Alix Perez

Pinch is a dubstep and techno artist from Bristol, UK. He is one of those artists and producers who is fusing various genres together such as reggae and world music, and even dancehall with dubstep. Being the creator of his very own label, called Tectonic Records, he released his own full-length album entitled “Underwater Dancehall”, which made quite an impression in the EDM world. He takes to the stage this evening to perform a Boiler Room DJ Set, which of course is the venue that all EDM artists find themselves going through almost as a rite of passage.

When Pinch performs, he is very composed from start to finish, as he uses his turntables for his music, sourcing his samples from this reliable source, which is unfortunately an art that I’m worried is starting to become unpopular with CD decks and even digital sources. It’s a real treat for the audience this evening as he plays through some of his biggest hits to date such as “Qawwali” and “Punisher”.

Ayah Marar is a busy, successful Jordanian woman. On top of being a radio show host, and music label owner, she is also a singer/songwriter who travels internationally so that her fans can see and hear her music live. She has also worked with big names like Calvin Harris and Toddla T.

Watching her live sets are pretty straightforward in terms of a pop show, with one exception…Ayah Marar. The staging is simple, there is a DJ running tracks otherwise it is just him and her with her mic, but she has a commanding stage presence from the get go. She immediately engages the audience to sing along if they know the songs (which most did, since you were partially deafened by the crowd singing versus being able to hear her). She is a strong, badass woman who has an absolutely stunning voice. She utilizes the entire stage, making sure that all of her fans get a sight of her. The best part of the show is her live performance of “Thinking About You” which is the song she did with Calvin Harris, except its much better (and exciting) live than listening to the pre-recorded vocals if you heard it at one of his shows.