Infusion #290 : 5 March - 19 March ’17

with BEN KLOCK, MARCEL DETTMANN AND MORE! Cirque Le Soir • Analog Room returns Horsemeat Disco • All Day I Dream • Dance FM Laughter Factory and lots more

MUSIC

•

PEOPLE

•

LIFE

SATURDAYS SERVED FRESH MARCH 18

RAXON . TIM GREEN

MARCH 25

SASCHA BRAEMER & NICONE

APRIL 1

CHLOE . EL MUNDO

APRIL 15

JIM CASSADY & PABLO .

UNUEBERLEGT

APRIL 22

MARC POPPCKE .

STELIOS VASSILOUDIS

APRIL 29

GOLDCAP .

LUCA BACCHETTI

TALAL BUDEBS Publisher CHARL CHAKA Managing Partner charlchaka@infusion.ae FRAK FU Sales/marketing sales@infusion.ae ANDY BUCHAN Editor andy@infusion.ae PAULA MANGUEIRA Design design@infusion.ae SONIA IGNACIO Operations operations@infusion.ae CONTRIBUTORS: Ginger S, Stephen Day, Frak Fu, Paul Walker, Dan Fahy, Karam Toubba, Holly Hart, Grace Bright INFUSION IS PUBLISHED BY Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098

Ace news bass and house music fans – Superheroes are returning to action at the start of April, with hot-stepping UK labels and acts Punks and Foor lined up as headliners.

Big ups to the organisers of Hot Topics Ladies Night at Cocktail Kitchen, a ‘discerning ladies night’ offering up discussion on art, music, nightlife and more.

We’re loving the new Irish Village Pub, recently opened at Riverland Dubai at Dubai Parks and Resort – perfect for post Legoland rehydration!

GUEST LIST

infusionmag infusionmagazine infusionmagazine

OUR PARTNERS

BLACK LIST Cloud seeding - not just playing around with the weather, but also promoter’s lives as millions will have been lost from the recent rains. A little warning would be nice next time...

People not calling when late for a meeting. May you forever be without hummous.

Say What?

RUMOURS

90s rockers Ocean Colour Scene have been confirmed for a show this November at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

And legendary dance band New Order have been confirmed to play the same venue this April.

Sandy Rivera, Louie Vega and Jazzie B have all been locked down for shows at 360 in March and April.

OLD JOKES HOME

Q. How do Mexicans feel about Trump’s wall?

A. They’ll get over it.

MEME CORNER

WE LOVE Ma’ana Records

It’s a dog eat dog world, right? Where you have to look out for yourself, where greed is good? Not always, you’ll be pleased to hear, and one local shining example of altruism is UAE record label Ma’ana, led by Tobie Allen.

Excuse the mixed metaphor, but they’re a shining beacon of sound, giving UAE and Middle East producers a platform to be heard around the world.

And with their 3rd compilation coming out in March focussing on pool and beach vibes, and a new Thursday night residency at Dek on 8 which puts local producers firmly on the dancefloor, the brand are really hitting their stride. And you can now tune in to hear exclusive cuts on their Dance FM show.

To top it all off, they’ve just signed up Consoul Trainin’s momentous hit ‘Take Me To Infinity’ which has been one of the most Shazam’d tracks of the last 6 months, notching up millions of Youtube views?

Homegrown and increasingly successful, there’s a lot to like about Ma’ana. facebook.com/maanamusic

What we did

DUB PISTOLS @ THE BAGGOT, MCGETTIGANS JLT

From filling festival fields all summer, the world’s hardest touring band returned to Dubai on their way down under to New Zealand.

Pitching up at McGettigan’s JLT back room The Baggot, the boys were in fine form as they treated a knowing crowd to a mixture of older and newer DP material. Industry legend Barry Ashworth led his merry funsters, Dave, Jonny, Jack & Seanie T along for the ride.

It was a quieter start than usual as a lot of people were still out drinking in the courtyard, but after a couple of songs no one could resist the pumping ska based dub and joined the party. If you’ve seen the Pistols before you will know what I mean: they’re a ball of infectious energy. And if you haven’t, then they need to be high on your list next time they’re playing near you.

Words by Stephen Day

presents

Featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue

Thursday 30th March 2017 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Staium Doors at 7PM Show at 9PM Tickets AED 150 Tickets available from The Irish Village, www.theirishvillage.com, www.800tickets.com, Virgin Megastores, tickets.virginmegastore.me, platinumlist.net and tixbox.com STRICTLY 21 YEARS AND ABOVE

Contact - +971 4 239 5000 - www.theirishvillage.com - @TheIrishVillageDubai

DISTURBING DUBAI @ WHITE

Located at the Meydan racecourse with the an amazing skyline view of Dubai, Disturbing Dubai is Tinie Tempah’s new mid-week club night. The launch night was packed with energy, with clubbers enjoying the night, even if many had work or school the next day.

Resident DJs Moky and Charlesy kept the party hyped, dropping hits like Big Sean’s “I Don’t F*** With You,” and switching it up with house classics like Robin S’ “Show me Love.” And with international guests like Lethal Bizzle, Tinie Tempah and Krept and Konan flying in for headline shows, Disturbing Dubai is set to be the biggest midweek night in the city this season. Words by Ginger S Up next: Giggs March 7, Tinie Tempah March 14

GROOVE ON THE GRASS @ EMIRATES GOLF COURSE

No cloud seeding was going to stop Groove on the Grass going on with the show. In fact, not only did The Artist Network take care of the weather by covering the main stage, the weather turned in their favour, creating an experience that was hard to come by.

