Review of ‘A Love From Outer Space’ with Andrew Weatherall, Optimo and friends

A review for http://www.residentadvisor.net

‘A Love from Outer Space’ is the cosy brainchild of pals Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnstone; a third-Thursday-of-the-month get-together that has kept the folk of East London entertained with unique beats and quirky rare musical gems for the past few years.  There was no better time to hold a huge Thursday night party than the beginning of the Easter weekend, where the night could be approached with wild abandonment and no fear that usually accompanies school-night-raving.   It was also an excuse to celebrate Weatherall’s 3 disc compilation that was due to hit the shops at the end of April – any reason for a party.

Weatherall has been labelled a ‘dance music veteran’ more times over the years than anyone would care to mention, but it seems necessary to pay homage to his many years at the forefront of the electronic music scene; making ridiculously good Essential Mixes when half of today’s clubbers were in nappies, producing Primal Scream’s ‘Screamdelica’, playing house, techno, disco, funk, rockabilly and everything in between to crowds across the world.  Working alongside one half of the Hardway Brothers,  ex house, Balearic and techno DJ,  London rave-den Cable resident and future disco spinner Sean Johnstone,  this was a team that had mastered the tried and tested combination of a good atmosphere and a no music policy, music policy.  Joining them tonight for the ride were Berlin duo Trickski, Daniel Avery under his Stopmakingme moniker and Glaswegian masters JD Twitch and JG Wilkes, AKA Optimo.

Upon entering the club, Weatherall and Johnstone were playing slo-mo creepers of the highest order; music so dubby and sleazy it felt like you’d been hit with a tranquilizer dart upon entering.  Traipsing through the dingy corridors and into the smaller second room, Dan Avery was enticing those seeking a little more energy into the fold, with a BPM speed that was still on the ploddier side of the spectrum but with rumbling bass-lines that made your ears itch.  Avery AKA Stopmakingme has made a name for himself through his razor sharp productions, regular slots at Bugged Out!, a residency at Fabric and as the founder of Kill Em All.  Very quickly it was clear the hype was justified as he showcased a series of records that that were rave-heavy yet diverse and never 2 dimensional; with undercurrents of electro, snifters of acid house and waves of breaks and early 80’s riffs, living up surprisingly closely to his chosen genre description of ‘tight machine funk’.   Avery treated his now packed dance-floor to Intruder’s acid house /techno crossover ‘Amame’, and when the decision was made to drop Lil Louis’ ‘French Kiss’, it was received with hollers, whistles and stomping of feet before Optimo took over.

Optimo spent 13 years holding their Sunday night party of the same name at Sub Club in Glasgow, with a miscellaneous music policy and a packed out basement every week.  Now touring across the world, this evening it was anyone’s guess what aural direction they would send their listeners: would it be House and Funk?  Rock & Roll? Punk? It became apparent very quickly that this little sweatbox was to continue with the tech-house vibes following Avery’s exit, with another two hours of fist pumping to one half of Optimo JD Twitch which was far removed from the ‘sleazy post-punk nuggets to apocalyptic disco bombs’ billed on ALFOS’s original blurb.  As much fun as that was, once Wilkes, the second half of Optimo took over (following some sound issues which almost saw the set cut short), it was time to seek out some of these disco oddities that had been anticipated from the evening.

Upon taking a trip back to room one it was clear that the sleazy disco soul vibes were all in here condensed into one hazy package, as the ALFOS guys took back to the decks from Trickski after their 2 hour set.  Inebriated groups of girls in frocks and moustachioed guys in shirts waved their arms and sang along under the 4am pink lights as the twosome played their narcotic grooves, until the gaudy strip lights were lit and it was time for the squinting revellers to leave their bubble and journey home. It had definitely been a successful start to the Easter break and a lot more fun than church.

ALFOS will be taking their party as far as Italy and then Brighton over the next few weeks, so why not check them out?

Photo credit: Daddy’s Got Sweets

A Private Party with Kerri Chandler

Following successful events with Derrick Carter and Francois K, A Private Party With… welcomed house legend Kerri Chandler to London. Chandler’s reputation following his successful appearances at DC10 over the summer showed that he was not just a pioneer of soulful house but an artist who could appeal to both the purists and the fresh faces of the dance music scene.   His latest surge of popularity through DC10 combined with a rare opportunity to witness a DJ play the entire night, something that most people had not witnessed in many years, was a definite selling point.   The opportunity was there to see Chandler in complete control of the musical direction of the evening, with the power to shape his set across a wide variety of styles, from checking in of coats through to last man standing.  His appearance in London was held in a disused building in a grotty corner of East London, coincidentally sharing the building with Gilles Peterson who was holding his own party in another corner, as were Art Department. None of the parties ever collided, but it meant that there were plenty of confused punters milling around outside the disused space and deciding which queue to jump into.

