Clubbing and music are a very important part of my life. So important, that I can actually trace back the exact time and location when I first fell in love with Techno and House music as an adult. It was at The Basement. That’s where I met Jade, Tala and so many of my dearest friends who have become like family over the years.
The Basement was like a second home, where if you didn’t show up every weekend, the waiters would BBM me (yes, back then we used BBM more than Whastapp) just to make sure I’m alright. It was the place where I finally found what kind of music and scene I truly loved, and the culture that came with it.
The Basement
Alas, The Basement was no longer, and even though C U NXT SAT is an awesome replacement that helped grow, educate and expand the scene, deep down, that longing for The Basement days would always gnaw at me. That’s until I saw Jade in late 2015, and he told me about the plans for a “club within a club”. A place that would be more intimate, darker and where flash photography was a no-no. As I heard him tell me more about his plans, I immediately told him, “So, a mini Basement?!” and got goosebumps.
Imagine my delight when I saw the iconic Basement logo at the entrance of the tunnel. They even had a chandelier, mirrors, and leather furniture. It truly was a “Reunion” for all the beautiful people I’d see at The Basement. It had the same soul, a slightly older crowd than The Grand Factory, and all the essential design elements that satiated the nostalgia we all felt.
What was extra though at Reunion, is the impeccable sound. I’m 100% sure it’s the best sound I’ve experienced anywhere at any point in my life. Some of the equipment was created a few years before I was even born, and I doubt anyone can still make them quite this good today. The secret ingredient though, was the audio design by my dear friends at 21dB.
A few months ago, I debuted the first episode of 21dB’s “Behind the Music” series which showcases the time and effort put into perfecting the sound in Beirut’s favorite clubs. This episode is by far my favorite of the series, because it’s about the place I feel most at home these days, and where every night spent there is a memorable one.
It was a pleasure watching Jade and Tala explain the series of events that took us from The Basement, C U NXT SAT, The Grand Factory and finally Reunion. It was also interesting to watch 21dB’s Fouad explain the rationale behind the iconic tunnel of light we’re all guilty of taking several selfies inside, the slow waning down of the Grand Factory music, till complete silence, before Reunion’s music slowly begins to fill your ears and then hits you when you make that final left turn and immerse yourself in the crisp, warm sound of the club.
Here’s the episode. I hope you enjoy it a much as I did! Check out the rest of 21dB’s work here.
I remember going to a comedy club somewhere in Gemmayzeh a few years ago, and having an absolute blast. They featured 4 local comedians with 15-minute bits, then an improv session with the crowd’s help. It was amazing to see such refreshingly bold and risque content in a Lebanese dialect in front of a Lebanese crowd.
That age has passed though, and Lebanon hasn’t had a comedy club since then. For folks like Wissam Kamal, this is a huge problem since he has nowhere to test the material he writes before putting on a full 1-hour set.
Wissam never spares the opportunity to test out his jokes when I see him live, and I admit I am quite the harsh critic and always try to put him down, when many times, his material is gold and spot on. It’s often hard to tell when he’s serious, and I don’t even remember the last conversation we had that wasn’t full of obscure, hilarious references he comes up with on the fly.
Wissam’s answer to the comedy club absence here, was to “crash” pubs and venues that had an unsuspecting audience, and test out his new material on them. The folks at Dewar’s liked what he’s been doing the past couple of years, and decided to sponsor a series of “Crash The Mic” videos where Wissam invades people’s privacy as they try to go about their nights in peace.
Below is the first episode, where he crashes a Harry Potter quiz night at Joon on the Moon.
If you like Wissam’s material, make sure you check out his parody series on weird or lame Lebanese ads on TV. You can find them here on his YouTube channel.
I guess you all know how much of an outspoken atheist I am, and how that is my unalienable right enshrined in the Lebanese constitution. For most of my life though, I was a deeply faithful Christian Maronite. That’s why, when stuff like the Mustafa Sbeity debacle happen, I see it from an angle that’s influenced by growing up as a Christian boy in a Catholic school.
