LOCAL HERO: Sad City – You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful

Year on year we see new artists emerge from Glasgow and year on year we get more and more excited. So when we eventually caught up with Northern Irish producer Sad City, the anticipation for his new EP ‘You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful’ was inevitably huge. Perhaps the finest thing we’ve heard in 2013 so far, this four track masterpiece is a perfectly executed journey through some truly wonderful soundscapes. Go buy this now and lose yourself forever.

Sad City – You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful (Phonica Special Editions) (Buy)

You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful by SadCity

You can always count on Sei A. His unique brand of gloomy house never fails to captivate us and has subsequently made fans out of everyone from Will Saul to Tiga. Having released on the likes of Kompakt, Simple and Turbo, his latest EP, ‘Wants’, comes on his own imprint and is sounding hotter than ever. Boasting three tracks of futuristic flavour, we’ve opted for the shimmering ‘Promises’ to do the talking…

Sei A – Promises (Seinan Music) (Buy)

Sei A - Promises (Original Mix) - Seinan Music by Sei A

You may recognise Ray Vose from his residency at midweek house-a-thon, Sub Rosa. Already a fairly accomplished DJ, he’s now turned his hand to production, posting a handful of promising tracks on Soundcloud. Pick of the bunch is ‘Clap Three’, a late-night jam which oozes class. Revolving around a chugging bassline and a catchy lead, this has potential to do collateral damage when dropped at the right moment.

Ray Vose – Clap Three (Unsigned)

Ray Vose - Clap three by Ray Vose

We’ve been following Glaswegian producer Konchis for sometime now, initially picking up on his work with Physiks back in 2011. Since then, his productions have continued to impress, being championed up by Radio 1’s Muslim Alim for a spotlight feature with Low Profile Media. Listen to his latest collaboration with Wizard Beats and it’s not hard to see why as menacing sub-bass and crisp percussion make ‘Chips’ a head-nodding weapon…

WizardBeats & Konchis – Chips (Unsigned)

Chips (Co-Production With Konchis) by WizardBeats

FEATURE: Introducing Work For Love
WORDS: Alex Caslano

In the digital age there are both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to music. Undoubtedly it’s become more accessible, cheaper and easier to find, but with download sites overflowing with new tunes, genres and artists every day, it can be more difficult to discover that one gem, the one record that no one else has. This filters through to DJ’ing too, and it’s something which newly-formed collective Work For Love are very aware of. Having once promoted highly popular dubstep and bass night, Fortified at the Art School, Gordon Stewart and Barrie Burns took some time off club promotion when the old building met its demise. Taking their records to the new union on Sauchiehall St and pulling out forgotten classics with Gordon's cousin, James Langerson Jr, the seed for something fresh was inevitably planted and Work For Love was born.

Holding court on the last Friday of every month, you can expect to hear a mix of Disco, Kraut, Funk and Boogie, with a strict 'vinyl only' policy. This in turn leads to a truly unique soundtrack, which along with a number of other DJs and events in Glasgow is attracting a dedicated and fun-focused crowd. Encouraging real dancing and an antidote to the steamrolling culture of big guests and nondescript parties, Work For Love are simply interested in having a good time. Teaming up with Loefah’s similarly minded Norwood Soul Patrol this Friday at La Cheetah, we’d imagine the crate-digging has already begun…

Check out Norwood Soul Patrol's Beta Mix below as well as an interview with Work For Love promoter, Gordon Stewart:

Norwood soul patrol beta test by Loe Fah on Mixcloud

Synth: So first of all we’d like to talk a bit about the ‘boogie’ sound which we know is popular at Work For Love. What are the origins of ‘boogie’ and how does it translate on the floor? Would we be right in saying that it encompasses a range of sounds that have a similar vibe and energy?

