirida - Searchin (Feat. Lazarusman) [SOSO] Desyfer - Frequency Flow [Tactal Host Music] Schlepp Geist - Vudu (feat. Kristina Sheli) [Katermukke] Chè – Transformation [Desert Heart Records] Ameli Paul - Worak [Underyourskin Records] Be Svendsen – Andromeda [Music for Dreams] Modd – Kioki [Crossfrontier Audio] Dakar - I’ve Got That Feeling (Siopis Remix) [Get Physical]
SECRET AFFAIRS - SPECTRADOT
Lewie Day - 500 shades [murmur] Martin Landsky - 1000 miles [Poker Flat Recordings] Miss Fitz - Love Me Good [Raum…Musik] Moodymanc - Black Paint (Larry Heard’s After Dark Mix) [Tsuba] Quentin Harris – My Joy [Strictly Rhythm Records] Simon Baker - Moonblock [murmur] Alex Celler - Back To The Bounce [Cinematic Recordings] Soundstream - 3rd Movement [Soundstream] Trevino - Backtracking [The Nothing Special] Azymuth - Space Jazz Carnival (Global Communication Mix) [Far Out Recordings]
MCLAREN – DESERT DREAM / SOUNDOPIA
Oliver Koletzki - A Tribe Called Kotori (Oliver Koletzki’s Woodfloor Version) [Stil Vor Talent] YokoO, Retza - Euneirophrenia [All Day I Dream] Leo Grunbaum, Aerial East Bloom feat. Aerial East [All Day I Dream] Few Nolder - Clouds (Boso Reversion) [Get Physical Music] Hraach - Hidden Dimension (Kora (CA) Remix) [Underyourskin Records] Miyagi - Mescal Lane (Kora Remix) [Motek Music] Serge Devant, Camille Safiya, Damiano C - Thinking Of You feat. Camille Safiya (Serge Devant’s Floor Cut) [Crosstown Rebels] Alexey Emelyanov - The Moment (Tim Hanmann Remix) [Highway Records] Ryan Murgatroyd - Kanna (Kostakis & Murgatroyd’s Re-Edit) [Get Physical Music] The Feels, Grace Caroline - Out Of My Head (Kyle Watson Remix) [Audiophile Live]
MEGADON BETAMAX – ABRI & THE DREAMFLEET
Abri and the Dreamfleet – Feelings [Desmo Records] Ben Sun - Strange Roads at Night [Voyeurrhythm] Bruxas - Mas Profundo [Demantel] Looky Looky - Part Flamingo [Looky Looky] Earth Patterns – Sunflower [Utopia Records] Scream Time Action - Hara Kiri for Fun [STA] Mike Simonetti - Mike Feel Love [2MR] Keito Sano - Long Run (Pt 3) [Let’s Play House] Lordamercy and Dego - Green Woods [2000 Black] Social Lovers - Drop Me A Line [Potions Music NYC]
ROBERT WALKER – BLISS LOUNGE
Greg Winfield - I Found Love (Terry Hunter & Greg Winfield Main Mix) [T’s Box] Luke Solomon, Queen Rose & Amy Douglas - Light You Up [Classic Music Company] Los Charly’s Orchestra, Andre Espeut - Sunshine (John Morales M+M Main Mix) [Imagenes Recordings] Dr Packer - Corner St. Boogie [Masterworks Music] Hallex M - She Speaks [Groove
Odyssey] Palamino, Manoo - Oh My! (Manoo Vocal Remix) [King Street Sounds] Pat Bedeau, Leon Dorrill - Daisy (Rhemi Edit) [Rhemi Music] Andy Buchan - Caught In The Middle [Alpaca Edits] Re-Tide, Moon Rocket - Thousand Finger Man (Vocal Mix) [Cut Rec Promos] Golden Bridge – Tribal [Spirit Soul Music]
POOJA B - CDWM
MØDRAC - P3 [Mødrac] Rebekah - Into the Black [Sonic Groove] Winx - Funky Elevation (Josh Wink Extended Mix) [Nervous Records] Exos & Ohm - Fròdi [X/OZ] Christian Burkhardt - Doubledub Rmx (Reboot) [C SESSIONS] Hypoxia - Division of Trust [Make Noise] Adam Rahman - F.A.R. [Kitchensync Records] Sonic Jay - Nocturnal (Luis M remix) [Plunk Records] Nick Hoeppner - Hole Head [Ostgut Ton] Nina Kravitz - Pochuvstvui [Trip]
