I'm off on holiday! For once.. but that means I leave you in the lurch with listings and content. Please note there will be no club listings this week or next week, but I cannot leave you without something, so here is the world's shortest club recommendations for your weekend ahead:
Starting on Friday in Edinburgh, you have James Ruskin and Neil Landstrumm over at Jackhammer (Lane,10.30pm-3am, £5), and the Plastician (Rinse FM) debuts at Xplicit on the same evening at the Bongo (11pm-3am, £8 adv). Cabaret Voltaire host Bed Bug with dnb hero Shy FX on Friday 14th (11pm-3am, £10 /
£8 adv).
In Glasgow, Return to Mono welcome Cassy at the Sub Club on Friday 14th (11pm-3am, £12 /
£10 students), and over at La Cheetah's Cut Down on the same evening, there's a rare appearance from Maurice Fulton (11pm-3am, £7 / £5 before midnight). Friday also sees the launch of Rustie's debut LP on Warp, Glass Swords, at Stereo under the Numbers x LuckyMe banner (11pm-3am, £8). Death Disco reach to Canada for filthy-mouthed electro star Peaches on Saturday 15th (11pm-3am, £14).
Dundee welcome Mungo's Hi Fi with special guest Marina P at the Reading Rooms on Friday 14th (10.30pm-2.30am, £7 / £5 before 11.30pm), and Aberdeen's Let It Bleed have a hairy special with the 2 Bears aka Joe Goddard and Raf Daddy on the same evening (11pm-3am, £tbc).
Glasgow's Osmium club got in touch with the blog recently to give the lowdown on their night held every second Saturday of the month at Blackfriars on Bell Street, spinning a "mad mix of Italo, synth, funk and other madness" - as an extra bonus they casually dropped in a four month back catalogue of Osmium mixes. Dig in and enjoy!
The Cab Vol Stars return with another venue crew inspired night and a few handpicked guests, in the form of Jackmaster, Al Meldrum and Dickie Drysdale, exploding the latest and weightiest electronics for your listening pleasure. Jackmaster is readily associated with Glasgow’s Numbers by the Scots, but he is better known around the world as the Fabriclive 57 selector and a current hot topic on the techno, house and electro scenes
Club: Wonky Venue: Bongo Club Date: Friday 7th October
To celebrate Wonky’s first birthday, they invite Grandma Staflash and The Furious Grandads for a live special of Balkan-styled electro-swing, breaks, hip-hop and some serious tongue in cheek. They Wolfjazz and Hobbes bring up the rear with dubstep, heavy bass, hip-hop, and worldwide flavours.
Club: Electrikal Venue: The Store Date: Friday 7th October
If
you like your bass music rough and ready with a moody attitude, turn
down that dark alleyway into Guthrie St and visit Electrikal for special
guest booking, 16-Bit. The London-based DJ and producer has been
stepping out with the likes of Noisia, and joins the club for future
bass, dubstep, funk, reggae, hip-hop and more in a high energy beat
throw-down.
11pm-3am, £12 Club: Musika Venue: Liquid Room Date: Saturday 8th October
James Zabiela’s picture is the most searched thing about this blog, so you’ll all be glad to know that the model-like one returns to Musika and joins rising talent Maya Jane Coles for a double headliner of hot breakbeat house and minimal, deep tech-house.
More: Zabiela also appears at Streetrave’s 22nd Birthday with MANDY, Shades of Rhythm, The Bassheads and more at The Arches on Saturday 8th October. (10pm-3am, £15)
Glasgow
Club: Tribute Venue: La Cheetah Date: Friday 7th October
This is one to draw the old clubheads out their homes! Stay Plastic, Scrabble and Jelly Roll Soul are combining to create Tribute, a night concentrating on a particular sound or artist, and this time it’s an Urban Tribe themed-night with special guest and former Drexciya tour DJ, Stingray! Check out his fierce aquatic electro alongside rolling residents Dommm (Pest Control) and Matt (All Caps).
Club: Wax Works Vs Equalised Venue: The Admiral Date: Friday 7th October
What can I say, Forward Strategy Group are Scotland born and bred but they’re rarely booked to play in their own country, however times are changing as more people tune into their sound. Fresh from their stormin’ performance for Grounded Theory in Berlin - drawing in crowds from as far away as Sweden for the event - FSG bring their dirty, industrial techno and tundra soundscapes for a three hour DJ set at their second ever appearance in Glasgow for Wax Works and Equalised.
Club: Subculture vs Animal Farm Venue: Sub Club Date: Saturday 8th October
Bickering about who is the rightfully-named pioneer of a genre can be a minefield, but this one’s a straight answer: dub-inflected techno / Berlin electronics pioneer Moritz ‘Maurizio’ Von Oswald has had so many tricks in his back pocket over the years he’s forged a career in contemporary techno, 80s pop / kraut-rock, new wave, and of course, went on to co-found the Basic Channel label. Playing a special live set with Tikiman, Moritz (onstage at 9.30pm) will dig through possibly the biggest dub and afro-influenced collection in Berlin to bring you a special pre-club live set!