Gordon: First off, I'd like to state for the record that Work For Love isn’t a boogie club, nor are we trying to push for some sort of revival. Yes we do play a lot of boogie, but you’re just as likely to hear some obscure African funk record or an old electro rarity. To answer your question though, I'd define boogie by its basslines (squelchy and funky), tempo (generally between 110-120 bpm) and release date (the 80's). Other than that it’s quite hard to define, most of the records are about quite fun topics dealing with relationships and dancing, and it works great on the dancefloor, especially with the ladies!

Synth: You launched Work For Love last year and you’ve had a handful of parties since, what inspired you to start promoting again? Obviously you used to run the highly successful Fortified events, was Work For Love something you had been considering for a while?

Gordon: Not really, it came about by accident. The Art School had closed for refurb so we had nowhere to do Fortified and when they opened the bar on Sauchiehall St they asked us to come play at it quite a lot. This coincided timing wise with my cousin James Langerson JR getting back into mixing big time after taking a bit of time away from it to raise his family. He was my first DJ partner way back in the early 90's when we used to play every Sunday at a club called Zanzibar's in Airdrie, so it was great to get some of the old magic coming back. Dubstep and grime don’t really fit the vibe of that bar so we were pulling out all sorts of old vinyls - disco, funk, house, krautrock, electro, just digging deep into our collections. It has become something of a competition between us now to find the best unheard records! After a few of these sessions, me, him and Barrie were having a lot of fun and getting quite disappointed when we had to switch off the music at midnight, which is when we would be just getting into a groove, so we thought why not give the club night a try.

Work For Love Vs Norwood Soul Patrol: this Saturday at La Cheetah

Synth: If we focus on some of the related sounds and DJ's in Glasgow, would it be over the top to suggest a small scene is forming? Obviously MermaidS have had success with the boogie sound, are there any other producers or DJs that we should be looking out for?

Gordon: Well I’m always quite dubious if anything gets referred to as a "scene", especially if you’re talking about music that was released decades ago. People have been playing boogie in Glasgow long before now and will continue to go back to it long after I've hung up my headphones. I think the reason it seems to be undergoing a slight resurgence right now amongst younger DJ's in Glasgow is wholly down to the fact that loads of current artists seem to be obsessed with releasing and playing generic, sanitised house. Discogs and Youtube make it really easy to track down and find new sounds these days, and when kids find that there are records out there that are infinitely more vibrant, colourful and imaginative than most of this week’s new releases, it's hardly surprising that they start playing them. I'm quite lucky as I get to have regular mix off's in my house with the two guys who started Work For Love - they still amaze me by bringing tunes I have never heard the likes of despite having lived in one another’s pockets for the last 20 odd years. This is a quality that I think every DJ should aspire to, finding new records that shake your mind, whether it be an old or current jam. So as far as recommendations go, I'd say for Glasgow DJs - Forget About Pushing Your Cart, Bop Gun, Mother, Jongerre, Fergus & Earthly Matters Clan, Bamboo Palace & Dave Barbarossa. As far as production wise goes I have to mention Silk Cut, Inkke, Royalty, Timothy J Fairplay, NPhonix and Liar.

Synth: Finally, you have Loefah and his Norwood Soul Patrol passing through La Cheetah next week, how did that come about? We heard that he directly asked you if you’d like to host the project which must have been nice! What should people be expecting on the night and what are the plans for the rest of 2013?

Gordon: Yep that’s right; they were looking for a few special gigs outside of festivals to do this year, so that's how it happened. Loefah is one of the few folk we still respect from the dubstep realm and we knew that he had a good pedigree of music taste so we were happy to host this special show – it’s gonna be party vibes from the get go. We don't actually have any more WFL parties planned as yet, but there is still the Subcity Radio show we do every month (which will be on the Saturday night after the Norwood gig), the Art School residency, and we will be launching a special Fortified sub label called Work For Love with two Timothy J Fairplay EP's that if I may say, are pretty incredible. We are also doing a wee party in La Cheetah to celebrate 7 years of Fortified on June the 8th so watch out for that one…

Work For Love teams up with Norwood Soul Patrol this Friday at La Cheetah featuring Loefah, Chunky, Dom Fader and Electric Eliminators. Tickets are £10 advance or £12 on the door.

