RIYADH: On Friday, a vibrant series of electronic house music bounced over the desert hills of Riyadh at a resort, bringing together fans of desert music, art and sports alike in a one-of-a-kind event.
The exclusive organizer of the musical and artistic event, Desert Sound Entertainment, presented its first “Escape from Mars” experience to the Saudi community, transporting regarding a participant to another dimension characterized by live arts, festival makeup and fire shows.
The moon shone, setting the atmosphere of the heavenly night, and the music rose. The lineup of international DJs led by Satori included the likes of Alaa Jaziri, Rafaa and Nark Beat and a surprise performance by local DJ Ebi.
The hours-long festival saw a distinguished mix of artists on the main stage. Rafa provided the audience with an organic, earthy, sensual and authentic home experience while leaving the audience in anticipation with the exciting sounds of the Arabic oud. Alaa Al-Jazaery, founder of a similar music festival called “Al Narration,” slowed down the groove with an organic and lively music group at home, and took festival-goers on a mini-journey.
The diverse music that reverberates in the desert valley culminates with Satori, a world-renowned Dutch producer whose music focuses on spirituality and enlightenment. His group immediately set off at midnight and closed the event. His stop in Riyadh is part of his world tour this month with upcoming shows in Moscow, Stockholm and London.
I wouldn’t imagine from this side of the world that people would know me and connect with music in this way, so it was really a pleasure. Satori said in an exclusive interview with Arab News: “I have played in this region, of course, already a few years ago, if we talk regarding Dubai or Egypt, I played in Oman and Lebanon, but I never played in Saudi Arabia.”
Satori’s calm sounds, made under the influence of the Japanese term “satori”, cannot be reduced to one genre, but rather a feeling. His music combines elements of self-exploration, earthy melodies, psychedelic notes, and lively energy. The rise of piano, synthetic electronic notes, and kalimba led to a series of cheers as people danced. Almost every listener was rhythmically fascinated, succumbing to the sound.
