the rise and rise of dance

It s been an interesting and eventful year. There I was on 2FM last New Year s Eve telling John Power that the first year of the new millennium would see me concentrating on journalism and that I planned to hang up my slipmats and headphones as a result. Yet with just weeks to go until this New Year s Eve, I find myself doing what some must regard as an incredible U-turn. Now, I m packing my typewriter away (though admittedly not completely) in order to concentrate on what is fast becoming a flourishing DJ and production career.
It s just under five years since I was first approached by the then departing hotpress dance scribe John Collins (now the editor of PC Live) to take up the mantle when he left. Niall Stokes agreed that hotpress dance coverage should endeavour to be comprehensive and cover all bases, and with Richard Brophy by my side we figured our aims would be achieved Richard was a huge fan of the music and clubs I was less enamoured with and vice versa. But we both shared a common purpose to encourage and expose the rapid and exciting progress our own DJs and dance producers were making at home and abroad.
Our early columns spoke of our desire to see our indigenous talent afforded the same respect and opportunities as are enjoyed by those from across the water and beyond. We dreamed of Irish DJs and producers making their mark on the international stage, because we were confident that within Ireland we had an abundance of talent in diverse musical fields. In the five years since, we have seen those dreams begin to come true.
Mister Spring, Fergie, Paul Yomanda Masterson, Dirty Beatniks, Modelle, Johnny Moy, Glen Brady, Billy Scurry, David Holmes, Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson as Fishgodeep, Col Hamilton, Bass Odyssey, The Sharp Boys (one of them anyhow), Mitisse, Agnelli and Nelson just some of the Irish names who have put their unique stamp on the global dance map. And Temple Theatre, Lush, Red Box, The Kitchen, The Grill and Shine are just a few of the Irish clubs which regularly hear their names mentioned in the same breath as world renowned brands like Ministry, Cream, Gatecrasher and home.
It s not just abroad that the Irish dance scene has seen major improvements at home we have made headway unthinkable five years ago.
Who would have thought that Ireland could enjoy just one all-day dance festival, let alone the number that we have seen this year? Who would have thought that we d have our own 24-hour legal dance radio station (even if Spin FM has spent all of Y2K in the courts and none of it on the air)? Who would have thought that there would be any move on our archaic and scene-stifling licensing laws (even if this year s tinkering with the closing times fell far, far short of the radical overhaul the Government promised when it undertook the review of our licensing laws that took three years and which cost a disgraceful amount of taxpayers money to complete)?
We have argued many times in the pages of hotpress that our vibrant club scene could contribute millions to our economy if only it was allowed.
I have been in and around the sidelines since our club scene s humble beginnings just over a decade ago, but I think that all of those in the same position would admit that it s only in the past five years that we have witnessed club culture being wholly embraced by mainstream Irish culture. It has been incredibly exciting for me and a host of others to be a part of that, and it has been equally exciting, through my job at hotpress, to keep abreast of all the developments and make sure that those who deserved it were given credit where due.
The accompanying feature gives appropriate props to just a few of those responsible for DJs, clubs, records, promotion companies, agencies and events that we can all be proud of. There is much to celebrate on the Irish dance scene, and I d like to think that hotpress has every right to be part of the celebration because in its own way I think it has helped out along the way, whether by ranting, raving or just reporting.
This isn t my last article for hotpress; you haven t got rid of me that easily. I ll still be contributing to our fortnightly news round-up Beats & Pieces, and Niall has asked me to deliver a bi-monthly letter from the frontline in London (where I ll be spending much of my time next year) which I look forward to doing, in the hope that it encourages and inspires others in my position to keep plugging away in the knowledge that one day their dreams can also come true.
For the past four years I have had two dreams. Shortly after I began working for hotpress I previewed an appearance by a then relatively unknown UK DJ that I referred to as one of the most crucial shows of 1996. Yet little did I know what a profound effect Tony de Vit s first ever Irish gig, at the PoD, would have on me. His stunning and perfectly crafted set, with flawless precision-mixing, the likes of which I d never before witnessed, made me realise it was time to go back to the drawing board. I did so with a burning ambition to one-day man the turntables at the hallowed home of hard house where de Vit was then resident Trade at Turnmills in London.
In 1998 I returned to the recording studio for the first time in three years, with the aim of producing a single that another hero of mine, Steve Thomas, would release on my favourite hard house label Tripoli Trax. Kick Some Ass was not to Steve s tastes but it did go on to spend seven weeks on the Irish top 30 and encouraged me to try again. I released it and my second single Bad Boy in the UK on my own Baby Doll imprint, and the huge buzz which remained on Bad Boy in the UK nearly twelve months after it was deleted prompted Tripoli to invite me into its studio early in 1999.
I ve now signed to Tripoli Trax on a five EP deal. The second sees the light of day in March 2001. I m also recording two singles with Tuff Twins (one half of whom is Belfast DJ Modelle), not to mention dream collaborations with Steve Thomas, Mister Bishi and OD404. These will all surface in the first half of next year, at least some on the Tripoli sister labels Casa Dura and Y2K. I am also on the verge of signing to Trade management, having made my debut at the London club a fortnight ago and getting offered a residency contract as a result. I am mixing the next two compilations for both Tripoli and Trade with Steve Thomas and Ian M respectively and will be embarking on two tours to promote them in the Spring of next year.
But the biggest thrill out of all this is not actually one of personal gain, but a deserving acknowledgement from abroad of how much the Irish dance scene has contributed internationally in the past five years and how important that same scene is to the future. The Tripoli Trax compilation is called Welcome To The Club, and it s being subtitled UK versus Ireland. That puts a bigger smile on my face than anything else that has happened to me this year the fact that one of the world s most respected and successful hard house labels (which was also the world s first) is paying public tribute to what Tripoli boss Steve Thomas calls the best club scene in the world outside the UK. The Irish club scene. Never before have we seen such a tribute, and to me it makes the past decade s trials and tribulations all very much worthwhile. As I said earlier, we have plenty to celebrate. Let s do it.