Work For Love on Facebook
Work For Love on Subcity Radio

COMPETITION: Subculture Presents…Ralph Lawson

For someone who has been involved with electronic music for over twenty years, it’s reassuring to find Ralph Lawson as enthusiastic and excited as he was when he first launched seminal Leeds club, Back To Basics with Dave Beer and Alistair Cooke in 1991. Continually innovating and pushing things forward, Ralph’s history is nothing short of astonishing, and his accolades roll deep with respect. Regarded as one of the best house DJs in the world, he holds residencies at the likes of Space Ibiza, Fabric and Barcelona’s The Loft. Needless to say, his appearance at Subculture this Saturday night is hotly anticipated.

Opening its doors at The Music Factory in Leeds, Back To Basics quickly became one of the most popular nights in the country, catering for clued-up clubbers and legendary guests who ranged from Danny Tenaglia to Daft Punk. Of course Leeds is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading cities for house, helped without question by Back To Basics and Ralph’s dedication to the local scene. With his reputation growing, Ralph would inevitably reach far beyond Leeds however, and he was soon invited to play the Sub Club alongside Domenic Cappello in 1992. This would be the start of a budding relationship with both the venue and Subculture.

In the years that followed, Ralph’s profile would rise exponentially, launching world-renowned label 2020 Vision after a series of impromptu studio sessions with Chez Damier & Ron Trent. Now releasing music from the likes of Ejeca, Huxley and Maya Jane Coles, 2020 has become a hallmark for quality and helped inspire his critically acclaimed live project, 2020 Soundsystem (which sadly disbanded earlier this month). Having received numerous awards throughout the years, Ralph is undoubtedly one of dance music’s most enduring, and perhaps most importantly, devoted sons.

Check out Ralph Lawson’s restored ‘Dusty Dubs and Gold Dust’ below, as well as recent recordings from Watergate and his new project, ‘Beat’:

Ralph Lawson - Dusty Dubs and Gold Dust (Stream) by ralphlawson





May has already been a huge month for long-running institution, Subculture. Celebrating their 19th birthday with DJ Sneak at the start of the month, we’ve been treated to a special 4hr set from Domenic as well as an evening with the ever-reliable Telford. But, considering the history wrapped up with Ralph Lawson, this weekend’s party is bound to be a certified highlight, so if you fancy winning yourself two spots on the guestlist, simply head along to the Synth Facebook and type ‘SUBCULTUREXRALPHLAWSON’ on the wall. We’ll select a winner at random and announce them on Friday.

Terms & Conditions: Please note that this prize is two places on the guestlist for Subculture Presents...Ralph Lawson on Saturday 25th May. There will be one winner. The competition closes at 1pm on Friday 24th May and the winner will be notified via Facebook comment (please check your Facebook in the hours following the closure of the competition. The winner must be 18 years or older. After we have passed on the winner’s details to the event organisers we then pass on responsibility for entry on the night.

Ralph Lawson plays Subculture at the Sub Club this Saturday. Tickets are priced at £10 advance from Resident Advisor.

Ralph Lawson on Soundcloud
Ralph Lawson on Facebook
Ralph Lawson on Twitter
Harri & Domenic on Facebook

PREVIEW: Electric Frog May Weekender – David Morales 5 Hour Set
WORDS: Alex Caslano

“What happened to the days when you went to a party or a club because it was the place to be? Before people danced with each other, now it’s like a concept.� If there’s anyone who is qualified to comment on the current state of modern club culture, it’s David Morales. Recognised as a rising star by none other than Larry Levan in late 80’s New York, he started his career in the most humble of surroundings. A regular at legendary venues like The Loft and Paradise Garage (where the emphasis was purely on dancing), his skill as a DJ – in the traditional and most relevant sense – has seen him become one of the all time greats.

