MAJOR IMPACT D u b fi r e 2008 THE NEW PRINCE OF DARKNESS 028 www.djmag.com DJ456.dubfire (proofed needs pic credit) 28 12/12/07 14:07:50 MAJOR IMPACT 2008 “To say that I’m having a blast is an understatement! I feel like I did when I was 18 again.” Ali n the stylish understated the clicks and scrapes beloved of the tracks, those that appeal to a wide genre splendour of Amsterdam’s Dylan minimal massive but employing a of DJs.” Since taking a Hotel, DJmag fi nds itself seeking razor-sharp, bleeding-edge technical With such an unequivocally rapturous shelter from the relentless rain and wizardry and an originality that makes it reception to his new direction, he’s been break from Deep bitter cold of the canal-side streets. entirely Dubfi re. able to really indulge his present We’reI here to meet one of dance music’s One minute, the ascending groove obsession, deep minimal techno, which Dish, Ali ‘Dubfi re’ most enigmatic producers — a fi gure who becomes a vertiginous cliff-face, the he’s immersed himself in completely. Shirazinia has in just nine months has become one of room spinning from the weird direction of gone back to his the hottest properties in the realm of the music; the next, we’re clamped into First announcing a new direction with the techno. the beat as the track begins its second ‘Global Underground: Tai Pei’ mix roots and taken Dubfi re, aka Ali Shirazinia, has taken a phase, the rhythm starts swinging and compilation, which featured cuts from hiatus from his highly successful Deep the acidic bass growls with ever more Booka Shade, Nitzer Ebb, Samuel L. the underground Dish project alongside Sharam Tayebi. malevolence. Sessions and Carl Craig, it was becoming by storm. With a Now focusing on his own solo ‘Roadkill’ is a different kettle of fi sh, with apparent that Dubfi re’s interests were productions, he’s stunned all and sundry searing electroid robo-crunch and fi erce taking on a much darker hue. Featuring slew of incredible in the dance music community with a new bass waves breaking on the track as it one of the fi rst Dubfi re solo productions, a original solo sonic identity of grinding, technoid builds and builds. Both bespeak a cover of obscure ‘80s indie rockers Love & intensity. In a stylistic volte-face, he’s producer at the top of his game, and when Rockets’ ‘I Feel Speed’, Shirazinia was productions and fl ipped the script and created a Dubfi re appears to meet us in the hotel paying tribute to the love of grimy rock remixes, not to concoction which, if anything, is even bar, in a thick wool jumper, his previously that consumed his teens. more innovative — and several shades long hair cut short, he’s garrulous and ‘I Feel Speed’ also features one of his fi rst mention some key darker — than anything he’s ever done amiable — a streamlined Shirazinia vocal performances — his fi rst since before. indeed. fl exing his pipes on Deep Dish’s second DJ slots, he’s been Tonight he’s booked to rock Amsterdam’s album ‘George Is On’. This tentative welcomed into It’s a mystery how the DJ/producer from sleek Panama venue with a four-hour set, musical direction, it turns out, was to be a Washington DC was able to so completely and — clearly adrenalised and looking hint of what was to come: the fi rst the techno fold command dancefl oors last year with his ahead to later in the evening — the DJ/ germinations of a fully formed darker with open arms. jet-black, polished-chrome techno. It’s as producer talks excitedly about the new style that was growing in his mind, if he’s emerged, fully-formed, as an possibilities his new solo venture has signposting the way forward. DJmag hails the android Death’s-head moth from a bright opened up. new Prince of house music chrysalis, where many may “To say that I’m having a blast is an “‘I Feel Speed’ was something that I did have expected a progressive house understatement! I mean, I just feel like I about two years ago,” he explains. “I was Darkness… butterfl y in the tradition of Deep Dish. did when I was 18 again. With the kind of at a crossroads of where I wanted to go as The dark rhythmic tension and response I’ve been getting from my DJing a solo artist. Deep Dish was winding unexpected head-twisting sonics of his and producing, it’s just been down. So I did that track, it was two club behemoths ‘RibCage’ and overwhelming,” Shirazinia smiles. something I always wanted to do. And I Roadkill’ came slamming into our also wanted to showcase my voice a little consciousness last summer; two very Snowball bit — on ‘George