Ali Shirazinia (), commonly known by his stage name Dubfire, is an
Iranian American
Iranian-Americans, also known as Persian-Americans, are Americans, United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian peoples, Iranian ancestry, or who hold Iranian Multiple citizenship, citizenship.
Most Iranian-Americans arrived in the U ...
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
and
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
DJ and
producer. Prior to his solo career, Dubfire made up half of the duo
Deep Dish.
Dubfire's style is noticeably different from that of Deep Dish, consisting of techno rather than
progressive house
Progressive house is a subgenre of house music that emerged in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. It is characterized by its evolving, melodic Musical form, structures, subtle Transition (music), transitions, and layered sound design.Gerard, ...
.
Biography
Dubfire was born in Iran and moved to the United States at the age of seven with his father, mother and brother for his father to attend an American university. Growing up in the Washington, D.C., area, Dubfire spent much of his youth playing the guitar in school bands and listening to heavy doses of classic
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
/
rare groove,
dub,
new wave and
industrial and was also influenced by the local
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
scene and the music of Washington DC–based bands including
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
and
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C., by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guita ...
. He frequented a local record store called Yesterday And Today Records, where he became acquainted with the sounds of artists like
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...
,
Ministry,
Jesus & Mary Chain,
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
,
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb () are an English electronic body music, EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Bon Harris, Vaughan "Bon" Harris (programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals), Douglas McCarthy (vocals), and David Gooday (drums). The band were ...
,
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Maxwell Sherwood (born 20 January 1958) is an English record producer specialising in the genre of dub music. He has created a distinctive production style based on the application of dub effects and dub mixing techniques to other forms ...
of
On-U Sound and
Einstürzende Neubauten
(, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The band currently comprises founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments, percussion, ...
.
In 1991, Shirazinia and fellow DC resident
Sharam Tayebi formed
Deep Dish, a DJ and production duo that became notable for their productions and DJ sets. Deep Dish released acclaimed dance classics beginning with the 1995 remix of
De'Lacy's "Hideaway", and went on to work with an eclectic array of names in pop, rock and
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
. Sharam and Dubfire established Deep Dish Records, and they went on to win a Grammy in 2002 for their remix of
Dido
Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC.
In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
's "Thank You" along with many other high-profile awards.
Following their successes as Deep Dish, both Sharam and Dubfire began to produce and DJ individually claiming "
heygot bored doing the same thing.
hey'vealways been separate producers and separate DJs who have just collaborated together for all these years."
Shirazinia used his long-time stage name "Dubfire" for his solo productions. His solo sound differs noticeably from that of Deep Dish, consisting of
minimal,
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
, and
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
rather than the predominantly
progressive house
Progressive house is a subgenre of house music that emerged in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. It is characterized by its evolving, melodic Musical form, structures, subtle Transition (music), transitions, and layered sound design.Gerard, ...
sound of Deep Dish. His production ''I Feel Speed'', which is a cover of an obscure
Love & Rockets song, features his own vocals. Dubfire also sings in ''In Love With a Friend'' on Deep Dish's debut album. ''I Feel Speed'' has appeared in the advertisement of the
Volkswagen Eos.
In 2007, Dubfire announced the launch of his new record label, Science + Technology Digital Audio, also known simply as SCI + TEC. He set the label up as an outlet to release his new music and began quietly unleashing a string of remarkable tracks. In 2007, he released electro-tech track "Roadkill," while the stripped-back 'RibCage' became the first ever release on
Loco Dice's Desolat label.
Dubfire followed up with a number of releases on some of electronic music's big labels.
Richie Hawtin, who signed Dubfire's "Emissions" to his
Minus
The plus sign () and the minus sign () are mathematical symbols used to denote positive and negative functions, respectively. In addition, the symbol represents the operation of addition, which results in a sum, while the symbol represent ...
label, also released Dubfire's rework of 'Spastik' (the track that Hawtin produced in 1993 under his
Plastikman alias) as an official re-work. Soon thereafter,
Sven Vath's
Cocoon Records took notice and released some of Dubfire's music as well.
He continued to release more productions. He had two top 10 tracks in ''
Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
'
''s 100 Most Charted Records of 2007, ''International DJ Magazines Player of the Year in 2008, nominations for
Beatport
Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards disk jockey, DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that ...
's "Best Minimal Artist" and "Best Techno Artist" in 2008 and 2009, and mixes for ''
Mixmag
''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights.
