Doha’s night scene is attracting new DJs. Just this weekend, the city hosted an event with resident DJs from Spanish franchise Pacha, rated third in the 2012 world’s 100 best nightclubs poll by DJ Magazine. Many other DJs are working here, most of them part-time.
This is the case with DJ Rushn, originally from Russia, where he spent the first 12 years of his life. From a very early age he was intrigued by sounds and music, and first started practising mixing beats with a couple of tape decks he had fixed up and got running in his bedroom.
At the age of 14, he started Dj’ing in London, and later in other nearby cities, and soon became known as DJ Rushn, due to his Russian roots and his ability to get the crowd rushing with his eclectic take on music and Dj’ing.
Now based in Doha, DJ Rushn is usually found playing minimal tech, but he also writes and produces his own music, mainly big basslines.
“To be a DJ you need to have passion for music,” said DJ Rushn, adding that DJ’ing was like playing many instruments simultaneously. “It can’t be taught; you can’t read books about it because it has to come from your heart,” he said.
The experienced DJ feels the scene in Doha is getting better, but people are very careful about what they play so that the audience doesn’t get scared away by new things. “I am trying to introduce more underground music, but my background is drum and bass, and I also play house,” he said.
The Russia-born DJ is busy with performances every weekend in different local venues and dhow parties. Having a full-time job, he pursues DJ’ing as a hobby. However, he’s a resident at Sputnik on techno nights, and at Mindwarp, which is dedicated to drum and bass and dubstep.
On his part, DJ Aster, acting manager of Qatar DJ, a local company that offers its services at events such as parties and weddings, underlined the importance of good equipment in hosting parties. The most popular brand of DJ kit is Pioneer, said DJ Aster. A basic kit can be found for QR500, with prices going up to QR28,000.
The young electrical engineer said that sometimes it was difficult to satisfy all the guests at a party, especially when they were of different ages. Qatar DJ takes part in events adapted to the tastes of Qatari customers, also hosting henna and hadiya parties and weddings.
“We have Qatari DJs but the quality depends on the experience, not on their nationality,” said the entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of using the right speakers and equipment for each venue. On average, the company takes part in eight events in a week.
W Hotels Worldwide, in collaboration with burn studios, has put Doha on the map of its DJ Lab, an initiative to support upcoming musical talent. The DJ Lab is designed to bring together talented new DJs and provide them with tools, information and mentorship to enhance their skills.
The chosen participants polished their skills during a DJ ‘boot camp’ in preparation for a global tour that touched down here with German duo Aline and Suné. The two young women developed a passion for music in their teenage years, when they discovered the universe of clubbing and electronic music.
When they met for the first time, it clicked immediately, and they formed the DJ duo they are today. ‘Aline & Suné’ play in Berlin’s clubs and also have a side project, which is more focused on old school disco, funk and soul music.
This weekend they played in Qatar, a country that became very special for them last year as the first place they had performed in outside Europe. “We played here a little bit more than a year ago for the Qatar Motor Show. It was the first time we had played outside Europe, so it was an amazing and special experience for us. It’s great to be back,” stated the duo.
It is the first time the two are taking part in a project like DJ Lab. “It’s been almost a year now since the DJ Lab started, and it has been a great time, full of great experiences all over the world,” they said.
Thanks to the DJ Lab they took part in workshops with mentors like Rob Garza from Thievery Corporation; Jason Bentley, music director of KCRW; Paul Nolan, a sound engineer; and Michaelangelo L’Acqua, who is music director of W Hotels worldwide. This helped the duo in marketing, production and the music business in general.
For Aline and Suné, to be a DJ you have to have passion for music. “You need to have a feeling for the crowd and the ability to adapt to it. Especially if you are playing in different cities, given that the crowds vary a lot. You need to love travelling, meeting new people and also be a nightlife lover,” they said.
The female pair admitted that the DJ business was dominated by men: “No question. There are more and more women taking over the decks. This is a change that we are welcoming very much. We think that women play in a different way -- most of the female DJ’s we know have a great feel and taste for music,” they said.