The act I enjoyed the most was Agents of Time. Time and time again they have proved their awesomeness when they play live, and watching them create art with their banks of equipment is heaven for audio geeks – it’s no wonder they keep showing up on our Facebook event calendars. An epic night of rain, music and people – bring on the next show! Words by The Dance Warrior Up next: Ben Klock b2b Marcel Dettmann, March 31

DUBAI JAZZ FESTIVAL FEAT. ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

Despite the scheduled rain, the crowd were near capacity for the closing night of Jazz Festival, with a real mix of people there including – perhaps a surprisingly – a heavy male audience there to hear his more club-focused tracks.

Enrique appeared on stage a casual 20 minutes late (apologising later in his charming, side-grin kind of way) and immediately blasted into a full on, high energy set starting with “I’m a Freak” his dancepop electro smash from 2014.

Enrique worked every corner of the stage, including a platform out into the audience, jumping off stage and running to the corners.

He bounded through his stream of hits including “I Like How it Feels” and “Heartbeat” with mostly strong vocals: he was occasionally slightly off on the high notes, but he knew his limitations and used the crowd to sing along at that higher range to cover it for him with his signature smooth Latino style.

He finished the show with 3 – yes 3 – encores just as the heavens opened, appearing on a small stage near the VIP boxes at the back of the arena for a big rendition of ‘Hero.’

17 songs and 105 minutes on stage, he worked every corner of Media City, his energy not slowing down for even a second.

Words by Holly Hart

SASHA & SKREAM @ BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE

With the UK weather turning up in Dubai along with two heavyweight British DJs, it was a good job that there was a roof provided at ON42 as Blue Marlin were forced to move indoors due to the weather - Skream and Sasha promptly blew the roof clean off.

Oliver Jones, aka Skream, has become one of the UK’s best-loved DJs. Nowadays he’s Mr Versatility, and if you’ve seen him play at one of the mega events he frequently headlines, you’ll know to leave your expectations at the door. There might be pounding deep house, maybe throwback UK garage, or even moody techno. Skream transitioned from his disco techno sound and underground techno sounds, including dropping the Butch remix of Cassius feat. Cat Power and Pharell Williams and his own heater ‘You Know, Right?’

Sasha is famous for being able to read a crowd and take them on a journey there and then, and the crowd were not disappointed. With Sasha about to play his live up coming Barbican session in the UK and returning to playing with his old partner in crime John Digweed, the magical journey that the crowd went was one of enlightenment and engagement - if you get a chance to see him this summer then make sure you do. Words by Paul Walker

Up next: Thursday March 9 Dixon and Ame Friday 10 Stephan Bodzin Live and Oliver Huntemann

BLUE MARLIN GET BUSY IN MARCH

As seen gracing the cover in our last issue, Blue Marlin have a ridiculously big line up on Thursday March 9 as they’ve teamed up with Beirut club Uberhaus to bring over Dixon and Âme - which is about as big as house music line ups get. Not to be outdone though, the following day they have another rocking line up as Stephan Bodzin plays live, with support from Oliver Huntemann and Pete Zorba. The action doesn’t stop there – c’mon, this is Blue Marlin remember – as Davide Squillace returns with his high-concept Blender party on March 17 where live art meets house and techno.

FELIX DA HOUSECAT, H.O.S.H AND MORE PLAY PROVOCATEUR

It’s peak party time at Provocateur, and they’ve lined up a suitably large line up for March and April. Diynamic signing and Solomun favourite H.O.S.H kick-starts proceedings on March 10, Raxon returns for another tech-house showdown on March 17, while Felix Da Housecat (March 31), Hector (April 7) and Art Department (April 14) are all confirmed for next month.

BOOGIE BOX BOOGIE ON DOWN WITH BODDIKA

Our favourite Abu Dhabi party Boogie Box are celebrating 6 years of quality parties this month with a double header, as they bring UK bass and techno don Boddika over for shows in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Non Plus Records main man will be playing at Up & Below at the Marriott WTC in Abu Dhabi on March 16 before heading to Dubai the following night to lay down some serious underground grooves, with the venue TBC (check the Boogie Box Facebook page for updates).

IN THE PARK RETURNS WITH GYPSY KINGS

ROCK WITH BRYAN ADAMS

Wafi’s open air In The Park returns on Thursday March 16 with Andre Reyes from the Gypsy Kings playing live on the Wafi Rooftop. Tickets are AED150 and doors open from 8pm.

Soft rock star Bryan Adams will be pretending it’s the ‘Summer of 69’ all over again as he takes to the Autism Rocks Arena on Thursday March 9 as part of his Get Up show. Tickets start from AED295 and doors open from 6pm.

BILLY OCEAN PLAYS DUBAI MEDIA CITY

As part of Taste of Dubai, soul superstar Billy Ocean plays live at Media City on March 9 – expect sing-a-long classics from the evergreen star. Show starts 9pm, and tickets are AED150 in advance including 2 drinks.

