It’s the weekend. A Bank Holiday weekend no less. So Aidan Hanratty and Antoin Lindsay deliver their weekly look at all the very best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases.
GIGS
Belfast Music Club Present: JG Wilkes and Eamon Harkin at The Hudson Bar, Belfast
Friday 31 July
An absolute scorcher of a night happening at The Hudson tonight. JG Wilkes and Eamon Harkin have established themselves in two of the greatest resident DJ collectives in the world, namely Optimo and Mister Saturday Night respectively. The common ground is they’re both from Ireland, and while they’ve made their names elsewhere, they’re joining forces in what should be a ridiculously fun night. If you still need convincing for some absurd reason, the whole thing is free. Yep. AL
Out To Lunch presents Veronica Vasicka and Willie Burns at Bar Tengu, Dublin
Saturday 1 August
Out To Lunch have had some superb all-night-long sets from DJ Sprinkles and DJ Sotofett in recent months, but this weekend they’ve got a host of stars lined up at Tengu Izakaya. There’s a extended three-hour set from Minimal Wave boss Veronica Vasicka, whose Dekmantel mix for XLR8R we featured last week. Willie Burns is playing, of L.I.E.S., Crème Organization, Trilogy Tapes, Unknown To The Unknown and his own W.T. Records to name but a few of his homes. Dublin 15’s Lumigraph (Opal Tapes/Mister Saturday Night/Farbwechsel/Where To Now?) is playing LIVE. Ellll, Cork’s go-to noise act is also playing live. Fellow Corkonian Mariah (Ian) Black, curator at The Black Mariah, will be DJing too. Con Artist and Major Problems are establishing themselves as Dublin’s premier promoters with Out To Lunch, so long may this run continue. AH
Republik present Agents of Time at Crystal Night Club, Waterford
Sunday 2 August
I’ll be honest and say I’d never heard of Agents of Time before this week. They’re standing in for Recondite, who had been due to play this gig. Their sound is a sort of nightmare trance take on techno, crisp and elegant but not without urgency. Go deep. Support comes from locals Warren Sauvage and Kenno. AH
TRACKS
ML_OS vs. Cannibal Cave – CC_001 ML_OS RMX
Sound artist Matthew Lambert made a track using Eno and Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies cards as inspiration, and in turn this was upended unknown quantity Cannibal Cave. This remix mirrors the staid ambience of its counterpart with rugged and imposing sound design and simple chord progressions. Kind of a banger. AH
Xosar – Evocation
Xosar pops up from the shadows with this dark gem. No info, no download, just startlingly … evocative vibes. She is pictured here holding a large sand timer, as if to suggest she’s counting down the moments until some ghastly ritual or gathering takes place. Not exactly summer friendly. AH
Chemise – She Can’t Love You (MGUN VAPED OUT MIX)
Detroit weirdo MGUN has made some pretty amazing and twisted tracks in the past. This time he turns his hand to zonked-out remix of one of the greatest disco (or any) tracks ever. He doesn’t really do that much to it other than add some effects and slow it down, but it unlocks a hypnotic quality to the track. AL
1991 – I (Patricia’s Mind Meld Mix)
An Opal Tapes love-in here. I haven’t really managed to find out what 1991’s been doing this last while so this popping up was a nice surprise. Patricia is on fine form as usual with those trademark apocalyptic kicks and murky, panning synth line. Hopefully it means there’s more material coming from one or both of them very soon. AL
RELEASES/MIXES
Jo Johnson – Juno Plus Podcast 117
An excellent recorded set from Jo Johnson, who is definitely one of the unsung heroes of ambient music. Once a member of riot grrl group Huggy Bear, she’s since turned her hand at more electronic sounds and mastered it. Here, we’re treated to an hour long recording of her set from Freerotation this year (I know, no more sets after this week, promise) and it’s gorgeous. Constantly evolving and engaging throughout, its one to kick back with a cup of green tea to. AL
DJ Sotofett – Going Good Mix #10
I’d probably pay money to dig through Sex Tags label head DJ Sotofett’s record collection, because surely he has one of the most interesting, varied and weirdest out there. In this mix for Going Good he’s gone just for 7” records, thus eschewing more straight up dance sounds and instead treats us to funk, freestyle, jazz, reggae, disco and a bunch of other stuff in between. The guy is a master, and this is proof. AL
Lnrdcroy – Attitude Control Mix (2014)
Recorded last year, shared this week: the Vancouver producer with the unpronounceable name puts together a glistening mix of gorgeously danceable electronica. Though I listened to it mainly while cooking dinner and assembling a cot. AH
Save Detroit – Save Detroit EP
Absolutely nuts EP from this unknown character – digi only, free download. BANGING. It deals in familiar tropes but uses them succinctly, never letting a track or an idea outstay its welcome. Nightmarish blips, rising hihats, heady gurgles – all wrapped up in unnerving factory sirens. Insert hackneyed but nonetheless appropriate line about this not being for the faint of heart. AH
