Happy New Year Example readers. Wait, was it? All too often, New Year’s is regrettably, and unavoidably, shit. The happy glow of Christmas has already faded, and the prospect of three long months before normal daylight resumes again looms. New Year’s Eve is the last chance to wave the old year out in style, and bring in the next 12 months with as much merriment as you can muster. Style and merriment, however, cannot always be guaranteed. As I myself fall under the ‘New-Year-Hater’ category, I’ll do my best to explain why.

Deciding to go out can be an error from forced start to long-overdue finish. First there is the problem of people. Masses and masses of people. Some of these may be throwing up, particularly in proximity to you. Even those with the most resilient of ‘more-the-merrier’ attitudes will find their cheer being stretched to its limit after an hour wait in the queue to the club, only to find the crowds at the bar to be relentlessly 5-people deep. Not that you’ll have much money left to spend on drinks after you paid double what you normally would to get into your regular. Change your mind? Tough. If it’s not too late and the damage hasn’t already been done, it will have been by the time you manage to get your jacket back from the cloakroom – an item essential in combating December’s annoying tendency to be 2 degrees. And if you made it this far, try hailing a free cab for one across town on time and a half fare... with that £4 left in your pocket. Nope, – you’re in it for the long haul.

If you made the bold and seemingly cunning move to stay in on New Year’s, do not reward yourself too soon. You may have avoided being man-handled out of the way of the taxi queue by an unsteady, kebab-wielding heffer for one night, but instead, you can enjoy spending the next 5+ hours being painfully aware of the fact that you are not, indeed, out. When did it come to this? When did you get so old? So boring? So people-hatingly cynical? If you hadn’t plagued yourself with these questions at the time, your non-participation would be swiftly brought to the attention of all fun-loving party-goers on the third of January, for whom ‘back to work/uni’ was actually just a day to investigate your snub of all frivolous festivities on their Fun Inquisition.

Now, whether in or out, the most crucial and mandatory part of the New Year’s Eve celebration is that you should end the night completely intoxicated. Where possible, it is advisable to establish a drunken plateau before midnight. This is useful in many ways. First, it will help ease the awkwardness of the obligatory cross-armed Auld Lang Syne little jig that overcomes us all in the heat of the midnight moment. Indeed, you might even feel inspired to have a bash at the words – effort is rewarded here over accuracy. Secondly, it will also allow you to realise just how GREAT the people are who you have had the pleasure of bringing the New Year in with; loose acquaintances and strangers alike. Maybe 2012 will be the year for an awesome new set of FRIENDS after all? Finally, and most importantly, an abundance of alcohol is vital in blurring what will probably be the first crushing realisation of the year for single folk everywhere: that you have spent the end of last year alone, that you are beginning the new year with no significant leads, and that within the next 3 seconds, you need to find someone – ideally someone not entirely offensive – to snog. Give me strength.

If you stuck to the rules of the New Year’s Eve game, and successfully ended the most unforgettable night of the year in an elated and confused stupor, you will have been able to greet the New Year in its proper way the next morning: Clutching the sides of your bed, sweating profusely, and overcome by frequent waves – nay – tsunamis of nausea. Promptly forgetting the most unforgettable night of last year, of course.

So congratulations on making it to 2012. You might have made some resolutions on how you’d like this year to turn out. These might even be optimistically listed on some social media page.  Sorry to play Judas here girls, but we are largely responsible for this cringe-worthy crime. “2012 is going to be my year!” “Big things coming my way in 2012!” “Can’t wait to lose 2 stone/ travel the world/ land my dream job this year! 2012! Woop!”. Baby-steps, eh? It is important to remind those deluded and dear to us, that midnight on the 31^st December of any year is not magical. It is not the witching hour. All those things that didn’t happen in 2011 aren’t suddenly going to come true in 2012 because you published your aims on Facebook and five people ‘liked’ it. Big changes in your life take effort, so if you have it in you, go for it. You will have truly achieved something, and people will be impressed, even inspired, by your determination. 

Then again, isn’t the world supposed to be ending this year? Oopsies. Bit awkward. HAPPY 2012!

What can one say about Roots Manuva? What can you say that hasn't already been said, printed & blogged, in vain journalistic attempts to get a grip on the music made by one Rodney Smith. Somewhat like Lee Scratch Perry before him; where true pioneers tread architects do follow. Follwed by a parade of like-minded voices & versions of themselves. Roots Manuva was like a sudden gust of fresh air in a stale & smoke filled room, when he first appeared on the UK hip-hop scene over a decade ago. One-part sound-system toaster, one-part pentecostal preacher (but sounding like no other): Mr. Manuva came to my attention on Dobie LP 'The Sound of One Hand Clapping', and then (who could avoid) the relentless 'Dusted'  for Leftfield techno-wizards, finally his reputation was crowned by a UKHH classic DJ Skitz posse-cut 'Fingerprints Of The Gods',  & his contributions to LP 'Countryman' (Ronin). These records cemented my fandom. 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usaeUUAAnLM Leftfield ft. Roots Manuva 'Dusted' )

