Electric Frog: Easter Weekender

It's been four years since The Electric Frog first lit up SWG3, a shadowy industrial complex hidden in the outer reaches of Glasgow's west end. What started as an audacious all-day party held in the dying embers of summer 2009 soon became an established festival spanning the full weekend. Since its inception The Electric Frog has attracted some of the leading names in electro, house and techno whilst ensuring that local talent is adequately represented. The line-up for the forthcoming Easter weekender is bound to ensure the final throes of winter are spent cooped up in an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by all manner of debauchery.

The opening night will see James Shaw and James Ford (aka Simian Mobile Disco) return north of the border. The pair’s penchant for all things analogue has aided them in becoming one of the most respected outfits in modern house – a claim validated by an array of celebrated releases and high profile collaborations. With last year’s Unpatterns exhibiting a darker vibe than much of their earlier work, it would appear the duo have turned their attention away from chart-friendly releases in order to focus on the dancefloor.

Saturday also finds industry guru Andrew Weatherall performing back to back with Soma favourite Ewan Pearson. Weatherall, whose immeasurable influence has covered a host of genres over the last two decades, gained major notoriety for his involvement in Primal Scream’s seminal Screamadelica, and more recently celebrated club night A Love From Outer Space, whilst Pearson, performing under a variety of aliases, has enjoyed a successful relationship with the Glasgow label since 2001. The tag-team can be expected to play a set featuring progressive techno and house with an obligatory helping of explosive numbers along the way.

If that wasn’t enough for one day, New Jersey’s Todd Edwards will take to the decks with an engaging brand of garage-house rhythms providing the nucleus for an array of cut and paste vocal samples and driving basslines. Dutch producer Martyn will exhibit his own brooding style of 'Martyn Music', gleaning influence from dubstep and techno, while Glasgow's own Ben Martin, Hara (HaHaHa & Raksha) and Sam Vitamins will also be on hand to showcase the city's High Sheen record label.

Day two of the weekender has purveyors of minimal techno Pan-Pot leading the charge along with Chicago house veteran Derrick Carter. The last visit of Pan-Pot saw the Berlin-based pairing perform to a packed out Sub Club in what was hailed by many as one of the clubbing highlights of last year. The duo drop off-kilter melodies above murky and foreboding basslines. To the contrary, Carter – who has found particular success in Europe – mixes his signature brand of house and disco, offering brief respite from the industrial and hard-edged atmosphere of the SWG3 venue.

Sunday will also see Norwegian producer Todd Terje take the reins on the back of his most notable year to date. Terje, whose 2012 release 'Inspector Norse' became an anthem for DJs worldwide, will perform on the closing day alongside disco-tech/nu-wave pioneer Marc Houle, local veterans Slam and Silicone Soul’s Graeme Reedie.