Shotty Horroh is (alongside his Highrise Entertainment crew) one of those new 21^st century stars that were born & bred, bragged & boasted, on You-Tube. These days everyone thinks they’re an MC, impressive rap battles and ‘diss’ tracks quickly go viral, and the internet is bulging with wannabe rappers & embryonic music producers. Some of it is stush, some of it is shit. Most of it is tish really, or just unready, unformed, in front of the public too soon. Highrise Ents though, have been as prolific in gathering people together, with an eye to artist development, as they are with their internet output. They’ve also put their money where their mouths are by making ‘proper’ videos for produced tracks instead of the cliché hoods-up, gun fingers, by lock-up garages, shot-on-a-mobile footage. You don’t need major record company backing to reach people these days. As any street dealer will tell you: If you got a good enough product, it will sell itself.

Highrise ‘Sickness’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagW5sfHVzg

I was first introduced to Shotty Horroh a couple of years ago via Suddz, (Manchester MC at Metropolis, Gutterfunk & Soundscape). He’d recently moved away from hosting DnB DJ sets and was now writing & recording tracks with Highrise, having re-named himself Panache. I did a photo-shoot with them, listened to some material. At the time I remember being impressed by their work ethic. We’d done some posed shots but I‘d wanted some more natural looking shots so we headed up to Harpurhey where they lived. In their small studio I shot Panache in their vocal booth and, in between a quick change of garms, Shotty jumped in. I was impressed by both his delivery and his technique, how he twisted his tongue over his vocabulary and syllables, how I could actually hear most of it clearly. Too many MCs spit too fast or too dumb, with no intonation, and you miss half of what they’re saying.

So anyway, we packed up, skinned up, called it a day; but I thought I’d keep my eye on Highrise and Shotty Horroh in particular. So when I saw the e-flyer for a live gig at SoundControl I was on it like Scotch Bonnet!

I was moaning (moi?) recently that I keep meeting ravers with double-barrelled names and where were all the Mancunians, but summer’s here (for what it is), and our student population has fled to the festivals, this was definitely one for the locals. A big Salford contingent in supporting Iller State, Misfits Music & Briggsy, old school call-n-response hip-hop; Hoodman regaling us with his female conquests; Viollet was closer to R’n’B or a garage MC. Each act upped the ante and drifted away from pure hip-hop into more contemporary flavours, UKG, Niche and Grime.

With so many MCs involved there were some lulls in proceedings but the atmosphere was building nicely. When Highrise took to the stage you knew you were watching veterans at work. That kind of confidence is infectious. Flexplicit held court whilst Hypes, Xp, Bigz, Viollet, MG (from Highrise Midlands link-up), all took turns until it was difficult to tell who was performing and who was just strutting as the bodies onstage multiplied.

Shotty Horroh took to the stage like someone who’d been impatiently waiting for this night half his life. He worked the crowd like a pro, getting up close, allowing die-hard fans to sing-a-long. Unsigned until very recently Shotty has already put out Mix-Tape style CDs with Highrise and two self-financed CDs/LPs ‘The Beast Vols. 1 & 2’ (which actually contain about 3/4 albums worth); Real tracks too, not just filler & skits whose humour quickly fades. ‘It’s A Horroh’ w/ Hoodman, ‘Rep The M’, ‘Goon To A Goblin’, ‘Sickness’, ‘It’s Shotty Horroh Mate’, ‘Winners Anthem’, he ran through his prolific output with the confidence of someone familiar with performing centre-stage. The venue pulled the plug bang on midnight but you felt that they could just go on and on. The other thing that impressed me (more obvious later when I checked out their stuff, as you should) was the open attitude to different styles & genres, (hip-hop/grime) Shotty Horroh seemed to me like a much-younger Manchester Skinnyman; likewise, he just seemed to be born to do it.

Shotty Horroh ‘Winners’ Anthem’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_9hvZGydtw

Hypes ‘city centre freestyle’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t_6BW9m2as

A former power plant with a steel and concrete industrial dancefloor. Hedonistic techno parties spanning 36 hours. Barbed wire tattoos on the face of the head doorman. There can only be one place I’m talking about.
The club is a place of legend, only fuelled further by the strict secrecy surrounding it – no cameras are allowed inside, photo-taking being a certified kicking-out offence.

