Destination Dawn: dancing the night away in Ras Al Khaimah

International DJs Dash Berlin and Ummet Ozcan, and the UAE's Hollaphonic, Darryl Rees and Umut Ilkaya entertained the crowds

Dutch DJ, Dash Berlin in the mix at this year's Destination Dawn event in Ras Al Khaimah. Jason Von Berg / The National
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Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.

 

As summer approaches, beach days are becoming numbered. While many chose to escape the blistering heat of the weekend indoors, about 500 revellers kicked off their flip-flops to enjoy the sea, sand and top electro-dance music DJs at Destination Dawn.

Held on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, the event offered party-goers food trucks, a campsite under the stars, and a stellar musical line-up.

Those on the bill included international DJs Dash Berlin and Ummet Ozcan, Darryl Rees and Umut Ilkaya and the UAE's Hollaphonic.

This is the fourth time the party has been held and, with each event, the interest seems to spike. "More people are coming from surrounding emirates. Headliners Ummet Ozcan and Dash Berlin were impressed about the quality, the scale of the event and the RAK emirate," said managing director at Double E / Asquare Mena, Jihad Mikhael.

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“Fans are always looking forward to seeing DJs who are at the top of their career and on international charts. We hope to always get top artists to perform at Destination Dawn,” he added.

And as organisers get to work on the next event, those in attendance seemed more than happy with this year's line-up.

For several years, Dutch DJ Dash Berlin has made the list of the world's top DJs. The headline act hopped on stage just after 10pm. The star put a special dash of magic on the crowd-pleaser tracks and added impressive graphics.

While other DJs take the opportunity to engage the crowd over the mic, Dash Berlin, whose real name is Jeffrey Sutorius, doesn’t. Sure, he throws his hands up to the crowds to acknowledge his fans, and they happily reciprocated, but don’t expect anything else. After his almost two-hour set, the DJ just ended his set and that was that from him.

In the radio and live music space, the concept of dead air is something most are told to avoid. In this case, the transition between Dash Berlin and Ummet Ozcan wasn't as smooth as it could have been. If one didn’t know any better, it would appear as if the event had ended when the stage went dark and the music stopped. Some background music between acts would have been good. Especially when there is a crowd hyped up ready to dance.

Luckily, the Dutch-Turkish DJ was able to get it going again pretty easily. His high-energy set kept the concert-goers happy and dancing well into the early hours of Saturday morning.

Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.