“It is not the job of artists to give the audience what the audience want. If the audience knew what they needed, then they wouldn’t be the audience. They would be the artist. It is the job of artists to give the audience what they need”- Alan Moore
While that might be all very well and good for the comically hirsute Alan Moore, who spends most of his time writing vivid, comic book prose for nerdy manboys, it's unlikely that he's been faced with a brunch-drunk crowd baying for some pop pap while you're intent on discovering the point where future garage dissipates into post-dubstep territory.
But the quote raised a fair bit of debate when a friend posted it on Facebook recently, with nearly 50 DJs, music-lovers and FB addicts all pitching in to give their thoughts. Essentially, it boils down to how much credence you give DJing: can playing one song after each other be considered an artform - can a selector be placed on the same critical elevation as writers, for example?
Well, put in that context, and yes. The lexicon as we know it isn't growing (well, it is, but the annual addition of words like staycation and reggaeton isn't exactly on the same level as early caveman grunts or Shakespeare's wordplay), which means that writers simply use the existing vocabulary to paint their pictures (apologies for the mixed metaphor). So in turn, with every chord structure having been discovered (it has) and music effectively eating itself to create new genres, DJs are simply using existing songs to create their masterpieces. And if the artist is deified for their work, why not the DJ?
While doubters might argue that Tom, Dick or David Guetta could play one high octane song after another - and increasingly that's true in this pop-trodden world where DJ technology can take the skill out of your hands - it's not as simple as that. The following statements aren't cliches, they're truisms: DJs need to observe the crowd, they need to adapt the pace of the music to the night, they need to know when to drop the right tune, at the right moment create dancefloor combustion, they need to know when to step it up, and when to drop it down. A large part of that is getting the right DJ in the right venue with the right crowd, but beyond that, a good DJ has to know how to work a crowd. And they need to play good music, first and foremost, which used to mean hours trawling record stores and plundering contacts, but now means days trawling the ever-expanding internet in search of new tunes and remixes that no one else has.
Increasingly, the DJ is becoming the artist at the ground level - it's rare for DJs to be just DJs these days: to get to the upper echelons, you need to have some production and remix credits under your belt. And if making music isn't art, then I'm not sure what is.
But while good music taste is something that can be worked on, etched at and manipulated, for most people it's a life-defining passion - it's the sense to rule all senses. And being able to share that music with 2/500/10,000 like-minded people (admittedly a little giddy and boozed-up) is up there with scoring a Wembley Cup Final goal, completing your first Rubick's Cube or successfully navigating Diera for the first time.
Consider what art is though: it's something that is beautiful, or appealing, that inspires emotion. And there's no denying that when Sven Vath or the BO18 residents lead you kicking and screaming into the dawn of the next day with a beautifully judged set of house and techno, it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. Or when a Mambo DJ perfectly soundtracks the setting sun in Ibiza (or, equally a 360 DJ), with a funk, soul and disco journey that raises the hair on the back of your neck. Then there are those DJs who exist on the limits of the ever-evolving DJ technology, cutting and scratching, looping and live editing to create a unique soundtrack.
And it's commonly acknowledged that artists suffer for their art - and having been asked countless times to play 'something we can dance to' by a cackling harridan while the rest of the club is bouncing, I think I know the feeling.
So, DJing is an artform then. But should the DJ pander to the audience, or should we dictate the flow? By the very definition, the DJ dictates the musical flow, but the question is how you balance the audience's expectations? And as mentioned earlier, that's largely up to the planning - finding the right DJ for the right venue and attracting the right crowd. Get that holy grail right, and everyone's a winner. But get it wrong, and you then have to balance the commercial and underground, what you want to play vs what they want to hear.
At the end of the day, you DJ to make people dance, pure and simple, but how you achieve that dancefloor detonation is your call. Some might consider it slightly less fulfilling, or arty, if you dropped a Black Eyed Peas remix to work your dancefloor into a frenzy, but if that's what it takes to make it work (and let's not forget that DJing is an artform, but for a large number it's a job as well) then so be it.
Ultimately, art is in the eye of the beholder. And even if that eye is squinting through one Bullfrog too many, it's still a valid point of view, and one that's endorsed by thousands of people every weekend who go out clubbing in Dubai every weekend to hear new and old, exciting and moving music.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Not alive and kicking
One of the main reasons I got into DJing and promoting was to put on live music - that might not hit a chord with the Beatport/Guetta generation, but having come from the UK where I would try and go to at least one gig a week, it was the be all and end all for me.
So when the chance came around to put on a Tuesday night, then Thursday and finally a Friday night at Alpha a few years ago, I jumped at the chance. We had some painfully slow nights (which could be partly blamed on the Garhoud location), and we sometimes literally had to drag people in off the street to make it look respectable. But we also had some incredible ones - over a couple of years, we booked most of the local bands to play, and also brought over people like The Futureheads, The Automatic, The Subways, The Dub Pistols, Sneaky Sound System and a few others. This isn't me walking down memory lane though, before you start losing interest - someone got in touch recently and said they wanted to put on live music. They thought there was a market for it here and would I be interested in DJing at the night. Yes to all of them, obviously, but it also got me thinking about the pitfalls, of which there are many... Hope you're sitting comfortably.
Permissions - every artist, DJ, band member needs a license to perform, and they cost roughly Dhs1500 each per person, per venue, per night. Most venues will pick this up, but if you're trying to book 3 bands, that's 15 people and about Dhs45,000 which is a lorra money before you even consider buying the...
Flights - most bands come with 2-3 backline staff, on top of the 3-5 in the band. Most will want to fly premium economy, some will even have it in their contract that they fly business while the rest of the tech crew are in the back of the plane. Flight prices fluctuate, but on average you're looking at Dhs3500 return per flight. You'll try to give them cheap Qatar flights, but they'll want direct. You'll give them late night flights, but they'll want to come back for a gig/birthday/blowjob the next day, so will need to leave right after the gig. It's a pain in the arse, essentially.
Hotels - With nearly all venues part of a hotel, some will offer up free or discounted hotel packages to your acts. But most will stipulate 5* (especially when the agent sees it's Dubai) and most will want their own rooms. So that's 6-8 rooms x 3 nights, with an average of Dhs400 per night if you are paying. And you've got to feed the bands - and take them out on the lash - so you'll need a food allowance of Dhs200 per day per person, not to mention the lasting power of an Olympic athlete. And while the rockstar throwing a TV out of the window cliche might not be as true as it once was, the rockstar being sick over the side of the bed and the promoter having to pick up the costs isn't.
Promotion - advertising can expensive out here, so you'll need to spend a lot of your budget on that. Radio might work better, but with no listener figures, it's hard to determine which station to spend your money with. You could have the best band in the world, but if you can't tell people about it, you're f*cked. Social media will get you so far, and can build up the initial hype but you need to hit the mass market to have any hope.