Sounds like:
8.30pm-3am, £15 / £12
Club: Vitamins 6 Venue: Chambre 69 Date: Saturday 8th October
Glasgow party Vitamins see their plans come together as they announce a showcase for two of their favourite producers. LuckyMe’s Lunice and bass monster Baobinga drop in to deliver their boost of energising vitamin tonic, distilled into lively beats. Canadian Lunice started off as a b-boy and graduated to electro hip-hop producer, being snapped up by the LuckyMe label when they hooked up across the Atlantic, and Baobinga has forged a strong reputation as a bass connoisseur, whether its dnb, dancehall, hyphy, electro, it’s all tantalising rumbles of soundwaves. Shaun and Sam Vitamins support.
Club: Everything Else Sucks Venue: Snafu Date: Friday 7th October
For
their third birthday Everything Else Sucks host special Belgian guests
Sound of Stereo to celebrate over 900 days on the scene and recruiting
two new residents this year. They headlined I Love Techno with their
electro killers in 2010 and now embrace the Scottish north: Recommended
for fans of Fake Blood and Brodinski. Ado and Squelchy support.
Club: Minival vs Mothership Venue: Snafu Date: Saturday 8th October
This
special event features as the second last ever gig by Moon Harbour’s
Chris Lattner as he bids goodbye to life on the house circuit. It’s not
clear whether he’ll remain in production, but it’s as good excuse as any
to groove on down to progressive and tech-house and bid adieu.
Club: Optimo Venue: Reading Rooms Date: Friday 7th October
Optimo duo JD Twitch and JG Wilkes make their monthly excursion to Optimo for gold glitter beats, savvy rhythms and subtle blends of house, disco, tech, electro and funk.
10.30pm-2.30am, £6 / £4 before midnight
Club: Mixed Bizness Venue: Reading Rooms Date: Saturday 8th October
Another Glasgow club holding a monthly spot in Dundee is Mixed Bizness helmed by the funky Boom Monk Ben. This month they feature Parker, the man who dared to make a dubstep track based on the Jungle Book and has been winning over crowds and DJs alike with his Bristol bass.
Club: LuckyMe Venue: Sneaky Pete’s Date: Friday 30th September
LuckyMe make their irregular trip through to Edinburgh to share their ever-expanding corner of the world with the capital’s crowds, and this time they bring Oneman – Rinse FM DJ and long-time garage supporter. When he isn’t tearing up the airwaves with dubstep, 2-step, grime, garage and the murky bass soup that lies between, he's destroying the dancefloors, so get yourself to the subterranean layers of Sneaky Pete’s. Support comes from The Blessings and Eclair Fi Fi.
Club: Sugarbeat Venue: Cabaret Voltaire Date: Friday 30th September
Riding high on his debut LP, SBTRKT jets to Sugarbeat to throw post-dubstep bounce into the groove, adorned with powerful vocals and wobbling basslines. Taking a path between garage, electro, pop and straight up bass music, SBTRKT joins the Sugarbeat high-powered mix of knee-shaking beats.
Club: Departure Lounge Venue: The Caves Date: Friday 30th September
Departure Lounge celebrates eight years transporting Edinburgh’s clubbers to a land of cosmic beats, latin rhythms, African styles, and downright funk. They invite special guests Zed Bias and Federation Of The Disco Pimp. Bias will break up the chilled beats and rebuild with 2-step garage influences and FOTDP have been described by Craig Charles as the most aggressive jazz and funk he’d heard. Departure Lounge continue their journey breaking down musical barriers.
Club: Rendezvous Venue: The Green Room Date: Saturday 1st October
Debuting in Edinburgh, Poker Flat’s MANIK joins Rendezvous for a brand of house that takes in nu-disco and funky acid along the way. Drawing rave reviews from the likes of DJ Mag Mixmag and iDJ, MANIK has the start of the winter nights sorted for heat. He’ll be joined by Blair & Ryan Harrower, Ross Scott, Gary Carvel, Steven Willison and Bruce Nicholson.
10pm-3am, £10 / £8 before 11pm or students all night Glasgow
Club: Sono Venue: The Courtyard Date: Friday 30th September
Nothing like a good ol’ free techno and deep house night, especially when it’s a pre-club to get your night started off on the right foot! Sono aims to draw on the talents of local artists in an outdoor venue, easing clubbers into their night one beat at a time. Special guests Adam Watt and Why Eleven? of No Sleep, and Elastik residents’ Gary Campbell and John Smyth aka Dynamode join the Sono residents.
8pm–12am, Free
Club: Pressure Venue: The Arches Date: Friday 30th September
For Soma’s 20th birthday party special, the usual high profile techno and house artists (Slam, Funk D’Void, Silicone Soul, and Gary Beck) will celebrate the entry to their third decade on the scene, but there’s an extra special surprise in their featured headliner – a live set from dub-techno don Deepchord! Detroit fans grab your shoes and tickets.
Club: How’s Your Party Venue: Sub Club Date: Friday 30th September
How’s Your Party reappear at full strength, inviting wobbly bass purveyors Jack Beats for another Glasgow showdown as we enter the darkness of Scottish Winter. Always keeping it fresh and lively, Jack Beats has the positive answer to How’s Your Party?
