Scottish Clubbing Highlights: January 2019

Return To Mono with Clouds (All Night Long) @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 11 Jan

Liam Robertson and Calum Macleod – the Perth-born pair behind Clouds – cemented themselves as young talents to watch with their impressive 2013 debut LP Ghost Systems Rave. Six years on and for the first Return To Mono of 2019, Clouds are putting in an all-night set in celebration of the release of their new album Heavy the Eclipse. The album, as they describe it, is "a concept album with a sci-fi backstory about a post-apocalyptic Glasgow ruled by a German conglomerate". Just imagine how that will translate to the dancefloor.

Phazed presents Austin Ato @ The Reading Rooms, Dundee, 11 Jan

Austin Ato – aka Colin Bailey – has been a fixture of Scotland's electronic landscape under various guises, perhaps best known as electro/techno producer and Peaches collaborator Drums of Death. As a producer and DJ, he brings together a rich mixture of influences – from afrobeat and dubby house, to pulsing disco and machine funk – that all combine to create a fresh dancefloor vibe. With releases on Phonica White, Me Me Me and Futureboogie, and an upcoming 12" on Defected, this will be an exciting Rooms debut. 

Shapework / Pearson Sound @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 12 Jan

David Kennedy, aka Pearson Sound, is one third of the team behind Hessle Audio, the trailblazing label which he runs alongside Ben UFO and Pangaea. Also known for his work as Ramadanman and Maurice Donovan, Kennedy stops in at The Mash House as Pearson Sound to mark Shapework's third birthday.

hwts presents: Skatebård @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 14 Jan

Expect carefree, Italo-inspired floor-fillers as Norwegian veteran Skatebård makes his Edinburgh debut. The instantly-recognisable bearded selector had a standout year in 2018, playing all over Europe, North and South America and Asia, including Boiler Room and main stage sets at Dekmantel. Who said Monday nights have to be boring?

Courtesy & Silver Dollar Club @ The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 18 Jan

One of the key figures spearheading the much talked-about 'fast techno' scene in Copenhagen, Courtesy is an exciting booking for the revamped Silver Dollar Club's quarterly parties. Najaaraq Vestbirk was born in Greenland and grew up in Copenhagen, and has made a name for herself as a DJ, producer and music journalist. Her fast rise to the top of the techno game is a testament to her talents, alongside her own labels Ectotherm (co-founded with former Apeiron cohort Mama Snake) and Kulør, which focus on showcasing the musical output of Denmark's colorful club scene.

Million Dollar Disco 2019 @ The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 19 Jan

The third Saturday in January has become synonymous with Million Dollar Disco's annual spectacular at Glasgow’s Berkeley Suite. As usual, Al Kent will be playing from start-to-end, serving up four hours of the most wonderful disco music. Since launching the Million Dollar Disco brand back in the 90s, Kent has released a number of impressive compilations of disco gems, and he's well known for his unique DJing style which fuses exotic rarities with out-and-out classics.

SENSU x Sub Club • Floorplan @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 25 Jan

Floorplan are back in town, after rocking the stage at Sub Club Soundsystem in 2017. The father-daughter duo of Detroit minimal techno pioneer Robert Hood and Lyric Hood will be preceded by the Sensu resident DJs, before the pair take over the booth for an exciting extended live set.

Raphaël Top-Secret @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 30 Jan

Paris native Raphaël Top-Secret had a fantastic 2018. As well as being the co-curator (with Music From Memory boss Jamie Tiller) behind the excellent Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop From Europe, 1980-1991 compilation, one of his floor-destroying edits also appeared on Hunee’s Hunchin' All Night compilation. Come and hear what all the fuss is about as DJ Raphaël drops everything from boogie, downtempo and reggae to house and industrial bangers at this mid-week Sneaky Pete's show.