Omar Basaad will be the first Saudi music producer to headline the mind-blowing Sandance festival in the UAE. Basaad will perform the closing set at one of the biggest music festivals in the world on Friday, October 12 at Sandance Beach at Atlantis, The Palm. The exclusive line-up includes The Fray in concert, Mat Kearney live at sunset, Example and DJ Wire, Chuckie, DJ Fresh, among others. Basaad's presence comes as a pioneering move to signal a historic moment for music in the Arabian province. In an exclusive interview with Saudi Gazette, Basaad talks about Sandance, media critique and of course his first official EP “Vega”.
Saudi Gazette: How does it feel to be the first Saudi to headline Sandance – one of the most popular music festivals in the Middle East? Bassad: It feels amazing! Very excited about it. The feeling of accomplishing what many put down with discerning statements is almost euphoric. Saudi Gazette: Are you under a lot of pressure? How does it feel to play alongside artists like The Fray, Chuckle and Example, among others? Bassad: It is great to be alongside world-class talents. I am not under pressure but I am super excited! Saudi Gazette: Your first official EP “Vega” is out this month. Tell us about the album. When did you start working on it? Bassad: Lately, I have been working a lot in the studio and traveling alongside. I have a lot of tracks that I have produced recently, which inspired me to work on an EP! Well, one day at 5 AM in the studio, I had just finished a track called “Castles on Fire,” which has this emotional context and a dark intro. I sent it to my vocalist for collaboration and that is when I decided to produce new tracks for an EP, instead of releasing singles and following the generic pattern. Saudi Gazette: What does Vega mean to you personally as this is your first official compilation? Bassad: It means a lot. I just want to share my music with the world! Saudi Gazette: “Castles on Fire” has three versions, any particular reason why you chose to do that with this track specifically? Bassad: Yes, I wanted the EP to have a bit of everything from EDM: A bit of progressive house, house, tech house, dubstep, and electro house. “Castles on fire” was one of those tracks that felt like it should have different versions. Saudi Gazette: What is your party anthem for 2012? Bassad: There are a lot! It is hard to decide but I think so far Avicii ft. Nicky Romero's – Nicktim. But I guess the tune of the year would be Swedish House Mafia's – Don't You Worry Child.
Saudi Gazette: Who would you like to collaborate with? Bassad: There are lots of talented artists out there that I would like to collaborate with, but for one, Steve Angello. Saudi Gazette: What inspires you to go on? Bassad: I always like to improve and learn and try out new sounds. Saudi Gazette: How has the response been so far? Bassad: Recently, I did an interview with a Middle Eastern magazine and it was as if they were mad at my fortunate stance. So, its just interesting when you see peoples perspective. Saudi Gazette: Is it frustrating to be stereotyped by the media? How do you deal with critical comments? Bassad: It is always a challenge. It's classic to be stereotyped by the media, and I always tend to ignore precarious comments. No one is perfect; everyone gets critical comments no matter who they are. Haters are a constant reminder of your success. Saudi Gazette: Any message for your fans in the Middle East? Bassad: I have a message for my ‘real' fans, not the ones artists buy these days for a couple of hundred bucks to gain fans or followers. (laughs) I just want to thank every one of them for their constant support and true vibes. Saudi Gazette: Your dream performances? Bassad: Coachella, Los Angeles and ultra Miami. Saudi Gazette: What's next for Omar Basaad? Bassad: To produce more music and tour! Known for setting trends rather than following them, Sandance supports fresh deserving talent, bringing out the biggest names in the music industry to Dubai every year. For the musically educated minds and fans, this one is going to be an unforgettable night. Guests will be greeted by the chill out sounds of hand picked local DJs before a groovy sunshine selection from scratch DJ Krafy Kuts. Sunset will see some memorable moments with American musician Mat Kearney led by The Fray in concert. Coming back by popular demand is Elliot Gleave, also known as Example, performing live alongside DJ Wire. Sandance delves into the world of drum and bass and dubstep with DJ Fresh followed by a house music legend, Frankie Knuckles, ‘Dirty Dutch' DJ Chuckie and finally Saudi's only electronic dance music producer Basaad who will be playing the closing set. Toyota, the official title sponsor, will give guests a chance to have an up-close experience of Toyota's latest models during the festival. Tickets are available online at TimeOut, Virgin Megastore, Atlantis the palm and Platinum list.