Headlining the first of two magnificent days at the Electric Frog May Weekender, his extended set on Saturday is likely to be a talking point for weeks to come, as he offers a true schooling in the art of playing records. Hand most DJ’s a 5hr set these days and they’d probably shit themselves, but through years of experience and an undying passion for music, his job has never changed. The DJ is there to make people dance, and that is what David does best.

Of course it’s not just his reputation as a DJ which has seen him play some of the most respected clubs in the world - his remix catalogue reads like a who’s who of popular music, with everyone from Mariah Carey to CeCe Rogers benefiting from his golden touch. There’s also the legendary ‘Def Mix’, an undisputed stamp of quality which has ruled Pacha Ibiza for nearly twenty years and directly influenced the course of house music through the years. Classics like ‘Needin U’ and ‘Gimme Luv (Eenie Meenie Miny Mo)' will always stand strong in any set, but DJ’ing will always be David’s first love, and come Saturday night when you're deep into that fifth and final hour, you’ll soon recognise why…

Check out recent mixes for both FG Radio and Defected below, as well as his new remix for FCL's summer staple 'It's You':







We also had the pleasure of catching up with David ahead of his set in Glasgow this Saturday:

Synth: As a DJ and producer, your history in club music is really quite incredible, do you still feel as excited about it as you did all those years ago? Obviously the culture has changed extensively but I guess it is and always will be your passion?

David: Yes, clubbing has changed a lot. First the music and then the technology, but I still love to play music. The rush of seeing people scream when you drop a track is still euphoric. I still prefer to do long sets as apposed to the typical 2hr sets that have become the norm.

Synth: You were lucky enough to experience the very birth of house music and some of the most legendary clubs of that time, including The Loft, Paradise Garage and Sound Factory. When you look at the dancefloor now, how do you feel things have changed? Do you feel there is too much emphasis on the ‘superstar’ and production element of club culture as apposed to the simple nightclub, dancefloor, DJ formula?

David: Gee where do I start? Yes there is way too much emphasis on the DJ than the party itself. I mean, anyone can rent a space and book SHM etc and pack it in. What happened to the days when you went to a party or a club because it was the place to be? What happened to productions, decor, themes? Before people danced with each other, now it’s like a concept. More and more clubs are now catering to the VIP crowd. There’s less dancefloor and more tables. I just started a residency in Tel Aviv at a club called The Block. It’s back to basics there – no tables, it’s all about the music and I get to play all night (6-7 hrs).

Synth: And if we concentrate on New York, do you feel the city is starting to reclaim some of the original magic with clubs like Ceilo and the Sullivan Room? And how do you feel about the current ‘EDM’ wave in America in general?

David: There are a couple new venues and parties going on in Brooklyn right now. Most of the clubs in New York, as in Manhattan, are all catering to the model/table service crowd. Some are booking good DJ’s I must say, and then some are commercial. I play at Funkbox which is at Sullivan Room and it’s one of my favourite clubs in NY. My opinion of the EDM wave in America is that it’s overdone. The same DJ’s play at all the clubs and they all sound similar. There’s not enough variety. And the problem is that it’s all manipulated by one-two agencies. The good thing about it is that it’s brought out clubbing in places where it wasn’t previously.

David Morales: house music royalty

Synth: Def Mix celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, how did it feel reaching such a huge milestone and, if you can, what would you describe as your defining Def Mix track and why?

David: I’d like to think that I’m just starting, but I must say that there’s something to be said about being part of a culture and playing a defining roll in it. We have worked with some of the best artists in the world and we’ve created many hits for many artists. It’s nice to know that ‘Def Mix’ stands for something. My defining track would have to be ‘Dream Lover’ – it was the beginning of remixing going to another level.

Synth: You’ll be playing a five hour set at the Electric Frog in Glasgow later this month, do you find that extended sets can engage a dancefloor on a different level and how do you approach them? Are you ever tempted to plan parts or do you keep it spontaneous?

David: With extended sets you can go places and I never plan my sets, what's the point? After 37 years what gives me the passion is being able to entertain myself as well - the rush of putting records together and creating magic. I don’t see the point in practicing mixes or planning a set - you limit yourself, this is why a lot of DJs can’t play more than their planned set.

