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.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
Donating your hair
• Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
• Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