Photographed him as soon as I could, one summer, @ Counter Culture. Bought his rough diamond debut LP 'Brand New Second Hand' (1999. Big Dada). To me his strange stream-of-conscious storytelling made mad perfect sense; like following the loony logic of Shaun Ryder, (which I had also once done), heir apparent to a recently-vacated throne, left behind after crack-imploded masterpiece 'Stupid Stupid Stupid' 

 Like everyone else we had heard 'Witness (One Hope)'. Like everyone we had seen it set dance-floors alight. A cross-genre monster, it united people; student unions; hip-hop jams; Notting Hill Carnival went mad for it. I was there in 2001. Saw posters for forthcoming LP, 'Run Come Save Me', and knew if he was coming to Manchester it was bound to be with Friends-&-Family

Quick internet surf where I was staying confirmed it was. Happy Days! Had a 'Brand New Second Hand' CD with me and quickly converted my hosts. I had that familiar feeling in old rock'n'roll bones!

We had known 'Witness'  would be an underground hit; expected his next LP would get major critical attention & bring him to a much wider audience; we knew he was going to be HUGE when it dropped, but; (much more pressing) I knew that never-again might I get chance to photograph him as up-close as the cramped confines of a crowded Roadhouse allows

(DJ MK & Roots Manuva 'Movements'  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSoceVRGf5k)

 

Came early to a packed, sold-out venue. Extra backstage security. Usually people drifted in & out of here. Not tonight. Even poor Mr Scruff was roughly pushed back away from side of stage. I stood my ground, weilding my trusted Pentax & can of Red Stripe (-tools of my trade-), one foot on-stage & half an arse-cheek balanced on a bass-bin, and that's how I stayed the rest of the show!

They came on and absolutely blew everyone away, me included. New material like 'Join the Dots', 'Hold It Up', 'Stone the Crows', 'Dreamy Days', (of course) 'Witness'  alongside older tracks 'Clockwork', 'Movements', 'Strange Behaviour' whose more-familiar lyrics I boomed out like a personal P.A.

I was right about his meteoric rise. He came back to Manchester that November to play the University, following year he was at the Apollo. Another 2 original LPs followed, 'Awfully Deep' (2005), 'Slime & Reason' (2008), four out-takes & versions-LPs; major tours with full live band, summer festivals; before then stripping back his sound to a more rootsy digi-dub & dancehall, keeping it fresh with young producers like Breakage, Metronomy, Diplo, Jammer, Toddla T, WrongTom;

(Breakage ft. Roots Manuva 'Run 'Em Out'  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6wOf_Mvb_k)

More recently Lord Gosh added another slice of  brand new material, LP '4everevolution'  (2011) to a pantheon of top-drawer, game-changing music which constitutes his cosmic ouvre

I was wrong about never getting another opportunity to shoot him again (I did) but never like it was that magical night in the Roadhouse cellar. I'm still a huge fan (does it show? can't you tell?)

Roots Manuva exemplifies what makes the very best of British hip-hop: he provides us with genius originality as well as connecting together separate threads of bass culture; Reggae, Hip-Hop, Garage, Dubstep, Dancehall & Dub. Roots Manuva sits in several thrones. Like Lee Scratch Perry. Long May His Reign Continue!

Roots Manuva (+ full live band) '4everevolution' comes to the Ritz, Manchester on January 27th 2012

The end of 2011 brought the curtain down on one of Manchester’s iconic venues. Five years ago the mere thought of an underground car park becoming one of the worlds premiere dance music venues would’ve been considered an extremely unlikely (if not unhinged) proposal, but the Warehouse Project have made sure that the Store Street venue will go down in Mancunian clubbing folklore; and 2011 saw possibly the strongest line-ups ever fill the place again & again over its’ 12 week tenure. Following on from DJ Shadow’s opening party Annie Mac brought an eclectic extravaganza that included great live sets from L-Vis 1990, Ms Dynamite plus a storming session from Jack Beats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fortnight later, one of the biggest events on the WHP calendar; the Ape Birthday night. Ape has consistently brought the best showcase of bass-heavy acts to the Warehouse and truly topped themselves this year. Rinse FM’s Oneman kicked things off, his DJ sets span all genres and are perfect to start any party. Then the highlight for myself had to be Hip Hop legends Naughty by Nature who had the crowd bouncing to classic tracks like ‘OPP’. This is what the WHP is all about, acts you’d never see in another club setting. An education in dub followed from David Rodigan. This man truly deserved his recent MBE for dedication to teaching the youth about dub culture. A culmination of beats from Caspa, Nero and the Digital Soundboy crew topped off the night perfectly. Look out for the return of Ape @ the Apollo February 10th!