Synth: Following on from the Electric Frog, what are your plans for the rest of the summer? We see you’ll be playing the Defected party at Bomba in Ibiza, how do you feel about the relocation from Pacha and all the changes they’ve made?

David: I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m sad about not playing at Pacha anymore. I’ve been playing there for almost 20 years, but good things must come to an end and change is inevitable. Nevertheless I look forward to playing Bomba, I’ve seen the specs for the soundsystem and all I can say is wow!

David Morales & Tamra Keenan - ‘7 Days’ is out now on Ultra. His remix of FCL ‘It’s You’ is also out now on Defected.

WHAT: Electric Frog May Holiday Weekender
WHO: David Morales (5hr set), Dimitri From Paris, Chez Damier, Erol Alkan & more
WHERE: SWG3 Complex, 100 Eastvale Place, G3 4QG
WHEN: Sat 25th & Sun 26th May // 6-2am
TAX: £25.00 (single day) // £45 (weekend) advance
TICKETS: Tickets Scotland
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/events/315519188577921/

David Morales on Soundcloud
David Morales on Facebook
David Morales on Twitter
Electric Frog on Facebook

FEATURE: Harvey McKay's Top5

We may only be half way through the year, but Harvey McKay has already made 2013 one to remember. Easily one of the hottest names in modern techno, recent releases on both Cocoon and Saved have cemented his place as one of the genre’s biggest players, racking up gigs around the world. But it's not just his ability to slay a peak-time dancefloor which makes Harvey so popular, there’s a subtlety to his music which gives it depth and integrity. His appreciation of different styles and sounds ultimately feeds into his productions, making his music more versatile than a lot of his contemporaries.

The massive ‘Shake’ (which spent over three weeks at No.1 in the Beatport Techno Chart) is minimal, hypnotic and driving. Quickly becoming a favourite for the legendary Sven Vath, it represents the harder edge to Harvey’s sound. But listen to his recent ‘Kickback EP’ on Suara and tracks like ‘Taste’ employ an underlying groove which works deeper than the simple ‘banger’ – perhaps the climax of a purposeful house set for example. Supporting Italian big-hitter Marco Carola this Friday at Pressure, you can trust one of Glasgow’s finest to lead you confidently into the night…

Check out Harvey McKay’s Top5 tracks of the moment below:

1. RICH JONES – ASSHAI (JOEY BLETRAM REMIX) (8 Sided Dice)

“Been playing this for ages and it sounds great in the studio, but something big definitely happens when it drops in a club. It really explodes and does something special to the crowd every time I play it.�



2. DEEPBASS & ROMAN TOLETSKI – ODDITY (MARK BROOM REMIX) (Dark Beat)

“This track has been about for a while and it’s a serious lesson in how to make techno. If you skip from beginning to middle to end, it sounds the exact same as he adds almost no parts, but yet as the tune flows, it progresses with real venom and is a major lesson in how less is more if you have the skill. Probably one of my favourite recent productions.�



3. CARLO LIO – STUCK IN A DREAM (Mindshake)

“Love this track, it has great tension but is still very danceable. I play this in every set and have done for over a year. Just love it!�



4. JAY LUMEN & GARY BECK – STRANGE FRUIT (Drumcode)

“This track works really well on the floor, and one of the things about a track like this (and this track in particular) is the percussion when mixed for a prolonged period with a jacking/banning techno track - it just gives this wicked energy that transfers to the dancefloor.�



5. HARVEY MCKAY – SHAKE (Cocoon)

“Ok so I know its mine haha, but this just always destroys the dancefloor and some of the videos that have popped up of Sven playing it out to tens of thousands of people just blow my mind. I can’t help but smile! :)�



Harvey McKay plays Pressure alongside Marco Carola at The Arches this Friday.