After finding the correct entrance, punters were greeted with a large warehouse, dimly lit in red.  Chandler – surrounded by equipment at the front was welcoming his audience with a selection of vocal house. The audience consisting of a third soulful house purists, a third DC10 kids who caught him over the summer and a third slightly bolshy Essex wide boys.. The first few hours of Chandler’s set were heavily textured, taking revellers from sing-a-long classics such as Cassius’ “Sound of Violence” down to the grimy bass of the Jamie Jones rework of Azari & III’s “Hungry for the Power,” right up again to the soulful chords of “Track 1” from his 1993 Atmosphere EP Vol. 1 with barely room to catch a breath in between, the chords from Track 1 giving a particularly euphoric moment from the jumping crowd who were turning the room into an authentic sauna as the night drew on.

The sound in places was questionable but it was just a small case of finding a decent spot near a speaker, as Chandler played records from the sublime to the obscure, for the number one fans down at the front to those staggering around at the back.  Seminal house records such as Basement Jaxx’s ‘Fly Life’ leading into jump up looping tracks like Butch’s ‘No Worries’; Chandler was as comfortable playing records that were 20 years old through to the hottest releases of the last 12 months, bringing the audience up and down on a wave of tech-beats followed by soul soaked, percussive yet bass heavy tracks.  Big room piano house, 90’s classics, and many of his own releases were interspersed with records well suited to a hazy afternoon on the DC10 terrace.

At one point Chandler chose to play Master at Work’s ‘To be in Love’ – the quintessential soulful house record; perhaps a touch obvious, and most certainly overplayed to the soulful house pedants occupying the space.  It was only on closer inspection however, that Chandler was in fact playing keys over the top of the track, or an acapella; it was hard to tell through the haze.  This was further proof that these were the actions of an artist truly at the top of his game; daring to take a risk that certainly paid off.

At a very hazy 4am, Chandler’s voice shyly came out from the speakers on the mic, asking how the audience was doing and explaining his love for a night where he could play for a whole 7 hours, to a rapturous response his tones broke out into the singingof his own track ‘Rain’ to the elation of the audience who cheered their appreciation.

As 6am rolled around and Arnold Jarvis – ‘Inspiration’ played out to the dishevelled and sweaty crowd, it was wondered whose private party they would be invited to in 2012.

Plastikman in London, a review for www.residentadvisor.net

It was the second day of advent when Richie Hawtin donned his Plastikman guise for a slot at Brixton Academy alongside Magda, Gaiser and Ambivalent. The second night of a UK tour covering only London, Manchester and Glasgow had sold out in the weeks prior, meaning that energy in the Academy was high long before the Minus boss appeared on stage.

Upon arriving at Brixton Academy, Minus affiliate Ambivalent was looking miniscule behind his setup on the colossal stage in front of a large black curtain, playing an energetic warm-up set that threw listeners into raw techno territory from the inset. The crowd, which was rapidly growing in size, consisted of older techno lovers undoubtedly coming out of retirement to see the ’90s hero and younger kids from across London, Europe and beyond. It was clear that the crowd required no real warm-up as Ambivalent smashed his way through a series of his own releases including his shoulder-shaking collaboration with Alexi Delano, “Lights Down,” as the excitement visibly fizzed through the mass of bodies congregated on Brixton Academy’s sloping floor.

Finishing on a bass-heavy mash-up of two tracks by Skudge and Titonton Duvante, it was then time for Gaiser to take to the stage. The producer is renowned for his subtle performances, and his subdued drum patterns and slight melodies seemed like a massive thud to earth after the electricity of Ambivalent. It was, however, programmed perfectly to guarantee maximum impact when Plastikman made his appearance.

After what seemed like a long 20 minutes, the stage went black and silent, causing the crowd to increase their enthusiasm to deafening cheering and stamping of feet. The words “I am the voice inside your head” boomed across the space as the drapes dropped to reveal a semi-circular cage with Hawtin and his equipment inside. Gradually, grumbling beats started and the arc was taken over by floor to ceiling projections. The headliner was controlling all of the music live, as well as the lighting and crystal clear visuals reminiscent of acid trips and strange dreams that were taking over the front of the cage, occasionally flashing to show a silhouette of Hawtin hunched over his equipment.