By mid-October Hospitality brought their all-star show to town. WHP 2012’s first proper D&B spectacle saw a huge album launch from Camo & Krooked, performing live inside a huge cylindrical light-covered cage. High Contrast and London Elektricity proceeded with customary storming sets. The pinnacle of the night had to be the final set from Logistics. This guy quite often falls under the radar compared to some of his flashier Hospital compatriots but on his day there are few better drum & bass DJs on the planet.

My next trip to Store St. was for the mighty Metropolis. There are few promoters of similar stature in the country when it comes to DnB and dubstep and this was going to be their 9^th birthday bash. The main room featured the likes of Sub Focus, Knife Party and True Tiger demonstrating the huge pulling power of big electronic acts these days, and the huge light shows they tour with. The true spectacle of the evening however was Room 2, featuring a big local line-up. The Manchester room was an absolute roadblock for the entire night as we were treated to performances from Virus Syndicate, Jenna G, Chimpo & Trigga, North Base, The Steppahs, Karmic Evolution and Tonn Piper! A true showing of our home city’s wealth of talent!

The 18^th and 19^th November provided potentially the heaviest weekend from this years’ calendar. Aphex Twin headlined Thrasher on Friday (reviewed separately here) in the only disappointment of the season, Saturday saw a debut from club giant Fabric. It is surely a sign of the reputation of WHP when a huge London-based club brand wants to curate a night here. It was a good show too from the southerners as they brought Andy C’s ‘Alive’ tour to Manchester! The Executioner takes drum & bass to the next level, combining his usual 3 deck madness with a hugely impressive visual show, probably the best set witnessed at Store St. this year.

In December there was possibly the most interesting line-up on the list. Always ending up as a highlight of the Warehouse Project, this year’s Modeselektion night was on the back of their first proper album in 4 years and what an album! If we combine that with a rare appearance from the legendary Squarepusher, plus DJ sets from Four-Tet, Pearson Sound, and an eye-catchingly-labelled 130bpm set from Skream... The night that followed did not disappoint; Skream showed his talents extend beyond mainstream dubstep; Modeselektor took the crowd on a bouncy journey through their new material, transcending sound and tempo; Squarepusher was his typical breaks & glitches, sonically-emphatic self. Nobody failed to impress!

Overall we’ve seen a fitting finale at the Store St venue. Over the past 5 years virtually every major name in dance music has graced a stage beneath these arches, etching many memories into a thousand clubbers minds. The Warehouse Project will be moving onto bigger and better things in 2012, of that there is no doubt, but I’m sure I won’t be the only one who, despite the queues and crowds, the dirt, dust and sweat, will miss that misused & abused car park.

It seems somewhat strange that a man who would describe himself as “Just some irritating, lying ginger kid from Cornwall who should have been locked up in some Youth Detention Centre. I just managed to escape and blag it into music.” And yet others would refer to him as “the most inventive & influential figure in contemporary electronic music.” But this all makes sense if I say we’re talking about Richard D. James, or Aphex Twin, a name now so steeped in folklore it is hard to discern the myth from the man. I gave it a shot though, at the Warehouse Project.

Aphex Twin was headlining the Thrasher line-up at this year’s Warehouse Project. A slightly unusual choice given previous Thrasher’s dubstep-centric line-ups, but it was a pretty well-received choice. When I arrived 1st thing I noticed was that this was definitely the oldest crowd I had seen at WHP in 2012.

A swarm of old ravers and hippies had come out for a rare event on the Manchester scene, although there were some young faces amongst the sea of Warp t-shirts, showing that the kids haven’t all succumbed to Guetta & Co just yet. It was also the quietest night I had seen this year, by quite a way. The cynic in me thinks people had bought tickets purely to sell on the Aphex name, and had swamped the market. I was offered at least 4 tickets in the days preceding the gig.

Second thing I noticed was there was some seriously dry music going down. I’d arrived too late to catch our own Illum Sphere (whom I was assured was well up to his usual high standards), and this Moths guy was doing his best to kill any prior atmosphere with extremely ambient material (even more painful as he replaced the excellent Koreless on the bill). I could only describe it as like being in between bands at a gig, where everyone is just stood around not really giving a fuck. This trend continued with Zavoloka barely raising a smile, let alone a fist, from a bored crowd.

Maybe it was my fault for not bombing 2 grams of MDMA and getting absolutely off my box, but I seem to recall the last Aphex Twin WHP gig I saw featured support from Luke Vibert, who absolutely destroyed the place with breaks & jungle and, in my opinion, upstaged & outshone Aphex Twin himself. Maybe Mr James had told them to hold it down, but I doubt he’s that concerned about other musicians.

It came as a massive relief when the main man snuck on stage and started before anyone had actually noticed. The volume increased, as did the tempo, and (lo-and-behold!) percussion patterns started ringing through the air. The restless crowd, denied a starter, was being fed the main course and boy were they all hungry!

