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RESIDENT: Shortkut shares his top 5 tracks

Published

7 years ago

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It’s definitely a real coup for the city that a DJ with the reputation and the standing of Shortkut has decided to move to Dubai. The Bay Area, US, native, is the founding member of three landmark DJ crews – Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Beat Junkie Sound and Triple Threat DJs – and he has toured extensively with the likes of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. He is known for his scratching skills on the turntable, which we hope everyone in the city checks out sooner rather than later. He is a big, big deal.

How long have you been DJ-ing for and where were you based before you moved to Dubai?
I’ve been DJ-ing for 29 years and I’m originally from San Francisco.

You’re the newest resident DJ to land in Dubai but you just happen to also be a world renowned scratch DJ. Why did you decide to move here?
I came out here in 2014 and fell in love with the city after a couple of days. The Deep Crates Cartel crew brought me out for a gig and I enjoyed the vibes.

As one of the most technically gifted DJs on the planet, should local DJs be scared for their jobs?
Ha! Absolutely not, I’m not that kinda dude. If anything, I just wanna contribute to the city’s music culture and spread the diversity of music styles out here.

How do you balance flexing your turntable wizardry with also playing to a more commercial club crowd?
Even though I’m known for being a scratch DJ, I’ve always kept mixing the main part of my sets as well. I think selection is important for any DJ. So even with a club format set, I’ll add scratching to spice up the mix without overdoing it.

At which clubs can people find you on a weekly basis?
As of right now, I’m not anywhere on a weekly basis but you will see me anywhere from W Hotel to Zero Gravity. Before I came here, I’d been on a tour with the Invisibl Skratch Piklz (with DJ QBert and D Styles) to promote our new album, The 13th Floor. So, since I moved here, I’ve been gone every weekend travelling back to the States and Europe. In the next few weeks, I’ll be a bit more grounded here, so I’m looking forward to playing around town real soon.

If people want to see you playing a more hip-hop set, where can they find you?
Keep on the lookout for the Deep Crates Cartel events around the city. There are also a lot of events in the works, all kinds of styles for the music lovers in the city to enjoy.

5 tracks working for me right now…

1. “Lite Spots”, Kaytranada
Drawn from his album 99.9%, this track samples Brazilian singer Gal Costa’s “Pontos De Luz”. Comes with a great robot-building video, too.

2. “One Time”, Tropkillaz & Shortkut
Another heavyweight matchup with Brazil sees Shortkut break down Tropkillaz’s bass killing track “One Time”.

3. “In Common”, Alicia Keys
RnB meets Afrobeats in this slinky number from the singer-songwriter. Forget The Voice, this is why Alicia is world famous.

4. “Ova Dweet”, Popcaan
Dancehall/reggaeton continues to crossover into EDM with this synth-stabbed track underpinned by a rumbling, floor-shaking bass.

5. “Here We Go”, Shaun Warner ft Esther Eden
Adding a bit of local flavour is UAE singer Ester Eden, who adds some silky smooth vocals to Shaun Warner’s track. Just released!

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