Maybe it is out of curiosity then that hundreds descend upon Berghain every weekend, only for more than half of the queue to be turned away. Despite this hand-picked selection of each and every one of their 1500 capacity, the queue still can be seen to trail back down the dirt path week-in week-out, with prime-time queues of over an hour, even in the depths of winter.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that you can turn up a few hours later and avoid the rush. Prime-time at Berghain goes from the midnight opening till about 8am – this is Berlin, after all. On Saturdays the club opens at midnight, and doesn’t stop the music until noon on Monday. Morning, noon and night, the beats keep pounding and the dancefloor keeps moving.

Inside, be prepared for something unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Perhaps it is the club’s total uniqueness that won it the title of No 1 Club in 2009, without having to ask for its votes like certain others. Arguably, it still is. Through the entrance opens up into a vacuous concrete space, where the throbbing techno upstairs gets your heart pounding to the same intense rhythm. A bar and some places to sit away from the crowd are usually empty; the fun is all happening on the floor above. Ascend the stairs and you’re there, in the heart of the Berghain powerhouse.

Windows metres-high span up the walls, but not a trickle of daylight gets through the shutters, leaving you to lose yourself in the timeless freedom that defines Berghain; that ensures you never want to leave. Here in this vast room, self-indulgence and decadence rules. If you can’t find it with a partner in the infamous ‘dark room’ in the corner, or in the bizarrely-situated café and ice-cream parlour above, you’ll most certainly find it on the dancefloor.

Further and higher into the club, you reach Berghain’s little sister, Panorama Bar. Here the mood is lighter and the colours are softer, but don’t go thinking she’s any tamer. The music here crosses over into two days’ worth of stellar deep- and tech-house. As the last dancefloor to close on the Monday morning, Panorama keeps up the pace of the whole weekend. With residents like Berlin favourite Steffi, and an interesting choice of erotic art on the wall, the bar is a vital part of the Berghain legend.

Tempted yet? Well not so fast. Before you get to be a part of the pulsating pounding inside, to move with the undulating crowd, to partake in the debauchery of the ‘dark room’ - you must first negotiate the all important door policy. Big group? Forget it. Lad’s night out? Not a chance. Dressed for the occasion? Don’t bother.

The doormen aren’t interested in you or any answers you have to give. Their word is law, and they carry the highest respect. Nothing screams undignified like walking away from the door calling the bouncer an arsehole after all. There is a long list of contentious rules that may or may not be the key to getting in, but ultimately, be casual. If they don’t like you, they don’t like you, deal with it and move on.

Once you ARE in though – welcome to what may well be the most intense clubbing experience of your life. World-class DJs make the schedule each week without exception, providing hours-long soundtracks to the Berghain/Panorama floors. To be a part of it, after the agonizing wait at the door, is quite the sensation: Relieved, that the hard part is over. Dizzy, in awe of the place. But mostly, the deepest feeling of anticipation and excitement you will find in any club this side of Europe. You’re in for an unbelievable night. Just remember – pace yourself. There’s hours to go yet.

BERGHAIN WEBSITE

Have you ever thought about engaging in intercourse with a plastic doll? Now that you just have, this website can make your fantasy a reality.  The Doll Forum is a ‘meeting place for love doll owners and admirers’, in other words a meeting place for humans incapable of attracting a sexual partner of the same species.  Oh, and you have to have a spare few thousand dollars in order to possess your dream plastic partner. 

The Doll Forum is a place where the doll-shagging community log in and discuss, well, shagging dolls.  If your response to this reality is ‘oh dear’, or ‘what the fuck?’, then this would be appropriate.  If your response is ‘ohhh interesting’ and you feel a tingling in your pants, then shut down your computer, put on some clothes, and find some people without a screen name to talk to. 

After reading a few threads in the Doll Forum, I found myself genuinely hoping some of the posts were a work of great sarcasm.  “It’s a relief to say that the sex is still fantastic” writes one doll-shagger, “our average is twice a week, once on weekends.  Every inch of her is a pleasure.  Even though it’s mostly dissipated, that silicone aroma of hers drives me wild. 

That’s like the best aphrodisiac in the world.”  There are also people that have pushed the boundaries of mental health and asked if there is “sufficient space in the skull” for a tracking device so as to always be safe in the knowledge of the whereabouts of their plastic lover. 