Club: Let’s Go Back Venue: Stereo Date: Saturday 1st October
LGB returns to A Boy’s Own era, welcoming Ashley Beedle and Terry Farley to this old school party. Beedle was dropping acid-house when today’s average clubber was picking out school socks, and he joins returning guest Farley for a fast-paced history lesson. Residents Bosco and Rob Mason spin classic acid-house, rave sounds and techno rhythms in support.
Club: Prince Fatty Soundsystem Venue: Reading Rooms Date: Saturday 1st Oct
For a full-on dub and reggae injection in traditional soundsystem style, check out this special show from Prince Fatty Soundsystem, all agog with tape-delays, vintage production, and the vocals of ex-Revenge of the Killer Slits singer Hollie Cooke and the Horseman MC.
Extra: You can also catch the soundsystem at the Afro Caribbean Network Centre (8pm-3am, £5 donation)
Aberdeen
Club: Liebe Venue: Snafu Date: Friday 30th September
A fantastic booking for Liebe, as they invite the rising star of corroded acid-techno beats, Blawan to dirty up the Snafu dancefloor. Lo-Quality is fresh from writing a rave review on his latest release ‘What You Do With What You Have’ for Clash – head north this weekend for a thoroughly dirty groove. Support comes from Tuff Wax and the Acid Thunder residents Bones and Money.
More info: I hear he’s in Edinburgh on the 5th of October at the Caves…
Club: Mothership
Venue: Snafu
Date: Saturday 1st October
Prolific mixer Stretford Dogs Club guests at the Mothership this weekend, giving ‘Donian crowds a taste of his massive mix project ‘A Day In a Dog’s Life’. Mixing a two hour set of old and new classics in a deep house vein every month, Stretford aims to create a 24 hour mix portraying his tastes, recommendations and inspirations. And a collection of generally great music!
Switching things up a little at Lo-Quality, with shorter listings for the weekend ahead. Take a shedload of great club nights, run them through the guest headliner, price, usual crowd turnout, and general atmosphere filters, and you get the top picks below!
Edinburgh Club: Tokyoblu Venue: Teviot Underground Date: Friday 23rd September
Tokyoblu move to the student stomping grounds of the Teviot for their auspicious ninth birthday, featuring live house, electro and tech from Gabriel Kemp, Little Grooves, Sounds of Soul, Niall & Dennis McKervey, Nobad & Damon Melvin (Get 2 Funk), and Soul Jam Hot. Residents John and Iain dig through the crates for the finest representation of their near-decade delighting house fans. This one-off is happening during Freshers week, picking up the influx of new students looking for underground disco, funk and sparkly house.
Club: Four Corners Venue: Bongo Club Date: Friday 23rd September
As part of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Four Corners welcomes a live set from The Delegators, infusing soul with Jamaican flavours and reggae swing, rocksteady and splashes of motown. Residents Simon Hodge, Johnny Cashback, Astroboy and Wee G bring in the remaining corners of the world with breaks, jazz, funk dipped in South American, African, and European styles.
Club: Compakt Venue: Cabaret Voltaire Date: Friday 23rd September
Perk up for the techno sightings this weekend – label boss Ali Wells aka Perc of Perc Records, home to Forward Strategy Group, headlines Compakt’s third birthday party for a techno lesson in UK industrial noises. The second room is hosted by Compakt resident DJ Phrase offering a different take on the techno night, heating up the second room with electro, dubstep and drum and bass beats. He is joined by Special Ed, label owner of Special Records.
Club: Kapital Venue: The Caves Date: Friday 23rd September
Moretechno prevails! Kapital make their monthly appearance with Oliver Huntemann touring his Paranoia Reactable Live show for the only Scottish date. The tour celebrates his new LP, Paranoia, turning his live show into a visual feast as he shifts cubes of soft and hardware to control synths, installed in a fancy-ass/fetishist cage and lighting rig. It’s a full stage show to blow your mind as you groove minimal techno. Kapital residents Barry O’Connell and Brad Charters support.
Club: Sensu Venue: Sub Club Date: Friday 23rd September
The sea tour is finished, and Sensu dock at the Sub Club for landlubbers Guti and tINI, who despite sounding like an exotic circus act of the 1860s, are Desolat stars: jazz wunder-kid turned latin-infusing techno and house explorer and tINI, the able accomplice of the Desolat label-bosses and fast becoming a regular fixture on the German club circuit.
Club: Optimo Presents… Horse Meat Disco Venue: Sub Club Date: Sunday 25th September
Optimo host another special Sunday event with Horse Meat Disco taking over the Sub reins to introduce James Hillard, Jim Stanton, Severino and Filthy Luka to Glasgow’s disco cravers. Horse Meat Disco are Sunday night faithfuls also, delighting that niche of the club scene who shift-work, know when to book their holidays, or simply can rock on through till the 9am start on Monday. Refresh your knowledge of disco with an education in the genres that twist in and out its funky and soulful centre.
Club: Divine Venue: The Admiral Date: Saturday 24th September
Andrew Divine raises Divine from the refurbished Art School to the Admiral for a new venue and solid reputation to draw on – return to the 60s and 70s for a reach into the roots of the modern. Groove to psych, funk, ska, soul, northern and more on original sexy vinyl.