MEGASTORE

BUY ONE GIVE ONE

Donate products to refugees around the world with Emirates Red Crescent

Available at Virgin Megastore Mall of the Emirates | The Dubai Mall virginmegastore.ae

UB40 in numbers

Grammy-nominated reggae band UB40 are back for another sure-to-sell out show at the Irish Village on Thursday March 30. Here are some facts and figures to bring the band to life‌

1978

4

The year they formed in Birmingham, UK.

Number of Grammy Awards they’ve been nominated for.

70 million

A conservative estimate for the number of albums they’ve sold.

2

2

Billboard Hot 100 Number 1s for ‘Red Red Wine’ and ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love.’

The number of bands claiming to be the ‘real’ UB40 after frontman Ali Campbell left the band citing business concerns (the band were facing bankruptcy). The real UB40 – including original members Astro, Mickey Virtue and lead singer Ali will be taking to the stage in Dubai.

UB40 The band’s name comes from the Unemployment Benefit Form 40, when the band used to claim unemployment benefit in the 80s.

71 weeks

12

The length of time that their 1980 album Signing Off spent in the album charts.

Number of band members who’ll be taking to the stage in Dubai.

UB40, Thursday March 30, Irish Village, show starts 9pm, tickets AED150 from Virgin and Platinumlist

D U LO D ANEARY CL Dance FM have moved beyond just being an excellently programmed station, and launched their prime-time drivetime shows, with Danny Cee’s Rude Awakenings running every weekday breakfast and Dave Cleary commandeering the coveted afternoon slot. We caught up with the awardwinning DJ to find out what’s in store…

Why does Dubai need Dance FM? I think people have been crying out for something different, and finally Dance FM has arrived. Dubai is a massive player in the world now especially when it comes to music, events and festivals and a massive nightlife scene.

And how will your shows compliment what's already on the air waves? It will add a warm friendly feel, getting you through the day and ride home a bit easier and take your mind off being stuck in traffic.

Will you get to program your own music for the shows? And if so, what's your current favourite dance music track?I think it can be dangerous if radio presenters play what they want as it can become too biased. The music at Dance FM has been carefully programed to play the best and freshest feel good dance music. As for my favorite track at the moment, it's got to be Jax Jones ‘You Don't Know Me’.

What's your radio history in the UAE? My first radio gig in this country was back in 1997 in Ajman, I was part of the initial team of the very first commercial radio station in the country. I think radio has really progressed in the country and is now very respected.

How interactive and social is your show, what games and listener competitions do you have planned? Yes! I’ve got some fun things on the show, you want to win cash? Well you can with Destination Dave that happens daily at 4.30pm on Dance FM. But the main thing is that we can have a laugh together on the show!

Who are your radio idols, who do you look up to in the radio world? When it comes idols, I'm a massive fan of the North American radio scene, especially in some of the big Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver.

And why should people tune into your show? Because I was an only child, the whole world is against me and the world owes me something... that's why.

Danny Cee’s Rude Awakening Weekday mornings 6am–10am Loud and Cleary with Dave Cleary Weekday drive time 4pm–8pm 97.8FM, dancefm.com

5 MINUTES WITH…

HORSE MEAT DISCO

With nearly a decade of playing the finest parties in the world behind them, disco-lovin’ quartet Horse Meat Disco are some of the best in the business. Renowned crate-diggers, we asked them to dig deep and give us some insight into their sets…

Disco in 2017 is… Always evolving, never ending and just getting started!

The most disco thing we've seen in a club is… Loleatta Holloway rolling around the stage at The Roxy in NYC. Our previous gigs in Dubai have been… Awesome as we did a Chanel exhibition one time and we also played at the Meet D3 festival where we got so see the incredible Mashrou' Leila perform.

The biggest curveball we've dropped in our sets was… We love curveballs - Kate Bush, Morrissey, Dolly Parton, Nina Hagen, The Slits.

Disco is for dancing and we will have some surprises on the 17th during our set at 360°!

And the biggest tune at the moment in our sets is… Our new record that’s coming out soon Horse Meat Disco starring ROY INC. – ‘Waiting For You To Call.’

The most we've paid for a record is… I always feel really guilty if I pay more than £40 for a tune but eBay and Discogs have seen me up that price quite a lot. I recently bought a 12” of Carly Simon’s ‘Melt My Heart’ for £60 and felt the guilt until it arrived and then it was all worth it. Brazilian disco is quite over-priced but I’ve been known to splash out.

The record we'd most like to get a copy of is… There’s so many things in my want list. A 12” of Marcia Maria’s ‘Amigo Branco’ would be good, ‘A Gira’ by Trio Terura and also ‘Nisyan’ by Ahmed Fakrun are on my wants list.

And our go to last tune of the night is normally… ‘Was That All It Was’ by Jean Carn is always a great end of the night number. We love slowing things down so it might be ‘La Vie En Rose’ by Grace Jones too – expect to hear one of these great tunes at 360°!

