Your Guide to Music at D-CAF 2015

For the last couple of years, D-CAF's line-up of musical acts curated by, 100 Copies founder Mahmoud Refaat, has seen an eclectic array of cutting-edge international and local acts take to downtown Cairo with bundles of sonic energy. Setting off audiences this year with wide-eyed wonder and feverish dancing, acts include Rap from Palestine, Hip hop from Denmark, Rock from the Netherlands and Techno from Germany all teamed up with the best underground musicians Egypt has to offer. Here's your guide to the music events at D-CAF this year...

BORIS BREJCHA (GERMANY) + EL DAKHLAWEYA FT. FILO (EGYPT)

Fein? Sherazade Nightclub

Emta? Thursday 19th March 10.00PM

Kicking off the D-CAF music programme fittingly will be a Berlin based spinner. Based in the centre of the Electronic music world, Brejcha has carved out his own style that he calls High-Tech-Minimal; a cultish variety of Techno and Electro featuring booming bass lines and impulsive mood changes. This year he founded his own label, Fckng Serious, which aims to spread the idea of good music and serious parties around the globe. Perfect for a fckng serious gig.

Touted by Refaat as the biggest thing in Shaabi music today, El Dakhlaweya and DJ Filo hail from Alexandria and they'll be bringing their volatile brand of Egyptian rave music to the stage at D-CAF.

WHY BE (DENMARK) + ABYUSIF (EGYPT)

Fein? Sherazade Nightclub

Emta? Thursday 26th March 10:00PM

If you've always wondered what a Korean-born, Berlin-based, Danish Experimental Electronic and Hip Hop DJ/Producer's sound might be like, then you're just in like. Tobias Lee Christensen AKA Why Be will be splattering the former cabaret stage with a smorgasbord of glitch-y, erratic sample based, Noise and Trap-esque beats. Signed to the Danish label Syg Nok, the man's been around touring with similar left-field artists such as E+E, Chino Amobi, DJ Hvad, and Total Freedom.

Continuing on the night will be one of Egypt's most prolific underground rappers Abyusif. The enigmatic and very personal lyricist and beat maker, who has a release out almost every five seconds, has developed a massive following with his ruthless, sardonic spits and out-of-the-box sampling.

8% (EGYPT) + GOLDIEROCKS (UK) + HATEM EL CHIATI (Egypt)

Fein? The GrEEK Campus

Emta? Thursday 2nd April 9:00PM

Young Chiati will be opening up proceedings at D-CAF's first big concert in the renovated GrEEK Campus space. The multi-instrumentalist Besworx-signed producer and DJ started producing Electronic music a year and a half ago with some Dub and House after a sting with as guitarist with Bandetta band, and his recent projects purvey a mature and dark journey into the world of after hours Techno, influenced by the likes of Gardens of God.

The poster boys for the rise of Shaabi music, the 8%ers, which include the infamous Oka and Ortega as well as Shehta Karika and DJ Shaawaza, have had countless column inches and documentary films focused on their rise from urban wedding signers to international superstars of the frantic Shaabi movement that takes inspiration from traditional baladi beats, Hip Hop and Electro with a whole lot of auto-tuning. They'll be bringing their A game to the Cairo masses on the night, prepare for a SHOW.

The petite blonde with a huge reputation on the international DJ scene will be performing in Egypt for the first time. Goldierocks AKA Sam Hall has a celebrity following that includes the likes of Madonna, Giorgio Armani, Richard Branson and Jade Jagger having performed exclusively for them all. She currently hosts a weekly global radio show 'The Selector’ spinning a variety of House, Garage, Mash Up Electro and bass-heavy remixes and is the new voice of BBC Radio 1 with her 'Selector After Dark' show.

ISMAEL (EGYPT) + BOIKUTT (PALESTINE/USA) + BIRTH OF JOY (THE NETHERLANDS)

Fein? Sherazade Nightclub

Emta? Thursday 7th April 10:00PM

Known for his explosive Techno inclined sets one of Egypt's most revered underground producers and spinners will be bringing something all together different to the stage this year. Following a year gallivanting through Gothenburg, Sweden's experimental music scene as part of his theater space residency expect an exploration of Ismael's new found artistry that focuses on sound design, Noise and feedback for sounds. Expect carefully carved, soulful chaos. 

Boikutt, the Ramallah-based MC and beat-maker is one of the instigators of Palestine's underground Hip Hop scene as co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured the Middle East, as well as one third of audio-visual group Tashweesh. His unique sounds comes from aggressive fast trigger lyrics and a whole host of field recorded sampling that blend into his catalog of downtempo, Glitch, Experimental or Ambient Hip Hop.

Considering Egypt probably has the highest concentration of Pink Floyd fans in the world, Birth of Joy from Netherlands will bring plenty of smiles to a Cairean audience. Influenced by Psychedelica, Blues and Rock & Roll the Dutch trio have performed all across Europe and will be releasing a live album later this year.

Keep up to date with all of D-CAF's music events on the CairoScene calendar.