If you are ever unfortunate enough to encounter one of these artificial lovers, please for the love of God leave it alone, for a hairy fat guy armed with a tub of Vaseline and a boner may just come knocking at your door.    

Check out DOLL FORUM

This is Dubstep 2011 as part of the continuing compilation series from GetDarker had both much to improve and continue upon. The series lacked diversity, a crucial factor within the development of a genre still finding its footing, and duly coming into its own following a massive mainstream breakthrough, a solid accumulation of tracks was often spoiled by very little regard for anything beyond particular composition or stylistic choices; not that there’s anything wrong with constructing a compilation as such, however, after last years Vol. 3, it was starting to become repetitive. This is Dubstep 2011 is an improvement, by which it hints at the variation of what the genre is and what it has become since 2006, yet still it falters in being a particularly unique or impressive collection, perhaps on a single CD this would’ve been different, but instead it spans forty tracks and results in spreading itself far too thin.

The biggest problem is imbalance, perpetuated by the inconsistent quality of the entire collection; granted, it’s hard to construct a compilation and have every track regarded as a virtuosic masterpiece or instant club classic, perhaps it’s even impossible, but it seems that little consideration was made in regard to how these pieces would fit together, and subsequently, the difference between the great and not-so-great tracks is highly accentuated. Highlights include Tek-One (also the considerable highlight of Vol. 2) with a remix of The Blackout’s Higher & Higher, a simple yet fetching, stylish breakdown, and considerably the most original track on the album along with the Burial remix of Be True by Commix and Dark Sky’s Drowned City; both similar in their soundscape approach; Burial aims for the ethereal and begrudging optimism whilst Dark Sky moves toward a soulful, melancholic bounce. Dark Sky and Tek-One are undoubtedly the producers to keep watching.

Then there’s the low points: I have a strong inclination that much of This is Dubstep 2011 does not embody each producers most attractive nor impressive pieces of work; The Excision & Datsik remix of Noisia’s Alpha Centauri is a somewhat strange inclusion, considering it was prevalent on their debut ‘Split the Atom’. GetDarker could have chosen to accommodate a track from Noisia’s experimental Invisible Recordings instead, and appropriately boasted a considerably impressive variation. A similar issue could be taken with the appearance of the excessively popular and exalted Big Boss from Doctor P, which by now has frequently appeared in every set and compilation through the year. This is Dubstep 2011, within the context of the entire series, has become increasingly impetuous, restraining the possibility of a superior quality to appease a wider audience instead, failing to understand that the two are not mutually exclusive to each other.

So who is this CD aimed for? I wouldn’t say that it appeals to long-time listeners of the genre; those who have come to expect a mixing pot of musical forms and styles that materialize the “new” Dubstep wave will be disappointed, nor would it benefit the new listeners, lest they fully understand that the genre is conceptually bigger than what can be found on This is Dubstep 2011. Some great tracks, and a lot of filler, the latest effort from GetDarker is typical compilation stuff, it’s easy to get excited about their definitive tendencies and chest-thumping, but when it fails to present any kind of reward, it’s back to discovering for yourself what Dubstep really is.

Manchester's world famous Warehouse Project has released an official statement that this year's Warehouse Project will be the last series of events at the Store Street car park under Piccadilly Station.  Best get down there for old times sake then.

 

 

“After five incredible years beneath the streets, the last ever Warehouse Project event at Store Street will finish in the early hours of January 2, 2012. Within 48 hours all evidence that WHP ever existed in that space will be gone, nothing remaining to give any indication that hundreds of thousands of people passed through those doors.

The idea was always to keep things fresh. And while The Warehouse Project certainly found its first proper home in this venue, it feels like when the curtain comes down on the 2011 series it will be time to shake things up again. Exactly how, where and when the WHP will return is not yet set, but one thing for sure is that this is The End of Store Street.

Tickets for that final event on New Years Day will go on sale 48 hours before the rest of the series, at 9am on Tuesday 19th July.  

This last party will take the form of a seventeen-hour marathon taking us into 2012.

The full WHP11 plan will be revealed 9am on Thursday 21st July.

Thank you to everyone who has made it so special. Hopefully you will like what is lined up for this final run, which will be revealed next week.”