Playing a range of his earlier releases with occasional teasing riffs of “Spastik” appearing throughout, the music bounced off the high ceilings and finally crescendoed as he emerged from his cage to thrash out the record in full. By that point, Brixton Academy was shaking from the snares as well as the audience’s fervent reaction. Now looking surprisingly small after such an epic show, Plastikman acknowledged his audience’s frenzied cheers before disappearing and leaving the space empty for Magda to take the final slot of the evening.

The crowd hollered and whooped as her beats boomed out across the space once more, but the mood quickly dropped to typical head-down late night Minus terrain, with deepness that bordered on flat in places. The crowd still managed to maintain some enthusiasm for the final hour, however, the dip in the energy was palpable. That was to be expected really: There’s not much you can do to follow up one of techno’s most beloved live acts.

Juan Atkins at Content Manchester – March 2011. A review for www.residentadvisor.net

Manchester’s scene has changed somewhat over the past few years. In the middle of the ’00s, old Mill “Sankeys Soap” was undoubtedly one of the coolest places to go on a Friday night. So when someone decided to open the old Boddington’s brewery to host a series of one-off parties back in 2006, a move that quickly progressed into the now booming Warehouse Project, many jumped at the chance to take it back to the underground. Now, in 2011 the two events, while incredibly successful, are so vastly popular they seem to have lost that feeling of being a not-so-well-kept-secret. As a result, it seems that many of Manchester’s clubbing community are seeking smaller soirees when the weekend comes about.
Photo credit: Nik Torrens

Subsequently, a series of more intimate parties, such as Micron, Cutloose and Content, have charged into the fore: some of which provide an insight into fresh new talent, and some showcasing big names in Manchester’s cosier venues. Content is a party that, since its inception in 2009, has booked the likes of Rolando, Kenny Larkin and Delano Smith to name but a few. The six-strong team of promoters and residents’ combined knowledge of who and what makes a good party seems to have gained them a dedicated following in the past 18 months. For their March event, they pulled out all the stops in booking another Detroit techno master, Juan Atkins. This, following several years of Atkins’ absence from any Manchester line-ups made the ears of the techno purists of the North West prick up.

On the night, all four Content residents were billed to warm the crowd up for Juan’s appearance, and the low ceilings and gritty walls made an out-and-out sweatbox situation extremely likely as the venue rapidly filled up. As the lads played house music from the deep to the tech end of the spectrum, throwing in some Green Velvet along the way, it wasn’t long before people were taking up every inch of space throughout the various levels on the dance floor, leaving the ever-faithful crammed against the front barrier waiting keenly for Atkins to take to the stage.

The night did not kick off without drama, with a broken turntable switched halfway through one of the residents’ sets. However, after a rapid response from the organisers, it was resolved without a missed beat and went pretty much unnoticed by the mixed crowd of older techno fans and fresh-faced students. Atkins eventually appeared on the stage to an expectant and sweaty bunch, hitting them with some heavy techno to kick off proceedings. His set consisted of typically crowd-pleasing records, including old school techno, electro, a smattering of disco and a few classics thrown in (Inner City’s “Big Fun”). He played it safe, but was well received by the crowd, and there were still whoops and cheers aplenty, with many still stomping their feet shouting for “one more tune” when the lights came up at 4 AM.

Review: Beyond the Clouds at Corsica Studios, London, with Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir, Daniel Bell and BTC DJ’s.

A review for http://www.residentadvisor.net 

The latest Beyond The Clouds venture saw one of the London night’s most sizable lineups yet, with Detroit veteran Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir topping the bill, closely followed by minimal techno pioneer Daniel Bell. The event, spread over two rooms of the wonderfully grotty Corsica Studios, also had Rinse FM’s Ben UFO headlining the second room, backed up by the various Beyond The Clouds residents, Charlie & Dave from TO THE BONE and Rik Moran.


The venue was completely packed upon entering and, in true Corsica form, was looking decidedly sweaty from early on, the smaller room hosting Charlie & Dave who had an energetic crowd engaged with their tech house. The fact that the residents were commandeering this room for most of the night meant, for a large chunk of the evening, they used this opportunity to play not just the warm-up tackle they’re usually limited to, but a varied selection of deep house and techno usually reserved for peak-time slots as well.


In the equally busy main room, Shakir was doing his thing. The Detroit DJ has been making music for many years, and is renowned for a varied style, which was certainly on display throughout his set, with sounds that took listeners from the contemporary end of the spectrum to throwback techno. Further along in the night, Hessle Audio’s Ben UFO took over from the BTC residents in the second room, and finished the crowd off with a miscellaneous selection of squeaks, bleeps and squelchy acid noises, culminating in screeching electro riffs that seemed ready to take your ears off.


