Funk

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…

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…

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…

Niki King & The Elements - It’s All Good

New York-based Scottish jazz vocalist with new band and soul-funk sound

13 Jul 2011

(Soul Route Records) When Edinburgh jazz vocalist Niki King relocated to New York at the end of last year, it was inevitable that the city would lend its magic to her creative impulses. So, with the backing of her new ten-piece New York band, The…

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…

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…

Soulsville aim to rejuvenate music from the 40s and 50s

Live soul in the heart of the Capital

30 Nov 2010

Name: Soulsville Occupation: Edinburgh’s hub for soul, swing and rock’n’roll. ‘We’re trying to rejuvenate music from the 40s and 50s by finding music I think is relevant to current times,’ explains promoter Francis Dosoo (aka DJ Tsatsu). ‘So…

Matthew Dear on UK tour to promote Black City

Electronic avant-pop artist to play live in Glasgow and Edinburgh

24 Nov 2010

‘Yeah, I think I’m pretty much crazy,’ responds Matthew Dear with a wry laugh to the suggestion that a psychiatrist could probably write a fascinating case study with the Detroit producer/avant-pop artist and his variety of split personas – Jabberjaw…

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Chicago fusion of jazz, hip hop and funk

8 Aug 2010

This nine-piece comprising eight horns and a drummer are not what you might expect at the Jazz & Blues Festival.

We Are ... Electric celebrates fifth birthday

Night in two instalments as residents play alongside Scottish talents

5 Aug 2010

We Are … Electric If you thought Wednesdays weren’t built for clubbing, We Are … Electric have been proving you wrong for five years. They’re celebrating their fifth birthday across two weeks, starting with a massive Scottish talent Showcase featuring…

Lizzard Lounge back for Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2010

Fred Wesley and Rumba Caliente Afro Latin Soul Orchestra head up club's return

23 Jul 2010

Toby Shippey, the founder of the Lizzard Lounge club night and later Scots fusion group Salsa Celtica, is waxing nostalgic about the good old days. ‘We used to bring bands over from Cuba and New York,’ he tells, ‘and they would say: “This is the best…

The Final Night of Club R-P-Z

23 Jun 2010

‘R-P-Z has been the best thing I have ever created,’ says the night’s founder, promoter and resident Hushpuppy, ‘and the most fun I have ever had at a club night, with all the best friends I have ever met. Far more fun that any one person could ever…

Slo-Mo and La Di Da bring disco, house and funk to Glasgow

14 May 2010

‘After being stuck in Edinburgh for 12 years,’ says club promoter and blogger Chef De Party (not his real name, you might have guessed), ‘moving through to Glasgow is like finding the promised land.’ Which is a bit harsh on the capital, but then Chef is…

Born To Be Wide - Wide Days

1 Apr 2010

It's business time! Scottish music scene-nurturing organisation Born To Be Wide has another fantastic event planned, with a line up of acts equally as impressive as the industry figures sharing their music industry knowhow. Seminars and showcases have…

Hitlist: Clubs

The best nights out this fortnight

15 Oct 2009

Definition, Soul Weekender, Men & Machines, Fortified, Pinup Nights, Come and Playdate, Kreep vs Bleep, Spectrum, Vegas

Modern Lovers

Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite performs the DJing honours at this psych-rock night

15 Oct 2009

If you are looking for a mix of psych-rock, garage funk, sonic rock’n’roll and Motown classics that has a retro soundtrack but isn’t stuck in the past Modern Lovers is the perfect prescription. This fortnight expect an even heavier, darker version of…

Hitlist: Clubs

2 Oct 2009

Devil Disco Club, Mudhoney, Pulse, Telefunken, Sensu is 5, The B^stard Dancehall, Pest Control Records, Mount Heart Attack, Death Disco, Numbers, Ultragroove

Kraak and Smaak

17 Sep 2009

Name: Kraak and Smaak. Occupation: Dutch purveyors of crispy funk and futuristic jazzy beats. Kraak & Smaak? Is this some new high-class drugs combo I’ve never heard of before? While we’re sure they get the double meaning it actually translates as…

Hitlist: Clubs

17 Sep 2009

Cabaret Voltaire’s Alternative Freshers Week, Kinky Afro, Motherfunk, Pinup Nights, Weak at the Knees, Numbers & Fortified, Huntleys and Palmers Audio Club, Compact Disco, Streetrave 20th Birthday Party

Chic - Nile Rodgers

Funk master

23 Jul 2009

Nile Rodgers defined an era with the classic disco soul of Chic and again as one of the most sampled act in hip hop history. David Pollock meets him.

