14 October 2011

BEIRUT: Summertime is over. The temperatures may suggest otherwise, but with the summer festivals at an end and universities commencing, there hardly is any doubt that, for most Beirutis, summer’s done.

For underground music scene and nu disco devotees, however, Saturday will mark the end of this summer, thanks to “We Are Your Friends.”

Taking its name from a remixed number by renowned French electronic music duo Justice, “We Are Your Friends” is what happens when you gather some of the most respected Beirut alternative music heavyweights in one venue for a fiery all-night celebration of indie electro music.

This may be the first time that Lebanon’s most established DJs will combine forces to work together in tandem, introducing a “festival” format that’s been used as a delivery system for other music but is less common for electronic dance music.

Set in an abandoned industrial space in Zalka, and featuring 15 DJs playing in three different rooms, “We Are Your Friends” promises to be a prime celebration of electronic dance music.

There are three brains behind “We Are Your Friends” – The Beirut-Chicago Express, We Run Beirut and Beirut in the Mix.

The BCE is a three DJ collective comprised of Ayla Hibri, Georges Khawam and Richard Kahwagi.

The twenty-something disk jockeys turned their (initially) secret music exchange platform into the first indie electro/nu disco music blog in the Middle East.

The trio has gathered a broad fan base and an appreciative indie electro and nu disco following in Lebanon, introducing a successful series of themed club nights (“You Say We Say!”) throughout the summer, with the collaboration of We Run Beirut. They have also performed alongside various international acts, including French electronic music producer and DJ Yuksek.

They’ve also played music alongside Lebanese indie band Mashrou3 Leila at their CD release concert at the Beirut Hippodrome, and will be spinning disks at the opening and closing of the group’s October concert in Amsterdam.

“The music we play and our love for a good dance party became contagious and quickly caught on,” Kahwagi said of his trio. “This summer was bombarded with pretentious concepts and [cheesy] commercial music. We wanted to really take it back to the roots. We called up our friends and proposed the idea to them.”

We Run Beirut (aka Tres Colacion and Tim Winters) started out as a Beirut event and nightlife photo-coverage entity but gradually evolved into a nightlife-coordinating entity.

The duo eventually threw a series of “subway” and holiday themed parties, and collaborated with The BCE on the inception of “You Say We Say!”

“The idea for ‘We Are Your Friends,’” Colacion said, “is something we’ve always wanted to do, but just never got the chance. The ultimate aim of it is to encourage more cooperation [among] talented individuals within the underground music scene in Beirut.”

Founded by Ronin and Nesta (Ronald Hajjar and Nabih Esta) in 2006, Beirut In the Mix is a party brand and radio show that serves as a platform for DJs to share their own set of house music. Known for its ability to keep the music fresh and exciting, it continuously taps into new markets to find musical spirits.

As it happens “We Are Your Friends” is also timed to mark the celebration of the first, second, and fifth anniversaries of WRB, The BCE and Beirut In the Mix, respectively.

With the help of JK58 – an agency specializing in composing original music, performance and production – “We Are Your Friends” will materialize at Zalka’s The Factory, where, organizers hope, greater Beirut just might witness the dawn of a new festival.

“We Are Your Friends” takes place at Zalka’s The Factory Saturday Oct. 15. The Factory is located in the old sugar refinery behind Zaatar w Zeit. Tickets are LL50,000.

Copyright The Daily Star 2011.