Northwest Clubbing Highlights – January 2016

For those not slain by their NYE bender, January offers a surprising number of quality nights to get 2016 off to a goggle-eyed start. No resolutions there, then.

First on the calendar is the latest instalment in ace local lads Banana Hill's residency at Soup Kitchen with Boiler Room founder Thris Tian. Their launch back in October was a top night and, to welcome in the new annum, on Fri 15 Jan they invite along their chum Contours, whose sound is founded on an upbringing spent playing drums and percussion. Needless to say, he fits right in with Banana Hill's trademark explorations in Afrobeat and global sounds, and this'll be a night pitched nicely between bass, boogie and, as they say, 'life-affirming Turkish disco'. A good one to ease yourself in with (£3/£5).

The following night should at least help ease the wallet in, as Sankeys familiars Covert take to the Mantra Live venue in Ancoats for a free do. As a thanks to all those who've partied with Covert throughout 2015, the promoters are throwing a party at the Pollard Street space on Sat 16 Jan with Just Jorge and their residents for the grand price of nada – that is, if you nab your ticket in advance via Skiddle (just turn up on the night and you'll have to pay a tenner).

Later in January, and the kraken(s) of Northwest clubbing begin to reawaken. On Fri 22 Jan, the inimitable HomoElectric takes to hyped new venue Hidden with moustachioed Italodisco don Ivan Smagghe in tow. It'll be the first time Smagghe's played at Homo in ten years, and his always apparently effortless mix of minimal techno and European filth should make for the sweatiest night of the month. Of course, he'll be ably accompanied by HomoElectric residents Will Tramp! and Jamie Bull (£12). The same night in Liverpool sees the characterfully crumbly environs of 24 Kitchen Street taken over by Manchester crew Levelz, out in 13-strong force (including MC Fox, Chimpo, Rich Reason, Hoya:Hoya man Jonny Dub and Wet Play prodigy Metrodome). At a fiver a ticket, that's 38.5pence per legend.

Those still cowering beneath their Christmas-pud crumbed covers may have been wise to save their ears for 23 Jan, as brilliantly merciless noise merchant Lee Gamble takes to the basement of Soup Kitchen at the behest of the unassailable Project 13 label, who most recently teamed up with Faktion in November to present 'The Death of Rave'. Resurrected already! (Also playing: Beneath, Szare, and Acre; a tidy £7.)

Both cities come fully alive for the final weekend of the month, which sees two decent parties in each: Liverpool, on Fri 29 Jan you've got the launch of new bass music label M62 Records at 24 Kitchen Street (£4/£6), and the next evening, on the 30th, it's the eighth birthday of mUmU (£18/£20) and they're damn well gonna celebrate it for the full 24 hours, 4pm-4am at New Bird Street Warehouse with Enzo Siragusa, Mathias Kaden and a load more. Manchester, you're treated to a long weekend of Romare and Jeremy Underground on Thu 28 Jan at Hidden, and The Busy Twist at Soup Kitchen on, uh, Tue 2 Feb. “A Tuesday?!” you cry, agog. “What do you think I am, a student?!” Er well, maybe, yeah – but even if you're not we'd recommend risking a midweek hangover for this one; the Twist's Ghanian-urban beats frequently shake more than just the cobwebs out of The Skinny office.