There's a cupboard in my flat that I do not dare open. I opened it once when I first moved in, and the horrifying level of grime, smears and smells made sure I close the door and never look again. I walk past that door every day and feel a squirm in my stomach as I uneasily think of it festering; knowing one day I'll have to venture there.
I have to confess a similar feeling towards this blog. I went away on holiday and never came back - each time I felt I should go back to it another work project got thrown up, and the slippage of time between posts started the uneasy squirm all over again. I've spent months thinking about how much time I can actually dedicate to it, and what direction I want to take given the bounty of music blogs out there.
I have to write about what I know; what I spend most of my time doing, and in recent years, that's techno music. I was hesitant to narrow my sights when I first launched this little corner of the internet, but I also know I need to make this a strong blog if it's going to have any more than a brief ripple in time.
With that, I leave you dear reader(s) with the newest product of the Scottish techno music scene, and hitting shops on 28th May - new LP Labour Division by Forward Strategy Group (Perc). Shiny metal CD tin, fantastic artwork, and an industrial and dark exploration of electronic music for this ominous age. Brutal.
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.
Hot from the local techno scene, Patrick Walker (Forward Strategy Group / Isodyne) releases this exclusive free mix on Fairtilizer fresh from the Leith FM soundwaves last Friday.
New, unreleased Forward Strategy Group material (soon to be released on Perc Trax) nestles amongst Silent Servant, Steve Stoll, Regis and Function. With already 4 downloads in Kazakhstan (techno knows no boundaries), dash ahead of the Europe and US crowds with this direct download: Click here for goodness.
The mix is entitled 'Balancing adjustment imperatives' and full tracklisting is here for your geeky pleasure.
regis // solution milton bradley // dystopian vision damon wild // warchild function // the balance of power substance function // the balance of power regis mix michaelangelo // andromeda 13 O / V // killing european sons b1 forward strategy group // combat code a1 dz zank // subvoice 21 b1 portion reform // condition steve stoll // proper 30 b1 portion reform // shift worker microwave prince // death counter charlton ravenberg // backwards orphx // cracktest edit damon wild // catalyst mike denhart // vorwaerts beast tamer // b1 O / V // killing european sons a1 forward strategy group // combat code b1 smear // burunda // charlton remix ch-signal laboratories // scale 1 beast tamer // a2 damon wild // bloodhound deuce // guttering surgeon // dry b2 silent servant // demonstration silent servant // la noche martyn // vancouver t++ // audio 1995 8 2 henry and louis // rise up pinch remix equalized // 001 a1 wax 20002 // a1 james juskin // solution peter van hoesen // casual care // samuli kemppi mix function // the balance of power
