More details on ‘Goodbye to the Guvnor’ plus other Notts tributes…
Music fans across the world were stunned when word of Weatherall’s passing spread this Feb. Just as quickly as national news outlets posted their obituaries, niche pockets of superfans came out of the woodwork to share their favourite moments, tunes and tales of why the much-loved DJ, producer, writer and fountain of knowledge was truly one of a kind.
Like many I too was in awe of Andrew Weatherall, aware of the ridiculous contribution he made to the culture, and humbly so. It’s bittersweet that it was only when he passed and the internet was awash with mixes, track reposts and career overviews that I realised just how deep this went – what I’d heard from him only touched the surface of what he’d actually been up to, and the past week or so has been spent marvellously getting up to speed.
My personal fave is his rework of Villalobos’ ‘Dexter’ with Two Lone Swordsmen. It might be embarrassing to admit I’d never heard of it until the news – but with the original being up there as one of my most loved tunes (as anyone who’s ever heard it played out will agree, probably with a tear in their eye), it’s a pleasure to discover a rework of the track that remains just as stunning and haunting as the early 00s release while also being brilliant standalone; making Villalobos accessible to the ‘Joy Division’ crowd.
Alongside must-read articles such as this one from ex-Notts student now national music journo, Gabriel Szatan, more local tributes from members of our scene have been pouring in:
DirtyDiscoSoundsystem are hosting a ‘goodby to the Guvnor’ gig at JamCafe on Sat 7 March
“Dropping an emotional cocktail of his sublime remixes, select solo tunes ‘n key connections from 9 ’til late. Join us as we say goodbye to The Guvnor by raising several glasses and having a dance floor chug or two. “
They recorded an accompanying mix too.
Entry is free but donations are being taken for Nottingham Samaritans. More info.
Soul Buggin’s Beane Noodler shared his tribute mix, first recorded in 2013
Ahead of Weatherall’s visit seven years ago for Soul Buggin’s ninth birthday, resident Beane recorded a two hour tribute on the now closed ‘MyHouseYourHouse’ radio station.
Now it’s been found and reuploaded again for our listening pleasure. At his regular Old Angel gig on 23rd Feb, Beane also paid homage to the artist that night.
Some legend has uploaded an archive of all of Weatherall’s mixes, including one in Notts from ‘93
Pushkins Prefers posted a Weatherall inspired mix, ‘Wunderbar’
Playing as DJ Ball Haulage, this selector’s record collection is far and wide ranging as this latest mix showcases.
Recorded as a therapeutic way of coping with the news, rather than focussing on his productions (though one or two are in there) it pays respect to Weatherall by featuring tracks he played out, as well as others on the same theme that might have been in his bag. Alongside the obvious, keep your eyes peeled for some familiar faces (and body parts) in the artwork too…
Outside of Notts the tributes continue, including at Inner City Electronic next week. While originally he was earmarked as one not to miss on the lineup, a talk hosted by Justin Robertson, Sean Johnston, Joe Muggs and Chris Madden will ensure his presence is still felt at the festival.
And undoubtedly it’s bound to be felt much further than that for years to come too. Love x
This Feb we start to really feel the heat as the options on offer are nothing short of ridiculous. All in the name of documenting the great stuff that’s going on in Nottingham right now, I wanted to list it all in one place, so let’s dive in.
Beyond the early hours of the 31st blowout, January is notoriously a month for getting your head down and I can’t be the only one that was thankful for that. Whether it’s financials, family or just the growing list of ‘to dos’ getting on top of you in December, the gap in the party calendar – likely brought on through the nation’s obsession with going dry to mark the start of the year – is always perfectly timed. It’s good to look after your noggin after all.
I didn’t lay off the booze completely, but in this time I painted the kitchen pink, invested in two varieties of steam cleaner and bulked up the record collection with classic Blondie, The Who and Chaka Khan albums after raiding my dad’s at crimbo. The team also embarked on a group day out to Manchester to smash the Crystal Maze, via Luke Unabomber’s ‘The Refuge’, and grooved to Rick Donohue (local head, good guy and previous Notts resident with an impressive CV) at the city’s (arguably larger – but isn’t everything in Manchester?) answer to Notts Streetfood Club ‘Hatch’. A summer trip to ‘beefa was also booked…
As someone who is creeping closer to 30’s door, perhaps it’s a generational thing but like it or not, it’s difficult not to link the electronic music scene with a sore head the next day – this DJ mag piece highlights how those younger than me are looking after themselves a bit more – but January was a nice reminder that there are still loads of ways to soak up the culture, without getting carried away.
BUT – we’ve moved beyond January now and welcome February with open arms. Carry on as much as yer like, Barbarba. Those who have been keeping dry all month have probably partaken in a tipple or two already last week. I celebrated by indulging in some rawkus moves at Detonate’s Noisia show, while Department for Dance hosted a warm up to this week’s bash at No.27 in town, amongst many more I’m sure.
This week and beyond, however, we start to really feel the heat as the lineups on offer are nothing short of ridiculous. All in the name of documenting the great stuff that’s going on in Nottingham right now, I wanted to list it all in one place, so let’s dive in.
Friday 7 Feb: Leftback X Curtea Vecha Lineup: Haydn b2b tIJN, Annie Errez b2b Dudley Strangeways, Luke Black (live), Mortalyf
It’s a joint birthday celebration as both labels turn six and five respectively, with their selectors bringing their stormiest cuts to ensure the candles are blown out good ‘n’ proper. While the sounds of the season eer towards lean, sharp renditions of UKG, it’s labels like these hailing the rolling minimal sounds with drums-that-slap-you-in-the face that I’d argue helped subtly precurse today’s 2-step hybrid.
