The much-awaited October DJ and Digital Music Academy (DDMA) will be teaching this generation’s budding DJs on Saturday/Sunday October 2nd/3rd at The Digital Hub, Thomas Street, Dublin 8. It’s the fourth Academy, and all the others have been fully booked out. For more information on the DDMA, or for an application form, please contact Wallis at Modern Green on [email protected] or at 01-8363366 …

Dublin DJs Karl Davis & John Kerrigan’s Hard Sounds label hits the shops this fortnight, with a highly acclaimed double-header featuring Karl’s tough, techno-infused ‘Terradance’ (a favourite with Anne Savage) and Karl Davis & DMF’s ‘Power’, a thundering hard and hypnotic assault that lives up to its name …. The new U2 single ‘Vertigo’ won’t have any Irish-made club remixes. In fact, the only dancefloor-aimed version is a 10in mix of the lead track reworked by Snow Patrol producer, Jacknife Lee …
Diplo’s Florida is a blissful, sun-soaked DJ Shadow-esque album which has also been compared to RJD2 (and which features arguably the sexiest voice in contemporary music, Martina Topley Bird, on ‘Into The Sun’), and it’s B&P’s favourite album release this fortnight. Also worth investigating are Rob Sonic’s Telicatessen (infectious electronic hip-hop on Def Jux), Patrick & Eugene’s Postcard From Summerisle (on Tummy Touch and worth buying for the wacky Kylie and Beyonce covers and the current Gordon’s Gin advert’s soundtrack), Riton’s Homies & Homos (steamy electro-pop and a cover of The Cure’s debut, on Grand Central) and Marcelo 02’s Looking For The Perfect Beat (a really strong Brazilian hip-hop fusion on Mr Bongo).
And last but not least, two incredible compilations. Electric Soul 2 heralds the return of The Unabombers (with tracks from the likes of Carl Craig, Only Child and Rhianna on PIAS), while the fifth edition of Late Night Tales on Azuli is an insight into the mind of the electronic genius Fourtet (whose Rounds album remains one of the millennium’s best kept secrets) …
The North’s 1,200-capacity LOVE Saturdays club has proved one of the biggest successes in 2004. Open since February, run by the former promoters of Planet Love – Eddie Wray and Judith Farrell Rowan – and based at the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon, County Tyrone, it revolves around two relative unknowns, Chris Davis (resident in the trance/techno Indigo Room) and Ryan Maxwell (mainstay in the funky Amber Room). The club has just announced that between now and Christmas it will play host to three of the biggest names in the business – Lisa Lashes [pictured], Fergie and the current World No1 DJ, Tiesto...
Speaking of Lisa Lashes, Redbox owner John Reynolds has announced a Godskitchen party that he has cheekily billed as ‘the last dance event of 2004’, to be hosted on November 13th at Dublin’s Point Theatre. Joining the hard dance queen are trance lords, Scot Project, M.I.K.E and Judge Jules, the high prince of ‘bosh’, Eddie Halliwell, and unknown newcomer Jon O’Bir, not to mention Redbox manager Robbie Butler. The event finishes at 1am, and despite this, advance tickets cost a whopping e42.50 …
Shake’s weekly residency at Bar 903 in Galway recently came to an end, after four years of funky fun. Resident DJ Aran MacMahon – whose next date is at RiRa in Dublin on October 1st – had nothing but praise for the venue and promised to be back soon. He told hotpress: “We’re ending this on a high and want to say thanks to all at Bar Cuba and Bar 903 for four rockin’ years in a great venue.” The closure of Shake follows hot on the heels of the end of 110th Street’s run at Galway club GPO. 110th Street DJs Cyril and Cian are, of course, involved in Aran MacMahon’s massive quarterly Boogaloo parties at Black Box. The next one takes place this Saturday (September 25th) And finally, gig of the fortnight for all those at Beats & Pieces towers is the legendary Jah Wobble’s appearance at Crawdaddy this Saturday. Credited with introducing dub reggae music to the punk generation, bass supremo Wobble co-founded Public Image Limited with John Lydon in 1978, before going on to release dozens of albums in a prolific 25-year career. If you can’t make it to the gig, Trojan Records has just released a comprehensive triple-CD anthology, which includes three seminal PiL tracks digitally remastered for the first time … THE BEAT GOES ON!