Back in the main room, the heads-down crowd were surprised by an early departure from Shakir, meaning that Daniel Bell took to the decks 20 minutes early. Bell decided to take the pace Shakir had set down a notch with some typical minimal grooves. These basic beats, many of them composed in the ’90s, were a minimal diehard’s dream, however, when transitioned from vinyl to the dance floor at Corsica, left listeners a little cold. Consequently, it took some time for the music and the crowd to get fired up again following Shakir’s exit. Once Bell picked up steam, though, we were treated to a barrage of thumping techno gems. His ability to keep the slightly rumpled crowd in high spirits seemed effortless, and 6 AM rolled around all too soon.

South West Four 2011

A review for http://www.residentadvisor.net
photo credit: Vickie Parker

London festival South West Four had pulled out all the stops for their August bank holiday knees-up; showcasing a line-up that covered everything from the underground to the commercial side of the electronic music spectrum. With stiff competition across the capital for the discerning dance lover from various events including no less than two secretsundaze parties, SW4 still managed to pull an enthusiastic crowd with a line-up consisting of headlining giants Underworld, chart act Pendulum, old favourites Layo and Bushwacka!, and Laurent Garnier, and techno treats from Sven Vath and Richie Hawtin to Ben Sims and many more.

Upon entering Clapham Common on the blustery Saturday afternoon, the site had been turned into a veritable quagmire as a result of lashing rain in the previous week. Some festival kids didn’t seem to get the memo however; adorned in frocks and flip flops and looking on at the sludge in dismay. It didn’t seem to deter many though and before long plastic-bag-shoe-chic was being rocked by many, with forlorn looking solitary items of footwear disregarded in the mud.

Trudging across the site clutching some warm pear cider it was straight to the Cocoon tent for Guy Gerber who was playing jump-up tech-house at a ridiculously low volume. Halfway into the crowd; the ability to have a chat at normal levels with the person stood next to you was sadly effortless as the beats thumped away in the background. It seemed that unless you were willing to barge your way to the front to stand with your head in the speaker, the chances of hearing anything but muffled kick drums and tinny treble were slim, and the idea of any bass in the music was a distant memory. Many boisterous boozed-up-tops-off blokes had already made the front their stomping ground meaning that this area wasn’t really an area to dance, rather a place to be shoved around like a rag-doll – something that wasn’t particularly appealing.

Teifschwarz, Tobi Neumann, Josh Wink and Sven Vath provided a muted soundtrack in the Cocoon arena throughout the afternoon, whilst in the ‘Shake It’ tent Layo and Bushwacka and Garnier were giving the crowd what they wanted through their classic anthems ‘Love Story’ and ‘Man With the Red Face’ respectively, providing reactions of mass sing-a-longs and hands in the air. If there was an opportunity to gush about some rare and wonderful records the artists played otherwise it was sadly missed, simply as the sound was so poor. After a good few hours of mooching from tent to tent in a vain attempt to get near a speaker, it was then time for headliners Underworld to take to the outdoor main stage. With a back catalogue dating back to the birth of half of the clientele and notoriety for taking electronica from the underground to the mainstream, it was a treat to have Underworld on stage for a full hour. Slightly louder than the covered arenas, the goose bump inducing chords and drums from their opening track ‘Rez/Cowgirl’ resonated across the crowd as dusk fell across the site; an opener from the collective that gave the audience a kick up the backside to ensure they were dancing from the beginning. Throughout the performance they treated the crowd to tracks from their various albums with their familiar tones and Karl Hyde’s iconic vocals, particular highlights being the epic ‘2 Months Off’ and ‘King of Snake’.

Considering the festival was a sold out event the atmosphere during the performance seemed rather lacklustre with only pockets of the audience really getting into the music despite Hyde’s frantic pleas to ‘Come on SW4 make some noise!’ When the familiar synths from ‘Born Slippy’ boomed out for the encore however it was clear that this was what the audience had arrived for, and as the stage lights beamed over 20,000 people waving their arms in the air, it was certainly the most dynamic moment of the day as SW4 Saturday drew to a close, leaving crowds of inebriated festival goers stumbling out of the common and onto further parties, as the night was still so young.