I know that most Christians in Lebanon are against the detention of the 65-year-old poet. Many though, are with, and to those, I know human rights and freedom of expression won’t resonate much, so I will instead remind you of 5 verses from the Bible:
Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done. (Matthew 6:14–15)
Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ. (Ephesians 4:31–32)
Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. (Matthew 6:12)
You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. (Colossians 3:12–13)
So, to the Christians foaming at the mouth and holding pitchforks and torches in their rabid attacks on this senior citizen for a status he posted when inebriated (that he has since removed and apologized for) what the hell are you doing?
This isn’t Saudi Arabia or Iran, despite the recent political turmoil. People here shouldn’t be thrown in jail for a crime with no victims, simply for offending some people’s sensibilities. Archaic laws from the 50s shouldn’t be transformed into a tool to punish someone because TV stations and political party “news” websites want a bump in ratings and hits and keep searching for hapless victims for unnecessary, humiliating witch hunts.
Remember those “WWJD” bracelets you used to wear? The “What Would Jesus Do” ones? Well, you all know very well that Jesus, and the Virgin Mary, would not approve of your actions and sentiments. What is this bitterness and hatred, and lust for torture and pain? How is that not more insulting to Christian values than a stupid status by a simple man who could be the age of your dad or grandpa?
Are we really part of the undesirable group of countries that still punish “blasphemy” in the 21st Century? Like ISIS’s “caliphate”? Or the Inquisition?
Shame on anyone who is part of this, and shame on the Lebanese authorities and judiciary for succumbing to this lust for torture and pain against a defenseless poet who shared something distasteful on his own Facebook profile.
Release him, now. If you are so pro-enforcing old laws, then fine the man, but stop robbing him of his freedom and dignity, to allegedly defend a faith, whose Messiah preached “turn the other cheek”, spent his time with “sinners” and asked only those without sin “throw the first stone”.
Do you feel you are more important than Jesus and Mary? If Jesus turned the other cheek, and suffered through the entire passion of the Christ, the insults, humilation, and crucifixion, and said “forgive them Father, for they know not what they do”, then who the hell are you to say otherwise 2000 years later?
Be humble. Educate yourself about your faiths, and make it something that makes you better people, not horrible ones.
I haven’t done these in a while, but November was a good month for discovering good Techno, whether at insane parties, or chilling with friends. Here are some tracks I am listening to now and would love to share with you:
Voices Of The Ancient (Original Mix) — Charlotte de Witte
I’ve been falling in love with Charlotte de Witte more and more every week. I even grabbed her latest EP from the Halcyon record shop before coming back to Beirut. This is a beast of a track, and if you like it, I recommend you listen to the insane Keith Carnal Remix too.
In Silence — Amelie Lens
I love Amelie Lens. She’s another artist I’m really falling in love with the past few weeks. She released this on Drumcode 3 months ago, and it hasn’t gotten old in my playlist yet.
Blackhole — Victor Ruiz
Ruiz dropped a new track, and you thought I wasn’t gonna include it? Shame on you.
People close to me will know how much I adore Recondite, and that he is my gun-to-your-head, absolute favorite producer. This is a gem he dropped on Dystopian, that I’ve found myself listening to during Subway rides and anywhere that listening to Techno will make funner (so everywhere basically).
The Invisible Man — Dax J
Dax J’s Beirut appearance a few weeks ago rekindled my interest in his relentless, tunneling Techno.
Acid Response — Reflec
KA — PARALYSIS AND AMIN FALLAHA
I don’t get why this doesn’t have more plays… And it’s free to download too. Thanks for sharing Ruede Hagelstein!
You might have seen this teaser video on your Facebook and Instagram feeds the past couple of weeks, and thought, “damn, that’s a sick lineup!”. Well, despite me being many thousands of kilometers away, I got everything you need to know about Beirut’s newest addition to its electronic music arsenal: CLOSR.
The Venue
The club will span over two floors and a rooftop. Each floor has a different setup and levels, with the stained-glass fixture hovering over the DJ booth being the center piece of the venue (should look magnificent at sunrise!)
