Clubs

Edinburgh's Bongo Club eviction threat

The venue's lease to be terminated early by landlords Edinburgh Uni

7 Feb 2012

Out of the Blue, the charity organisation that runs Edinburgh venue The Bongo Club, has been served eviction papers by the venue's landlord, Edinburgh University. A statement on the Bongo Club's website said: 'This notice terminates the lease a whole…

Edinburgh's Cabaret Voltaire venue to close for refurbishment

Owners G1 promise 'a wholly new look' for club and music venue

3 Feb 2012

Veteran Edinburgh club venue Cabaret Voltaire is due to close for six weeks, from Mon 20 Feb–Sun 1 Apr. The club will be subject to a major refurbishment according to a statement released by G1 Group, who have owned the venue since July 2011: ‘A six…

Lynn Macdonald, manager and promoter at the soon-to-close Soundhaus - interview

The Glasgow techno den plans final parties for massive send-off

2 Feb 2012

The first that Lynn Macdonald (manager and long-time promoter at Glasgow techno den the Soundhaus) heard of the venue’s death was in an impersonal email she found in her inbox when she arrived at work one morning. ‘It was heartbreaking,’ she says. ‘I…

Glasgwegian drag artiste Lady Munter discusses club night Menergy

'Scotland’s only trans club and gay dance party’

2 Feb 2012

Have you ever been named Attitude’s 66th most influential LGBT role model? Didn’t think so. But Lady Munter has. The organiser of Glasgow’s Menergy club night was flagged up for praise by the magazine in 2010 for services to drag (on the same page as…

Crate Digging: The Riddim Tuffa Crew

Edinburgh based duo Adham and Frontline Selecta pick some tunes prior to their Wee Dub Festival set

2 Feb 2012

Last year was a really good year for us as we managed to launch our own label and put out a few records. Riddim Tuffa feat Little Kirk ‘Kill Them Out’ (Tuffa Dubs) is a regular stamper in our DJ set. The groovy bass and amazing vocals from Kirk is a…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Liquid Funk

Drum & bass sub-genre originated by Fabio and LTJ Bukem

2 Feb 2012

Liquid funk aka Liquid drum & bass or just plain Liquid, proper noun: drum & bass sub-genre, so generally very much up-tempo (160-180 bpm), taking influences from soca, Latin, disco and jazz as well as funk, featuring more live instrumental parts and…

Seven reasons to attend Cab Vol's seventh birthday

Edinburgh venue celebrates 49 dog years with three weeks of events

2 Feb 2012

1 Supernova Kicking off the Cab’s month long ‘seven splendid events for seven splendid years’ Glasgow tech-house and minimal night Supernova makes it’s Edinburgh debut with the tough techno sounds of Karotte (Cocoon). Fri 3 Feb. 2 Musika & We…

Lindstrom - Six Cups of Rebel

A blast taking in slamming synth boogie to shameless pomp metal

27 Jan 2012

(Smalltown Supersound) Like a cosmic disco Ulysses, Lindstrom has felt his way through space, to traverse the Balearic and land upon the wild party island of Six Cups of Rebel. This isle is full of noises, from slamming synth boogie to shameless pomp…

Chris Duncan of Sub Club discusses plans for the venue's 25th anniversary

9 Jan 2012

You’ll probably be hearing a lot more about this as the year progresses, but it doesn’t do any harm to draw your attention to two anniversaries happening in Glasgow in 2012 – one big and one absolutely enormous, and both under the same roof. This is the…

Preview of 2012 - The best events this year

Featuring the Cultural Olympiad, The Dark Knight Rises, WU LYF, Glasgow International and more

9 Jan 2012

It’s 2012, but fear not, things aren’t as bad as they seem. Before you decide to occupy government property, or smash a brick through Dixons, take heart in the folklore of a simpler age. For when times are black, you can always rely on the comfort of…

Preview of 2012 - Major Lazer

Tsunami of sound from Diplo and Switch's musical alter-ego

6 Jan 2012

Brace yourselves for some sub-heavy electro dancehall from Diplo and Switch as they unleash their collective alter ego Major Lazer: ‘A Jamaican commando who lost his arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984. The US military rescued him and repurposed…

Top 5 secretive dance acts

In honour of notoriously interview-shy producer Fake Blood we name our favourite mysterious DJs

5 Jan 2012

Fake Blood For several years no one even knew who Fake Blood was. He was eventually outed as Theo Keating aka DJ Touché (one half of The Wiseguys), and while it’s now a fairly open secret he still refuses to do photo shoots and turns down nearly every…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Witch House