Agree or not, they’re swerving The Old Angel’s cave and up heading up to The Chapel this weekend – so once you’ve soaked up Light Night’s festivities it’s the perfect place to head with a glow stick wrapped around your neck.
Following its debut night at Arkwright Studios, Department For Dance is back with its second full event, this time over at Sneinton’s Surface Gallery. Starting at 7pm and ending at 1am, they’re well placed to be either the much needed sociable ‘pre-drinks’ venue or a great value night all in its own right.
Promising disco, boogie and world sounds from a tight team of local DJs, Department For Dance’s difference lies in the art it offers too. This time, Lina Vourlou will be ensuring the dancefloor is packed with visual delights while downstairs the venue stays true to its purpose with exhibitions in store – and just look at what they have lined up.
We were excited enough for the first Wigflex of the season, particularly as it took its first break in years from throwing a NYE ‘do, but following the recent venue change the buzz has gone through the roof.
Wigflex is becoming more and more of a nomad in it’s own city, breaking out to throw parties in urban caves, just about every club in town, Sherwood social venues and now, it’s announced plans to have a pop at making its own space too. So while delighted, I weren’t surprised when they proclaimed a last minute change to host the 2020 debut in a church somewhere…an impressive feat I’m sure they’ll no doubt pull off. It’s difficult to imagine what each DJ will be packing to play somewhere unknown like this – not to mention the acoustics – but I’ll be front left to witness it.
Cue a weekend of smaller crews bringing to Notts the names we’d travel to see – first up it’s Audiobahn with D.Tiffany. Though never actually making it to one of their nights yet (!), so far Audiobahn and their trusted residents – one of which has just been invited to play at AVA festival this year – have spun alongside the likes of Space Dimension Controller, Bruce, DJ Autumn and Hodge – each event in the same small cap venue, with its ‘piece de resistance’ coming from founder Callum’s DIY lighting rig, which he’s been known to loan out to other events too…
From starting out as a UoN radio show (which they still run) to holding down a regular slot at Bar Eleven, they’re doing this for the right reasons and with a very exciting booking coming up this Feb, you’d be daft not to bookmark this as a final destination following any cheeky Vday drinks for a dreamy dancefloor finale.
Saturday 15 Feb: Quake 2020 Lineup: Desert Sound Colony, Kate Webb, Good Girl Gone Brad, Jim Doherty + more.
Once mainly the haunt of DIY band nights, The Chameleon is growing in favour amongst Nottingham’s dancefloor regulars and if you’ve ever been you’ll know why. It’s daft, the drinks are cheap and while if the bass wobbles just a bit much you feel like the floor might start to give in, it’s fun bouncing about in that upstairs, 120 cap room. This will be the second time Quake head to the hidden bar, with Peach Fuzz, Pattern, Discotech and The Waves also holding down events there previously.
What a treat we’re in for this weekend, with Desert Sound Colony following on from Friday’s antics, and Kate (o8) Webb popping back to the city too. (call it great taste – ex Notts alumni promoter Solis recently welcomed DSC to their night in London, and you can hear some tune selections to give you a feel for what’s in store here) It’s been a while since we’d heard from team Quake but we’re glad they’ve come bursting back.
Say what you like about the club, but amongst the student nights many might prefer to avoid there are also lots of folk striving to do something different, like this fella.
For those with the freedom to stay out ‘till 3 on a Monday, you could do worse than see what this night of acid-jazz, dub, disco and IDM has in store.
Friday 21 Feb: Gallery Sounds Free Party Lineup: Andy + Iain (SAS), Andy Riley (Inland Knights) Carl Kaotic (Wireless) Expression(Blend) D2
Back to The Chameleon we go for another Gallery Sounds bash. While there are lots of relatively new nights to enjoy, Notts also has its fair share of longstanding parties and here is a fine example. ‘Appy birthday Sarah.
Friday 21 Feb: Obnu Lineup: Louis Knight, Rab ‘n’ Tam and Coralie
Coralie’s Obnu night has been running a few times now; rather than guest DJs it invites respected selectors in Notts to bring the soundtrack and it’s a formula that works.
Big tunes in a small venue, offering ‘electro slop’ with some boy zone bangers too, it’s a low key night offering sky high vibes. Hopefully the chief will roll out some of his solo productions in-between the top 40 hits. Check em here.
I hope the bar’s got plenty of tequila stocked up ‘cause you’ll never guess where this top pick is also taking place… With past guests including Leo Pol, Citizen and East End Dubs to name a few, this team have been bubbling along nicely but it was its summer open-air bash (with a last minute venue change) that seemed to really be the jewel in Pattern’s crown last year.
For 2020 it’s back with Slapfunk’s finest, alongside a lovely bunch of local selectors.
You’re probably running out of steam now as am I but we’ve not reached the end yet. More quickfire notables this month include:
7 Feb: Nottingham Contemporary’s latest exhibition is opening. The Bauhaus display will be pretty tough to follow, but we’re particularly excited for Denzil Forrester’s ‘Itchin and Scratchin’ work, documenting dub dancefloors.
Peach Fuzz also announced a road trip to Sheffield in Feb, bringing Lukas Wigflex and Adam Curtain with them.
The outrageous Caribou Club returns for a valentine’s day spesh, feat. live music acts, drag shows and a large helping of DnB.