The next 90 minutes of Aphex Twin was a true sonic journey, gradually building-up tempos and frequencies through multiple genres & sounds; from acid house and techno, through to a final 20 minutes of frenetic 808s, jungle breakbeats; executed with expert precision and timing. I could feel the surge of energy each time the tempo began to rise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst my ears were being seduced the visual show was no less appealing. Aphex Twin has a long affiliation with visual accompaniment; from his Chris Cunningham-directed music videos through to embedding photos of himself within his music. The visuals tonight were as excellently twisted as expected; throbbing Aphex Twin logos, distorted images of celebrities & sporting icons with their faces replaced by that of our host DJ, spread over four huge screens, combined with lasers and flashing lights. It was a fitting combination to the proceedings.

Following on from this absolute audio-visual delight was a set from one of this year’s WHP residents Hudson Mohawke. Sadly, someone gave him the same brief as the other support acts because the lights were turned back down and the energy in the room plummeted. Half the crowd left after Aphex Twin but I wanted to stick around to see Zomby, who had the very last set of the night. Unfortunately the extent to which our listening experience had switched meant I couldn’t take it any more and we left. Maintaining a degree of energy is key to any night and, although it would always be tricky to warm up for (or follow on from) a genius such as Aphex Twin, at least give it a go! Maybe go and listen to Luke Vibert and get some pointers.

Toronto-born San Francisco-based producer, ill.Gates has had a long and prolific career in music. An experienced DJ and black belt electronic music producer, Gates has created a global fan base with his unique beats and forward thinking approach to digital culture. We caught up with him to discuss the rise of dubstep, his music production seminars and the Blue Man Group.

Which 3 ill gates tunes are you most proud of and why?

Fok Julle Naaiers . I finished my new Die Antwoord remix of ‘Fok Julle Naaiers’ the day the original came out and it’s crushed in every city I’ve played it. I really like what I brought to the track. Having that video to work with was great and inspiring too.

Open Your Eyes. I made ‘Open Your Eyes’ in Israel as a parting gift to my old dog Tricky who recently passed. She was great and one of my best friends. I love thinking of her when I see people raging to it. That’s what I would want when I die.

The Friction Labs remix for the BBC. They challenged me to remix this crazy Indian song Aag Da Kariya by Dr. Zeus… waaay outside of my comfort zone. It took a while to find a feel that was a fusion of the two styles but the end result really works well in a live setting.

All three of those tunes are available for free at llgates.com here: illgates.com/music/free-music

Do you think the growth of dubstep has helped the glitch hop scene begin to step out of the shadows in terms of mainstream recognition?

Yes. Definitely. Dubstep has gotten people more accustomed to lower BPM bass music. Now they are more open to hearing other lower BPM bass music and learning to appreciate the sound. Crossover acts like Bassnectar, The Glitch Mob and Pretty Lights have begun to show us what’s really possible and now Skrillex put out that killer Koan Sound EP on Owsla… It’s an exciting time for Glitch Hop, even if most of these new listeners still don’t know that Glitch Hop is a genre.

I have heard about your lecturing and seminars. Whatʼs the core message you try and get across to aspiring producers and musicians?

The core of my message is empowerment. People get so bent out of shape comparing themselves to other people that they nullify 90% of their potential. Think of the history of music. How many times have we seen some upstart kid change the game with cut, copy and paste? I want to help people see what they’re capable of themselves, what they have to offer and how to be empowered and confident enough to go for it.

What’s the biggest mental hurdle a producer needs to overcome to reach a professional level?

Artists need to overcome the idea that some magic fairy in a suit is going to come handle their business and promotion. Until you can make your music into a business, nobody worthwhile is going to want to help.

I heard you met Bill Gates on your travels. What do you think of the changes people like him and the late Steve Jobs have brought to the creative industries around the world?

The work of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs makes everything I do possible. Gotta give respect where respect is due… period.

As someone with a unique perspective on the issue, do you see the global electronic music scene as a vehicle for any future political or social change?

Music has the power to create enthusiasm and curiosity in people and I love to see people use it effectively. In the past bands like Rage Against the Machine, Dead Prez and Public Enemy used great music to teach a lot of people to question what’s going on around them, but Electronic music as such has remained largely apolitical. Dubstep has to an extent opened people to the inherently political sound of Dub music and I think the current situation with The Arab Spring, Occupy, etc. has affected people quite deeply. The time is right for Bass music to step it up politically. Through my sampling, track titles, and the political content on my social media channels I try to be more than just another pretty bass.

Whatʼs the best show you have ever played?

A world record 21 DJ sets in 5 days at Burning Man this year. So so fun… I accidentally set the record at 15 last year and then I heard of a few DJs were going to try to break it so I had to up my game. I was originally going for 19 and then lost a set somewhere in the dust but I ended up with a surprise dawn set on Camp ?uestion Mark’s MASSIVE PK system followed by riding off into the morning dawn playing dancehall on the Purgatory Cruiser. I won’t be forgetting that particular Thursday night of that particular Burning Man anytime soon.