A guide to the myriad genres of clubbing, from Trouble's DJ Hobbes

5 Jan 2012

Witch House aka Haunted House or Drag, proper noun: usually down-tempo to mid-tempo (80-120 bpm), dark, syrupy fusion of hip hop with goth, industrial, noise, drone and/or shoegaze elements. Its main practitioners also favour the use of occult symbols…

Crate Digging: Playdate's Steven and Stewart

On the eve of the leftfield house night's fourth birthday, the residents pick some tunes for us

5 Jan 2012

Steven Nôze ‘Remember Love’ (My Best Friend) features one simple piano loop with two drunk Frenchmen reminiscing over what could have been in broken English with rolling choppy drums that will never get old. Franco-knees-up-party-starting…

Hogmanay in Glasgow highlights

New Year's Eve in Glasgow, including clubs, Bugsy Malone and curling

19 Dec 2011

Gone is the street party but in its place, there are family-friendly daytime events at George Square (31 Dec, George Square, 12pm, free). The ice rink will host the first Hogmanay Bonspiel Cup, where you can watch a curling competition or try it out for…

Best of 2011: Clubs

The best sets and gigs, including Plastikman, Ivan Smagghe and Bloody Beetroots

19 Dec 2011

Andrew Weatherall & Ivan Smagghe. Karnival’s fifth birthday featured vinyl vs computer hardware in a delicious back-to-back set that meshed in all the right places for a dynamic and unpredictable set that kept both DJs and clubbers guessing. Karnival…

The Hot 100 2011: 100-50

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

100: Gordon Ferris. Kilmarnock crime author makes good. The already packed Scottish crime writing field has finally found a bit of elbow room for another burgeoning talent. Joining the likes of Rankin, Brookmyre, McDermid and co is this Ayrshire-born…

Hot 100 2011 - No. 49 to 1

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

The Hot 100 is the definitive list of Scottish creative talent. From fashion designers to performance artists, everyone who has made a sizeable splash in 2011 has a place in this countdown. It’s for people who’ve created a buzz, but it’s also about…

Numbers discuss the club/brand's New Year plans

Hogmanay celebrations in both Edinburgh and Glasgow lie ahead

13 Dec 2011

It’s been another good year for Glasgow’s ever-growing clubbing export Numbers. So big, in fact, that they need a whole three cities to contain their send-off to 2011. First they’ll be warming up with a set at Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s the night before…

Crate Digging: DJ Astroboy, resident at Departure Lounge

The club night's defining moments, prior to its final instalment

13 Dec 2011

When we started the night back in 2003, as a group of friends who just wanted to hear some different music in the club, little did we think it would take off like it did. The mixture of live music and DJ sets of African, Latin, jazz and soul influenced…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Gabber

A guide to the myriad genres of clubbing, from Trouble's DJ Hobbes

13 Dec 2011

Gabber proper noun: wildly up-tempo (140-220 bpm) spin-off from hardcore techno, industrial and rave. Began in the early 90s and has remained a die-hard force in Europe (especially the Netherlands and Scotland) and Australia. Traditionally dominated by…

Animal Farm resident Chris Lamb on booking DJ Rolando for their Christmas party

Glasgow club welcomes The Aztec Mystic to Sub Club

13 Dec 2011

Seven years has really flown by. When Animal Farm started out playing records on a Tuesday night in the Halt Bar back in 2004, we really didn’t think we’d still be at it now. It was a small group of friends meeting up to drink beer and play some…

It's Funtime - Edinburgh pub quiz that thinks it’s a 70s gameshow

The all-singing, all-dancing brilliantly twisted world of It's Funtime

18 Nov 2011

All across the country this coming Saturday night families will sit down in front of the TV to watch people be mocked and derided in the name of entertainment. They’ll gawp at the outrageous outfits worn by the mentally unstable on X Factor. They’ll boo…

Charity club event Edinburgh Rocks to take place at Royal Botanic Gardens

DJs from Musika, Luvely, Ultragroove, Taste and more to take part

16 Nov 2011

It’s nice when the clubbing community bands together to give something back and there are many great nights across Scotland that help raise cash for charity. Now Edinburgh Rocks (in association with Leith FM) are planning something rather special. ‘We…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Skweee

DJ Hobbes guides us through clubbing's myriad genres

16 Nov 2011

Skweee proper noun Generally mid-to-low-tempo (80-105 bpm), cold, rhythmic electro-funk sub-genre pioneered by a small niche of Scandinavian artists, mostly soloists, using vintage analogue synths and samplers; quick, simple arrangement without too…

