Clubbing Highlights – July 2012

This month’s best club event will not be happening inside any walls but instead under the protection of the massive blue expanse that is the Slam Tent at T in the Park and, as usual, the line up is pretty spectacular. You may remember 2004’s T in the Park being the 'last ever show' for the Hartnoll brothers, but they’ve been lured back to the action one more time. Orbital will have to put on some show to top that last one, so all eyes and torch-equipped headsets will be on them come Sunday night. Other highlights for the final day include Dubfire, the project of Deep Dish’s Ali Shirazinia, plus Simian Mobile Disco, Maya Jane Coles, Pan-Pot and Joris Voorn, while Diplo’s Major Lazer project is the perfect explosive Saturday night material for a day that is divided between the electro of Erol Alkan and Fakeblood and the dubstep of Skream and Benga. Make sure you get there nice and early on the Friday for the double headline delight of openers Slam and Sven Väth. 

This may not be a golden age of experimental electronic music but there are still a handful of artists bursting through with something interesting and Airhead (Rob McAndrews), who plays at The Berkeley Suite on Sat 7 July, is one such individual. Obligatory references to James Blake must be made as the two went to school together, but McAndrew’s music is less entrenched with fixed blueprints, and the general lack of a plan is refreshing as waves of beautifully textured noise crash down around the sparse but still rhythmically propulsive beats. As with the best electronic music, this is for your head and your heart.

Sneaky Pete’s celebrate their 4th anniversary on Sun 22 July when the supreme house talent that is Jesse Rose drops by Coalition for what will be a pretty special session. Unsurprisingly for a guy who has had a residency at Berlin’s Panorama Bar and played to twenty odd thousand at Exit Festival there should be enough people in the queue outside to fill the place a couple of times over so it’s probably just common sense to get your hands on a ticket early for this one.

Optimo, Huntleys and Palmers and Highlife throw their considerable and collective weight behind the all day label showcase for Cómeme on Sat 7 July which will feature that essential element of any summer, a DJ set from Matias Aguayo. A whole day will be devoted to enjoying the spirit and music of a label that has always given people no other option but to dance and a handful of the label’s other DJs including Christian S and Ale Paz will play along with Auntie Flo and Esa in support. The party kicks off at Mono at 3pm with the afterparty at La Cheetah – twenty four hours will almost certainly not be enough.

Come Collective have been hosting parties and exhibitions since 2008 and have steadily grown into a record and clothing label. To celebrate their fourth birthday they have decided to let some of their best talent loose for free at The Annexe on Thu 26 July. Dandy Riots and Boko will be playing a live set to launch their new EP while Soviet Dance Party, who also launches an EP, will be dropping in for a set, as will G of Young Fathers. Finally, Compakt have relocated to The Annexe and will be raring to bring you the best techno and tech house once more at their new spot. To assist them they have Harvey McKay on Fri 27 July whose releases on Soma and Drumcode show a diversity of production without moving far away from a central core of pounding kicks and bass.