Horse Meat Disco play 360, Friday March 17, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, 4pm-3am, free entry

ANALOG ROOM ARE BACK WITH A BANG! Our homegrown underground home, it’s been a quiet few months without the Analog Room team in action. But they’re back, and Infusion has the exclusive lowdown on their new Industrial Avenue venue, their Analog Room App and their new season line up…

The app works on a point system. The more you visit, the more you earn - you can then exchange points for guest list, and even work towards free annual membership. Cool, very cool. You can check out the up-coming events, photos and videos, and it’s all linked to your Social Media. There’s also a private chat room, for members to talk techno, and the Analog Room team will exclusively unveil their coming line ups through the App, meaning members will be the first to know.

THE LINE UP March 9 – Abdulla Rashim + Nasrawi

An enigmatic Swedish techno DJ, big things are expected of Abdulla’s breakthrough UAE show. Uncompromising and purist in nature, his music – released on Northern Electronics – pulses and pounds with inorganic bleeps and bloops: raw rhythmic techno, in other words, and one for the Analog Room purists.

March 16 – DJ Qu + Adam Rahman

The American native returns for his second visit for the Analog Room faithful. Called the ‘dancer’s DJ’ by Resident Advisor, he’s put out dozens of dark, stripped down house and techno productions through his Strength Music imprint which will sound perfect on Analog Room’s booming soundsystem.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Ginger S caught up with Neil Baldini and daughter Eve Elle, the new father-daughter circus duo causing a stir at Cirque Le Soir How did you guys start learning your techniques?

Eve Elle: I’m second generation, actually. I learned from my dad, and then I’ve learned stuff from other performers as I’ve gone along, you know, you share skills when you travel the world or the country than you meet different people. But you (to Neil) learned very differently.

Neil Baldini: I was a student, and not very happy with it. I played the guitar rather and the saxophone terribly. I decided I wanted to go traveling, and what happens. I taught them

how to play some guitar they taught me to breathe fire, I met someone else, I taught them to breathe fire and they taught me to walk on broken glass. I developed a passion for it, and I went to any course available for any skill I was learning. And even today, I’m learning new skills.

When did you guys decide you wanted to work with each other professionally?

Eve Elle: Just over a year ago, I was performing with different people all the time. But I really wanted to do something with another person, and a lot of the

time, you get hired in pairs in the UK. So if they want stilt-walking, they’ll want two stilt-walkers.

So, a lot of the time, you’re in a pair or more. And I was finding it very difficult to work with people repeatedly, because people had other commitments or other shows to do. And so, here and there I was going, “Can you come and help me?” And it just worked really well. And (to Neil) you enjoyed it.

Neil Baldini: For me, it’s a privilege, working with someone who’s got such a close relationship. We can all be temperamental, we can all be nervous before a show, or overconfident, or full of beans before a show… And Eve and I know each other, and we’ve seen each other happy and sad.

Eve Elle: Yeah, you sort of react better and quicker because you’re so familiar with the person, whereas you can work with a completely new person and you have to really rehearse, you have to really figure out how—their style, and stuff like that, but with each other…you know, it’s much easier to know what you’re doing. But any, any double act has that. It’s just that we didn’t need so long to find it.

Neil Baldini: 50 is an unusual age to let someone hit you with a sledgehammer. Tonight, Eve will be hitting me with a sledgehammer at least two or three times.

Eve Elle: Nearly every night.

Monday to Friday, yeah.

Neil Baldini: And it allows us interesting humour. It’s not every day that a little girl gets to hit their dad. And it’s not every day a dad can smash his daughter over the head with a sledgehammer.

What is the most important skill in working with each other? Eve Elle: Encouraging each other, I think. Because going out onstage takes a lot of energy. You’re giving a lot of energy to the audience. If you have a great audience, then you’re gonna get energy back, and, you know, it bounces back and forth. And so having someone constantly encourage you and constantly support you is really important. So, we have a lot of circus skills, and we have a lot of performance skills… but I think the most important one to the duo for me would be that skill of supporting each other, and helping each other, and pushing each other.

‘It allows us interesting humour. It’s not every day that a little girl gets to hit their dad. And it’s not every day a dad can smash his daughter over the head with a sledgehammer.’

Describe your performance?

What can we expect?

Neil Baldini: Tightwire, unicycle, stilts, juggling, bed of nails, glass, walking on glass, eating fire, breathing fire, juggling fire, fire.

Eve Elle: Flying swords.

Neil Baldini: Lots of swords!

Eve Elle: We have a wide range of traditional circus skills, the freak show skills, and we do a lot of fire and stilt walking and stuff like that. The performance side of things is making a skill that if I were to show you now would take me two minutes, making that last 20 or making that last or making that look interesting.

What can people expect when they come to Cirque?

Neil Baldini: They can be expected to at some point cringe. And another moment they can expect to be amazed, to be going, “Wow! Have you seen? How are they doing that?”

And we like to get everybody to have every emotion.

Eve Elle: We like things to be approachable, for everyone to enjoy it. We try to get a little bit of everything in there. So it will be funny, at some point, it will be dangerous and scary at some point, it will be gross and we want to have that flow. I always try and think of it as making a rollercoaster. But like, a visual rollercoaster.

Life`s a Piknic Two of our favourite things are back – first up, Piknic Electronik returns to action in March and April at new venue Dubai International Marine Club, and they’ve invited over ex-DXB legend Raxon to play. We caught up with the Barcelona resident to talk Maceo Plex, signing to Diynamic and Ibiza residencies…

A very warm welcome back to Dubai, how’s life as a successful DJ and producer? Hello hello!