29 Feb: Ambient Events brings Subb-Ann to the I Club, joined by the Sound Picnic Collective and more on warmup duties.
29 Feb: Also marks the start of what is promising to be a mighty tasty and mind bending festival from Multimodal. The series of talks ‘Symposium: Of Clouds and Clocks’ kick off this month, with much much more in store. Stay locked for more info…
Eileen Pegg shares the stories of when she goes digging for records, selecting purely based on looks. Not every shopping session needs to be thought out or pre-planned. Sometimes the joy is in taking the plunge and enjoying the surprise when you finally put the needle on the wax.
[Originally posted 26 October 2021, via @Selectsounds]
Rewind back to the start of this year and you’ll remember how far-off the thought of heading to a festival in the summer felt. The music and events sector was hit hard by the pandemic, with problems ranging from cash-flow to insurance and, of course, public health, leaving lots of events with no choice but to reschedule.
Calendar position played a big factor in whether or not they got the green light, as the UK raced along its timeline towards the end of restrictions. We Out Here (WOH) – the brainchild of Gilles Peterson, Worldwide FM and Brownswood Recordings – took place at the end of August. It drew the long straw in terms of timings, which for me is ironic. I’d missed out on going to its launch in 2019 because it fell too close to Houghton – which has had its own string of bad luck. It shows how fragile these things are, which makes each one we do get to attend more special. And this was certainly the overarching feeling throughout the weekend at Abbots Ripton for WOH.
The digging
Families and children are welcomed and generally the audience is older, favouring ‘the music’ over ‘the party’ more than other boutique festivals I’ve been to. After months of isolation, I’m sure I’m not the only one that was thankful for the slower pace at WOH – although the evenings were most definitely drenched in their own magic energy that ramped up the party spirit.
Loads of people I admire were all milling around in the same field. Look one way and you’d see journalist Emma Warren, clutching her microphone en route to hosting a Q and A. Turn around and you’d spot DJ Paulette, the Secret Sundaze duo or if you’re lucky, even Gilles. This happened again when heading to the record fare tent, hosted by much-loved vinyl care brand, Near Mint.
First, I was drawn to the Cold Cuts Hot Wax stall after recognising their logo – I’d been following them over the past year, so it was cool to meet the London-based shop and its enthusiastic owners. They were one of the few traders with a listening setup, with particularly good written descriptions on each sleeve. I did come back with some killer tunes, but not an entry for this blog series. And then I moved on to Kit Records.
Things were much calmer here. Owner, Richard Greenan, left me to my own devices as I browsed his selection. It didn’t take long to find the right record, ‘Cosmic Neighbourhood – Library Vol 1’ – but I didn’t know it was called that at the time.
I saw a see-through plastic sleeve, with a colourful embroidered artwork depicting squirrels, trees and leaves inside. The edges of the ecru natural fabric were frayed, contrasting with the contemporary looking, colourful characters of the design. This was the album cover – there was no other cardboard covering for the record, or clues from the writing on the sticker. Perfect.
When I bought it, Richard told me how lucky I was to snap up the limited release. I knew there’d be lots to find out about this one, and it didn’t disappoint.
The listening
Somehow I managed to keep my new piece of wax safe for the rest of the weekend – camping in a bell tent helped. For the past few days I’d been wondering about what I might find when listening to it. I thought it could be old, even though the embroidery was free of stains, rips or other signs of age. Until WOH, I was new to Richard and Kit Records too, so didn’t have any context to help date it.
Jingling bells, flute melodies and a cheery piano riff kick off as ‘Pine Wizard’ opens the album. They’re all slightly off beat, but purposefully so. As the record switches to ‘Overgrown Garden’, it opens with an electronic whir that has more in common with The Clangers than the latest Ableton presets, before more wonderfully organic melodies kick in. This time they’re tapped out on metal chimes.
As the record spins along its groove, different instruments (or collaged sounds?) are introduced on each track – never more than two minutes long – but the feeling remains the same. There’s something beautiful about the mystical ‘Fortune Teller’, which features backwards-run sampled voices, before launching into the Tudor-esque tones of ‘Caterpillar’. Some parts sound like they’d be echoing from a mythical creature’s party in the woods, while others could be straight from a spaceship.
This is out of my comfort zone, but I can sense how special it is. I’m much more comfortable grabbing hold of a steady 4/4 beat. To make sense of it, my brain jumps to some main points of reference. These ranged from some of the more experimental sets I’d heard on NTS, mixed with the childlike warmness of Karen O’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ soundtrack, but with the eccentricity of Matthew Herbet in his ‘One’ trilogy era. With the sweet, woodland embroidery, I was also reminded of the minimal producer-illustrator duo, Masomenos.
The reveal
My references weren’t far off. Richard Greenan has a regular NTS slot, so I’m sure this album will indeed have been played on the show.
But the release wasn’t old. In fact it was new-ish, released in March 2020 on – you guessed it – Kit Records. The version I had with the fabric artwork was one of the ‘test pressings’ and only 10 physical copies were available. Richard wasn’t telling fibs. My guesses of age weren’t far off though, as the piece is described as “straddling the new and old”, mixing retro psychedelia with modular electronics producing something that is “radiophonic and time-worn, yet still somehow sounds like the future”.
It’s made by Cosmic Neighbourhood, which is Adam Higton’s alias. He’s also a York-based visual artist, and is pretty established in his field with a very unique style. Most of the music he makes is a response to the artwork he’s created. For ‘Library Vol 1’ he made a black and white paper collage, which formed the cover for the main release, while the special test pressing embroidery remained super limited edition. This was pretty special to find out – without that art, I wouldn’t have grabbed that record, or started writing this piece today.