SALAH SADEQ - TECHFUI
Aspect. - An Echo from the Future [Cold Fiction Music] Fred P - Energy Soul [Ibadan Records] DeepChord & Fluxion Transformations Pt. 1 – [Vibrant Music] Sleep Smoker (Emiliano Martini Remix) - Salah + Hoolz [Proper Slap Limited] Ellroy - Sonder (Dread J Remix) [Neustadtmusik] Alex Dimou - Krashmabar (Original Mix) [USM Recordings] Saché & Saché - Takes Two [Whoyostro] Ritz - Kalkito & His Walking Stick Moves [Musica Gourmet] Ziggy Kinder - Horizon [TRAUMRAUM] Charlotte Gainsbourg - Paradisco (D-Pulse Remix) [White]
MADLOU – OFMAN&WOLF
Mark Barrott - Cascades (Francois k Mix) [International Feel Recording] Tim Engelhardt & BOg - No More Words [Innervisions] Solomun - Amancer - [Watergate Records} John Parsley - Knockorock (Future Bones Remix) [Logical Records] Parrese - Temple [Eskimo Recordings] Key Be - Mandore (Fulltone Remix) [Dream Culture] Satori - Shotgun [Crosstown Rebels} WhoMadeWho - Dreams (Adriatique Remix) [Defected] Raxon - Forbiden Quest [TrueSoul] Stephan Bodzin – Singularity [Life And death]
MUSIC THAT
MATTERS ZONE+ & BACHIR SALLOUM – AURORA EP [SOUND AVENUE] RELEASE DATE – NOVEMBER 27
soundcloud.com/ soundavenue With Zone+’s profile heading straight for the top, long-time friend and collaborator Bachir Salloum have produced a high quality, deep, restrained and percussive EP full of class. Lead track Aurora is tailor made for the playa or a day time party and Valhalla could easily soundtrack the transition to another life. Anbara steps up the pressure a little but keeps the percussion rolling nicely. Pablo Bolivar also turns in a stunning rerub of Aurora too which rounds off the EP nicely. Sterling work guys, look forward to your next release. SONIC JAY – PLEASURE ISLAND EP [PLUNK] RELEASE DATE - DECEMBER 11
soundcloud.com/ sonicjaymusic A 5 track EP of pulsating minimal tech house from Indian artist Jay Naidu aka Sonic Jay, an artist that is very much on the rise. For those big room moments look no further than Big Bada Boom and Jamin Gamin. For a more deeper approach head to the spacedout EP lead track Pleasure island.
ARCADE 82 & FDF – DEEP IN DOUBT [D-VINE] RELEASE DATE – OCTOBER 13
soundcloud.com/ arcade-82 Released recently as part of Sam Divine’s D-Vine Sounds ADE sampler Dubai made live act Arcade 82 impressive with sultry Deep In Doubt. Pounding house beats and synth stabs combine effortlessly with super smooth vocals from Shyam to produce a ell rounded house track which is sure to be getting hammered by Sam and the rest of the big room house Dj’s. Good work.
DEEP HERTZ – GYPSEY LOVE [SWEATIN RECORDS] RELEASE DATE – DECEMBER 11
soundcloud.com/ deephertz In form artist Rohan Nunez aka Deep Hertz has hit the nail right on the head with Gypsey Love. A perfectly flowing blend of deep building synth washes, ethereal Arabic vocals and rolling percussion hypnotise from the outset. Keep an eye out for Rohan and his many guises and styles in 2018 as he will surely step up to become one of the regions hottest artists.
