It’s been almost a year since artists and event organisers around the globe have had to come to terms with the lack of live music opportunities, a year where we’ve had to dig deep and find alternate methods to scratch our performative itches and connect with audiences. The blinking LIVE button on social media has, for the most part, replaced the strobe light ecstasy of the dance floor. However, the cascading of individualised subcultures, venues and collectives into the online world isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It has provided ample space for collaboration and co-existence in the music world that otherwise may never have surfaced. For all musicians, promoters and anyone in the music industry, it is indeed ‘A Brave New World’, and that is the theme of Ultraviolet Live Festival’s 5th Edition. The brainchild of Dubai-based Void the Agency, (also co-founders of the hugely successful Female First Sessions), Ultraviolet Live is an ongoing digital music, culture and lifestyle festival that launched in April of 2020 with the aim to promote connectionless connections, unity and diversity following the pandemic.
Previous editions have hosted artists from both across the region and internationally, including the likes of Deacon, Marco Weibal, Lauren Murada, Shamsa, Oldyungman and more.
For Ultraviolet 5.0, collectives from Amsterdam, Dubai and Cairo will be streamed live on SceneNoise and Ultraviolet social media platforms, across three days from 25th-27th Feb with an eclectic mix of sets from hard-hitting techno to purely experimental at unique locations around the chosen cities. It’s a festival “brought to you by love, no sponsors, no brands, no bullshit.” You can also familiarise yourself more with the acts and collective with exclusive interviews in between sets.
DAY 1 - CAIRO - 25/2
SceneNoise X Yellow Tape Records Presents Markaz Shabab’ll Mazzika Electronaya Masreya (Egyptian Youth Center for Electronic Music)
SceneNoise, in collaboration with Cairo’s Yellow Tape Records & Culture, is excited to be partnering up with Ultraviolet 5.0 for the full first day of streams, presenting Markaz Shabab ll’Mazzika Electronaya Masreya, AKA Egyptian Youth Center for Electronic Music (MSEM) - a fictional youth club playing on the widespread and outdated ‘youth sporting clubs’ present around Cairo. It imagines an alternate timeline where electronic music is as widespread in Egyptian society as football is, leading to the establishment of the MSEM as a hub and training ground for the next generation of Egypt’s electronic music talents. The artists featured by the MSEM are some of the brightest DJs/Producers brought up in Egypt’s underground scene, and draw their inspirations from the global music community, united by a strong desire to push the boundaries of electronic music in the country, evolving the status quo of the dance music zeitgeist.
Line Up (GMT +2, Cairo)
15:00-16:00 Amrr
16:00-17:00 Moff
17:00-18:00 Nour Fahmy
18:00-19:00 Hassan Abou Alam
19:00-20:00 Ambi
20:00-21:00 A7ba-L-Jelly
21:00-22:00 MMMMMMALAK
22:00-23:00 Ismael
23:00-0:00 Assyouti
0:00-1:00 YASEEN
DAY 2 - DUBAI - 26/2
Deep Tribe, UV RAVERS, SYN7ROME
For day two, we head to Dubai with a whole host of local DJs from the country’s burgeoning underground scene playing day-to-night. The line-up includes Deep Tribe, Palm Jumeirah’s on-going party series championing deep house, UV RAVERS, and a selection of UltraViolet’s finest chosen DJs ready to hit us up with a set filled with rave-ready bangers. This will be followed by SYN7ROME, self-described ‘civilised freaks’ that enjoy challenging conventional social behavior by showcasing underground art and music in contrast to the glitz and glamor of Dubai.
Line Up (GMT +4, Dubai)
Deep Tribe
13:30-14:30 Fadi Who?
14:30-15:30 AVIDBOLD
15:30-16:30 Nicolas Hillmann
16:30-17:30 Milko Moustache
UV RAVERS
18:00-19:00 Ashley Shabz
19:00-20:00 Cattaree
SYN7ROME
20:45-21:45 JAD b2b Broski
21:45-22:45 Off Kourse
22:45-23:30 Anthony Drone
23:30-0:30 Kirill Zhansugirov
DAY 3 - AMSTERDAM - 27/2
NDSM, UNDERGRND AMSTERDAM, THE BASSMENT
Finally, on day three, we head to Amsterdam, first with Click Records, the Amsterdam-based label with releases from heavy-hitters such as Dave Seaman, Edu Imbernon, Agents of Time, Teenage Mutants and more. Next up is NDM Sessions, a permanent DJ-booth located in a raw, concrete monumental shipyard in the NDSM area, one of the 20 coolest neighborhoods in the world. That will be followed by Undrgrnd Amsterdam, which aims to provide a platform for artists to develop their musical visions in a club environment and bring like-minded people together in the Amsterdam underground scene, which hosts more than 105 events a year. Wrapping up day three is The Bas[s]ment, which was born out of necessity when COVID 19 halted the local dance scene, providing an industrial location with a club-like atmosphere dedicated to streaming for all things techno.
Line Up (GMT +1, Amsterdam)
Click Records
13:15-14:15 Stefano Richetta
14:30-15:30 Steve Kennedy
NDSM Sessions
15:45-16:45 MATTH
16:45-17:45 ROSWITHA
17:45-18:45 Shane Belles
Undrgrnd Amsterdam
19:00-20:00 Hamiltone
20:15-21:15 Alex Sharp
21:20-22:20 Olivia Jones
The Bas[s]ment
22:35-23:35 Nikki Gonzales & s:tone
23:40-0:40 Mind Your Step
00:40-1:40 SoRiel
1:50-2:50 The sugar glider
Catch all the streams live on SceneNoise Facebook or Youtube, and Ultraviolet Facebook or Youtube
Keep up to date with UltraViolet 5.0 on the event page.