 

The Warehouse Project

What with corporate sponsors now taking ove­r better-known music festivals, often ruining the get-away-from-it-all vibe, and with Glastonbury taking time out next year to allow its’ stomped-over fields time to recuperate, this year there are lots of emerging small festivals looking to get a foot on the now-lucrative festival circuit. One such newcomer is Gottwood festival set in the beautiful Welsh countryside of Anglesey. Example went to check it out.

On board were Festival Virgin Joshua and Old (S)Lag Al Baker. We started our journey out with good omens. We missed our booked-ticket train, but a guard simply let us board the next one along. Good start. As we travelled west I regaled Joshua with tales from an illustrious past, different festivals I’ve attended over the years & characters met long the way. From each corner of England every discernable age, race, faith or belief-system you can imagine. Festivals do tend to bring out the Freaks as well as giving the more straight-laced a chance to let their hair down. 

The weather was looking good (and promising better). The guard from Llandudno Junction gave us a Welsh language lesson too. Outside Holyhead train station a row of taxis knew exactly where we were heading. Now then, here I thought we might get stung by over-zealous taxi drivers out to make a buck (and who can blame them), because if you were arriving by other means than by car you basically have to go all the way to the end of the line, before coming back on yourself by taxi to get to Llanfaethlu about 10 miles out of town.

Big Ups to (our taxi) Will Hagan then for not taking the piss: £19. I wisely took his card for the return journey. There was a quick search for excessive booze (there was an allowance for alcohol brought on-site, but you could bring as much food as you liked) and cooking stoves which, considering our proximity to the woods I thought was fair enough. Once we had pitched our tent (not an easy task when you’ve not thrown one up in years) to face the “road” through the campsite so that we could better view all the beautiful creatures passing by whom, strangely, all seemed to know one another. As we sat by our tent you could hear people calling out to each other as they arrived. The clipped southern England accent seemed omnipresent.

We saw someone being escorted out who had obviously peaked too early. Though Security had his hand firmly behind his back he still whooped with drug-induced joy. He did attempt to resist eviction by rolling around on the ground but only succeeded in bringing down his jogging bottoms, so was escorted the rest of the way in his boxers, shame! Someone was spending their Gottwood experience in the car-park. An amusing interlude, until a four-wheel drive announced the arrival of more Security, intent on searching his & all his friends’ tents & bags. It was all a bit excessive if you ask me. By all means stop people breaching the site perimeter. Stop people bringing spirits on-site if you must. Stop people injuring themselves, or ruining the event for others, but leave people alone enough to have their fun. I saw Security picking roll-up butts up to check if they had cardboard ‘roaches’. Bit heavy handed really.

Festival Virgin joined an impromptu game of footie, scoring almost immediately, a good enough way as any to meet your neighbours. Even if they all shouted out rugby instructions as they played. Early evening intrepid Example set out. A quick site ‘reccy’ commenced. A winding path through a small wood brought us first to the Space Station (Igloo) where constant techno boomed. Impressive indeed it was beneath 360-degree projected graphics but sadly devoid of people. I took a few unsuccessful photos & left, vowing to return. Onto the Aztec Tree-house! A bit of a disappointment here as it wasn’t a tree-house at all but a tent. No-one here either. Gottwood had been undone by the one thing you cannot book or control, British weather. It was such a gorgeous day the campsite was full of people socialising and very few Ravers littered the various stages before sundown. I took a few photos of graffiti; bumped into Maggot (Off Putter / Goldie Lookin Chain) coming out of a Portaloo (literally, his cubicle door nearly knocked my camera out of my hands). Aaaha! ‘Celebs’!

We walked through into the sun-trap grounds of the (landowners?) house. A sliced-in-half caravan turned DJ booth providing perfect hip-hop soundtrack for a lazy afternoon. We chatted to Mr. Scruff for a bit (a reassuring face amongst the gathering beautiful people) & promised to attend his Friday headline set on the Mixcloud Stage (a barn) later. Our fickle attention then turned to our stomachs. 

Little moan here; two or three (locally sourced I have to say) roast pork sarnies & burger stalls; just one guy doing proper meals; with rice; enough to fill up two hungry travellers from Manchester! And though his Chilli-Con-Carne was good, his Caribbean Chicken was from no part of the West Indies I’d eaten before! We passed on our culinary opinion to a fellah who turned out to be DJ Format, next DJ up in the Boxford Caravan. We pretty much stayed there, both of us well up for a DJ battle, Format vs Mr. Thing. What a wicked way to start a festival! We both reckoned Mr. Thing had the edge (if there needed to be a winner) but as the light faded & night fell, some traditional Chilean drumming and a bonfire finally brought strangers together.