Sounds like:
11pm-3am, £7 / £5 before midnight and concessions
Aberdeen
Club: Mothership Venue: Snafu Date: Saturday 24th September
Mothership do a bit of resident swapping, when they beam in Glasgow’s Junior, fresh from behind the decks of Sensu and performances at Subculture, tipping out the freshest house and techno by the bucketload from Snafu’s sound system. Fuad and Adam Ackers support.
Club: Snafu is 7: Steve Bug Venue: Snafu Date: Sunday 25th September
All this week Snafu have been celebrating their 7th birthday with a raft of special events, and they round it all off with Poker Flat’s Steve Bug. Taking you on a sonic journey from start to finish, Bug trawls minimal tech-house and deep house for the spine-tinglers and knee-wobblers. He is joined by Fuad (Rememory Music) and Si Smith.
More info: Anyone who had bought tickets for the original billing, Josh Wink, will still be able to use them.
Dundee
Club: Bass Orgy Sound System Venue: Reading Rooms Date: Friday 23rd September
Dundee’s launches a new night for the bass fans with Bass Orgy Sound System,
as much of a tin-name as you could possibly get. Electro, dub, dnb, and
sub shakers abound from residents Dave Non-Zero, Sharpy and
Farfletched, and Scotty D guests for glitchy, fast-paced beats on their
very first event. B.O.S.S’s motto is: Letting you feel how bass is meant
to be.
Another batch of Clash reviews for you all - dig in to September's booty.
Gonno - ACDise #2 (International Feel)
...hypnotising
Japanese techno and house DJ, Gonno, delivers chunky acidlines, Chicago-drums and emotive melodies churning electro, trance and Orbital references on ‘ACDise #2’, stripped back to driving techno with an acid nag by Skudge on the remix. Gatto Fritto embraces the track as a muse, inspiring Fischerspooner-techno and teasing out the tightly compacted emotions of the original.
Release date: 12 September 2011
T.E.E. (Turzi Electronique Experience) - Connaissance EP (Record Makers)
...uncomfortable
T.E.E drops his album teaser EP with spoken word rap mingling amongst full-on electro, but it’s not so much TTC as tame Mr Kitten. Remixes by Black Strobe (better, but crude use of strings), Sahara aka T.E.E (cosmic pan flutes – no), and Naum Gabo (dancefloor friendly trance mix) play some damage control.
I was curious as to why I was getting search hits on the blog regarding DJ Mehdi last night, and then I read the Metro this morning... RIP Mehdi - the Scottish clubs loved your style, and Glasgow always welcomed you with open arms.
Six years into the evolving history of bass juggernaut label, Tectonic Recordings, they’ve finally created a 21st Century website to go with their prolific, modern output of dubstep, dub-techno, and music that sub-basses lust. The onslaught of new features (discogs, gallery, news, shop and more) chimes with the arrival of the 50th Tectonic release, 'Closer', from Photek with remixes from Pinch aka Rob Ellis, and the digital only ‘Best of Tectonic’; delivering the best way to absorb their back catalogue in one purchase.
When asked what he thinks typifies the best of Tectonic, he chuckles and admits; “I didn’t do that good a job of narrowing it down; there’s 40 tracks on there! I guess I was trying to cover as many bases as possible - It was difficult for me as I’ve loved everything we’ve put out.”
With this passion, Pinch has sealed his position in dubstep; emergent as a Bristol Godfather of bass and homing the dub-techno talents. It’s written into music history, and although he finds it “very comforting to be recognised... it’s about doing the next thing rather than dwelling on the past.” And with that it’s not difficult to see why he’s pushing the boundaries of an ‘expected’ Tectonic roster. One of the latest releases to do so is ‘Frantically Hopeful’, from Pursuit Grooves, and he’s been taken by how well it’s been received, despite it’s off-kilter, broken beat and hip-hop approach. “You always worry that if you start veering off the trodden path that no-one else follows you on the way,” he tells us.
“I’ve always really liked the white label techno ideas of buying into
the music; they have a strength of following based on nothing other than
being genuinely interesting."
Does he sense an unnecessary rigidity in the dubstep genre? “I think the majority of people do come into dubstep with rigid views, and their concept is a rigid template,” he says. “For me, dubstep was always a progressive and experimental school of music, and I feel it’s a bit of shame to not follow that spirit. Switching up tempos, changing grooves, and playing around with ideas is very much what dubstep is about.”
His not-so-secret collaboration with Distance as Deleted Scenes has recently been brought into Facebook existence, embracing the inevitable unmasking and alerting everyone else to their dub and sub powerhouse. “I’ve always really liked the white label techno ideas of buying into the music; they have a strength of following based on nothing other than being genuinely interesting,” he says, explaining his preferred anonymity.
Keep your eyes peeled for more DS material later this year, and Tectonic releases including Pinch-recommended Distal, who incorporates warehouse and spine-tingling acid, and a general diversification of bpm from the 140 standard to push sonic directions; the decree has gone forward - Tectonic is not a one-bpm label!
This interview was originally conducted for Clash magazine, and can be picked up in the Autumn back issues.
