Scotland Clubbing Highlights – April 2014

Kicking things off in Glasgow, the i AM crew continue to defy the notion that nothing much really happens on a Tuesday night when they invite local DJ extraordinaire, Jackmaster to the Sub Club. Acclaimed internationally for playing across the board – from techno, house and disco, to electro, R'n'B and bass music, this occasion finds the Numbers member with a more focussed remit. Jackmaster’s Dance Mania is a tantalising prospect as it finds the DJ digging deep into the back catalogue of the legendary ghetto house label to construct a set likely to be characterised by turbo-charged classics from the likes of DJ Deeon, DJ Funk and Paul Johnson among others. Expect bass-heavy booty tracks and much April foolishness (Tue 1 Apr, £4/5).

 On Friday 11 April, La Cheetah hosts arguably one of the most gifted and varied producers in modern electronic music. Since the mid 90s Dutch artist Danny Wolfers AKA Legowelt has produced a considerable body of work that weaves its way through the sounds of classic Chicago house, the retro aesthetics of Italo disco and the darker recesses of techno and electro, while always retaining his own unique signature. Whether releasing on esteemed labels like Creme Organisation, Bunker or Clone – or giving his music away for free as in the case of brilliant 2011 album The Teac Life – Wolfers is a prolific talent and his wide range of influences make this one of the most intriguing live sets you are likely to see this month. If you need any more convincing of the scope and calibre of Wolfers' musical influences, check out the DJ Chart and accompanying interview he gave The Skinny in February (£10 advance).

The following night, as part of their landmark 20 year celebrations, Glasgow institution Subculture welcomes one of the original figureheads of house music to the Sub Club – none other than Lil’ Louis. With its instantly recognisable combination of synth stabs, marching percussion and some particularly wild orgasmic moans, the Chicago producer’s 1989 hit French Kiss became one of the defining records in the house music explosion of that era. Around 25 years on from that release, Louis is still in demand as a DJ and, as one of their favourite guests over the years, he seems the ideal choice to partner the club’s residents Harri & Dom for the celebrations (£10 adv).

Seemingly aiming to dominate your entire Easter Weekend, The Arches offer three events under the Love Action banner, held between Thursday 17^th and Saturday 19^th. A wide-ranging line-up across the weekend appears to offer something for everyone with the venue first playing host to the likes of Erol Alkan and Daniel Avery on the Thursday, while Saturday’s final event features go-to house remix king MK, John Digweed and legendary UK garage spinner DJ EZ. The most interesting of the weekend’s line-ups would appear to be the Friday which partly nods in the direction of classic techno with two early pioneers, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, alongside a selection of contemporary UK artists who have been making waves in recent years – Mano Le Tough, Boddika and Oneman among them (£17 one night, £29 two nights, £39 weekend pass).

If you don’t fancy what’s on offer at The Arches on Friday 18 April, and you have more of a bass music sensibility, you would be silly to pass up on 10 Years of Hyperdub at the Art School. Arguably one of the most respected UK labels of the last decade, the stable run by Steve Goodman AKA Kode 9 was at the centre of the dubstep movement in its infancy and provided an outlet for tracks by Goodman himself, as well as the likes of Zomby, Darkstar and Burial. Kode 9 will have Terror Danjah, Ikonika and Scratcha DVA in tow so this one should be special (£8 early bird, then £12-15).

Rounding things off in Glasgow, we are particularly looking forward to the Easter Sunday edition of Melting Pot which this month features the inimitable Mr Scruff. Over a career spanning two decades, the Macclesfiled-bred producer, DJ and cartoonist has developed a unique identity and a playful sound which incorporates elements of hip hop, house and a healthy dose of nonsense. As a DJ, he is known for playing sets of up to six hours and will supplement his staple sounds of house and disco with soul, jazz, breaks and bass music, always shifting effortlessly between styles. His sets are perfectly accompanied by visuals crafted by his own hand and his scribbled drawings are as much a hallmark as his musical repertoire. He’s also fond of a cuppa and has been known to set up tea stalls at gigs. No, really. If you’ve never had the pleasure, we urge you to pop down to this one (Sun 20 Apr, £12 adv, £15 on the door).

Heading over to Edinburgh and Sneaky Pete’s has a special line-up with the visit of Stones Throw founder, Peanut Butter Wolf. Chris Manak is a hip hop label head of the finest kind. His knack for crafting ingeniously charismatic sample-based productions is matched only by the scope of his selection prowess. His outlet’s back catalogue contains classic records from the likes of MF Doom and Madlib, J Dilla and J Rocc amongst others and is testament to Peanut Butter Wolf’s impeccable taste. Anyone who can select with such ease over a mammoth 12 hour Boiler Room show, as he did earlier this year, is to be trusted to deliver the goods. If we are to believe the title of his flawless 1998 album, My Vinyl Weighs a Ton, and we wouldn’t doubt it, this night promises to exhibit a master craftsman at his best (Wed 2 Apr, £10).

Elsewhere, Albatronics is a night which promises a different kind of club outing. Their focus is on contemporary Scottish music with an electronic twist. Known to pack stages with bagpipers and fiddlers alongside the DJs and producers, Albatronics is a refreshingly novel take on dancefloor-based club music. This month they welcome Sketch, who utilise Gaelic vocals and traditional instruments alongside lively percussion and programming. The lineup also includes Spartan Tartan and an act described as a Beatbox Flautist or Flutboxer, Pauly Piper, providing a unique take on hip hop, drum 'n' bass, jazz and more (Sat 12 Apr, Studio 24, £7 adv/£10 on the door).

Finally, Etiket celebrate their second birthday with the visit of Korean-born Berliner, Hun Choi AKA Hunee. Emerging in 2009 with stunning debut EP Tour De Force, Hunee’s productions vary from deep and atmospheric forays into the duskier end of the house music spectrum, to disco-inspired head bobbers and full on acid-inflected dancefloor stompers. Though his productions have seen him release on respected labels such as Rush Hour and Ostgut Ton, his back catalogue is characterised more with quality rather than quantity and he has been able to earn his reputation primarily through his skills as a selector. In other words, we can’t recommend this one enough (Fri 18 Apr, 511, £7).