April 2012

It’s hard to believe that this was only Vibes' second party – launching little over a month ago, the House orientated collective have kicked things off with more than just a bang; an ear-drum damaging smash is probably more appropriate. Lured in by the promise of hypnotic beats and a collaboration from the renowned Have A Wonk promoters, Vibes Present…Audiojack was a sure-fire winner from the outset.

So we were back on Subcity Radio last week for the penultimate episode of Synth before broadcast terminates for the summer and what a show it was! Taking to the decks we had 'hot-to-touch' up and comer, Illyus who has been bubbling under the radar for some time now. Recently claiming our Local Hero Award for forthcoming single 'The Rescue' as well as releasing on Southern Fried and collaborating with Dominic Martin, Illyus is very much a name to keep an eye on...

There can be no doubting Grobbie’s place as one of Glasgow’s finest up and coming producers, infact it’s almost a crime that he’s not claimed more attention from the city’s many conscientious promoters. Here, he turns out an utterly blissful remix for French producer Andrea, flipping the original into a liquid-garage hybrid which fuses reflective melodies with a deep but subtle bassline. Gorgeous stuff through and through.

There was a definite buzz surrounding his appearance in Glasgow, with presales selling out in record time and punters littering the event page with their favourite tracks and declarations that they were ‘buzzing off their tits’ in excitement. The pressure was on for Zeroten and Levon to deliver, and with a great location, stunning visuals and insane soundsystem, they certainly did not disappoint.

Tonight new house & techno collective, Glasgow City Social Club welcome the supremely gifted WiLDKATS to Saint Judes as they prepare for their second party in the hotel’s dimly-lit rave den. Kicking things off in March with Alex Arnout, the guys have already made quite an impression, creating an atmosphere which belittles the heads-down seriousness of some of their more mature contemporaries. Treating their guest DJs to free-pour Buckfast and encouraging crowd surfing on the highly-lubricated dancefloor seem to be standard practice with GCSC, and tonight you can no doubt expect more of the same.

It’s perhaps an era which has been lost on the new generation of 'Dance'n'B' mainstream fanatics, but back in the 90’s, the sound which grew from the most organic of origins was arguably at its peak. From the backpack flavours of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest to the more explicit and hard-edged debuts from Biggie, Dre and Jay Z, this was a time when sampling was at its creative best, leaving us with classics which have stood the test of time and will no doubt resonate throughout the ages. However, for the chart-influenced youth of today who idolise the likes of Flo’Rida, Niki Minaj and dare we even mention, LMFAO, the head-nodding flow of the 90’s may seem somewhat understated, even foreign to them.

INTERVIEW W/ Bunty Beats

It’s a topic which has been argued over for some time, but like it or not, the term ‘Future Garage’ is inescapable. While some people regard it as a somewhat lazy description for that ever-growing grey area falling between traditional Garage, Dubstep and Techno, others quite adamantly maintain its place as a singular sound which perfectly embodies the nature of what is an increasingly popular movement. As you’ll read in our following interview with Future Garage pioneer and Feel Good headliner Whistla, it’s perhaps been taken too literally by some people. The "Future" part of the name really isn’t something to get hung up about; it really is just to draw a distinction between "Revivalism" and "Progression". Aptly put and with conviction by a man who knows what he’s talking about.

INTERVIEW W/ Whistla

As you’re probably well aware, the Sub Club is celebrating 25 years of incredible parties, absurd bass and incessant ceiling thumping this month, and although Mixed Bizness monthly, How’s Your Party? has only been there for the last five, it has become one of the venue’s most prevalent events. Kicking off as a weekly in 2007, the night has hosted everyone from Disclosure to Chromeo, bringing you some of the biggest, bassiest on-point bookings Glasgow has ever seen. So, to help the Sub Club wake up in May with a banging headache, carpet-tongue and a chronic case of gut-rot, the guys have drafted in Sinden and his pack of Grizzly dancefloor-deviants for a throwdown you’re unlikely to ever forget.

Chambre69 or simply ‘Chambre’ as it’s referred to by the devoted regulars who descend on it each week, has become Glasgow’s new ‘it’ club. While the Sub Club is celebrating its 25 year anniversary (and no doubt looking ahead to 25 years of the same), Chambre recently held its first birthday with its shiny Funktion 1 soundsystem and a rich selection of nights including ‘Ghettotech’ and ‘Balkanarama’.

Choosing this week’s Local Hero was tough. The sheer volume of quality being pumped out of Glasgow at the moment is quite frankly ridiculous, but it’s with Rememory’s Esa and the ever dependable OOFT! that the award is presented. Released this week as a digital exclusive to the original, Esa takes lead track ‘Memories’ and brings it to a blissful climax amid shimmering synths and deep-burning basslines. An essential addition to an already exceptional release.