On his whistle-stop tour of Scotland, Dave Clarke checks in with Edinburgh again to see if they missed his eyeliner and brand of techno since T in the Park. Pulse Residents Darrell Harding, Andy Problems, Ritchie Bryson, Muzza B, and Andy Borthwick support in Room 1. In Room 2 there’s a Substance / Audio showcase, with Forward Strategy Group’s Patrick Walker (Perc / SA) and a special DJ set of pressurised dub-techno, and devastating rhythms. Substance resident Gavin Richardson supports.
Extra: Dave Clarke appears in Aberdeen the night before, on Friday 9th at Liebe in Snafu. 11pm-3am, £tbc
Edinburgh
Club: Telefunken Venue: The Store Date: Saturday 10th September
Filter’s DJ Q returns to the Telefunken stage, having last wowed the crowd when the club was still playing out of the Jazz Bar! The venues have progressively changed, but the favoured house style of Telefunken hasn’t, and DJ Q will remind why his jackin’ loops are so seductive. Residents Alan Gray, Nick Wilson and Harvey (We Play House) support.
Club: Betamax Venue: Studio 24 Date: Saturday 10th September
New club Betamax launches with special guest HRH, cranking out the moody punk-electronica. New wave, disco, post-punk, and full on analogue synths ring out from residents Chris Fast, Gig Gus, and Jake Barnes going through the vinyl back catalogues to dig out what was the cutting edge of the 80s.
Sounds like:
11pm-3am, £5 / £4 / Free before 11.30pm
Club: Edit Venue: Hawke & Hunter, Green Room Date: Saturday 10th September
Everyone likes to joke about the rivalries between Edinburgh and Glasgow (what passes as an East and West side feud in Scotland), and Edit are hosting their own musical version with Glasgow DJs Geoff Montford and Al Kent exchanging disco beats with Edinburgh’s John Tokyoblu and Future B.
10pm-3am, £8 / £6 before midnight or students
Round up
Get rolling with Animal Hospital at Sneaky Pete’s at a budget-busting free entry for minimal tech (11pm-3am) on Friday 9th, and Musika host a residents’ house, techno and electro special with Derek Martin, Laurie Neil, Jamie McKenzie and Kirk Douglas on Saturday 10th (Liquid Room, 10pm-3am, £MOTD / £5 before 11.15pm). Over at the Bongo, Messenger Sound System with MC Ras Echo deliver another round of roots music (11pm-3am, £7 / £6 before midnight).
If you’re still going by Sunday 11th, Bass Syndicate provide another free session at Sneaky Pete’s with heavenly breaks (11pm-3am, £3 non-members) from G-Mac, Believe and Silver Storic. Fancy a boat trip sail out the weekend? Heavy Gossip host a high seas adventure on the Firth of Forth, picking up from the Newsroom at 5.30pm. Disco, house and more via two modes of transport from Craig Smith and Nick Yuill! (3pm-late, £20 / £15 adv)
Glasgow
Club: Warp Presents Venue: The Arches Date: Friday 9th September
Glasgow just can’t get enough of Africa Hitech it seems. Having recently stormed it at Fortified back in June, the Detroit and Jamaican blenders headline this special Warp event, with Rudi Zygadio, Anxst and supporting artist Point to C. The theme for the event is ‘African music from the future’, with an infusion of Warpitude – namely acid, dub, digital, ragga, garage and more. It’s an early start gig, so if you check this out you’ll still have time to hit the clubs later!
Club: No Sleep Venue: Chambre 69 Date: Saturday 10th September No Sleep host a special 10 Years of Secretsundaze party, featuring Giles Smith, George Fitzgerald and Brawther, with support from residents Adam Watt and Jonathan Carroll. The London party brings Secretsundaze founder Giles to reinvent the daytime house and techno groove for the Glasgow nightlife, and fresh talent George Fitzgerald, who recently dropped his ManMakeMusic release pitching a balance between softer dubstep beats and futuristic garage-house.
Club: Electric Frog September Weekender Venue: SWG3 Date: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September
After being unable to deliver the goods at SWG3 due to refurbishment, the Electric Frog Weekender returns to its revamped venue with an enhanced line-up. Day One of the mini- urban festival features Derrick May, Jeff Mills, Levon Vincent, Len Faki and Slam on the Pressure Street Stage for the techno faithful, and on the 10 Years of Melting Pot Stage, Frankie Knuckles, Joe Clausell, Bob Jeffries and Andrew Pirie take up the house guard. It’s a calmer, melodic line-up for Day Two, with live Music from Mogwai, Wild Beasts, The Fall, Mount Kimbie, The Orb, Errors, Jimmy Edgar, Organs of Love and Konx-Om-Pax fill your desire for post-rock, electro rhythms, indie and experimental electronics.
More info: The Electric Frog can’t exist without an after-party, so each night you can head to The Arches for the official after-show. Only £5 with a Electric Frog wristband (10.30pm-3am).
Club: Shake It Venue: Chambre 69 Date: Saturday 10th September
Layo and Bushwacka take over Chambre 69 to dominate the entire four hours with their club Shake It and a DJ set. That’ll be one hour of dance mash-up for ever year since they’ve last visited the city, described by them as the “UK Detroit”.