Walking back through our decorated forest we saw features not-so noticeable in daylight. Little two people tee-pees dotted around, big enough to skin-up or canoodle in. Trees lit from below created added drama. There was definitely some thought & consideration gone into dressing the forest. Five spherical projector screens with a human eyeball in the centre, that was pretty cool too, watched over proceedings. It, as well as I, saw the young people slowly gather for evening shenanigans.

I saw lots of Indian fabrics, easy flowing hippy clothes; or people dressed up as animals, or simply sporting an animal tail. There was a lot of that. What was that all about? They were confident & aloof mostly (signs of a good education) and only spoke to us to ask if I was selling drugs. This was funny at first.

We wandered the site taking in (ahem) the sights ‘til it was time for Mr. Scruff. Twice we wandered out of his marathon DJ set to poke our heads in the Tree-house or the Igloo (where techno reigned supreme) but returned each time for more Scruff. Our Festival Virgin was converted. An impeccable, roof-raising, genre-defying set. Highlight.

*

Then it all went sour. Taking a piss in a Portaloo, there were thumps on the side, before I was tipped over, immediately covered in other peoples piss & shit. I was so angry I punched the door open. We saw two girls laughing nearby & went over to remonstrate. I was livid. A small crowd of jump-the-fence locals, (the ONLY ones we’d met here) with no tents to go to, stood close by. When I touched one girl on the arm to reassure her I wasn’t blaming her personally, she began to scream “PAEDO!” at the top of her lungs, and I was quickly surrounded by faces.

Now, I’m old & wise enough to know when you’re being set-up for a kicking but I had to drag Festival Virgin up the hill away from certain trouble. You gotta know when to walk away. You also gotta remember to pack plenty of hand-wipes for when you get covered in other peoples piss & go to the shower block on a promise; you discover no hot water at all, nothing.

It gets better. My companion had had enough for one night & turned in but I stayed up, suddenly awake. I walked up & down the length of the site in fresh clothes, looking for our ‘local friends’ & chatting to Security (who, unsurprisingly were nowhere to be seen when we needed them). Half an hour goes past before someone comes to my tent saying that his friend who had witnessed what had happened, had also overheard me violently cursing from my tent and was now locked inside his tent, (paranoia safety zone), refusing to come out, convinced that I was coming to kill him.

Now I’m a nice guy, and let’s say I have plenty of prior experience with pharmaceuticals, so I kind of understood what needed to be done. I went over to their little circle of tents and sat, early morning sunshine, talking to his fried friends & sharing ALL my herb with them. I sat just inside Paranoid Guys’ tent carefully explaining to him that I wished him personally no harm, and that neither I nor “my people” were coming after him. He didn’t really believe me. I told him over & over again. He vibrated with fear as I sat before him, very strange. Then –get this- one of them suddenly says “Yah, mate, really, we’d like you leave now. Thanks”. I had been dismissed. There was nothing more to it.

Insulted, I kicked over a chair, called them out, left. The morning sun was blazing now & so was I. It wasn’t easy getting any sleep. My sunbathing/sleep kept getting interrupted by guys called Dan or Ben coming over to ask about drugs. Note to Self: when you’re the only person on-site over 30 & when you’re tent is the only one facing outward, everyone will think you’re a drug-dealer. This is only good news if you are a drug dealer.

Our ‘friends’ came over later with a half-arsed apology but reasoned that I had to understand where their heads were at, especially their frightened frigid friend! I didn’t sell him his stupid white powder, or tell him how much to take, and I’m certainly not responsible for his fragile state of mind. Now if your friend wets himself that’s your look-out mate not mine, feck off. 

Unable to get sleep or food we waited to be allowed back onto the festival site. I thought a bit of breakfast might lift our mood but even with our bellies eventually tickled by bacon butties it failed to lift the spirit. Our mood had changed, the vibe of the festival felt different, but really we just couldn’t shake off our evening experiences. Even though we sat in the beautiful Welsh sunshine Festival Virgin had a face like a wet weekend. There’s a point of no return & we’d reached it. We had had enough. 

