edinburgh based music blog and collective, with a weekly show on fresh air radio - listen live fridays at 9pm - or listen again in our podcast section.
Our beloved Zzzap crew are bringing it in hard for freshers tonight with ever brilliant lancaster duo Bondax. Keep reading for deets.
Their new home, Castle Clvb (formerly the Lane amongst numberous other names) has had a serious lineup for the opening week, with a refreshing staple student Monday night, Moonshine; Jamie XX slaying the packed dancefloor last night at subtly reinvented Cndybxx; Bixon presenting Mayaan Nidam Friday; and the grand opening of the club kicking off an exciting run of in-house bookings withBenoit & Sergioand Richy Ahmedon Saturday.
Quintessential Parisian culture label Kitsuné are putting on their first ever Scottish party, marking the close of Cabaret Voltaire's highly successful festival run.
London's Punks Jump Up and Parisian homeboy and disco afficionado Jerry Bouthier will be providing the ones and twos - so expect some serious party vibes, and a proper bang to end your festival.
Cabaret Voltaire
Doors 11pm (5am licence)
£5 / £7
£5 presales just released on Ticket Web
If you live in Edinburgh and you haven't been to Witness yet, there could be something wrong with you. Staple Wednesday night parties at Sneaky Pete's, for free. Not only do they have stellar residents Ross and Andy Witness behind the buttons - they also regularly showcase local talent and provide a impressive and varied line-up of guests, often folk who would rarely grace the decks of a venue as intimate as Sneaky's.
festival parties || LuckyMe festival party V -TNGHT
photo: teddy fitzhugh
Edinburgh's favourite Glaswegian crew LuckyMe are throwing a very special party for the festival this year. With the highly anticipated Hudson Mohawke X Lunice collaboration dropped a couple of weeks ago - the two are headlining with a very exclusive live set following their successful London Launch (photos here)
If there's one party you have to go to this August, we really couldn't recommend this one more.
If you need a brief reminder of the epic release, have a wee listen to this..
Very limited advance tickets can be purchased from their website here.
Xplicit and electrikal have fashioned a new weekly Monday at Cab Vol. The launch is this week, with some Drum and Bass in the main room, and the back room curated by Edinburgh favourites Daojia, Skanky B and Ross (of Witness & Blackwax) - you can't really go wrong.
And its only £3 (£2 on guestlist - write on the facebook event).. and it runs till 5. Get involved.
tuesday 7th
SOUL JAM HOT @ sneaky pete's
Your weekly dose of alternative party music is happening till 5am for the next few weeks. And as always, it's free.
You can expect everything from Ray Charles to The Beatles to Mr Scruff to Stevie Wonder, eclectic alternative party music by some serious selectors.
wednesday 8th
NORMAN JAY @ 99 hanover st (hippy hippy shake)
This man truly needs no introduction. However, if you're not familiar with his work, give him a google search.. Stelar selector of the old school - who knows what to expect. Other than the fact that this is also free, and after Maxxi Soundsystem's visit last week (where the vibe was really pleasant, unique and fun) - I can guarantee this is going to be a great night.
WITNESS presents JON1ST @ sneaky petes
Probably the best booking Witness has had (other than the obvious ones) Jon1st has mad skills on the decks. Two time DMC finalist, and all round great DJ - this guy will blow your mind.
Also, Blackwax will be taking to the decks - a local duo who have been blowing up of late.
And it's free (again) so why not get down and partay this wednesday!
thursday 9th
ZZZAP X TUFF WAX @ the annexe
Aberdeen bass music label and collective (I bet you never thought you'd hear those words in the same sentence) - TUFF WAX have been doing truly forward thinking things of late. With label heads Lockah (Mad decent/ Jefrees), Grobbie, ¥oin, Bones & Money and Ch£ap Date - this is a full takeover of the flagship Thursday at the Annexe.
Highly recommended.
facebook event
friday 10th
RE:PO @ liquid rooms
The launch of a new party from the same people who brought you the Xplicit events. Eclectic and varied bass music at liquid rooms with some big bookings in the pipeline - give it a whirl.
saturday 11th
TNGHT (live) @ liquid rooms
oh my goodness. this is the party of the festival for sure.
festival parties || thunder disco club @ cab vol (4.8.12)
They've brought a huge festival lineup, with JG Wilkes of Optimo headlining alongside Dam Mantle and a host of truly solid local selectors, your Saturday night has been saved. Expect big and varied dance floor vibes of a deftly relevant and forward thinking nature - planning to go in as hard on the party as "an ultra-premium patron intoxicated Gary Busey, at a Vietnamese Brothel in the 1980s"
Get down.
Sat 4th August || Cabaret Voltaire || 11-5am || £7/5
Their powerhouse roster of artists, comprising BEHR, Joonipah, OJsmooth and Kris Le Vay, have come together to provide a 4 track wonder to mark their 5th release. More banging stompy house to tear through the dancefloor, and of course to be released on a beautiful coloured 12" in the near future (keep on our facebook for updates)
To add to the excitement, they're giving away a killer remix of Kris Le Vay's track, 'Rise' - courtesy of Mario Robles. Get involved.