HAVING BEEN A cornerstone of the Irish dance scene since it first came blinking into the strobe light, Mark Kavanagh is planning to spend much of 2001 in the UK, where serious recording and DJ duties await. His five EP deal with Tripoli Trax is just reward for his dedication to the cause as well as spinning the choons, Mark has never shied away from dealing with the more controversial aspects of club culture, and has repeatedly called for a liberalisation of licensing laws.
It s a no nonsense approach which has won him many friends in the business.
"Who would have thought it 10 years ago one of our very own DJs playing in one of the biggest clubs in the world, Trade," says Galway Bay FM dance guru, Padraic "Sir Fla" Flaherty. "While Mark s track, Bad Boy 2000 , has to be one of the most respected and requested tunes on my show, it was its predecessor, Lyrical Bricks , which broke him into a new field and got him talked about in the same sentence as Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox and Judge Jules."
Other people wishing him well for the future include Clubspace, RGB, Area 51, and of course everybody here at hotpress. Although relinquishing the Digital Beat editor s chair, Mark will continue to report on all matters dance from London.

Irish dance s movers & breakers

Johnny Moy

Johnny Moy is one of the most important figures in the development of dance music in the Republic of Ireland. Moy s DJing career kicked into gear when he started playing regularly at Sides, the groundbreaking Dublin club that also projected Moy s peers, Billy Scurry and Liam Dollard, into the spotlight.
Subsequently, Moy started up his own night, the pioneering Beat Club, and secured a residency at the Temple Of Sound, alongside long standing DJ partner and friend Billy Scurry. The Temple was one of the first clubs in Ireland to bring in international DJs and Moy s own talents saw him getting asked to play in clubs all over Europe.
In 1996, Moy set up Influx with Paul Davis. A promotions company and record label, Influx has been responsible for the best club nights and events in Ireland, bringing in previously unheard of foreign acts and breaking them in the Republic. The Influx label has also released music by some of Ireland s hottest properties, including Glen Brady, Leo Pearson and Invisible Armies.
The recipient of numerous awards at home and abroad, Moy continues to spin all over the world with residencies in the UK, at Twilo, New York and all around Ireland and is heavily involved in the organisation of the Homelands Ireland festival, the Republic s original large scale dance event.
Currently recording with Leo Pearson with the promise of music that ll blow everyone else away, Johnny Moy has come a long way but is still aiming high.

Voodoo Posse

Seminal mid-eighties club Voodoo was the first Irish outfit to bring major British DJs and dance acts to the capital. Comprising DJs Martin Major Moore, Colm Carthy and Eamonn Carr and publicist Robbie Foy the quartet leased the now defunked McGonagles nightclub on Sth. Anne Street, and soon rapidly drew crowds of a thousand and more for their extravaganzas. Selected by I D magazine for their World Party series of club nights, guests included Soul II Soul, Judge Jules, Norman Jay, Cold Cut, Jerry Dammers and Dave Dorrell of S Express among others. Spin-offs included Vice and Soul On Ice, and the DJ duo Moore and Carthy also regularly performed at Club Sandino. Carthy later worked with Scary Eire and Marxman, while Eamonn Carr continues to write about dance music in his capacity as Evening Herald arts journalist. Martin Major Moore is still to be found doing the occasional one-off with his Mood Organistion outfit, while Robbie Foy continues his involvemnent in Irish music of all types.

