After joining hands in 2020, Jenn Getz & Alfie became Dubai’s only female DJ duo to spread their unmatched energy through music.
The British artists are resident DJs at Soho Garden Al Meydan and Soho Garden the Palm and have been the opening acts for renowned DJs such as Fisher, Claptone and more.
Known for their tech house and house tracks, the pair have undoubtedly created a loyal fanbase in the region and beyond.
As they continue to break stereotypes in the industry, Emirates Woman sat down with Jenn Getz & Alfie to delve into their career.
What was your favourite subject at school?
Jenn: My favorite subject was dance. I’m a person with a lot of energy and I find it hard to sit still so dancing was a way to channel that. I trained in ballet for 15 years, although you would never guess now because all I do is two-step. Dance was pivotal for me, it taught me discipline, and about my body and music.
Alfie: Dance and sport were my favorites. I was always extremely shy at school, however, found I could really express myself through dance. It was actually the first career I chose to pursue. I thrived in anything to do with rhythm and music.
What was your first job?
Jenn: I have had some hilarious jobs in my time. I have been a milk woman in Australia, worked in a gold mining town in the middle of Austraila, and fire danced in Cambodia.
Alfie: I got my first job at 14, helping out my family cleaning business. I was genuinely terrible at it, but I have always worked and jumped through so many jobs whilst carving my way to making my passion of being a DJ into my career. While I started out DJing wherever I could in some less than desirable venues, working in these places helped me to make essential connections that helped me to get where I am today.
What eventually brought you to Dubai?
Jenn: Whilst I was living in Bali I learned to DJ at a boat party on a little island, Gili Trawangan. I was so inspired, so I kept practicing and got to the point where I knew it was what I wanted to do. I knew Dubai would be a place of opportunity for me as a DJ, so I left the barefoot Bali life, bought a pair of shoes and moved to Dubai.
Alfie: I had been DJing solidly in the United Kingdom for a few years when a friend from Dubai reached out to me to ask if I would like to make the move and play a residency here. While it was daunting at first to move so far away, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.
What inspired you to enter the music space?
Jenn: Since I have danced for as long as I can remember, I always knew how to count music from a young age, that was the connection. Music is second nature for me. Another inspiration was my friend from Indonesia, DJ – RD, he taught me initially how to DJ, and I learned so much from him. Through watching him I realized the ability to control a crowd of people and knew I wanted to try my own hand at it.
Alfie: Being a dancer I was always attracted to music. I could feel the beats if that makes sense. Making the transition to DJing felt natural to me and it just really clicked that it’s my calling in life. Music production has naturally been the next step. Finding a duo partner was an added bonus, our two minds together are greater than one and that inspires us both to continue growing in the music industry.
Talk us through what it’s like being ‘the first female DJ duo’ in the region.
Jenn: There are so many female DJs in Dubai and music can be a ruthless industry, there’s a hugely competitive nature to the community. It was a breath of fresh air to meet Alfie, we immediately clicked, and started to practice together when DJing wasn’t allowed in public venues due to COVID restrictions. We discovered that we play the same style, and we had a laugh chatting and mixing. We decided to team up, knowing that collaboration would make us stronger, and empower each other and other women together.
Alfie: It’s extremely exciting and humbling that we can make a statement as a female duo. We’re so empowered to represent women in a very male-dominated industry. We want to inspire as many girls as possible to have the confidence to take the leap and be recognised for their talents.
What are the key elements of your role?
Jenn: The job of a DJ is to take the crowd on a journey. Being the person in control of that journey and watching the crowd move, its magic.
Alfie: As a DJ you are essentially creating someone’s night and their memories. You can take someone on a journey through your sets and even through your own tracks. It’s a very powerful skill to have and especially to do it as a duo, reading each other and using our chemistry to move others.
Talk us through your daily routine.
Jenn: My routine really depends on what time we were working until the night before as our career demands lots of late nights. My general routine consists of a lot of self-care, meditation, gym, dog walking, beach walks (when it’s not 50 degrees), trips to the mall as we need a never-ending amount of clothes, a lot of music preparation and education, continuous learning and searching for new music.
Alfie: As Jenn said, it varies from day to day depending on what we have scheduled —however, there is always a good cup of tea in my daily routine. I start the day at the gym. Later on, whether it be a studio session together, content creation of set recordings, mixes, radio or prepping for sets, our days revolve around honing our craft. We have to make sure our music is up to date and find new tracks to show the crowd.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
Jenn: Hustle and keep hustling some more, nothing is impossible.
Alfie: Go for it. Nothing is impossible – my friend sent me a quote once that has always stuck with me: ‘What if I fall?’ ‘Oh, but my darling what if you fly?’ It’s a perfect summary to always go for it.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Jenn: That energy flows where attention flows, and if you don’t ask the answer is always no.
Alfie: Everything happens for a reason. Be that good or bad but always take it in your stride.
And what is the worst?
Jenn: I’ve probably been given lots of terrible advice, but I haven’t given it a second thought so I can’t remember.
Alfie: I was once told I would never be a good or successful DJ and that I should try something else. To be honest this kick-started the fire in my belly to work even harder and become the artist I am today.
What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
Jenn: Being females in this male-dominated industry is challenging, it should be about the music but sadly it isn’t always…
Alfie: Having the recognition of talent and hard work. As females overcoming the image of us just being women and not talented is difficult. But also something we are happy to tackle.
What are the future plans for your brand?
Jenn: We have so many goals, we keep smashing them and setting bigger and better ones, we have come so far in this last year and we are so grateful and we can’t wait for the future! Releasing our first track, “Only 4 Things” on the renowned record label, Solotoko, in July was a massive goal of ours and the feedback has been amazing. We want to keep creating great music.
Alfie: So much! We are releasing more music and ticking off future goals as we go. Taking the brand internationally with more gigs and tours is a dream.
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