King of the decks

Pumping tunes, clever mixing and a bit of personal flair made the annual PALME ME DJ showdown one to remember.
The music, lights and action were a given but not even the organisers expected shoes set on fire and cotton wool-fuelled flames from the decks on stage.

The audience kept beat with their feet as the thumping tunes started to take over and within minutes the crowd were dancing along with their hands in the air.

Massive

Standing next to one of the giant speakers, spectators were bouncing from one spot to another thanks to the massive vibrations ringing through their bodies.

DJs from around the world battled it out on the decks at the grand final which took place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre on Tuesday.

More than 30 applicants were whittled down to just 16, who took their place behind the decks in two separate semifinals.
The top three were selected from the first heat and a further four from the second as judges struggled to pick between the top two on the day.

Title

But the final was clear cut with DJ Amin, originally from Iran and now a resident DJ in Dubai deservedly taking the title of PALME ME DJ 2008.

Amin Golestan, as he's known to his family, said the competition had been a great experience and said he thought he had no chance of winning.

The 23-year-old said: “I was shocked to win because I really didn't think I was ready for a competition like this. I play house music and many of the songs are around eight minutes long, so to change and play a wide variety in just 10 minutes was a real challenge for me."

A professional DJ and producer who also owns his own record label, Amin is a regular face behind the decks at The Apartment, Plan B and Submarine but also has monthly residences in Moscow and Amsterdam.

Exhibition

The competition ran alongside the PALME ME annual technology exhibition which showcased the latest kit from Denon, Sony, Playstation, Nexo and Technics as well as record labels and laser shows.

The judging panel was made up of DJs from around Dubai including DJ Big Pete, DJ Humaid from Radio 1, Mike Bufton and DJ Mo, last year's winner.

Marking the DJs on technical talent, overlay and mixing skills, creativity, stage presence, self-confidence and showmanship, Mike Bufton — who plays regularly at 360 — said the standard had been extremely high this year adding it was very difficult to pick a winner.

Thousands of dollars of prize money were up for grabs and DJ Amin walked away with a Pacemaker, a sought-after piece of DJ kit and the latest decks from Pioneer. Amin has also secured a regular DJ slot at one of Dubai's most popular nightspots — The Lodge.



DJ AMin

He walked away with a Pacemaker, a sought-after piece of DJ kit and the latest decks from Pioneer. Amin has also secured a regular DJ slot at one of Dubai's most popular nightspots – The Lodge.


DJ Flash

Ebrahim Saleh, 33, is a Jordanian and currently lives in Dubai where he works as a DJ at the Elegante Club. He plays house, garage, r ‘n' b, hip-hip, drum and bass and also loves a bit of pop rock. For more information check out www.myspace.com/djflashb.com

DJ Kaabi

Mohammad Al Kaabi, 25, from Doha, Qatar, is a professional DJ and plays regularly at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paloma. His music style is house, r ‘n' b and hip-hop and his preference behind the decks is CD. Check out more at www.myspace.com/djkaabi

DJ Delarn

Delarn De Silva, 28, is originally from Sri Lanka and now lives in Abu Dhabi where he works as an events co-ordinator. He mainly plays House, Garage, r ‘n' b, hip-hop and drum and bass and works on both CD and vinyl. Here he is shown receiving his award from Angelique Botes, the event organiser.