Crate Digging: Scuba

The Hotflush label boss gives us his top five tracks ahead of his set at the debut EQTV party

16 Nov 2011

The first track they did together, ‘Swims’, still isn’t out yet but it’s one of the most recognisable club tunes of the year; however I think Boddika & Joy O ‘Froth’ (Unreleased) is much better. It’s a lot deeper, a lot more atmospheric, though still…

Five reasons to go to Skrillex

The dubstep remix master is coming to Glasgow

16 Nov 2011

1 Scary monsters Skrillex favours the ‘kitchen sink’ approach to electronica, the more is more method, piling electro squelches, acidic explosions, scratched up breakbeat and filthy bass wobble onto the heaviest dubstep you can imagine. 2 Very metal…

Hot Mess - DJ Simon Eilbeck (aka Simonotron) on alt.LGBT club night

Eclectic music and friendly atmosphere alternative to cheesy dance

15 Nov 2011

If you’ve been to certain gay clubs in Glasgow or Edinburgh, you’ll know that there can be a certain whiff of cheese in the air. Not so with Hot Mess, held at Wee Red Bar every two months and fast gaining a rep for being one of the coolest off the…

Interview: Hudson Mohawke

The electronic producer on big name collaborators and doing his own thing

9 Nov 2011

At last, the world seems to be catching up with Hudson Mohawke. It’s been two years since the Glasgow-bred, London-based producer released his debut album Butter on the mighty Warp Records, largely to recognition only from listeners of a truly…

Richie Hawtin resurrects iconic Plastikman persona for world tour

DJ and producer on the makings of his audio-visual spectacular

9 Nov 2011

Richie Hawtin is one of the most high profile DJs and producers working today, with activities incorporating several record labels, software and hardware products and a globe-spanning tour schedule. Known for distinctive and intense DJ sets, it might…

Interview: Richie Hawtin - Plastikman Live 1.5 tour 2011

Full transcript of interview with minimal techno producer and DJ

8 Nov 2011

Live music concert seems inadequate term to describe your current live show. What exactly is this thing you do now? Well live music exists somewhere between music, theatre and circus right? You're there to entertain and grab the people. I think what…

Interview - Max Cooper

Respected electronica producer and DJ set for Kollektiv show

3 Nov 2011

Max Cooper first came to the attention of clubbers and electronic music fans with his ‘Serie’ trilogy on Traum Schallplatten in 2009, each track inspired by a different mathematical or scientific concept. Since then alongside his own productions he’s…

Ever been to a silent disco with a Chinese dragon?

25 Oct 2011

Ever explored a museum at night? Ever had a cocktail surrounded by thousands of years of history? Ever been to a silent disco with a Chinese dragon? Thanks to the support of RBS and The List, the National Museum of Scotland is bringing you an exclusive…

Azari & III - Don't call them house revivalists

Toronto-based act favour Roland drum machines, crisp piano loops and emotional lyrics

21 Oct 2011

Is it too soon for a house music revival? That’s the question The List is mulling over ahead of speaking to self-proclaimed ‘house music aficionados’ Azari & III. The Toronto-based band, comprising producers Dinamo Azari and Alixander III and vocalists…

Koreless - Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Sun 9 Oct 2011

The youthful, bright-eyed dubstepper takes centre-stage at Sneaky's

19 Oct 2011

Lewis Roberts may only be just about old enough to attend a club, but judging by this appearance he certainly understands what’s required to keep the customers satisfied. Still in his teens, this Glasgow-based Welshman has patented a form of lazy…

DJ Yogi Haughton presents Scottish Soulful Weekender

Dumfries event features Todd Terry, Kerri Chandler and Joey Negro

18 Oct 2011

A weekend of soul music held at a hotel in Dumfries & Galloway sounds almost like a niche market event, a retro get-together for old school Northern Soul junkies to relive the glory days. Yet Yogi Haughton, the promoter of the first Scottish Soulful…

DJs Radioactive Man and Billy Nasty team up for Radionasty

The twosome are to appear at the Caves courtesy of Jackhammer

17 Oct 2011

Radioactive Man and Billy Nasty have both played Jackhammer before but now they’re back in a new itineration, as two-headed techno mutant Radionasty, and drawing on both their styles to create a fresh new sound. ‘Our first track was quite dark fast…

Crate Digging: Deetron, aka Sam Geiser

The Swiss DJ gives a sneak peak in his record crate ahead of his appearance at No Strings Attached

17 Oct 2011

Scuba ‘Adrenalin’ (Hotflush Recordings) has been a constant in my set since I got it a few weeks ago, because the crowd reactions are always amazing. The combination of Detroit-ish bassline, euphoric pads and the vocal works beautifully, it’s a real…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Chillwave

