Earl Sweatshirt, Danny Brown and The Black Madonna are among the top draws at Dubai’s first RBMA Weekender.
In total, more than 30 trendsetting musical names will perform over four days at venues across the emirate, as part of the mammoth festival concept, taking place April 12-15.
Also booked to headline are Danny Krivit, Moodymann, DeWalta & Shannon, Jessy Lanza, Axel Boman, Kode9, András, DJ Earl and many more.
An extension of the annual Red Bull Music Academy platform, aimed primarily at artists and industry types, the Weekender invites the public to the party at a total of seven distinct live concepts.
The weekend is likely to peak and crest on Friday night (April 15), when US hip-hop names Sweatshirt and Brown headline a large outdoor gig at D3 (Dubai Design District).
The Friday night bill will also host the regional debut of Afro-Nuyorican alternative hip-hop talent Princess Nokia, iconoclastic Canadian beatmaker Jessy Lanza, Dubai-based Tunisian producer Aeli, and the live premiere of UAE electronic-alternative act Muhaisnah Four’s debut album.
For beat connoisseurs, Thursday, April 13 is the big night, with three distinct club nights on offer. At Media One wave-maker The Black Madonna – recently named Mixmag’s DJ of the year – headlines at On42 alongside outspoken techno/house selector Moodymann. Local support comes from Analog Room’s Siamak Amidi and Shemroon.
On the same night Swedish house name Axel Boman headlines one of two nights the Steigenberger Hotel, alongside a “live” show from techno duo DeWalta & Shannon, who promise a modular set-up which “highlights their mastery of fat, rolling basslines and stripped-back soundscapes”.
Harder beats will be found at another venue in the same Business Bay hotel, with a bass-centric mix from dubstep pioneer Kode9 and his Hyperdub Records affiliate Ikonika, as well as funk and hip-hop flavours from Chicagoan DJ Earl.
After that epic evening, party people can roll straight to the beach on Friday (April 14) morning to centre themselves with an early morning meditation session, taking place on Kite Beach from 6am with tunes from “spiritual house” guru Pierre Ravan and wordless, experimental aural looper Julianna Barwick.
The weekend closes with a deeper dose of groove on Saturday April 15, with sets from NYC veteran Danny Krivit, Australian abstract producer András and nu-jazz crate digger Volcov, all spinning at The Tap House at Palm Jumeirah’s Club Vista Mare. Nu-disco and world beats will also come from Dubai dream team Megadon Betamax and James Locksmith.
Earlier, things kicks off in more cerebral form on Wednesday April 12 with Kuwaiti multimedia artist Zahed Sultan presenting his Hiwar project. Originally developed during a two-week residency at the Heart of Sharjah initiative, as well as a live performance the evening will host the world premiere of a film documenting the work’s genesis in the UAE. Inspired by the nostalgia surrounding the Gulf’s traditional pearl-fishing music, Hiwar showcases a different side of Sultan’s personality to the Resonance concept he presented at NYU Abu Dhabi in September.
As well as the parties and gigs, the Weekender will also welcome lectures, exhibitions and more events celebrating the region’s creative communities.
Tickets are set to go on sale from Sunday. See platinumlist.ae for full details and tickets for individual events.
In other music news...
House music purveyors Audio Tonic have moved home for a second time in less than a year. Known as the Middle East's longest-running club night, the Audio Tonic brand enjoyed ten interrupted seasons at Dubai's 360°, before moving on to the W Dubai's Wet Deck in October. Following a quiet winter, the night has re-launched at Dubai's Media One Hotel, hosted weekly "By Day" parties every Friday from 2pm at The Dek on 8, as well as a monthly "By Night" edition at On42 on the first Friday of each month.
Alternative Arabic act Apo & The Apostles have signed a major a label deal. The quintet, who hail from Bethlehem-Jerusalem, mix indie, folk and electronic influences with regional flavours, as captured on their new single Bandora Blues, the first released by Universal Music Mena, drawn from forthcoming EP Ya Zalamez.
It follows debut Baji Wenek, which was featured on last year’s showcase compilation Now — The Best of Indie Arabia Vol. 1.
rgarratt@thenational.ae