Crowd - Unlike the UK or in Europe, there's no student population who thrive on live, new music as it's a strict 21+ drinking age. So that means you're pitching to the 21-40 age group, which then alters what sort of bands you're going for. And with a limited music press and virtually no radio worth mentioning (in terms of breaking new indie/rock music), you can't rely on the press to push break new bands. Unless of course you consider Bryan Adams a new band, in which case you're snorted.
Venue - is key. Alpha had a very open minded management in terms of booking, so they were fully behind what we were doing. But most venues don't: they see the bottom line and bringing a DJ which is one flight and one hotel is a lot cheaper than a band, and will bring in just as much revenue. The venue has to have a soundsystem that can cope with live music (rare) and it has to be in the right part of town after the shift to New Dubai. There are some exceptions (the Music Room being an excellent one) but location, location, location is key. Most importantly, you also have to consider the door/bar split. Most venues will give you the ticket sales (minus 20% tax) and a bar cut above a certain point, but unless you've got a big venue or can charge a lot on the door, it can be a big struggle to make your money back.
Backline - guitars, drums and microphones, right? Wrong. Monitors x8, specific amps, keyboards, miles of cables, guitars and bass guitars (as the band might not bring their own to save on shipping costs for you), a specific sound desk, the right lighting, blue M&Ms etc. And the bigger the band, the bigger the technical rider, and the more headaches and hoops you'll have to jump in. Oh, and you'll need to hire a sound technician, or two. And then there are the extra requests, like a big bag of weed or some Russian hookers. Seriously.
The Devil - Or the band's agent, who'll give you UK/US prices. So if there's a buzz about them in their home country, they'll put their prices up, and when they see Dubai, they raise them again. It doesn't matter to them that they've not broken through to radio in Dubai, or their album isn't stocked in Virgin. Plus, bands don't come to Dubai to further their career, it's not part of an accepted tour (apart from if they stop off on the way to/from Australia) and if they're doing it right, they'll have plenty of offers that don't involve a 7 hour flight and a 2 hour wait at customs. They'll come for a big pay packet, or if you pitch it right a decently paid holiday - but neither of them come cheap.
And finally, you've got an immense amount of competition. Yes, there might not be much live music compared to where you've come from or what you're used to, but in October alone Janet Jackson, Metallica, Example, Richard Ashcroft, Jose Gonzales to name a few are playing live. Then you've got the regular club nights, with Masters at Work, Mark Ronson and possibly Groove Armada thrown into the equation next month. Come up against one of those nights, and you're quite simply screwed - all the good will, last minute promotion and begging and pleading isn't going to help you.
Plus, the guys at Flash are working around the clock to bring top quality international acts, so in the punter's mind you could either spend Dhs600 on a big night out to watch Metallica where you know it will be well organised and just plain ace, or you could spend half that and be stuck in a half empty room with a dodgy sound rig with a band you've barely heard of...
And that's not to mention the general antipathy and malaise that Dubai finds itself when it comes to live music. While it might be a passion for a lot of people, to some, it's just another distraction, like another night out at Barasti.
That said, book the right band and you'll create the right buzz and, hopefully, you'll break even on the night. And you'll be left with a view like this (The Subways crowd-suring in Alpha), which makes all the soundchecks, agent hassles and hard work worth it...
So when the chance came around to put on a Tuesday night, then Thursday and finally a Friday night at Alpha a few years ago, I jumped at the chance. We had some painfully slow nights (which could be partly blamed on the Garhoud location), and we sometimes literally had to drag people in off the street to make it look respectable. But we also had some incredible ones - over a couple of years, we booked most of the local bands to play, and also brought over people like The Futureheads, The Automatic, The Subways, The Dub Pistols, Sneaky Sound System and a few others. This isn't me walking down memory lane though, before you start losing interest - someone got in touch recently and said they wanted to put on live music. They thought there was a market for it here and would I be interested in DJing at the night. Yes to all of them, obviously, but it also got me thinking about the pitfalls, of which there are many... Hope you're sitting comfortably.
Permissions - every artist, DJ, band member needs a license to perform, and they cost roughly Dhs1500 each per person, per venue, per night. Most venues will pick this up, but if you're trying to book 3 bands, that's 15 people and about Dhs45,000 which is a lorra money before you even consider buying the...
Flights - most bands come with 2-3 backline staff, on top of the 3-5 in the band. Most will want to fly premium economy, some will even have it in their contract that they fly business while the rest of the tech crew are in the back of the plane. Flight prices fluctuate, but on average you're looking at Dhs3500 return per flight. You'll try to give them cheap Qatar flights, but they'll want direct. You'll give them late night flights, but they'll want to come back for a gig/birthday/blowjob the next day, so will need to leave right after the gig. It's a pain in the arse, essentially.
Hotels - With nearly all venues part of a hotel, some will offer up free or discounted hotel packages to your acts. But most will stipulate 5* (especially when the agent sees it's Dubai) and most will want their own rooms. So that's 6-8 rooms x 3 nights, with an average of Dhs400 per night if you are paying. And you've got to feed the bands - and take them out on the lash - so you'll need a food allowance of Dhs200 per day per person, not to mention the lasting power of an Olympic athlete. And while the rockstar throwing a TV out of the window cliche might not be as true as it once was, the rockstar being sick over the side of the bed and the promoter having to pick up the costs isn't.
Promotion - advertising can expensive out here, so you'll need to spend a lot of your budget on that. Radio might work better, but with no listener figures, it's hard to determine which station to spend your money with. You could have the best band in the world, but if you can't tell people about it, you're f*cked. Social media will get you so far, and can build up the initial hype but you need to hit the mass market to have any hope.
Crowd - Unlike the UK or in Europe, there's no student population who thrive on live, new music as it's a strict 21+ drinking age. So that means you're pitching to the 21-40 age group, which then alters what sort of bands you're going for. And with a limited music press and virtually no radio worth mentioning (in terms of breaking new indie/rock music), you can't rely on the press to push break new bands. Unless of course you consider Bryan Adams a new band, in which case you're snorted.
Venue - is key. Alpha had a very open minded management in terms of booking, so they were fully behind what we were doing. But most venues don't: they see the bottom line and bringing a DJ which is one flight and one hotel is a lot cheaper than a band, and will bring in just as much revenue. The venue has to have a soundsystem that can cope with live music (rare) and it has to be in the right part of town after the shift to New Dubai. There are some exceptions (the Music Room being an excellent one) but location, location, location is key. Most importantly, you also have to consider the door/bar split. Most venues will give you the ticket sales (minus 20% tax) and a bar cut above a certain point, but unless you've got a big venue or can charge a lot on the door, it can be a big struggle to make your money back.
Backline - guitars, drums and microphones, right? Wrong. Monitors x8, specific amps, keyboards, miles of cables, guitars and bass guitars (as the band might not bring their own to save on shipping costs for you), a specific sound desk, the right lighting, blue M&Ms etc. And the bigger the band, the bigger the technical rider, and the more headaches and hoops you'll have to jump in. Oh, and you'll need to hire a sound technician, or two. And then there are the extra requests, like a big bag of weed or some Russian hookers. Seriously.