Harvey McKay on Soundcloud
Harvey McKay on Facebook
Harvey McKay on Twitter

LOCAL HEROES: MermaidS – Run With The Night

It’s not often that we post a song twice in our Local Hero section, but after featuring ‘Run With The Night’ as an unsigned demo back in November, we felt the fully mastered version on the ever-consistent Foto Recordings deserved the title. As OOFT! pointed out in his Top5 recently: MermaidS have the funk! Stretched over nearly 8mins of solid-gold groove, this is the sound of Michael Jackson 'Moonwalking' on Broadway.

MermaidS – Run With The Night (Foto) (Mon 20th)



Bipolar Sunshine is from Manchester and makes summery vocal-pop and soul. Sega Bodega is from Glasgow and makes off-kilter electronics with limitless horizons. Combine the two and you a match made in heaven. Subtly beautiful and pleasingly hypnotic, ‘Rivers’ flows deep with feeling, drawing you further and further into a sense of complete satisfaction.

Bipolar Sunshine – Rivers (Sega Bodega Remix) (Free Download)

Rivers [Sega Bodega remix] by Bipolar Sunshine

Up next, a gorgeously deep remix from a promising new producer called Nico Mendez. Having recently picked up releases on both Hutman and Erase Records, this latest mix for Italy’s Jonny Bee is a certified summer jam, shimmering with all the magic of a Mediterranean sunset. Revolving around a warm, reflective bassline, this is Balearic-bliss personified.

Jonny Bee – Apartment 173 (Nico Mendez Remix) (UM Records) (Buy)

OUT NOW: Jonny Bee - Apartment 173 (Nico's Neighbour Next Door Remix) [UM Records] by Nico Mendez (Official)

Finally, one listen to this beat from Cheeky Forty and you’ll have a cheeser for the rest of the day. There’s no escaping the fact that the strangely titled ‘Att’s Yer Whack Son!’ is utterly eccentric, and that's part of the reason we can't stop listening to it. Short, sweet and fun, this is what Mario and Luigi getting MWI it in the Mushroom Kingdom would sound like.

Cheeky Forty – Att’s Yer Whack Son! (Bonus Level) (Free Download)

att's yer whack son! (bonus level) by CheekyForty

FEATURE: Dema On...Gigs Gone Wrong

We’ve got a lot of time for Dema. Meeting him at an all day party last Easter, he was quick to introduce himself and talk enthusiastically about Glasgow, Hip Hop and his beloved crew at LuckyMe. Further to being an incredibly nice guy, his set that day was extraordinary and we quickly signed him up for one of our most popular ‘Synth Presents...’ mixes to date. A dangerously on-point blend of low-end futurism which included bangers from the likes of Hud Mo and Rustie, it captured a turning point in Hip Hop and two of Glasgow’s most promising sons – appropriate, considering he was one of the first to spot their potential, giving them a chance to spin at his highly popular Freakmoves night at the Art School. But his keen eye for talent and ability to throw a great party come secondary to his skill as a DJ, and during his time as the legendary duo, Freakmenoovers, he’s played alongside some of Hip Hop’s biggest and (in some cases) most deluded stars...

Dema On...Gigs Gone Wrong

A night to forget.

"Over the years I’ve supported, hosted and promoted a lot of gigs, and I have always had various ups and downs with them. I have to say, most of them have been positive, like Dexter from the Avalanches - one of the nicest most humble people I have met - inviting us (The Freakmenoovers) to tour Australia with him. There was DJ Godfather - the legendary Detroit ghetto tech DJ and producer coming for a drive with us through Glasgow after his gig (which was not even at our night - he just stayed and filmed us DJ'ing for his DVD), talking about hip hop producers like Pete Rock ('Petestrumentals' had just been released that month on BBE) and J Dilla (notably how Dilla had so many projects on the go) to DJ Premier playing his first ever Scottish show at Freakmoves. Of course there has been some low points, one in particular being when we had Cash Money DJ for the second time, as his first gig was an awe inspiring display of technical DJ’ing combined with the sheer ability to rock the crowd. The second time however he spent mixing straight up R&B which the crowd were not really after. So after an hour, he stops playing music and gets on the mic, where he complains about how shit the hotel we got him was (as it happened that weekend was some huge Rotary Club conference at the SECC and literally all the hotels were booked up, so we stuck him in Rab Ha’s which is a nice boutique hotel with copper baths, but he wanted Travel Lodge) and he gets the crowd in a frenzy shouting ‘fuck the promoters’. I have to say, myself and Tom just burst out laughing and thought ‘fuck it’, we had done an interview with him for our Radio Magnetic show and edited it for sheer comedy. So there has always been a mix of nights, but one particular event that always sticks in my mind was the night Eminem asked me to DJ at his post-gig private party.

