If ever a cause needed highlighting, it’s the ongoing tragedy in Darfur, Sudan, which in the recent words of Goal’s John O’Shea "the international community has all but abandoned".
A taster for the latest Camping compilation, EP 1 captures the edgy atmosphere of a three-day warehouse party in Berlin. Ben Klock’s ‘Similar Colours’ is a dark, jacking acid track, while Ellen Allien’s take on Safety Scissors’ ‘Where Is Germany’ juxtaposes menacing, brooding riffs with a shuffling groove that Kompakt would kill for.
Ceol ’07 is the third instalment of an annual compilation, created as part of Seachtain Na Gaeilge, which collects native-language tracks from contemporary Irish pop/rock groups.
The debut on Magda’s new label defies expectations. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the infectious chords and squelchy bass of Konrad Black’s ‘Coma Couch Surfing’, was the latest Clone release, and Troy Pierce’s ‘The Day After Yesterday’ surprises again with an old school Chicago jam.
Rogues Gallery, can be roughly – if fancifully – described as a Hallowe’en masqued ball staged on a decrepit ghost galleon. Featuring a cast of hundreds arrayed over two albums and 43 tunes, it’s an unruly assembly whose various belchings, bilgings and bemoanings lurch in tone and timbre from the bawdy to the doleful.
James Holden and Milky Globe (aka Lo boss Jon Tye) team up for a synapse-frying excursion on ‘Sun Spots’ that starts like Seefeel, before mutating into deadly Aphex-inspired off-kilter electro-oddness – fractured beats, pulsing sub-bass and drifting melodies. Tye and Nathan Fake’s dubstep-inspired ‘Lava Flow’ is even better, sucking you into an acid-flecked netherworld before making you cry with haunting reversed melodies and really scary FX washes. Top.
Fancy a good old root through Dave Fanning's CD collection? While that may not be strictly possible, you can always settle for a close second: have a listen to the 50 choicest singles, as decided by the man himself, from Prefab Sprout to Franz Ferdinand.
Fancy a good old root through Dave Fanning's CD collection? While that may not be strictly possible, you can always settle for a close second: have a listen to the 50 choicest singles, as decided by the man himself, from Prefab Sprout to Franz Ferdinand.
From the legendary names of Van Morrison and Rory Gallagher, through local heroes like Rudi and Stump, to 21st Century Irish stars like Bell X1 and Snow Patrol, this album is definitely worthy of its name. An impressive trip through five decades of Irish Musical History indeed.
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
SOLD OUT
With any collection of this sort, some tracks don’t work as well as others. However, there are so many highlights here that it seems churlish to focus on the few that don’t work.
Sixteen stone-cold dancehall classics from the last decade. Tracks from the likes of Shabba, Super Cat, Junior Reid, Mad Lion and – of course – Chaka Demus and Pliers make this the best ’90s dancehall album in the world ever.
Like our friends in the North, DJ Hell and Gigolos haven’t gone away, you know. On the latest annual Gigolos compilation, the German label keeps up with the changing times and features Tiefschwarz’s body-house rocker ‘Blow’, Play Paul’s electro-pop ‘Love Song’ and the psy-disco of Emperor Machine’s mix of Psychonauts.
When he’s not off partying with Sven Vath or DJing for three days in a row, Richie Hawtin runs the Minus label and its latest compilation runs the full gamut of the techno spectrum, from his own skeletal ‘Circles’ to Mathew Jonson’s full-blooded bass track, ‘Rainforest’.
From the '70s porn image on the cover to Comtron's pervy contributions, there's no doubt that Black Label have hit on a strain of electro that's high in the sleaze stakes.
Free party types Spiral Tribe – they were behind the legendary 1992 Castlemorton rave - deliver a compilation as well as a DVD documenting their travels. If you’re into going apeshit to industrial techno and psychedelic trance in a disused factory in Slovakia, then this is for you. If not, avoid it.
It’s another year, so that means another compilation from the ever-reliable NRK. Musically, it’s the same deep, flowing techy house as ever, with contributions from Miguel Migs, David Alvarado and Nick Holder and a mix CD from Hipp-E.
There’s enough 1970s-style rock and roll on this wildly eclectic album to boot it firmly out of the folk category. But with the likes of Andy Irvine, Martin Hayes, Cara Dillon and Bert Jansch on board as well, who’s to argue? Besides, it’s a good cause. With all profits going to the Ulster Wildlife Trust and the WWF, this labour of love by music journo Colin Harper is – amazingly – the first wildlife charity recording since the Beatles gave ‘Across The Universe’ to No One’s Gonna Change Our World back in 1969.
Tonight’s noisily chatty office-party crowd are certainly excited about something, but it may or may not be Life After Modelling. They should be, though: the Lifers’ short set is a compact bang-zap of straight-as-a-die Noughties post-punk, leavened by dreamlike, hand-holdey boy-girl harmonies.
