The Boys Are Back...

The reunion the Irish dance world has been waiting for comes to pass next month when Mark Kavanagh and Tim ‘Mr. Spring’ Hannigan join forces behind the decks for the first time in 15 years. The legendary duo, the first stars of Irish dance music, perform a DJ set as The Sound Crowd Turntable Orchestra at The Village, Dublin Friday September 9.

Speaking exclusively to He’s Electric, Mark said: “It’s great to DJ with Timmy after all these years at The Village. We’re looking forward to digging out all of the big tunes from clubs like the Olympic, the Waterfront and the Tivoli. I can’t say for definite what our set-up will be. We’re still working on it but we plan to use three or four decks and will be playing Sound Crowd favourites, but not exclusively so.”
Mark has confirmed there will be a once-off 20th anniversary live show next year. However, there are no plans to reform or make new music. “These events are just a celebration of what we did when the rave scene here was in its infancy. We’re both extremely nervous but hope to have some fun. Those early gigs hold special memories for a lot of Irish clubbers and we want to keep those intact and hopefully add some new ones.” For more info, check thevillagevenue.com.
One of the most anticipated acts playing the Electric Picnic dance tent next month is German hotshot newcomer Tensnake. Having clocked up arguably the biggest club hit of last year with ‘Coma Cat’, Tensnake is giving budding producers the opportunity to remix the storming follow-up ‘Something About You’, with the winning entry copping a spot on a forthcoming reworking of the track on Tensnake’s own Mirau Musik. To download the parts and enter the competition, check for details on beatport.com.

Flying the flag for underground techno in Limerick, Micronite is clocking up its fourth birthday in style at its home in Dolans on Saturday August 27, with a 12-hour 3pm ‘til 3am session. Headlining the celebrations will be Fran Hartnett, backed up with Croatia’s Nitro, and Micronite residents Ruan Flood, Niki and promoter Dan Sykes.
“When we started Micronite, there was no Saturday night techno outlet,” says Dan. “It’s grown and evolved. What has happened in the past four years is nothing short of a dream come true, a great indication of how Limerick’s techno scene has developed and is now stronger than ever and with much further to go yet.”
For more details on Micronite, check Dan’s pre-club radio show Component on RTÉ Pulse FM on Saturdays from 9pm – 11pm.

Suas Rooftop Bar on South Main Street, Cork City has recently become home to quality dance music from the likes of In Our Honest Opinion and Sunday Shoutin’. Anyone outside the People’s Republic will be able to sample said quality from the comfort of their computer desk from this month on, when SUAS TV is launched. Following a recent trend to beam club action straight to your living room, the venue will be u-streaming all DJ sets with full sound and vision on ustream.tv/channel/suas-tv.

Congratulations to Dublin deep house duo Dualtec for landing a slot at one of this year’s most anticipated techno festivals worldwide, the Amsterdam Dance Event. The event, which has exploded in popularity in the last few years and is generally seen as a successor to the now defunct Love Parade, runs October 19 – 22 in venues around the city of Amsterdam, with Dualtec playing on Friday 21 as part of a Vintage Records label showcase. They share Friday’s bill with Richie Hawtin, David Guetta, Modeselektor and UK reggae legend Jah Shaka. For more info on ADE, check amsterdam-dance-event.nl