Always good to be back… life is good, I’m doing what I always dreamed of doing, so I’m happy.

What have been the highlights since you left Dubai – what gigs and moments have stood out?

Having my first residency last summer in Ibiza with Mosaic By Maceo has to be on top of the list, and being invited to play DGTL festival in Barcelona, Origins festival in Cape Town, playing the iconic Hive club in Zurich, signing an EP with Ellum, and of course my remix of ‘Reste’ reaching No.2 in the techno charts and no.6 in the over all Beatport charts.

So far for 2017 I’ve got DGTL festival Amsterdam coming up in April, Family Pikink Festival in Montpellier and a track coming out on Diynamic in spring, and a few other club gigs.

You’re good friends with Maceo Plex, and you have a new EP out on vinyl at the end of February – is this your first slice of wax? It’s not my first vinyl, but I’m very excited about this one as I’ve always wanted to release an EP with Ellum, I’ve been following them from the start and it’s a dream come true to have music released with them, I waited about a year for this release but it was definitely worth it.

What advice does Maceo give you? Be different, innovative and try not to be too affected/ influenced by the noise, there is just too music out there these days, the less you are infuenced the more original you become, easier said than done. In the end, be free and just make music that I really want to do and not follow a certain trend.

What does the EP sound like?

And how do you plan your tracks – do you try to create dancefloor tracks, or tracks that work for labels or just music you want to hear?

Thanks, a very good question, these days I don’t think of what sound the labels might like, I just do what I feel and regardless of the vibe/genre of the track you will always hear my finger prints on it. Keep in mind that all the music that gets released on the big labels has been signed

6 months or sometimes even a year ago and the sound keeps evolving, so there is no point of making a track that sounds like something that was released today as it’s already out of date.

You’re playing at Piknic Electronik, one of our favourite events – what’s planned for your set? I’m looking forward for it as it’s gonna be during the day and open air, and most importantly I get to see and hang out with all my Dubai friends and family. I’ll also be playing the night before at Provocateur for a more clubby darker side of things, so both will be completely different sets.

And what have you thought about previous Piknic events, are you a fan? It’s a very unique event, I was lucky to also be invited to play the one in Barcelona, always great positives vibes there, and nothing beats a day time party under the sun!

Piknic Electronik returns every Saturday, launching March 18 with Raxon, Dubai International Marine Club, 1-10pm. facebook.com/PiknicElectronikDubai

IT'S

KLOCK VS

DETTMANN TIME!

Groove on the Grass return to their techno roots in style for their March 31 party as they pit Ben Klock against Marcel Dettmann in an almighty back-to-back tussle.

Plus the talents of Mind Against and Locked Groove.

Infusion takes an excited look ahead at the line up…

BEN KLOCK B2B MARCEL DETTMANN Two industry heavyweights, this huge techno battle will have clubbers salivating. The magic of a back to back session is the passion, the bond it brings out between the DJs and the ability to build off each other’s selections. And it’s something that Klock and Dettmann have done very successfully across the world – their back-to-back sessions at the Awakenings Festival have had nearly 400,000 plays on Soundcloud, while their show that ran until 11am in Montreal in 2016 has been etched into Canadian folklore.

Klock has been a mainstay in Resident Advisor’s Top 10 DJs list for the best part of a decade and has been a Berghain resident since 2005, establishing himself at the forefront of the modern techno scene. Fellow German Dettmann is another Berghain compatriot, who loves to blend contemporary techno with more artistic notions – he’s worked on sound concepts for exhibitions and alongside the Berlin State Ballet.

Incredible on their own, they’re euphoric together, locking in grooves and melodies that have taken over festivals and clubs the world over.

And now they’re ready to take on the main stage at our premiere electronic music festival right here in the UAE. Be excited, be very excited.

LOCKED GROOVE Signed to Hotflush, Life and Death and Permanent Vacation, Locked Groove is a Belgian-born, Berlin based DJ and producer who’s meld of house and techno has been winning fans across the globe.

Recently signed to Tale of Us record label Afterlife, expect this DJ to be headlining Groove on the Grass in several years if his career trajectory continues on the same path.

MIND AGAINST First booked in the UAE 3 years ago, Italian duo Mind Against have been on a stellar journey, conquering clubs and festivals with their intelligent, dark but driven house and techno sound. Based in Berlin, the duo hit the big time with their 3 EPs on cult label Life and Death, creating a sonic template that was often copied but never bettered.

With psychedelic undertones pitted against club-ready beats, and all allied to emotive melodies, expect to be moved when Mind Against return to play for Groove on the Grasss.

Groove on the Grass, Friday March 31, Emirates Golf Course, 5pm-2am

Thu 9 Mar Fri 10 Mar Mon 13 Mar Tue 14 Mar Wed 15 Mar Thu 16 Mar

Matt Rees

Mark Maier

Angelo Tsarouchas

8pm

Ticket AED 140 / QR 140. Over 21’s Only

Buy your tickets now !

www.thelaughterfactory.com call : +971 50 8786 728

Globe-trotting house and techno duo Death on the Balcony make their Dubai debut for All Day I Dream, the enigmatic all day party that’s conquered the city…

When did you start working together – and, inevitable question alert, sorry – where does the name come from? We formed in 2005/6 - If we could have had a Bill & Ted moment and talked to our 2006 selves and told them we would have been to America on numerous tours to play there I'm not sure they would have believed us! We were working in my flat in Leeds at the time, which was on the 10th floor of the apartment block. We had a break and a smoke out on Balcony. There were some events we experienced around that time that led the conversation to move towards a deep chat about Life & Death (on the Balcony) and that you just don't know what's around the corner. We like the juxtaposition in the name as the music we make is probably not what you would expect to hear with a name like that, we also like the mystery and intrigue that it creates and it also has a theatrical feel too, but these were all afterthoughts.