Taking the ‘concept’ compilation to a new level of daftness is ‘We Can…’, which sees 70s funk and soul legends like Tina Turner, Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder take on The Beatles’ back catalogue. Times must be tough over at Harmless.
Mad German techno woman Ellen Alien’s Bpitch label is often as much of a miss as a hit, but this compilation has more highlights than lowlights. Kiki, Sascha Funke and Paul Kalkbrenner, as well as Mode Selektor in more accessible mode, all contribute to this fine compilation.
Old dub reggae bands don’t retire, they just transform themselves into DJs and mix compilations like ‘Beatz & Bobz’. Dreadzone deliver exactly what you’d expect from a typical breaks set, although the ravey ‘High Noon’ by Tom Real and Renegade Sound Wave’s bass rumble are the undoubted highlights.
Compiled and mixed by Joe Ransom – no, we’ve never heard of him either – this mix features some breaks, some hip-hop a dash of house and electro and, as a grand finale, Dynamite’s tale of woe about working in the music business, ‘Industry’.
The surprise huge success of last year’s EBTTRT album proved that, despite the continuing bootleg craze, there’s still a market for the gentle cover version, and that people are prepared to dig in their pockets for charity records.
If you thought Switzerland was a boring place then think again, as this compilation collects minimal and electro strands of house and techno from underground names like Quenum & Lee Van Dowski, Crowdpleaser and Ben Larsen.
Soma’s annual compilation doesn’t yield any great surprises, but, like the label itself, it’s solid and reliable with tracks from Envoy, Funk D’Void and newcomer Alex Smoke.
Bringing together the diverse strands of modern electro, this brilliant compilation on Device features nu Italo from Bangkok Impact and Legowelt, Chicago meets The Hague on Orgue Electronique’s ‘La Notti Del Terrore’ and purist electro breaks from Porn Darsteller and Johnny Cortex.
With its ambitious subtitle promising future volumes, this CD has been compiled to benefit the purchase of flutes and the provision of bursaries and master classes for emerging musicians.
As you might expect, the sound and mixing quality falls down on a track or two, but for the most part it’s of an extremely high standard, and there are some real gems here.
Grand Central’s roster display a wide spectrum of influences on ‘Autumn’, from
classic Motown soul to off beat folktronica and even some indie-electro from rising star Riton.
Tanty unveils its latest collection of bowel shattering basslines, plaintive lyrics and melancholy vibes from Jah Warrior, Dub Funk Association and The Interrupter.
Josh Wink’s label shows its diversity on this compilation: alternating between lush techno from David Alvarado, Steve Bug’s minimalism, D’Julz 303 fixation and Yann Fontaine’s deep house, ‘Fall Collection’ is a fine collection of underground dance floor music.
Boybands, Girlbands, Rock Bands, Pop Bands. They were all on show today in the Phoenix Park.
To the 100,000 strong crowd who turned out to see over 30 acts perform, it was a hugely enjoyable afternoon, the 30-odd minute walk through the park to the site notwithstanding.
Coming at us from South Africa, this collection of electronic music veers into the ‘ethnic chill parody’ section on a few occasions, but some of the contributions, including RSL feat. Ladysmith Black Mambaazo’s ‘Elungelo’, are well worth a listen.
Back in 1977, English folksinger Peter Bellamy made a recording called ‘The Transports: A Ballad Opera’ that still makes it into lists of great folk albums of all time; just recently, MoJo magazine went so far as to highlight it as one of the ‘Top 100 Recordings of the 20th Century’.
There’s lots of great talent around. I’ve been saying so for what seems like centuries, but even my normally positive outlook received a pleasant jolt by the quality of much on offer here.
Names like Lord Composer & The Silver Seas Orchestra, Harold Richardson & The Ticklers and Lord Messam & His Calypsonians mightn’t mean much here but in Jamaica they’re the stuff legends are made of
Shot back in the days when the participants were more familiar with malt whiskey than alt country, this new release of a rough and ready early 70s documentary offers a wonderfully intimate view of the fertile Texas music scene
During the years 1936-39, more than 45,000 individuals from over 50 countries travelled to Spain to volunteer as soldiers in the (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to repel the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco. Pennsylvania-based Appleseed Recordings have now brought out this 17-song collection of songs inspired by the conflict.
During the years 1936-39, more than 45,000 individuals from over 50 countries travelled to Spain to volunteer as soldiers in the (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to repel the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco. Pennsylvania-based Appleseed Recordings have now brought out this 17-song collection of songs inspired by the conflict.
The 20 recordings on this 70-minute CD were made between 1997 and 2001 at the piping festival held each November under the auspices of the Armagh Pipers’ Club.
Elusive come good with a collection of Irish electronic music that ranges in styles from dreamy sound scapes, glitchy cut-ups and wiry hip-hop to the beautiful folksy feel of Jimmy Behan’s ‘Normal Situation’.