CLOSR will also have a chill-out area, and a food court, so you can rest your legs and fill your tummies between acts you wanna see. The building used to be an embroidery workshop, an art gallery and a lab for testing materials’ strength since the 80s, so it has its “industrial” feel to it, as well as an “artsy” aspect. A perfect place for a club that plans to have Techno and House acts throughout the year.
Here’s a screenshot I took of the approximate location of CLOSR in the Karantina inudustrial area.
The Music
The focus will be on Techno and House music, at least at first. The club will open Fridays and Saturdays, but given the road many clubs in Lebanon have taken, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do Thursdays with non-electronic music for all those poor souls who don’t enjoy Techno and House.
The lineup they announced is sick, and I loved that they announced them all from the start, instead of bit by bit. It includes the following artists who have been to Beirut before: Francesca Lombardo, Stimming, DVS1, Matthias Tanzmann and Agents of Time, Ryan Eliott, Anja Schneider and more.
They’re also getting some fresh acts, that have never graced our dancefloors before, such as Kenny Dope, Ben UFO, Stacey Pullen and Dasha Rush.
Personally, I am extremely excited for Ben UFO, DVS1, Tanzmann, Agents of Time, Anja Schneider and Stacey Pullen. I also loved when I got to meet and watch Kenny Dope perform at the Red Bull Music Academy in Dubai a few years back. It’ll be a real treat for all you die hard House music lovers!
What I loved is that the CLOSR folks know that the most important aspect of a club is its local artists, not just the names from abroad. Ronin is leading the artistic direction of the club, and is also their resident. The local stars will include Fantome De Nuit and Beroe label boss Nesta, Feed A Soul Records boys, Patch, Mayhm, Le Dwarf, Beirut In the Mix’s Phil and Alias, local legends Three Machines, Zahle’s gruesome twosome Eli and Rolbac, as well maDJam, Raphael Merheb, Monokultur and Jool, Rabih Rizk, Priss, Anthon and Joe Saikaly.
So many of my dearest friends are in this lineup, and they come from diverse backgrounds and flavors of Techno and House, so I can’t wait to see them play at this new club!
The Door Policy
Club opens Friday and Saturday, with a strict age policy of 21+. Entrance is free from 10PM till 11PM, 11–3 is for 27$ and 3 and beyond is 17$. I’d recommend you wear something dark, or black, stuff you wouldn’t wanna be seen wearing in rooftop club insta-stories 😛
The Opening Weekend
Friday
CLOSR is going all-out for their opening night, with a LIVE set by Stimming, and Karmon on the ticket too, supported by CLOSR resident Ronin and the man dropping sublime release after release these days, Rolbac!
I’m ecstatic they left the hard-hitting Techno for Saturday, with the House maestros on the opening night on Friday. Stacey Pullen is from where it all started: Detroit, the birthplace of Techno. I’m super bummed I’ll be missing his debut in Beirut! As if that wasn’t enough, Dasha Rush will also be making her Beirut debut, the Russian techno goddess reminding us all why Techno is above all else.
They’ll be supported by Nesta and Jool, which are the perfect combination for such a Techno-heavy lineup!
I’ve embedded a set for each artist, sets that are in my SoundCloud likes.
Lemme Know How It Goes!
I’m sad I won’t be there for the opening, so I’m counting on you guys to tell me how it went. Can’t wait to try CLOSR out when I’m back in Beirut!
I’ve been following up the progress on the Dbayeh seaside for quite some time now, and perhaps the most interesting aspect of this rapidly developing area is the massive Waterfront City project.
We all know about the residential part, but I personally didn’t know about the massive business hub they’re also in the process of finishing right now.
Just to get an idea of how large this planned business hub is, it will be enough to house anywhere between 4000 and 5000 employees and will cover 60,000 square meters of office space, and 12,000 sqm of retail space.
It was designed by LEFT architects (Makram Kadi) and I’ve managed to find some renders of how Lebanon’s first “Grade A” business hub will look like. It’s important to note that they’re also trying to get the first LEED Gold certification for a commercial space in Lebanon, making it clear they care about sustainability and minimizing their carbon footprint.
