When Jay Wud plugs in, what normally comes out is a thunderous sound.
But for his latest project, the Dubai rocker replaced guitars and amps for computers and synthesisers.
His new EP Nabad is a complete left turn for the Lebanese artist, who with his namesake band, is renowned for two albums of driving rock and supporting the likes of Metallica, Gun N' Roses and Motley Crue at their respective UAE shows.
Ironically, Wud's move to electronica was inspired by the recording process of his band's previous effort, 2017's super heavy Transitions.
Spending time in a Los Angeles studio with Grammy award nominated producer Howard Benson (who has worked with Santana, My Chemical Romance and Three Day's Grace), Wud recalls being inspired by his dedication to the painstaking craft of creating evocative sonic landscapes. Like songwriting, it was through Benson he learnt that sound production has its own language and principles.
“I was there with him in different times over a space of three years and just to spend that time with an A-class producer and his team got me really interested in the possibility of sound production,” he says.
“I have been working in the region for a long time and I have never seen such professionalism from that side of the music business. It made me hungry to learn more about it.”
That interest turned into a new creative passion once Wud partnered with Lebanese experimental jazz man Elie Afif, who turned him on to synthesiser and beat-making software.
Wud took to it like a kid with shiny new toys.
“It opened a different world for me with endless musical possibilities,” he says. “Normally, when I do things I am super focused about it and it was the same with this. I became obsessed by it and I was making new beats every day.”
From more than 50 pieces produced, four were chosen to form Nabad. Translated to 'Pulse', the near-10-minute collection lives up to its name. It is a vigorous set of electronic tracks, ranging from ambient to dark wave, featuring spiralling synth lines and frenetic beats.
That air of urgency is also heightened by a pair of strong appearances by Lebanese rapper El Rass, whose socially conscious wordplay is found on the highlights Min Wein and Omran.
Those pining for Wud's older sound should enjoy the chugging riffs that underscore the dystopian vibes of Aymata.
Wud considers Nabad as an exciting new chapter in his career. Instead of pummelling listeners with riffs, he is now deriving thrills from discovering new depth and subtleties to specific sounds.
Reaching that level required him to learn a new way of listening to music.
“Hearing it as a fan and producer are two very different things,” he says. “For one thing, it is a more critical listening session and there is a lot of technical stuff to it. But before all of that, what I am looking for is the emotion of the track. That is critical to any song, it has to be driven by some sense of emotion.”
It has been a lesson Wud has been sharing in his burgeoning career as a producer. His production credits include last year's 9MM by Tunisian rapper Samara, which garnered more than nine million views on YouTube and Quietly, the soon to be released single by Lebanese pop singer Anthony Touma.
With plenty of his own solo material left in store, Wud aims to follow up Nabad with a quarantine inspired electronic album.
While he is yet to define the sound he is looking for with the future project, Wud promises it will be a true reflection of how he is feeling at present.
After all, it was a key piece of advice Benson gave him: "He said that once I do a record it becomes a part of history," he says. "You have to look at it like it is a picture of you in a particular time. That way you learn to accept it for what it is and you don't judge it and say you should have done things differently. I just love that, because it sounds simple and it makes absolute sense."
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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