If someone unfamiliar with the current crop of Irish musicians were to cock an ear to Other Voices 2, they could be forgiven for thinking that Ireland’s rock ‘n’ rollers were mellowing out.
This compilation brings together a tenuously-linked group of artists who got tired of waiting for record companies to open their ears and decided to release their own music.
Hot on the heels of The Darkness' blitzkrieging of The Brits – is it me or is Justin's lunchbox getting bigger? – comes this equally bulging 38-track compendium of cock rock heroes past.
As I’ve mentioned about 85 times before, given the choice between leprosy and most major label compilations, I normally go the ulcerated and gangrenous limb route. The Best Of Acoustic is different..
Internet-only label Thinner delivers a brilliant compilation of clicky, dubby house and deep techy tracks from Johan Skugge, Dialogue, Eloi Brunelle and Dennis DeSantis.
Seminal German dub techno label Poker Flat’s latest compilation features great club tunes from Jeff Bennett, Steve Bug and Jeff Samuel as well as a bonus mix CD from Jon Tejada.
The days of pop dominance are over. The worm has turned, and a whole new slew of blood and guts rock and roll bands are coming through with records that carry more than a hint of greatness. The darkling posse is headed by the Kings Of Leon – but there are outfits from all over the world who will be vying for poll position over the coming 12 months.
Both these albums serve a valuable purpose in giving new bands a vehicle to be heard, but more attention in the quality control departments would stop the true gems suffering in the presence of the merely mundane.
An increasingly popular platform for emerging and established talent, this monthly showcase (run in conjunction with IMRO) has been hanging the “House Full” signs of late.
Again, it is showcase nights like these that remind us of Irish music’s capacity to evolve and remain self-sufficient, without the clout of the industry which claims to wholeheartedly endorse the scene.
It’s refreshingly pleasant to watch sets by bands that seem so thrilled and honoured to be playing on a decent stage in front of a healthy-sized audience.
Fancy yourself a bit of a space oddity? Like your makeup zigzagged? Don't miss Rock'n'roll Suicide: A Celebration Of The Works Of David Bowie, featuring acoustic homages (by various Dublin bands) to the chameleon of rock
You might think that Dublin needs another acoustic-flavoured album on the market like it needs a SARS epidemic, yet this is a joyous mixed bag of intimate-sounding folk, upbeat indie and ’80s fused electronica.
Driven along by their now trademark keys, ‘Last Of The Big Time Benders’, ‘Sing Song Sung’ and soon-to-be-released single ‘I Built A Gun’ are as good a triumvirate of tunes as you’ll hear from any young(ish) Irish band.
You'll already have heard that the winner of our Face The Music competition (and for that matter the grand-prize winner of €2000 worth of gear from Richer Sounds) - was one Derek Dunne of Drumcondra. Well, here are the few, the proud, the runners-up (...and we do mean "the few")
This fascinating album sits down fiddler Séamus Creagh, accordionist Aidan Coffey and guitarist Mick Daly alongside five of their Newfoundland counterparts, to collaborate on tunes from both traditions.
But what about the music? If it did feature what was described recently as the “usual suspects” there’s no denying the popularity of the current class of 2003.Short sets from Lisa Bresnan, Bellxi’s Paul Noonan, Leya and Nina Hynes got the show on the road with Bresnan in particular impressing everyone present with her knock-out voice.
Obviously, it’s the album of the TV show, which is for the most part absolutely brilliant, where the crème de la crème of the Irish music community, along with a few adopted extras, decamped to St James’ Church, Dingle, for a week of gigs.
With something of a renaissance having taken place in the Dublin independent scene over the past few years, now seems as good a time as any to bring ourselves fully up to speed with the sounds emanating from the Belfast underground.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Heineken Rollercoaster Tour 2003 arrives in Castlebar tonight for the final show, and after Waterford, Cork, Tralee, Dublin, Maynooth, Sligo, Carlow, Athlone, Limerick and Galway, everybody appears to be present and correct.
With titles like ‘Cum When You Cum’, ‘Cafe Necrofilia’ and ‘Wasted So Ferociously Stoned’, The Unsuspecting Public will probably not be playing at a folk mass anywhere near you in the forseeable future
Music Industry Xplained, now in its third year at Dun Laoghaire Colege of Further Education, is now open for applications for the course beginning Septemer 23
As an introduction for those unfamiliar with the music, it’s not half bad, with veterans Seán Keane and Charlie Lennon coexisting comfortably with young turks Slide and lesser-known artists like Mary Staunton, Céide and Irish-American singer Cathie Ryan.
It ‘s upsetting, however, that the specific track choices here frequently reduce truly great artists with vari-coloured work, and a number of obsessions and preoccupations, to their one track that most addresses what a lecturer at my university used to call The Ongoing Fight.