A guide to the myriad genres of clubbing, from Devil Disco DJ Hobbes

17 Oct 2011

Chillwave aka glo fi, proper noun. Generally down-tempo to mid-tempo (ie 80–120 bpm) danceable American indie/electro-pop style; usually made by solo artists with a laptop or small outfits; predominantly influenced by 80s analogue and electronica…

Profile: Moritz Von Oswald

Rare live show from minimal techno pioneer in association with club night Animal Farm

6 Oct 2011

This Saturday sees one the most important and legendary figures in electronic music, Moritz Von Oswald, play a rare, pre-Subculture live set with Tikiman, organized jointly by Animal Farm and the Sub Club. An established percussionist for the likes of…

Crate Digging: Andrew Divine

The Divine DJ picks some of the long-running indie night's best

21 Sep 2011

Divine’s summer vacation has been a perfect opportunity to stock-pile some new (old) vinyl ammo aimed straight at the dancefloor. These recent 7” excavations are all awaiting their debut Divine spins at The Admiral, beginning with Tangerine Peel ‘Solid…

Profile: DJ and producer Maya Jane Coles

The multi-talented tech-house queen visits Musika

21 Sep 2011

She’s been producing since she was in her mid-teens nearly a decade ago, but for young Londoner Maya Jane Coles the years since have provided a steep learning curve. Her real breakthrough track was last year’s ‘What They Say’ on Real Tone, a song which…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Chiptune

DJ Hobbes guides us through clubbing's myriad genres

19 Sep 2011

Chiptune proper noun. aka 8Bit, Bitpop, Bitcore, Nintendocore Any tempo but generally fast (ie 130-180bpm), the sound of 8-bit and 16-bit micr-chips from classic arcade games from the late 70s and early 80s, hand-held computer games from Nintendo and…

Brian d'Souza's Glasgow club night Highlife expands its horizons globally

19 Sep 2011

‘Highlife started with a conversation about the mass of fantastic music being made outside of the normal Western club genres, of things like house, techno and dubstep.’ That conversation was between Brian d’Souza (speaking above) and Andrew Thomson…

Cabaret Voltaire's Alternative Freshers' Week

A list of reasons to attend the week-long club extravaganza

19 Sep 2011

SBTRKT Welcome to Edinburgh, say Cab Vol, as they introduce nine big student specials in a row. Allow us to take you through who’s appearing, starting with Young Turks-signed London producer Aaron Jerome, aka SBTRKT, playing at Sugarbeat. The…

Heavy Gossip and Ultragroove join forces

DJs Nick Yuill and Gareth Sommerville discuss the past and future of the Edinburgh house nights

16 Sep 2011

Nick Yuill (Heavy Gossip) ‘Myself, [promoter] Paul [Cunningham] and Gareth [Sommerville] first got together to discuss doing one-off events and we realised we had the exact same aims and goals and it kind of rumbled on from there. ‘My first club…

Death Disco: Trans-Europe Expressway

Two-venue club night featuring Factory Floor, Lindstrom, Prins Thomas and Feadz

25 Aug 2011

Anyone making Glasgow their home for the new student year is in for a treat here, and would be well advised to get on board the Arches’ Trans-Europe Expressway early to see just what sort of clubbing scene their new city has to offer. The cavernous…

Electric Frog September Weekender 2011

Frankie Knuckles, The Fall, Jeff Mills, Mogwai, and Joe Claussell feature in stellar line-up

25 Aug 2011

Whoever chose to carry out some large-scale maintenance at their Eastvale Place business premises on the last weekend of July has inadvertently done Glasgow’s clubbing fraternity a favour. It might have meant the planned Electric Frog Summer Weekender…

Clubbers' Decktionary: Cosmic

DJ Hobbes guides us through clubbing's myriad genres

25 Aug 2011

Cosmic (disco) adj/proper noun. aka Afro Cosmic, also Space Disco. Originally an highly eclectic, mid-tempo (9-105 BPM) style, which nowadays generally exhibits a lot of space, reverb and echo/delay in the production, bubbling synths, delicate keys…

Crate digging: London Elektricity picks 5 top tracks

Hospital Records head returns to Xplicit

24 Aug 2011

From the 1976 Big Terror Movie Themes album, Geoff Love & His Orchestra ‘Three Days of the Condor’ (Music For Pleasure) is an amazing piece of lounge dirty funk. I was Geoff Love’s roadie on his tour of Gibraltar in 1986. Along with the orchestra’s horn…

Crate digging: Gary Beck picks 5 great tracks

Producer releasing on Soma, Drumcode, Minus and Bek Audio

16 Aug 2011

Gary Beck is one of the younger artists signed to Soma (he also has releases on Drumcode, Minus and his own Bek Audio) and he joins Slam and Animal Farm at the Edge Festival’s annual Soma Night as part of the Glasgow label’s 20th birthday celebrations.

