Beats + Pieces

For those of you who don’t subscribe to this vibrant discussion group, IE-Dance is a web forum (at www.egroups.com) where Irish clubbers, promoters, DJs and producers discuss all aspects of the dance scene, and it carries around 2,000 messages a month. “IE-Dance is full of people making good music and most of it wasn’t going beyond the realms of the Internet,” recalls John of his desire to put together the collection. “I just thought it would be good fun to throw us all onto the one CD.” John set up the Homeburnt label with Fiona McPhillips, and is suitably chuffed with the end product. “I hadn’t really expected it to turn out so well at the start,” he continues, “but we’re really proud of it. For eleven relatively unknown artists there’s some amazing music on there.” Braine, is now working on his own album for London techno label Emoticon. “I had a track on their sampler single this month, and I am finishing off an EP for them as we speak.”…

Hats off to the drum ‘n’ bass dons at Dublin label Bassbin. Having scored success with ‘Catfight’ and ’Make U See’ from Zero Tolerance and Beta 2 (it was played at Metalheadz quite regularly), the label received a major boost when Reinforced Records (first home of Goldie, Doc Scott and 4 Hero) asked Zero and Beta to record a single, which is due in the shops this month. The fourth Bassbin outing is also due in the coming weeks… Irish expatriate Baby Doc, who pioneered the early hard house scene in the UK alongside Jon The Dentist and his half-Irish girlfriend SJ (who scored a number of UK chart hits on React with tunes like ‘Fever’ and ‘Shiver’) have just released The Originals, a compilation of their finest work. The double CD, out on their own Arriba label, includes their best productions, and remixes of anthems like ‘Lost In Love’, ‘Age Of Love’ and ‘Never Lost His Hardcore’… The Mark Kavanagh remixes of Ace The Space’s ‘9 Is A Classic’ and Gonzalo’s ‘Attitude’ are out in June on Tripoli Trax and Trade respectively…

Two of Ibiza’s most established resident DJs, Alex Ellenger (12inch Thumpers, Gods Kitchen) and Limerick’s Dermot C (Eden, Nightlife), have just released ‘Anomaly’ under the guise of District Attorneys. Hard enough for the Picotto kids and progressive enough to fit into Sander’s record box, ‘Anomaly’ is flipped by ‘BXA 2001’, which Dermot informs “was made especially for the dancefloor at Lust in Thurles.”…

Tom Cole has been added to the growing number of Irish DJs appearing at Creamfields Ireland this month. Our tip for Homelands Ireland, incidentally, is that it will run at Leixlip Castle on September 15th… Waterford’s deep house club Musiklab has just gone weekly at The Forum… Basscape brings its Back2Back party to the Isaac Butts in Dublin on June 2nd, with two rooms of sound and DJs Glen Brady, Kormac, DJ Mayhem, Rosko, Beta 2, DJ Splyce, Deep Burial, Nifty Fingaz, Lorcan Bradshaw, Joe McHugh and Zero Tolerance… Andrew Weatherall spins at U:Mack’s next party at Temple Bar Music Centre on June 16th. French ace DJ Cam plays live at the same venue a week later… Fabio plays Cork’s Half Moon Theatre on June 1st…

DUBLIN’S GLOBE AND Ri-Ra venues are getting it on charity-style with the Trust Weekender on June 28th & 29th. The live and DJ marathon runs daily from 6.30pm to 3.00am, with proceeds going to the Simon Community and the Irish Refugee Council. The organisers are promising the cream of Irish deck technicians, 2FM’s youthful Larry Gogan and, interestingly, a breakdancing priest. Gives a new meaning to the term ‘pop yer collar’, eh?…

Aran Macmahon has just begun what we’re sure will be a hugely successful radio career on Galway Bay FM, presenting Feelin’Good, two hours of “worldwide soul” every Friday from 8-10pm. And while we’re on the subject, belated congratulations to one of the best music shows on Irish radio, An Taobh Tuathail, which has just celebrated its second birthday. The show airs nightly on Raidió na Gaeltachta, with Cian Ó Cíobháin, Rónán Mac Aodh Bhuí and Cathal Ó Cuaig sharing the presentation. It’s rightly been praised from all quarters for its cutting-edge uninhibited approach to music… THE BEAT GOES ON! b