Those fine people what brought you Wonky and Wonky2 announce multi-band, multi-media Paddy's Day Weekend frolics in new Wexford St venue The Village. Confirmed bands include The Jimmy Cake, Enon and Uptown Racquet Club
Comparing the insipid, whiney ramblings of The Offspring and Rancid to the incendiary anthems of movement-instigators The Sex Pistols, The New York Dolls and The Ramones is like comparing a firecracker to a nuclear explosion. But then you already knew that
Those fine people what brought you Wonky and Wonky2 announce multi-band, multi-media Paddy's Day Weekend blowout in new Wexford St venue The Village. Confirmed bands include The Jimmy Cake, Enon and Uptown Racquet Club
The Heineken Rollercoaster Tour is taking to the road again and this time the capital is nobody’s hometown gig. From Kells come Turn, from Limerick Woodstar and from Cork The Frank and Walters. Next stop: a venue near you.
As a sort of accompaniment to Hot Press' current cover story on the Heineken Rollercoaster Tour bill-sharers, we decided to make 'em our Archive Artists Of The Week. Getcher old news stories, getcher reviews, getcher interviews. You know you want 'em
One of the new breed of value for your euro events with a free CD-R for the first 100 punters, this is the ultimate anecdote to the rip off of spiralling ticket costs.
The Green Room Sessions Presents - Heineken's brand-new, totally free-gratis-and-for-nothing gig series - hits the music venues of the nation starting late February. First band up: Lemon Jelly. Read on for details
With little to offer in the visuals department – five blokes playing guitars whilst remaining stationary having lost its allure many years ago – The Thrills instead hope to get by on sheer pop class instead.
Often quite beautiful, yes, and probably perfectly matched to the visuals, but it doesn’t make this an album to which you’ll necessarily want to return to again and again.
It’s the battle of the unsigned. Five winners from individual Ignition gigs are tonight going for gold on the TBMC stage in an attempt to blag the €2,000 recording time that’ll be awarded to the winner.
Aspiring John Cassavetteses, Sam Mendeses and Martin Scorseses take note: Lights, Camera, Action - a seminar on video editing and production organised by Apple Computers - comes to the Music Centre on January 29
Comedy hit a spectacular high in 2002 with the success of The Office, The League of Gentlemen and Bachelor’s Walk. But there may be even better to come this year, as three generations of Irish comic talent tell us.
Ten, nine, eight… we count down the contenders for 2003. Words Hannah Hamilton, Colin Carberry, Niall Stokes, Richard Brophy, John Walshe, Eamon Sweeney and Stuart Clark
8 Mile has opened in the States to rave reviews and a rapturous public reception. The film soundtrack, masterminded by Eminem, deserves more of the same
It’s Christmas, time for some of the leading lights of the Irish musical family to return from far-flung stages and convene for a traditional evening of reflection, revelation, conversation, merriment and, well, gargle. The guests: Glen Hansard and Colm Mac Con Iomaire of The Frames, Gemma Hayes, Mundy and David Kitt.
One-off clubs, chillout nights, New Year's Eve events and of course gigs, gigs, and more gigs to suit your every mood: hotpress.com picks the very best stuff to do over the holiday
The MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 may have been a bit of a damp squib, but an electrifying Foo Fighters, a boards-sweeping Eminem and a nekkid Christina Aguilera prevented it from being a total washout.
Even aside from the abundance of quality tracks, the boo boos have a tongue in cheek “I know I’m making a fool of myself but I don’t care” twang to them
Glastonbury denied an entertainment license due to "inadequate security, damage to local environment" and having "outgrown" its usual festival grounds. "We are not too bothered," says founder Michael Eavis, who plans to appeal. "I think it's going to be fine"
Christy Moore, Paul Brady and Paddy Moloney to publicly oppose Section 21 of new Arts Bill, which proposes to financially separate traditional music from the rest of the Arts Council's remit
Ten years on we come upon a timely update showcasing some of the artists featured on the first album as well as a pleasure cruise through some not catered for back then
This reviewer’s problem is with the ‘Hits’ part of the title. It means that all the songs are necessarily singles, and therefore not necessarily the work of bands at their musical best
'Tis the season, so it's Christmas gigs a-go-go with Woodstar, Josh'n'James, the Juice Machine and a Very Corpo Christmas Caper to say the least. Ho ho ho
Barcelona might have Sonar, but, on the strength of its debut outing, Dublin’s DEAF is also set to become an essential date in the global electronic diary.
