UK trance label stable Recoverworld recently launched its newest label, Discover Digital, with releases only available in MP3 and CD single formats. The latter are available exclusively from the Recoverworld.com website.
The first Discover Digital release was from Irish producer John O’Callaghan. ‘Chameleon’ has been acclaimed and even found its way onto John Askew’s new mix album.
The ever-prolific Navan-based studio wizz recently completed a marathon studio session with Greg Downey. The end result, which O’Callaghan describes as “a blistering techno-tinged industrial monster”, is called ‘One Way Ticket’ and will be released on the Discover Dark label early in 2006 as the flipside to Askew & Hardwick’s ‘Slaves To The Machine’.
Larne lad Fergie has been working with an aspring house producer, Dave Anderson, on what he labels “funky and minimal techno tracks” and promises an EP of new tunes early in 2006.
International techno dons Mark Broom and Dan Curtin have remixed tunes from Dublin outfit Americhord for a new release on D1 Recordings, due early in 2006. Broom also has a D1 single in the pipeline for next year. The Eamon Doyle stamp will also unleash a new David Donohue EP featuring the track ‘Clicks & Bitches’.
Cork duo Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson have just launched their Go Deep label. The first release is Fish Go Deep featuring Tracey K’s ‘The Cure And The Cause’, a sweet single lifted from the trio’s recent album, Lil’ Hand. It comes in two new mixes, a Fish Go Deep Extended Mix and a highly acclaimed Dennis Ferrer remix.
Incidentally, Greg and Shane celebrate 17-years of house music in Cork with a special Go Deep party at Fast Eddie’s on November 19th.
Compilation albums surfacing about now include Gatecrasher Classics 2 (a triple-CD set on Ministry which features ‘El Nino’ from Northern Irish duo Agnelli & Nelson), Electro House (on Kickin’ and featuring Belfast producer Jupiter Ace’s J.A. Teknixx remix of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Mi Masochisto Bebe’) and The Best Of US Soul (a classy collection of Stateside nu-soul on Unisex).
While Detroit pioneer Carl Craig delivers the milestone 25th release from London club Fabric, NRK presents Remasters, a collection of the label’s gems digitally remastered across three CDs, and Soma unleashes Soma Compilation 2005, the Scottish stamp’s annual set of highlights, which includes a bonus mix CD from Funk D’Void and two contributions from Dublin duo Hystereo.
One of the biggest singles of the moment is Cream vs The Hoxton’s ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ (Manifesto), the Clapton and Co classic which has been huge all summer for Fatboy Slim. Also huge is Deep Dish feat Morel’s ‘Sacramento’ (Positiva), and you can’t get much larger than Coldcut, who precede their eagerly-anticipated Sound Mirrors opus with ‘Everything Is Under Control’. Mixes are from The Quemists and DJ Kentaro.
Hot remixes doing the rounds on promo include Ashley Beedle’s slick rework of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Rain Fall Down’ (Virgin), Matt Darey’s ‘Liberation 2005’ (Darey) and Jacques Lu Cont’s remix of Chromeo’s ‘Needy Girl’ (Back Yard).
Northern Ireland’s biggest event this Christmas is the mammoth Planet Love WKD Winter Party 2005 at the King’s Hall in Belfast on St Stephen’s Night, Monday December 26th.
Italian DJ Mauro Picotto is to headline and will be joined by Marco V, Lisa Lashes, Scot Project, Agnelli & Nelson, man-of-the-moment Dogzilla (aka Simon Patterson) and the BBC’s Dave Pearce. The event will run from 7pm to 3am and tickets are already on sale, priced stg£27 plus booking fees.
Ahead of all that, hip-hop star Mr Scruff plays Spring & Airbrake in Belfast on December 16th. New Order’s bass legend Peter Hook will DJ at Lavery’s in Belfast on November 25th, the same night that Berlin’s Ellen Allien drops in to Phil Kieran’s Sector One club at The Stiff Kitten in Belfast. And on November 26th, chart-topper Eric Prydz plays Lush in Portrush.
Down south, Irish techno producer Edwin James promotes the two new releases on his Seedy stamp (EPs from LMD64 and Ikeaboy) with DJ sets at Traffic in Dublin on November 25th and TBMC (supporting The Hacker) a night later.
Richie Hawtin and Andrew Weatherall play Electric City at Traffic on November 24th, the same night that Luke Unambomber guests at Mr Ray’s Soul Food at The Bia Bar in Dublin.
Disco-house king Joey Negro guests at Limerick’s Trinity Rooms on December 17th, while the star of the club’s Christmas party on December 29th is none other than Felix da Housecat. Tickets are already selling fast at Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.
Meanwhile, Bodytonic has rechristened its Friday nights at Wax as Stereotonic. John Mahon and Tayor will continue to use the Bodytonic name for their promotions company which has just added a new brand to its stable, Discotonic, which will run every Saturday night at new Dublin venue, The Rogue.
Fergie remains the only Irish DJ among the illustrious ranks of the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs Poll 2005. Voted for by more than 120,000 clubbers worldwide, this year’s poll saw Fergie slip two places to No 60.
The top 10 DJs in the world, according to the poll, are 1) Paul Van Dyk, 2) , 3) Armin van Buuren, 4) Sasha, 5) Ferry Corsten, 6) John Digweed, 7) Hernan Cannateo, 8) Deep Dish, 9) ATB and 10) Carl Cox … THE BEAT GOES ON!