In the latest installment of Rave New World, the ridiculously informed, boundlessly savvy Antoin Lindsay & Aidan Hanratty delve into best new electronic tracks and mixes of the week, as well as various unmissable upcoming nights and releases.
GIGS
Rødhåd at District 8, Dublin
Friday February, 1
Everyone’s favourite techno DJ with a name they’re not really sure how to pronounce is in Dublin tonight. Is it Rod-had, Red-head, Rod-head, who actually knows? Does anyone actually care? Expect relentless techno from Rødhåd (pictured) who seems to have quietly catapulted himselfinto the higher ranks of techno royalty in the last 18 months. His ever-burgeoning reputation is entirely deserved because he really knows how to bang it out so it should be pretty special. Get down early for this one as it’s going to be very busy. AL
Horse Meat Disco at Twisted Pepper, Dublin
Saturday, February 14
Disco is the order of the day this Valentine’s at Twisted Pepper and when you’re in the hands of Horse Meat Disco, it’s always going to be a good time. The London-based crew are known for throwing amazing parties and perpetual great vibes so if you’re looking to get grooved up on the most pointless holiday of the year, this is where to go. AL
Clouds & Tessela: The Building Society 1st Birthday Party at Hangar, Dublin
Saturday, February 14
It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow. So what better way of celebrating/cursing love than with some bruising techno? Young duo Clouds, who got their break with Tiga’s Turbo label, have moved up and up in the world, to the point where they’re above the magnificent Tessela on this bill. It’s also the Building Society’s first birthday party. So this will be a heavy show. AH
Welcome presents: Murlo at The Twisted Pepper, Dublin
Thursday, February 19
Murlo is sick. After releases with Unknown to The Unknown and Oil Gang, not to mention our own Glacial Sound (whose main man Paul is on support), he recently dropped the Into Mist EP on Rinse, and just this week saw the arrival of ‘Deep Breath’ featuring the vocals of Gemma Dunleavy. As one of the artists in this grime period, it’s essential to catch him if at all possible. AH
TRACKS
Rezzett – Goodness [The Trilogy Tapes]
Did a wee fist pump to myself when I seen this crop up a few days ago. Nobody still knows who Rezzett is or are but, whoever it is, they’re ridiculously consistent. ‘Goodness’ is exactly that, it’s scuzzy and vaguely melodic just like all the other Rezzett releases. I always get the image that someone’s reprogrammed an old, massive computer that’s being held together by gaffer tape to make bangers because I’ve not really got any idea how they actually do it. In reality it’s probably just someone on their laptop but a guy can dream. AL
Deadboy – Fireworks [NYD Version]
Deadboy’s original edit of Drake’s Fireworks came out nearly 5 years ago, which blows my mind a bit. It came around a time I was getting very heavily into dance music and R&B so when the original edit dropped I was obsessed. It’s a devastatingly emotional track but listening back it does sound a little bit dated, mainly due to the drums. Obviously Deadboy felt the same and with his NYD Version of the track he’s decided that the best way to bring the track into 2015 is to just remove the drums completely. It makes total sense considering how much I was banging on about a beatless version of Alice Deejay a few weeks ago. Can you guess I’m a sucker for stripped back tracks with heartbreaking melodies? AL
Olin & Savile – Thanks, Karl (Savile Version) (Argot)
Olin and Savile have been honing their craft for some years now, and as junior residents of Chicago’s prestigious Smart Bar they know their stuff. This is a delectable cut from their release on Argot, featuring solid grooves and bizarrely misshapen waves of sound. Deep yet playful. AH
Aspartame – Pass the Shape Cut Riddim (Aspa Slice)
Everyone loves Missy Elliott. So of course she sounds great over this new breed of club monstrosity. Melbourne DJ Aspartame has thrown Pass That Dutch over Air Max ’97’s ‘Shape Cut’ and it is straight fire. AH
RELEASES + MIXES
Levon Vincent – Levon Vincent LP [Novel Sound]
Let’s be real here, there hasn’t been an album this small corner of the internet has gone as crazy for in… I actually can’t remember. A debut Levon Vincent LP is enough to send dance heads into a frenzy but the fact he actually gave the bloody thing away for free on his Facebook page?! I’ve still not really got my head around it. Of course, I’ve spent every available opportunity listening to the record, which is even better than I could have anticipated. I’m not going to go into too much detail about it because I’ll be reviewing the whole thing in more detail on these very pages in the coming days, but suffice to say you should absolutely go listen to it immediately if you haven’t already. AL
The Black Madonna – Dekmantel Podcast 04
Chicago’s Marea Stamper aka. The Black Madonna has provided the 4th edition of Dekmantel’s podcast series. The Smart Bar resident’s mix is a glorious taste of Chicago has to offer currently. This means it’s lovely and deep and gets pretty jacking in points and she says she had a lot of fun recording it which comes across fairly evidently. AL
Henry Wu – Negotiate EP
Not the geneticist from Jurassic Park, but a London-based producer who’s put together a damn fine collection of jazz-influenced house beats. Soulful stuff, not unlike recent work from fellow Londoner K15. AH
Violet @ Sameheads, Berlin – Feb 6, 2015
Portuguese DJ and producer Violet brought her setup to Berlin last week, and this performance is part live show, part DJ set. Plenty of her own excellent tracks feature, as do a bunch of thick techno workouts. AH