Get ready for new Dublin rom-com Goldfish Memory - not to mention its soundtrack, featuring Hedrock Valley Beats, Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan and Glen Hansard among others
Irish festivalgoers are going to be spoilt for choice next year, as Witnness, Green Energy and Slane will be sharing the calendar with an Irish version of (wait for it!) the Reading Festival
The quadruple-covered collector's edition of your favourite mag is dangerously close to selling out nationwide - so we need your help restocking while it lasts. Yes there IS something in it for you, since you ask
Want to be a singer/dancer/actor (circle as appropriate), do you? Or are you just an attention junkie? Either way, Ireland's first-ever Showbiz Bootcamp (featuring your guide, "life coach" Judymay Murphy) will sort you out
The proceeds from a new CD featuring the cream of Ireland’s musical talent including U2, Sinéad O’Connor and Ash will benefit people living with mental illness
DEAF (The Dublin Electronic Arts Festival) turns the Guinness Storehouse on, starting Saturday October 26th; and the Fleadh Electronic brings an acoustic-electric collision to Vicar Street on the 27th
U2, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and Phil Lynott go postal this month as a new set of Irish commemorative postage stamps is released - and Hot Press get into the act with an also-commemorative four-cover special to match. As the man said, save 'em, swop 'em, collect 'em all
A thrilling collision in the Guinness Storehouse between the aural and visual worlds, Wonky2 - brainchild of Leagues O'Toole - proved that at some parties, you don't have to check your mind in at the door
Maybe the place is just too big, maybe the sound's too low or the songs too weak, but rapt musical attention is giving way to inflatable chair fights and beery boredom
Seven hours and ten DJs later, it seems clear at this, the first Smirnoff Experience since the summer break, that dance music is in shockingly good health
In the second part of our two-part competition and pop-video bonanza, watch the D.A.D.D.Y.-produced animated video for Warlords of Pez's 'Padre Pio', and enter to win a copy of Kicking Against... Nuggets from the New Irish Overground
This compilation on new label Remote Audio brings together some of the more daring explorations of the style, combining tough dance floor shapes with blissed-out electronic textures
Like its predecessors, this double CD features some of the finest Irish and international artists in a pared-down, mostly unplugged setting, letting the songs do the talking
To most clubbers Smirnoff Experience has become synonymous with cutting edge club-nights all around Ireland, representing house, progressive, trance and, tonight, the harder end of dance music
Barry Murphy, Risteard Cooper and friends - Apres Match to you - head the bill at tonight's big little homecoming party for the Irish World Cup side tonight in the Phoenix Park. Oh yeah... some lot called Westlife are playing as well
In a sense, ATP is an anti-festival. Each year's 'curator' - the band who decide what other acts to invite - is willfully chosen on the grounds of their rejection or open denunciation of the mainstream music system
The finalists, chosen from the hundreds of entries received, were all winners of the regional heats that had taken place up and down the country since January
Wonky was conceived for the eyes and ears as a celebration of the best live bands around sharing a stage with the best new electronic producers with the most entertaining visual backdrop possible courtesy of D.A.D.D.Y. and Del-9
The Reindeer Section return with not-difficult-at-all second album; Del 9 get The Frames animated; Kevin Shields produces Primal Scream; and The Sabbath means no work and all play
This soundtrack is essentially a collage of the work of three bands - Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays - with a few house tunes and the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Clash thrown in for good measure
Fierce Northern Irish guitarristas Indigo Fury win Bacardi / Hot Press Plugged Band Of The Year - and go home with no less than EUR30,000 worth of music industry goodies. Congratulations! ...Lend us a tenner, willya
The penultimate heat of this increasingly tense battle for a coveted place in next month's grand final saw five more contenders fight it out at this fine venue on the banks of the Shannon
Welcome to the world of electro-breaks, an underground world populated by Radioactive Man, Dublin's own Decal and the somewhat more mellow Transparent Sound
An enjoyable mix of drum and bass, broken, loungey beats and straight-up deep house, it succeeds where so many other compilations fail - it gets the balance right
The third Dublin heat of this year's increasingly interesting battle saw five very diverse acts slugging it out for a coveted place in April’s grand final
Bristol label NRK are undoubtedly one of the finest house labels in the world and this, their fourth ‘best of’ compilation speaks volumes for the ruthless quality control regime they exert
The third heat in the Bacardi/Hotpress 'Plugged' Band Of The Year showcased a pleasingly diverse bill of young guns intent on making their mark and hoping to emulate last year's winners, Woodstar, in securing a major label deal
London alternative station XFM comes to Dublin - the Jameson distillery, to be exact - for Patrick's Day. On hand to enjoy tunes, competitions and free booze will be Hot Press and, possibly, you. Read on
The Flowers remain as positively charged as ever, and songs like 'Hallelujah Jordan' and 'Don't Go' remain among the best to come from an Irish band, but there is a uniform harmlessness to their work that begins to pall before too long
It's kind of hard to get over-excited about this relatively faceless kind of electronica as so much of it is often hit and miss - with a thin line between one and the other. Happily, the majority of the 11 tracks here remain on the right side of the line
Look! Up in the sky! On 150 movie screens nationwide! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Hot Press' first-ever cinema advert! Extra popcorn not included
Boasting a truly diverse line-up that united house music in all its various hues, as well as some good old fashioned rave attitude courtesy of Orbital, this was an extravaganza that lived up to the hype.