Sounds like (a higher quality version of):
11pm-3am, £10
Round up
Soothe your Soul with Jelly Roll at La Cheetah on Friday 9th with their residents’ special of house inspired by the likes of Theo Parrish (11pm-3am, £5), and after a quick kip you can start all over again at Wax Works Vs Equalised at The Old Hairdressers from 1pm-1am, for their all day techno party for freeeeeee. House and techno go mann gegen mann for a heated and deep party. New club Freaky Freaky launches at Nice’n’Sleazy with special guests S-Type and Éclair Fifi (Saturday 10th, 11.30pm-3am, £3), and supported by resident Sam Murray, spinning electronics and rnb slants. Remedy Nites Presents Baktrack on the same evening at La Cheetah with special guest Tom Budden, with AdrianM, Rab Hendo and Steven Fair at this brand new house night (11pm-3am, £8). Over at Blackfriars, Osmium with DJs Blair and Gary delights with disco, funk, italo and more (11pm-3am, £3). Dirty Beautiful Science flip the dubstep, electro and techno with residents The Black Price, Vik Vector, and AlessioOo (Blackfriars, 11pm-3am, £tbc).
Aberdeen
Club: Mothership Venue: Snafu Date: Saturday 10th September
Mothership
keeps its regular notch in Aberdeen’s clubbing calendar with another
instalment of house, techno, electro, disco and lots in between with
residents Adam Ackers and Fuad.
11pm-3am, £tbc
Dundee
Club: Mixed Bizness Venue: Reading Rooms Date: Friday 9th September
Mixed Bizness make their irregular visit to Dundee and bring the Glasgow club that has entertained so many. Live guest HaHaHa delivers his unique twist of house and techno, tweaking the heart strings with melodic patterns.
The Black Dog - Liber Temple (Dust Science Recordings) … going back to our roots
Black Dog were doing dark techno when UK cities could be considered ‘industrial’, and now that 80s deprivation rears its head, they embrace the aggressive and driving with ‘Heavy Industry’, a silent but screaming protest peppered with abstract samples and ‘Greedy Gutter Guru’, culling melodious sirens’ urgency into synth noise.
Released: 5 September 2011 / Out now
George FitzGerald - Fernweh / Hearts (ManMakeMusic) … melting genres like butter
The ManMakeMusic label head begins their new series with ‘Fernweh’, a bright spray of keys supported by deep, grooving rhythms and soulful house vocals; for those who found dubstep too heavy, and house too stagnant. ‘Hearts’ continues scooping garage into techno, dubstep, and house for a shuffly piece of loveliness.
Released: 5 September 2011 / Out now
Obtane, Giorgio Gigli, Tin Man - Analysis of a Nihilist Who Wants to Become Famous (Zooloft) ... wish we could call it shoegaze techno
Eerie
soundscapes and relentless techno hammering out your insecurities,
‘Social Deconstruction’ and throbbing ‘Individual Submission’ come from
the new(ish) dark wave making producers dribble at aural beauty, and
sometimes being lost on casual listeners. Beats struggle against dying
‘Ghosts of Techno’ melodies; like a broken heart trying to mend itself,
solemnly ebbing away.
Released: 12 September 2011 / Out now
Originally written for Clash Magazine - these are the unedited originals. You can read all the latest Electric Selection 12" reviews over at www.clashmusic.com or buy it in the newsagents.
It's the first of September, and that means the embargo on content is lifted, and I can bring you all my lovely articles and reviews published in other magazines. So whaddya you want first? An interview with Pinch or new reviews?
Stay tuned to this weekend for the first in a series of fresh new content and my dribblings scribblings. In the meantime, check out the club listings for all Scottish bods to get you revved up for the weekend.
Featured Club of the Week: Highlife's Witchdoctor Dance
Venue: La Cheetah
Date: Saturday 3rd September
Highlife continue their reach across the continents for top-notch guests, this time setting their sights on the Ivory Coast’s Raoul K for a Witchdoctor Dance with African beat stylings and tribal rhythms against the techno wireframe. More afrobeat, funky, jackin’ house, Latin and electro come from resident Auntie Flo.
Club: Funky Doodle Do
Venue: Bongo Club
Date: Thursday 1st September
DJRed6’s newest night delivers classic hip-hop, funk and soul sounds, guaranteed plenty basslines and beats and the odd horn section.
11pm-3am, free
Club: Devil Disco Club
Venue: Bongo Club
Date: Saturday 3rd September
It’s disco on all fronts at DDC this time, when Edinburgh-based Discopolis guest for a live set of eh, electro, indie and house music. They delighted crowds at the recent Reading and Leeds Festival with their lush synth onslaught. Even if you can’t get your disco fix from Discopolis, residents the Trouble DJs and Giles Walker spin vintage disco, electro funk, and New York grooves.
Club: Superlovers
Venue: Liquid Room
Date: Saturday 3rd September
I’m not sure how they’ve managed to keep the reported 5am license now that Edinburgh winds down it’s party season, but whatever – Fever and Lovechild team up to create Superlovers for their final festival party, starring main Lovechild resident Alessandro Londra, and Fever resident’s Brian Fisher and Mark Price, with Miss Chris. There will be a special live PA from Novena, singing the lighter side of vocal house, who has been a hit on the gay club scene and charts.
