Northwest Clubbing Highlights – June 2014

We begin this month right on the dot as London's daytime party secretsundaze gets a Northern touch from the Polka guys on 1 June at Kitchen St, Liverpool. secretsundaze was founded by  Giles Smith and James Priestley and since 2002 has upheld its reputation as a fine purveyor of underground electronic music. They’ve hosted arenas at Lovebox, Eastern Electrics and Sonar and with second release tickets at only £15, we're going to be keeping an eye on you until you swap some of your Great British Pounds for one. A larger than life, carb-fuelled brunch is advised, doors are at 2pm and you will be expected to not have a stationary moment until 4am. More acts are TBA and we think it's necessary practice for the endurance you'll need for those late-night frolics this summer.

One thing we all love about the longer days is being able to gallivant from a club and be hit by broad daylight, so what better reason for midweek debauchery? After all, D Tached have a treasure chest of a line-up on 4 June at Sankeys that might momentarily blind you. Their first birthday in February got us sweating over Zed Bias b2b Paleman, but this line-up sees Romare topping the bill with his bouncy, afrocentric rhythms that have seen support from Gilles Peterson and Bonobo. Max Graef and Pedestrian are getting in on the action which means a blend of downtempo hip-hop-infused house and soulful bass, respectively. That's not even all of the acts and it's only £10.

You'll then have three days to recuperate and put on a new frock because on 7 June disco young gun Krystal Klear drops his Labour of Love party for the first time in Manchester's Soup Kitchen – you lucky sods. The blood, sweat and tears began last December and in February saw the debut of Slow to Speak at Glasgow's Sub Club. This month they've invited Jacques Greene whose productions have consistently combined dancefloor-ready rhythms with subtle details and rich, punchy basslines. He dropped his latest EP in April and gave us three tracks of ethereal synths and chopped-up vocals propelled by metallic clangs. Joining Greene is prime selector Jon K, and of course Irishman Krystal Klear will be on the decks, too. £7 advanced tickets – be quick.

Readers of either a hip-hop, jazz, funk, disco, afrobeat and/or soul disposition will find comfort in the fact that also on 7 June Mr Scruff's Keep It Unreal monthly residency at Band on the Wall will be celebrating in full pubescent force for its 15th year. Expect a classic mixed bag of goodies for £12. The dancefloor will be allergic to your mobile phone, so keep it away, yeah?

Unless you've managed to avoid social media, friends, acquaintances and the whole of Manchester, you're probably aware of the Parklife Weekender bringing its tried and tested line-up to Heaton Park between 7-8 June. You can go with your eyes closed and still trust that any one stage will have at least a little something for your ears to gorge on. All tickets have sold out (apart from Sunday VIP ones, £65) so instead we've handpicked some Afterlife shindigs for you to pull your hair over.

Born from small midweek parties above a shisha café, Zutekh is one of Manchester's golden elites when it comes to bookings acts suiting tastes stretching myriad genres. On 7 June they're calling out to Parklife punters to carry the torch from Heaton Park to 1 Primrose Street (£12) to witness past guest Midland spin a b2b set with master selector Ben UFO. With the latter's unbreakable reputation as one of the few DJs to make himself a well-known name without fathering any productions, this is some ability we specifically require you to observe for your own good. Support comes from fellow Manchester-based Meat Free DJs. For those wishing instead to spend the night across the M62, Luna bring Psycatron to Liverpool's Boutique for a mesmeric evening of techno with enough energy and groove to emanate to the far corners of our island. With praise from the likes of Dave Clarke and John Digweed, this Irish fella makes for a more than suitable alternative to Manchester's Parklife frolics, especially for £6.

Those hell-bent on proving who's the most resilient dancefloor hopper of the lot will be pleased to know the second round of the Afterlife parties, on 8 June, will provide an opportunity for punters to split their already battered bodies into at least two or more parts. Our pick of the night is headed up by Ame, hosted by Lo-Fi and Unknown at 1 Primrose Street (£10-15). This will be the German duo's second Manchester visit in three months – but we we're not complaining. Bonding over Detroit-influenced deep house, the Motor City provides the blueprint for their bold melodic sounds. Joining them is Mano Le Tough who possesses an innate ability to blend head-in-the-cloud house with darker vibes, and will no doubt make for a tangible atmosphere that will shake the crowd to the bones.

After the storm of techno and house heavyweights, there's no excuse to 'have a night in with a takeaway and the telly box' as DJ Spinna is coming to the Northwest. Brought to you by Hustle and No Fakin at the Shipping Forecast on 13 June (£10) and So Flute and Rag Tag at Dry Bar on 14 June (£6-9), Spinna has a vinyl collection exceeding the number of hot dinners you've had to date (probably) and was a key member of the late-90s hip-hop scene. Receiving worldwide acclaim after his tremendous remix of Shaun Escoffery's Days Like This in 2002, he likes to share the onstage limelight with pals such as DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Gilles Peterson, Kenny Dope plus countless other luminaries. Polish off your fanciest kicks for an evening of grooving to funk, R&B, hip-hop, jazz and electronica. Bring a handkerchief too; you'll break a sweat with all that fancy footwork. 

Rolling back on the scene after eating all of the Easter eggs, Rubix get in shape for summer with Mark Fanciulli and Martin Buttrich on 21 June at Liverpool’s Nation. Apart from the initial amusement from the latter's surname, you should be excited for his sparse but complex house productions. You probably know Fanciulli from 2011’s The Tide on Joris Voorn's Rejected imprint that blew up a few seasons ago. A bit of nostalgia for £12 is good value, wouldn't you agree?