Sunday’s event rolled around, and it seemed that following the many complaints that had flooded in on the SW4 Facebook pages, someone had quite possibly listened; with the sound levels much clearer and louder than the previous day. The line-up for Sunday was just as strong and after walking into a packed ‘We Love….’ arena where Simian Mobile Disco were playing an acapella of their track ‘Hustler’ over a banging techno beat, it was time to seek out Minus records maestro Richie Hawtin. Hawtin’s diversity and longevity in the industry meant that exactly what he was going to deliver on a set-by-set basis was unpredictable, and on this Sunday afternoon anything from minimal clicks to frantic pitched-up rhythms could be expected. The arena, today sponsored by Last FM and hosted by Together was not as crowded which provided a welcome relief from the crush of the previous day, and it meant that there was plenty of room to get a decent stomp on. Hawtin provided his audience with a cleverly crafted set that consisted of fresh sounding beats that had bite but that kept enough of a groove to keep the techno-sceptics dancing for the duration, a far cry from the click-y minimal he was originally renowned for; his loyal audience locked in with him throughout and applauded him as he played his last track.

Following Hawtin it was time to go and check out Ben Sims in the Drumcode arena (In association with Mixcloud). Sims was playing techno that wasn’t as ridiculously hard as his usual offerings, with beats that were fast but from the funkier end of the spectrum. As darkness approached outside the tent however he moved into more standard Sims terrain with a relentless chunk of techno that maintained the visible high energy atmosphere, an atmosphere more electric than at any other moment of the festival. People of all nationalities and ages jumped around as he finished with his own remix of Sylvester’s ‘You Make Me Feel’; a techno and disco collision which was a perfect way to end the set and close the arena for another year. The record caused a mass sing along from the crowd of dancing bodies– a definite festival highlight which judging by the hollers, cheers and applause was a common feeling from all. As Pendulum played out the final chords of their chart-y d&b rock on the main stage, SW4 2011 drew to a close. Despite the poorly stocked bar and by and large shocking sound levels, the festival was a fun day out with a great line-up. Please just turn it up next time!

Southport Weekender 2011 – a review for www.residentadvisor.net

On a blustery May afternoon, the Southport Weekender crew, responsible for no less than 46 weekend parties over the past 24 years, were gearing up to celebrate their 47th soiree in a little seaside town called Minehead, situated on the coast of South West England. Previous events had been held at the now dilapidated Pontins site in the festival’s namesake town, entertaining revelers with a selection of soul, garage, hip-hop and house. It was decided that for 2011, however, that a move to a larger, plusher resort was necessary, and the colossal Butlins site—usually frequented by families and holiday makers—was chosen to be taken over by 6,500 attendees. As well as a swish new venue, the stops had been pulled out for the 2011 lineup, with sets billed from Theo Parrish to Carl Craig, through to Grandmaster Flash, DJ EZ and many more.

Upon gaining admittance out of the lashing rain and into the complex on Friday evening, Gilles Peterson was mashing together a variety of genres in the Beat Bar, and introduced the audience to his pal Joy Orbison who had been shifted on the bill to perform an impromptu Friday night set (to the excitement of the Friday audience and dismay of those who tried to watch him the following evening, the night he was due to play). As darkness fell, it was then time to take a trip through the arcades and into the oversized theatre space that for this weekend was known as the Powerhouse. This was one of the largest areas; an aural and aesthetic treat adorned with white décor, podiums shrouded in white ribbon and glittering visuals.

Here, Manchester chaps The Unabombers were warming the audience up with records from past and present including the aptly titled 1993 classic from Blunted Dummies “House for All.” As DJ Spinna took over, it was time to seek out heavier grooves, and it was back to the Beat Bar where Dixon was due on stage. For 90 minutes, Dixon provided a selection of chugging, atmospheric house that almost verged on progressive at times, and included tracks from the likes of Osunlade and records from the Innervisions label he chairs with producer pals Âme.

Photo credit: Colin Williams

One of the main attractions of Friday night was the highly anticipated “’90s classics” set by one of the original big hitters, Roger Sanchez. Billed as “an education in ’90s house music,” this was a set that, judging by the crowds packed into the sweltering Powerhouse, could have potentially gone down in Southport history. It soon became apparent that Sanchez was only intent on educating his audience with a selection of records suited to a Sunday afternoon on Radio One, rather than a musical veteran’s paradise, playing hits like X-Press 2’s “Lazy,” Tori Amos’s “Professional Widow” and even an acappella of “Rhythm of the Night” from Corona at one point. It was a disappointment for those anticipating a chunk of old Stealth and Narcotic releases, but the venue remained packed throughout, meaning that it was certainly appreciated by many.

And so it was back to the Beat Bar for the arrival of another huge name—Theo Parrish. A crammed dance floor watched him take over from Dixon with some enjoyable disco, but before long Parrish decided to perform a musical U-turn, steering away from the discernable grooves he had been playing previously and choosing records that even omitted standard kick drums at times, eventually half emptying the dance floor and leaving nothing but a few confused stragglers in its wake.