This connection with music and art makes sense, helping to form connections in your head. You can’t make a musical ‘scratch ‘n’ sniff’ to quickly test out tunes on a shelf, and writing about actual sounds is difficult, for something so subjective. On a local level, Wigflex created its own world with its Spam Chop character and its collection of City Monsters, while radio/zine Pushkins Prefers is pushing it currently with its Terran Sounds show, which sees artists create work in response to an hour long mix.
As this series goes on, not all of my picks will fit as well as this one, I’m sure – choosing a record to review based purely on the visual element, is taking Adam Higton’s work processes full circle. And I’m thankful for the stunning world of creativity it introduced me to as a result, and for being pushed out of my comfort zone.
Special thanks to the crew from Nottingham’s ‘The Carousel’, for letting me join their team at WOH 🙂
Eileen Pegg shares the stories of when she goes digging for records, selecting purely based on looks. Not every shopping session needs to be thought out or pre-planned. Sometimes the joy is in taking the plunge and enjoying the surprise when you finally put the needle on the wax.
[Originally posted 6 August 2021, on @Selectsounds]
Like a bottle of perfume or a well-arranged shop window, a record sleeve or package design has the ability to draw you in. To showcase the treats that lie inside, or sometimes, throw you completely off the scent.
It’s the kind of shopping technique you’d probably use at TK Maxx – its whole “treasure seeking” brand is based on it. When the magpie inside you is drawn towards the brightest colours in the corner, you shop based on your gut instinct rather than preconceptions of ‘cool’.
Strike lucky and the tag reveals it’s a Gold Label classic, or from a well-known high street brand. Sometimes, it’s an obscure fashion house you’ll never see again. When you walked into the shop that day you had no idea whether you’d come out with a slice of Versace or Skinny Dip under your arm, but here you are. That’s exactly what happens when you allow yourself to go for the ‘wild card’ when digging for tunes.
It was Saturday back in May. The streets were glistening with an (almost) post-pandemic sheen, as the people of Notts relished in being able to enjoy the city centre again. I’d dropped into The Carousel to visit Take Away Jazz Records – Machinewoman’s pop up shop. Business was booming and I couldn’t squeeze in to the appointment-only store. But we did have a great chat that got me childishly excited, and set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
I was going to buy some records today, no matter what. Maybe it’ll be from a charity shop. Is Rob’s Records open yet? Before exhausting these options, I made the move to Rough Trade, perfectly placed on the bustling Broad Street.
Whatever your opinion is of the high street musical mainstay, it’s not known for stocking loads of electronic music. In the back-left corner there were two or three crates dedicated towards the stuff – I have managed to get some gems there in the past, however, including a surprise find from Banoffee Pies and a Beautiful Swimmers compilation.
In a group of three, we descended upon that small back section. After flicking through the racks I grabbed Fever Ray’s self-titled album – essential – while my friend found a Late Night Tales compilation, equally as key. I was happy with my finds, of course, yet I wasn’t quite satisfied. I knew exactly what to expect from my Fever Ray wax; glad to have it in my collection, but was thirsty for something new. Something new (or old) is what I got.
Maybe I just hadn’t been in Rough Trade for a while, but to my surprise there was now a section of used records taking up about a quarter of the floorspace. My eyes lit up. Holding a fresh, crisp shrink-wrapped album has certain exciting qualities, but there’s something special about digging through old sleeves. What a delight.
There were small attempts at labelling off genre sections but really, this was the kind of free-for-all digging I thrive off. I always try to leave with a ‘wildcard’ whenever I’m in a physical shop, and this was the perfect place to find it. With already a fair few records under my arm, I limited myself to choosing just one final gem. After skimming past a number of white labels, which are always a treat, my eyes settled on ‘the one’.
An antithesis to the standard black or white, semi-sheened sleeve, this had a brown cardboard cover. Flecks of paper making the textile created a subtly beautiful pattern, with the same appeal as today’s terrazzo hype. It wasn’t totally blank though – the centre label and a long, vertical sticker on the left side of the paper was a work of art. The colours grabbed me first, with rich navy tones complemented by a warm wash of peach.
The centre label looked similar to the yin yang symbol, made with bauhaus birds rather than a swirl. To the left, the ‘light’ and ‘dark’ similarities continued as two simplistic houses were shown, mirror images and filled with contrasting colour.
Text was beneath the graphic, but the abstract typeface was unreadable at first. Was it Danish? Maybe from Italy or Europe? Sold.
We were excited by our finds, and straight away my partner, my friend and I held a listening party to hear what we’d just got. At that time, without the usual bars and clubs to go to, Covid-19 encouraged us all to indulge and remember some of the most simple, but gratifying pastimes.
It wasn’t what I expected. Although really, I wasn’t sure what to expect. To summarise the whole EP, it’s four tracks of dark, brooding techno-tinged electro. It’s slow, most definitely made on analogue instruments, and reminded me of Kraftwerk – pulsating synths in minor tones, dusty – downright filthy – drum machines, at times very high pitched while other tracks had sounds that we’re almost like brass.
Honestly, I’m not sure if I liked it at first, but I think it was all in the context.
My partner had just played some jackin’ house while my friend had picked up a Kylie Minogue and Giorgio Moroder collab. Following on from that with my record was like switching from dancing beneath the bright, sparkling sun to a murky, dominating stormcloud.