You've been touring at the moment, and playing a lot around America – how was that? And how political are you, did Americans seem happy or ashamed of Trump? It is very tough in this day and age of social media to have no political views. It is

Tales from Death on the Balcony something which is increasingly force-fed to you every day whether you like it or not! We humans are all the same beneath the surface.

The trouble lies in greed, power, borders and general neglect and ignorance to the planet and the people who live on it.

We had a great experience in America and have built some strong lasting friendships with people over there over the years. We didn't really want to keep talking about the current situation as much as it often feels like the elephant in the room. We were there to enjoy it and make people smile and that topic certainly doesn't bring that...

You've played several All Day I Dream parties so far, what makes them so special? The production is amazing. Matthew Holt and the team do a wonderful job to make it a really special experience with the structures they create. The Buddha certainly makes it special, the statue has definitely clocked up some air miles, of course all the ADID DJs and their great soundtracks to the events‌ There is something very special about outdoor day parties as well, which is synonymous with ADID it is an entirely different feeling than that of being in a club. Finally and most importantly the lovely people who attend these events and the atmosphere they bring.

All Day I Dream, Saturday March 11 feat. Gorje Hewek, Izhevski, Powel and Death on the Balcony, D3, 1-10pm

ON THE RADAR HOUSE OF AFRIKA FT JULLIAN GOMES MARCH 23 - BRIDGEWATER TAVERN

DEEP LIKE FEAT. FRANKEY & SANDRINO MARCH 30 - THE BACKYARD

ADRIATIQUE MARCH 24 - EL CHIRINGUITO

GROOVE ON THE GRASS FT. BEN KLOCK MARCH 31 - EMIRATES GOLF COURSE

PLUS MINUS FT. OLIVER KOLETZKI MARCH 24 - LA CALA

NEW ORDER APRIL 7 - DUBAI TENNIS STADIUM

HOUSE OF AFRIKA FT. BODDHI SATVA MARCH 30 - BRIDGEWATER TAVERN

KODE 9 APRIL 13 - VENUE TBC

ON THE RADAR JOSH BUTLER APRIL 14 - ZERO GRAVITY

PLUS MINUS FT. ALAN FITZPATRICK APRIL 21 - ON42

ART DEPARTMENT APRIL 14 - PROVOCATEUR

APOLLONIA APRIL 21 - BLUE MARLIN IBIZA UAE

BLUE MAN GROUP APRIL 18-22 - YAS ISLAND

JUSTIN BIEBER MAY 6 - AUTISM ROCKS ARENA

SOUL CLAP APRIL 21 - EL CHIRINGUITO

PLUS MINUS FT. EINMUSIK MAY 12 - ON42

Soundstage LAYLA KARDAN

Recently seen live at the Jazz Festival, UAE resident Layla is about to drop her latest EP...

My first musical influence was… King Louie from The Jungle Book.

The last pop star I liked was… Solange.

My sound is best described as… Soulful/Sultry.

Best piece of advice you’ve received? You could be the

juiciest, ripest peach in the world, but there will always be someone who hates peaches. Focus on your captive audience and not on trying to win the hearts of haters.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure? ‘It’s Raining Men’, The Weather Girls.

The best band in Dubai is… There are many great bands

here, but my favourite is Hamdan Al Abri. I’ve been a fan since his first album.

Best claim to fame? Getting dragged up to dance on stage with Prince at Formula One Abu Dhabi.

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

A personal masseuse.

My musical motto is… Make music that moves people.

Best gig you’ve played? The Emirates Airline Jazz Festival 2016, and I’m happy to be performing again this year.

And the worst? An underground venue in Sydney, it was so

dark I couldn’t see anyone and the sound was bad too. I still had fun though.

Best lyrics of all time? Dance me to the End of Love, Leonard Cohen

laylakardan.com

DJ BOOTH: SHERO

The Black Lion, Caribbean Riddimz and Living Room resident talks being a musical General, Crack’n’Cheese balls and ‘Juju On That Beat’…

One thing you might not know about me is… I don’t like listening to music while I drive, I love driving in silence.

My worst ever job was… I can’t mention the venue but I had to play “Juju On That Beat.”

My favorite ever record is… That’s such a difficult question for any DJ to answer, but since I have to, I’ll go with Raphael Saadiq ft Q Tip ‘Get Involved.’

DJing is much like… Leading an army.

Dubai’s clubbing scene is… An experience of its own.

I’m really proud of… Being a part of the growth of the industry.

What track could you drop in every set? Horace Brown ‘Things We Do For Love.’

My biggest DJ achievement to date is… Seychelles Carnival 2015, 20,000 people screaming is an insane feeling.