The Devil - Or the band's agent, who'll give you UK/US prices. So if there's a buzz about them in their home country, they'll put their prices up, and when they see Dubai, they raise them again. It doesn't matter to them that they've not broken through to radio in Dubai, or their album isn't stocked in Virgin. Plus, bands don't come to Dubai to further their career, it's not part of an accepted tour (apart from if they stop off on the way to/from Australia) and if they're doing it right, they'll have plenty of offers that don't involve a 7 hour flight and a 2 hour wait at customs. They'll come for a big pay packet, or if you pitch it right a decently paid holiday - but neither of them come cheap.
And finally, you've got an immense amount of competition. Yes, there might not be much live music compared to where you've come from or what you're used to, but in October alone Janet Jackson, Metallica, Example, Richard Ashcroft, Jose Gonzales to name a few are playing live. Then you've got the regular club nights, with Masters at Work, Mark Ronson and possibly Groove Armada thrown into the equation next month. Come up against one of those nights, and you're quite simply screwed - all the good will, last minute promotion and begging and pleading isn't going to help you.
Plus, the guys at Flash are working around the clock to bring top quality international acts, so in the punter's mind you could either spend Dhs600 on a big night out to watch Metallica where you know it will be well organised and just plain ace, or you could spend half that and be stuck in a half empty room with a dodgy sound rig with a band you've barely heard of...
And that's not to mention the general antipathy and malaise that Dubai finds itself when it comes to live music. While it might be a passion for a lot of people, to some, it's just another distraction, like another night out at Barasti.
That said, book the right band and you'll create the right buzz and, hopefully, you'll break even on the night. And you'll be left with a view like this (The Subways crowd-suring in Alpha), which makes all the soundchecks, agent hassles and hard work worth it...
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Supersonic!
I've been lucky enough to meet some pretty cool people along my DJ travels, and have warmed up for Ian Brown and Fatboy Slim in the last few years. But the biggest call yet came a couple of months ago when Flash - them of the deep, deep pockets and live band ambition - called and asked if Loaded, the indie club night I co-run with Simon Allen, would like to open for Liam Gallagher. As in that Liam Gallagher, ex Oasis lead singer and motor-mouthed frontman. As in the band that soundtracked a generation, as grand as that statement sounds. They might have tailed off abysmally from the highs of Definitely Maybe and What's The Story... but what highs they were (and doubly so for the band).
Upon which point, I ingested my testicles, and breathlessly - and no doubt a few octaves higher than normal - replied back 'yes please, fankyouplease.'
And while I would rather share a pint with Noel Gallagher - the man is a raconteur, who has an opinion on most things, and normally an acerbic and witty one as this amazing press conference demonstrates - younger brother Liam is the quintessential frontman.
You know his flaws: his cat, sat, matt song writing, an inability to move out of top speed and taking Beatles fanboydom into plagiarism realms. But when it comes to balls out, rock and roll, the sort that turns you into a mindless indie hooligan and walk with a Manchester swagger, even though you've never been further North than Islington, no one can touch him.
And I mean no one. Who else could sell out venues across the world on the back of 1 album (and it's a patchy one in all honesty), and with a stone-cold, and entirely understandable (not to mention principled) refusal to play Oasis songs? Yes, it's Oasis minus Noel, but that's a huge, debilitating minus.
Which can only mean the thousands and thousands of fans have come to see Liam, hands held behind his back, neck crooned up into the microphone and pigeon-chest puffed out in all its Pretty Green glory.
And we have the honour of warming up for him, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and the other one (I'm being disingenuous here - it's Chris Sharrock on drums). Apparently Beady Eye's management are quite tight on what goes on before the band, and understandably so - you wouldn't want to play any Beatles or Rolling Stones for fear of hearing the same chords and melodies a few minutes later played live.
But we've got 30 minutes, with an anticipated audience of 4500 people, to show off our record collections. And considering I've been hoarding music ever since I bought Nevermind as my first CD (it's true! honest! My first tape was far less impressive - my excuse is I'm Scottish), that's not as easy as it sounds.
We've started pulling together a few ideas, and so far new bands like Sleigh Bells, M83, The Horrors are rubbing shoulders with lost indie classics like The Beta Band, Flaming Lips and The Delgados. And after that, hopefully I'll be lucky enough to meet Liam backstage and hopefully utter something more memorable than the nervous grunt I managed to throw Fatboy Slim's way. Get your tickets here
P.S. Big thanks to Adidas Originals for kitting us out for the night - we'll be standing proud in our three stripes.
Upon which point, I ingested my testicles, and breathlessly - and no doubt a few octaves higher than normal - replied back 'yes please, fankyouplease.'
And while I would rather share a pint with Noel Gallagher - the man is a raconteur, who has an opinion on most things, and normally an acerbic and witty one as this amazing press conference demonstrates - younger brother Liam is the quintessential frontman.
You know his flaws: his cat, sat, matt song writing, an inability to move out of top speed and taking Beatles fanboydom into plagiarism realms. But when it comes to balls out, rock and roll, the sort that turns you into a mindless indie hooligan and walk with a Manchester swagger, even though you've never been further North than Islington, no one can touch him.
And I mean no one. Who else could sell out venues across the world on the back of 1 album (and it's a patchy one in all honesty), and with a stone-cold, and entirely understandable (not to mention principled) refusal to play Oasis songs? Yes, it's Oasis minus Noel, but that's a huge, debilitating minus.
Which can only mean the thousands and thousands of fans have come to see Liam, hands held behind his back, neck crooned up into the microphone and pigeon-chest puffed out in all its Pretty Green glory.
And we have the honour of warming up for him, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and the other one (I'm being disingenuous here - it's Chris Sharrock on drums). Apparently Beady Eye's management are quite tight on what goes on before the band, and understandably so - you wouldn't want to play any Beatles or Rolling Stones for fear of hearing the same chords and melodies a few minutes later played live.
But we've got 30 minutes, with an anticipated audience of 4500 people, to show off our record collections. And considering I've been hoarding music ever since I bought Nevermind as my first CD (it's true! honest! My first tape was far less impressive - my excuse is I'm Scottish), that's not as easy as it sounds.