A guide to the music genre Footwork

Clubbers Decktionary

16 Aug 2011

Footwork aka [Chicago] Juke (see also [Detroit] Jit, Shangaan electro) proper noun: so-called because of the associated dance crazes – essentially a contemporary form of break dance; wildly uptempo (140–170 BPM), characterised by syncopated beats…

New Glasgow club Oh My Days from team behind Killer Kitsch

French Fries and Oneman among upcoming guests

16 Aug 2011

‘I grew up going to nights like Numbers, Monox and Optimo, and more recently Stay Plastic and Fortified,’ says Martin Moffat. ‘All of whom have done or are still doing amazing things for Glasgow music. I’m just happy to get a chance to do something that…

Clubbers decktionary: Moombahton

A guide to the musical genre defined by midtempo shuffling rhythms

10 Aug 2011

Moombahton (moom-bar-tonn), also Moombahsoul, Moombahcore, Moombahstep, proper noun: midtempo style (105-115 BPM), characterised by the same shuffling rhythms (or ‘riddims’) of reggaeton, cumbia and dancehall with heavy bass and beats, plus…

Ben UFO guests at Glasgow dubstep club Kollektiv

Co-founder of second wave dubstep label Hessle Audio

10 Aug 2011

Alongside Ramadanman and Pangaea, Ben UFO is one of the founders of second wave dubstep label Hessle Audio, which was one of the first of the genre’s dedicated labels to originate outside London. Although he’s originally from the capital (with a mother…

bETAMAX - New Edinburgh club plays 70s and 80s edgy dance

New club from promoters behind FAST and Vintage Violence

9 Aug 2011

‘In our heads bETAMAX will be halfway between some legendary NY night like Danceteria and a local disco in Basildon circa 1982. If the Tories want to drag us back to that era in the worst of ways, we can at least enjoy the soundtrack,’ explains…

Crate Digging: Club Noir on the records required for a burlesque club

Featuring Urban Voodoo Machine, Imelda May and Gogol Bordello

9 Aug 2011

We all know about the burlesque shows that are the centre piece of every Club Noir, but what about the music? We ask their resident, DJ Loveless, to tell us what sets the dancefloor shaking as they prepare for their Fringe special

Five great tracks by Plump DJs

UK DJ duo set for Edinburgh club Bass Syndicate

9 Aug 2011

1. Big Groovy Fucker An early Plumps production (their second release on Finger Lickin’) that takes its name literally. A big pumping groove machine that ends in a flurry of acidic breakbeat. 2. Creepshow Sees Andy Gardner and Lee Rous at their…

Interview - Mike Slott, Eclair Fifi and Machinedrum of LuckyMe

Glasgow DIY label set for Edinburgh Festival clubnight

8 Aug 2011

Mike Slott (producer) I met Dom [Flannigan] who runs LuckyMe in Borders Books. He was sneaking flyers into hip hop magazines. We got chatting, we liked similar music and in Glasgow if you’re into a certain kind of music, you bump into the same people…

Crate-digging: Nick Hollywood - Electro Swing

White Mink Electro Swing Speakeasy club set for 2011 Fringe

3 Aug 2011

Nick Hollywood created the White Mink: Black Cotton compilation album, which gave birth to the White Mink Electro Swing Speakeasy events. Making their Fringe debut, Hollywood lets us know what to expect from his set. Just out on my own label is the…

An introduction to Krautrock

Clubbers Decktionary

3 Aug 2011

Proper noun: eclectic style, originally German, mostly instrumental and usually combining a traditional rock band line-up (guitars, bass, drums) with electronic instruments; often characterised by a four-four time signature and stripped-back productions…

Virgo Four guest at Rubadub’s 19th birthday

Chicago house greats set for Glasgow record shop's Sub Club night

3 Aug 2011

‘We weren’t cool with any of the other DJs back then,’ says Merwyn ‘Merl’ Sanders, one half of old school 1980s Chicago house duo Virgo Four alongside Eric Lewis. ‘Our stuff was weird, it was a little mellow, and I’m coming from a Christian Church…

