A quick word with... Chad Phunk

One of the best DJs in Abu Dhabi, Chad Phunk has built up an impressive reputation over his 4 years here. We sat down with the house music DJ to find out what he thinks of the local scene...
 

You've been nominated as the best Dj in Abu Dhabi - what did being nominated mean to you?

Well I was fortunate enough to win it last year and I was hugely(and still am) thankfull for the all the support from everyone that voted, that means a lot!

How does the Abu Dhabi scene compare to Dubai?

I think it's fair to say that Dubai has a lot more going on and gears itself more for the tourists and the greater number of expats than we have in AD. The more people you have, the more open minded they are musically. In comparison AD is growing and that is beginning to show in the various forms of House music that we are able to play now.

The Al Maya Island parties seem to have a great reputation - are they as fun as they sound?

The Immaculate Touch parties on Al Maya have always been about having fun and enjoying yourself without the pretense of it all and that's always been one of our main aims and shows in the number of people loyally coming back time after time. There aren't too many places in the world where you jump on a boat, head to a private island and party and I think that's all part of the fun of it!

How has your musical style changed over your time or since playing in the UAE?

Not really but I will openly admit that when I first come here 4 years ago, I played a lot more commercial than I do now. Thankfully the aim of progressing and building a reputation for playing House music over here has paid off over time.

Do you see a lot of up-and-coming Djs in the scene, do you have any advice for them?

There are a few trying to break through here. The main advice really is to make sure you self promote as much as possible via the channels that we now have available to us. Set yourself goals and aims and go for it, believe in the music you play and try a mix 2 records together for longer than 10secs! Oh and try not to play the same rubbish in the same order every day of the week so that people can second guess what your gonna play next cause that's just being lazy!

What's been your career highlight to date?

Winning the Ahlan Best DJ in Abu Dhabi award was pretty cool last year as it was probably the first time I had won anything, ever! Also seeing the Immaculate Touch parties grow from something that nobody had ever heard of into what they are now has been the other highlight and proves House music will always prevail!

What would your dream club night line up be?

Bloody hell that's a hard one and don't think I could there would be a club big enough. All I could say is that i would make sure it was a mixture of the old skool vs the new, combining the influences I've had over the years with some of the up and coming producer/DJs that are pushing things forward.

And what are your Ramadan plans?

Head back to the UK for a week to see my family and friends then come back here to go off on holiday for a couple of weeks with the missus.