Listening to Adam Baluch perform, you might hear the boom of a bass drum, the twang of a funk guitar, some soaring strings, a chiming piano, the blurt of a trumpet and a rap laid on top of a whole choir of voices.
But look at the stage and there is just one guy standing there with a guitar. How does he do it?
Baluch isn’t singing along to a pre-recorded backing track. Everything you can hear was performed live on the spot, a few moments before you heard it. It’s just that he isn’t playing it all at once.
Welcome to the world of live looping. This is a world in which once it is played, a musical idea can be repeated, round and round, over and over, while fresh layers and textures are added to create a whole orchestra of sound.
Using a smart little pedal, Baluch – a talented multi-instrumentalist – can beatbox, play keyboard, guitar, percussion and sing several vocal parts, adding a potentially infinite number of “live loops” to a single track as he goes along.
Live looping technology has existed since the early 1990s, but has become much more popular in the past few years. Once a niche novelty, bearded folkies and lounge cover acts alike are now frequently spotted stabbing a toe at the magic box of tricks beside their feet.
Why the soaring popularity? “Ed Sheeran,” says Baluch in a matter-of-fact way, name-checking the perky, young pop troubadour who is selling out stadiums worldwide with only a guitar and looper for support. “But, funnily enough, he was never an influence on me.”
I believe him. In fact, 34-year-old Baluch may have been looping longer than Sheeran – the Dubai-born musician picked up his first pedal eight years ago, when Sheeran was still an unknown, unsigned teenager. Weird, then, that Baluch was called on to warm up the crowd for Sheeran’s Dubai gig in March. I can’t resist asking him the obvious question – who’s the better looper?
“I can do everything he does – and I’m doing more with a loop station. A lot more,” says Baluch. “I don’t mean to sound arrogant. But people think he’s the ultimate looper. There’s a lot of people looping out there.
“He’s got great songs, and that voice, his playing, he can entertain thousands of people by himself – and that’s awesome. But I can loop like that, trust me.”
While he might not have three 80,000-capacity shows coming up at London’s Wembley Stadium – as Sheeran has in July – Baluch is certainly picking up fans fast.
As well as the great ginger one, in the past 12 months Baluch has supported Lionel Richie and Lily Allen. He’s preparing for a five-date tour of the Middle East and Asia warming up for The Wailers – Bob Marley’s former band – which begins on May 16 and arrives at Dubai’s Irish Village on May 21.
And with his sights set far beyond the region, Baluch has summer dates booked in London and Ibiza – with a four-track EP set to drop on May 31 as a free download.
Born in Dubai to a Ugandan father and an American mother, Baluch’s early years were spent growing up in the UAE, United States, Australia, United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. But his home life was less cosmopolitan – despite being introduced to the trumpet at the age of 8, Baluch says rock and pop music were banned from his childhood home.
“The trumpet wasn’t my choice, it was forced,” he says. Piano lessons followed soon after, and Baluch often performed in church when he was young.
“Music for my family was very spiritual,” he says. “My mum loved classical music, but I don’t think the classical thing was for me.”
As a result, Baluch didn’t touch a guitar until he was 23, but began writing his first songs within weeks of doing so. Having settled in Australia, in his 20s he led an eight-piece band called Shero – Baluch’s middle name – which recorded one album but failed to take off. While performing solo at a local talent-search gig about eight years ago, a mysterious stranger gave Baluch a piece of advice that would change his life.
“I was playing guitar and beatboxing, then I’d start singing, then go back to beatboxing, always swapping between the two,” says Baluch. “This guy came up to me afterwards, he was like: ‘Bro, I got this thing, you need to think about getting it’.”
That thing was – yes – a loop pedal, and when Baluch decided to move back to Dubai four years ago, it was the first thing he packed.
