Beats + Pieces

Navan-based trance producer John O’Callaghan and Dublin DJ Neal Scarborough’s next release as Inertia, ‘The Chamber’, is out in May on the English label Discover. John also has a track included on the new Armin Van Buuren mix CD, A State Of Trance 2005. ‘The Chamber’, meanwhile, was recently played by Paul Van Dyk to over 30,000 people at Ultrafest at the WMC in Miami. To view a clip of the German trance-meister dropping the tune at Ultrafest, see www.johnocallaghan.net, which also features two one-hour downloadable mixes from the hotly tipped Irish youngster …
Cork-based techno label Seedy Recordings release an album by the Wire Horizon collective (comprising a number of Irish electronic and experimental acts) at the end of May. Fourteen different artists contribute tracks to the CD, and all will be appearing between May 26 and 28 at different venues: Bodkins, The Sugar Club and The Boom Boom Room (although not on the same night). The album is the third release from the label, whose lynchpin act, Corrugated Tunnel (aka Edwin James), is currently working a new single, ‘High Rise’…
Top UK house label Defected Records has signed two of the bigger records at the WMC in Miami. Yves Larock’s ‘Zoukey’ oozes summer potential, with its carnival vibes and Afro-house rhythms. The main mix comes from Bob Sinclair, while the Sandy Riviera and Robert Owens collaboration, ‘Just Won’t Do’, launches the former’s new label Black Wizz through Defected … Terry Farley has just relaunched his renowned label, Junior Boys Own, which once discovered Underworld and The Chemical Brothers …
Hot dance albums on release this fortnight include Silicone Soul’s subterranean set, Staring Into Space (on Soma), which includes live trumpet, sax and guitar, and guest vocals. Sri Lankan lady M.I.A. debuts with the brief but brilliant Arular (on XL), an electroid melting pot to which Richard X added some spice. Jon Kennedy’s second album, Useless Wooden Toys (on Grand Central), is grooviness for grown-ups, a classy set on which Jon built new percussion instruments and played guitar, bass, piano and harmonica. BEATS & PIECES’ favourite new album, however, is the Ils album Bohemia, a diverse and often sampladelic breaks album (on Distinctive Breaks) that features guest vocalists such as MC Wonder, Desi & Roni, The Bee Stings and Rhalia. It veers from New Order-esque melancholia to bass-propelled hardcore. We await its Irish equivalent, Dublin duo Splitloop’s debut album, due on Supercharged this summer, with baited breath …
Compilation sets worth your time include DJ Kicks from The Glimmers (on !K7), the hot London duo who recently remixed New Order’s ‘Krafty’, which is an impressively diverse set taking in Peaches, Two Lone Swordsmen and Keri Chandler. And fans of jazzy house have three equally intriguing compilations – Klubb Jazz 6, King Britt’s Jazzmental and Phil Asher’s Jazz In The House 14 – due in the shops this fortnight. Jazzy in places, but a whole lot more besides, is Gilles Peterson In Africa, a simply stunning 2CD set (on Ether). Last but not least, Fabric Live 21 (on Fabric) is a kick-ass breaks collection from Meat Katie that features cuts from scene stalwarts like Dylan Rhymes and Lee Coombs…
You’ll find full details on the BudRising festival elsewhere this issue, but the notable DJ dates are Justin Robertson at Spirit on June 5 and Masters At Work at the same club on June 3. Those two shows form part of a month-long series of guests at the Dublin club. The other shows – marking the club’s third birthday – are on May 1st (Darren Emerson), May 13th (Jon Carter), May 15th (Paul Oakenfold) and May 27th (Robbie Rivera)… Erol Alkan from London club Trash plays 110th Street in Galway on May 14th …
The May bank holiday weekend looks set to be a hectic few days and nights for ardent clubbers. Throughout the weekend, the Heineken Green Energy festival runs in Dublin and the Budweiser Global Beats festival runs in Limerick (see elsewhere this issue). Limerick also welcomes the return of pioneering house club Strictly Rhythm, which is hosting a reunion party at The Market on Sunday May 1st. All of the club’s original early ‘90s DJs – Buddy, Stacky, Niall Colgan and Jono Locklin – will be spinning four hours of renowned SR classics. Also on the bank holiday Sunday, Carl Cox & Friends runs at Redbox in Dublin, with the legendary DJ showcasing material from his new album, Second Sign. Mayfest at The Vaults features techno from Cristain Varela and progressive beats from Chris Fortier among its three rooms and ten DJs. And of course, the man voted world’s No1 DJ, Tiesto, appears at King’s Hall in Belfast with Gatecrasher …
Meanwhile, this fortnight sees Theo Parrish from Detroit in action at Bodytonic tomorrow (April 22), drum ‘n’ bass duo DJ Krust and Dynamite MC at The Empire in Belfast on Saturday (April 23), and hip-hop and electro pioneer Afrika Bambaataa at Redbox (also on Saturday). Support at the latter show comes from The Streets’ pal, Kano… But the essential party of the fortnight is New Order’s bass legend Peter Hook appearing at The Savoy in Cork on Thursday, April 28. Hooky will be playing alongside Raymond Franklin. The infectious new New Order single, meanwhile, ‘Jetstream’ (featuring Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters) has just surfaced in clubland in remixes from Richard X and Arthur Baker… THE BEAT GOES ON!