The soulful veteran
Tristan Bain
How would you describe your musical remit?
At my MustHaveSoul night, it’s the more soulful style of house music, but soul, funk and disco is included in that spectrum too.
Do you have any secret weapons for when the dancefloor is a bit empty?
I’ve got a whole arsenal of those! It really does boil down to the crowd in front of you. Different tracks can trigger a different reaction with different groups of people, so you have to tune into what most of them are going to go for. It tends to be a more commercial crowd when we play at Skylite, so we play tracks to suit them.
Is there anything you’d refuse to play?
Whatever it is that the mainstream pop R&B genre has morphed into recently really doesn’t tickle me at all.
What’s unique about Abu Dhabi’s nightlife scene?
I’ve only experienced Yas Island, but that in itself is pretty unique. The backdrop is really attractive and brings people from all over.
What’s been your most memorable set in the city?
When we had DJ Black Coffee playing, which was the same night as the Stevie Wonder concert. It was incredible. There were a lot of people who’d come straight from the concert and the place just went absolutely crazy, we stayed open until 3am instead of 2am. I came from the concert myself – it was so busy that I paid a lorry driver Dhs100 to take me from Yas Arena to The Yas Hotel, there was no way I was going to get there otherwise.
Who in the business do you look up to?
The only person really is Louie Vega. I was lucky enough to play with him as part of a residency in Ibiza. And so I was playing with him every Sunday. His style and what he plays had quite an impact on me, I took a lot away from that experience.
Do you have any guilty pleasures people might not expect you to listen to?
Everyone’s got those, it’s just whether or not you admit it! I love the Forrest Gump soundtrack. When I was in Ibiza, playing with the sunsets and stuff, the Forrest Gump theme goes with it very well. I’m not sure if anyone recognised it, but I do sometimes sneak other bits of movie soundtracks into my sets.
See him: MustHaveSoul, Friday nights at Skylite (02 656 0760).
The Middle Eastern maestro
Amir El Sherif (Aka DJ Soulfisher)
How would you describe your musical remit?
I play deep, tech house with a progressive edge, a twist of funk and a spoonful of new disco, as I like to call it. It’s a new style, more on the funkier side, but not like funky house, it’s kind of funk mixed with a touch of ’80s music. It’s still on the deeper, housier side.
Do you have any secret weapons for when the dancefloor is a bit empty?
That changes week after week. There are so many big tracks as well, so many classics. A track called ‘The Red Room’ by Dennis Ferrer is doing the business at the moment.
Is there anything you’d refuse to play?
People ask for R&B and commercial house, stuff like David Guetta or Benny Benassi, which I don’t play. I once had this girl nagging me for half an hour to play Michael Jackson. I didn’t give in.
What’s unique about Abu Dhabi’s nightlife scene?
The speed at which it’s changing is the main thing. You’ve got clubs opening up at a very fast rate with all the developments that are going on. There’s a great variety of nights to choose from too.
What’s been your most memorable set in the city?
Just a couple of weeks ago at Audio Tonic, we had a really up-for-it crowd. I had a few girls from the States and the UK talking to me about how they’d never heard this type of music in the region before. They didn’t stop dancing all night.
Who in the business do you look up to?
There are a lot of names. Add2Basket, Spirit Catcher, Hernan Cattaneo. He’s one of my major influences. We actually had Add2Basket playing at 360 last year, which was the first time I personally met him, so we played together and went to an after party afterwards. I told him he was a bit of a hero of mine, he’s a really decent guy, very down to earth and we just clicked, you know.
Do you have any guilty pleasures people might not expect you to listen to?
I listen to everything, but house music most of the time. Sometimes I take a break and switch my mood, listen to a bit of this, bit of that, rock music even. Anything goes.
See him: Audio Tonic, Thursday nights at Pearls Bar (02 509 8888).
The pool party starter
Chad Glass (Aka DJ ChadPhunk)
How would you describe your musical remit?
I play house music and I try to keep it as funky as I possibly can. It might sound a bit cheesy, but you could say Phunk by name, funk by nature.
Do you have any secret weapons for when the dancefloor is a bit empty?
If I need one to get me out of a hole or motivate the crowd, there’s a track by Bingo Players, called ‘Devotion’. It’s just one of those tracks. Once that sax drops, everyone just jumps up and down.
Is there anything you’d refuse to play?
If I could get away with it, I’d refuse to play anything by David Guetta, Akon and Shakira. I have a real hatred for Shakira, but she tends to come up quite often. I can’t stand her. She’s annoying. Awfully annoying.
What’s unique about Abu Dhabi’s nightlife scene?
The venues, for one. Everyone’s trying to out-do each other, which means people are getting high quality venues. It’s starting to become more diverse, musically. People are starting to become more open-minded.
What’s been your most memorable set in the city?