When you’re expecting that cloud and you’re kitted out for the weather, it’s a fantastic, life affirming experience. I just needed to listen to it again in the right conditions.
I took to the internet to find out more, learning this was produced by Das Ding and DJ Overdose. As it turns out, they’re both electro veterans.
DJ Overdose is based in the Netherlands, and has been making music for at least two decades. His discography includes a recent release on L.I.E.S, limited edition cassette tapes stocked at Rush Hour and a large body of work out on local label, RotterHague Records. Bandcamp feedback describes his work as “prolific and proficient, always.” He’s certainly earned his stripes.
The story for Das Ding is similar, but goes back way further. Best described by label Minimal Wave, “Das Ding is Danny Bosten, who was active in the early 1980s releasing his music and friends’ music via his own cassette label called Tear Apart Tapes.” The rest of the post describes more about the tape trading scene of the time, more about his label and dives into his time producing pirate radio shows and soundscapes. His music seems to have come back into the world after Minimal Wave contacted the artist, interested in re-releasing his work. I’m not sure if the tracks on my EP are vintage recordings, or new work he’s made now the project is revived again, but it’s a wonderful tale and lesson to all artists to keep plugging on – someone, somewhere will resonate. In a strange way, it reminded me of a local, similar story from February Montaine.
And now, the label. AM PM by Das Ding DJ Overdose was released in 2018 on Go Finger. It’s hard to find much out about the imprint and it sadly looks to have stopped operating in 2019. I believe it was based in Madrid and launched in 2013, putting out 13 records in that time. The attention to artwork is apparent, though, and every release comes packaged with illustrated stickers, using the same bauhaus style but with different symbols and colours each time. The person behind the design is Yecco.
Thanks to Yecco, I picked up that copy in the first place and now AM PM stands proudly in my collection. If I’d listened to it in the shop, I’m not sure if I would have bought it. But I’m so happy I did. A story of the only time when it’s acceptable to judge something on first impressions. Go digging blindly, it might surprise you 🙂
By no means am I making light of the ongoing situation – but simply want to comment on an unexpected and ever-evolving phenomenon that is happening in club culture as a result of it.
Just imagine how different this would be without any internet. Amongst many other huge cultural shifts and realisations happening right now, it’s fair to say that live streaming technology has been up there in helping everything; keeping families connected, homes entertained and even, ensuring press conferences keep running safely.
Applied to the context of sharing music and hosting ad-hoc gigs, in the space of just two weeks the ‘net has quickly become very saturated with creativity. Early adopters on my radar include Cadenza boss Luciano, who has been hosting his living room YouTube sessions alongside his mahoouusive speakers for weeks now, getting a more sophisticated setup with each one.
Luciano lets loose on his new microphone
Also in early March, kings of funk Soul Clap’s first live stream straight from Miami also set the scene for things to come. Now artists, promoters and clubs, both small and large global brands, are either re-scheduling planned events into an online party, or just making work of idle hands and sharing some tunes – for the sanity of both the isolated artist and listeners.
In the world of music, asking someone to ‘keep it locked’ has taken on a whole new meaning, and I’m here for it. By no means am I making light of the ongoing situation – but simply want to comment on an unexpected and ever-evolving phenomenon that is happening in club culture as a result of it. The world’s likely to change a fair bit once some sort of normality returns and right now, we’re in the nebulous stages of seeing what that might look like. Interesting, ey.
On 27th March the almighty VR Club Quarantane experience was unleashed online, ready for its networks to be explored by thousands of global clubbers for 42 hours. Hosted on Resident Advisor’s platform and curated by artist agency, Invisible Hand, it presented a unique weekend in ‘Berlin’, while also offering a way to stay connected and raise funds for the #SaveOurScene campaign, and many other far-reaching causes.
That Saturday morning I’d just returned from my daily run (the first ever of its kind), expecting to wind down with a late full English and frothy cappuccino, when my WhatsApp pinged off with a message from a fellow dancer:
“https://clubquarantene.stream – virtual reality clubbing – it’s sick!” read the text, with an attachment of set times and names such as Helena Hauff, Shanti Celeste, Skee Mask, Marcel Dettmann and Randomer plastered across them. Instantly I clicked the link and was transported to a virtual queue with questions to answer:
Shit, what if I didn’t get in? Some people didn’t the first time around – even when reduced to code, no-one is safe from Berlin’s stringent entry procedures.
Everyone is welcome eventually though, and when viewed through a phone you’re plunged into the 360 dancefloor of a virtual club. Visually it looked like a cross between something from Blade Runner or Altered Carbon, but also it wouldn’t seem out of place on The Sims 2: Nightlife – not to its detriment. It was beautiful, with surreal, wonky piles of glowing washing machines (?) nestled amongst neon spiral swirls, interludes of chasing strobe lights and every so often, a large spinning toilet roll would appear. Look up and there are even strips of light, perhaps paying homage to the sunlight peeking through the blinds of Panorama bar that have come to epitomise Berlin. The best part about it was the fact that it used leading gaming software, and probably took no longer than a week to make.
When I tuned in it was Helena Hauff handing over to Randomer. Here I was, scrolling around this dystopian playground listening to this:
And looking like this:
Is this the future of clubbing?
The bar served no booze but offered the chance to donate to the causes it was looking to support, while the bathroom offered an anonymous chatroom with hilarious consequences – imagine the world of WTF Youtube comments in real, live, hyperspeed action.
