Clubbing Highlights Scotland – July 2015

July’s schedule boasts the buoyant sounds of Den Haan in Glasgow, first rate techno from DJ Bone in the capital and Sven Weisemann’s visit to Aberdeen.

Preview by Ronan Martin | 02 Jul 2015

First up this month, we look in the direction of the Sub Club and the return of Leisure System, the celebrated Berghain residency which first set up shop here at the Art School last February. Returning on this occasion is Barker, an original resident of the German party and Clark, whose “monolithic” techno was perhaps at its purest on last year’s eponymous offering for Warp. This time round, Hemlock head honcho Untold also makes an appearance. His most recent EP, Doff, was released at the beginning of this year, delivering echoing guitar licks and sci-fi tones, set against pounding kicks delivered in rapid machine-gun bursts. Phive, on the same record, used similar source material and adopts a similarly spaced out style, yet is more delicate and exemplifies the kind of range Untold has shown in his releases for the likes of Hessle Audio, Hot Flush and Numbers over the years (3 Jul, from £10).

Next up, if you’re looking for all-out dancefloor carnage – and you’re partial to the synth-heavy retro sounds of Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley – We Should Hang Out More is not to be missed. With the release of the Night Shift EP through Dissident in 2008, local duo Den Haan made their intentions perfectly clear. Pushing a sound steeped in the spirit of 80s Italo disco and Hi NRG, the Glaswegian pairing of Andrew Gardiner and Matthew Aldworth have produced a back catalogue replete with arpeggiated disco riffs, booming electronic toms and vocoder choruses that fall just on the right side of kitsch. Without doubt, this won’t be one for fans of understatement or those with an aversion to unbridled joy, but we reckon this could be one of the best nights all month. Strictly no chin-stroking allowed, folks (4 Jul, Stereo, £7).

On the same night, across the M8, The Mash House is handed over to the Tweak_ team who have invited German producer Martin Buttrich along to work the capital crowd. A central figure in the explosion of tech house and minimal in the mid 2000s, the Desolat label boss has made his name with huge tracks released on the likes of Cocoon and Minus. His 2008 hit Stoned Autopilot, released through Carl Craig’s Planet E, is a track which almost perfectly sums up the kind of sun-soaked ambience which dominated festivals and beach parties at that time. Performing live, Buttrich will give Edinburgh a rare glimpse of the kind of productions which have made him a global name (4 Jul, £10).

The following week La Cheetah hosts the maiden event from promoters, Icy, who are joined for the occasion by Walton. Releasing music since 2012, the Manchester-bred producer’s sound is distinctly UK in its bass-driven take on house, garage and grime. Initially very much included within the UK funky category, Walton’s scope has broadened somewhat over time. His debut album, 2013’s Beyond on Hyperdub, was roundly praised by critics for its stylistic scope and the skill of its 22-year old creator in managing to comfortably navigate between different influences. Set to release a new record for yet another celebrated UK label, Tectonic, it will be interesting to see how Walton’s sound has developed of late. He is joined for the night by residents Corin and Cammy De Felice (10 Jul, £6).

We head in the direction of Aberdeen next, where Contact have secured the services of Berliner Sven Weisemann, a prolific and multi-faceted producer who has amassed 20-plus releases, including two albums, over the last decade. Whether putting out delicate and understated house tracks with a deeper sensibility, or more straightforward club-focused material, Weisemann’s abilities as a self-taught musician clearly give his tracks a more refined edge than many of his contemporaries working in the same areas. This year’s release for Delsin, Fall of Icarus, finds him incorporating elements of dub techno into his already richly layered house sound. We suspect a trip to The Tunnels for this one will be well worth your while (17 Jul, £8-10).

The next night, we’re back to Edinburgh for a celebration of the Motor City as Jackhammer host the 30 Years of Detroit party. Joining them for the occasion is old favourite DJ Bone, a man whose three-deck style of mixing arguably rivals Jeff Mills in terms of pacing and technical flair. Heading up the Subject Detroit label, Bone is unashamedly devoted to the underground and has tirelessly promoted some of his hometown’s lesser known talents throughout his career. Also in attendance is Edinburgh native and Subject Detroit signing Stephen Brown. Brown’s live sets perfectly distil the raw and rugged vibe of Detroit techno, while allowing enough scope for his own interpretations of that sound to keep things fresh and exciting. This one is a marathon 12-hour party, running from 5pm till 5am, with the earlier session taking place at the Annexe terrace. There’s even a free BBQ if you turn up early enough – bit of a no-brainer, really (18 Jul, The Liquid Room, £8 adv).

Finally, the Sub Club gets another shout, with the long-running Subculture residency playing host to chameleonic German producer Roman Flügel. Adopting countless aliases over the years, Flügel has dipped his toes in everything from acid and straight up techno to glitzy electro house (see Alter Ego) and jacking Chicago workouts – the latter showcased in his excellent releases for Clone’s Jack For Daze imprint. As he told us before the release of his most recent album Happiness is Happening last year, the Frankfurt native is now happy to release the majority of his work under his given name, though his DJ sets still reflect a wide-ranging passion for electronic music of all hues. Joining Roman, as ever, are local legends Harri & Domenic (25 Jul, from £10).