Sounds like:
11pm-5am, £12 / £10 adv.
Round up
It’s a very light weekend for Edinburgh, as people recover the last month of their lives living from dusk till dawn at the Festival: Cab Vol Stars host Believe vs Trilogy at their next instalment in Cab Voltaire on Friday 2nd (11pm-3am, £5 / free before midnight), and Fake returns to Sneaky Pete’s on the 3rd, with house, techno, breaks and more (11pm-5am, £3 / members free)
Glasgow
Club: Traktion
Venue: Basura Blanca Date: Friday 2nd September
Residents Colin Forbes and Chaz Johnston host special guest and Slave to the Rhythm radio show host, Domm, spin deep house and techno for the Tracktion faithful, drawing on a dearth of material featured on his Subcity Radio slot.
10pm-2am, £5 / £3 NUS
Club: Jak
Venue: Ad Lib
Date: Friday 2nd September
Cranking out the releases for almost 17 years, DMX Krew aka Ed DMX guests at Jak, on the launch night of one of the newest acid-house, Chicago vibes and electro grooves clubs to hit Ad Lib. Residents Signal_! And beatPHreak support.
Sounds like:
11pm-3am, £8 / £6
Club: Numbers
Venue: Sub Club
Date: Friday 2nd September
This month’s Numbers sees James Blake take to the stage again with a DJ set of experimental bass, post-dubstep, and warped and melodious keys. Residents Goodhand and Nelson support with dub-techno, hot electro, and a plethora of juke, hyphy and more.
Sounds like:
11pm-3am, £7 adv
Club: Substanz Kelburn Party Venue: The Arches Date: Saturday 3rd September
Originally due to be hosted at the infamous Kelburn Castle, the Substanz Kelburn Party is keeping the name and moving to The Arches due to licensing restrictions. Headliners and DJs Clive Henry, Subb An, Silicone Soul and Chris Duckenfield and Mash spin minimal, tech-house, electronica and deep beats.
11pm-3am, £12
Club: Melting Pot
Venue: The Admiral
Date: Saturday 3rd September
After their summer break, Melting Pot return to the good ship Admiral, the finest nautical on-land venue. The British house master special guest Joey Negro opens the first of the Autumn / Winter season while residents Andrew Pirie and Simon Cordiner rock the disco house.
Round up
Now that Glasgow is back on top for the sheer range of club nights, what with the Edinburgh Festival finishing, the weekend starts here on Thursday 1st at Club 520 with Walk n Skank, courtesy of Mungo’s Hi Fi with reggae, dancehall, jahtari and more (11pm-3am, £4 / £3). On Friday 2nd, David Barbarossa’s Thing at Nice ‘n’ Sleazy with more reggae, disco, electronica and post-punk (11.30pm-3am, £3), and ReFrame launch at The Admiral on the same evening, with DJs Haunted Code and Martin Lindinger spinning house and techno (11pm-3am, £5). On Saturday 3rd, Front to Back return to Club 520, carrying on the emergent reggae theme for the first weekend of the month in Glasgow. Residents Chungo Bungo, DJ L-I-A-M, Marquee DJs and La Bamba play (11pm-3am, £7 / £5). Subculture take their usual slot of fresh and classic house with residents Harri and Domenic (11pm-3am, £10 / free before midnight), and Instruments of Rapture close the weekend on Sunday 4th at the Sub, as part of the Sub Club's series of one-off Sunday specials, featuring choice tracks from the nu-disco label, Instruments of Rapture (11pm-3am, £tbc).
Dundee
Club: Headway
Venue: Reading Rooms
Date: Friday 2nd September
Ahead of their appearance at the Substanz Kelburn Party, Silicone Soul headline Headway at the Reading Rooms for electronic bliss.
Club: Dot to Dot and Okoru
Venue: Snafu
Date: Friday 2nd September
The Germans are coming again, when David August (Stil Vor Talent) enthrals the crowd with house and electro swathes ahead of his debut LP, due to drop in 2012. Gary Smith supports.
Club: Mothership
Venue: Snafu
Date: Saturday 3rd September
Radio hosts Nocturne take over the basement of Mothership for house and techno frequencies. You can hear Nocturne every Friday, 8-10pm on shmu radio/99.8fm.
11pm-3am, £tbc
Club: Hot City
Venue: Snafu
Date: Sunday 4th September
New night Hot City bring the disco to Aberdeen, with Hush Puppy of Glasgow’s Death Disco, and Delusions of Grandeur.
Featured Club of the Week: Jackhammer
Venue: Lane Nightclub, Edinburgh
Date: Friday 26th August
People mourned the loss of Regis and Surgeon’s camaraderie as the British Murder Boys, but we all secretly cheer for Regis’ current collaboration with Function as Sandwell District. The live masters of modern techno are joined by the old school’s Altern8 for a DJ set. And another load of DJs keep the buzz going in all three rooms – it’s gonna be packed.
