ElectroFest - 4th Edition

Cutting-edge electronic music, video and sound art, and improvisation

Themed AmbiNoise, the 4th edition of ElectroFest features an immersive one-day experience celebrating the UAE's rich tapestry of electronic music. Tailored for those with an ear for experimental and electronic genres, as well as those with a keen curiosity, AmbiNoise serves as a gathering point for musicians to converge and share their distinctive sounds. The event promises a diverse sonic journey featuring a harsh noise project, a corrupted lecture performance, drone music, ambient compositions, and manipulated field recordings, among others. By transcending the boundaries of the typical nightlife setting, AmbiNoise aims to uncover and spotlight the unconventional facets of electronic music that flourish beyond conventional spaces.

ElectroFest spotlights local artists who, while not necessarily tied to the conventional nightlife circuit, contribute significantly to the UAE’s vibrant electronic music landscape. The lineup features a dynamic mix of performers, ranging from those with established visibility within the scene to hidden gems maintaining a lower profile.

Join us for a day of exploration and collaboration on the possibilities of electronic music in the UAE, and support the local scene and performing artists by purchasing their music and merchandise at a dedicated stall throughout the duration of the event, supported by UAE-based independent cassette-focused micro-label Analog Amigo Records.

The artist lineup is to be announced.

Biographies

Safeya Alblooshi

Safeya Alblooshi is a sound artist who experiments with found sound via participatory performance and installation to engage with topics of conceptual narrative, environmental listening, and interactivity in performance. Her sound work and collaborations extend to being presented and performed at the Expo 2020 Dubai, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, Alserkal Avenue (Dubai), IRCAM Forum (New York), NYU Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn (Abu Dhabi), the London Design Biennale, and more recently at the Jameel Arts Center, and MiZa (Abu Dhabi). Safeya has also done sound for live performances and moving images, such as Re|sound V at the Sharjah Arts Foundation (2020), and has collaborated in various soundscape projects, one of which was recently presented at the UAE programming of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (2022). She was recently part of the second cohort of Numoo 2023, an Artist Development Initiative for UAE-based creatives by the Arts Center at NYUAD, and performed on the opening night of Festival X 2023 (Dubai).

Currently, Safeya is a Research Assistant under the Kawader Fellowship with the Music and Sound Cultures Research Group at NYU Abu Dhabi, where she also completed her BA in Music with a minor in Interactive Media in 2021. Outside of research and music, she likes to organize gatherings for the sound community in the UAE and is currently working on a zine that focuses on sound art in the UAE across time. Her upcoming projects include Resound UAE, a 4-weekend program on sonic activations around the UAE, supported by the Ministry of Culture.