The final outfit to hit the stage are Horizon, and there's no doubting the classic, American rock influence running through them.
The judges thought they did enough to give them the nod in what was a tight contest indeed.
The future in nifty twelve-point type, summoned for you out of the ether by the Oracle of Hot Press, the redoubtable, all-powerful, spookily omniscient, scarily prescient, frighteningly knowledgeable but really quite friendly when you get to know him, Old Hayden. Read it and live better
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a Historic Irish Pop Moment. No. 1 DJ in the Hot Press Readers' Poll? says Tom Dunne to Dave Fanning. I'll have that, cheers...
For a start, the tracks – from the deeper gear {Soul Patrol) to the quirky (Derrick Carter’s bumpin’ mix of the amazing Hot Lizard, Unslung Heroes) to the downright dirty and tribal (Eastside Movement, New Alumunists, Hipp-E and most of the others) – are excellent.
Superstars, rock stars, movie stars, sports stars, tv stars, authors, actors, artists, comedians, politicians, broadcasters, astrologers, chefs, outlaws, weirdoes, dingbats and Lee Scratch Perry...
The predominant style on High Altitude, the label’s first compilation, is a deep, fluid approach rather than the more familiar, tough military-style breaks.
Heading in the opposite direction of their peers, SSR, under the guiding hand of DJ Morpheus, have put together a double CD of hard-to-find, previously unavailable left-field tracks
Allthough Guidance have a habit of churning out meandering deep house compilations, this 14-track label mix stands out for one particular reason – noodle house it ain’t.
The Burden brothers and their 430 West label have been responsible for some of the finest dance floor house and techno to come from Detroit over the last decade.
The plaudits that the first volume in the series received from such luminaries as Steve Lemaq and DJ Magazine are legion, and happily this volume is more of the same.
While Belgian club Eskimo will go down in history as being the only promoters to throw a party in a disused underwear factory, they obviously aren’t content to rest on their laurels (no pun intended).
Internet radio station Groovetech launches their record label with a compilation, and who better to compile it than the Milesahead crew, regular broadcasters on the digital station.
Baz Luhrmann’s forthcoming musical is set in the 19th century, features classic songs from the 20th and was made in the 21st. A lot of big names – Bowie, Beck, Bono – have been co-opted to make this soundtrack more interesting than your average movie tie-in.
Black America mightn’t have wanted a martyr like Tupac Shakur, but they got him anyway. This latest selection is the first of two double albums culled from Shakur’s dreadful “Makaveli” period.
Wall Of Sound leave bigbeat behind (we’ll miss you) and jump on the cred-ship with some nifty licensing action. Telle are the Norwegian label that brought you the Kings Of Convenience and Annie’s wondrous ‘Greatest Hit’, unsurprisingly included here, along with the hitherto unheard of (to most) talents of DJ and producer Erot and company.
Chicago house label Guidance have a bit of a following amongst “those who know”. And why not? Apart from a couple of misses, their output is generally on-point in a very non-threatening kind of way.
You had to be there, I guess. Except of course that there was actually then, 1977, and I was 15 and Ian Dury and the Blockheads released New Boots And Panties and that was the first time I ever heard the words sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll used in the same sentence.
Despite the potential horrors of selling Irish music to an American audiences, Green Linnet has managed to avoid many of the attendant clichés that have plagued Celtic music overseas.
Not even a suspect device on the railway line could prevent the Bacardi/hotpress team from reaching Belfast for the Northern leg of the new-look plugged format.
First on stage tonight were Lucas, whose songs were melodic and meandering but with enough unexpected twists to maintain interest, and an ultra-confident singer boasting a voice like Vedder's, but with high notes.
Once you see the names Brian Eno and David Holmes printed on a soundtrack tracklist, you know it has to possess at least some serious heavyweight potential.
Once you see the names Brian Eno and David Holmes printed on a soundtrack tracklist, you know it has to possess at least some serious heavyweight potential.
While Ireland's club scene is often praised, sometimes excessively, there is no parallel between the standard of Irish nightlife and the quality of indigenous dance music production.
Bristol house label Nrk deliver the third chapter of their Nite:Life mix project, with San Fran man Miguel Migs at the helm. Mr Migs has had a pretty good year so far: a plethora of releases on Large, Yoshi Toshi and Nrk and the like.
The ultimate heist movie, The Italian Job was everything the British wanted to be in the late sixties: full of street-savvy wit and push-your-luck cheek; astoundingly sharp-dressed in an era of longhaired hippie unwashedness; nation-conqueringly sexy; composed and smirking with hubris in the face of sure disaster.
So… Blair Witch 2 has hit the big screen and Mr Manson has assumed charge of all things original sound track. Quite fitting really. The musical emulation of hype, eyeliner and distortion pedals meets the cinematic emulation of forests, shaky cameras crews and things that go bump in the night.
