Dubai Creek Yacht Club’s Cielo Sky Lounge is celebrating its first anniversary on April 9, and to help make the party a success, Belgian DJ The Magician (born Stephen Fasano) will slip behind the decks. Fasano is known for his ultra-popular 2011 remix of Lykke Li’s I Follow Rivers as well as his remix of Clean Bandit’s No. 1 hit Rather Be last year.
Ahead of his set in the UAE, he tells us how he really makes the magic happen — and lets us in on the one genre that will always have a hold of his heart.
Do you still remember the moment you decided you want to become a DJ?
I was young, probably 12 years old. It was just a dream.
Do you still remember your first ever DJing gig?
Yes. In a small bar where all my friends came to see me on top of the usual clients of the bar. It only held around 60 people so the bar was busy. People danced, also, outside in the street. I was 18 or 19.
When you were first starting out, what surprised you the most about being a DJ?
I felt so happy to make people happy. That’s something I didn’t know before playing in front of a crowd.
How, and why, would you say your style has changed over the years?
My style evolves and changes over the years because I get inspired by the music I hear and also because I get bored very quickly. It’s less about a genre and more about a way of production. Over the past 20 years, I’ve played all genres [techno, house, trance, drum & bass, disco, breaks, down tempo] There is one genre that always gets my heart and I’ll never leave, it’s house music.
What were some of the rookie mistakes you made when you were first starting out?
Being too naive, at some points. Then some management choice mistakes.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve been given in your lifetime that has stuck with you, and who gave it to you?
My grandmother said it when I was a child then my wife said it as well for the music creation… “Listen to yourself, as you always did.”
What’s your biggest pet peeve as a DJ?
The monitor speakers. If they sound bad, that will put me in a bad mood as I mix live and need a super quality monitor to make good work. Luckily, I tour with a tour/technical manager who is in charge of checking everything.
What are your three favourite tracks on your set right now?
Zonderling, Telraam, Arches, New Love, Fono, Real Joy
What’s been your most memorable experience behind the decks throughout your career and why?
Probably I Love Techno in Belgium was a peak of my career. I got goosebumps at each track played because of the fantastic crowd. But then, I loved to play in Tokyo for the first time, that was very special, the warmest crowd ever. I always love to play in LA, Mexico, New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona.
If you could play a set with any other musician in the world, who would it be and why?
I’m not into back-to-back sets, usually, but it would be fun to play [again] with 2manydjs.
— The Magician at Cielo Sky Lounge is Dh150 at the door. For reservations and table bookings contact reservations@cielodubai.com or 04-4161800.
