On December 31 Above & Beyond will help Dubai see in 2015 with a DJ set at Eden Beach Club – exactly three years after an award-winning gig at Sandance NYE. A few hours before he takes to the decks, we caught up with one of the trio, 35-year-old Jono Grant.
Hi Jono. Right, I’m a little confused, because according to reports Above & Beyond are playing in Australia tonight, where there’s a bet on what tune you will play at midnight....
The other two guys are in Sydney – we’re splitting up for New Year’s Eve. Above & Beyond is a bit like a marriage, so it’s nice to have some time apart. It works best DJing with two people or one person – with three, things can end up in uncharted territory.
What do you remember of your last gig here, for NYE 2011?
That was great – up to that point it was the best show we’d done in Dubai. We’d been a few years earlier, and I think when Dubai started being big for dance music there was a lot of money being thrown around, but it felt a bit... but then things get consolidated. In Dubai and Vegas, the commercial stuff works really well, but I was really surprised how well we went down with a crowd who maybe didn’t know our music.
So what’s your ideal New Year’s Eve?
For me the ideal is to be working, and if I wasn’t I would be at a house party with family and friends – I don’t enjoy the big night out thing on New Year’s Eve, there’s always that pressure. I remember in 1999, on the eve of the millennium, driving around trying to find a friend’s house and spending midnight in the car.
What was the highlight of 2014 for you?
Just finishing the album – we spent about three years working up to it, and now we’ve finally closed the door and said it’s done. The second would be playing Madison Square Garden in New York – that was amazing to do. America right now is having its moment for dance music – and when Americans get into something, they get into it a lot.
So how long do you think the US’s love affair with electronic music will last?
I change my mind on this every week or month. Maybe it’s like rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s and 60s – that particular sound that was big in 2013 and 2014 can’t last, but maybe electronic music is here to stay for another five, ten, 15 years. We might have a vinyl-style resurgence of bands, but electronic music is here to stay – the question is what style will it be?
So, predictions for 2015?
I think it’s going to be more of the same for a bit – America’s electronic music scene is going to keep growing. They’ve just brought Tomorrowland festival over, although they’ve had to call it TomorrowWorld...
Your new album We Are All We Need comes out on January 19. What can we expect?
I was talking to someone who has heard it, and he said “it sounds a lot more clubby than your last album, Group Therapy” – which is ironic because our approach was to make something less clubby and more song-based. I would say it’s club-influenced music rather than being club music – I feel like dance albums shouldn’t just sound like a dance compilation, if you do that, it’s going to be tomorrow’s fish and chip paper.
The band turns 15 next year, any celebrations planned?
I am sure our management will say “you must do something” and we’ll nod our heads. I don’t like nostalgia, I like moving forward, but we’ll probably have to do something.
Do you see yourself still DJing when you get older?
It’s funny – I was sat next to Paul Oakenfold on the plane over here [Oakenfold performs at #DXBNYE] and had a really good chat with him. He said “I’m at the end of my career now”, and I respected him for saying that. It was interesting because he’s a big influence on me – it was his Goa Mix [1994] that got me into dance music, I taped it off the radio and played it over and over. One of the first records we did, we gave him a acetate vinyl outside a club in 2000, and he remembered it well.
He’s always tried to do different things, and he was really one of the first [big DJs] – he really opened doors for people like us. Now he’s picking the gigs he wants to do, rather than milking it for all it’s worth. He seems to want to wind his career down quite gracefully, and leave the right legacy.
Any New Year’s Resolutions?
To stand up straight and sort out my posture.
• Jono from Above & Beyond performs a DJ set at Eden Beach Club, Rixos The Palm, 055 277 1477.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
SPECS
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FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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