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 to hear tracks that will be featuring in other DJs’ sets in six months’ time.
Squid Inc. Pres Jennifer Cardini at The Grand Social
Friday, May 8
Parisian house DJ Jennifer Cardini comes to The Grand Social in Dublin tonight. Not quite a veteran, but definitely an expert, the Correspondant boss is sure to make you sweat.
Okay this isn’t simple repetition. Joy O is playing in Belfast on Sunday for the first of Tw!tch’s Sunday Sessions. There are no set times listed as the DJs (Joy, Matt Burns, Paddy Towe and Phil Lucas) will be taking turns all afternoon. Furthermore, Dublin’s Morgan Buckley will be playing a live set as Open Mind at some point too. Not only is this a chance to see a superb DJ playing an entirely different kind of set, you can see one of Europe’s most singular producers get weird.
TRACKS
Electronic Explorations – 373 – Daniel Avery
I know we featured LCC here last week, but this is worth a look too. Daniel Avery takes the reins for Rob Booth’s Electronic Explorations series. He’s been variously described as the new Andrew Weatherall and the new Erol Alkan, and neither description is that far off. This mix contains an hour of “posh trance” as he described it, emotional bangers in other words.
BOA – Warp Purpose Vol. I (Seagrave)
The latest release on Seagrave is a collaboration between Kevin Palmer AKA Best Available Technology, and Gary James Geiler of ovis aurum. The two formed a split cassette on the label for its inaugural release, but this time they’ve teamed up for some dark and heavy business. ‘Roman Gold’ is particularly enticing, its swirling hiss and arpeggiated synth patterns coming up against lank drone and deep percussion. The B-side is quite imposing, its slower tempo even more unnerving. ‘Lit Messenger’ seems perched on the edge of the floor, with tension oozing in place of steady certainty.
THE BOOGEYMAN (Original 1980 Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Okay so this isn’t quite the rave you’re used to, but it’s pretty engaging and enthralling nonetheless – and the influence of this kind of thing is still being felt today. Repress gurus One Way Static have put out the score from 1980’s The Boogeyman on limited vinyl and cassette. Composer Tim Krog only made scores for this film and its sequel (and an in-production reincarnation due for release this year), for reasons unknown. The original theme is as chilling and recognisable as any other, with shifted reverse patterns and dank swells. Nightmare is less than a minute long, yet it’s compelling and disquieting. It is called Nightmare after all.
RELEASES/MIXES
Naum Gabo – Fyei (Magazine)
This hefty number comes from Magazine, the label co-run by Barnt that brought out his stunning album last year. Comprised of sound engineer James Savage and JG Wilkes, best known as half of Optimo, Naum Gabo is named after a 20th-Century Constructivist Russian sculptor. This track, one of two from their new release, has been slowed down from its original 45rpm to 33rpm, and has been remastered as such, so that it can’t be played at its original speed, only slower. It sounds intensely oppressive, gloopy synths and rich basslines colliding while clattering percussion echoes beneath. Grab your turntable and pitch it down even further, let’s see how deep this can get.
Sharp Veins – Missing Sun
With the news that Glacial Sound will be appearing on Boiler Room Dublin later this month it’s as good a time as any to share this monster from Sharp Veins‘ forthcoming Inbox Island EP. Deftly quiet percussion, bombastic horn blasts and synthetic trance riffs. Superb.
