MDLBEAST: Creating a Musical Tribe in the Region
Riyadh: MDLBEAST is not just a platform for music lovers, it’s a tribe that is building a community in the region through initiatives like the Soundstorm festival, according to the platform’s Chief Creative Officer Ahmad AlAmmary, also known as DJ Baloo. The Saudi veteran DJ and producer, with over two decades of experience, shared his insights during an interview with Arab News’ “The Mayman Show” for the launch of its sixth season.
AlAmmary’s role goes beyond just music – it involves finding creative solutions on multiple levels, he explained.
“It’s been my role since the onset of this whole project. My background sits between design thinking, brand development, and brand strategy, and music,” the CCO said, emphasizing that his role is a perfect fit for him.
“Creatively, you know, every day is its own day. There’s no system for creativity. Its context is whatever comes your way, whatever problem you’re solving — that’s where your creativity sits,” he added.
MDLBEAST’s goal since its launch in 2019 has been to immerse itself in all aspects of the creative music industry, AlAmmary highlighted.
“From the onset, the big splash was Soundstorm, but we had every intention of launching our record labels, our music conferences, and XP Music Future,” he mentioned.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, MDLBEAST seized the opportunity to focus on providing entertainment to its audience.
“So, whether or not you (could) go to an event, we were still around there to … provide the music and to provide the entertainment,” AlAmmary explained.
After pandemic restrictions eased, MDLBEAST continued on its path, starting with flagship live events and introducing new record labels.
“We had … launched MDLBEAST Records, Qabo, Wattar, Maestro-Lab and, most recently, Mahoul Records. Each of these labels, for example, serves … a niche. Above and beyond, our conference is a really unique experience that gathers people from around the region. We have a day and night experience. During the day, it’s all about learning and networking, connecting, and collaborating. And at night, that turns into a regional music showcase,” AlAmmary detailed.
MDLBEAST shines a spotlight on emerging brands that are shaping the underground music scene in Saudi Arabia across various genres, the CCO emphasized.
“It’s just been, you know, a lot of fun … but also a lot of … work. We’re turning around projects left and right,” he noted, revealing that the platform is now “diving into venues” with the launch of Beast House, Riyadh’s first music and creative members club, as per the MDLBEAST website.
“We developed these smaller pop-up events, with more intimate settings,” AlAmmary shared, explaining that the events take place in abandoned spaces, allowing MDLBEAST to showcase its creativity.
“We can take over and create an experience that is very unique,” he added. “We saw that with Tahlia in Jeddah and Irqah in Riyadh, the abandoned hospital … We’re looking at all of these different spaces and projects as … fun experiences that we can create for our people and platforms for musicians to shine.”
Reflecting on his own journey, AlAmmary credited his creative upbringing to his musically-inclined family.
“My eldest brother, Khalid, actually, he was kind of like the cultural center of our family. Everything from film to music, design, art, you know, we always had a deep interest in the arts because of his influence. Especially with me and house music — that’s where I learned it. I learned it from Khalid,” he shared.
Starting his musical journey at a young age, the DJ and producer built a collection of music by the time he was 17.
“Years later, you know, I started to get things like a residency in Bahrain … I would just travel to Beirut and the gigs would appear,” he reminisced.