Magnetic Mix 223: Roo (JO)

Vudu, the club known for revolutionising the nightlife scene in Amman under the visionary guidance of Fairplay and Roo (JO), embarks on a groundbreaking journey with the launch of its label offshoot Vudu Amman.

Landing in May, their inaugural compilation album is a bold statement of evolution, marking Vudu’s transition from a celebrated local nightclub to an influential global music platform.

With the compilation landing later this month, we’ve been treated to an exclusive mix and interview about the project with Roo (JO).

Roo (JO) is a renowned music producer based in Jordan who has made a name for himself in the industry through his successful events and by hosting international DJs. He founded two highly-regarded nightclubs, Vudu and U Roof Lounge. With a talent for bringing together the best in music and entertainment, driven by his passion for the music scene, Roo (JO) is poised for a big year in 2024, with upcoming releases and bigger events.

Interview With Roo (JO)

What initially inspired you to expand Vudu from a nightclub into a global music label, and how do you envision this influencing the electronic music scene in Jordan and beyond?

Hey guys! Just wanted to start off with a big thank you for chatting with me and putting together this opportunity to share more about what I’ve been working on! Also I really hope you enjoy the mix!

The idea started around the end of our first events season at Vudu. We had developed such a good connection with the artists that we had the pleasure of hosting, and thought of putting together a compilation once a year, featuring artists that played at our events that season. Vudu Amman would be the first electronic music label of its kind based out of Jordan, and I think it would definitely provide a platform and source of encouragement for the next generation of producers in the country. I also hope that it helps in promoting Jordan as a destination for electronic music.

How do you balance your dual roles as a co-founder and a contributing artist when curating the compilation for Vudu Amman?

I’m very attached to my sound as an artist, but I don’t let my taste skew my judgment when curating releases for the compilation. I try to remain more objective with my decisions for the label and not let my style or the things I am really into take over my decision process, and try my best to choose what is best for the label.

You have a reputation for integrating Middle Eastern elements into contemporary electronic music. Can you discuss how this unique blend is represented in the new compilation?

The compilation includes a track by my partners and co-founders Fairplay called “Môj”. The track features beautiful arabic vocals by local talent Keena, and really embodies the fusion you are referring to. We also just released a single by SHAMI, another Jordanian talent, which is an edit of an Arabic classic by Amr Diab. I’m really excited to see more of this fusion, I think we are witnessing the creation of a new sub-genre of today’s electronic music with an arabic touch to it.

What criteria did you use to select the artists and tracks for Vudu Amman’s inaugural compilation? How did you ensure diversity and depth in the album’s lineup?

We began by asking the amazing artists we’ve hosted in Jordan over the last few seasons, and that on its own made the compilation super diverse, especially with the genres and styles of electronic music. We have tracks on the compilation that range from Afro to Indie Dance and Melodic House and Techno. We also wanted to showcase Jordanian talents along with the international roster, and about a third of the tracks in there are made by local artists.

Can you share more about your personal contributions to the compilation? How do they reflect your evolution as an artist?

My track “Onfa Nkosi” releasing on the comp is one of my favorite pieces of work. Over the years I’ve been influenced by many genres and enjoyed experimenting with many styles of music, but somehow always found myself leaning towards sounds with a tribal touch, and I think this track reflects that. It has incredible Yoruba vocals with heavy basslines, and lush chords, all elements of music that I’ve picked up from inspirations over the years and journey as an artist.

Working closely with Fairplay, how do the two of you influence each other creatively, and what have you learned from this collaboration?

It really has been life changing for me to have met the guys from Fairplay. Jordan was quite scarce with producers and creatives in the electronic music scene, and finally being surrounded by others that are like minded, and that have a very similar taste in music has been incredible. We constantly bounce around ideas, and spend a lot of time together working on music in their studio. Their experience as established artists has been so valuable to me as I’m making my own moves to establish myself as an artist on the international stage.

With the launch of Vudu Amman, what long-term goals do you have for the label? Are there specific artists or sounds you’re eager to explore or promote?

I’d love to see Vudu Amman grow more internationally, and to become synonymous with Jordanian electronic music. We really want to encourage the local artists and provide them with a platform to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience. Both VIDI and Keena are two artists we are really excited for, and are definitely artists you should keep an eye out for!

As a founder of two successful nightclubs and now a music label, what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the industry, and how have you addressed them?

Looking back, I think building a community and a culture that is unique to Jordan were definitely the most challenging. The popularity increase in electronic music worldwide really helped push the scene here, but it seemed we were borrowing from other cultures and trends from elsewhere. We honestly just continued our format of combining a variety of international artists with local acts. We eventually reached a point that we have established a healthy and vibrant community, and naturally over time, established our own nightlife culture, and it is very exciting to see it evolve organically!

How does Vudu Amman contribute to the local music community in Jordan, and what steps are you taking to foster local talent?

As primarily an events brand, we really make sure to curate our events’ lineup to include local talent. We also regularly host our beloved Resident’s Night, where it is our local artists that are given the opportunity to play the main hours of the night. We also make sure to provide a platform for the younger generation of artists, many of the younger Jordanian DJ’s are students living abroad for their studies, and we try to scout and to give them a slot in our events to maximize their exposure to our established community, when they return during Summer or Winter break.

For someone listening to the Vudu Amman compilation for the first time, what kind of journey do you hope they experience through the album?

The compilation really does provide a journey through different genres, and varying degrees of intensity. The tracks are all very dancefloor oriented and I think the comp overall mimics what you might hear at any given rave in Amman, and we hope that anyone who listens to the compilation might get a taste of what our music scene has to offer.