We've started pulling together a few ideas, and so far new bands like Sleigh Bells, M83, The Horrors are rubbing shoulders with lost indie classics like The Beta Band, Flaming Lips and The Delgados. And after that, hopefully I'll be lucky enough to meet Liam backstage and hopefully utter something more memorable than the nervous grunt I managed to throw Fatboy Slim's way. Get your tickets here
P.S. Big thanks to Adidas Originals for kitting us out for the night - we'll be standing proud in our three stripes.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Ghetto Funk Volume 3
Latest tracks by Da:Funct - SYNF
Harry J Allstars vs Damn Horns - Liquid Heater
Death in Vegas - Dirt (Slayer Edit)
Sub Focus - Rock It (Bobby C Sound TV remix)
Shy FX & Donaeo - Raver (DJ Wood Reboot)
Mario Bros - Super Mario Jam (Matty Blades remix)
Royksopp - Happy Up Here (WBBL remix)
Stevie Wonder - Superstitious (Funkanomics remix)
Arrested Development - Mr Wendal (D-Funk remix)
Marlena Shaw - California Soul (A Skillz remix)
Wu Tang Clan - As We Enter The Gravel Pit (Skratch Bastid blend)
Chemical Brothers vs Jimi Hendrix - Ready To Galvanise (Diago mashup)
Luke Vibert - Acid 2000
Toddla T feat. Roots Manuva - Watch Me Dance
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Slow it down, son
I've been the worst culprit of this before - banging out fast and furious tunes when the situation demands something a bit more restrained. It's an easy trap to fall into: Dubai crowds can be a bit slow to catch fire sometimes, so throwing down some heavy-duty ammunition can be the easiest way to light the touch paper. That and a relatively early 3am finish added to the fact most clubbers don't show until 12am at the earliest, means that you've got a few hours to show them a good time. And invariably that means cranking up the speed. But, pop quiz hot shot - where does that leave the night to progress to? And it's not going to impress the headliner who's now stuck at lightspeed, and any decrease will risk losing the momentum you've so carefully blown up.
In my defence, it's something that I've tried pretty hard to rectify in recent years, and I now take a lot of care in my warm ups, making sure the music, tempo and energy of the tracks fit the venue, the crowd, the time of the night. To me, a warm up now means starting at 95BPM at 10pm and finishing on around 120BPM at 1am when the headliner comes on. And that suits me perfectly, as I've genuinely fallen in love with music at around 110BPM in speed (hence the name of the blog, see).
It first started when I got into disco (as I think most DJs do at one point or another, it being the creation point of all dance music, after all), and I realised the energy a 100BPM banger could have, the propulsive momentum created by big, scudding beats and skittery hi notes to push it forward. And then there's my other new love, Ghetto funk, which is another slow but energetic genre that is essentially breakbeat slowed down to a hip hop speed, but with added dubstep bassline wobble and seismic beats. It's a genuinely exciting new type of music, and one that I've started incorporating into my edits and mashups.
It seems the 'slow is the new fast' school of thought is spreading around the world. House, once in love with minimal house (which to my ear sounded like a particularly annoying bat fight) has now added melody to the music, and stripped back the speed so much that 125BPM is now considered speeding. And even dirty Dutch house, the most virulent strain of electro, has taken a raincheck on its speeds, and has transmogrified itself and is now called Moobahton, with 110BPM tracks doing the same damage on the dancefloor as pitched up 130BPM anthems.
What does it all mean, then? To my mind, it's simply a re-adjustment to the previous few years, where dubstep and its halting, punctuated 140BPM scatter-gun breaks and nu-disco and its big-room melodies over beefed up beats have made a huge impact on the musical climate. Music needn't be Lighting Bolt fast to make an impact, and warm up DJs and headliners have brought the speeds down and with it raised the club's ceilings. Whether crowds in Dubai appreciate this slow-down is another matter, but with nights like Turn Me Loose, iLL Communications, audio tonic and the Electric Boutique at Trilogy flying the slow and funky flag, there's a lot of hope yet.
And if you've made it this far, here's my latest mix which works its way from 100BPM to 120BPM over an hour, with plenty of acid-fried disco flavours along the way.
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/da-functs-nu-disco-acid-wiggle
In my defence, it's something that I've tried pretty hard to rectify in recent years, and I now take a lot of care in my warm ups, making sure the music, tempo and energy of the tracks fit the venue, the crowd, the time of the night. To me, a warm up now means starting at 95BPM at 10pm and finishing on around 120BPM at 1am when the headliner comes on. And that suits me perfectly, as I've genuinely fallen in love with music at around 110BPM in speed (hence the name of the blog, see).
It first started when I got into disco (as I think most DJs do at one point or another, it being the creation point of all dance music, after all), and I realised the energy a 100BPM banger could have, the propulsive momentum created by big, scudding beats and skittery hi notes to push it forward. And then there's my other new love, Ghetto funk, which is another slow but energetic genre that is essentially breakbeat slowed down to a hip hop speed, but with added dubstep bassline wobble and seismic beats. It's a genuinely exciting new type of music, and one that I've started incorporating into my edits and mashups.
It seems the 'slow is the new fast' school of thought is spreading around the world. House, once in love with minimal house (which to my ear sounded like a particularly annoying bat fight) has now added melody to the music, and stripped back the speed so much that 125BPM is now considered speeding. And even dirty Dutch house, the most virulent strain of electro, has taken a raincheck on its speeds, and has transmogrified itself and is now called Moobahton, with 110BPM tracks doing the same damage on the dancefloor as pitched up 130BPM anthems.
What does it all mean, then? To my mind, it's simply a re-adjustment to the previous few years, where dubstep and its halting, punctuated 140BPM scatter-gun breaks and nu-disco and its big-room melodies over beefed up beats have made a huge impact on the musical climate. Music needn't be Lighting Bolt fast to make an impact, and warm up DJs and headliners have brought the speeds down and with it raised the club's ceilings. Whether crowds in Dubai appreciate this slow-down is another matter, but with nights like Turn Me Loose, iLL Communications, audio tonic and the Electric Boutique at Trilogy flying the slow and funky flag, there's a lot of hope yet.
And if you've made it this far, here's my latest mix which works its way from 100BPM to 120BPM over an hour, with plenty of acid-fried disco flavours along the way.
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/da-functs-nu-disco-acid-wiggle
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Shouting Together
My recent Horror's nu-disco edit got a surprising amount of love, so I decided to continue in that musical theme and given Primal Scream's 'Come Together' a drum-heavy edit and added Tears For Fears vocals along the way. Give it a spin and let me know what you think...
And if you like it, it'll most likely be played loud and proud at our next Loaded on Friday July 29
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Ride on Still Life
Few bands have got at me the same way The Horrors have. They were the band of Glastonbury last year when we saw them at sunset on the Park Stage. It might have been a combination of a fuzzy red-wine head at 7pm, or the strange mushroom omelette that I had for lunch (ahem), but when they took to the stage and played their debut album Primary Colours in its entirety and it blew me and the missus away.
Understandably, we were HUGELY excited about the follow up material and first single from the new album, 'Still Life.' And it didn't disappoint. A buzzy, shoegaze meets pop blast of ever-evolving brilliance, it's one of the best tunes of 2011 already. But - and there's always a but - it didn't quite work on the dancefloor at Loaded.
So, I've added a fairly large tweak, sped it up slightly and mashed it up with one of my nu-disco bangers. The beats are now harder, faster and the two songs work really well together in my opinion. But that's just my thoughts, click on this link for my mashup and listen for yourself...