A somewhat bewildered Carl Craig then took over from Parrish, steering away from his usual synth-based techno and opting for safe classics such as Rhythm is Rhythm’s “Strings of Life” in an attempt to draw an audience back in. Following Parrish’s assault on the speakers, it took some time to persuade those left in the Beat Bar, but a significant crowd had returned before the doors closed for the evening. Meanwhile, in the Powerhouse, Derrick Carter had taken to the decks with his signature boompty sound, throwing acappellas of recent Adele records all over his beats and giving the house contingent the energy they needed to last until 6 AM.

Saturday rolled into Sunday, and by lunchtime the site was back in full swing again. By nightfall, though, torrential rain had started to fall, and it was a mad dash to get back into the complex without looking like something that had just floated up stream. A cold cocktail paired with the sounds of soul sensation Alice Russell was the perfect way to dry off in the Beat Bar, and her discernable talent, belting vocals and easy stage presence was received with whoops and cheers from the crowd.

Photo credit: Colin Williams

Radio maestro Benji B followed with a set that took over nicely from Russell’s performance, playing everything from broken beats, disco and dub, before moving into pure unadulterated house music and finishing with Frankie Knuckles’ “Baby Wants to Ride.” Motor City Drum Ensemble then took over and went all over the place—house to funk to disco. At one point, he even dropped the classic “Is it All Over My Face” by Loose Joints. Across the piazza, DJ EZ had been playing a classic UK garage set to a road-blocked Funkbase venue.

For the house heads, Kerri Chandler finished the evening off in the Powerhouse arena, which had reached sauna-like temperatures. Playing records from the more uplifting end of the spectrum, Chandler occasionally teased those who like their records deeper, but always returned to soaring strings and soul drenched vocals. By 6 AM, it was time for the venue to close once again and decisions were made over whether to sleep it off before embarking on the journey home or carry on the party. Once the music started again at midday, Southport attendees ranged from the remarkably fresh to the downright disheveled, and the ideal way to finish off proceedings was with the epic award-wining gospel choir The Sounds of Blackness.

For those lucky enough to nab tickets for the official after-party on Sunday evening, Rahaan and Timmy Regisford provided the tunes for those who still had their dancing shoes on. The ever-faithful crowd partied until the lights came up, leaving time for one more snooze before the inevitable homeward journey. SPW47 in its new home was proof that the Southport ethos of happy vibes, good music and a damn good party is the same, wherever you are and whatever the weather.

Photos by Resident Advisor

20 Years of Planet E with Carl Craig – Ewer Street Car Park – London

A review for http://www.residentadvisor.net/

Pioneer, Innovator, Composer, Mogul of one of the most ground- breaking independent record labels of its genre – Planet E, these are just some of the terms used to describe Detroit born-and-raised Carl Craig, who was here in London to celebrate 20 years of his label, accompanied by fellow veteran Francois K, Radio Slave, Psycatron, Paul Woolford and many more to complete the line up. The event was to be held at Ewer Street car park, a vast space not dissimilar to the venue used for Manchester’s Warehouse Project, its high arched ceilings, graffiti splattered walls and uneven stone floors guaranteed to cause slightly inebriated party goers to stumble into the scattered puddles after one too many shandies.

The car park was busy well before midnight, perhaps due to publicised set times prior to the event, maybe as many punters had been warmed up nicely by Carl Craig’s impromptu set down at Soho’s Phonica records earlier that evening. As the crowd settled in, Francois Kevorkian, or Francois K as he is better known was playing noodley synth based electronica under Arch One, building up slowly to more solid 4/4 beats and peaking in the form of Hardfloor’s ‘Acperience 1’; a record that is almost as old as Planet E itself. Meanwhile in Arch Two, Psycatron was performing a live set and bashing out tech-house to an equally lively audience, most still dancing in their coats due to the cold night air.

As Carl Craig appeared on stage, Arch One was completely crammed with bodies which meant that any dancing was resigned to a limited on the spot shuffle. Starting off fairly tentatively, Craig’s signature spacey synths plodded on for some time before he stepped it up a gear, then deciding to aurally knock seven shades of the proverbial out of the crowd with 90 minutes of pure, unadulterated techno. Prime cuts from Craig’s vast back catalogue were selected, from his growling bass-heavy remix of Theo Parrish’s ‘Falling Up’ reverberating off the stone ceilings through to his reworking of Faze Action’s ‘In the Trees’. Once he threw in Inner City’s ‘Good Life,’ you could have chucked a grenade onto the dance floor and it was doubtful if anyone would have noticed. As the time came for Matt Edwards AKA Radio Slave to take over, the audience were well past the point of slowing down and were keen for him to hammer out large chunks of his relentless techno to the finish, to which he dutifully obliged.