Now, if you’re like me, you’ll be more interested in the non-office related stuff, and the WFC folks have a lot planned for this space. They will have an outdoor amphitheater that will encourage companies and startups to have talks and discussions outdoors when the weather is nice. There will be ample bike racks, as well as pay-as-you-go bikes to ensure the new hub is pedestrian and cyclist friendly, encouraging people to drive less, and walk and cycle more.
The new business hub will include lots of new restaurants and coffee shops, as well as several piazzas, with one central piazza (square) that will host big events like Christmas themed markets, art exhibitions and other public events that can be accessed for free.
If I wanted to start a company, and didn’t wanna get stuck in traffic heading into Beirut every single day of the entire rest of my life, I’d get a small apartment in WFC and open up a small company in the adjacent hub, that way I could walk to work, to lunch, to coffee, to drinks, without ever needing a car…
I’ll be updating you guys soon with what shops, restaurants and coffee houses are slated to open there.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being of a panel discussing youth and politics in Lebanon. The panel discussion was hosted by the EU Delegation in Lebanon, and included fellow panelists Rana Khoury, Marwan Maalouf and Krystel Tabet, moderated by Karma Ekmekji.
The hall at a Antwork was packed, and included young men and women that showed up from different parts of Lebanon: the North, South, Bekaa, Akkar and of course Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
The topics raised as well as the questions and comments from members of the audience helped make things clearer in my mind when it comes to what politics means to me, and what it should mean to us as young, mostly first-time voters in Lebanon.
Politics is a Dirty Word in Lebanon
It’s no secret that “politics” is basically a dirty word in Lebanon. It’s right there when your parents are warning you against stuff detrimental to your health and future, like “stay away from drugs, don’t drink and drive, and stay away from political parties”. It’s on basically every rule and guidelines page on Lebanese online forums and communities with “no religion/politics” usually in bold or ALL CAPS, and when that is too hard to achieve, a separate thread or section is set up “just for politics” in order to keep the rest of that community “good and clean”. A politically active person is basically referred to the same way a person with a gambling addiction would be: with sympathy and a shaking of the head in disappointment at lost potential.
But, what else would we expect with the politicians Lebanon has had for the past few decades? In a country where “politics” is just which of the 6 or 7 fiefdom chiefs gets awarded a government contract, it’s no wonder we all grow up avoiding political parties like the plague, and automatically tuning out any conversation that turns somewhat political.
What Politics Actually Means
Politics is figuring out how communities should function, with the benefit of all its members’ in mind. Politics is infrastructure, what laws to pass, abolish or reform. Politics is how each of us believes the country should be like, and how we go about trying to achieve that in a transparent, peaceful and democratic way. Politics is ensuring every member of the community has equal rights, responsibilities and opportunity.
Politics is securing money for your local municipality, to figure out how to solve a local problem the central government hasn’t been able to. Politics is changing archaic laws that put more than half of our society at a disadvantage because of their gender. Politics is making sure everybody pays their fair share in taxes, but also gets the services and benefits those taxes are supposed to be funding.
Politics isn’t what Geagea did, or Aoun said, or where Hariri went, and where Junblat is going and when Nasrallah’s next televised speech is. Politics is how we work to achieve what we aspire to, and join the rest of the world in the 21st Century.
Three Main Takeaways
Elections, Elections, Elections
It’s paramount Lebanon’s young men and women participate in the upcoming 2018 elections, both by voting and running, and in heavy numbers. I’ve been covering all the wonderful news and work coming out from young Lebanese activists, such as AUB Secular Club’s steady rise year after year, to the establishment of the nationwide, youth-focused political movement Mada.
This is encouraging news, but far from what’s needed to make Lebanon’s youth stop being the country’s most marginalized, silent and oppressed segment. It’s time to get elected to office, and if that is going to happen, and I wholeheartedly believe it will, we need to focus on higher voter turnout. Beirut Madinati was a great test run, and we now know the main obstacle the youth face is getting a higher turnout on elections day.
The new law, despite its many shortcomings, has made it easier for independent candidates to win seats that represent their true popularity among voters. What might have been a minimum of 50,001 votes in 2009 to get a seat in a voting district of 100,000 voters, will need just a bit more than 10,000 this time to secure one seat out of 10.