What is your guiltiest pleasure? The Crack ’N Cheese Balls at The Black Lion, shout out to Chef Tank!

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be… The 90s for sure.

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

I’m not a politician but… As Peter Tosh said “I only suffer the consequences.” mixcloud.com/SHERODJ/

TECH TALK Beyerdynamic DT 1990 DJ, producer and Ableton guru Costas Papa puts the new Beyerdynamic headphones through their paces

When it comes to mixing and production use, you need a nice open back around the ear phones. Open back sound more natural, balanced, and are more comfortable for longer use. Having headphones sit over your ears is the only type you should wear.

Recently the DT1990’s came out, and I landed a pair from our friends at AVL Electronics. There are significant improvements in

design, comfort level and look over the previous DT models.

The DT 1990’s are super transparent, clean and balanced.

Out of the box the DT 1990's just feel natural to wear. The exterior is even more high end and rugged, now with a miniXLR detachable cable which is a nice addition. The Tesla drivers produce what I think is by far the best sound in its range.

They come with 2 types of ear pads, balanced and analytical.

The balanced pads produce a warmer sound. The analytical pads are super for focused listening. The DT 1990s are able to produce a cleaner low end, deep and well defined. I find the mid range as always on the DTs is by far the most transparent out there. The high end is excellent, as natural as it gets, without getting too harsh and brittle.

The overall listening level sits perfectly at the nominal mixing level. The Tesla driver technology does make a difference. Beyerdynamic DT line has always been a foundation in professional studio grade technology. The DT 1990’s redefines that studio experience.

These headphones are an integral part in any production workflow. Great for mixing and mastering applications. A must have for daily listening and a wonderful way to A/B your music.

What we Ate NEZESAUSSI GRILL, MANZIL DOWNTOWN

Having heard this was a Sports Bar, I wasn’t overly hopeful of amazing dishes. I was completely wrong.

As soon as we walked in (after free valet parking at Manzil Downtown), welcoming staff greeted us and took us to a table among a Foosball Table, hops vending machine, digital juke box, sports memorabilia and TV screens attached to every wall. Literally.

The name comes from NZ, South Africa and Australia combined to inspire the menu (and the sports shown!).

The menu is stuffed with delicious options – it’s like British pub food gone wild. For starters we were served the Pulled pork which was possibly the best thing I have ever eaten: a mound of crunchy fries with juicy hot pulled pork on top, smothered in gooey melted cheese. Almost as good were the juicy chicken wings with a perfect-strength blue cheese sauce and home-baked pretzel served with (more) melted cheese and wholegrain mustard.

At this stage, we genuinely thought we could not eat any more.

Then, fresh from the large open kitchen, came the Saturday Roast.

The main reason we were there – and why the restaurant was packed around us, as this sells out most weeks.

It comes served on a wooden chopping board with a whole baby chicken, roast potatoes, 3 huge yorkies, grilled vegetables and your very own jar of gravy to pour all over it.

It was one of the best roasts I have had – the chicken was delicious and so moist and well cooked with perfect crispy skin. They also serve Ribeye roast and Catch of the Day roast so every week you can try a new one.

In addition to the epic Roast, we also sampled some excellent mains from the “Half Time” menu including Yorks & Toads, Rack of pork ribs smothered in BBQ sauce, Bangers & Mash with caramelised onion and (for the healthier crowd) grilled salmon with quinoa – crunchy on the outside, full of flavour. A really broad menu, with loads of choice to suit everyone.

I’m ashamed to say we couldn’t force the “Full Time” deserts down.

Pathetic, I know. But the portions were so generous, and the food so absolutely delicious, that there was just no room. Next time I’ll start with the deserts – Sticky Toffee pudding to be precise – and work my way back! Words by Holly Hart

Every Saturday from 12pm-7pm AED99 for a full Saturday Roast (inclusive of soft beverages) AED170 for a full Saturday Roast (inclusive of a choice of selected house beverages)

BLACK TAP @ MADINAT JUMEIRAH

Burgers and milkshakes are one of life’s great love affairs; there’s next to no problem that a bite or a slurp of the good stuff won’t solve. So when Black Tap invited us down for their opening, we jumped on the burger bandwagon quicker than you can say ‘have you got the menu?’

The food selection has everything and more. Sloppy and messy in all the right places, we went for the ‘The Mexico City’, ‘The Veggie Burger’ (that can be substituted for any meat dish on the menu) and ‘The Steak Au Poivre’ with crumbled blue cheese and green peppercorn sauce. All were equally delicious which was obvious, since they vanished in seconds. Despite being stuffed, we couldn’t leave without sampling the notorious milkshakes; all five are enough to make even Willy Wonka shed a tear. A glorious mountain of cream, chocolate, sticky sauce, whole cookies, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and chocolate gems exploded from the glass. Forget the diet, these drinks are made to be reveled in – a truly gluttonous delight. Service was as sweet as the shakes; just think of staff as friends to grab a craft beer with (their selection is expansive).

Setting-wise, Black Tap looks a little like a juicy burger on a pretentious menu. Its slick quirkiness amidst the Madinat is charming – a rough diamond all the way from New York. Make space in your diary for this one, you won’t regret it.