RAYA – WHITE JUNGLE RELEASE DATE – JANUARY 5
soundcloud.com/ naught-music Raya turns in a throbbing club ready banger for Toronto label Naught Music Records. White Jungle demands attention from the outset, soon the undulating bassline and analogue percussion give way to a stripped synth line and trippy vocals before dropping back in to a mean groove. Expect to hear Raya drop this one on the harder, more peak time floors of Dubai. ANDY BUCHAN – CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE EP [ALPACA EDITS] RELEASE DATE – OCTOBER 27
soundcloud.com/andybuchan-0 Andy Buchan has always enjoyed success with his expert re-rubs of funk and disco tracks but this recent outing on Alpaca Edits has hit the heady heights of the Beatport Nu-Disco chart like a cosmic ray gun. The title track from the Caught in the Middle EP makes full use of a hook from Donna Summer’s (If It) Hurts Just a Little to great effect. Elsewhere in the EP is 2 great cosmic disco groovers in Space Chant and Kos Mick. Expect Andy’s profile to only go cosmic from here with his current form.
Eat Sleep Rave Repeat 40 KONG, H HOTEL, ONE SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD
From the moment we arrived at the ground floor of 40 Kong at One Sheikh Zayed Road there was an air of exclusivity to this rooftop hideaway, the polite and well-dressed door staff enforced this by checking us on to the guest list upon arrival. This was further backed up as we waited for our dedicated elevators to arrive to whisk us up to the top of building so that we could begin our experience. Upon finally arriving at our destination high up on the 40th floor of The H Hotel we were offered the option to either dine at a more relaxed seating area where the view of the bar below looked great, but instead we opted to dine at a regular table which much more suited me and my guests as it was situated in a quieter corner of the bar and also benefitted from spectacular views of both the financial district of Dubai on our right and the sprawling mass of old Dubai to our left. Setting off our meal perfectly we opted for cocktails to loosen up our tongues and a lip smacking combination of Thai lemongrass Martini’s and mezcal cocktails were soon sat in front of us. As is the current trend, to start with we opted for a sharing platter containing dreamy goat cheese & beetroot stacked on top of a delicious biscuit type base along with
fresh figs, walnut, ruby chard leaves topped off with a honey dressing. The platter also came with artichoke hearts and as this is not something that I had tasted before I was a tad apprehensive, spurred on by the earlier consumed mezcal I found the combination of the oven baked artichoke hearts, tomato salsa, tasty morsels of parmesan very much to my liking. Finally, and more as a palette cleanser came the excellent combination of watermelon and feta cheese salad, a strange pairing but delicious none the less. In keeping with the sharing ethos my guests and I all agreed on ganging up on the chicken cordon bleu and the lobster linguine, both dishes are made to serve 2-3 people and so when they arrived there was barely enough space on our table to accommodate the dishes. The chicken cordon bleu was excellent and the creamy notes of the mozzarella and cheddar oozing from each forkful melted in the mouth while our taste buds got to work on the finely toasted panko breadcrumbs. The linguine on the other hand was a delight, coming complete with lobster head and claws made for light hearted humour about “rave claws� and the sheer amount of lobster meat was actually surprising as often this element is often
overlooked. When they say whole lobster they really mean it. Our dining experience was topped off with a flavourful glass of rose wine while taking in some of the best views around of Dubai. A special mention goes out to the DJ who took us all back to our childhoods with a fine selection of mid 90’s electronic music, some of which I hadn’t heard in a great many years. I felt the music as well as the sharing aspect of the food perfectly fitted the ambiance of 40 Kong, as it is clearly a spot to enjoy with a group of friends or simply that one special friend I cannot recommend highly enough. Words by Stu Todd 40kong.com
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