At any one time there were around 1 – 2,000 people logged on and locked into Club Quarantane. Even though there was no way to connect with each other beyond a ‘sHouT if UR H0rNy’ or ‘hands up who is from brazil?’ text, sitting in that online world and knowing that so many others were doing exactly the same thing was beautiful – as was watching the reactions and posts from the DJs who had been involved in this one of a kind project.
The usual clubbing attire was worn that evening
The same day, I had a hectic global ‘party’ schedule that saw me touching down in London for a Zoom-call 30th, soundtracked by Hebden Bridge’s finest, DJ Northern, before jetting over to Chile for a live stream of a stunning pre-recorded Villalobos set. Two different but common examples of other ways the world is keeping dancing throughout lockdown.
The thing is, if I actually had danced to Helena in Berlin, popped to London for an intimate residents show then flew to Chile for Villalobos, any notion of ‘next day’ would be long forgotten. But when clubbing in quarantine, you wake surprisingly fresh-faced.
On Sunday I reenacted what many others in Berlin’s 24 hour party culture so often do – either popping to the club at 9am, still riding the wave from the night before or in my case, getting an early night so you can have a right long day sesh with techno for breakfast.
Armed with my second frothy cappuccino, it’s back to Club Quarantine I went and this time the bathroom dwellers were confused. Thanks to global time zones and herd-bamboozlement, no-one really knew what was going on or who was playing – again, not so different from a normal daytime clubbing experience – but who cares anyway (soz guys, it was deffo Solid Blake), the sets were amazing – and together we soldiered through until the stream ended that afternoon.
This was just one of the many virtual events that happened that weekend – in between regular sessions by the likes of Boiler Room, and one-off treats such as Eris Drew & Octo Octa’s Forest Throwdown stream. It’s strange because this isn’t really anything new – cutting back to Boiler Room again, they’ve been doing this for almost a decade.
But in this new context, which makes everything else out of context, it holds so much more weight. There’s something liberating about dancing in your living room to relentless techno in fluro pink running gear at 2pm, and knowing you’re not the only one doing it.
Also, as we’ve seen, technology is going to get pushed forward and explored super fast with the concentrated demand. Have you clocked Dixon’s underwater 3D streaming plans?
Let’s get this straight – there’s no way that the real, human connectedness of physical clubbing can be replaced by virtual efforts, but when combined with social media and new technologies, it offers a different kind of buzz which is perfect for this time. I can’t wait to get out and hug, kiss and lick all of my mates as much as the next person but for now, it’s reassuring and fun to explore the virtual alternatives.
Were the early 2010s spent blowing off steam and listening to tunes at house parties? Obviously to some extent, but there were also people putting on stellar nights to go to before heading back to your mates’, bubbling up to the thriving biosphere we have now. First up is Surface.
Nottingham’s independent clubbing scene has a good thing going on right now. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then reading this DJ mag article is a great place to start, or checking out the local listings page to see the whole host of parties for the people that are happening on a regular.
Now – 2019 and the years to follow – is undoubtedly and exciting time for the city’s underground and it’s also not the first. This weekend as Nottingham’s original ravers celebrate homegrown free party collective DIY’s 30th birthday, showing us all how it’s done with a smorgasbord of pop-up parties (half of which were spread through word of mouth and not an ‘official’ event in sight) and an exhibition too, it’s a reminder of the undying party spirit that seems to live on here throughout the years. Perhaps the most exciting part of the current wave of newer events is the very real prospect of them becoming longer term too, breaking the cyclical nature of the nightlife previously.
But if DIY started on the cusp of the 90s, sandwiched in between The Garage, Smokescreen, Venus, The Bomb and more – including the launch of Detonate and Firefly too – then were the early 2010s spent blowing off steam and listening to tunes at house parties? Obviously to some extent, but there were also people putting on stellar nights to go to before heading back to your mates’, bubbling up to the thriving biosphere we have now. This was circa 2012-ish, the period when FB was more popular than Instagram and we still purchased paper tickets; believe me, I met half of my mates in the city by selling them.
I’ve wanted to start this ‘series’ for a while now but as Notts is enjoying some moments in the spotlight for its efforts past and present it seemed like the perfect time – also falling on the anniversary of an annual meet up to remember close pal Fernando, a shining star who we met throughout this period of partying. It seems right to reminisce on those bond-forming evenings right now which, although relatively short-lived, played its own small part in Nottingham’s clubbing history.
Image sourced from Surface FB page. Logo C/O Jono Renton
First up is Surface – a Wednesday night house and techno night held at then Market Bar, now Trade. In 2011, as a wide-eyed fresher festering on the external corridor of Hampden Halls, two younguns (Maddie and James) were posting flyers for their night through our doors. It was a pretty slick monochrome design, with its logo printed over an eerie, empty seascape. The words ‘deep house (yep) + disco’ were printed at the top and DJ’s names were plastered all over the back – Maya Jane Coles, Detroit Swindle, Crazy P, Casino Times, Mano Le Tough and Death on the Balcony. As a girl from a small town up north who was salivating at the prospect of heading to university and fully immersing myself in the nightlife I’d started to get enthralled with, this was perfect and I enthusiastically replied something along the lines of ‘mint – I love house music’ while accepting a flyer. The promoters thought I was taking the piss.
It might seem strange for them to be so cynical and also for the flyer to feature the name of DJs that summarise the music on offer at Surface, but in these days drum and bass and dubstep was huge amongst the Midlands masses – particularly students. For some reason there was (and still kind of is, though less) an unspoken divide between the drum and bass and the housier crowds and it was difficult to push the latter sound in the city. So when Surface came along it marked the start of what seemed to be a tipping point for that new era of house and techno in Nottingham.