Everywhere I looked I saw things that irritated me. I’ve never been to a (so-called) festival with such a narrow demographic. Where were the old hippies, the Rasta, the festival freaks? Everyone I spoke to the day before over 25 was a DJ performing. Everyone else came from London. Where were all the people from Liverpool or Bristol? Where were all the cool kids? Where were the Welsh?

A decision had to be made about how best to alter our general mood and, since I wasn’t about to drop acid, decided “fuck it. Let’s go”. Once decided, our tent was down & packed away in less time than it took to put up. Our Welsh Saviour (Big Will Hagan) was called (in the middle of his tea, bless) and came to collect us & take us back to Holyhead.

We waited for a train. We then had to change carriages because, well, half a dozen fully-grown men on their way for a night out, casually reading from a BNP leaflet, makes me kind of feel uncomfortable. It was Rosa Parkes in reverse! There is a time to sit on a bus & refuse to move, but this was definitely one time to get up & move to another carriage! Get me out of Wales!

Now I can see what Gottwood are trying to achieve. I wish them all luck in building their event year upon year. I think they made a sterling effort arranging a lovely site in a beautiful spot; I think the line-up was good enough (even though A Guy Called Gerald and Jack Sparrow both cancelled): But I’m sorry, it was peopled by too many identi-kit tossers on a jolly from University. You can wear all the hippy-chic you like but six hundred tranquilised toffs in a field does not a festival make. And if I never see another pair of MC Hammer pants again I’ll be a much happier man. I’m sure there were plenty of nice people there too; but I didn’t meet (m)any of them. Would I return to Gottwood? Sadly, I’m going to have to say the chances are not good, Gottwood.

Midland - Through Motion - Aus Music 

The latest release from Leeds based producer Midland oozes quality. The three track release features two of Midlands own productions, and a remix of the track “Through Motion” by the Tevo Howard. The first track “Shelter” is a dark cavernous number perfect for a late morning set in a club with very little lighting. Definitely one that would keep the crowds tired legs moving.  “Through Motion” has a different feel to it as Midland fuses Techno and UK Garage to create a moody rumbling record with a catchy UK Garage esque bass line. The real standout track on this EP, for me, is the Tevo Howard remix of “Through Motion”.  The Chicago based Producer and DJ introduces his own trademark sound to the track, removing the bass line and introducing a 303 beat instead, increasing both the energy and tempo of the track. The resulting track is extremely pleasing on the ear and I’m sure will be in many a Djs record box for months to come.

Final Score 4.5/5

Matilda - Protea - Exone 

Matildas recent release on Exone records consists of three tracks. Matildas own “Protea” and then two remixes of the same track by Deadbeat and one by Exone Label owner Exercise One. The original track Protea is a very pleasant sounding track with a distinctly summery feel to it, ideally suited to a warm up set.  Of the two remixes the Exercise One one is certainly the more potent, an ideal peak time dj tool. The Deadbeat remix I feel is missing something and passes by without anything particularly interesting occurring. As a whole though this is a decent EP but you would not say that its groundbreaking in anyway.

Final Score 3.5/5

10 years of Secret Sundaze 

In July Secret Sundaze will be releasing a special double mix CD to commemorate their 10^th anniversary.  In those ten years the Secret Sundaze crew have taken house and techno parties in London to a new level. With a special emphasis on open air venues, a previously unfulfilled market in London James Priestly and Giles Smiths parties have become close to legendary  certainly in London, but also in the past few years  around the world. 

Much is therefore expected of the forthcoming release and I can gladly say that it produces the goods. The first mix is done by James, who traditionally kicks things off at Secret Sundaze nights. The bar is set high on his mix as he kicks off with a groovy Mark E remix of DJ Ageishi & Ackin's  Rain Parade. The groove is maintained very nicely throughout the whole mix with the very accomplished track selection.  Standout tracks for me are  GHL - Show Me Love which appears early on in the mix, a track sure to get the crowd moving, and the last track, a disco number called “I love you Dancer” by Voyage. It caps off an excellent mix which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to.

          The second mix comes from Giles and immediately has a slightly more banging sound to it. Yet it still has that “Secret Sundaze” groove that is so apparent in James’ mix. The middle section of the mix carries the listener into slightly darker territory with two remixes from Rolando and MRSK, both renowned for their slightly tougher sound. These two tracks for me really stand out from the rest. Im also very fond of the last track by Slam Mode entitled Insulate, a great finisher to a great mix.