Frangois

One of Ireland s first and most popular spinners, Frangois originally made a name with the legendary UFO (later Alien) club in a variety of locations around Dublin. Starting off in the UCD bar as an eclectic indie dance man, Frangois originally manned the decks with long time friend Mick Heaney. Subsequently, UFO had a home in nearly every nightclub in the capital.
After the UCD bar, it moved to the now defunct Zoo Bar where Frangois had the distinction of blowing a then lesser-known Paul Oakenfold off the decks! and later on to the Rock Garden, where, in the grip of Ireland s own Summer of Love, Frangois soundtrack changed radically, ditching the baggy anthems of Madchester for the mad rush of emerging European dance music. A night that was too good to be true, when UFO finally left the Rock Garden, every Dublin DJ turned up to pay tribute by manning the decks.
Subsequently, UFO moved to Columbia Mills and morphed into Alien, adopting a leaner, meaner and more dynamic techno feel. Attracting guests like Rolando, Steve Bicknell and Luke Slater, Dublin has never had a better techno night. When Alien left the venue, Frangois decided not to promote his own night anymore, but found his talents were constantly in demand. In 1996 he became the first Irish DJ to put out a mix CD, and his profile continues to grow with his residency at jdp in The Kitchen and at appearances all around the country.

Glen Brady

One of Ireland s most hard working and determined DJs and producers, Glen Brady represents the new wave of dance talent that will break on an international level. Brady s path has been characterised by a love of music as well as an exhausting and grueling work ethic, sometimes DJing as many as five or six nights a week and spending the rest of the time in the studio programming.
Focusing initially on the hip-hop blueprint, Brady s music has evolved to a more electro and break beat influenced sound, a style that he represented at the DMC DJ Championships in 1998 and which saw him emerge as winner. Since then, Glen has concentrated on his production work and the results have been of the highest level, releasing on Influx, Plant and Ultimate Dilemma as DJ Wool.
Brady is also the brains behind the Third Eye Surfers hip-hop band, an act that rocked a number of the festivals this summer and come with a stamp of approval from none other than Public Enemy s Chuck D. Other work in progress includes more DJ Wool material that veers into more home listening styles and two or three very high profile production projects that Glen has asked me not to mention! However, rest assured they ll propel him to a level no other Irish dance producer has yet achieved

Billy Scurry

A modest, low profile DJ, Billy Scurry is one of the Republic s most talented spinners. Starting off in the Leeson Street circuit playing everything and anything, Scurry quickly gained a residency at Sides during its heyday. Talk to anyone who was present at the club during Billy s residency and they ll all tell you that his DJing pretty much changed their lives.
After Sides went off the boil, Scurry headed across the Liffey with Johnny Moy to take up a residency at The Temple Of Sound. It was here that Scurry forged long lasting relationships with some of the UK s best DJs and, to this day the big man from Sheriff Street is the only Irish spinner to have graced the decks at Slam s legendary club at The Arches, Glasgow.
It was also at The Temple that Billy built up a serious following with fans crowding around the decks to figure out the names and origins of the deep, sensuous grooves Scurry was spinning.
After the demise of the Temple, Scurry remained in demand, with clubs all over Ireland clamouring for his deep and flawlessly mixed house and techno sets. A regular DJ at all Influx gigs, Scurry has supported every big name DJ in the business, often upstaging main acts with his fluid, flowing sets. Although Billy s forays into recording have been erratic, one gets the feeling that when he finally releases new material it ll be worth the wait.

Dean Sherry/Barry Dempsey

The men behind the fast rising Impulsive and Phunk dup guises, Mr. Sherry and Mr. Dempsey have been quietly working behind the scenes of Dublin s underground dance music scene for a number of years. Sherry and Dempsey both have a background in pirate radio, and have also enjoyed residencies in the PoD, Temple Theatre and Tivoli.
Originally opting for a more commercial, sometimes trance oriented sound, the duo now delve deeper, dishing out the best tech-house, deep house and funky techno, together on three decks, as the Phunk d Up sound system.
Regular slots at Mono as well as a new mid-week residency at Switch have helped them solidify this sound, and it s a style that s also represented on their Impulsive label. Releasing material by new Irish talent like Robbie Dunne, John Braine, Mark Lowndes and Pusherman, Impulsive is representing the evolving Irish sound, and, with distribution deals for Europe and the rest of the world in place, these quiet men of Dublin s underground are bringing Irish dance to an international audience.
Incidentally, Phunk dup s new Wednesday night slot @ Switch is supported by Smirnoff and Blue Planet urban streetware, located at 73 Capel St. (tel: (01) 8787976). The Phunk dup collective should look their best they ll be dressed in the extensive and funky Blue Planet clubwear range