UCH IN HYPE MAGAZINE DUBAI

With his With Love EP coming soon on Todd Terry’s In House Records, New Yorker Uch is back in Dubai after a hectic summer.

You’re back after another season in Ibiza. How was your time on the White Isle?

It was brilliant! Ibiza is a magical place. I played some great gigs all over the island during my Set Me Free summer tour, and Sin Sundays, at Ocean Beach Club, and the new LYT club, were standout parties. I also got the chance to work in the studio with Todd Terry and Alexander Technique, and those tunes will be coming very soon on In House Records. I made a lot of music on the island this summer.

What were your favourite parties to go to when you weren’t playing?

Together, at Amnesia, was one of my faves because so many of my friends were playing there. Camelphat played a standout closing with MK as headliner, and Roger Sanchez played an outstanding S-Man set in August. Glitterbox at Space was also really great and special. Joey Negro always delivered and Todd played amazing sets every night I partied there.

Where else have you been DJing?

My Set Me Free summer tour also stopped in Barcelona, Prague, Qatar and Bahrain. All the gigs were great, but the party at Palm Beach, in Bahrain, was incredible. It was a massive beach party of 4,000 people, and my tunes went down really well.

Why choose Dubai for the winter?

Dubai has a magic that I like a lot. I came here for a visit two winters ago on my way to Thailand and I was blown away by it all here in the UAE. I was looking for a winter home since New York is so cold after the summer season. Dubai felt like the right move and I’m glad to be here.

Where can we hear you playing locally and in the region?

I’ve just taken residency at the new Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City, next door to W, playing across all its venues. In addition, I’m playing loads in Qatar, at W Doha, and at Laval Lounge in Oman.

Your release schedule has been a bit hectic of late

This was my biggest and most productive summer for releasing music. I started my #FORTHEFANS music series on Soundcloud, giving away free remixes every week through July and August. In September, we released Music For Me on Jonathan Ulyssees’ label, Ulybug Music. I just dropped a new tune on Supercharged Mjuzieek called I Need, and there’s a lot of great music forthcoming on big labels for 2017.

How do you find the time to write music?

It’s done in a mix of places. All summer, if I wasn’t at my Ibiza flat, I was making tunes in random hotels, planes, airports, cafés – even taxis and buses. You have to make use of whatever time you have while travelling; otherwise you’ll never have time to get the work done.

Does travelling constantly give you inspiration?

It can be great to be in another city and get inspired by the weather, the people, nature or architecture. Ibiza is great for that. Sometimes, however, a place can either be too dull or uninspiring; too exciting to want to sit down and make music, or you’ve been travelling so much you can’t even keep your eyes open to work.

What else is on the horizon?

As well as my Dubai residency, I have gigs at Boa and Cirque coming up this winter, and I’ll be back at Nasimi at some time. There are always new places and new opportunities popping up in Dubai.

UCH FEATURED IN NEW YORK’S PAGE SIX

That DJ Johnny Dynell will spin at XL . . . That Lea Black’s Consequences Foundation will host a fete on Star Island . . . That DJ Uch will spin at the LCL . . . That Nick Boccio will preview pop–up speakeasy Project 1919 . . . That duo AlunaGeorge will perform at Sushisamba London . . . That DJ Alex Cecil will play Tokya . . . That Michael Brun will spin at WALL in South Beach . . . That Diplo will play at Surrender in Las Vegas.

UCH IN SHORTLIST MAGAZINE DUBAI

The Resident: DJ UCH Uchenna Anyanwu, or DJ Uch to everyone in Dubai, was born in The Bronx, New York City, where he began his career as a broadcaster. He managed to interview some of the biggest names on the US dance scene on his Pump It Up Radio show on Harlem’s WHCR-FM. These included the likes of Kaskade, Matthew Dear, The Riddler, and Lucas Prata.

He then started to focus on his own music, both as a DJ and producer. Since moving to the UAE, he has become one of the resident DJs at GQ Bar in the JW Marriott Marquis, Business Bay, and has just released his latest EP, “Love 4 Life” on Nova27 Records. We asked him about his new life in Dubai.

You have recently moved to Dubai from New York. What are the differences so far?

Dubai is a lot like New York but then nothing like New York at the same time. It’s the same in the sense that there are lots of people from all over the world, plenty of tall buildings, and some of the best nightlife you can find anywhere. It’s different in the sense of New York winters having so much snow, Dubai having some amazing white sand beaches, and the Emirates being right in the middle of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It comes in handy when touring!

If you were to show someone around Dubai for the day, where are you taking them?

I’d likely take them around Dubai Marina. I absolutely love it there because it’s a perfect blend of city life and palm-tree vibes, plus the beach is so close by. Having a meal or a walk around the Marina is a must for anyone visiting. It’s so nice, scenic, and relaxing.

What would you say is your biggest achievement as a DJ?

That has to be reaching number one on the Kings of Spins DJ chart. KOS stands as an industry standard for radio djs and clubs djs around the world. I’ve recently released a tune on Todd Terry’s In House Records called “Give It 2 Me”, and it debuted at number one on KOS right above David Morales. To achieve that with Todd and see my name next to David’s for my tune was a surreal moment.

What has been your favorite gig in Dubai so far?

Definitely playing Nasimi Beach at Atlantis. Nasimi is, as you know, an open-air venue and absolutely brilliant to play. My amigo Roger Sanchez played an amazing set there over the winter, so for me playing this place with that great crowd felt incredible.

If you could book any DJ to fly over to share a stage with, who would it be?

I’d have to say British house DJ Carl cox. He’s a legend and has been doing it for so long I would love people to see a few hours of Uch and Carl Cox back-to-back! It’d definitely be money well spent!