Glasgow is a vibrant place. Week in week out, there is always something to tempt you out the door. From superstar names at The Arches to leftfield live acts at the Berkeley Suite - the weather may be shit, but at least we know how to party. What we have on offer in Glasgow is quite unique, from Balkan to Disco, Hip Hop to House; almost all sounds are catered for. However, with such choice available there is often an over-kill effect in that too many cooks spoil the proverbial broth – in other words, too many events, not enough people to fill them.

Damn, did you hear Rustie’s Essential Mix? Seriously, it was like stumbling across a live broadcast from an illicit rave at Lando Calrissian’s Cloud City, beamed directly from R2 D2’s perfectly polished dome and sounding just as slick. From the opening bars of ‘Guilded Jewel Case’ right though to the solar flare of Lunice and Hud Mo, this was two hours of blistering heat and a snapshot of a truly electrifying future.

The time has just gone 1am in Glasgow’s legendary Sub Club, the air is thick with smoke and bass is pummelling the packed dancefloor. With strobes flickering at a disorientating rate and the low ceiling coming under constant attack from a barrage of pumping fists, the scene is one of organised chaos. All of a sudden a wave of spine-tingling synths fill the room, sweating punters are bathed in a white light before a massive drop pierces the relative serenity. This is the sound of High Sheen and the dancefloor knows it. Unleashing their eponymous debut earlier this week, Glasgow’s freshest new label are ready to show their hand.

INTERVIEW W/ High Sheen

It’s December 2009 and Julian Corrie has just arrived on stage at Glasgow’s infamous King Tuts. There is no glowing Apple logo in sight; instead he is surrounded by what appears to be a precarious jumble of electronic hardware while a guitar swings haphazardly from his neck. It’s been nearly three years since he unleashed his self-released debut album by the name of ‘Rainbow Bubbles’ – an oddball collection of eccentric melodies and solarised glitch – and tonight he is debuting four new tracks which seem to go down rather well.

INTERVIEW W/ Miaoux Miaoux

There’s been a bit of a buzz around Seattle-based Hip Hop duo, THEESatisfaction recently. Music journalists from around the globe have picked up on the organic, off-kilter appeal of their quite eccentric vision and, as the self-confessed “queens of the stoned age” will contest, that vision has become a prophetic take on existential politics where commentary on personal development and sexuality melt effortlessly into limitless musings.

Head down, barely acknowledging the crowd, eyes fixated on the mixer like even the slightest diversion in gaze would mean sudden death. We’ve seen it time and time again, the DJ who has perhaps one of the best jobs in the world won’t even crack a smile while the sweating punters in front of him practically do gymnastics on the dancefloor. This is a party, people have come to dance and thankfully Visionquest’s Seth Troxler realises this.

Monday just got a whole lot better. It’s hard to put into words just how excited we are about up and coming Glasgow producer Mirrors, and after listening to this free EP of super-fresh ghetto-anthems, you're likely to feel much the same. Exploding into 2012 with a super slick House jam by the name of ‘Dip You’, Chris McFarlane has kept the heat coming week in, week out. Unleashing ‘Superior’ last night and offering exclusive downloads to the readers of both Synth and iAM respectively, this is what the future of modern Hip Hop sounds like.

As we approach the half way point in the Sub Club’s 25^th anniversary celebrations it’s perhaps time to take stock: the roof partially caved in during a set from Dixon (too much ceiling stomping), Blawan had the club at capacity for iAM and the return of Optimo once again saw a queue forming which could rival a ‘no questions asked’ policy at the benefits office. But it was perhaps when the clock struck midnight on the 31^st March that the majesty of such an occasion was truly realised.

Jesus who? Sorry messiah, you’ve been upstaged this Easter weekend by an outrageous techno session at Slam‘s 20th Anniversary. You know a night means business when the club is already buzzing before 11pm, and with the crowds heaving half an hour later thanks to one of two sets from the birthday boys, it was obvious we were in for a big one.

Finally! We first reported on this dangerously slick collaboration back in August last year, and as the months have passed our anticipation for its full release has become total. Glasgow’s premier edit duo team up with man of the moment, Rob Etherson (Mia Dora, Ovr Kill) for what is shaping up to be the soundtrack of the summer. Featuring on a new Retrospective All Stars Compilation, ‘Crush’ is sex, sax and seduction all rolled into one – prepare to get down.