I believe this will be key in pushing younger, first-time voters like myself to go out and vote and not just dismiss their vote as meaningless in the face of the money and tactics employed by the ruling class to bulldoze any independent effort to get to elected office.
Gender Equality
Gender equality can no longer just be a nice buzz word that politicians and parties sprinkle into their speeches and platforms, without meaningful actions to back it up. Withhold your support from any group or campaign that doesn’t commit to a gender-balanced list of candidates, similar to Beirut Madinati’s in the 2016 municipal elections.
Women-focused issues need to take a front seat when discussing legislative reform and action. Passing on the citizenship to foreign spouses and children needs to be a top priority, not something we say in hopes that one day it might come true in the distant future. Cutting the dependence of Lebanese women on male guardians also needs to be an issue we tackle seriously, not just in official paperwork and procedures, but also policies at banks and corporations which still do not acknowledge equality between genders in many instances.
Let’s start by choosing a women’s affairs minister, that’s actually a woman, especually given that the current 30-member cabinet of ministers has only one woman…
Hope Despite All Odds
With so much wrong, it’s easy to lose hope and just go about your daily life struggles, not sparing a thought to larger issues that you might not be aware also directly impact your life. The trick for me is to be more pragmatic and less ambitious with our goals and targets.
In 2005, the titles were so lofty and grand, “independence” “freedom” “sovereignty”. The problem with those titles, is there’s no way to gauge or measure the success, and no direct impact can be felt on us: the average taxpayer.
In 2015, the demands were far clearer and more attainable: “eco-friendly solution to the garbage crisis” “money reimbursed to local authorities” and “elections now!”.
In 2018, that shift in demands, needs to become a push towards elected office, and I am personally extremely excited to embark on that challenge.
In Conclusion
Fellow young Lebanese, you are more than just an export for the war generation to send off abroad to make money there and send it back to them. We’re this country’s present, and its future. It’s time to start acting like it.
Start organizing if you still haven’t already. Figure out who’s running, and who you will support and why. If there isn’t anyone, then why not run yourself?
It’s time to take back our country from those that have kept it hostage for decades. It’s time to make politics stop being a dirty word in Lebanon.
Installing TerraNet earlier today on the roof of the new Kahwetna location
TerraNet reached out to me a few weeks back, to tell me about their ambitious CSR campaign to connect schools across the country with free, high-speed Internet. The #GetOnline initiative is the perfect example of a company giving back to the community in the best way possible: getting young people online in places where they previously couldn’t.
Luckily, this coincided with the MARCHKawhetna cultural cafe’s relocation and expansion in Tripoli, right on the former frontline of Syria Street between Beb El Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen. That’s when we decided to pitch the cafe to the TerraNet team, explaining what we do there, how it’s a hub for all our development projects in the region and how quickly we outgrow our first location and its terribly spotty Internet connection.
We were delighted when TerraNet agreed to install high speed unlimited internet connection through microwave for one year for free. Preliminary tests before installation showed extremely promising potential for a reliable, fast connection in an area where Internet connection is notoriously terrible.
Why Getting Connected is Essential for Kahwetna
Being able to #GetOnline is essential for Kahwetna’s success. Apart from helping the MARCH team run our many projects in the area, from the Beb El Dahab rebuilder’s initiative, to football tournaments, the stateless dilemma, drug awareness campaigns, countering violent extremism initiatives and regular trainings, workshops and events, having WiFi attracts a lot of young men and women from both neighborhoods to come and hang out in the safe space MARCH has created.
MARCH struggled to find affordable, reliable connections for the new cafe and cultural center’s location. With TerraNet, this will no longer be a problem, and the TerraNet team even offered the ability to sell DSL connectivity to our neighbors too! Helping not just Kahwetna get connected, but the entire marginalized areas of Beb El Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen.
History of Kahwetna
Kahwetna’s new location
Back in late 2014, the MARCH team went up to Tripoli just before the clashes were stopped, and brought together young men and women from Beb El Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen to create a play about their lives and circumstances. Over the course of more than a year, the actors transitioned from former combatants and prospective refugees, into youth leaders in their communities, solidifying reconciliation and bringing the severely neglected communities together for a common cause: peace and prosperity far from violence and extremism.
