Shed on Arrival

Techno composer Edwin James’ masterful second album I Am Corrugated is now available on his seedyR imprint, and he's confirmed a homecoming tour date for his native Cork on November 28 when he’ll grace the Electric Underground club.

Midlands producer Johnny Pluse has had four tracks from his recent album signed to the Swiss funk label Pig Balls. He's also remixed their upcoming single ‘Drop Out’ by Pulp Fusion for November vinyl release.
Meanwhile, this fortnight Johnny’s own Bulabeats stamp drops ‘Dubtown’ and ‘Wicked Situation’ from Dublin drum ’n’ bass DJ, Obese.
Sligo’s Jason McGibney is best known as Jason Young, and his awesome remix of Novy vs Eniac’s ‘Pumpin’ has been followed by an equally chunky version of Seb Fontaine & Jay P’s ‘Lovebite’. On sale now at Beatport, its international supporters include Robbie Rivera, Joy Kitikonti and Funkagenda, no less.
Techno DJ, record shop owner and Give Us The Night campaigner Sunil Sharpe also manages to find time to write a few tunes and Dave Clarke has been giving radio exposure to his upcoming The Blabbermouth EP on new Irish label Bastardo Electrico, which is the lovechild of Cork DJ Jamie Behan.
The EP includes a remix by Stimulus Records’ mainman Paul Mac and will be swiftly followed by the Leeside imprint’s second offering, Mike McCoy and Glenn Keohane’s Reflections EP. This will feature a treatment by Manchester’s Kevin Gorman.
Monad Music’s latest single comes from Dublin-based producer Djamel, whose recent outing ‘Quit Buggin’’ received massive heavyweight DJ support. Newbie ‘Manipulate The Data’ is deep, melodic, twisted tech-house armed with an intense reworking from the label’s owner Barry Dempsey.
Dublin record emporium All City’s Beat series is up to its fifth release, which comes from Lyon-based beat maker Le n?ko (pronounced Le neko). It’s a funky double A-side of French hip-hop with ‘Akedam’ and ‘Apprendre’ marking his solo debut.
Tech-trance whiz Bryan Kearney has two new remixes out this month. His take on hot UK producer Dave Schiemann’s ‘Shade’ is on Discover Dark, while the late Scottish DJ Barry Connell’s ‘Frizzbomb (Bryan Kearney Remix)’ will surface on Goodgreef Digital.
Known as a celebrity DJ, reality TV star turned spinner Fran Cosgrave is actually a competent and enthusiastic funky house and electro DJ whose earnest tales of early Irish clubland adventures with the likes of Johnny Moy and Billy Scurry are a treat.
Fran has been a huge hit in Ibiza this summer, where his debut EP has been cooking up a storm. Released this month on Kid Massive’s Audio Damage imprint, it features the tracks ‘Close Ur Eyes’ and ‘Sex Toy’.
Speaking of the early days of Irish dance music, one of the very first Irish dance tunes, Liam Dollard’s seminal remix of Mad Sound Disease’s ‘Moonboom’ – still played regularly today – has been cheekily reinterpreted by a couple of contemporary DJs, Keno & Silver. Watch it fly.
BBC Radio 1FM DJ Kutski – who from this month replaces Eddie Halliwell as the station’s weekly hard dance contributor on Friday nights – has been spinning a few tunes by Dublin hard house don Karl Davis on his show recently. The latest was Karl’s cheeky ‘Access Granted’ effort.
Kutski is set to become a regular visitor to Irish shores following two stunning end-of-night sets at the recent Goodgreef Xtra Hard events in Cork and Dublin.
Later this month, the last bank holiday weekend of the year looks like being one of the most frantic. Aside from the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival announced last issue, there are dozens of other major one-off events around the country.
The biggest is undoubtedly the 4,000-capacity Godskitchen event with Erick Morillo at the New Royal Theatre in Castlebar on Sunday October 26. On the same date, Dublin’s Ambassador welcomes French duo Justice as part of the Across The Universe tour that sees them perform 15 dates across the globe in cities such Tokyo, Berlin, London, Montreal, Toronto and Amsterdam.
On Saturday October 25, Tidy takes over GVs in Dundrum, County Tipperary, while Richard Durand is the guest of honour at Lush! in Portrush.
Looking further ahead, several major promoters are approaching 2009 cautiously, with some expressing fears that the recession will take its toll on Irish nightlife.
Aspiring producers should be delighted with the opening this fortnight of Ireland’s largest ever music equipment superstore, X-Music, in the Red Cow Retail Centre, Ballymount, Dublin 22, behind the Red Cow Moran’s Hotel.
X-Music will occupy 20,000 square feet across three high spec floors, dedicated to providing a one stop shopping experience for music enthusiasts of all levels.
Voting is soon to commence in the Slick DJ MagazineDance Awards 2008, and it’s believed the ceremony will take place in late November in Dublin.
Voting has well and truly ended in this year’s DJ Mag Top100 DJs Poll, and the Green Army will be hoping for an improvement on last year when our sole representative was Agnelli & Nelson. The results will be announced at a glittering party in London on Wednesday October 29… THE BEAT GOES ON!