Clubbing Highlights - May 2011
Social anthropologist Morgan Gerard once wrote of club culture as something akin to spiritual experience, referring specifically to 'liminality': an ephemeral, trance-like state of being more commonly used to describe those in the awe of totemic ritual and hardcore Christian evangelism. Whatever you might think of the arguably contrived nature of applying academic discourse to dance music, there's more than a grain of truth to the metaphor of DJ-as-shaman when you consider one Sam Shackleton.
His contribution to the long-running Fabric canon, a masterful artefact of techno whose emotional register jitters somewhere between anguish and terror, has borne several 12"s of astounding quality. That Shackleton can transform his inward-looking soundscape into a firmly dancefloor-ready set is all the more remarkable, given that Fabric 55, despite and because of its brilliance, is not a friendly listen. Seek him out at the Glasgow School of Art on Fri 20 May.
Deadly Rhythm host another Fabric alumnus on Sat 28 May, 3024 impresario and polygenre producer Martyn. A DJ whose catalogue is as indebted to classic Berghain techno as it is to Rinse FM, Martyn's richness and diversity of sonic textures should amount to no less than an absolute belter of a set. Braiden, whose recent Juan Atkins-esque remix of Jacques Greene's Holdin' On has been thoroughly rinsed in the windowless bolthole sometimes called the 'Clubs' office, will join him at SWG3.
Bigfoot's Tea Party host their first outdoor party of the year at The Goat on Sat 7 May with St. Louis beatsmith Butane. His releases for Crosstown Rebels, Little Helpers and his own imprint Alphahouse are typically slow-burn, hypnagogic tech-house jams, but his live sets tend to be more playful and upright. If nothing else, the early afternoon barbecue will be worth hawking.
Over in Aberdeen, DO IT! take the reins at Club Origin on Fri 13 May to welcome fLako. His influences are as exotic and fragmented as his background suggests: born in Chile, and now living between Berlin and London, fLako's hip-hop sensibilities are bathed in summery synths and broken beat rhythms that should be familiar to anyone up on Brainfeeder or Robots Don't Sleep. Brian D'Souza, appearing as Auntie Flo, completes DO IT!'s small hours line-up.
A brief mention of Diplo's visit alongside Sinden at the Liquid Room on Thu 5 May should suffice, but of more interest to this column is Spank Rock's rendezvous at Sick Note on Thu 26 May. Combining the priapic mischief of 2 Live Crew with a frenzy of 808s and low-frequency bass stabs very much of their own making, Spank Rock's booty bass orgy will make Caligula look like an Enid Blyton tribute.
Similar levels of moral atrophy may ensue when Âme occupy Subculture on Sat 14 May alongside Mark E and residents Harri & Domenic. Most will have a ken of the duo via the ubiquitous – and slightly dated – Rej, but it should no longer be the primary reference for the quality of their work since; the spindly, Teufelswerk inspired groove of Junggesellenmaschine being one of many examples.