Security concerns, resistance and intimidation from local non-state actors and a deep distrust and fear of each other took months to thaw, but the results stunned everyone, including the MARCH team and our partners. A witty, honest play that eloquently satirized the tragic conditions the actors face every day which the actors co-wrote and co-directed was the result of months of stubborn perseverance. It toured all over the country and a documentary that cataloged the arduous process was also received with much praise and massive boosts of serotonin for everyone who witnessed them and got to meet the actors.
But, that wasn’t enough. Capitalizing on the positive momentum of the play “Love And War on the Rooftop”, MARCH decided to turn the results into a more sustainable project. That’s when Kahwetna: Cafe bi Kafak was born. Early 2016 saw the official opening of “Kahwetna”, which has since seen dozens of events, festivals, workshops and themed nights. The ever-growing Beb El Dahab project, as well as all of MARCH’s other projects in the region, meant we needed a bigger space to be able to host more people and projects. That’s when we found the new Kahwetna location, and spent the past 3 months in 2017 renovating and equipping it, and officially opening it to the public in mid-November!
Four Schools Across Lebanon will also #GetOnline with TerraNet
Intilaka School in Akkar, Goodwill School in Beit Misk, Lycee Notre Dame de Maghdouche in Maghdouche and Zein El Abidin in the Bekaa will all also get free Internet for the next year, along with free installation.
I absolutely love this initiative, and feel that having the ability to go online, with the parental control services offered by TerraNet, is essential to give students in under-privileged areas and communities the chance to further their education and increase their chances in succeeding later in life. It also provides entertainment, not just education, especially in rural areas where safe, fun spaces are often replaced with environments that foster bad habits and extreme ideologies.
Thank You TerraNet
I’d like to wholeheartedly thank the TerraNet team for coming up with and executing this initiative. Most companies would spend money on silly ads and lame campaigns, so seeing TerraNet decide to invest that money in communities and projects that need that support, is extremely encouraging.
Kahwetna Official OPENING on November 16
We invite you all to come and test out our new TerraNet connection, and see our gorgeous new location, furnished with home-made, up-cycled furniture. The cafe will include a large event space, a cozy cafe, multipurpose rooms for trainings, classes and meetings. Later this year, we will also inaugurate a fully-equipped recording studio too!
The opening is on November 16th, starting 3PM. You will find us on Syria Street! See you all there.
I’d hate to sound like a broken record, but MTV’s recurring insult to our intelligence doesn’t seem to be letting up.
It’s been well-documented that MTV prides itself on claiming it’s the number 1 TV station, even though it consistently ranks 3rd behind LBCI and Al Jadeed. They’ve been causing a fuss every time their ratings dip, like the whole “sharmoota” incident when MTV was outright cursing LBCI and calling women participating in a dating show “prostitutes”, all this because that show was crushing the ratings of their “Dancing with the Stars” show.
The Latest Chapter: IPSOS is Rigging Numbers
MTV aired this “report” last night. It claims that it has “evidence” that IPSOS is rigging ratings to benefit MTV competitors. The “evidence” they presented, is this cropped graph they showed:
It was based on a few minutes of outage on the Nilesat satellite. MTV considers their sinking to 0.2% (from about 3.8%) for a few minutes, while LBC’s dips considerably from almost 6% to just over 2.2%/. The MTV people thought that this means that the data is being rigged…
Given that this is the same channel that believes costume parties “satanic rituals” and “digital drugs” are an epidemic “affecting 200,000 people in Turkey”, it’s no surprise a detail so basic slipped their minds.
LBCI and LDC are two separate LBC feeds. LBCI is terrestrial, and LDC is via satellite (Nilesat). MTV is just on Nilesat. So, when weather conditions knocked the Nilesat feed off for a few minutes, MTV is definitely gonna dip close to 0%, since it only broadcasts via satellite. LBCI is part terrestrial, so that kept going, while the significant dip was the LDC satellite feed via Nilesat which went down just like MTV’s did.
