SYNCOPATED BEATS QUANTIC
Trouble at the Blue Note, Beat Jazz Basement, Edinburgh, Fri 6 Dec
It might not have quite made Alanis Morissette’s handbook of ironic facts, but it’s bizarre that some of the most danceable sounds on the planet (funk, dancefloor jazz, perky Grand Central-style hip hop) aren’t officially classed as dance music, while too- hectic-by-half hard house and the more bewildering ends of the techno spectrum are.
Quantic, aka 22-year-old Midlander Will Holland, is perturbed by the distinction. ‘lt’s just such a foul phrase, “dance music”,’ he says. ‘I mean, what I do is music to dance to, I guess, and I’d hate to seem like a real anorak, and demand that people say something like “nu-jazz-esque type thing”. Plus nu-jazz makes it sound pretty smooth and I think what I do is rawer than that. I guess it’s just syncopated beats. It’s normal music with a twist.’
Holland has been making music professionally for the past four years. While his early experiments focused on punk, the Brighton-based DJ, producer and musician
TRANCE INSIDE OUT
If there is one word to describe Inside
‘lt’s normal music with a twist’
now sails funkier waters through three key projects. ‘There’s Quantic, the Ouantic Soul Orchestra and the Limp Twins,’ he says. ‘Quantic was meant to be a computer production using samples and some instrumentation and the Soul Orchestra was going to be a funk outfit, getting back to 1969. But I’ve been using the Orchestra to make breaks and the Quantic sound has got rawer and more live, so there’s not so much difference between them now.’
Holland has enjoyed most success in his Ouantic guise, gaining tips from the likes of Kruder and Dorfmeister, Gilles Peterson and LTJ Bukem. His second album, Apricot Morning was released in June. It’s a winsome combination of soul, funk and breakbeats, at once retro and space age, calling both the stoner on the sofa and the groovester on the dancefloor. His set should offer something for everyone. ‘l’ve got a bit of a calypso fetish on at the moment,’ he says. ‘So I’ll be playing a bit of that, plus maybe some silly records, lots of old funk stuff and some reggae. Then maybe three tracks off the current album and two off the first one and a few remixes - I’ve just done one for Mr Scruff.’ (James Smart)
out to the 900 scantily clad bodies
The Arches, Glasgow, Sat 30 Nov
Guy Ornadel
66 THE LIST ()8 Now-l? Der; .900?
Out at the Arches then its ‘massive'. If there is one thing you've got to do when you're there then it's dance. Since its launch in December 1996. Inside Out has been flying the flag for the best trance and progressive house music. Past line ups have featured everyone from housewife's favourite Judge Jules to Timo Mass. Tall Paul and Sister Bliss.
But the guys behind one of Scotland's busiest club nights are also keen to promote names that might not trip off the tongue so easily, such as DJ Scott Project. Du Monde and Yves De Rueter. So it should come as no Surprise that resident Simon Foy has put together yet another varied line—up for this month's bash. Playing
that religiously flock to the Arches every month will be crowd favourites Guy Ornadel and John ‘00' Fleming as well as De Rueter and Dutch duo Signam.
Ornadel, who when not DJing finds the time to manage Sash and Sander Kleinenberg. has made several appearances at Inside Out and Freefall over the last year and is ‘mad for it'. ‘Inside Out at the Arches is definitely the wildest crowd I've played to in Scotland.’ he says. ‘The chants and the reactions of the clubbers really make me laugh. In fact aside from Passion, I think they are one of the best crowds in the UK.‘
‘Here we, here we. here we fucking go!’ (Gillian McCormack)
T clubs@list.CO.uk
Word Up
The latest club news
HOGMANAY IS NEARLY WITH us and if you still don’t have any plans here are a few suggestions. In Glasgow we have Colours, taking over the Tunnel in association Subliminal featuring Who Da Funk and Jose Nunez; Inside Out will be at the Arches with exclusive guests Yves De Reuter, John Johnson and Corvin Dalek; Archaos is going ‘Old Skool’ with the likes of Public Domain and QFX; Subculture are finally gonna host that NYE party they have always been dreaming of at the Sub Club; and their comrades Optimo will be installed at the School of Art (guests still to be confirmed for these last two).
In Edinburgh we have the massive official parties at Ocean Terminal (the Big Splash with Boy George, Jon Pleased, Trendy Wendy and more) and Vegas at Edinburgh College of Art; the Headspin crew will be at the Bongo Club; Colours once again rears its head on the East Coast with Subliminal at the Liquid Rooms; the final ever Atomic Baby at La Belle Angele; Joy’s at Ego; Bad Manners join the Citrus DJs for a live show at the Citrus Club; and Audio Deluxe with special guest Eman are at the Honeycomb (and they have Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzales for a 1
January partyl).
The Subbie reopens, hurrah!
THE SUB CLUB REALLY is reopening this month at their old venue (Jamaica Street. Glasgow). There's an invite only opener on the 29 November. then its all Systems go week in week Out as SubCullure and Optimo return to their old stomping ground.
AND FINALLY FREAK Marketing are not involved in running the Human Be-ln as reported last issue. Cabaret Voltaire venue manager Fraser Heaps used to be assistant manager at said bar and pre- club hangout - sorry for any confusion this may have caused.