Superfly

9 Jul 2009

Although the 100th month of a club night is a strange anniversary to be celebrating, it isn’t the only reason we’re recommending broad-minded soul, funk, classic rock and indie night Superfly this time round. This edition is also the last Superfly to be…

Soul Power

9 Jul 2009

Just when you thought there were no more films to be made about the Muhammad Ali/George Foreman bout in Zaire in 1974 there comes a remarkable film about the 12-hour, three-night-long concert which took place around the event. In 1974 musician Hugh…

Alyn Cosker: Lyn’s Une

9 Jul 2009

The Ayrshire drum maestro’s current high-power trio with guitarist David Dunsmuir and bass guitarist Ross Hamilton provides the foundation for his debut album. The energised music foregrounds the funk and groove elements of Cosker’s playing to great…

Headspin

9 Jul 2009

The resident Headspin DJ squad refuse to conform to genre specifications with their no-holds barred four deck mix of house, hip hop, funk, disco, soul, breakbeat and all points in-between. All backed up by live percussion from Bongo Dave and visual…

Vjazz

25 Jun 2009

With the Glasgow Jazz Festival taking over pretty much all the live music spaces in town their Vjazz club nights are the perfect way to keep the funk flowing into the night. Featuring Perry Louis (pictured) and his Weak at the Knees night (27 Jun) plus…

Also Released - Records

28 May 2009

Franz Ferdinand Blood (Domino) A hit-and-miss retooling of the band’s recent Tonight album. The real dubby moments are a sonorous joy among the modest reshuffles of others. Loop A Gilded Eternity (Reactor) A very welcome reissue of the immense final…

Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship

28 May 2009

Tortoise have always followed their own path, moving slowly, steadily and deliberately – much like their reptillian namesake. Their six albums in little under 20 years suggest a group at ease in their own skin, building records out of fragments of jazz…

Ojos De Brujo

16 Apr 2009

If flamenco isn’t really your thing, then you should probably turn away now. But come on, everyone needs a bit of flamenco in their life. Hip hop is also here in abundance too, consummating with each other to produce an exotically interesting mix.

Motherfunk

16 Apr 2009

Since way back in 1996 Motherfunk has been Edinburgh’s only serious Tuesday night clubbing option. Gino and Fryer supply a formidably knowledgable repertoire of all that’s great and good about funk. This fortnight, on 28 April, they host a fashion event…

New Bands

19 Feb 2009

Young Fathers Although those in the neighbourhood know that Scottish hip hop has been active for many years now, it’s still the kind of unlikely concept which can make the national media gasp, sit up and scratch their head. Take the good tidings that…

Mongrel - Better than Heavy

19 Feb 2009

(Wall of Sound) INDIE FUNK On paper this collaboration has huge potential, with a former Arctic Monkey, a Babyshambler and the Reverend and one of his Makers teaming up with esteemed rapper Lowkey. The results are, as Jon ‘Reverend’ Mclure…

Friday Night Takeaway

5 Feb 2009

Miranda Ralston and Angie Koorbanally believe that Friday nights are where it’s at clubbing wise. The duo, both Arches employees and Octopussy and Death Disco workers, are the brains behind Friday Night Takeaway, a one-off night in conjunction with…

Profile - The Unabombers

5 Feb 2009

Name: The Unabombers Also known as: Mancunian duo Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford. Occupation: Premiership electro-funk producers, remixers and DJs of longstanding vintage. You might know them in their other guise, Elektrons, who are heavier on…

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Darkest Light: The Best Of . . . Remastered Edition

22 Jan 2009

JAZZ FUNK There’s nothing overtly African or rocky about Lafayette Afro Rock Band, an American funk outfit who relocated to Paris in the 1970s and acted as session band for Pierre ‘Berjot’ Jaubert, a one-time Motown artistic director. Their cult…

