Dubfire - Dance Department Podcast 150 - Jul 2008

Biography of Dubfire

Dubfire (aka Ali Shirazinia)--one half of the Grammy Award winning and four-time nominated electronic music duo Deep Dish--has joined forces with Global Underground for the April 10 release of his first solo mix album Dubfire GU31 – Taipei. The 2-CD mix set is a sweeping change from anything you would have previously expected to hear from the Deep Dish member and it features the finest in house, electro, techno, and even industrial music.

Growing up in the Washington, DC area, Dubfire spent much of his youth playing the guitar in school bands and listening to heavy doses of classic Hip-Hop, jazz/rare groove, dub reggae, new wave and industrial. Dubfire was also influenced by the local punk scene and the music of hometown bands like Fugazi and Minor Threat. Members of these bands also worked at a local record store called Yesterday And Today Records, and this is where Dubfire first picked up on the sounds of acts such as Kraftwerk, Ministry, Jesus & Mary Chain, Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, Adrian Sherwood/On-U Sound and Einsturzende Neubauten. Through this heavy industrial influence, namely the sound of Chicago’s famed Wax Trax! label, Dubfire discovered the Chicago house scene and what labels like Trax and D.J. International Records were releasing.

Dubfire’s eclectic new mix is the product of his diverse past and addictive music personality, and this mix is more about Dubfire personally and as a DJ. Dubfire’s mix was compiled with tracks that he’s both really into at the moment and that have also had a profound influence on shaping his love for music. Dubfire GU31 – Taipei is laced full of gems from a diverse lot including Depeche Mode, Carl Craig, Booka Shade, Extrawelt, Samuel L Session and Nitzer Ebb. However, the biggest surprise of all comes with Dubfire’s original production “I Feel Speed;” a cover of an obscure Love & Rockets song that, for the first time, features his own vocals!

Dubfire GU31 – Taipei is released April 10 on Global Underground. Keep an eye out for April/May tour dates and several major events at the Winter Music Conference in March.

Deep Dish’s previous releases for Global Underground include GU-025: Toronto (2003), Deep Dish - Global Underground 021: Moscow (2001) and Sharam GU29 – Dubai (2006). For more information on Dubfire and/or Deep Dish, please visit deepdish.com.

AWARDS


Winner: International Dance Music Award 2005 for Best House/Garage Track 'Say Hello', Best Progressive/Trance Track 'Say Hello' and Ortofon Best American DJ Award
Nominee: Grammy Award 2005 'Best Dance Recording' for Deep Dish's 'Say Hello'
Winner: Grammy Award 2002 'Best Remixed Recording' for Dido's 'Thank You'
Nominee: Grammy Award 2001 'Remixer of The Year' (NonClassical)
Winner: International Dance Music Awards 2005 for Best Underground Dance Track for 'Flashdance'
Winner: DanceStar USA Award 2004 for Best Compilation (US Releases) for Deep Dish - GU 025: Toronto (Global Underground) and Best DJ
Nominee: DanceStar USA Award 2004 for Best Remix (Worldwide DJ's) for P. Diddy's 'Let's Get Ill' (Deep Dish Remix) (Bad Boy)
Winner: Ibiza DJ Award 2004 for Best Set of the Season
Winner: DanceStar USA Award 2002 Best Compilation for Deep Dish - GU 021: Moscow (Global Underground)
Nominee: DanceStar USA Award 2003 Party 93.1 FM Award for Best Remix for Justin Timberlake's 'Like I Love You' (Deep Dish remix) (Jive)
'Hot Duo', Rolling Stone, August 2001
Winner: Muzik Magazine SAS Award 1998 'Best International DJ'
DEEP DISH ALSO RANKED


Number 1 in the 'Best Progressive DJ' category of BPM Magazine's 2006 'America's Favorite DJ's' poll
Number 2 in the 'Best Dance/DJ Artist' category by the critics of Rolling Stone for their music awards of 2001
Number 10 in DJ Magazine's World's Top 100 DJ's reader's poll for 2006, number 8 for 2005, number 10 for 2004, number 9 for 2003, number 16 in 2002, and number 10 in 2001
Number 5 out of 50 of 'America's Favorite DJ's' in BPM in 2005, number 12 in 2004 and number 9 in 2003 and 2002