Understandably, we were HUGELY excited about the follow up material and first single from the new album, 'Still Life.' And it didn't disappoint. A buzzy, shoegaze meets pop blast of ever-evolving brilliance, it's one of the best tunes of 2011 already. But - and there's always a but - it didn't quite work on the dancefloor at Loaded.
So, I've added a fairly large tweak, sped it up slightly and mashed it up with one of my nu-disco bangers. The beats are now harder, faster and the two songs work really well together in my opinion. But that's just my thoughts, click on this link for my mashup and listen for yourself...
Friday, 1 July 2011
'Can you play something betterer?'
Loca was the busiest it's ever been on Thursday. From 8pm, it was standing room only, and every nook and cranny was filled with people. Which ordinarily, would have been perfect. In the year I've been there, Loca has always had a great vibe, and quickly built up a reputation as one of the best bars and restaurants in the city, and I love my Thursday nights there.
Sadly, it was so busy that a group of 30 teachers were press-ganged into the DJ corner, and for 5 exceedingly painful hours, constantly let me know about it.
It began when one of the Arabic teachers in the party told me - not asked, told me - I should be playing Arabic music. When you're in a Mexican restaurant. And I'm a white guy currently playing New Orleans funk and soul which is going down very-nicely-indeed-thank-you-very-much. That didn't stop the muppet asking a further 3 times however, each one accompanied by an imploring arm swung round to presumably imply that no one was enjoying my music when people where actually quite happily getting down.
That was nothing compared to the agony inflicted by the drunk, cackling, middle-aged pack of teacher hyenas who pounced on every track I played. I can't replay the whole night (more for fear that I might end up curled up naked in the shower rocking myself from side to side as I re-live the memory) so here are a few excerpts...
Woman: 'Can you play something betterer' - that's not better, but betterer.
Woman: 'Can you play something we can dance to/Can you play something I know/Can you play something faster' - all of which were met with a confused/disdainful/please-god-let-this-end-soon look from me.
Woman: 'I was born in the 70s (that's a lie, but moving on) - can you play something I know.' So I drop some Fleetwood Mac and some Rolling Stones.
Woman: 'I did ask you for some 70s music, are you going to play any or what?'
Erm...
Woman: 'Is this what the venue have told you to play - why don't you play something we can dance to and that we know.'
Me: 'We don't really play commercial, radio music.'
Woman: 'Why not, it's better than this shite.'
Me: 'That's quite rude.'
Woman: 'Play some Usher or some Pitbull.'
Me: 'No.'
Woman: 'You're the worst DJ in the world, I've never met anyone so rude. I don't understand why you won't play what all the other bars are playing.'
Me: (While turning the music up) 'Well fuck off to one of those bars then.'
Woman: 'Why were you laughing and talking to that person who just made a request.'
Me: 'Erm, what?'
Woman: 'You've been nothing but rude to me, why won't you take my request?'
Me: 'Well, that was one of my friends who I haven't seen for a few months. She's nice, friendly and doesn't bust my balls about the rather excellent choice of music I've been playing. You however are a pissed twat who's had one margarita too many, and are now being a bolshy, musical moron trying to push your weight around.' Except you can't say that to people, so I just put my headphones on and dropped some more 'shite.'
What total twats like that fail to appreciate is that a) I have the other 300 people to cater to (of which a lot of people regularly come up and say how much they liked the music) b) I have to be consistent with what we've been doing at the venue for the last year (and that's playing funk, soul, disco and rock and roll, and judging by how busy we are, are doing it rather well) and c) when else would you be so down-right rude, condescending and petulant to another human being and think that it's perfectly normal behaviour?
You're a punter, a consumer. We play different music, it's our niche, our calling card and judging by how busy it is and how many repeat customers we get, a very succesful one. Vote with your feet and go to Chi/Rock Bottom/anywherefuckingelse instead of giving me a hard time for 5 long hours.
But they didn't. They stayed in my DJ corner from 8pm until a very drunk 1.15am. When the music was so bad that they presumably went home and ripped off their ears so they could never endure the pain again. A whole 5 hours and 15 minutes of hell, or 315 minutes of unadulterated musical perjury for both them and me.
So this blog post is dedicated to them. As is the this song that I played when they were walking out, accompanied by a few backward looks over their shoulders, before they plummeted over an unseen step and ended up on a drunken heap on the ground.
Sadly, it was so busy that a group of 30 teachers were press-ganged into the DJ corner, and for 5 exceedingly painful hours, constantly let me know about it.
It began when one of the Arabic teachers in the party told me - not asked, told me - I should be playing Arabic music. When you're in a Mexican restaurant. And I'm a white guy currently playing New Orleans funk and soul which is going down very-nicely-indeed-thank-you-very-much. That didn't stop the muppet asking a further 3 times however, each one accompanied by an imploring arm swung round to presumably imply that no one was enjoying my music when people where actually quite happily getting down.
That was nothing compared to the agony inflicted by the drunk, cackling, middle-aged pack of teacher hyenas who pounced on every track I played. I can't replay the whole night (more for fear that I might end up curled up naked in the shower rocking myself from side to side as I re-live the memory) so here are a few excerpts...
Woman: 'Can you play something betterer' - that's not better, but betterer.
Woman: 'Can you play something we can dance to/Can you play something I know/Can you play something faster' - all of which were met with a confused/disdainful/please-god-let-this-end-soon look from me.
Woman: 'I was born in the 70s (that's a lie, but moving on) - can you play something I know.' So I drop some Fleetwood Mac and some Rolling Stones.
Woman: 'I did ask you for some 70s music, are you going to play any or what?'
Erm...
Woman: 'Is this what the venue have told you to play - why don't you play something we can dance to and that we know.'
Me: 'We don't really play commercial, radio music.'
Woman: 'Why not, it's better than this shite.'
Me: 'That's quite rude.'
Woman: 'Play some Usher or some Pitbull.'
Me: 'No.'
Woman: 'You're the worst DJ in the world, I've never met anyone so rude. I don't understand why you won't play what all the other bars are playing.'
Me: (While turning the music up) 'Well fuck off to one of those bars then.'
Woman: 'Why were you laughing and talking to that person who just made a request.'
Me: 'Erm, what?'
Woman: 'You've been nothing but rude to me, why won't you take my request?'
Me: 'Well, that was one of my friends who I haven't seen for a few months. She's nice, friendly and doesn't bust my balls about the rather excellent choice of music I've been playing. You however are a pissed twat who's had one margarita too many, and are now being a bolshy, musical moron trying to push your weight around.' Except you can't say that to people, so I just put my headphones on and dropped some more 'shite.'
What total twats like that fail to appreciate is that a) I have the other 300 people to cater to (of which a lot of people regularly come up and say how much they liked the music) b) I have to be consistent with what we've been doing at the venue for the last year (and that's playing funk, soul, disco and rock and roll, and judging by how busy we are, are doing it rather well) and c) when else would you be so down-right rude, condescending and petulant to another human being and think that it's perfectly normal behaviour?