Still gigging solo under the name of Shero, Baluch formed the popular covers duo Few As Much with Brazilian seven-string guitar whizz Ziryab. The pair hosted a residency at the former Madinat Jumeirah jazz club Jambase, among other venues, and picked up local acclaim – as much for Baluch’s inventive looping as Ziryab’s phenomenal chops.
“There are only a handful of musicians that have really influenced me, and Ziryab is one of them,” Baluch says. “He’s one of the best guitarists in the world, wherever you are in the world.”
When the duo called it a day, Baluch began playing solo, organically augmenting his already trademark guitar and beatbox loops with piano and trumpet parts. And he bought a radio mic.
Baluch’s onstage performance at Zero Gravity is spellbinding – not only in the way he exploits his technology (and talents) to conjure up folk, soul, reggae and pop grooves all alone, but in his newfound charisma, a sudden star quality that was lacking a year ago.
Towards the end of his third set, Baluch loops up a thick funk on the Diana Ross track I'm Coming Out, before confidently strolling out into the crowd for a rap turn, his dreads bouncing in his wake.
Returning to the stage, he cuts the loops and mutters: “By the way, everything is live today, everyone,” into the mic, laughing. Then the phrase repeats. Again and again, looping round and round – both a playful joke, and a battle cry of intent.
The Gear
Instruments
Guitar
Baluch plays a dark sunburst Taylor acoustic guitar that looks as if it’s fresh out of the box. “It’s two months old,” he confirms. “I had a Taylor guitar, but my friend left it in a taxi.” Ouch. We wouldn’t want to be that guy. He uses Elixir strings, 12-53 gauge.
Keyboard
Baluch’s warm key sounds come courtesy of the Korg SV-1 Stage Vintage, which recreates the classic analogue sounds of eras gone by. “I love this thing,” says Baluch. “It’s the most heavy thing I have to carry around, but you just get great tones.”
Trumpet
Baluch’s first instrument is the trumpet, which he’s been playing for more than 25 years – a decade longer than the guitar. While looping troubadours are becoming increasingly common, it’s Baluch’s ability to add big, bright trumpet melodies that help him stand out from the crowd.
Tambourine
A good old tambourine can be called on to sprinkle additional percussive textures into the mix.
Electronics
Boss RC-300 loop station
One of the most popular – and accomplished – loop stations, this device features three separate stereo channels, allowing layers to be added and subtracted mid-song. Recording, stopping and repeating a loop is as simple as stepping on one of the device’s six pedals. Despite a list price of about Dh2,800, Baluch always packs a spare. “You never know what’s going to happen,” he says.
Mackie ProFX12 mixing desk
With all his instruments and mics plugging into one place – the looper – Baluch premixes the sound and balance first. He uses five inputs on the 12-line desk – his guitar, a beatbox mic, vocal mic, and two-track stereo keyboards. He also uses a third mic that bypasses the looper, allowing him to sing live while looping a guitar or piano part.
TC Electronics noise gate
If a live mic picks up an unwanted sound when looping – say, a gust of wind – it will be repeated round and round, like a scratch on a vinyl record. This “gate” guardian filters out unwanted ambient noises by only letting through sounds above a certain volume.
Wah pedal
Despite all the electronics, Baluch is relatively unusual as a guitarist, packing just one effects pedal (an electronic device that alters the sound of the instrument). His one stomp box is a wah-wah pedal, which produces the funky, “wah” sound popularised by Jimi Hendrix and predominant in funk music.
• Adam Baluch performs at The Gramercy, DIFC, on Tuesdays; Tribeca, JA Ocean View Hotel, on Fridays; and Zero Gravity, SkyDive Dubai, on Saturdays. Check out facebook.com/adambaluch for news and updates
rgarratt@thenational.ae
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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 BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
RACE CARD
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 (PA) Listed Dh230,000 1,600m
6.30pm: HH The President’s Cup (PA) Group 1 Dh2.5million 2,200m
7pm: HH The President’s Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,200m.
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Marital status: Single
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
