Hip-Hop Column by Bram Gieben

First up you'd be a damn fool to miss Breakestra. Beloved by the likes of Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf and DJ Shadow, this live LA-based funk band play the Liquid Room, Edinburgh on Mar 5. Solid Steel meanwhile feature Bonobo (Ninja Tune) on Mar 17. His debut LP 'Animal Magic' is still worth a look five years on, and his more recent live incarnation with the Bonobo Band is something to see by all accounts. Residents Dan Bland and B-Burg are flying the Local Product flag in the main room, as always keeping it Solid Steel, with Decoy Roy & Whys in the back room. Also playing live, the Joe Aitcheson Quartet.

Meanwhile over in Glasvegas, Dema and Nice are bringing not one but two exciting guests to Freakmoves in March. March 2 is Oddisee (Halftooth Records) & local crew Heralds of Change. Oddisee has worked with Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli, and is a contrast to the second guest, Lushlife, who visits on March 16. Lushlife has been tipped to be the next Kanye West, and his 'Order of Operations' LP is causing big waves across the pond. He also plays the Saturday Night Fish Fry on March 18 in Edinburgh.

March 25 is Headspin at the Bongo Club, as FOUND celebrate the release of their single Mullokian on Surface Pressure. Sanna support. As always the Headspin residents mash it up with a multi-deck mix of hip-hop, funk, and whatever else gets the crowd moving. Step It Up take on Orange Street at Cabaret Voltaire on March 30; this one-off soundclash will feature reggae, funk, dancehall and hip-hop, and should get those caverns rocking.

Beaks-wise, its clearly a Fingerlickin' month as Soul of Man visit Bio-Rhythm on March 24, and Krafty Kuts and Askillz visit Sugarbeat on March 31.