– Surface era anthem.
I wasn’t taking the piss though, and managed to convince a group from my halls to head down to the launch night and we had a blast. Maddie and James recognised me from our brief encounter and thanked me for my enthusiasm, introducing me to the rest of the Surface team, Lucy and Matt, and their older, second and third year mates. This was just a residents party – Maddie, Lucy, James and Matt (soon to become, Ellis & King) playing to us in the Market Bar basement but it hit a nerve with a certain breed of student and soon became an unmissable mid-week party destination for music lovers.
It’s funny how the world works and as it turns out, the Surface crew lived just up the road from my halls, and after bumping into them again at the opening of Leeds’ Mint Warehouse – where we had the pleasure of seeing Nicholas Jaar live – our friendship was cemented and I soon became a ticket seller and loudmouth ambassador for the night.
Following the launch, Surface went on to book Cozzy D, Jay Shepheard, Sam Wallace, Darius Syrossian, Duff Disco, Casino Times and Seelie. They also moved from Market Bar’s small basement to Stealth. Notts students at the time Wolfman Bros made an appearance (and they’re still flying high now) alongside Stefan Molinaro, Luke Jones, Nick Cobby and the House Arrest DJs – local DJs and promoters who were regulars on the circuit back then. Ellis & King also became known names because of this, regularly playing throughout the city. They even released a track together.
– post party classic from the era.
To sum up Surface, they were a bunch of music-loving mates putting on a night together in the purest form – it was silly, we dressed up a lot, and always ended up staying up / out for far too long ‘cause we were having so much fun together. We made longtime friends. Each night was captured on camera by Mylo Harvey, now making waves in the capital with his Solis events. It caused a lot of distress for my university project group who had to deal with me the next day.
Surface clicked because it offered a Wednesday night alternative to Ocean / Oceana for students who had the freedom to go out midweek but didn’t want the cheese. It also swerved somewhat from falling into the ‘student night’ category because it was run by an independent crew who were doing it for the right reasons – similar to Peach Fuzz now, who booked Jon K for an all night long session at Box on a Tuesday…
I’m sure a lot of 27/28/29 year olds will look back on Surface just as fondly as I do – those parties you put on as a student carry a lot more weight than you realise back then 🙂
At 10am on Thursday 8th August a widespread feeling of sorrow was felt throughout the dance music community.
Houghton’s cancellation was a shock to everyone – including the organisers I’m sure. But what happened afterwards was unique, and totally hit the nail on the head of why it’s built such a strong, positive reputation in such a short space of time.
Sure, there were some negative comments said (would the internet exist without them?) After the initial feelings of confusion and loss had subsided, what overshone it was the support shown to the festival, and the sheer determination to make it a great weekend regardless for the lost festival souls. Following months of preparation and excitement, the UK was filled with thousands of people left with 5/6 days booked off from reality; a time of limbo to play with, loved ones to see, and a whole bunch of pent-up party spirit to boot.
It’s this special spirit that makes the clubbing community so strong, only to be truly understood by those who are part of it and the reason why we all get so sucked in, in the first place.
Watching people’s alternative plans unfold was nothing short of magical as promoters, gig-less DJs gagging to play their new records and party people came together to make something brilliant in such a short space of time. Whether it was Voigtmann’s Lion and Lamb party, White Rabbit’s last-minute warehouse rave, Giant Steps or Mint Warehouse’s mega weekend sesh (helping to raise money for the festival) or our very own Notts-led Barnarellas*, it’s amazing what people can do for the love of the music and I just can’t stop smiling. I think it’s hard to find another festival that would have such a ripple-effect of impromptu ‘off Houghton’ nights as this one did.
Whether you’ve spent the past few days travelling across the country to go to these nights, having ad-hock house parties or simply making use of booked accommodation and exploring the beauty of Norfolk, I’m in no doubt that this weekend will go down as one of the most surreal, but also unforgettable for a while.
Big ❤ dancers – it is what it is, and it wasn’t so bad in the end 😉 Next year’s going to be madness x
Now it’s time to look forward and get excited for the sounds we’re set to hear in 2019.
Right then – somehow, we made it to another new year in one piece (though the days following new year’s eve, and the choice of parties across the city, might have left you in bits).
Now it’s time to look forward and get excited for the sounds we’re set to hear in 2019. With a new city festival and some tasty lineups already on the horizon, we’ve got a good feeling about this one…
Read on for a quick run through of what’s happening each month, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have something to add 🙂
January
What? Square One 2019
When? 25 Jan
Where? Nottingham Contemporary
Tell me more: It turns out our city centre art gallery is a pretty good space for getting sweaty in.
Following a blowout here last October, Square One are back again with a drum & bass party of dreams.
Tell me more: Derby lads discotech have strong, musical roots here in Nottingham – which they told Leftlion all about recently. This party marks the first of many more nights in Notts planned for 2019.
The venue is yet to be revealed, but at 100 cap it’s going to be a cosy one – perfect.
Tell me more: The artwork for this is just brilliant, isn’t it? This is the fourth night from Peach Fuzz, launching at the newly opened Box late last year. With aims to push the ‘more obscure and less publicised’ part of the dance music world, it books names who are selectors at their core.
Tell me more: Obscene electro and techno feat. Dez Williams, Filthy Dom and more. The night claims to offer an evening of mind-warping beats, which the artwork definitely backs up.
Tell me more: Rab and Tam are back with a bang in ’19.
