NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host the fourth edition of its electronic music festival ElectroFest on Saturday, February 17 at 3:30pm at The Arts Center in The Black Box. Themed AmbiNoise, this year’s lineup will feature locally-based artists, along with performers from Oman, who will showcase unconventional facets of the region’s electronic music genre.

The immersive one-day experience is curated by Safeya Alblooshi, a Music and Sound Cultures (MaSC) Research Assistant and former NYUAD student who is a Kawader Fellow - a unique research fellowship program that allows outstanding Emirati graduates to gain research experience. Under her guidance, the festival’s fourth edition will include a harsh noise project, a corrupted lecture performance, drone music, ambient compositions, and manipulated field recordings, among other variations of electronic music. 

A dynamic mix of performers ranges from those with established visibility within the scene to hidden gems maintaining a lower profile. Alblooshi, who is also a Numoo Artist Fellow and performer, nominator, and curator for The Art Center’s Hekayah, aims to provide a space for local and regional artists who, while not necessarily tied to the conventional nightlife circuit, contribute significantly to the UAE’s vibrant electronic music landscape.

“We are thrilled to announce the fourth-ever edition of ElectroFest which, for the first time, will be curated by NYUAD’s very own Safeya Alblooshi. With her guidance, we have selected fantastic artists from the UAE and Oman to provide audiences with an unforgettable experience. For anyone with an ear for experimental genres, as well as those with a keen curiosity for arts and culture in general, AmbiNoise serves as a vital platform for musicians and the public to share in the creation of distinctive, vital sounds that represent the region’s wide spectrum of thrilling electronic music.”