Who should long time glitch hop fans be listening to in 2012?

TED Talks and Alan Watts for a start, and then check out what’s going on in Australia and South Africa. There has been a lot of focus on what the US, UK, and Europe have been making but there is a whole world of Glitch Hop out there that you might miss out on. I’ve been really feeling Spoonbill, Opiuo, Liver, Greg Reve, Sibot, Circuit Bent, The Nam Shub Of Enki, Dj Fuck and MC Totally Rad, Son In Aquarius,  Enig’matik Records, etc.  I’d also watch out for more Glitchy Moombahton, I’ve been hearing it a lot lately.

With many doomsayers predicting the end of human civilisation around the end of 2012 (December 23rd according to the Mayans but, lets face it, they didn't predict the arrival of the Spanish too well did they?) We thought we could bring you a monthly run down of which big tings a gwarn, so you can edge towards the Apocalypse having as much fun as possible!

January is a notorilously slow month for clubbing. Everyone got super crunked at Christmas, all the students are working hard at exams (ahem!) and so its a tough gig for any promoter to fill a club. But luckily for the hardcore amongst us there are a few very decent nights floating around, so here's my picks...

 

WEEK ENDING 15.01.12

Jan 13th sees a reopening of classic Manchester venue- The Attic. Once the scene of my 21st birthday party, it's now hosting a much cooler party. The Joe Kalius Project are stepping in with a wealth of local talent; SKITTLES has top be the top dog in UK hip hop right now with unmatched flows and lyricism. BIOME carries more weight than a neutron star and gets a bigger reputation with each release. THE STEPPAHS will be coming fresh from smashing Sankeys on New Years Day for Metropolis. Finally the JK residents SMITHY & AL SONAR are not to be dismissed as warm up acts, each are pure class on the decks. All this is hosted by The Kollective- SPARKZ and L-DIGZ.

(http://www.facebook.com/events/135248213257504)

For those who like the heavier things in life, Jan 13th also sees the return of RippeR to Moho Live. What once started as a tiny local Drum & Bass night out in Altrincham has grown in reputation and status thanks to great vibes and great bookings. This Friday the 13th RippeR tries its luck by getting Grid Recordings main man TWISTED INDIVIDUAL down for a rare appearance in Manchester- a must see for any jump-up fan. Combine this with a jungle set from local legend GLOXXY and you have a serious party afoot.

(http://www.facebook.com/events/135248213257504)

 

WEEK ENDING 22.01.12

On Jan 20th there's an event at Joshua Brooks which we barely noticed as it is so dark, light can't escape its surface. The Project 13 guys, fresh from breakthrough success in 2011, host their first event of the year and stick to their dark atmospheric music policy with COMMODO, DJ RUM and a BIOME b2b VERSA , techno-to-dubstep set which sounds a little bit special. Hosted by the busiest MC in Manchester, SPARKZ.

(http://www.facebook.com/events/135248213257504)

Moving from underground to upstairs, Sankeys has the house for Jan 20th more than covered as they invite the massive LAIDBACK LUKE to town, alongside OLIVER TWIST & JASON HERD

(http://www.sankeys.info/events/sankeys-presents-laidback-luke-oliver-twist-jason-herd/)

 

WEEK ENDING 29.01.12

On January 27th there's a serious gig for your diaries. ROOTS MANUVA makes a long awaited return to Manchester at the HMV Ritz. Fresh of the back of last years success with '4everevolution', expect new hits like Toddla T collab 'Watch Me Dance' alongside classic UK bangers such as Colossal Insight and the epic 'Witness (1 Hope)'.

(http://www.hmvritz.com/)

If you want to carry on the party after that, our bet would be to head over to Sankeys where KISSY SELLOUT will be bringing his unique and eclectic styles to Manchester. If you haven't seen Kissy DJ he is highly recommended; lightining fast tight mixing on 4 decks, every genre covered- a dance fanatic's dream!

(http://www.sankeys.info/events/kissy-sell-out-madeon-gold-teeth-v-juicy/)

Of course throughout January, as per usual, Hit & Run will be doing their best to mess up your Tuesdays, starting on Monday 9th with local talent CHIMPO & THE STEPPAHS for just £2

(http://www.facebook.com/events/245525565519087/)

 

If you would like an event posted in our monthly listings, don't hesitate to get in touch. Simply email 'events@examplemagazine.com' with some details.

I entered The Warehouse Project for ‘Crosstown Rebels’ with high expectations after having already attended in October on my birthday for ‘Lights Out’, which had set the bar pretty high. I have four words to say and I quote “I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED”.

I got there around 12pm because any earlier and the Wray & Nephews would have limited my ability to remember anything (that stuff is lethal), if you are there any time soon try the Wray & Nephews fruit punch. Anyway I digress back to the night at hand. When I arrived to Store Street the queue stretched from the entrance to the corner and around onto London Road THIS WAS A SELLOUT EVENT. Luckily the queue for the guest list was considerably shorter so my entrance was a swift one.