So all in all I highly recommend purchasing this Secret Sundaze release. It is extremely well compiled with excellent track selection and gives a real taste of what attending an actual Secret Sundaze party is like

Final Score 4.5/5

Lee Curtiss - Watergate - Watergate Records 

Lee Curtiss provides the latest addition to the Watergate mix family. Watergate has become a world famous club, mainly due to its consistently high quality bookings and also its idyllic location on the banks of the River Spree in Berlin.

Lee Curtiss, along with his other fellow countrymen Shaun Reeves, Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson and Lee Foss to name a few, have in recent times forged a new Detroit sound which has become immensely popular. This latest release really showcases this new sound and although I personally am not such a huge fan of it, I would say with confidence that fans of the “Visionquest” sound will absolutely love this mix.

There are a couple of tracks that I really enjoy in the mix, but I feel on the whole that if I heard this out in a club it would not have me moving till the early hours. There also seems to be this annoying trend of tracks containing irritating vocals which for me spoil an otherwise good track. Although I will award this mix a low mark I do acknowledge that a lot of people will very much enjoy listening to it but it really does not push my buttons.

Final Score 2/5

Tobias - Leaning Over Backwards - Ostgut Ton 

Listening to Tobias forthcoming release on Ostgut Ton is quite a strange experience. This is mainly due to the fact that I’ve never heard anything quite like it. Tobias himself has described this album as ‘underwater techno’ and you can certainly tell why when listening to some of the tracks. If you close your eyes when listening to it, it puts you in a very strange trance. There are only three tracks on this album which you would consider to be ‘club’ tracks. These are ‘Party town’, ‘Skippy’ and ‘We Stick to the Plan’ and given the right atmosphere in a club I reckon they would do some damage. By this I mean they are quite dark and twisted sounding so would possibly not be suited to your everyday house music night. The rest of the album contains mostly these ‘underwater’ sounding tracks which I think some people would very much appreciate and others not so. I however find them quite entertaining and the album as a whole impressive. Before buying this release you should definitely listen to the whole thing through first because it is likely very different to anything you’ve heard before.

Final Score 3.5/5

Its the DMC UK FINAL on the 14th July (Thursday). We're heading down so we thought we would have a little DMC Q and A and also tell you to get your arses down there...

Example: Sally,  for those that don't know.  What is DMC? Who? What? Where ?
And Why ?

SALLY : DMC is the largest DJ Organisation in the world. Established in 1983. DMC are the founders of the club culture magazine Mixmag. The magazine was a bible both for DJ’s and their audiences and was pivotal to the emergence and development of the super clubs, the superstar DJs and the evolution of modern dance music. DMC was the world’s first remix service and since Feb 1983 has provided the DJs with exclusive cutting edge productions, megamixes and promos. DMC still provide this service 28 years later! We have recently expanded to provide a download service – www.dmcdownload.com
DMC are the pioneers of The DMC World DJ Championships, which were launched in 1985. The DMC World DJ Championships is the world’s number one and longest running DJ Competition with an uncountable world-wide
fan base and cult following. It remains the only truly world-wide music based competition.

Example: tips for people who want to be in DMC ?

Sally : Practice, practice, practice  and believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid to be yourself! Take a look at www.dmcworld.tv, you will find the history of the DMC event online, plus exclusive back stage footage, interviews, tutorials and more!

Example:  Where can people find out more about DMC ?

Sally: You can visit www.dmcworld.com which is our home page to all the wonderful things we do at DMC. Many people know DMC for a different reason, be it our merchandise, our albums, our downloads or CD releases, The World Championships, the Online Championships, our DMC magazine or even our DJ Pages!


Example: Interesting DMC story?

Sally: One year, maybe 2004 the Technics Golden Turntables were stolen. Technics Japan shipped them over to us, and when they arrived in the UK they were stolen before they even made it to the DMC office! We had to borrow DJ Plus Ones golden turntables for the World Final presentation!! The news of the Golden turntables being stolen made all the major daily news tabloids! So...There is still a missing pair of Golden turntables out there!!! Whoever you are, you are still on DMC’s most wanted list!

DMC UK FINAL IS ON 14TH JULY AT SCALA IN LONDON.

For his second column outing this month Al Sonar has got Bane from Manchester's Eastern Bloc Records alongside with some of the hottest releases of the last month.