You're a punter, a consumer. We play different music, it's our niche, our calling card and judging by how busy it is and how many repeat customers we get, a very succesful one. Vote with your feet and go to Chi/Rock Bottom/anywherefuckingelse instead of giving me a hard time for 5 long hours.
But they didn't. They stayed in my DJ corner from 8pm until a very drunk 1.15am. When the music was so bad that they presumably went home and ripped off their ears so they could never endure the pain again. A whole 5 hours and 15 minutes of hell, or 315 minutes of unadulterated musical perjury for both them and me.
So this blog post is dedicated to them. As is the this song that I played when they were walking out, accompanied by a few backward looks over their shoulders, before they plummeted over an unseen step and ended up on a drunken heap on the ground.
Re-Loaded
Loaded - Just Good Music.
I think we stuck to our musical mandate on our 2nd Loaded event, as we played everything from The Supremes to The Vaccines, and drum and bass (Marky and Stamina) to Nirvana. And if anything, it went down even better than the first event: well, that is apart from the batty old bird who vehemently complained that we weren't playing enough indie (amusingly, while The Stone Roses was playing) and Simon's laptop getting splattered in beer which meant he had to play off my laptop (hence the above-average number of mashups!)
Then again, it's maybe not surprising that Si's laptop took a dunking as there was a full on moshpit in Casa Latina from 11 until a sweaty, sweaty close at 3am. We're back on Friday July 29 which is the last night of clubbing before Ramadan, so it should be rather large. Until then, here are some great pics that our good friend Duncan Dodgson took from the last gig - see if you can spot yourself in the moshpit.
I think we stuck to our musical mandate on our 2nd Loaded event, as we played everything from The Supremes to The Vaccines, and drum and bass (Marky and Stamina) to Nirvana. And if anything, it went down even better than the first event: well, that is apart from the batty old bird who vehemently complained that we weren't playing enough indie (amusingly, while The Stone Roses was playing) and Simon's laptop getting splattered in beer which meant he had to play off my laptop (hence the above-average number of mashups!)
Then again, it's maybe not surprising that Si's laptop took a dunking as there was a full on moshpit in Casa Latina from 11 until a sweaty, sweaty close at 3am. We're back on Friday July 29 which is the last night of clubbing before Ramadan, so it should be rather large. Until then, here are some great pics that our good friend Duncan Dodgson took from the last gig - see if you can spot yourself in the moshpit.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Imperial Birthday
I've had a few ace birthdays in the past, but last year's will take some beating: nearly vomiting on The Fratellis, playing 'Killing In The Name Of' not once, not twice, but three times in a row at the end of the night (my drunk reasoning being that nothing could follow that track, so on it went again) and then jumping in the shower fully clothed when I got home, only to find I'd left the camera in my back pocket.
But this year is my 30th, so it's time to be a bit more grown up. And as luck would have it, on my actual birthday a hotel round the corner is showing the 2nd and 3rd Star Wars films on the big screen by the pool, meaning I'll spend most of my 30th birthday on a lilo, with a beer in one hand, and a BBQ'd chicken wing in the other. Tremendous.
For those that know me, Star Wars has a special place in my heart (and my education, oddly enough). Part of my history degree was looking for historical links in Westerns, so I argued that Star Wars was an updated version, and they'd swapped the Wild West frontier for the final one (apologies for the Trekky reference). Essentially, this meant watching Star Wars for days on end, and comparing the Ewoks to the Viet Cong, Emperor Palpatine to Richard Nixon and Hans Solo was the space-faring equivalent of John Wayne.
And that Star Wars fixation has spread over into my musical tastes, and I've got quite a few Star Wars bangers in my arsenal, as well as a few home-made ones as well...
Imperial Brown Bag
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/star-wars-vs-roni-size-brown
Bonkers Wars
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/star-wars-vs-dizze-rascal-imperial-bonkers-da-funct-edit
Mos Eisley remix
http://soundcloud.com/mattyblades/elevator-breaks-pt2-starwars-edit
This is my favourite, proper weapon - we opened our Da:Funct Soundsystem set warming up for 2ManyDJs with this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV5goLx-fZg
I'll leave you with the genius that is Robot Chicken, and their pant-shittingly funny take on Star Wars...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln3tcSoN3gc
But this year is my 30th, so it's time to be a bit more grown up. And as luck would have it, on my actual birthday a hotel round the corner is showing the 2nd and 3rd Star Wars films on the big screen by the pool, meaning I'll spend most of my 30th birthday on a lilo, with a beer in one hand, and a BBQ'd chicken wing in the other. Tremendous.
For those that know me, Star Wars has a special place in my heart (and my education, oddly enough). Part of my history degree was looking for historical links in Westerns, so I argued that Star Wars was an updated version, and they'd swapped the Wild West frontier for the final one (apologies for the Trekky reference). Essentially, this meant watching Star Wars for days on end, and comparing the Ewoks to the Viet Cong, Emperor Palpatine to Richard Nixon and Hans Solo was the space-faring equivalent of John Wayne.
And that Star Wars fixation has spread over into my musical tastes, and I've got quite a few Star Wars bangers in my arsenal, as well as a few home-made ones as well...
Imperial Brown Bag
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/star-wars-vs-roni-size-brown
Bonkers Wars
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/star-wars-vs-dizze-rascal-imperial-bonkers-da-funct-edit
Mos Eisley remix
http://soundcloud.com/mattyblades/elevator-breaks-pt2-starwars-edit
This is my favourite, proper weapon - we opened our Da:Funct Soundsystem set warming up for 2ManyDJs with this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV5goLx-fZg
I'll leave you with the genius that is Robot Chicken, and their pant-shittingly funny take on Star Wars...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln3tcSoN3gc
Friday, 10 June 2011
Disko Dubai
I've been lucky enough to be involved in some fun nights in Dubai, but last night was pretty special as the Norwegian Disco Mafia (TM someone else) AKA Todd Terje and Prins Thomas were in town.
Warming up can sometimes be an interesting job in Dubai, but when you've been given license to play out rare disco tunes, cleaned up funk edits and big room nu-disco on a Funktion 1 soundsystem (thanks Buff), it's pretty clear you've got the best job in the world, even if at 10.30 you're playing to the bar staff and the manager. Here's the playlist, and at the bottom is the track I finished on at midnight, quite possibly one of the best tunes I have in my collection, a proper disco journey that just builds and builds to an incredible climax. Weirdly, the internet doesn't know much about it, so if anyone has any info on who/what Combi are then do let me know.
http://serato.com/playlists/DaFunct/todd-terje-prins-thomas-warm-up-6-9-11
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/combi-we-gotta-high-together
And Todd and Prins? Predictably ace. Everything from 70s disco to proto house and more, with edits of The Doors, Marvin Gaye and so many more weaved in over the top. Oh, and Todd Terje likes to DJ in his socks. True story.