Only one word comes to mind when I think of the atmosphere as I entered ‘BUZZING’. The vibe was electric everybody had come for the same thing and that was to rave until their body shut down me included.

The line-up was full of possible rave smashers but the best three sets have to be Art Department, Seth Troxler & Jamie Jones, and I find it really hard to choose which my favourite was, but if the metaphorical gun was placed to my head the set of the night goes to Jamie Jones. Start to finish banger after banger. Sometimes when a DJ is playing I’ll wait till they play a song that I’m not really feeling to go to the bar/toilet. This did not happen.

His tune selection was a mix between well known songs such as Hot Natured’s Forward Motion, (which in my opinion is sing along of the year). When this song dropped I experienced a crowd of over a thousand maybe two thousand people singing along in a mass euphoria. Also, tunes that are not so well known, but instant hits with the crowd. To top it off he finished his set with Chaka Khans ‘Ain’t Nobody’ followed by stage dive / crowd surf. Belting stuff. I recommend that anybody into the ‘Tech House’ movement needs to go and see anyone of these acts as soon as possible.

I’m going to miss Store Street we share some fond memories from Steve Angelo earlier this year on Easter Sunday to Lights Out to Metropolis to Crosstown Rebels, but I look forward to the new location and I am eager to see if it is going to top Store Street.

For those hardcore ravers who just don’t know when to call it a night, welcome the world of ‘Afterlife’. Afterlife is an after hours shindig which starts at 4am and runs until as early or late (it gets very confusing as to whether it’s early or late at these times) as 8am. Tickets for this event are sold inside Warehouse but it is also possible to become a member by sending your full name and details to afterlifemcr@gmail.com.

There is a free minibus services which will take you from Store Street to a club just of Deansgate called South where the Afterlife session is held. On the night in question attendees were treated to an impromptu set from all of the headliners from Crosstown Rebels, with the addition of Manchester’s very own MDNA DJ’s (who happen to be good friends of mine).

When I spoke with DJ Seth Troxler after it he said it reminded him of nights he used to do in his hometown of Detroit and that ‘It’s all love man it’s all love’. By this point the night gets very blurry but one thing that remains the same and that is the good vibe. You leave the club long after the birds have started singing and most people are on there way to work. I did my walk of shame proudly and I would do it again no questions asked.

Utopia Music's founder and bossman Mako has had a host of releases on Psylence's Ingredient's and Mars imprints over the last couple of years and since its inception in 2009 Utopia has built up a strong following of keen listeners with its catalogue of releases.  Mako himself is an interesting guy with a keen interest in creativity and his mind. 

He's not afraid to talk about spiritual aspects of his life and meditation in his interviews and he comes across as a guy who has certainly been on a journey and arrived in a place where he feels happy.  His focus when it comes to his production and also running his label is certainly admirable and it was for these reasons that I thought it would be worth asking him for 5 tunes which have influenced him through his life and still do.

Expect lot more talk of Utopia Music on Example magazine in 2012 as they have some top releases on the way in a couple of months.  Andyskopes 12" on Utopia in November finished the year on a high ready for them to pick up where they left off from now.   Anyway in the meantime have a listen to Mako's 5 tracks.

 

Bjork - Undo (from the album 'Vespertine' released on the label 'One Little Indian')

Never fails to make cry.  I love the sentiment of 'undoing'.  I built up a lot of unconscious resistance in my body and mind and needed to let go of the past.  It was only when I started to undo this that I had more motivation and energy to do the loving things I wanted to.  Undo, undo, undo :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mala - Alicia (white label)

Villem showed me this a while back and I fell in love with it straight away.  A great rework of an Alicia Keys skit.  I'm more of a Mala man than a Skrilex kinda guy :)  The beats are snappy and firm whilst the bass is warm and full with none of the shit mid 'bass' screechy plastic noise that a lot of dubstep seems to have.  Can this record even be called Dubstep?  I'm not sure, I'm not an expert on labelling, I do know that I love this tune though and its another record that helps me feel like i'm at one with universe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photek - The Fifth Column (from the album 'Modeus Operandi' released on Virgin records)

I must've listened to the album about 2,000 times.  Now this may seem excessive, but it was the best way of calming my mind.  This tune in particular zones me in on the pitch of the snares, the rhythm created by the pitch change and how deliciously crispy they are.  I love the ambience too, the subtle crackle, pops and atmosphere that compliments the breaks so perfectly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goldie - Sea of Tears (from the album 'Timeless' released on FFRR)

Pure vibes this one, for the whole 12 minutes.  Soft bass guitars, wave crashes and sick vocal samples.  This got me into using environmental sounds in my productions and showed me that I got more emotionally involved and affected by this kind of soundscape rather than DJ friendly whap whum tunes.  It got me sampling the outside world rather than looking on sample cds for breaks and bass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portishead - Roads (from the album 'Dummy' released on 'Go!')

