Beats + Pieces: Beat happening

Not content with opening one of the hottest new clubs in the North this year, The Stiff Kitten owner Alan Simms has just relaunched his Shine Recordings stamp with a new release from fellow Belfast DJ, Phil Kieran.
‘Reasons Why’ and ‘Reject’ have received much BBC airplay and have put the stamp firmly back on the map.
Kieran has spent much of 2005 concentrating on his Alloy Mental project (for Skint Recordings), but the Shine effort was preceded by works on Kingsize and Tronic, and he tells B&P that there is a steady flow of new material lined up for 2006.
Belfast-born but London-based Simon Patterson and his Dogzilla partner Richard Kayman have seen their current Maelstrom single, the anthemic trancer ‘Without You’, included on 10 compilation albums (and counting).
Another Belfast ex-pat, Paul Masterson has donned his Yomanda guise again to record the Adam & The Ants sampling ‘Charming’ with BK. The hard dance team-up has just been released on Riot Recordings.
Fresh from ditching their old studio in favour of an Apple G5, Northern trance duo Agnelli & Nelson have remixed Solar Stone & Jes Brieden’s soon-to-be-massive ‘Like A Waterfall’. (Incidentally, 2FM’s Mr Spring has made the switch to ProTools of late.)
Dublin-based label Bassbin Recordings ends a successful year with a nomination for Best Label in the BBC Drum ‘N Bass Awards. You can vote for Rohan and the crew at www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra. The results will be announced on December 26. And while you’re online at the BBC, check out www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective for a mighty mix from Bassbin’s Rohan.
Navan-based trance producer John O’Callaghan is on tour with Gatecrasher in Australia and New Zealand until December 19th.
Before he left for Oz, O’Callaghan remixed ’s ‘Amnesia’ for Enhanced Recordings. His ‘Vendetta’ tune (due soon on Discover Dark) impressed Paul van Dyk so much that the DJ has included it on his upcoming cover mount mix CD for DJ Magazine.
Three top tunes to watch this month are Jacques Lu Cont’s remix of ‘Pain That I’m Used To’ by Depeche Mode (on Mute), the Dirty Funker remix of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (Spirit), which was co-produced by my former studio partner Harry Love, and the new funky house mixes of ‘90s classic, ‘U Girls’ by Nush. The latter, in particular, are ideal for the festive party season.
Speaking of which, there is a welcome plethora of great Christmas parties happening this year. December 23rd marks a welcome return for one of the most respected Irish DJs ever to grace a set of turntables. Glen Brady will perform at Rogue alongside Arveene and Johnny Moy – and it’s free in. At Spirit on the same night, Roger Sanchez returns for what should be a complete sell-out.
The aforementioned Stiff Kitten in Belfast hosts a heavyweight bout on December 23rd, with a live show from Alloy Mental and a DJ set from David Holmes. It’s also worth booking a ringside seat for St Stephen’s Night, when the Island Hopper Records duo of Mark Bell and Timmy Stewart lining up alongside Alan Simms and Phil Kieran.
St. Stephen’s Night sees Madonna’s producer Stuart Price, aka Jacques Lu Cont, at The Empire in Belfast, and Lush in Portrush. Let’s hope it doesn’t snow.
One Track Records and Surface will team up at The Sugar Club in Dublin on December 27th. Phil Asher and Billy Scurry will be supported by Big Jim Mulroy, Glen Davis and Pablo.
The star of 2005, Mylo, returns to Ireland to play the first guest DJ set at the revamped Horan’s in Tralee on December 29th. Mylo also plays Mash-Up at TBMC in Dublin a night later.
Doing a similar trip is Chicago don Felix da Housecat, who flies in to play Trinity Rooms in Limerick on 29th and then jets up to Spirit in Dublin for a set on the 30th, when Happy Mondays and reality TV star Bez will be DJing up the quays at Voodoo Lounge in Smithfield.
On New Year’s Eve, Clampdown and Hospital team up at TBMC in Dublin again following their recent sold out show. More than 20 DJs will be joining Johnny Moy.
Coolest party of New Year’s Eve in Dublin looks like being the Remedy bash at Brasserie na Mara in Dun Laoghaire. The soon-to-retire soul supremo, Dr Bob Jones, joins Billy Scurry, Darragh Hurley, Razor, Kenny Moy and Clive Gargan. It all kicks off at 9pm. Tickets from www.tickets.ie.
Elsewhere, Spirit hosts a themed party, Fantasy Island, PoD is tipped to be running The Bond Ball, and Dan Curtin will be joining Eamon Doyle and the D1 crew at Traffic.
The Go Deep crew will be in control at Fast Eddie’s in Cork, Resistance will be taking over Ten in Waterford, and there may be a NYE revival of the 2FM Sessions Tour live broadcast, possibly from Mantra in Castlebar.
Ahead of all those seasonal sessions, Electric City serves up another top drawer double-header at Traffic in Dublin on December 15th.
Italian Marco Passarani (head honcho of Pigna/Nature) is joined by the wonderfully schizoid Dutch electro and house producer, Legowelt.
Rosman hosts a Christmas bash on December 10th at Temple Bar Music Centre with live sets from Dutch techno pioneers Secret Cinema and UK stalwart Jamie Anderson.
BEATS & PIECES wishes all Hot Press readers a very merry Crimbo and a smashed new year … THE BEAT GOES ON