HARTLEY'S WHIRLWIND RISE: HOW HARD WORK PAID OFF IN DUBAI'S NIGHTLIFE

Please introduce yourself and describe your sound...

I’m Hartley, born in the UK to a British father and Polish mother. Growing up in a musical household with my dad as a bass player, I was surrounded by 80s music, which heavily influenced my journey. I’ve been passionate about electronic music since childhood—my first iPod age 11 was packed with everything from Happy Hardcore to Dubstep and D&B, which I still love today. My sound revolves around groove, blending different sub genres of house to keep the energy flowing.

How long have you been DJ'ing overall and when did you move to Dubai, what have been your stand out DJ moments here?

I moved to Dubai in September 2013 after a summer in Ibiza, where music from that golden era still inspires me. Fridays were all about Blue Marlin, watching artists like WAFF, Jamie Jones and Joseph Capriati. That same year, I got my first DJ controller as a Christmas gift and started experimenting and trying to DJ. I've always loved digging and would spend time finding new music.

Fast forward 6/7 years, I had lessons from my friend Callum (he still to this day is one of the best DJs I know, he was also my PT at the time!) and I got my first residency that year. I started to learn to produce on a couple of platforms in 2021 and got my first one to one production lessons soon after which I think really helped. Key moments playing here include playing Dubai’s Elrow event in 2023 and a set for Defected. Going from empty restaurants to global parties has been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way and given me a chance.

What are your Top 3 Dubai venues / events and why?

There are lots of cool new venues, but if I have to narrow down to three my favourite places to play:\

Gate Two by Iris – A small-capacity venue with unmatched energy. I love its intimate vibe, the no-phone policy, and the freedom to connect with the crowd—it’s a space for ultimate creativity.

Lumi Beach, UAQ – This venue holds a special place in my heart as it was where I first played my own sound with a huge thanks to the Ollie Daze crew. The newly revamped space has an incredible sound system and what the sunkssd guys are doing there, a stunning sunset, and feels like a hidden gem outside the city and I think this place really has potential, I also like it's outside of Dubai.

Bohemia by FIVE – An amazing outdoor venue with a top-tier sound system. There’s something magical about playing open-air sets, especially during this time of year

Where can we catch you performing in the near future?

Summer is only around the corner and I'm really excited to be playing UNUM Festival in Albania in June and have some cool shows lined up in Ibiza and UK and during the quieter Ramadan period in Dubai, I'll be playing nice daytime vibe sets at Zeta 77 in Dubai in March.

What's been your biggest release to date and what further releases / collaborations do you have coming up?

I'd say my biggest release so far is the Proud She’s Mine EP on Rawsome, which reached #1 on Beatport—something I’m very proud of (no pun intended!). My latest release, Bounce on Reecords, has received amazing global support and has been climbing the charts in the Top 100.

I have a release on Darius Syrossian's label Moxy in March which I'm very excited about. Moxy has been a goal label of me so great to have a release on the label this year. Darius was a huge influence in my late teens when I was a passionate raver and I went to his parties during my summer seasons. With a string of other releases signed and coming out during the the year, I can't wait to show the world what I've been working on and have just signed to another goal label of mine.. More info to follow.