For His Jolene Debut, Dubfire Brings an Ever-Changing Perspective

Whether you know Ali Shirazinia as one-half of the '90s and 2000s duo Deep Dish, the hard-bitten, sleek techno solo DJ known as Dubfire, or are just discovering the name for the first time, Shirazinia never fails to entertain the crowd as much as he does inform them with his 30 years on the scene.

Naturally, the crowd at Jolene Sound Room on Friday, August 30, should expect nothing less from the DJ extraordinaire.

"It's going to be nice to play a smaller room, something more intimate," Shirazinia tells New Times from his Barcelona home. "I can also show a different side of me that I don't usually show to Miami."

Shirazini shifted toward music after his family immigrated from Iran to Washington, D.C., during the Iranian Revolution. As a kid, he discovered new wave through bands like Depeche Mode, whose rollicking synth work captivated him. Not being able to speak English, he befriended other immigrants "who collectively retreated into the arts" during those early days in D.C., and Shirazinia zeroed in on music.

"It was an escape and where I felt comfortable without speaking," he explains.

He started DJing at house parties and joined several bands before he started spinning at D.C. clubs once he was old enough. "Once DJ culture took me, it never left," he adds.

At a serendipitous party in 1991, Shirazinia met Sharam Tayebi, and the two formed Deep Dish, who sparked those halcyon days of '90s electronica with pivotal shows at Club Space and Twilo as well as albums, remixes, and especially their 1998 Essential Mix, one of the greatest mixes in dance music.

"That mix was done live onto digital audio tapes, no Pro Tools or software or anything to line up the tracks or create loops. It was just on the fly, and if you messed up, you just had to start over again," Shirazinia says.

The pair earned Grammy nominations in 2001 for "Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical" and in 2006 for "Best Dance Recording" for the track "Say Hello." Deep Dish won a Grammy in 2002 for "Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical" for the duo's remix of Dido's "Thank You."
After Deep Dish went on a hiatus in the late 2000s, Shirazinia evolved into Dubfire, moving away from the hip-moving house sound for minimal techno. In 2007, he also founded the record label Sci+Tec.

Despite the all-black wardrobe and deadpan expression, Shirazinia still embodies the same eager music connoisseur from D.C. During his set at Jolene, Shirazinia plans to introduce Romanian house music, a sleek, less-austere sound that keeps a steady rhythm.

"It's always exciting, challenging, and terrifying, all at the same time, to go into a weekend wearing different hats," he says. "I love being out of my comfort zone; I don't want to dial anything in. I want to feel the pressure. It's what we get paid to do; we're music curators."

Shirazinia's ties with Miami's club scene go as far back as his career. He recalls first arriving in the Magic City in the early '90s.

"We would attend conferences during Winter Music Conference and meet everyone whose music we were interested in. That was an existing period, and Miami represented a meeting point," he remembers. "Everyone would work hard in the fall and winter to have that big Miami record, and that was really exciting."

One of those early gigs included a set at Club Space in 2002, which was miraculously recorded and uploaded to YouTube. "Everyone was playing Liquid, Warsaw Ballroom, and Club Space, which, I think, was an extension of club structure in New York City — the atmosphere, lighting, the booth, it had that black-box feel. Every DJ I know still gets excited about playing Miami."

In addition to fresh new Dubfire material, expect to hear two remixes from a band that played a pivotal role in Shirazinia's musical upbringing on August 16.

"Einstürzende Neubauten has a new album out, Rampen (apm: alien pop music). I was such a fanboy since the mid-'80s and to have the opportunity to do two remixes that the whole band asked me to remix, I was terrified and excited with the prospect of them even listening to it," he adds.

Following the duo's return in 2015, Deep Dish now has something in store for fans. "I think we'll announce during the Amsterdam Dance Event," Shirazinia says. "Fans have recently seen us release some classic singles online for the first time. We're trying to get our back catalogue online responsibly."

Despite not fulfilling the dream of many immigrants to see their children become surgeons or judges, Shirazinia turned his love of music into a lasting legacy.

"Looking back, I achieved far more than I ever thought possible," he says. "It shows how inspiring the American dream can be to an immigrant."

Dubfire. With Djebali and Djebali. 10 p.m. Friday, August 30, at Jolene Sound Room, 200 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-603-9818; jolenesoundroom.com. Tickets cost $20 to $40 via dice.fm.