I remember buying the album that this is on when it first came out and my mum telling me 'this is a bit odd for you isnt it?. Up to that point my mum would only hear Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine blaring out of my tinny speakers, with me singing loudly (and fairly badly) into one of them.  Ahhhh, thank god no one saw /heard that apart from my very non-judgemental mum.  If you're reading this then I send you my love, and I'm sorry for forgetting your birthday :)  The use of jazz samples and crusty breaks on the album record will inspire me to the end of my days.

To celebrate our birthday this month we're offering up an Example T-Shirt (either size M, L or XL) to one lucky winner.  All you have to do to win the competition is like our facebook page and write a joke on our wall.  The best joke will be judged by me and Skittles and the winner will be announced on Example Magazine on the 20th of January.  

 

Go to our facebook page here . . . 

Example Magazine is three years old this month.  We've come along way since January 2009 in my room in student halls. Im not going to talkabout it all, but a look at the Example Media site will give you an idea.  Im not going to thank everyone personally but I do like to take at least one time each year on our birthday to thank everyone who has helped me and Example over the last three years to get to where it is now.   

Thank you to anyone who has ever read, talked about, repped, written for, hated on, took photographs for, designed for or / and bought t shirts from Example. Im going to take less time to talk about Example than I did last year.  The way I feel now is more about looking toward the future.  I hate to say in the true grime cliché that 2012 is going to go off but expect a new direction from Example over the next 12 months.  We're going to be going bigger harder and broader than ever before.   I hope you like what we've got planned for you. 

Before we go sick on 2012 I thought we could have a look back at our sickest content from the last three years. So here's a rundown of my personal favourite articles from 36 issues of Example Magazine.    Big Ups. 

 

 

Issue 1 Highlight - January 2009 -  Az and Bo Soap Rundown 

Back in the day Az and Bo used to write a weekly rundown of what had been happening in the soaps.  This was in the days before iPlayer so it was pretty vital information to any soap heads who had missed the episode for whatever reason.  Nowadays Az and Bo are still scrotes and have been trying to pitch invention ideas to Duncan Bannatyne. 

Check out one of their reviews here. . . 

 

Issue 2 Highlight - February 2009 - Prostitutes and Policeman Review 

By February we were getting into the swing of things and featured our first full length review with actual sentences in.  Ive not heard anything from Count and Sinden in the last 2 and a half years.  Do they still even make tunes. 

 

Issue 3 Highlight - March 2009 - Example mix 001 - Numan 

We dropped our first ever exclusive mix in March 2009 from local boy Numan. A promising young producer who went on to have releases on Planet Mu and Starkey's label wicky lindows.    I think he was about 9 when he did this mix. 

 

Issue 4 highlight - April 2009 - G Man Interview 

April '09 and dutch man Gomes was set to release a 12" on friend of Example and now defunct dubstep label Subsonik Records.  We caught up with him to talk about his tunes and the release on Subsonik.  Our formatting wasn't very good back then and some of the photos from 2009 have been lost when we moved server. 

Issue 5 Highlight - May 2009 - Royster Mix 

Im not going to lie.  Issue 5 was a tad thin on the ground.  Main highlight is going to have to be the second Example mix by Royster. 20 mins of Dubstep business. 

 

Issue 6 Highlight - June 2009 - Blind Aura Pictures feature

Our friends at Blind Aura Pictures have grown from strength to strength since we featured them in the June issue of Example Magazine.  Not directly as a result of our support I don't think but they have progressed all the same.  Check out some of their more recent work now. 

 

Issue 7 highlight - July 2009 - G13 Feature 

Manchester jump up label G13 were making some big moves so we got our girl Cassie to write a feature on them. 

 

Issue 8 Highlight - August 2009 - Zara Khalique Interview 

Zara Khalique one of Manchester's best creative people made t shirts back in 2009. Since then she has gone on to found the Keep It Bright movement devoted to changing the world one person at a time.  Check out her dream factory clothing range and the Keep it bright movement here. 

 

 

Issue 9 Highlight - September 2009 - Heny G Interview 

Rhona interviewed Anti Social selectah Heny G. 

 

 

 

 

Issue 10 Highlight - October 2009 - Thrasher @ WHP 

In october Robyn touched down at Manchester's famous Warehouse Project and was blown away by her evening.  read the report by clicking above. 

 

Issue 11 Highlight - November 2009 - Industry Hater Interview 

In November 2009 Industry Hater was taking the grime community by storm on twitter by hating on everyone in... erm the industry.   We thought we would strike while the iron was hot and grabbed him for a short interview. In the end he got boring and dissapeared. 

 

Issue 12 Highlight - December 2009 - Blu Mar Ten Interview 

Blu Mar Ten has just released their latest LP and as one of the last features on our original examplemag.co.uk blog it was a landmark post for us. 