Here is your weekly guide of what to go for if you are in it for the night time. From the smaller regular nights to the massive one-off parties - we will make sure you know what's going on, and what's good to go to. In addition to a weekly guide, we will periodically post feature articles so you can get to know the crews who put on the nights, as well as previews and reviews of the parties, with plenty of interviews with the artists and labels who are behind them. It's going to be an exciting month.
Not only that, but we're pleased to announce that we'll be back on the radio throughout the month, with guest DJ's and crews popping in for mixes and chats - every Thursday from 21:00-23:00. All of this is in association with the Fresh Fringe - and we will of course be broadcasting live from the Pleasance Studio on freshair.org.uk.
the parties.
wednesday 1st
MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM @ 99 hanover st (hippy hippy shake)
Hippy Hippy Shake kick off a series of free parties, happening every Wednesday at the stylish 99 Hanover St - with the one and only Maxxi Soundsystem. A Scotland exclusive from the Brighton DJ/producer/master-party starter, you can expect an eclectic mix of funky house vibes to sit nicely alongside the solid cocktail menu at 99. To get involved, get there before 11.30pm, and get yourself on the guestlist on the facebook event (this one promises to be packed).
Did we mention - it's free? Not only that, but look forward to plenty more mad bookings including Norman Jay and Little Boots in this stylish and intimate venue throughout the month.
And if you still have some steam left, make sure you pop down to Witness at Sneaky Pete's to bop to the solid bass vibes from residents ahead of their mad lineup over the next few weeks.
facebook event
thursday 2nd
ZZZAP X OFFBEAT @ the annexe
Fresh Glasgow crew Offbeat, made up of Jordan Coleman, Joe Mcghee and the ever on point and much blogged Mirrors open Zzzap's festival party session. Forward thinking bass music with a weegie twist at our favourite new venue the annexe (behind liquid rooms, on the Cowgate) from the Offbeat boys and solid Zzzap residents this one is certainly not to be slept on. Thursdays will be a stable part of the recommended festival lineup (feature article coming soon) - and you can even catch myself spinning some tunes from 00.00-01.00 too (so come along and say hello).
Having already hosted Deadboy, Foamo and Alex Metric - fresh cab vol night XY provides solid house/bass vibes on a larger scale on Friday nights. Not the most underground of venues (any more...) but still a fun night out, this week you can enjoy 3 rooms of varied music from residents, alongside a buff basslines takeover in the second room pulling the late shift from 2-5am. Pop down and say hello.
£5*/7
*student/guestlist
facebook event
saturday 4th
MUSIKA presents SETH TROXLER @ liquid rooms
The first of the really big weekend parties - veteran edinburgh party crew Musika are holding their Exit festival after party, headlined by the one and only Seth Troxler. With support from Junior and Barry Price, Kirk Douglas and Barry Topping. Tickets are slightly more expensive at £15, however worth every penny for the brilliant Troxler. If you like your varied unpredictable party vibes - pop down and witness this Detroit man working his magic.
£15 (advance tickets)
facebook event
sunday 5th
SYNDICATE presents BEN MARTIN (high sheen) @ 99 hanover street
photo: bartosz madejski
Formerly known as Boom Monk Ben, curator of Mixed Bizness nights in Glasgow - the ever relevant and skilled Ben Martin takes over this sunday at 99 hanover st. Having recently launched High Sheen (which we have banged on about excessively since it's launch back at the beginning of this year) - pop down for free to listen to this local master at work.
Our favourite party starters LuckyMe are bringing Claude Speeed along to Sneaky's this week. Sadly not the mercenary protagonist of GTA (as interesting as that would be) although this one is undoubtedly better at the musical side of things.
Part of the LuckyMe family through his involvement with Scottish electronic four-piece American Men - expect obscure forward thinking party vibes, melodic music which is as relevant for the ear as it is for the floor. And of course with Eclair Fifi and Blessings to hold down the fort, you can't miss this party as a warm-up for the festival.
edit: following a tweet from Mr Speeed - we've got some ambience in store. dancing comes after. (nb. don't knock ambience until you've heard it on a system like sneakys)
Friday 27th July (tonight) - Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh
The whole release has a strong theme running through, a precedent set firmly by it's A side title track. Trapdoor, a weighty groover decidedly suited to the floor, has one of the catchiest rolling basslines I've had stuck in my head for a long time. Match that with a stomping 4x4 house beat with an cheeky garage twist and skilfully placed vocal stabs, and you have yourself a reliable dancefloor number which will keep even the most discerning heads happy.
The first B side, Gut Feeling, stays in the same vein - more of the rolling bassline, chopped vocals and groovy riddim but with a more solid techno feel than the flip. Another versatile winner. Finally, Downshift does exactly what it says on the tin. Truly on point, the 12" is finished off with a skilfully produced down-tempo foot stomper. Exceptional work from Joonipah, be sure to head over to the labels shop (here) and grab a copy before they all leave the shelves. If you are one of the unlucky ones, not to worry - there's still a number to download for free below.