That’s all the evidence they presented for that “report”. It’s kinda sad if you think how little they prepare their bluffs, given the authority and assumption of “criminal intent” when the reality is they just don’t know how to read a graph…
Why are they Doing This Now? Elections Season!
When MTV went crazy about the “sharmoota” stuff, the real reason wasn’t their sudden conversion to piety and humility in dresscode. It was that a lighthearted dating show was getting more viewers than their super expensive franchised show.
This time though, the reason is far more sinister. Elections in Lebanon are just a few months away, and the sad truth is that politicians pay top dollar to appear on talk shows on these stations. You would be priced a lot less if you’re third. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if you could dupe people into thinking you’re number 1? That’d be a lot of extra money, just ahead of the elections when politicians would have their chequebooks and pens at the ready.
For shame.
Why I Do This
You guys might think that it’s weird I go to such lengths to debunk and fact check the fake news MTV tries to peddle on unsuspecting viewers, and ultimately advertisers and politicians. The reason is because MTV is a mouthpiece of the intolerance and backwardness Lebanon needs to get over. They’re the people who start a smear campaign against some unknown taxpayer tweeting something silly, to put them in jail for a week. They’re the people who defame, shame and endanger communities they see as “undesirable” to their ultra-conservative base. They’re the reason you can’t have a psy-trance event in nature anymore without being arrested and smeared on TV. They’re the station that sides with a doctor being tried for malpractice, not the victim, a mother of two.
The misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia and stoking of sectarian fears as well as their unwillingness to correct false or factually inaccurate claims, are a threat to many of our ways of life. Why should a crooked TV station trying to jack prices for appearing on their shows decide what concerts and parties people can hold? Or what they can tweet or share with their friends, without being the targets of witch hunts that rob people of their freedom and dignity, so that MTV can try and get a bump in ratings?
As long as MTV is fighting against civil rights, equality and freedom of expression, I’ll always be here waiting to debunk their lies and counter their hate speech.
I know I’ve made it clear how serious I am about Techno. Think of it as a serious, committed relationship for the past 8 or 9 years. Trance though, was my first. My first introduction to the world of electronic music. And like your first girlfriend/boyfriend, even though you don’t think of them much anymore, when you do, there’s that special something, as if fondly remembering an past (younger) version of you.
So, today, I saw a post shared on the Facebook page “Trance Family Lebanon” that had a medley of classic Trance tracks from 1997 to 2017. It triggered so much serotonin in my brain, that I just had to remember other tracks that really meant something to me in my teenage years when most of you were busy listening to bands.
As The Rush Comes — Motorcycle
I actually got to see JES who is the vocalist on this beautiful track when I was 17. She came to a club that was called “Tantra”, which I believe has since been demolished. It used to be near the Zouk Powerplant, right behind where “Cyan” beach is.
For An Angel — Paul Van Dyk
I love this track. I loved PVD. Never missed a single one of his concerts here, especially the one right after the July 2006 war when no one would come to perform here.
In and Out of Love — Armin Van Buuren
I guess this track was popular when Armin peaked in Lebanon. It’s definitely a classic, and even though I like Armin’s older work more, I still love this too.
Burned With Desire — Armin Van Buuren
This and Shivers are probably my two favorite Armin tracks. Enjoy!
Sun and Moon — Above and Beyond
I love Above and Beyond. I got to meet Paavo and Tony on more than one occasion. This is one of my favorite Above and Beyond songs.
Satellite (Above and Beyond Remix) — Above and Beyond pres. OceanLab
I love when Above and Beyond used the OceanLab alias. Satellite still gives me goosebumps.
Ecstasy — ATB
What Trance playlist isn’t complete with ATB’s Ecstasy?
Children — Robert Miles
I was sad when I heard of Robert Miles earlier this year. This song is so beautiful.
Till The Sky Falls Down — Dash Berlin
Though maybe lesser known than the artists I already featured above, Dash Berlin is definitely one of my favorite Trance artists, and I can’t count how many times I’ve listened to “Till the Sky Falls Down” growing up in my teen years.
I’m gonna stop here, cause it’s getting late and I can keep going forever. I chose some of the more iconic tracks that many of you will at least have heard once or twice many years ago.
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