History
The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...
'', BBC Radio 1's
Essential Mix
The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary DJs and music pr ...
and ''DJ Magazine.''
In 2008, Dubfire produced a remix of Radio Slave's "Grindhouse" featuring Danton Eeprom.''DJ Magazine'' called it "jet-black, polished chrome techno".

Dubfire's more recent work has seen him co-produce tracks with British electronic music act
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
, release a two-disc compilation with Loco Dice for Cocoon,
additional remixes of Plastikman material, and a collaborative project with producer
Oliver Huntemann.
Discography
Singles/EPs
*2007 ''Emissions''
- #6 Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
Top 100 all-time charted tracks
*2007 ''RibCage''
- #1 Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
Top 100 all-time charted tracks
*2007 ''Roadkill''
*2007 ''I Feel Speed''
*2008 ''Diablo'' (With Oliver Huntemann)
*2008 ''Dios'' (With Oliver Huntemann)
*2009 ''Rabid''
*2009 ''Fuego'' (With Oliver Huntemann)
*2010 ''Rejekt'' (Cocoon J)
*2012: ''Slowburn''
*2012: ''Octvs''
*2012: ''Debris''
*2014: ''Exit'' (featuring
Miss Kittin
Caroline Hervé (born 15 July 1973), known professionally as Kittin, is a French electronic music producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worke ...
)
*2014: ''Agua'' (With Oliver Huntemann ft. Xenia Beliayeva)
*2022: Algorithm
*2022: Rampat
Compilations
*2003: ''GU025 Global Underground: Toronto - Afterclub Mix''
- #1 Top Electronic Albums, #20 Independent Albums
The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' mag ...
, #29 Top Heatseekers
The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
*2007: ''GU31 Global Underground: Taipei''
- #16 Top Electronic Albums
*2009: ''SCI+TEC: Past / Present / Future''
*2009: ''Dubfire's Digital Dreams''
*2009: ''Ten Years Cocoon Ibiza''
*2013: ''Transmission ''
Remixes
*1993: Angela Marni – Slippin' & Slidin'
*1994: Watergate – Lonely Winter
*2006: Nitzer Ebb – Control I'm Here
*2006:
Robbie Rivera – Away
*2007:
Axwell Feat. Max'C – I Found U
*2007: Meat Katie & D. Ramirez – Stop The Revolution
- #99 Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
Top 100 all-time charted tracks
*2007: DJ Yellow – More Enemy
*2007:
Plastikman – Spastik
- #26 Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
Top 100 all-time charted tracks
*2007: Nic Fanciulli – Lucky Heather
*2007: Christian Smith & John Selway – Time
*2008:
System 7 – Spacebird
- #7 Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
Top 100 all-time charted tracks
*2008:
UNKLE
Unkle (often stylised as U.N.K.L.E. or UNKLE, occasionally known as UNKLE Sounds) is a British musical outfit founded in 1992 by James Lavelle. Originally categorised as trip hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a ...
– Hold My Hand
*2008: Radio Slave – Grindhouse
*2008:
Booka Shade
Booka Shade is a German house duo. It is made up of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, described as veterans of the Frankfurt electronic music scene. They have released 10 studio albums, including '' Memento'' (2004), ''Movements'' (2006), '' ...
– Charlotte
*2008: Gregor Tresher – A Thousand Nights
*2008:
Minilogue – Jamaica
*2008: Paul Ritch – Split the Line
*2011:
Paperclip People – 4 My Peepz
*2011:
Davide Squillace, Guti – That Ginger Ponytail
*2015: Plastikman – Exposed
*2015:
Hot Since 82 & Habischmann – Leave Me
*2016:
Joseph Capriati – Fratello
Awards and nominations
*''Won'' for Best Minimal Artist – Beatport Music Awards
*''Won'' for Best Techno Artist – Beatport Music Awards
*''Nominated'' for Best Single of 2007 – Emissions – Beatport Music Awards
References
External links
*
Dubfire official websiteSci+Tec Digital Audio official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dubfire
Iranian emigrants to the United States
American electronic musicians
American house musicians
Iranian electronic musicians
Musicians from Washington, D.C.
Musicians from Mashhad
American DJs
Iranian DJs
Progressive house musicians
Musicians of Iranian descent
Electronic dance music DJs
1971 births
Living people