If there's one aspect of High Sheen which I love the most, it's how much they've solidified their sound in such a short time. Within the first 10 seconds of listening to this EP, all the characteristics of previous releases and parties come flooding back and instantly beam a smile across my face. That's what I look for in an imprint with such a unique and satisfying sound.
Hypnotise is deftly crafted for the dancefloor, with masterfully manipulated vocals (a theme which continues throughout the release) and a solid driving house beat. The second track Random Romantics certainly maintains the euphoric and colourful high sheen vibe with an infectious vocal and bouncy chords. The beat to this one has a speed garage feel, ominously reminiscent of the Leeds jackin scene (thankfully where the similarity ends). That track appears fittingly before my favourite beat of the EP, Freckles - a big and highly percussive number with fascinating rhythm which makes your head bob and reminds me warmly of la cheetah parties (despite currently peering over an overcast south london). The final track rounds things off beautifully - feeling very like a direct progression of the 'High Sheen' debut but with a decisive new twist from Mia Dora.
High Sheen is a brand of scottish music which is truly as relevant to the ear as it is on the floor. With a solid sound established after barely two releases - I am excited for the next step. I am also pleased that we have a vinyl release this time, and a sneaky digital exclusive remix from HaHaHa.
If you haven't already done so, check out the preview on their Soundcloud. I strongly recommend you get involved with this sound.
download: Coma || Where Do We Go (Synthetic Epiphany Remix)
words: belch
An etherial 2 step take on Coma's track, 'Where Do We Go' (deep Thom Yorke vibes on the original) - the whimsical piano melody and tasteful digitisation of the layered vocals float on top of a solid 2 step riddim - rendering this the perfect after hours track whilst you still have enough energy to bounce around the darkened living room.
Nice one. Watch this space for forthcoming release info and listen out for other hints of Synthetic Epiphany in future BB radio shows and sets. Go and download the rest of the EP at CoMa's soundcloud.
listen&download.
Coma - Where Do We Go (Synthetic Epiphany Remix) mediafire, 320kbps
The first section, with it's brash synthesis and building layers, really throws the listener off as the dark and minimal 2-step drop comes along. The abrupt changeover didn't make much sense to me at first, and the beat seemed lacking in atmosphere... But then, the opening hook is craftily fed on top of the beat, and everything falls a bit more into place.
Nothing hugely groundbreaking, and dangerously reminiscent of Burial - nonetheless I think this one could be a grower, and it most definitely doesn't feel out of place in the long line of highly successful yet understated releases put out on Text over the last couple of years.
In the past few months, following the news of Cab Vol's 'rennovation' and the imminent forced relocation of the Bongo Club, many of Edinburgh's staunch night time music lovers undoubtedly began to feel a little disarmed by the prospect of our coveted scene's potential downfall.
The venue - which also plays host to weekly Thursday bass party, Zzzap - was stylishly tagged with the 49hz logo and garnished with mix-cd's aplenty, dangling from balloons. On arrival, resident and local bass music aficionado Paranoise and fellow resident Skanky B provided some heavy vibes to kick off proceedings, with Silvertongue on hype duties - and much to my deep satisfaction the sound system (which had on previous visits felt disappointingly weak) was carrying the music to perfection.
Mosca kicked off his set with some deep downtempo house vibes, slotting in sleazy new number 'Eva Mendes' (forthcoming on Hypercolour), and gradually built the energy up through some UKG, unsurprisingly dropping 'Bax' which received a well-deserved pull up - then really got into his element when the dancehall crept in. His final tune, the much coveted Jungle VIP of 'Tilt Shift' (only ever to be heard live) fully deserved my £6 door tax alone.
An unquestionably contented crowd left the building - and Edinburgh's fresh 49hz brand smashed it once again. Coupled with last nights announcement of the Dimensions Launch Party to be hosted by these guys on the 1st June - I think it is safe to say, faith in our city's music scene has been fully restored.
Oh and I think the big guy was pretty happy too...
The second über exclusive and limited vinyl only offering from the pair's SunkLo imprint - brings yet more driving percussive textures, continuing to mould their own distinct mark on ever emerging UK techno scene.
Following the immediate success of their debut release on this imprint "Froth / Mercy" back in February (not to mention one of the top tracks of this year - the brilliant Swims on Swamp 81) "Dun Dun / Prone" should be in shops by the end of the week. No doubt it'll get snapped up very quickly, so keep your eyes peeled - you certainly don't want to sleep on this one.
Although our last post was a TreeFNGR tune from a couple of weeks back (it's been sat in the outbox whilst studies have taken over) - here is the brand new tune dropped on the soundcloud today. Known to me as 'Klut (1st Demo)' since I've been playing it in my sets - but apparently rebranded as 'I'm TreeFNGR' - this one, with it's hypnotic vocal samples and more gully vibes on the beat, certainly provides a solid introduction into the mind of the anonymous producer (or producers?).
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