The Irish Invasion

History was made on Radio 1’s Essential Mix recently, when revered trance DJ Matt Hardwick included tunes from five Irish producers.
Nautical Imagery’s ‘Distant Dreams’ is the work of three – Neal Scarborough, Kev McKinney and Phil Long – while Bryan Kearney featured as the remixer of Fire and Ice’s ‘Lost Emotions’.
However, Navan-based John O’Callaghan stole the show, with a cheeky but monstrous bootleg mix of U2’s ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ that deserves to get the thumbs up from Bono et al. O’Callaghans’s debut mix album, Recoverworld Live, is released in the UK this month.
Also on the Beeb, Northern Irish star Fergie has been caning a new effort from Belfast’s Phil Kieran, ‘Reasons Why’ on Tronic, in recent weeks. It’s one of many great new Irish works currently surfacing.
Irish drum ‘n’ bass star Beta 2 has just unveiled his latest single on Goldie’s Metalheadz label, ‘Vicious Circles’. He has been busy completing his debut album for release late next year. He has already lined up a Beta 2 & Zero Tolerance Remix of Big Bud’s ‘Rice & Beans’ (for Metalheadz) and a Beta 2 remix of ‘Consciousness’ (for Dublin label Bassbin), to come out next spring, with another Metalheadz single, ‘Dub Rizing’, due to follow early in the summer.
Electronica fans are snapping up John Lambert’s new Chequerboard EP, ‘Dictaphone Showreels’, on the Lazybird label and Sean Quinn’s excellent Skylines album on Psychonavigation.
Two of its tunes, the title track and ‘Loop Thereof’ are to be included on the soundtrack to the upcoming Nelson Mandela documentary, Identity, by South African filmmaker Johan Allers.
Also just out is Fuzzing Away To A Whisper, the impressive debut album from Irish electro-pop artist Somadrone on the Trust Me I’m A Thief stamp.
D1 Recordings boss Eamonn Doyle unleashes his new EP, Ghost In The Machine, in December. Eamonn and stable-mate Scott Logan had tracks featured on the recent DJ Bone mix CD, No More Heroes. Out this fortnight on D1, meanwhile, is fast rising Irish techno producer Ikeaboy’s Bunker Mentality EP.
On the international front this fortnight, Kieran Hebden, aka Fourtet, pairs the Everything Ecstatic DVD with a new mini-album comprising five new tracks Everything Ecstatic Part 2 (on Domino). The folktronica pioneer also embarks on a four-date Irish tour, playing TBMC in Dublin (November 12th), Spring & Airbrake in Belfast (13th), Roisin Dubh in Galway (14th) and Club One in Cork (15th).
Other albums due about now include Micall Parkinson’s progressive UK hip-hop set, The Working Class Dad (Low Life), Emmanuel’s D’Illusions Of Grandeur (Little League), which features a contribution from rap legend KRS-One, and the stunning new album from Company Flow’s Big Juss, Imperial Letter of Protection (Big Dada).
Compilations worthy of your investigation are AFX’s Hangable Auto Bulb (Warp), a collection of Richard D. James’ finest hours, Richie Hawtin’s mind-blowing DVD (with bonus CD), DE9: Transitions (Novamute) and Hell’s ‘Best Of’ set, Grobhenwahn (International Deejay Gigolo).
Big singles hitting the shops include the Hell-remixed ‘Jack U’ by P.Diddy and Felix da Housecat, and the Fatboy-approved Cream vs The Hoxtons’ ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ (Manifesto). Hottest promo is Madonna producer Stuart Price’s remix of the next Depeche Mode single ‘A Pain That I’m Used To’ (done in Stuart’s Thin White Duke guise).
The first New Year’s Eve party to be advertised in Temple Theatre’s Back To The Old Skool session at The Ambassador in Dublin. DJs include Liam Dollard and the Banana Boyz … Ahead of that, old skool UK rave pioneers Altern 8 play Electric City in Dublin on November 17th. BudRising takes over Limerick’s Trinity Rooms on November 18th, with Groove Armada supported by Galway exports Barry Redsetta and The Disconauts. At the same venue on December 17th, disco-house champion Joey Negro will perform a three-hour set.
Alan Simms’ recently-opened Belfast club The Stiff Kitten (running every Friday and Saturday at Bankmore Square) welcomes back the aforementioned Phil Kieran’s monthly night Sector One on November 25th. Joining Phil is Berlin DJ Ellen Allien. Incidentally, Simms continues to run the bigger Shine parties at Mandela Hall in Belfast every Saturday. The club celebrated its tenth birthday in October.
This fortnight’s clubbing highlights include hard-NRG icon Captain Tinrib’s last ever appearance in Ireland ahead of his immigration to Australia.
He performs at Liquid in Bray on November 12th, along with Karim and south Dublin DJ Wayne Reid, who recently collaborated with the Captain on a storming new tune ‘The Scream’.
On the same night, Galway club 110th Street celebrates its seventh birthday at The Vic. Dublin club Backlash, meanwhile, celebrates its second birthday on November 17th at Wax.
New Order’s Peter Hook will DJ at Voodoo Lounge in Dublin on November 11th. Future guests at the club include Happy Mondays frontmen Shaun Ryder, on December 2nd, and Bez, on December 30th.
And finally, congratulations to aspiring hip-hop producer Colin Hanley, aka Scooby, from Mitchelstown in County Cork, who was chosen from dozens of entrants to represent Ireland at the 2005 Red Bull Music Academy, which runs this month in Seattle.
Also due a deserved pat on the back are 16-year-old DJ Gem and the slightly older DJ Savage, who came first and second respectively in the recent Irish International Turntablist Federation DJ Final.
Gem will represent Ireland at the 2005 World ITF DJ Finals in Prague on December 17th, and he will be showcasing at European DJ Finals 2005 at The Village in Dublin on Sunday November 20th. DJ Savage will appear at the European Finals in the Scratching category … THE BEAT GOES ON!