It was a rainy summer night...as it always is. I had set up the small room in the Art School where we used to run a sweatbox alongside Divine in the Vic and My Machines upstairs in the main hall. I had been on for about 15 minutes and the only person in the room was my friend RC, when this random guy walks in and asks if I was the Freakmenoovers. Normally there are two of us DJ’ing but Tom/DJ Nice was on holiday in Mexico and I was covering on my own for a month, so I said "yup that’s me". The guy then told me that Eminem was in town and had done a gig on Glasgow Green with D12 and they heard I was the best hip hop DJ in town and they wanted me to DJ their after party. I suggested to the guy that Eminem and D12 should just come here to the Art School as the party was just starting and I couldn’t really just leave my club night to go elsewhere, but he responded by telling me that the place had not been cleared for security. Now this is the Art School we are talking about, not the Savoy where you can fight with some footballer in high heel shoes. So I speak with the then Ents Convener and take my friend RC down to Cube where Eminem and D12 are situated (in a secure environment no doubt). When we first arrive, the security had no idea what was going on and were reluctant to let us in, but after a bit of radio chat we were soon on our way.

Eminem and D12: they just want to party

Now I don’t normally get nervous for gigs, but on this occasion I was feeling a bit weird having just closed my regular gig for the evening to do this, so my mind was a bit…shit (it turned out later I was dyslexic which might help explain the next bit). Well, I get through the crowd of usual Saturday night punters and was diverted to a VIP room, where I see Eminem and some of D12: Eminem shouts to me “Yo where’s the hip hop at?� so I just nodded back. Well I wait for about 20 minutes and no turntables are ready yet. So I go over to the fat one from D12 (Bizarre) and I don’t know why this kept happening, but I asked if he was one of the guys from 'D10'. They say looks can tell 1000 stories, and I could tell that the story this look given to me by this huge man was “what did you say, I want to crush you�, but he just looked into my eyes and nodded. I was thinking, “what’s his problem?�, it never occurred to me that I was calling the band the wrong name. So another uncomfortable 15 minutes goes by where nobody is speaking, and I’m just eager to set things straight by cutting up some wax, making the place go wild with my selection of music. Eventually a bouncer turns up and informs us that they have cleared out one of the rooms and we can go in there. So we all make our way through a heavily crowded corridor of tarts (both male and female) being ushered out of half a nightclub. I make my way to the DJ booth and instantly hit a whitey. Now if you know me, and any other scratch DJ’s, we require a certain level of setup, as what we do is quite technical. I need the turntables rotated in a certain direction called ‘battle style’, or the hip hop way, and I always take my own mixer as I have the fader set up to be ultra responsive, and if those conditions are not met, then I do a normal gig of just mixing and any DJ can do that. So when I walked into the DJ Booth and saw that the turntables are hard wired into the desktop, the needles are level with the desktop, and they are the wrong way round (not only that but the mixer is one of the worst mixers for scratching that you could possible get), I started to panic a little as I was hoping to redeem my band name issues with some serious party DJ’ing.