 

Issue 13 Highlight - January 2010 - Birthday Issue 

We launched our new website on our 1st birthday in January 2010. With loads of new features and a custom layout our days of wordpress shite were over.  Example Magazine v2 was the way forward.  We put up absolutely tons of stuff that month. Check out the full issue . . . 

 

Issue 14 Highlight - February 2010 - Salvia 

Omid's  highly entertaining in depth account of a Salvia trip. 

 

Issue 15 highlight - March 2010 - [Ex]:TV

Our first Example TV interview with Skittles. Whose album is in fact due out next month. 

 

Issue 16 Highlight - April 2010 - Life Without Social Media 

One of the favourite but sadly shortlived series of articles was the Life Without Social Media piece helping people to get back to their roots with old school activities which generally avoided drinking. 

 

Issue 17 Highlight - May 2010 - 13th Example Magazine Mix by Dub Phizix 

Close friend of Example Dub Phizix jumped on the decks for us in May 2010.  In all honesty doing a mix for us probably kick started his career which lead onto him having the "tune of the year" in 2011 with Marka. 

Issue 18 Highlight - June 2010 - Al Baker - Mischief Maker Photo Taker

We welcomed local legend Al Baker to the Example Family back in 2010 to take over the photographs as our new photography editor.  As well as bringing us a monthly slice of his musical wisdom.  Mr Baker has been a valuable member of the team ever since and can be seen with a lens constantly plastered to his face around some of Manchester's best nights.

 

Issue 19 highlight - July 2010 -Klute Interview

We spoke to commercial suicide boss Klute about his forthcoming album. Admittedly quite a short interview.

 

 

Issue 20 Highlight - August 2010 - Keep It Bright

We interviewed Zara Khalique in 2009 and just a year later she had started here new Keep It Bright movement and we thought Zara deserved some outright props on Example Magazine.

 

Issue 21 Highlight - September 2010 - Phil Tangent Q and A

Phil Tangent exploded into drum and bass with his release "Billie's Smile" on Manchester's Soul:R. We caught up with him in the Autumn to find out a bit more about him.

 

Issue 22 Highlight - October 2010 - Example Magazine Mix 021 "Genotype"

This mix needs no introduction.

Issue 23 Highlight - November 2010 - RBMA Sound Clash

Our boy Joe headed down to the Red Bull Music Academy sound clash in Laaandan for a sick night watching the likes of Metalheadz, Skream and Benga and Channel One going head to head.

 

Issue 24 Highlight - December 2010 - Calibre Interview

A big one in the history of Example.  Our interview with Calibre. 

 

Issue 25 Highlight - January 2011 - 2nd Birthday

The 2nd Birthday issue.  Ram packed with a host of birthday goodness.  (Writing these short comments is getting more and more difficult.)

 

Issue 26 highlight - February 2011 - Kanye copies Enter The Void

In February last year I went to see Gaspar Noe's cinematic masterpiece Enter The Void. If youve not seen it you need to check it, preferrably in a cinema. Absolutely amazing visual onslaught although  I have to admit the ending is pretty weird. Anyway Kanye stole the absolutely sick opening sequence for a shit video.

Issue 27 Highlight - March 2011 - Beginner's Guide To Raving

A tongue in cheek guide to raving by Joanna who now works doing PR at True Playaz. 

 

Issue 28 Highlight - April 2011 - Skittles Tip-I-Cal-Ly Launch party in pictures.

Friend of Example Skittles released his single Tip-I-Cal-Ly in april and threw a massive launch party in Manchester's northern quarter debuting his live band.   Check the pictures here and hold tight for his album due out in February.

 

Issue 29 Highlight - May 2011 - Bimbotown Leipzig

 Probably one of the best parties ive ever been to in my life,  Bimbotown in Leipzig is like a festival condensed into a room.  I can reccomend it to anyone planning a trip to            Germany.

Issue 30 Highlight - June 2011 - Ulterior Motive Q and A

Ulterior Motive are some of the best deep dark shadow drum and bass producers about.  We had a word.

 

Issue 31 Highlight - July 2011 - Berghain

More club highlights from Germany with an account from Berlin's infamous Berghain.

 

 

 

 

Issue 32 Highlight - August 2011 - Skittles Goes To . . .

I was still away in Germany this summer so I sent Skittles to review the festivals and he did so dutifully and in his own style.Check out his critical piece on Wickerman Festival.

 

Issue 33 Highlight - September 2011 - Jubei Interview

I am personally a big fan of Jubei's tunes so made sure we featured him.

Issue 34 Highlight - October 2011 - Chimpo Remix Winner

The winner of the Chimpo remix competition we ran in October.

 

Issue 35 Highlight - November 2011 - ASC Interview

 

Issue 36 Highlight - December 2011 - Whats In My Itunes?

Our new honest approach to writing review for 2012. 

 

And thats it.  hope you have enjoyed reading Example upto now and hope you enjoy 2012 even more.