Club: Sugarbeat vs Musika
Venue: Cabaret Voltaire
Date: Friday 26th August
Two hot house clubs join up to deliver the debut appearance of ‘You Gonna Want Me’ Tiga in the capital; bloody time too, the amount of times I’ve heard that tune blasted in the Cab. Three hours of electro-techno will help close the Fringe season of late night clubs, while the remaining two rooms feature the Utah Saints, Kev Wright, Derek Martin, Vincent Vega, Kirk Douglas & Chris Graham and even more!
Club: Xplicit
Venue: Bongo Club
Date: Friday 26th August
I always like the sound of ‘liquid dnb’ – as if syrupy drums are going to drench through your clothes and soak you in bass-fluids. Of course, it’s only vaguely like that, and most soakings are just the result of frenzied dancing in a room of throbbing bodies to the pounding beats. Whatever – Xplicit’s festival special welcomes the head of Hospital Records, London Elektricity, and MC Darrison for a two hour set of the finest drums to make your ears ring.
11pm-5am, £12 adv.
Club: Heavy Gossip
Venue: Hawke & Hunter (Green Room)
Date: Friday 26th August
Restless Souls’ Phil Asher spins the deep house, broken beat and disco vibes for Heavy Gossip; less nattering and more natty. Ricky Reid, one half of Soul Renegades, returns for a live set of keys and vocals, joining residents Craig Smith and Nick Yuill for a blazin’ party.
Club: Karnival
Venue: Cabaret Voltaire
Date: Friday 26th August
Edinburgh cannot resist the top-name DJs for their closing parties, and house circus Karnival flicked through their contacts and settled upon one of their past favourites: funky and soulful Jesse Rose! The Lahndahn DJ is joined by Mike Pinkerton, Oxygen Junkies and RYZO.
Stacks is a new monthly night for Edinburgh, taking a lighter journey through soul, garage and rnb at the Wee Red Bar (26th August, 11pm-3am, £3), and Numbers host their irregular Edinburgh night at Sneaky Pete’s, spinning the freshest house, techno, dubstep and anything that can be considered de rigeur (11pm-5am, £tbc). On Saturday 27th, Big ‘n’ Bashy hit the Bongo for a wallop of grime, jungle, reggae and dubstep (11pm-5am, £tbc), and the RSI She Bang Rave Unit Festival Special, the longest-named event of the festival clubbing season features RSI residents Bill Spice and Duncan Starski, joining the She Bang Rave Unit crew for a mash-up of everything electronic at the Southern (8pm-3am, free). And Pet Rescue at The Store is actually the least likely place you’ll find Rolf Harris or wounded animals, unless they love the techno (11pm-5am, £6 / £3 before midnight).
Glasgow
Club: Killer Kitsch
Venue: Sub Club
Date: Friday 26th August
Killer Kitsch have hailed their next guests as a ‘massive influence’ who regularly feature in their own sets: Black Strobe take your kneecaps captive with sonic grooves through the Subby’s futuristic floor. The industrial electroclash maestros also release their ‘Best of 13 Years’ LP shortly, so first take a trip down memory lane in the flesh. Hushpuppy supports.
More info: On Sunday 28th, Killer Kitsch are joined by Dundee’s Ado, at their Edinburgh event at Cabaret Voltaire (11pm-5am, £tbc).
Club: Optimo
Venue: Sub Club
Date: Sunday 28th August
I can definitely see a theme at the Sub Club this weekend, when a former member of Black Strobe arrives to spin Optimo right round – Ivan Smagghe treats Glasgow to a double dose of French connection with the hottest electrohouse.
Club: Clash of the Undergrounds
Venue: Stereo
Date: Friday 26th August
In this special Clash event (unaffiliated with the band or the magazine), The Shimmy’s Miss7 and London club Fuse’s Chris Maran go head to head with a special guest to be announced. This year sees Maran releasing his own house and techno productions after numerous slots at high-profile house and techno clubs, so catch him on the brink of stardom.
Boom Monk Ben has been travelling further afar with his sound, and Club 520 are drawing him back in to their new club, Sound, on Friday 26th. He spins a four hour set of just about everything, from dancehall dubs to smooth futuristic garage and lots in between. Visuals will be supplied by Visual AIDS, long-time collaborators with Ben (11pm-3am, £6 / £5). Power Tools power up your Saturday at Flat 0/1 with Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova playing italo disco and house (11pm-3am, free), while Subculture host a residents’ special at the Sub Club (11pm-3am, £10 / free before midnight) with Harri and Domenic manning your house intake.
Aberdeen and Dundee
Club: Wizard Festival After-Party
Venue: Club Snafu, Aberdeen
Date: Friday 26th and Saturday 27th August
Anyone still in need of more action after the Wizard Festival up north can head to Snafu for the weekend with their two After-Parties. On Friday Ado, Bones & Money, Krazzy Martin and special guests from the Snafu tent will keep the buzz going, and Animal Farm, Bigfoot’s, Fuad and Si Smith take the Saturday sign-off.
11pm-3am, £tbc
Club: Boomin’ System
Venue: Reading Rooms, Dundee
Date: Friday 26th August
Special guest Kidkanevil stars at Boomin’ System, mixing up jazz, jungle, and hip-hop for a hefty bass blast.