Interview: DJ Sneak - set for Edinburgh's Telefunken

The legendary DJ on 'real' underground house

3 Aug 2011

DJ Sneak loves house music. In fact he’s kinda protective of the genre. ‘The word “house” has been murdered by the media and people like Swedish “blank” Mafia, which clearly know nothing about house music. Underground house will always keep the spirit…

DC69 & Diversify Loch Lomond Boat Party

Glasgow techno night takes party onto boat

3 Aug 2011

If you run a successful local techno night, why uproot it all and take your regular crowd to a paddle steamer cruising around Loch Lomond on a Saturday afternoon? ‘It’s an absolutely brilliant venue,’ explains co-promoter Raymond Studden, aka DJ…

Nicolas Jaar interview - Electronic pop artist on UK tour

NY-based experimental DJ and head of the Clown and Sunset label

27 Jul 2011

Trends bloom and wither fast in the fragmented landscape of modern music, and most die out without ever seeing the light of the popular consciousness. In the high-turnover world of electronic music this ephemeral air is accelerated, although it’s…

Electric Frog

The EF Weekender may have been reduced to one day but it’s still one of the best parties in Glasgow

22 Jul 2011

Disappointment at this year’s second instalment of Glasgow’s hipster warehouse weekender Electric Frog being reduced from two days to one will be tempered by the fact that the single day should still rank among the music events of the summer. Although…

Crate Digging: Before he lays waste to the Slam tent techno titan Dave Clarke takes us though his favourite albums

22 Jul 2011

I’m going to go completely vinyl, as you are probably aware I haven’t actually played professionally with vinyl for at least nine years so I’m going to go ‘back in the box’. I’ve had Devo Freedom of Choice (Warner Brothers) since it came out, I…

Clubbers' Decktionary: B-more

DJ Hobbes guides us through clubbing's myriad genres

22 Jul 2011

B-more or Bmore, aka B-more Club, adj: Uptempo (120-140 BPM) hip hop/breaks originally from Baltimore, with an 8/4 time signature, using short, repetitive vocal samples – often call-and-response-style raps or chants – over old school drum breaks…

Drama

The LGBT club night promises ‘stylish polysexual clubbing’

22 Jul 2011

There’s something to be said for aspiring to affluence. How else can we explain the success of elite private members clubs or programmes like Gossip Girl and Made in Chelsea? It can’t be the storylines. I’m 97 per cent certain I have seen more…

Richard Charter of Numbers - Full interview transcript

Innovative Glasgow club Numbers reaches eighth birthday

20 Jul 2011

How has this year been for you? A lot of things have been amazing this year. Being able to release new records from Redinho, Deadboy, Jamie xx and Lory D was a major thing for us because everyone involved put so much into it and the records really show…

Richie Hawtin announces Plastikman live show for Glasgow Barrowlands

Sat 3 Dec date for Hawtin's live techno show

18 Jul 2011

One of the true innovators of techno, Richie Hawtin, will be bringing his live Plastikman 1.5 show to the Barrowland in Glasgow on Saturday 3 December 2011. One of only three UK dates, this hugely ambitious live electronica show was last seen in…

Crate digging: Benedict Bull of Skull Juice

Promoter of London’s High Horse and resident at Bleed takes us inside his record box

13 Jul 2011

My favourite track at the moment is Oneohtrix Point Never ‘Nobody Here’ (Memory Vague, Root Strata). It’s just an amazingly beautiful piece of music, I’ll never get tired of it. I’ve played with him a couple of times and I still get that insecure fanboy…

Alex Smoke live at Edinburgh club Definition

Glasgow-born, London-based techno DJ set to appear at Sneaky Pete's

13 Jul 2011

Alex Smoke has just moved to London but he misses his home town. ‘Glasgow has one of the strongest scenes globally,’ he explains. ‘Very supportive and wide-ranging. It’s a culture that’s very proud of music and very explorative. Paris is stagnant, for…

Floating Points guests at Numbers eighth birthday party

Sub Club night celebrates great year for Glaswegian music collective

29 Jun 2011

We all like to celebrate, but few of us can do it better than the producers, DJs, label bosses and promoters that make up the Glaswegian music collective Numbers, renowned for their sheer foot-grabbing, hands-in-the-air dance-floor dexterity. Propelled…

Clubbers decktionary: Balearic

What exactly is the definition of 'Balearic' in music

29 Jun 2011

Balearic, or Balearic beat adj: Spanish origin but formally cultivated by British DJs, Balearic came to be identified with a certain kind of mid-tempo (i.e. 100 - 120 BPM) dance music. Origins Pioneered by key DJs on London’s nascent acid house…

