Paper Jam 2011

Among the talent to be showcased at this weekend’s Paper Jam, DJ Desert Storm may know the most about hard-hitting bass lines.

Desert Storm, known out of the spotlight as Hasan Zaidi, is a budding DJ extraordinaire ready to take off from Amherst for the high skies of the electronic atmosphere.

Desert Storm crafts original mixes by synthesizing catchy samples from well and lesser known artists with explosive bass and drum lines. This is a style known as “dubstep” which has become increasingly popular in the U.S over the past few years. But Desert Storm’s take on dubstep is far from imitative and offers a refreshing taste of the style for partygoers.

He aims to mix electronic music with samples that audience members can recognize. But he is no slave to trends and one hit wonders. Desert Storm’s main focus when he is on top of the crowd is to play music that he thinks “sounds awesome.” His mix tapes include remixes of tracks like “Forever Lost” by Pretty Lights, “Lift Me Up” by Moby and “Bass Head” by Bassnectar. Fellow DJ acts Bassnectar and Pretty Lights are two of Desert Storm’s main influences.

The DJ cites his exposure to Bassnectar as the reason he immersed himself in the reverberating realm of dubstep. He even now works with the AmBASSador Program, which is a group of volunteers (many Bassnectar fans) who work to establish a fun and safe experience for people at electronic dance music events.

Recently, DJ Desert Storm had the opportunity to open up for the latter of the aforementioned influences. His victory at the UMass DJ Wars competition on April 7 granted him the prize of opening up the Spring Concert at the Mullins center where Pretty Lights was the headliner. This summer he has plans to take on similar crowds at clubs in places as far as Montreal and Colorado.

He has an unrelenting passion for providing people with a unique musical experience and it shows when he steps behind his table of electronics. The sounds he creates may be complex and synthesized, but his message is simple and sincere: DJ Desert Storm wants to share music to better the world.

Amy Larson can be reached at [email protected].