Modern Lovers

27 Nov 2008

For a club night which has been one big, glorious celebration of the retro soul, funk, psych and freakbeat sounds for eight years now, Modern Lovers has an eye on the future this fortnight. The regular monthly event in Edinburgh is both the eighth…

Platinum Pied Pipers to play rescheduled Edinburgh date

5 Sep 2008

Detroit-based hip hop and R&B group the Palatinum Pied Pipers play at Edinburgh's Voodoo Rooms on Monday 15th September. Promoting their new album Abundance, PPP take a soul-based foundation and mash it up with their array of vintage & modern…

Headspin

7 Aug 2008

Over the years the guys behind Headspin have built up an enviable reputation on the Edinburgh club scene. Seamlessly mixing the retro with the futuristic on their no-holds-barred four-deck set-up, which splices hip hop, funk, disco, house and other…

Smoove

3 Jul 2008

FUNK/HIP HOP Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Jul. Smoove is a man in the thrall of the funk, and while he’s happy to pilfer from any genre or decade, it all needs to have that groove. ‘Everything is rooted in the funk; soul, even music going way, way…

The Hot 8 Brass Band

28 Feb 2008

It shouldn’t work, but it does. Live and direct from New Orleans, The Hot 8 Brass Band add funk and hip hop grooves to the familiar brass band sound. With funked up covers of the likes of ‘Sexual Healing’ overlaid with lyrical rapping they take the…

DJ Format

14 Feb 2008

Three years since the last album and having apparently denounced hip hop while throwing himself headlong into DJing and re-editing duties you might be surprised to find that DJ Format, aka Southampton-born Brightonian Matt Ford, has been quietly…

Andy Smith

14 Feb 2008

One of the kings of quality music where genre is no barrier, Andy Smith is perhaps most famous for his The Document mix series (now on its third instalment) where tracks by Black Sabbath rub shoulders with Ugly Duckling and PP Arnold. But he’s equally…

Headspin's 10th Birthday

17 Jan 2008

It was the winter of 98, and, inspired by fellow leftfield institution Messenger Sound System, Allan Dunbar and Steve Austen landed themselves a brand new club night at the old Bongo, determined they were going to put on something a little different…

Hint

1 Nov 2007

Expect everything from full on drum & bass to soul, funk and post rock from Ninja Tune signee Hint, who’s guesting at the Ivy Weekender. He’s joined by local hero Boom Monk Ben for the Friday session (2 Nov) while the Saturday weighs in with Bugz in the…

Tom Findlay at SoCo Social

20 Sep 2007

HOUSE/FUNK/SOUL The Buff, Glasgow, Fri 28 Sep There is a now an alternative to the customary quick drink after work and it comes in the form of the SoCo Social, a series of free gigs in Glasgow that run from 6pm until 10pm. The first event took…

Greenskeepers

7 May 2007

FUNK HOUSE

Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators

Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Sat 28 Apr; Renfrew Ferry,

23 Apr 2007

RETRO FUNK SOUL With the release of Keep Reachin’ Up last year, Nicole Willis found herself the subject of funk-soul lovers’ adoration and press applause. But as much as she is pleased with the album’s outcome, the 20 year careerist who has recorded…

Spektrum

Dfrnt Trouble at The Caves, Edinburgh, Fri 27 Apr;

23 Apr 2007

PUNK FUNK Where London quartet Spektrum initially capitalised to good effect on the nascent punk-funk movement that American contemporaries like The Rapture, Radio 4 and the nascent LCD Soundsystem were developing, their new album Fun At The Gymkhana…

Burn

The Buff Club, Glasgow, weekly, Mondays

19 Dec 2006

DISCO/FUNK/ELECTRO/HOUSE If you were to walk into Burn at the Buff Club, the first thing you may notice is that it doesn’t seem like you are at a Monday night club and the second thing is the freshness of the night after 12 years of partying. Burn…

Various - Pulp Fusion - album review

Various

11 Dec 2006

FUNK The first in a veritable trove of stellar, themed retro-comps, Harmless celebrate Pulp Fusion’s 10th anniversary with a two-disc selection from NY crate digger, DJ and journalist Monk-One; and presumably his brief was ‘It ain’t broke...’ Cue 20…