The album title may not leave much to the imagination, but the best of Plus 8 proves that, during its seven-year existence [from 1990 to 1997] Hawtin and Acquaviva’s label pushed the boundaries of techno more than arguably any other imprint.
The Christmas album concept isn't fairing too well in the credibility stakes, mainly thanks to the ‘milk-it’ strategies that Cliff Richard and Dustin have perfected.
Older jazz sources may have been incorporated into techno, house, hip-hop and drum'n'bass in recent years, but this phenomenon hasn't stopped the sound itself from progressing independently, on its own terms.
That we have a very strong core of songwriters who have not yet made it to a high level of prominence is an accepted fact; it is also true that there are those who with a little encouragement, discipline and luck, would
make it to a higher level. This CD, mixed bag though it is, is ample proof that there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
For the last decade, Germany’s Tresor has been the most consistent supporter of US influenced techno, and, as many independent record labels continue to fold, it’s testament to Tresor’s lasting power that they’ve managed to reach their eighth compilation in as many years.
The sub-title says it all. You really couldn't sum up Alan McGee's arrogant revisionism of British music in the last fifteen or so years in a better and more overblown phrase. Despite the illusions of grandeur, there is no denying Creation's mighty influence.
It’s been six years since Full Cycle’s last compilation, Music Box, and in the interim things have changed radically. Reprazent winning the Mercury Prize may have helped the label gain more exposure, while Through The Eyes shows that the tightly linked roster are content to plough on with scant regard for their public image.
Ten years ago a trip to Japan inspired Coldcut duo Jonathon Moore and Matt Black to free themselves from the shackles of major label contracts and set up Ninja Tune, an innovative, experimental and eccentric label like no other.
Before Aerosmith and Run DMC joined forces for the classic ‘Walk This Way’, it was thought unthinkable. Metal? and Rap?? Together???! But in this, the decade of fusion, the boundaries have been well and truly broken by Korn, Limp Bizkit and others. It was only a matter of time before some clever soul squeezed the concoction of pseudo rap/metal on to compilation disc.
Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon’s Classic stamp reaches its third compilation, and there’s no let up in the quality control department. In a period when so many house producers are still looking to the disco filter as a device to gain attention, it’s revealing that the Classic stable looks to funk sources and employs more subtle, minimal house grooves.
Hell’s piss-ripping Munich-based Deejay Gigolo’s label has always looked to sources more diverse than most of the body popping stamps, and their fourth collection proves that they’re still way ahead of the competition.
The third in maverick Howie B’s conceptual compilations (following spy-funker Pussy Galore and porn-shocker Suck It And See) where Pussy artists from around the globe interpret the theme… in this instance, cartoons.
The late Tim Buckley, father of the less talented Jeff, was a sixties singer-songwriter whose extraordinary vocal range gave him one of the most lyrical voices of his generation.
This double-CD by a variety of generally B-list alt-rockers gallantly falls somewhat short of their hero’s achievements.
Collections should sometimes carry a health warning.
Temple Records are responsible for this release, a gabháilful of fine musicians, most with Scottish roots, purveying a snakecharmer's mix of slow airs, songs and dance tunes, played on Scotland's stalwart instruments. And that's where the Surgeon General needs to step, centrestage, scalpel in hand.
The Pure Bodhrán - The Definitive Collection is an interesting come all ye exercise that doesn't quite manage to gather the momentum it promises.
Versatile and eclectic as the bodhrán is, it simply doesn't have the strength of personality (at least on the tunes collected here) to hold a double album together.
Here we have a good-but-not-great anthology of lost songs and remixes from City Slang - home over the years to alt-faves as diverse as Gallon Drunk, Hole and Sebadoh, and more recently Calexico, Yo La Tengo and Lambchop - who are celebrating ten years in 2000.
Mission: Impossible 2 opens with a bit of a damp squib - Limp Bizkit's 'Take A Look Around', in which Fred Durst ruins Lalo Schifrin's original Mission Impossible theme with the addition of a lacklustre rap and the occasional burst of noise.
While last September's Homelands Ireland debut was unquestionably a great day out, the sleeve notes here take the hyperbole to new found hyperbollocks levels.
Every once in a while an Irish dance compilation appears. Sometimes, it's nothing more than a corporate giant flexing muscles or, in the case of the D1 and Bassbin collections, a taster for greater things to come.
Damon Albarn is certainly keeping busy. Not content with helping Michael Nyman score the movie Ravenous, the Blur frontman embarks on his first solo work for Thaddeus O'Sullivan's Martin Cahill biopic:
Mixing beats to ethnic samples is nothing new. Increasingly it has moved toward a bland, easy-listening, new ageism that is non-aggressive and uncontroversial.
The Apache Tribe label is an offshoot of a Belfast clothes shop that prides itself on being much more than just a store - a hybrid of modern culture showcasing the previously hidden talents of local DJs and first-time producers from as far afield as South Africa.