Warming up can sometimes be an interesting job in Dubai, but when you've been given license to play out rare disco tunes, cleaned up funk edits and big room nu-disco on a Funktion 1 soundsystem (thanks Buff), it's pretty clear you've got the best job in the world, even if at 10.30 you're playing to the bar staff and the manager. Here's the playlist, and at the bottom is the track I finished on at midnight, quite possibly one of the best tunes I have in my collection, a proper disco journey that just builds and builds to an incredible climax. Weirdly, the internet doesn't know much about it, so if anyone has any info on who/what Combi are then do let me know.
http://serato.com/playlists/DaFunct/todd-terje-prins-thomas-warm-up-6-9-11
10:06pm
00:00 Almunia - Travel (instrumental) 00:48 Four Tet - Circling
07:56 Boards of Canada - Turquoise Hexagon Sun
10:28 Patti Austin - Baby Come To Me (Brendon P's 'Dubbed Out' Edit)
18:23 MIA - Paper Planes (DFA Remix)
19:01 Dee Dee - Easy money (Todd Terje Re-Kutt)
25:42 Rufus Thomas - Fried Chicken (scratchandsniffs finger licking re-rub)
31:21 LTJ - Get Cha
34:52 Lindstrom & Christabelle - Lovesick (Vins DJ Edit) 8.wav
40:55 6th Borough Project - McLovin
47:32 Trickski - Pill Collins
51:24 Champ's Boys Orchestra - Tubular Bells (Cosmic Mix)
57:25 Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club Mix)
1:01:32 6th Borough Project - Just A Memory
1:05:34 Grace Jones - William's Blood (Cosmic Jam Remix)
1:10:47 Fred Wesley - House Party (BP's 'Bring Your Own Bailey's' Edit)
1:15:59 Villa feat. The New Sins - Beats of Love (the c90s remix)
1:21:39 Low Motion Disco - Love Love Love - Aeroplane Mix
1:28:00 Lapelle - Jermaine draft 2
1:30:25 MGMT - Electric Feel (Aeroplane Remix)
1:34:12 David Bowie - Golden Years (Mano Le Tough Edit)
1:39:28 Craig Bratley - Birdshell (6th Borough Project vs Russ Yallop Dancefloor Edit)
1:43:58 Tensnake - Holding Back (My Love)
1:49:26 Combi - We Gotta High Together
http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/combi-we-gotta-high-together
And Todd and Prins? Predictably ace. Everything from 70s disco to proto house and more, with edits of The Doors, Marvin Gaye and so many more weaved in over the top. Oh, and Todd Terje likes to DJ in his socks. True story.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Death of Rock'n'Roll
My cousin's band, The Fridge Magnets, are getting some serious hype in the UK at the moment. Based in Aberdeen, they've been getting airplay on Radio 1, sold out shows at Scotland's biggest venues and have been booked for a series of dates in London this summer, including playing Alan McGhee's night (he signed Oasis, My Bloody Valentine and started Creation Records, so a bit of a dude).
My cousin Chris is the drummer in the band, and he sent me the link to their new track, Death of Rock and Roll which is out now on iTunes and comes with this rather good video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHugZwszTg
And when I heard the track, I decided to give it a dubstep twist, with a fun drop half way through the track. It's a bootleg/mashup, but a pretty fun one that stays very true to the original.
Feedback always welcome :: http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/fridge-magnets-death-of-rock
My cousin Chris is the drummer in the band, and he sent me the link to their new track, Death of Rock and Roll which is out now on iTunes and comes with this rather good video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHugZwszTg
And when I heard the track, I decided to give it a dubstep twist, with a fun drop half way through the track. It's a bootleg/mashup, but a pretty fun one that stays very true to the original.
Feedback always welcome :: http://soundcloud.com/da-funct-synf/fridge-magnets-death-of-rock
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Rememberance Sunday
There are some bands that I wish I'd seen live, and The Beta Band were one of them.
Similar to Oasis, all their early stuff was by far the best. And this was the earliest, a seminal, cult-classic called 'Dry The Rain' that's a shuffling, folky and hypnotic beast on record, and when they performed it live on their farewell tour in 2003, became something even bigger. If the hairs on your neck don't stand to attention when the crowd refuse to let the song finish at the end by singing back the chorus for 30 seconds, you're dead inside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s5xnh6t-wE
Similar to Oasis, all their early stuff was by far the best. And this was the earliest, a seminal, cult-classic called 'Dry The Rain' that's a shuffling, folky and hypnotic beast on record, and when they performed it live on their farewell tour in 2003, became something even bigger. If the hairs on your neck don't stand to attention when the crowd refuse to let the song finish at the end by singing back the chorus for 30 seconds, you're dead inside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s5xnh6t-wE
Chuff Chuffed
So, it seems I should take my wife out for dinner more often. As after a few cocktails, and half a bottle of wine our summer plans had gone a quiet little pootle around France or Italy, to planning a 5 day trip to Ibiza. Not entirely sure how that happened, but pretty damn happy about it. Last year's trip was memorable (the photos did help jog the memory, admittedly), as we got to see Groove Armada at Space where I met this really rather tall chap...
We then went to see LCD Soundsystem at Ibiza Rocks which was incredible - their Jay Z cover at the end of the set still sends my synapses into over-drive.
And then headed to the after-party where I danced like a dick, and fell in love with this tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9vRtZsMz0.
This year's line up is a little less band-heavy, but I can't really complain about it.
Sunday is this Cocoon with Sven Vath, Monday is DC10, Tuesday is a well deserved night off, Wednesday is a toss up between Ibiza Rocks with Sub Focus and Example, or Pacha with Sneaky Sound System and Basement Jaxx (but it also comes with Erick 'Get Me a Pillow' Morillo, so that could be the deciding factor), and Thursday is all about Space and Simon Baker, Nick Curly, Lee Curtiss and Seth Troxler. Sleazy house heaven.
So yeah, a whole post dedicated to me getting chuffed about 120 hours in Ibiza. Cue a re-run of this face. Tremendous.
We then went to see LCD Soundsystem at Ibiza Rocks which was incredible - their Jay Z cover at the end of the set still sends my synapses into over-drive.
And then headed to the after-party where I danced like a dick, and fell in love with this tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9vRtZsMz0.
This year's line up is a little less band-heavy, but I can't really complain about it.
Sunday is this Cocoon with Sven Vath, Monday is DC10, Tuesday is a well deserved night off, Wednesday is a toss up between Ibiza Rocks with Sub Focus and Example, or Pacha with Sneaky Sound System and Basement Jaxx (but it also comes with Erick 'Get Me a Pillow' Morillo, so that could be the deciding factor), and Thursday is all about Space and Simon Baker, Nick Curly, Lee Curtiss and Seth Troxler. Sleazy house heaven.
So yeah, a whole post dedicated to me getting chuffed about 120 hours in Ibiza. Cue a re-run of this face. Tremendous.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Re-Loaded
Maybe it was the timing of the launch, maybe it was the drink deals, and maybe it was the fact I'd pimped out my FB account for 3 solid weeks mentioning nothing but (it was the drink deals, I know), but the Loaded launch at Casa Latina was ace. Like ace squared.