NZ014
Foreign Concept & DBR UK - "Radiation"
Eastcolors - "Acidized"

A fresh piece of wax from Samurai Music featuring 3 names which have been cropping up a lot on dj playlists and some of the most consistent labels in the business. First up is Foreign Concept & DBR UK, fresh from cooking up (sorry) a few bits and bobs separately on the Ingredients samplers and the Recipe Book LP. DBR UK is also know for his recent BLKND release. On this 12 " they have joined forces to create a monster reminiscent of the golden age late 90's Virus sound. "Radiation" gets under way with a big phat kick and snare, a couple of rim shots and militant percussion to set the pace. Once the baseline takes hold of you, you are locked. Add to this some cheeky edits, an infectious simple bassline and a few pads and there you have it, an instant dancefloor rocker. On the flip, Eastcolors. You may know his name as it has been stamped on a few reputable labels in the last year or so, he already has Blackout Music, Critical & Hospital under his belt, as well as more collaborations and solo releases line up for release. "Acidized" is a stomper. Tight beats, tweaking acid stabs and a rolling bassline to hit you in the chestplate. Great release, 3 artists you need to take note of.




Samurai Red Seal 011
ASC - "Brain Scan"
ASC - "Zone One"

ASC AKA James Clements has been releasing top quality electronic music for well over a decade. Originally based in the UK, he now resides in San Diego USA. He had early exposure with Good Looking and Nu Directions and went on to establish his own label, Covert Operations. His back catalogue is an impressive one, with his name on vinyl releases from 720, Offshore, Outsider. Warm Communication, Inperspective, BLKND & now Samurai Red Seal. His recent success with the likes of Exit, NonPlus+, Autonomic and his own Auxiliary Symbol label have pushed him into a whole new league of his own. ASC is now renowned as one of the most exiting and versatile producers at the forefront of sound design and production talent within the d&b scene. These 2 tracks are well up to the standard that has come to be expected from him. "Brainscan" kicks off with stepping beats, eerie wide bleepy sound effects, and a raspy simple bass sequence. Once the gut wrenching sub drops you know this will do damage. A subtle yet effective piece. "Zone One" is on a similar tip, yet slightly more robotic. The drop leads in with clean crispy percussion, a pulsating acidy bassline and a reverb heavy snare. A worthy addition to the back catalogue.

Bop - The Amazing Adventures Of One Curious Pixel - Med School - MEDIC023

The whole album is a great success from start to finish! Made up as it is, by quirky low bit noises, it's reminiscent of some of the more chilled Aphex Twin and Autechre outings on W.A.R.P. Also listen out for the exceptional use of Super Mario samples in, "8-Bit Cosmos". Without doubt I found, "Extraterrestrial Creatures Are Stealing You From Me From The Bedroom", the highlight of what is a beautiful album. Don't however expect to hear much of this album played on a dance-floor as most pieces aren't geared towards that sound. Instead sit yourself somewhere in the sun, close your eyes and listen. As we've come to see more and more now on Med School albums, B.P.M. is not fixed at 170, so there's a total mix of tempos to keep you entertained.

Shogun Evolution EP Series 2 - ROCKWELL / PROTOTYPES / ICICLE / S.P.Y. - SHA044

The four tracks on this EP are all heavy weight dance-floor monsters. Each of them is so completely different from the next, that they could all pass as singles in their own right. Rockwell opens with, "BTKRSH", an uncompromising dance floor smasher, boldly veering in a different direction to his previous offerings. Next the Prototypes reclaim a certain Jay-Z sample back to Drum & Bass in, "Subterrestrial". This is classic Prototypes, delivering another piece that would sound just as at home on Virus Recordings. The Icicle remix of Friction & K-Tee' s, "Set It Off", does exactly what it says on the tin. The Dutchman delivering his typical growly and punchy rendition of what was already a fierce track. Last up it's S.P.Y. with, "Pressure Drop", doing here what he does best, anthemic steppy Reese-outs!

Noisia & Phace - Program / Regurgitate - VSN011

After what seems like unnecessarily long intro, "Program" finally drops into an angry Q&A made up of the typical nasty noises we're expecting from Noisia & Phace. "Regurgitate", starts promisingly with a captivating string and guitar sample reminiscent of a classic western theme. Unfortunately it drops into a rather uninspiring, repetitive sloppy messy.