Paul Woolford had meanwhile been in charge of Arch Two, followed by the relatively unheard of duo also known as ‘Sound As.’ Tripping into the second arch at such a late hour which was inhabited by a mere 20 or 30 people was a welcome relief from the crush of Arch One, and despite it being late and the area being nearly empty, the duo were on good form and it seemed almost a shame that their house tinged techno was wasted on so few people, some of whom were past the point of appreciating anything at this time of the morning.

So an epically busy party had rolled to an end; a celebration of techno from past, present and a hopeful nod to the future sound of today’s scene. Let’s hope that the good ship Planet E, captained by Carl Craig, steers on for another 20 years.

Photo by Resident Advisor

Plump DJ’s – An Interview for www.4clubbers.net

Aby caught up with these pioneers of the breaks scene, to talk about the last hectic year, music and the year to come. Times change, labels change, music changes, but their love for what they do has stayed as strong as ever.

It’s been a big change for the Plumps this year i understand, moving from finger lickin’ after many years to set up your own label ‘grand hotel’. can you tell us more about the new label and what brought you to the decision to leave finger lickin’?

We completed our successful long contract with fingerlicking records, and set up grand hotel as a platform to voice our own new music and that of acts that we descover during our world tours.

Your sound has changed quite a bit from the days of ‘a plump night out’ and ‘eargasm’, these days taking more influences from techno and electro, who would you say inspires you from the techno world?

We love the repetitive engery of techno and the hypnotic atmosphere at techno events. The inventive synth led electro sound too with its undeniable 80’s roots… both of which inspired many early tracks of ours.

You pretty much pioneered the breaks genre back in the early 00’s, and there was a period where it was the genre du jour and everyone seemed to be playing and making breakbeat music . As artists who have been in the industry for more than 10 years, what are your opinions on these ever changing musical trends and does it effect what you play/produce?

Times are ever changing but we have simple needs as artistes, we miust crate and find new ways to make people dance! We are happiest when we are experimenting in the studio and coming up with fresh ideas. What ever style of music people may think or say we are making, we are fortunate that we make what we like for the love of it. We have the technology to make pop music for money, but we would rather make experimental dance music for love.

What are your tips for longevity in this industry?

We are always trying to better ourselves, as humans we are capable of complacency but we try to improve, excell, learn and motivate. We also are aware of our strengths and weaknesses and try not to take ourselves too seriously. How could we with a name like Plump DJs. It is important to be respectful of everyone around you in the industry from the door to the bar, from the reception to the consierge we are all in it together and will be for some time to come.

You have achieved great success in the UK, Australia and have recently been touring the USA… anywhere you would like to conquer that you haven’t already? How do you find the crowds differ in Australia and the USA compared to the UK?

We would like to give the biggest shout at present to grand hotel records and the music we are involved in there. Maybe tour the lable and artistes worldwide soon. As Plump DJs we would like to get some gigs in Europe and Asia where we have not toured extensively for some time. We are very excited about going to the USA and Australia this autumn.

Do you have a favourite country/city/venue to play in?

The UK is hard to beat though recently we have had amazing gigs in L.A. ‘Avalon’, Canada ‘Shambhala’, Ibiza ‘Space Carl Cox’. It’s a real tuffy finding a favourite, steak or ice cream?

As two people who have been in the industry for a long time, do you treat your time djing at clubs and festivals as a party or a job?(or both!) do you have any stories to tell from your recent tours?

We used to party at every event, this carried on for years. After 7 years of gigging and nearly 100 gigs a year we started going a bit mad, our limbs started falling off and our hair started to fall out. We realised then that we should take things a little more seriously for our own sake. We also by this point had been made fully awre of the gravity of our situation, the good fortune that we had. We have been lucky enough to find our calling, our talent, wasting this life would be a serious mistake. Nowadays we let loose every time we feel the urge, but like the adver says we ‘drink more responsibly’, honest…

What’s your setup these days when DJing? Will you be going down the digital avenue in future, using software like Serrato and Ableton if you don’t already ?

We like to use 4CDJS and one mixer- and a rather nifty little box called a Q2 which allows 2 djs to listen to one mixer. We’ve got no plans to go digital at the moment- with 2 of us we can drop beats and samples using the CDJS and that can be pretty creative.