I was looking at the mixer and trying to see if there was a way in which I could unplug the crap that was there and plug in my own mixer, but there was no way at all as it was also hooked up to CDJs. To top it off, Eminem started looking through my records and was pulling them out one by one, saying ‘nope, nope, nope, nope’. Things were just going bad, and when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, they asked for Tupac. At that particular time of my musical life, I was a strictly a no Tupac person, I hated his music, I felt he destroyed hip hop, and there was the rape sentencing and so forth, so the minute they asked for Tupac, I just told them to 'fuck off', packed my records and left. Thankfully there was a resident on hand who did have loads of Tupac and I read in the papers the next day that they had a great time dancing to him all night while Eminem spent the evening with a young blonde who looked just like his wife. For me, I went back to the Art School and re-opened my sweatbox that night and had a good time, knowing I had just got out of a really uncomfortable situation with Eminem and D12 (or D10 as I had thought). I suppose the good thing is, I still got paid for the Eminem gig even though I did nothing and oddly it was reported in the Herald a couple of days later that I told him to “Fuck Off�, but to be fair, I’m sure he never heard me as I think the night would have taken a very different turn if he did, haha."

Catch Dema at Handpicked's free all-day party on Sat June 1st.

Dema on Soundcloud
Dema on Twitter
Dema on LuckyMe

COMPETITION: Killer Kitsch Presents…Shadow Child

There’s no overlooking the fact that Shadow Child ruled a large part of the dancefloor in 2012. Exploding from every soundsystem worth its salt, ‘String Thing’ on Claude Von Stroke’s increasingly essential Dirtybird label solidified the garage-house hybrid as the sound of now, satisfying those who had fallen out with the increasing commercialism of bass, but were not quite prepared to don wayfarers and vests for a night of ‘deep house’. Featuring two massive drops which nailed you straight to the floor and a string section which became instantly recognisable, it was quickly heralded as one of the tracks of the year. But who was Shadow Child?

Anonymity seems to be common place these days and it certainly is a good way of building hype, but as anyone will tell you (especially considering the current furore surrounding ‘Random Access Memories’), you sure as hell better have the tunes to back it up. Thankfully Shadow Child did and with his next big release on Jaymo and Andy George’s first Moda Black compilation, he was on-target to be one of the hottest breakthrough producers of 2012. Entitled ‘So High’, his contribution to the release was a summer highlight which still gives us goosebumps whenever we hear it. With big, lush breakdowns which suck you deep into the track’s tingling core, it really epitomises the Shadow Child ‘sound’.

Subsequent cuts have continued to impress and with the excitement growing, his real identity did inevitably slip out (search for it yourself if you have to). Surprisingly, this only heightened interest however and inspired those who would follow suit. Heading into 2013, Shadow Child shows no signs of slowing down, and with recent remixes for Hot Natured, Lianne Le Havas and Sub Focus taking him into the wider conscience, the hype has not only been matched, it’s been completely obliterated.

Check out some of Shadow Child’s finest moments below and read on for our competition:

Shadow Child EP - Release 28 March 2012 on Dirtybird by Shadow Child

Shadow Child '23 EP' - [out 12.12.12 on Food Music] by Food Music



So, following on from last week’s throw-down with the equally mysterious Friend Within, we’ve got two tickets to send your way for Killer Kitsch Presents…Shadow Child next Tuesday at the Buff Club. With a whole summer of guests lined up and a music policy which has got you queuing down the block, Killer Kitsch has never been so popular, so if you want to be in with a chance, simply head over to the Synth Facebook and type ‘KILLERKITSCHXSHADOWCHILD’ on the wall. We’ll select a winner at random and get in touch shortly after…

Terms & Conditions: Please note that this prize is two places on the guestlist for Killer Kitsch Presents...Shadow Child on Tuesday 21st May. There will be one winner. The competition closes at 1pm on the same day and the winner will be notified via Facebook comment (please check your Facebook in the hours following the closure of the competition. The winner must be 18 years or older. After we have passed on the winner’s details to the event organisers we then pass on responsibility for entry on the night.

Shadow Child plays Killer Kitsch on Tuesday 21st May. Entry is £5 on the door.

Shadow Child on Soundcloud
Shadow Child on Facebook
Killer Kitsch on Facebook
Killer kitsch on Twitter