Rob of the pops

Irish rapper Rob Kelly has been rubbing shoulders with the American hip-hop hierarchy of late. He recently recorded a tune with Roc-A-Fella artist and Jay-Z collaborator, 9th Wonder. ‘Bubblin’ will feature on an up and coming Green Lantern Project release.
Rob’s own album, Bragging Rights, is about to drop on Acquisition/Pickwick Records. Keep up to date on myspace.com/robkelly.
Acclaimed French house label, Brique Rouge, releases Cork ex-pat Mark O’Sullivan’s remix of Mike Monday’s ‘What Day Is It?’ later this month.
Eddie Halliwell and Judge Jules are just two of the leading UK DJs giving heavy rotation to ‘Corruption’, the new release from aspiring Dublin techno producer, Paul Webster.
Dublin hard house label, Hard Sounds, has just released its seventh 12-inch. The four-track EP contains three signings from UK artists – Grady G’s ‘Severe Trauma’, Gary Cooke’s ‘Nuclear Fallout’ and vRodi Style’s ‘Chopped Up’ – along with label owners John Kerrigan and Karl Davis’ latest stormer, ‘Yermander’.
Fusing ethnic vibes and hip-hop beats, hotly-tipped Washington trio, Thunderball, drop Cinescope (ESL) this fortnight. Guests include Afrika Bambaataa.
Also hitting the shelves this fortnight are Mogwai’s surprisingly reflective soundtrack to Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (Wall of Sound) and Coldcut’s ace Videos & Remixes version of their Sound Mirrors album (Nunja Tune), which pairs an 11-track DVD of promo videos with a 14-track set of remixes.
The Beats & Pieces recommendation is United States of Electronica’s unashamedly poptastic punky-funky debut album, U.S.E (Original Electric Recording Company).
Drum ‘n’ bass crew Holdtight unleash a superb double-CD of their history so far, Old & New (on Industry Records) this fortnight.
Other compilations doing the rounds are Sci.Fi.Hi.Fi.03 from techno producer Alex Smoke (Soma), DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Hip Hop Forever (Rapster), and the first volume in the Coast2Coast series (NRK), mixed by deep house DJ, Quentin Harris.
And proving Christmas is just around the corner are: Afterdark Vol. 2 (Stealth), mixed by Chus & Cheballos and Sharam Jey; Masterclass 02 (Mn2S), mixed by New York pioneer Tony Humphries; The Many Faces of Joey Negro (Z Records); Space Annual No1 (Azuli), a 2006 round-up which is available in mixed and unmixed formats; and Fabric 31 (Fabric), mixed by techno ace Marco Carola.
Waterford club Resistance celebrates its fourth birthday at Ten on December 2 with a visit from Detroit legend, Carl Craig. The club has also announced an end-of-year party with techno icon, Dave Clarke, and Irish heroes, Alloy Mental, December 30.
At the same venue on December 16, Aurora hosts its hard dance Christmas party with Anne Savage and Hazy B. Hazy and the Aurora crew are also going on a first birthday tour in November and December. It kicks off at Carlow’s Music Factory on November 17th, with bouncy house starlet, Lisa Pin-Up, headlining.
Incidentally, the first club to announce its New Year’s Eve party is the Music Factory, which has secured the services of hard dance queen, Lisa Lashes.
Dublin club Remedy’s end-of-year celebration is at TBMC, on December 28. It’s a drum ‘n’ bass double-header with Fabio and Doc Scott.
Cork’s top techno club, Inner City, teams up with Dublin’s Electric City on November 23 at Wax. Leesiders Drew The Bastard and Jim Plugd join Eddie Brennan on the wheels of steel. Electric City also boasts ‘Voodoo Ray’ creator A Guy Called Gerald on December 7, and Berlin’s Chris Liebing on December 21. Tickets for the latter are now on sale at www.tickets.ie.
Dublin’s Tripod’s grand opening was delayed twice recently, but should officially welcome in the public on November 10, Hot Press has been informed. The mighty John Digweed graces the decks at the plush new venue – a cross between Redbox and Vicar Street – on November 17.
Pogo continues its successful run at Tripod’s sister venue PoD on Saturdays, and on November 25 it hosts the launch of new Dublin record label, Food, the brainchild of regular Pogo guest DJ, Simon F.
Galway’s finest exponents of electronica, Cane 141, play Model Art Niland Gallery at The Mall in Sligo with Donal Dineen and Somadrome on November 26, as part of A Month Of Sundays.
The aforementioned BBC Radio 1FM presenter, Eddie Halliwell (a huge hit at Hi:Fi Ireland this summer), spins at Heat at the Radisson in Galway on November 11. On the same night, at TBMC in Dublin, Mash-Up returns with Scottish sensation, Mylo, and London electro pimps, Simian Mobile Disco, whose new single ‘Tits & Acid’ drops this month.
Gangstarr’s inimitable decktician, DJ Premier, plays Scribble at The Village in Dublin on November 16. Another key artist in the history of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash, jets in for a Tripod set on November 24.
Cork DJ duo, Greg and Shane (aka Fish Go Deep) celebrate 18 years of playing house music in Cork on November 11, at Fast Eddies. The fact that they have just enjoyed their most successful year yet speaks volumes – respect.
And finally, there were three Irish representatives in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll this year – as voted for by a staggering 217,102 clubbers from 229 different countries worldwide. All of our top spinners hail from the North, according to the poll – Agnelli & Nelson at No.98, Fergie at No.85 and Phil Kieran, who was one of the highest new entries at No.35… THE BEAT GOES ON!