Words by Grace Bright

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The

RECOVERY

Clinton St Bakery

Stephen Day gets his pancakes – and a whole lot more – on at the popular US style eatery

It was a cold, wet morning, a day that followed the night before, a night where we caught up with old friends in town and danced and drank to the early hours.

My head was like cotton wool and ‘the fear’ was setting in. The only fix was a breakfast. Luckily for us, The Clinton Street Bakery had just opened its 2nd UAE venture almost opposite us in City Walk.

The first thing that stood out was the layout: everything was nicely spaced with a mix of booths, tables and a high chaired area. It’s bright but not annoyingly so and the kitchen pretty much runs the length of the place behind glass, and it’s great to see it in action.

The 2nd thing that hit me was the place was packed. We ordered some coffee and were immediately drawn to the award-winning chicken and waffles dish. It’s not ‘traditional’ for us Brits, but this is an American joint, so when in Rome… Valerie plumped for the Huevos Rancheros and we shared a side of fried green tomatoes.

The food took a little while to arrive but for good reason (more on that later) and when it did, it was great.

My chicken was soft and moist, with just the right amount of crunch and the waffle, whilst big, was still crispy and held its own as I liberally poured the maple butter and a good splash-or-5 of hot sauce. The Mexican eggs came on a plate and were a bit sloppy, but with the addition of the perfectly cooked tomato sides to cling to, it was just about manageable with a knife, but perhaps a bowl and spoon would be more fitting.

Our stomachs were full, but our sweet tooth was calling so we ordered their signature blueberry pancakes. The four stacks smelt divine. The spoon fell through the lightest fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever seen and the taste matched, without doubt the best American breakfast pancakes I’ve eaten not only in Dubai but I would say the world.

What I loved most about the venue is the passion. Everything is cooked fresh to order, all the meat is free range and organic where possible, they source as much locally produced product as possible and everything is made in store if it can be. When I say everything, I mean from the flour used in the burger buns they bake right there, that they fill with patties made of beef ground in store for their burgers, to the jam on top of those pancakes, yes even that jam is made just a few feet away from where you sit. I think that level of thought in casual dining is hard to find in this city and one that should be applauded. This along with those pancakes should be enough to get everyone out of bed and into Clinton Street every day of the week.

clintonstreetbaking.ae

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Cool Test MATT REES VS MARK MAIER

2 of the Laughter Factory’s Comedians go head to head in our Cool Test. But who’ll make us laugh and who’ll make us cry into our cappuccinos?

The funniest word in the world is…

MATT REES: Toboggan. Such a fun word. People who say bobsled are really missing out.

MARK MAIER: Flannel.

The coolest comedian is/was…

MATT REES: Sacha Baron Cohen. If you listen to his interview on Marc Maron’s podcast you find out how often he’s sacrificed his own safety for his comedy.

MARK MAIER: Denis Leary who I compered and saw turn a furious mob of 3000 into cheering fans at a Festival.

The question I get asked the most is…

MATT REES: ’Matt you look like s***!’

MARK MAIER: Excuse me but where are the toilets?

The joke I’m best known for is…

MATT REES: :I have a joke about Callippos. The ice lolly. There aren’t many of those.

MARK MAIER: My routine about speeding (in a car)..

The coolest person in my phone book is…

MATT REES: I don’t even store my numbers in a book anymore.

They’re all on my phone. That’s the kind of guy you’re dealing with. But since you ask, after a quick look it is Stephen K Amos.

MARK MAIER: My grandma who died trapped in a freezer.

It’s not big and clever but…

MATT REES: Sticking sunglasses on my willy so it looks like a man’s face always gets the party started.

MARK MAIER: I make a great rhubarb crumble.

My answer to everything is…

MATT REES: Urgh go on then.

MARK MAIER: Google it.

My best claim to fame is…

MATT REES: When I was 5 I met Princess Diana.

MARK MAIER: I met Tom Jones outside a public toilet.

THE VERDICT:CONGRATULATIONS MATT REES, WE JUST HOPE TO MEET YOU WHEN YOU’RE NOT WEARING SUNGLASSES. Catch the Laughter Factory Thursday March 9 and Friday 10 Moevenpick JBR 9pm, Thursday March 16 Grand Millennium, Barsha Heights 9pm

Jumping the dance music shark It used to be that sex sells - want to flog a car, then get a hot girl to leer lasciviously over it. Now, if you want to sell something to the millennials, you have to get a DJ into it.

I’m genuinely staggered at how far dance music has infiltrated the world. Kids entertainer Mr Tumble has pretended to DJ, the latest tampon ad features a female DJ waffling about the moisture retention (maybe a good idea for sweaty Dubai DJs in the summer, actually) and it’s surely only a matter of time before Trump goes back-to-back with Steve Aoki.

Dance music, that once resolutely underground bastion, the refuge for the alternative, has gone mainstream and every time its used to sell tampons or cars or a packet of crisps, Frankie Knuckles turns once more in his grave.

Monkey Out...

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

oF citIes in tHe cloUds SESSION 4

GORJE HEWEK & IZHEVSKI POWELL · DEATH ON THE BALCONY LOCAL SUPPORT BY: JOSEPHINE DE RETOUR

SATURDAY, MARCH 11TH 2017 · DESIGN QUARTER, DUBAI DESIGN DISTRICT