Musician DPR Ian takes pride in being a versatile artist, known for crafting diverse pieces of work.
The singer and rapper, whose real name is Christian Yu, is an Australian artist who currently lives in South Korea. He broke out during the Covid-19 pandemic, timing he describes as “tough because I never really got to see the engagement”.
“At that time, we had no idea how much of a great influence we were making around the world,” he tells The National.
“And I think it was just last year when we went on our first world tour, that's when I got to really see what [we were] doing.”
The co-founder of label Dream Perfect Regime (DPR), he made his UAE stage debut at Hyperound K-Fest in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. The label is multi-genre, spanning music and video, and includes artists such as DPR Live and DPR Cream.
“I think by putting DPR in front of [all of] our names, we wanted to give the idea that we're more unified as a team and everything that goes out is by the team, so no one is left out,” he says.
To him, DPR Ian is “just still a forever growing brand”.
“It's a journey finding myself and it's been quite a rollercoaster.”
The artist has spoken about his mental health in the past. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, which can cause extreme mood swings, and he has performance characters that personify different facets of his experience with the disorder.
“I have two alters, I guess you could say we call them alter egos,” he says. “My lowest state is a character named Mito and he's very theatrical. And you know, he only has one eye, I don't know if that helps anything.
“I started off with the character Mito, and I think [my fans are all] very familiar with that character. Some people might call him dark, but, I always like to think the darkest things in the world are usually the most misunderstood.”
DPR Ian has been performing as Mito for the past two years, and has recently added a new character to his work.
“I thought, you know what, to further develop this storyline, I needed to introduce somebody that represents my highest [state] because it's not fair. And that's where we bring in Mr Insanity.”
“When I go manically high, I sometimes feel like nothing can stop me, no fear,” he says.
Talking about his latest EP, Dear Insanity, which was released on October 6, he says: “For people that are just coming into this, it could be a little bit too much for you to kind of take in in one day.”
However, at his recent Abu Dhabi concert, he was welcomed warmly by a crowd cheering and singing along.
“It feels like a dream. It feels overwhelming,” he says, reflecting on his time in the UAE. He performed at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, as Hyperound K-Fest returned for its second year, with a line-up that included Epik High, Sunmi, Enhypen, XG, Cherry Bullet and Peakboy.
However, the concert wasn't DPR Ian's first trip to the Emirates. He visited Dubai with his mother in 2015, describing the experience as “very majestic”.
“I remember telling my mum, I wanted to stay longer, but we couldn't. It’s such a beautiful place. I love it.”
He describes his return as “long overdue”, promising his fans – who are known as Dreamers – that he'll be back. “This is not going to be the last time, I promise. And we're always here, and Dreamers stick together. I never break promises.”
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UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tell Me Who I Am
Director: Ed Perkins
Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis
Four stars
