Airbound Festival: One nation under a groove

Lots is happening in domestic electronic music. There are fresh releases from Sian, Shit Robot and Jay Riordan, a new sound training centre has been announced for Cork city and Airbound festival is to mark its fifth anniversary with an all-Irish line-up in London.

Airbound has travelled across Europe since 2009. Founder Dave Redmond says the project “carries with it an atmosphere of an Irish party and aims to promote everything that's great about what we do here”. Airbound takes place on April 18th on a boat travelling, Sex Pistols-style, down the Thames. bodytonicmusic.com/airbound/

On March 22 Liffeyside producer Shit Robot (Mark Lambkin) launches his latest album at Hidden Agenda in the Button Factory, Dublin. Appearing alongside him is another DFA artist, The Juan MacLean. On Tuesday 25 Darkside, AKA Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, make their Irish live debut in the same venue.Dublin producer Jay Riordan has released his first album on Franco Bianco’s Darek Recordings. “I wanted to show what I can do, which is a mixture of emotional pieces and tunes for the dancefloor," he reflects.

Colman Buckley has put out a four-track vinyl EP on Music Is Love Records. The Control Freakz (Paul Byrne & Chris Browne) have just released their track ‘Higher’ on Discopolis Records in the UK. It’s been licenced to Hed Kandi’s Miami Winter Music Conference compilation. Meanwhile, Dubliner Gar Doran has launched a new label, Demon Beats with a four-track EP. Big news for Cork; BMG Sound opens there on March 22. It will be the city’s only training facility for DJing and Music Production. Founder Billy McGaley says: “The support I’ve received has been brilliant. It’s great to be doing something new and different in the city.”