New Year’s Eve is always pretty special. The latest one at Centro hotel was great, it was the most forward the crowd has been. I think it marked a moment of progression for the city’s musical tastes.
Who in the business do you look up to?
People like Slipmat, he emerged from the old hardcore rave scene. Mainly because what he was doing was groundbreaking at the time.
Do you have any guilty pleasures people might not expect you to listen to?
I’m listening to UB40’s greatest hits again at the moment. There are some house mixes of their stuff out there, but they’re a bit slow to work into my set.
See him: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Relax@12 (02 654 5000). Immaculate Touch pool parties, once a month on Maya Island (055 650 6337).
The hip hop hero
Keith Dobbs
How would you describe your musical remit?
Each set varies, it all depends on the night. My Thursday night is a hip hop night, but during the week I tend to play a bit more house music.
Do you have any secret weapons for when the dancefloor is a bit empty?
There are many of those. If it’s a house night, something like ‘Show Me Love’ by Robin S always, always works. And if it’s hip hop, something like House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’, or something by Fatman Scoop, the very obvious stuff. Everyone knows those tracks. Personally, I’m bored of playing them, but they do the job!
Is there anything you’d refuse to play?
Justin Bieber. But I think that’s standard for most DJs.
What’s unique about Abu Dhabi’s nightlife scene?
There are so many different venues, so many different styles of music, loads of live bands, chill-out spots, something for everyone. That’s what’s unique.
What’s been your most memorable set in the city?
The F1 winner’s party with the Red Bull F1 team at Rush at The Yas Hotel, definitely. All the team were there, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were spraying bubbly everywhere, it was hectic.
Who in the business do you look up to?
Going back to when I started really enjoying house music, it’s got to be Armand van Helden and Roger Sanchez. I’d love to work with them one day.
Do you have any guilty pleasures people might not expect you to listen to?
A track by Smash Mouth, called ‘All Star’. It reminds me of being a teenager. I’ve never played it during a set, though.
See him: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Rush (02 756 0760). Saturday and Tuesday at Skylite (02 656 0760).
The A-list opener
Natalie Brogan (Aka DJ Natalie B)
How would you describe your musical remit?
Soulful-slash-deep house, for loungy sets. And I play a more kind of uplifting, progressive sound later on.
Do you have any secret weapons for when the dancefloor’s a bit empty?
Probably something with strong vocals, something I’d jump around to myself. There’s an old track called ‘The Heat’ by Prok and Fitch that does the trick, but it’s got a nasty word in it so I have to be careful playing it.
Is there anything you’d refuse to play?
Anything that’s played on the radio. I might have played it before it was on the radio, but once it gets airplay it doesn’t happen. Nothing Arabic either – I wouldn’t have a clue! I don’t cross the border into R&B either.
What’s unique about Abu Dhabi’s nightlife scene?
It’s more about educating people over here who don’t listen to house music. The city has a scene, but you’ve got to push it a bit more. People are more used to radio-friendly stuff. People are definitely up for it, though.
What’s been your most memorable set in the city?
Creamfields, without a doubt. I was the only female DJ on the line-up and I opened up the main stage for the likes of Afrojack , Dizzee Rascal and David Guetta. That was a really big achievement for me. My family came over from the UK, so it was a special moment.
Who in the business do you look up to?
As a crowd pleaser and on a technical level, Erick Morillo. When I was in Ibiza, I used to go see him every week, stand behind the decks all night and just watch him work. He interacts with the crowd loads, which is great.
Do you have any guilty pleasures people might not expect you to listen to?
I try to listen to the opposite of house music. I’m a big fan of ’80s music, Duran Duran and Seal and stuff like that. I’ve just got a remix of a George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’, which I’ve been playing recently.
See her: Immaculate Touch pool parties, monthly on Maya Island (055 650 6337).
DJ-I-Y
Inspired by the sage words of Abu Dhabi’s decksmiths? Here’s what you need to get involved with the art of throwing a party.
Mixer
The hub of your operation – look for a piece of kit with multiple inputs and start with beat-matching, then throw in some sound effects to liven up your set.
Expect to pay: Dhs1,200
Headphones
As well as making you look darned cool, a good set of cans is essential for mastering the art of the cross-faded mix. Cue up your next track, hold one side up to your head, synchronise the beats and slide the switch.
Expect to pay: Dhs400
Laptop plus software
Their ease of use means Apple MacBooks are the weapon of choice for most DJs, while a program called Traktor – favoured by our very own ChadPhunk – is relatively easy to get to grips with.
Expect to pay: Dhs5,600 (laptop), Dhs840 (software)
Music
The iTunes Store is updated with fresh cuts weekly, plus you can pick up compilation albums of floor-filling classics for next to nothing.
Expect to pay: Dhs6 per track