ALTHOUGH FEATURING a wide-ranging supporting cast that includes pedal steel player about town BJ Cole, Ann Dudley and Rush's Geddy Lee, Euphoria is essentially guitarist Ken Ramm's project.
By this stage, you're no doubt aware that Bono co-wrote this movie and provides no less than six songs on the soundtrack, some with his old muckers in U2 and others with The Million Dollar Hotel Band, which prises the likes of Lanois and Eno away from the desk and into more standard musical roles.
I haven't seen the movie which spawned this soundtrack, but the music certainly stands up on its own and should prove another winner for Madonna's Maverick label.
A new Danny Boyle flick is never complete without a hyped to the hilt, in yer face compilation of the current cream of trendies, and The Beach is no exception.
"14 finger clicking choons from the Sunny South" reads the upful by-line from Southern Fried - a collection of music from producers based in and around the Cork area.
This mini-album had its genesis in the Irish tour undertaken late last year by The Frames, Jubilee Allstars, David Kitt and Dave Cleary, but it's calibre makes it more than just a souvenir of that jaunt.
Seka/Sister is a marathon collection of 22 songs from a plethora of artists (both well known and obscure) in aid of a women and children's refuge in Croatia.
Seka/Sister is a marathon collection of 22 songs from a plethora of artists (both well known and obscure) in aid of a women and children's refuge in Croatia.
Galway’s stable for unsigned talent, Origin Records, involving both the Zhivago Record store and Cuba live venue, follow up the successful release of this year’s To Boldly Go compilation with yet another album. This time, nine unsigned Galway-based acts contribute eighteen original tracks.
THESE TWO compilations have been released to commemorate the tenth anniversary of promoter Vince Power's hugely successful annual celebration of Irish music.
Covers and Others showcases the work of eight up-and-coming Northern Ireland bands. The general genre is straight-up rock, with many of the featured bands comprising guitar, vocals, bass and drums.
So it must be summer when the British Foreign Legion, fuelled by lager and libido, embark on their annual pilgrimage to the Clubber's Mecca and spiritual home of pills n' thrills and bellyaches that is Ibiza.
Ór, meaning gold, is indeed a suitable title for this collaboration between two of Ireland's finest acoustic labels, bringing together as it does 16 tracks going back over a 30-year period, which indicate at first glance just what a rich seam our native music mines.
Celebrating ten years in existence this year, the Ballyfermot Rock School has come in for more than its share of criticism over the years ."You can't teach rock n roll" is the main accusation levelled at it, and there's an element of truth in that.
All too often movie soundtracks are bland affairs, with the now traditional love ballad leading the charge towards chart success. Thankfully, this one takes a couple of risks.
Where there's a crisis or a human catastrophe, a charity album is never far behind, with artists, major and minor, eager to be seen to be doing something to ease the suffering of the victims.
Another of Blood And Fire's excellent collection/samplers from their range of classier '70s reggae/dub plates - and it's good! Heavyweight 3 features 14 tracks from the likes of Horace Andy, Bim Sherman and Johnny Clarke, showcasing some of the era's most exciting sounds, punk notwithstanding.
In the broad arena, the Irish language has rarely been given the credit it deserves. Reasons abound for this state of affairs - a cack-handed policy regarding its teaching since the State's foundations, the cosy 'club' atmosphere of some of those who use it, alluded to by Liam O'Maonlai in a recent interview in this magazine, and the 'what use is it' brigade shouting from the rooftops.
The Faltering Flame is a collection of poems and songs united behind the common theme of striving for peace in Northern Ireland. All the profits from the sale of this CD go to the Cornerstone and Currach projects, two bodies working with mixed community groups on the peace line in Belfast. Needless to say, it's a very worthy cause and deserves your support.
Previously better known for its strengths in traditional music, Galway is now playing host to some very strong contenders in the rock arena. Its status as a college town has, no doubt, something to do with this, but then it has always been a melting pot for fusion of ideas.
This second country-influenced collection in a series that started with Viva Americana is something of a double-edged sword - for a fan of the genre it is a treasure trove of demos, live or alternate takes, rare tracks and exclusive recordings of select artists from the Americana stable.
ELEANOR MacEVOY has a lot to answer for. Without her that little vessel that goes lub-a-dub-dub every time a stethoscope gets near it would still be languishing in the advertising pages of the Irish Medical Times, all arteries and veins, but no soul.
COINCIDENTALLY during the week the CIA opened its files on the JFK assassination, Americans had another reason to flash back to 1963: the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the March On Washington for Civil Rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In celebration of this milestone, initially made historic by the "I Have A Dream" speech, March On, an album focusing on the theme of civil rights, has been released.
If, as has been rumoured, they introduce an Honours List in this country as a means of acknowledging valuable contributions to the community, we'll have to propel the Danceline duo to the front of the queue.
THERE WAS a time when the magical words "for charity" were the guarantee of any old tat selling a million but nowadays, cynicism being what it is, there has to be musical substance to the good intentions.
