Absolut Spotlight: Moving Still Is Driving Ireland’s Newfound Love For Middle Eastern Music
Absolut Spotlight: Moving Still Is Driving Ireland’s Newfound Love For Middle Eastern Music
Over recent years, we have fallen in love with Arabic music. No DJ in Dublin exemplifies this more than Moving Still. He is credited as spearheading the new South-West Asian/North African night ‘Klub Sukar’, which debuted in Dublin and also saw the legendary Nooriyah headlining a night. The first night went down a storm and now the city has caught the bug for the more-than-lively sounds of the Middle East.
Part of MixMag’s “Artists to watch 2025”, Moving Still is part of an evolving nightlife in Dublin, one which is offering more variety of sound than we have seen before. It’s an amalgamation of culture facilitated by the beauty of international music.
Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Jamal Sul moved to Ireland at 14. Raised in a family atmosphere of music adoration, it comes as no surprise that he is in the position he is today. His sound is an homage to his heritage and lived experience.
His curation of forgotten SWANA tracks fall under his series ‘Ouddy Bangers’. Places like Klub Sukar are a haven for the preservation of undeniably great Arab music.
Just a glance at Moving Still’s 2022 Boiler Room shows you the eclectic nature of Moving Still’s production and selection. We’re hearing synth-pop merged with Italo disco, sprinkled with acid-house and finishes off with a constant current of the SWANA soundscapes.
Most recently, Moving Still dropped his project ‘Close To The Shams’ with a central sound of the Middle East, combined with samples and basslines we’re ever so familiar within the clubs of Dublin and Europe.
The bond between Ireland and the Arab community has never been stronger, and this is shown through Club Sukar. Selling out venues across Dublin, go to a night and you will not only see native SWANA folk, but the most Irish of Irish enthralled with the selection of music. It’s a beautiful thing to see, and we can only expect it to grow more throughout Ireland.
Moving Still is playing on Sunday at 14:00 at The Cirrus Stage at Beyond The Pale 2025, look out for the Absolut bar serving cocktails nearby all weekend long. Click here to grab tickets.
Please enjoy Absolut responsibly. Visit www.drinkaware.ie for more information.
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