Antoin Lindsay and Aidan Hanratty take a look at some of the best electronic mixes, gigs, tracks and releases of the week.
GIGS
Sonic Arts Waterford – Sonic Dreams Festival at Soma Contemporary Gallery
Fri, Sep 25 – Sat, Sep 26
I’m always wary of ignoring what’s going on outside the capital, so it gives me great pleasure to share this. The Sonic Dreams Festival takes place this weekend in Waterford’s Soma Contemporary Gallery. It’s got a range of artists across its two days (today and tomorrow), ranging from avant-garde sound-based sculptures, tech-sounds with ambient flourishes and bass pop, going by some of the relevant bios. Fun for all the family. AH
Hidden Agenda & Bodytonic: Simian Mobile Disco at District 8
Saturday, September 26
In slightly more straightforward news, Simian Mobile Disco will play Dublin’s District 8. It’s a DJ set, so don’t expect their modular noodlings, but from personal experience I can tell you they know how to rock a party with some CDs and a mixer. Get down. AH
Jackmaster and Space Dimension Controller at Limelight 1, Belfast
Friday, September 25
Jackmaster doesn’t really need much of an introduction at this point, which is why he’s playing Limelight 1. It’s been a few years since he was back in Belfast so expect it to get rowdy, the Glaswegian certainly knows how to get a party going. He’s joined by local hero Space Dimension Controller. Go buck wild. AL
Twitch present: Hunne at The Bunatee, Belfast
Saturday, September 26
Twitch continue their streak of parful bookings by bringing in Hunee. Hunee’s hit somewhat of a stride in the last year or so, picking up a reputation as being one of the finest house and disco DJs out there as well as releasing what’s probably been the best dance music LP of the year so far in Hunch Music. After the last Twitch seemed to have incited a near riot, this one should be very promising indeed. AL
TRACKS
LYTTET Forever Those Days (Ellll Remix)
Seems like everything Ellll shares something new I put it in here, but she’s a damn fine talent and her output is so rare it all deserves its shine. LYTTET is a group made up of Peadar Kearney & Claire Nicole (pictured), and they make “soft electronic music enriched with emotive textures and light floating melodies”. Ellll has taken those textures and eviscerated them, with immense crackling bass stabs and drawn out washes of sound. Play this one loud. AH
_moonraker – Colocasia
I don’t know what it is about this track but I listened to it four times in an hour yesterday. Clanking, rumbling sounds and eerily glistening synths repeat and flow, spine-tingling distortion moving towards some semblance of rhythm. Incredible stuff. Can’t wait for the rest of it. AH
Pearson Sound – Thaw Cycle/Freeze Cycle
Whatever you thought of Pearson Sound’s LP, there’s no denying that this is a pretty big departure from that. ‘Thaw Cycle’ first surfaced in Midland’s Dekmantel podcast mix and nobody could have guessed with any real authority that’s who it was. Despite a very distinct snare sound, it’s not as percussive as the Pearson Sound we’re familiar with, and the piano sample also feels like new territory. Enjoyable nonetheless. AL
RELEASES/MIXES
Moodcut – Heart Beat Takeaway
The cover of this release on Lobster Theremin side label Mörk shows a car photographed in drizzly fog. It’s a perfect accompaniment to this slab of vaporous house. Its track titles are sublime, like ‘Trampling Between Cats’, ‘Muffled Strangers’, and of course the title. One to cherish as the seasons change. AH
Omar-S Cassette Mix From ’93
Utterly ridiculous mix from Omar-S from back in 93 – it’s a bit crusty in spots but it doesn’t jack any less because of it. BANGS FOR DAYS. AH
Takumi Kawahara – Forecast 001
Gorgeous sounds from Takumi Kawahara with some Japanese folk and ambient music mixed in with laid back jams from all over. Promising start for the brand new Forecast mix series. AL
Mr. Mitch & Yamaneko – Rinse FM show
RNW favourites Mr. Mitch and Yameneko were at the helm of this week’s Boxed show on Rinse FM and it’s a stormer. Lots of grime and bassline and video game samples in this one, which is chocked with what’s surely a lot of Yamaneko’s own productions. Super emotional at times too, tears at your laptop, or phone, or whatever media device you so happen to be using. AL
Takuya Matsumoto – i-DJ mix
Takuya Matsumoto’s EKG’s Intergalactic Dance EP was probably my single favourite EP of last year and to see this mix crop up was very good news indeed. It doesn’t disappoint either, it’s full of tastefully cosmic deep house with the likes of Floating Points, Luomo and Move D on here. Keep groovin’. AL