Cabaret Voltaire venue launches Cab Vol Stars clubnight

New club helmed by Cab Vol employees from bar staff to cleaners

29 Jun 2011

Residents A rolling selection of Cabaret Voltaire employees from bar staff to cleaners Guests It will be a different line-up every month but as an example Prof, Dimi and Cunnie host this July date Music policy It really is a mixed bag, from…

Lock Up Your Daughters Glasgow clubnight

Collective responsible for Glasgow’s only ‘network for creative queers’

29 Jun 2011

Take Lock Up Your Daughters (LUYD), the collective responsible for Glasgow’s only ‘network for creative queers’. They make zines, run music events and are now delving into LGBT-friendly filmmaking to add another string to their bow. It might make you…

T in the Park: Slam pick their favourite acts from the 2011 bill

Mathew Jonson, Bloody Beetroots and Chris Leibing among highlights

28 Jun 2011

Stuart MacMillan First of all Leftfield, having them come back to play is a bit of a rarity and obviously something that was massive 10-15 years ago and still is. You think of their back catalogue – they have so many great tracks. They’re definitely…

Ms Dynamite, Yasmin, Niki & The Dove announced for RockNess 2011

Yet more names join this year’s bill

31 May 2011

Garage MC Ms Dynamite who recently collaborated with both Katy B and Magnetic Man (who also appear at this year’s RockNess) leads the latest additions to the line-up. Joining her is female British rapper Yasmin, Highland singer-songwriter James…

Ferry Corsten, Eddie Halliwell and Pete Tong among highlights of Coloursfest 2011

10th anniversary of Scotland’s only dance-focused festival

30 May 2011

This year is the tenth anniversary of Scotland’s only dance-focused festival, and they’re throwing a little party. Who’s got the cake? And the Buckie? And the poppers? A ten thousand-strong sell-out for six years running, Coloursfest isn’t for the faint…

RockNess 2011: Bus times, line-up and stages

New stages, weekend highlights and travel times

27 May 2011

RockNess have laid on three brand new arenas for 2011. Firstly, the Rock’n’Roll Circus will showcase cutting-edge music and comedy talent from the likes of Jamie Woon and The Cuban Brothers. Secondly, Glasgow clubbing institution Sub Club will present…

RockNess veteran Rob da Bank gives us his tips for top acts across the weekend

DJ and bestival boss on why RockNess is such a unique festival

27 May 2011

It’s one of the most beautiful sites for a festival probably anywhere in the world. Obviously you’ve got Loch Ness nestling at the bottom of the site but the whole drive out there from Inverness through rolling hills and valleys is totally stunning.

Clubbers' Decktionary: UK Funky

Hobbes, resident at Devil Disco, guides you through the myriad genres of dance

27 May 2011

UK Funky, aka ‘funky’, proper noun: British, characterised by syncopated, African rhythms, R&B-style vocalising, MCs and a four-four beat, c. 2006 – present day; influenced by (and often classified with) UK garage, grime, dubstep, jungle, rave…

The Fall, Chrome Hoof and Dubfire set for Electric Frog 2011 summer weekender

Mount Kimbie and Optimo also on bill for Glasgow city centre festival

27 May 2011

The Electric Frog team – they who recently brought us a weekend of warehouse dance action in the shape of François K, Danny Krivit, Optimo and more over the Easter weekend – are back with a summer weekender. Taking place in the same venue – the…

Profile: Joy Orbison

London-based DJ and producer set for Edinburgh date

24 May 2011

Joy Orbison’s a bit like one of those sought after rare birds: elusive, tantalizing, gleaming with a certain flair and vaunting a slightly mischievous charm. A comparison to Kevin from ‘Up’ springs to mind, only Joy Orbison’s quite a lot cooler. Since…

Various DJs and promotors talk about the Art School and Vic Bar ahead of closure

Djs from Menergy, Divine! and Optimo remember the good times

17 May 2011

Glasgow’s clubbing landscape will change forever this month, when the Glasgow School of Art union and its Vic Bar close for extensive redevelopment. Things will never be the same again, its key people tell The List: Lady Munter (Menergy): For me, the…

Crate digging: Ahead of his DJ date at RockNess, Glasgow’s David Barbarossa gives us five of the best

17 May 2011

Fern Kinney ‘Baby Let Me Kiss You’ (WEA) lurks on the B-side of mums’ favourite ‘Together We Are Beautiful’, and it’s a slow, sleazy electronic killer. Right from the impassioned moan that introduces the track — I’m not convinced it’s just kissing she…