Who or what do you take inspiration from when producing? Who do you respect in the music world? What other types of music do you enjoy aside from electronica?

We take inspiration from anywhere and everywhere and try to listen to loads of different music. too many influences to mention, but we’re both soul boys at heart so that would probably be our favourite music outside electronica.

What is your creative process when in the studio? Do you follow a particular format or is it just a case of getting some beers in and seeing what happens?

We usually talk about an idea or sample before we start, but it can be anything that interests us. Then we spend a day or so getting the groove together and decide at the end of that whether it’s any good or whether we bin it. Actually we have tried making music pissed but everything sounds better and faster so not advisable really.

Everyone loves a good bootleg in the breaks world, donna kebab being a particular favourite from yourselves… are there any current records from the pop world you’d like to have a play with?

Breakbeat went through a dodgy stage where every big tune had to have a breakbeat bootleg, so after that we had a period of staying away from bootlegs. more recently we’ve started doing it again though, we’re playing 3 or 4 booties in the set. we’ve got a few ideas too but you’ll have to watch this space.

What else are you looking to achieve? What’s next for the Plump Djs?

The label is obviously a big proirity and we will continue to put tracks out on that, as well as a couple of remixes and we’re booked up with gigs till November which is great. We’ve just confirmed a six date tour of Australia over christmas and New Year too.

Finally, you must be knackered after all of this travelling around, what do you do to chill out?!

Anything we can… drinking, golfing and fishing seem popular activities at the moment!

20/20 Vision Party – Village Underground – London

A Review for http://www.residentadvisor.net/

It was the week before Christmas and across the country, people were well and truly in the party spirit. Following their sell-out event back in August, the 20:20 Vision crew had done it again, bringing a line-up composed of man-of-the-moment Tensnake, live veterans Crazy P Soundsystem and Lindstrom, as well as Mr. 20:20 Vision himself, Ralph Lawson, in addition to the recent RA podcaster jozif and guests from Mancunian tech-house night Micron.

Photo credit: So Hasegawa

Temperatures were well into sub zero territory by Saturday evening with snow and ice crunching underfoot, but the treacherous weather didn’t stop the queues snaking down the street outside the refurbished Victorian warehouse, otherwise known as Village Underground. The venue stood on an unassuming side road not far from the bright lights of Shoreditch High Street, and upon entering one was faced with a vast expanse of exposed brick, high ceilings and a Funktion One soundsystem (brought in special for the occasion) which had been nicely warmed up by the Micron lads, and was currently being employed by jozif.

It had been announced that sadly due to flight cancellations Lindstrom was unable to make the event, however extended sets from Lawson and Crazy P more than made up for the gap. By the time Chris and Jim, AKA Crazy P Soundsystem, arrived on stage with a special appearance from Danielle Moore (a knockout in red Lycra and lace), the crowd appeared to be well-oiled and suitably rowdy. The band’s blend of disco, soul and house wound around Moore’s hypnotic vocals and by the time they had belted out tracks from various albums of the past decade and beyond, there was truly an air of festive cheer and merriment.

It was then time for Lawson to attend to the decks, and he obliged with a set that informed the people of Village Underground that he wasn’t mucking about. Lawson’s attentive audience stomped through two hours of pure unadulterated house music; taking it from the deepest avenues through to full-on air punching territory as the night drew on. By 3 AM, spirits and people were high throughout the venue and thoughts of the cold dark night outside seemed a million miles away. This was the moment that Tensnake took to the stage, armed with the tools to craft a perfectly formed live set. Sixty minutes was ample time, as he threw down his delectable disco tinged house anthems, taking punters on a trip from “Congolal” through to “Holding Back My Love” via “In the End (I Want You to Cry).” He even threw in his so-deep-you-could-swim-in-it remix of Jonny Dynell’s “Jam Hot,” and, before you could say peak-time-anthem, the unforgettable chimes of “Coma Cat” came bouncing off the brickwork, taking clubbers back to the balmy air of Ibiza terraces and festivals at dusk.

And so the final two hours pressed on and Lawson returned to the stage, ensuring that those hardcore enough to last the duration remained enthusiastically locked into his groove until London based Danny Raper smashed out the final tunes of the evening. As 6 AM rolled around, a quick scan of the disheveled but smiling crowd proved that another 20:20 vision party had been a success. An excellent sound system, diverse music and a warm atmosphere isn’t always easy to find in the sprawling clubs of East London. Here’s hoping they can top it in 2011.

Words /Aby Wojcik
Published /Thu, 13 Jan 2011

Photo credit: So Hasegawa