Bruce- who recently released with Hessle Audio – joins the night’s residents, feat a Funktion One system and DIY light rig they’re, quite rightly, so proud of 🙂
Tell me more: United over a similar taste for minimal beats that cut like a knife, it’s no surprise these two are joining forces as Leftback turns five.
Sound Picnic impressed us with its day-to-night marathon before Christmas, and we can’t wait to see how they’ll celebrate the label’s birthday.
Tell me more: Nightmares on Wax returns to Nottingham as part of his ‘Back to Mine’ worldwide tour. An established name on the circuit, there’s little introduction needed for this one. Guaranteed grooves all round.
Tell me more: Pft. Where do we start? Wigflex takes over the city to kick start the summer with its first multi-disciplinary [alternative] music and arts festival. Though the bookings are brilliant, (Giles Peterson, DJ Stingray, Honey Dijon, Young Marco, Midland and more) this event will venture beyond just sets with a host of workshops, discussions and more to really stick your teeth into.
Ambitious, certainly, but we have every faith and can’t bloody wait.
Recently, the fabulous Nemone has been filling in for Shaun Keavney on Radio 6’s breakfast slot. Known for her late night Electric Ladyland shows, it’s been a treat to hear how her fabulous taste lends itself to this earlier audience.
As part of this, she ran an ‘earworm’ feature, asking for listeners to share the tunes that greet them in their head as soon as they wake up, never to be released until actually played out loud.
It’s an interesting phenomenon, isn’t it? No one really knows why a particular track spins relentlessly around your mind, popping in there for no reason – maybe you heard it subconsciously the day before, or were dreaming of a memory related to it.
Either way, it inspired me – here are some of the songs I’ve been rinsing lately, and they just never seem to get old…it’s good to share and maybe, some of you will have the same earworms too 🙂
Every now and then I have an urge to play this on repeat for numerous times. Given the legacy of these producers, it may be stereotypical but I think it’s because it reminds me of an excellent, snowy visit to Berlin I was lucky to go on, many years ago. I don’t even know if I heard it played out there at all, but it definitely featured on my travel playlist for the trip.
Even now, it’s the kind of song my mind wants to listen to when I have a particularly early or late night mission to go on – goes to show that they successfully conjured up just the feeling they intended to, hence the name.
For techno, it’s not a ‘heavy’ track at all. Seven minutes of slow building, but each expertly placed element makes your body tingle with excitement. And for me, nothing compares to the build up / breakdown at 4:50 – one of the best in the business. Less is absolutely more, and it forces you to stop, inhale deep and take it allll in, whether you’re listening to it walking past a bus stop on a rainy street or hugging your mates in a sweaty club. One more time Mr.
So many happy Saturday mornings have involved listening to this, again and again, while cooking up a storm. Bright, warm and fuzzy inside, it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular and why I crave it sometimes.
This was implanted in my brain, only to come to the surface every few months, on an annual visit to Gottwood one year. When returning to our tent in the early hours, the crew based next to us continued the party with non-stop garage classics. Amongst the familiar cries of ‘R u Sleeping’, I’m sure this featured on the playlist while I tried to doze off. Naturally, these guys, and tunes, were still going when I woke up the next morning, leaving happy sonic memories.
With a whole host of other tracks under his belt, it might be frustrating for Roy to be mainly recognised for just the one tune. But when going through a phase of listening to Gabriel, I found an interview where he admitted the reality is quite the opposite, and he’s just thrilled he’s managed to bring such joy to so many.
Often, when in a ‘Gabriel’ phase, this will creep into my mind soon after. There’s not much more to say on this other than, turn it up and sing it loud. Beautiful isn’t it.
At a Q and A session to mark the launch of his new book, author Matthew Collin touched on a piece of Nottingham nightlife history that still sits here, sort of, right under our noses.
Earlier this year, Rough Trade hosted an in-store Q and A / meet ‘n’ greet with journalist and author Matthew Colin, ahead of his latest book, Rave On: Global Adventures in Electronic Music.
As the name suggests, the book is the result of Matthew travelling the world, one party at a time, with the aim of documenting dance culture as he went. As the man behind essential rave reading, Altered State, news of this latest book is undoubtedly exciting and the opportunity to natter about nights out drew a healthy midweek crowd.
Nottingham wasn’t the only city to welcome Collin to talk about his words. Where Rough Trade East had Bill Brewster presenting the night, it was Truth and Lies‘ Justin Turford leading our talk, making our night a wholly local affair for Nottingham-born Colin.
Amongst other topics covered such as ‘Marshmallow Men’ in Vegas and the laws about clubbing all over the world, Collin touched on a piece of Nottingham nightlife history that still sits here, sort of, right under our noses – The Garage.
Amongst my peers, The Bomb is well known as being an influential club in Notts and one that will long be missed. But The Garage is another city centre stomping ground that had its part to play in leaving many local clubbers’ memories hazy, way back in ’87.
Located on St Mary’s Gate, the younger generation will know what used to be The Garage as BZR, and now it’s been turned into offices that knowingly honour its past. Over 30 years ago, this is where Hacienda DJ Graeme Park cut his teeth, who was living in the city at the time and working at a record shop called Selectadisc.
Leftlion spoke to Graeme in 2009, delving deeper into his time in Notts and The Garage. Definitely one to read for the history heads.
As a small city, we often groan at the lack of venues available to throw parties. But surely it’s inspiring to learn about the ghosts that exist in the buildings we walk past every day, giving hope for what could come if our current clubs, bars and dancing spaces were nurtured 🙂
(N)owt in Notts 