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NEW NIGHT/GUEST DJ AIRBOURNE The Venue, Edinburgh, Sat 25 Aug.
‘Edinburgh needs more techno!’ It’s been a phrase on many a clubber’s lips over the last year, now that regular Pure’s a dim and distant memory. Admittedly there have been the odd tltbits here and there, including the superb Dave Angel special back in March. Call it coincidence, call it fate but the very man responsible for that particular soiree, Michael Malone, is back with a full-on regular monthly night. Praise the lord then and say hello to Airborne.
The second night of this all-new techno showcase features a rather tasty double bill of turntable warriors in the shape of Funk D’Void and Orlando Voorn. Rather appropriater l chat to Funk D’Void (aka Lars Sandberg) over the electronic airwaves, via the power of the internet. A fitting meeting place, you’ll agree, for one so at home with technology and the sweet, sweet music it can make.
Swede Sandberg has recently made a move to Spain after many, many years shoring up the Glasgow club scene with his regular Soma releases. ‘The funny thing is I’ve been missing Glasgow a lot recently,’ he explains. ‘The Scots are a very unique people and I do find myself pining for my hometown now and then. Then I
switch on Sky News and check out the weather.’ I imagine a wry smile crossing his face as he types his response, he’s probably off for a dip in the pool later while we’re left to the mercy of Scotland’s ever
temperamental summer.
Sandberg will be joined by Dutch master Orlando Voorn, a DJ/producer who’s collaborated with luminaries such as Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Blake Baxter and Kevin Saunderson. Having never seen him play before (he has however remixed several of his tracks), Sandberg’s understandably looking forward to sharing the decks with Voorne at Airborne. ‘l’ve heard he’s on that hip hop style of mixing, which can
be cool to watch,’ he says.
Seeing that Voorn won the Dutch heat of the DMC Mixing Championships way back in 1983, expert
a! l
Electronic soul survivor Funk D’Void
mixing and scratching skills combined with his trademark techno sound should be the order of the day. No doubt this will be the perfect complement to Sandberg’s deep house and Detroit techno combo or
as he likes to describe it, ‘Electronic Soul’.
‘lt’s been ages since l’ve played in Edinburgh,’ Sandberg enthuses, ‘so expect 200% effort! Maybe a bit of jumping about and some exclusive tracks played here and there!’ When you take into account that he’s currently working on his second Chaser album and remixing the likes of Siam, the second flight of Airborne becomes an ever more enticing proposition. So all you frustrated techno heads out
there can breath a collective sigh of relief because
ALTERNATIVE/lNDlE EVOL
The Liquid Room, weekly Fridays.
In days gone by the ardent indie kid had a fairly strict profile. Long, greasy hair, bad complexion, no neck muscles (for shoe-gazing) and a healthy disregard for anything considered popular were the prerequisites to pass with flying colours from the Academy of Indie. If you happened to live in Edinburgh there was just one more proviso - you had to go to Evol every week without fail.
Having just celebrated its tenth birthday, Evol can now lay claim to the title of being Edinburgh's longest running club night. Just as the strict profile of the indie kid has long since been rejected. Evol has long since broken the mould of what's considered appropriate to play at an ‘alternative/ indie' night.
‘Madonna's just as relevant to
popular culture as Sonic Youth are so I think you can play both,‘ explains resident DJ and promoter of all things Evol, Keiron Mellotte. ‘Even from day one, I always wanted to play pop music but the indie scene at the time was much noisier and much more about Nirvana and bands like that.‘
In the wake of the ‘indie-dance crossover' and given the current penchant for irony. an eclectic mix is all the rage and Mellotte's glad of the fact that Evol can now play anything from Dr Dre to The Stooges with Kylie squeezed in between.
‘If you go to any club every week. obviously you’ll hear some of the same records - if I didn't play 'Fools Gold' by The Stone Roses or 'Step On' by The Happy Mondays someone would lynch me on the way out. At the same time though, if you create an ambience where people are having a good time then you can chuck in some other
Airborne is here to fill the (Funk 0’) void. (Henry Northmore)
Evol mastermind Keiron Mellotte
things and try and be a bit different.‘
In line with this inclusive ethos. Mellotte sums up the night saying: ‘We've always called it a disco rather than a club because that's what it's like — it's like a glorified school disco but the mu3ic’s good.‘ (Catherine Bromley)
The best festival clubs
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I Sublime Unbridled trance and techno mayhem as Sublime old timer Nick Warren returns to unleash a set of epic proportions. The Honeycomb, Fri 24 Aug.
I Airborne The all-new underground techno night makes its mark on the scene thanks to some cracking guest DJs — namely Soma signing Funk D'Void and Dutch master Orlando Voorne. See preview (opposite). The Venue, Sat 25 Aug.
I A Deep Sensation/Clubsole Chicago house don Terry Hunter makes a rare and not-to-be- missed visit to Scottish shores at this special event brought to you in association with Glasgow's Clubsole. See preview, page 58. Noa, Sat 25 Aug.
I Three Piece Sweet Hooray! it‘s the end of Festival party and despite the fact that we’ve all had lots of fun we’d now like it to fuck right off until next year. So, if you've got any energy left, get on down to the party mix from the girls who rocked our very own List party. Cocteau Lounge, Thu 30 Aug.
I Colours Percussive wet funk from Teutonic Overlord Timo Maas (pictured) and some progressive house heaven from Ashley Casselle at this Bank Holiday bonanza. The Liquid Room, Sun 26 Aug.
l Rejuvenation Christ alive it‘s the history of jungle! Start the night in 1991 and work your way through various combinations of techno, hip-house and breakbeat culminating in cutting-edge treats from the time we call now. The Bongo Club, Fri 37 Aug.
l Evol It may make you feel ancient but face up to the fact that the infamous alternative/indie night is ten years old. Still, with the recent addition of a back room manned by Mr & Mrs Braithwaite of Mogwai fame. the future looks peachy for all things Evol. See preview (opposite). The Liquid Room, week/y Fridays.
23 Aug-t5 Sep 2001 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 57