FESTIVAL CLUBS | Previews
PROFILE LEON T. PEARL
Name: Leon T. Pearl
Story so far: Born in London before moving to Edinburgh, 24-year-old Leon T. Pearl has already benefited from studio sessions with Nicolas Jaar, a brief stint living in Tokyo, classical piano training and a fair dose of club action in between. The result? Hypercolour pop laced with catchy vocal hooks. The hype: With Radio 1 already singing his praises and the likes of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs giving him blog space, the homegrown talent looks set to catch on pretty quickly. Edgy lyrics and bass- infused beats which have been likened to the on-point stylings of Disclosure will undoubtedly help.
Track to check: ‘Take You To The Market’ is the debut single out now on Method Records. Featuring a playful piano line over an infectious garage skip and bouncy bass, it’s perfect fodder for the electronic mainstream of today. Expect to hear a lot more of it over the coming weeks.
Where can I see him? Being based in Edinburgh, Leon T Pearl is no doubt keen to support the scene which has supported him. And who better to showcase his talent than achingly hip clothing label and party collective, We Own? Catch him at their festival party on the 21st. (Alex Caslano) ■ Leon T. Pearl plays Sneaky Petes with Law, 16 Aug, 7pm, price TBC and We Own festival party, Cabaret Voltaire, 11pm, £6 (£5).
88 THE LIST FESTIVAL 15–26 Aug 2013
CRAZY P An interview with DJ Danielle Moore
As one fifth of Crazy P, Danielle Moore has spent most of her summer behind the decks. From
festivals to clubs, the group are one of the most in demand acts in electronic music, and when The List catches up with Danielle ahead of a special free party with Rendez-vous in Edinburgh this month, she is recovering from a big night at Ibiza’s legendary DC10. Contemplating how the club experience influences Crazy P back in the studio, she is clearly still
buzzing from the previous night’s action. ‘It’s the adrenaline you feel from certain tracks that inspires you to experiment with new sounds and new orchestrations. Seeing what makes a crowd react emotionally and also being a keen amateur dancer, you feel quality tunes throughout the whole of your body - that’s what makes you move, and it’s those experiences that keep the love of writing new music alive and strong.’ That love for writing new music has seen Crazy P grow to become one of the hottest live dance acts on the planet, with their irresistible blend of house and disco attracting the likes of Huxley, Appleblim and Wolf & Lamb for a recent remix album. Of course, with their sound so deep rooted in the club, it’s easy to appreciate Danielle’s love for DJ’ing. ‘It’s a completely different buzz you get as mainly you’re playing other people’s records, compiling and programming a set totally for the dancefloor. We don’t feel constrained by bpms or a particular genre of music. We move between new and old, just as we mix between genres – it keeps us and the crowd on their toes!’ (Alex Caslano) ■ 99 Hanover Street, 15 Aug, 9pm, free entry.
SCRATCHA DVA The Hyperdub-signed grime producer descends
As usual there will be a procession of great DJs going through the Cowgate’s clubbing cavern Sneaky Pete’s this month, and in securing Scratcha DVA for this midweek date the venue has confirmed one of the UK’s most versatile names amongst their number. Typically associated with the UK funky style and the mighty home of the nation’s most forward- thinking dubstep & bass label, Hyperdub, he’s the kind of DJ who can cram them in on a commercial dancefloor or provide late night listening for blunted lovers of a more textured sound. Just listen to his breakthrough track ‘Natty’ to get an idea - a smooth but uncategorisable fusion of acid house squelches, rattling quasi-African rhythms and a deep, burbling funky bassline. A former grime producer who worked with Wiley and Terror Danjah among others, Leon Smart was also the breakfast DJ on Rinse FM for six years and the head of his own DVA Music label, which he uses to release the work of up and coming funky producers and his own collaborations with the likes of Cooly G. His debut album Pretty Ugly arrived last year on Hyperdub and it was a thing of inventive beauty, from simple, insistent vocal beats like ‘33rd Degree’ and ‘Fire Fly’ to the dark, bass-laden trip of ‘Polyphonic Dreams’. This club set promises to be like no other in Edinburgh this month. (David Pollock) ■ Juice at Sneaky Pete’s, 15 Aug, 11pm, price TBC.