Is On’ I did it on a small different but utterly underground, But even he’s surprised by the props that ballad. eviscerating techno cuts, they harnessed both ‘RibCage’ and ‘Roadkill’ have been “It was sort of an experiment in sound the latest studio technology and blew getting from DJs beyond his current fi eld. and the things that I wanted to get off my holes in many of the world’s sturdiest “It’s been amazing. It all started at the chest. I wanted to do the vocal thing more speakerboxes. With everyone from Sven Winter Music Conference last March when at the time, but now my focus is the Väth to David Guetta and Armin Van I started giving out ‘RibCage’ and electronic, instrumental stuff. My head is CHRIS DAVISON CHRIS Buuren rinsing ‘em out, Dubfi re’s ‘Roadkill’. Some of my techno producer in a different place right now.” uncompromising sound seemed to have friends who I gave it to, it didn’t really hit pics: another indefi nable quality: universal them initially. But after a few months in Otherwordly dancefl oor appeal. Ibiza it started to snowball, and I was This different place beats to the pulse of a telling everybody, ‘You’re late on this, I new kind of techno, the Dubfi re sonic ‘RibCage’, which fi rst surfaced on Loco did it a long time ago!’” Shirazinia grins. signature. It’s possessed of a minimal, BEN MURPHY Dice and Martin Buttrich’s Desolat label, “I had everyone from David Guetta to slow grind, panoramic in scope, and with is all buoyant bass bumps and chattering, Tiësto playing ‘Roadkill’, it really surprised a subtlety and dark dimension designed words: ascending synth strangeness, adorned by me, but I think those are the best kinds of to test the best club systems — to put the www.djmag.com 029 DJ456.dubfire (proofed needs pic credit) 29 12/12/07 14:08:00 MAJOR IMPACT D u b fi r e 2008 nightworld where clouds of steam emit from huge machines, clanking and creating the rhythm. Even more astonishing is Dubfi re’s remix of Hawtin’s early classic techno track ‘Spastik’ as Plastikman: an overhaul that brings the original’s eerie, ultra-dense drum track bang up-to-date, again echoing the factory sounds that he’s presently exploring. With the original considered an unimpeachable classic in some quarters, and fi ercely defended by tech geeks, Shirazinia has already been catching fl ak for daring to reinterpret it, but he’s far from bothered. “That’s sort of divided people, and all I did was beef up the original, made it easier to play out,” he says. “I gave it to Richie and he said he wanted to release it, so I feel like I paid the original the respect that it deserves. But some people still say the original should never have been tampered with. Who cares? One day we’ll all be six-feet deep in the ground and none of it will matter!” Shirazinia cackles, demonically. By remixing the Plastikman classic, Dubfi re has stepped up and claimed his place at the techno table, and with his Funktion Ones through their paces. vision. We ended up getting into a lot of Darker new sound, he’s bringing the new beat, Technologically cutting-edge, the crisp, arguments over the years about the In the short time since ‘Roadkill’ and EBM and industrial music that turned him otherworldly sounds employed by direction we wanted to go musically. It ‘RibCage’ began to work their insidious on in the past kicking and screaming into Shirazinia and engineer Matt Nordstrom was all of those reasons combined that magic, Dubfi re’s sound has already the future. push their state-of-the-art studio to the led to us agreeing amicably that it was evolved and mutated into a darker new He’s revisiting his musical roots, limit, using a stripped-back set up, but time for us to explore some other form. Reconnecting with old DJ pal Richie experimenting with manipulating noise the best equipment available. avenues,” Shirazinia reasons. Hawtin, Dubfi re has just become part of in the same way that his favourite “Everything I’ve been doing has been out Stepping away from the more commercial the M-nus family, and his fi rst industrial bands like Einsturzende of my own studio, and my co-pilot Matt vibe of his previous project, he’s found a productions for the esteemed über- Neubauten once did. and I set out to have a really stark set-up, completely new life with Dubfi re, minimal imprint are already stepping “Some of the German stuff that’s but to have the best of the little gear that re-invigorated in the knowledge that he’s beyond his considerable innovations, inspiring me, the really sort of out-there, we have.