• Boiler Room Dublin @ Hangar

    May 29, 2015 - By 

    Boiler Room is an institution, no doubt. From its weekly Tuesday night gigs in London four years ago to a near constant international revolution of live-streamed music, its rise has been exponential. What’s been surprising then, has been its absence in Ireland. That changed, finally, last night, when Glacial Sound launched the first Dublin event of its kind. Eyebrows were raised upon its announcement, with techno fans wondering “why grime?” The simple answer is that these are the people that made it happen. The drive and passion of Glacial’s Paul Purcell is unmatched in these parts, which is why with…

  • Rave New World (29/5)

    May 29, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Rave New World, Aidan Hanratty delves into the very best electronic gigs, mixes, tracks and release of the week, featuring Luke Abbott, hold mc, Tamo Sumo (pictured) and more. GIGS Pender Street Steppers at Opium Rooms Friday, May 29 Pender Street Steppers and the whole Mood Hut crew have conquered all before them lately, and with the tiniest hint of warmth in the air now is the perfect time to catch their buoyant brand of house music. Underlying Form w/ Bruno Schmidt (hifi) at The Bunatee (Belfast) Friday, May 29 We’ve already had extensive coverage of the…

  • Rave New World (8/5)

    May 8, 2015 - By 

    Having delivered a stonking set of his own at the Twisted Pepper for out second birthday last Saturday night, Aidan Hanratty delivers this week’s look at the very best electronic gigs, tracks, releases and mixes. GIGS MUD: Bodytonic present Joy Orbison at The Twisted Pepper Friday, May 8 Somehow I’ve only seen Joy O twice, both times in the Twisted Pepper basement. Both sets were superb, as intelligently crafted as they were passionate and exuberant. Tough, crunching house alongside 90s classics, retro pianos over clanking beats. He’s always one to keep exclusives close to his chest, so go along tonight…

  • From The Abstract to Reality: Reasons To Vote Yes

    April 9, 2015 - By 

    In the first of a three-part feature, Aidan Hanratty looks at reasons to vote Yes in the forthcoming marriage referendum. It’s hard to know where to begin on the topic of same-sex marriage (SSM). Between op-eds and letters to The Irish Times, it seems enough words have been written on the subject that any more might be considered a waste. When you see some of the ludicrous guff written on social media, however, it’s hard to ignore the urge to state your case. A friend recently told of how her five-year-old daughter was against SSM, since obviously boys should marry girls…

  • Rave New World (27/3)

    March 27, 2015 - By 

    With Antoin Lindsay still AWOL (he’s ok, though – don’t be panicking and phoning his parents or anything) Aidan Hanratty whittles down the very finest electronic gigs, releases and mixes for this week’s Rave New World GIGS There’s so many gigs this weekend. It’s hard to whittle it down really. Objekt is playing twice – once at Cyprus Avenue in Cork (tonight) and once at Hangar in Dublin (tomorrow, alongside Snakehips and DeFekT), Derrick May is in Dublin tonight, as is George Fitzgerald, while Randomer, Prins Thomas and Mark E all come to town this weekend. In Belfast, residents Defcon and…

  • Rave New World (20/3)

    March 20, 2015 - By 

    With Antoin Lindsay temporarily AWOL (he’s moving country, ok? Enough with those crazy thoughts about being on the run from loan sharks, etc.) Aidan Hanratty delivers this week’s Rave New World on his most capable lonesome. Electronic music is a thing, and a very good thing. Embrace it like a long-lost brother, you cold, inconsiderate swine. Only joking – you’re lovely. GIGS Mud: Bodytonic present Blawan & Sunil Sharpe at The Twisted Pepper Friday, March 20 Last year Sunil Sharpe went b2b with Ben UFO. Rather than Ben going harder, Sunil went deeper, showing the breadth of this local hero’s ability.…

  • Luke Abbott, Somerville, Subplots @ Pepper Canister Church, Dublin

    November 20, 2014 - By 

    Arriving at the Pepper Canister church on Dublin’s Mount Street last Saturday evening one was met with seemingly incongruous signage screaming Hidden Agenda. Truly esoteric, casual bystanders might have suspected a hijacking, an unsubtle protest at the church in modern Ireland. The fact of the matter was something less overtly political, yet just as exciting. The Dublin venture whose name adorned these signs was putting on a thrilling concert in this venue, an evening of music grounded in folk that gazed ever skyward.Stepping inside, the mood was one of quiet wonder, as smoke softly drifted through air and rich, thick…

  • Grouper – Ruins

    November 4, 2014 - By 

    As far as an album’s backstory goes, Portland’s Liz Harris has given us a good one for her latest release as Grouper. Recorded predominantly in a remote cottage in Portugal in 2011, far from the trappings of what we call civilisation, Ruins is a collection of quiet, deeply personal songs. After last year’s The Man Who Died In His Boat, a companion piece to her most famous work Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill – both of which circle around distorted guitar and chilling vocal layers – Ruins is not so much back to basics as a rejection of…