Following on from Sei A’s utterly essential ‘Flux EP’ earlier this year, the leftfield Techno producer has once again come up trumps with this incredible free edit of LA band Warpaint. Taking the original and giving it his trademark gothic edge, you can expect to find swirling vocals floating amid an industrial soundscape of twisted textures and unsettling undercurrents. Broken beats and off-kilter synths combine to make this disturbing and beautiful in equal measure, and while we patiently await Sei’s next official release, this will certainly see you right in the meantime…

Judging by the launch at the start of year, guests at Likwit Fusion number two were undoubtedly in for a treat. Aiming to put on nights that consistently “push the boundaries of concurrent electronic music’, promoters Inkke and Shalla Aeons promised club-goers an eclectic mix of hip-hop, glitch and r’n’b, and they certainly did not disappoint.

So, we may still be picking up the pieces from Saint Jude’s Easter Service, but as they say, the show must go on. This weekend the decadent party den welcomes back Guilty Pleasures of Mother Goose for what is shaping up to be another wild party. Launching last month with Items & Thing’s David Benedettini, the newest addition to Glasgow’s world-renowned House & Techno scene have already made a name for themselves with a complete and refreshing attention to detail.

So, Easter may almost be over and it’s most likely that the majority of you are nursing a rather prolific hangover, but come tomorrow your thoughts are inevitably going to turn to the weekend and your next hit of pure bass. Thankfully (and unsurprisingly), Mixed Bizness are on hand to do just that with yet another ridiculously on-point party planned in conjunction with our pals over at I Hate Fun.

It was a long time coming, but boy, was it worth the wait. This week, new Glasgow label High Sheen announced themselves to the world with the unveiling of their first single and a sound which undoubtedly echoes the course of the future. With Synth favourites Mia Dora, HaHaHa and Raksha all coming together on one track this was never going to be average and with their respective sounds warping into something completely fresh, this is very much just a taste of things to come.

Where do you start with Optimo? Was it their classic Essential Mix back in 2006, thirteen years of legendary parties or the sprawling queue which snaked its way into the horizon for the final night in 2010? For us, it was the latter. If their was any doubt of how much Glasgow truly loves their dynamic duo, then you need only regale the hordes of anxious fans lining up for that final dance. The atmosphere on the 25^th April 2010 was utterly electric, and with the Sub Club spilling over, you could sense a genuine affinity for a night which over hundreds of parties had become woven into the very fabric of the city.

INTERVIEW W/ Optimo

Here comes the hype. Earlier today LuckyMe unleashed a video introducing super-fly ghetto-tech duo, Hudson Mohawke and Lunice and their achingly hip new project TNGHT. As we reported a couple weeks back, the blogosphere has quite literally been set alight by the recent publicity surrounding the pair and with cosmically-charged promo videos like this doing the rounds, it’s easy to see why.

We’ve all been there, it’s the morning after the night before and you’ve got a hangover that you’re convinced might be life-threatening. A half eaten chips & cheese has attracted a swarm of unidentifiable jungle flies and that acrid, but oh so familiar smell would suggest you’ve pissed in the bin again. It’s a sorry state of affairs, but at least you can fester in the knowledge that you did your bit. In this world of poverty, deprivation and injustice, charities are always overjoyed to receive your donations, but talking to that weird looking guy for 45mins on Buchanan St is less than appealing. Enter Philanthrobeats and your ticket to conscious clubbing.

INTERVIEW W/ Philanthrobeats

Prepare to be shocked – it has now almost been two years since iAM injected student clubbing with a big hit of credibility. Two years since they started bringing you cutting edge beats each and every Tuesday, two years since they started showcasing some of Glasgow’s hottest local talent and two years since Wednesday morning’s officially became an out and out write-off. Looking back they’ve certainly come a long way, and when considering the initial first step they took in bringing students to the Sub Club you have to tip your hat in acknowledgment.

INTERVIEW W/ iAM

You can always tell when music is truly organic because it doesn’t sound like anything else. In 2012 with traditional genres taking new and exciting directions, our job as journalists has become infinitely more difficult. So often an artist refuses to label their sound as ultimately it becomes an extension of their personality, a manifestation of raw emotion and an aural snapshot of experience. Music is precious and unequivocally individual; we certainly wouldn’t like it if someone slapped our 140bpm solar-funk as certified ‘Dubstep’ (not that we’re making solar-funk, but now that we’ve coined it, we might just). Music is a highly personal expression and such a notion applies perfectly to Soosh.

INTERVIEW W/ Soosh

Since Freaky Freaky got too big for its boots at Sleazys’, Thursday nights have been somewhat lacking in Glasgow (unless of course you’re a fan of the Hive). So when word got out about new night, ‘Rubix’ at the legendary Sub Club, there was a lot of hype.