People were rocking up by 9.30, and just 2 hours later it was one in, one out. As Simon, the other half of See You Next Friday, pointed out though, a packed club is one of life's better problems.
Musically, I think we lived up to our promises - everything from Aphex Twin to Buddy Holly was thrown into the mix, and in our 3 years as SYNF, we've not seen a better dancefloor than when The Strokes kicked in about 1.15am after a long loop.
We're back on Friday June 24, with slightly less FB pimping, and the same silly drink deals (Dhs75 for 5 cans of Kingfisher - are they quite mad?). And it's also my 30th, so I'll be taking up residence at the bar downing buying/drinking shots and then attempting to mix indie into drum and bass. Winner.
Short and tweet
If Bob Dylan were a more prodigious tweeter, he might well amend his most famous line and slowly type out 'the social media times, they are a'changing.' For Twitter has never been bigger news, both in everyday mundane use (telling us what you ate for tea), and also as a catalyst for provoking change and creating a talking shop whereby you can speak directly to thousands or even millions of people.
Time Out recently highlighted the 20 most popular Twitter users in the region, and it made me think of the consequences 160 characters can have. They were vital in instigating the Arab uprising, have been a vital tool for Iranians trying to tell their side of the story during the recent revolts when there was a blanket ban against traditional media and a simple sentence online has sparked much-needed constitutional debate in the UK parliament following the Ryan Giggs debacle. On a local level (and far more superficial level), it's a pivotal way of getting the latest on your favourite club night - that would be *warning, gratuitous plug coming* http://twitter.com/SYNF
It's also given me renewed enthusiasm for Twitter, and I don't just see it as a time-waster inbetween work (or instead), but as a genuinely exciting platform. Just don't expect me to break any super injunctions any time soon.
Time Out recently highlighted the 20 most popular Twitter users in the region, and it made me think of the consequences 160 characters can have. They were vital in instigating the Arab uprising, have been a vital tool for Iranians trying to tell their side of the story during the recent revolts when there was a blanket ban against traditional media and a simple sentence online has sparked much-needed constitutional debate in the UK parliament following the Ryan Giggs debacle. On a local level (and far more superficial level), it's a pivotal way of getting the latest on your favourite club night - that would be *warning, gratuitous plug coming* http://twitter.com/SYNF
It's also given me renewed enthusiasm for Twitter, and I don't just see it as a time-waster inbetween work (or instead), but as a genuinely exciting platform. Just don't expect me to break any super injunctions any time soon.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Loaded - Just good Music
*** LOADED - Just Good Music ***
Free entry + Dhs20 drinks + best tunes in town = Loaded
'Just what is it you want to do... We want to be free, to do want we want to do, and we want to get Loaded'
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Bringing together the team behind Time Out's No.1 Alternative Night, See You Next Friday, amazing drink deals, a cool, quirky and fun new venue and a party-starting tune selection that crosses the musical spectrum, Loaded is unlike any other night in Dubai.
Loaded's DJs - Da:Funct and Just Some Kid - will mashup everything from classic rock and roll to 90s electronica and up-to-date indie bangers. And the music will be accompanied by cult cartoons, legendary music videos and classic films on Casa Latina's big screen.
Not only that, but the Loaded launch night is the 3rd birthday of See You Next Friday - so if you've enjoyed the nights we've put on, please swing by and wish us a happy birthday.
There'll be birthday cake, even more drink promos and free hugs from Andy and Simon :-)
LOADED - Just Good Music
When: Last Friday of every month, 10pm-3am - launch Friday May 27
Where: Casa Latina, Ibis Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road (same place as Freshly Laced)
Drink deals: Dhs20 Mojitos all night, 5 beers for Dhs100
FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT /// FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT /// FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT /// FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT ///
Playing...
Primal Scream, Joy Division, The Clash, Cut Copy, The Kills, Jackson Five, Cream, Flaming Lips, Daft Punk, The Strokes, The Beatles, Van Halen, Pheonix, Empire of the Sun, Bloc Party, Kasabian, Mark Ronson, De La Soul, Happy Mondays, Foals, Mr Scruff, Fenech Soler, Led Zeppelin, Mylo, Ray Charles, James Brown, Black Keys, New Order, Delphic, White Lies, Pixies, Chemical Brothers, Roots Manuva, Arcade Fire, Iggy Pop, MGMT, The xx, The Cure, Doves, Blondie, The Temper Trap, Jimi Hendrix, Two Door Cinema Club, Stevie Wonder, R.E.M., Blur, Pulp, LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, David Bowie, The Ramones, Hot Chip, Passion Pit, Stone Roses, Vampire Weekend, The Smiths, Tame Impala, Oasis, CSS, TV On The Radio, Sex Pistols, Radiohead and much, much more...
Free entry + Dhs20 drinks + best tunes in town = Loaded
'Just what is it you want to do... We want to be free, to do want we want to do, and we want to get Loaded'
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Bringing together the team behind Time Out's No.1 Alternative Night, See You Next Friday, amazing drink deals, a cool, quirky and fun new venue and a party-starting tune selection that crosses the musical spectrum, Loaded is unlike any other night in Dubai.
Loaded's DJs - Da:Funct and Just Some Kid - will mashup everything from classic rock and roll to 90s electronica and up-to-date indie bangers. And the music will be accompanied by cult cartoons, legendary music videos and classic films on Casa Latina's big screen.
Not only that, but the Loaded launch night is the 3rd birthday of See You Next Friday - so if you've enjoyed the nights we've put on, please swing by and wish us a happy birthday.
There'll be birthday cake, even more drink promos and free hugs from Andy and Simon :-)
LOADED - Just Good Music
When: Last Friday of every month, 10pm-3am - launch Friday May 27
Where: Casa Latina, Ibis Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road (same place as Freshly Laced)
Drink deals: Dhs20 Mojitos all night, 5 beers for Dhs100
FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT /// FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT /// FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT /// FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT ///
Playing...
Primal Scream, Joy Division, The Clash, Cut Copy, The Kills, Jackson Five, Cream, Flaming Lips, Daft Punk, The Strokes, The Beatles, Van Halen, Pheonix, Empire of the Sun, Bloc Party, Kasabian, Mark Ronson, De La Soul, Happy Mondays, Foals, Mr Scruff, Fenech Soler, Led Zeppelin, Mylo, Ray Charles, James Brown, Black Keys, New Order, Delphic, White Lies, Pixies, Chemical Brothers, Roots Manuva, Arcade Fire, Iggy Pop, MGMT, The xx, The Cure, Doves, Blondie, The Temper Trap, Jimi Hendrix, Two Door Cinema Club, Stevie Wonder, R.E.M., Blur, Pulp, LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, David Bowie, The Ramones, Hot Chip, Passion Pit, Stone Roses, Vampire Weekend, The Smiths, Tame Impala, Oasis, CSS, TV On The Radio, Sex Pistols, Radiohead and much, much more...
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