5 reasons to go to Coloursfest

Scotland's favourite dancefest returns to Braehead

17 May 2011

1 It’s the 10th anniversary Colours themselves have worked out that’s 500 artists over 90 hours and 50 arenas in the last decade. As Scotland’s longest-running dedicated dance festival, it’s surely due some deserved recognition on its big day. 2 It…

Nick Yuill of Heavy Gossip recommends five tracks from DFA's Maurice Fulton

17 May 2011

Having left Medina behind, Edinburgh house night Heavy Gossip relaunches this month with a brand new residency at Hawke & Hunter. For the debut date they’ve invited along Baltimore’s Maurice Fulton (DFA): here, resident Nick Yuill gives us five tracks…

RockNess adds six more names for 2011’s event

17 May 2011

Bombay Bicycle Club, Sparrow & the Workshop, Afghan Raiders, D/R/U/G/S, Funeral Suits and Visions of Trees have all been added to the RockNess line up, due to take place from 10–12 June on the banks of Loch Ness. They join a line up already bursting…

Electric Frog Easter Weekender - Glasgow, 23-24 Apr 2011

Francois K and Erol Alkan top festival's expertly curated line-up

6 May 2011

It's an exciting time for Glasgow-based micro-festival Electric Frog, the city’s lively weekender of electronic music. Not only does it have both an Easter and summer outing this year for the first time, it's also expanding from a day-long to a…

The List's top five alternative activities for the royal wedding day

25 Apr 2011

1 Off With Their Heads Susan Morrison hosts an afternoon of music and comedy at The Stand, Glasgow, with proceeds going to liberal publication Scottish Left Review. As if the title wasn’t anti enough. 2 Heart Buchanan The kindly folks at the Byres…

Former Lionrocker Justin Robertson shows us his vinyl

Featuring King Creosote, Factory Floor, Lisa O Piu, Mac Sims and more

14 Apr 2011

It’s always hard for me to pick my favourite tunes as I change my mind all the time, so here’s a selection I’m currently digging. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins ‘Bubble’ (Domino) is a remarkably delicate song, it’s so fragile but it has a drama that only…

House night Luvely calls it a day after 15 years

14 Apr 2011

We’ve had a stint of big club nights closing over the last year or so (Taste, Optimo and Headspin instantly spring to mind) and now Luvely have announced their retirement. ‘There’s no point keeping going just for the sake of keeping going, it’s better…

Drum & bass duo Artificial Intelligence to headline Split's eighth birthday

Glenn Herweijer talks to us ahead of their headline slot

14 Apr 2011

Split has been rocking the Cab’s Tuesday night, based around a sound that encompasses drum & bass, dubstep, electro, breaks and techno. Now for their eighth birthday they have Artificial Intelligence guesting, and even with this drum & bass duo manning…

No Lights, No Lycra: the dance-in-the-dark craze hits Glasgow

13 Apr 2011

As a wise man once said, you can’t start a fire without a spark. However, now you can go dancing in the dark, as the No Lights, No Lycra craze has finally arrived in Glasgow. Starting in Melbourne in 2009 and spreading worldwide soon after, NLNL is a…

Laidback Luke, Derrick Carter, Andrew Weatherall, Beardyman, Nero and many more join 2011’s RockNess line-up

7 Apr 2011

Tons and tons of new names have been announced for this year’s RockNess. Laidback Luke, The Japanese Popstars, The Boxer Rebellion, Morning Parade, Twilight Sad, Nero, Skrillex, Beardyman, Sub Focus (live), Sons & Daughters, Broken Records, Chapel Club…

François K and The Unabombers get ready for Electric Frog’s Easter Weekender

Danny Krivit, Erol Alkan, DJ Yoda, Dave Clarke and more also on the bill

24 Mar 2011

Anyone who’s been to one of the Electric Frog festivals at the Studio Warehouse knows why this month will see a second spring event emerge, this time extended over two days and featuring even more massive names in dance music from across the globe. With…

Gavin Sutherland aka Fudge Fingas to launch new album Now About How at Ultragroove

Edinburgh-based producer's smooth, soulful deep house

24 Mar 2011

‘I’m not a fan of DJ culture, to be honest,’ says Edinburgh-based producer and musician Gavin Sutherland, aka Fudge Fingas, who leads the way as one of the most exciting electronic artists working in Scotland today. ‘Although I suppose I support it…

Jamie Woon - King Tut’s, Glasgow, Thu 1 March 2011

London dubstepper in James Blake mould impresses at King Tut's

21 Mar 2011

Perilously close to the vanguard of truly breakthrough dubstep, London boy Jamie Woon is hanging on James Blake’s coattails in more ways than one. Blake got there first (just) and he’s also mastered the template of soulful singer-songwriting backed by…