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FREESTYLE BEAIS TROUBLE
The Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, Weekly Fri
In a scene beset by closures and relaunches, the Cellar Bar takes the biscuit. It was run as a jazz cellar, with the emphasis very much on live performance, until early 2002, when it was smartened up, an association with the hip Blue Note label was formed, and the focus shifted towards dancefloor friendly beats - including entertaining nu-jazz shindig Trouble at the Blue Note. Then, in December of that year, fire decimated the Cowgate: the venue suffered minor damage, mostly from water. When it reopened, owners Festival Inns (the company behind Faith and the Three Sisters) branded it up as the Peppermint Lounge and installed a mainstream music policy.
The venue has finally gone leftfield again. It’s returning to the Cellar Bar name, is looking to feature live music through the week, and has a clubs schedule at the weekend, with Trouble as the mainstay of its Friday nights. According to Trouble promoters Hobbes (Dfrnt Drum) and Erik d’Viking (Say Samba!), meanwhile, the loss of the Blue Note tag could be something of a blessing. ‘Now we’ve lost the association we can spread our wings a bit more and go beyond nu-jazz, which we tended to do a fair bit before anyway,’ says Hobbes. ‘The word we’ve been using is freestyle, which I picked up from a Swiss DJ called Alex Attias. It’s really a mix of soul, funk, jazz, hip hop, house and electro stuff.’
Trouble’s return sees Erik and Hobbes play alongside Rainer Trijby, who’s signed to Michael Reinboth’s highly regarded
Compost label and is one of Gilles Peterson’s favourite DJs. Trijby produces as part of the Trijby Trio, which also features Fauna Flash’s Christian Prommer and Roland Appel. He is full of praise for Edinburgh’s Jo Malik, who he introduced to
Reinboth. ‘I was DJing with him in Edinburgh about five or six years ago and he dropped this track, it was ‘Grand Unified’ I think, and it had this amazing vocal on it, I thought it was sung by a woman. But he said
Carlos Adolfo Dominguez
78 THE LIST 7', 'ii I Hi; 7U»:
(James Smart)
HOUSE. TFCl NO is MORE TRAXX
The Soundhaus, Glasgow, Sat 7 Feb
It seems all good things — days in the sun, free education — come to an end. Some things putter on endlessly however: others end on a high. So it is with Traxx at the Soundhaus. And the reason for the end of this four~year residency? 'In 2004 the club scene needs a kick up the arse.‘ says DJ Tom Churchill. 'The Soundhaus is a great Saturday night venue but there's a risk in doing the same thing at the same venue for too long. We want to try new things in new venues.’
That restless sentiment is consistent
Causing Trouble, Rainer Triiby
it was him. And I said “Well done, brother.”’
It sounds like Triiby should suit Trouble’s wide- ranging music policy. ‘I buy a lot of records every week, so there’s always new music in my crate. I sometimes play housier clubs and sometimes jazzier clubs, so I take a mix of records. But the best nights are the ones where I’m playing records from both stacks and people are smiling and dancing.’
With the Traxx ethos. The music ain't easy to pin down. Wllll Churchill and his accomplice Simon Cordiner thrownig llll) hon. funk and R88 in Wllli the house and techno and Billy and Mat in the bar playing a mash up of disco. soul and house.
Future events are already under wraps. but the Soundliaus farewell should see lraxx on easy street as the regulars make it out in their numbers. There's a lot to get excited about too. With guests including long-established house sensation Glen Gunner and Traxx favour'te Carlos Adolfo Doininguex. Now that's a good way to end. lKenny llodgarti
WORDUP
The latest club news
Highland Hustlers
WE’LL START WITH THE BAD news then move onto the good. Unfortunately the celebrity Glasgow Fabulous specials have been postponed, but expect the Slam/Lucy Sweet collaboration next issue. But of course there is a regular G Fab strip for your delectation this issue.
SCOTTISH DRUM & BASS bootleg outfit Highland Hustlers have a second release out. already getting play from Grooverider as well as the Scottish drum & bass contingent. ‘Scam 2' features a reworking of dancehall hero Sean Paul’s ‘Infiltrate' and on the flip-side we have a jungle version of the Brazilian classic ‘Mas Que Nada'. THE DJ AND PROMOTER Handbook, the Music Industry Manual’s seventh edition, is out now. It’s an essential guide to clubs, DJs and promoter services, listing everything you need to know from record shops to DJ agencies. It’s available exclusively from www.musicindustrymanuual.c om and Wrgin Megastores and costs £24.95.
AND FINALLY, FOR VALENTINE'S Day Vegas is holding a romantic Valentine‘s Ball at Ego. Edinburgh on the day itself. with a special offer of free entry for those getting married on the night. As Vegas puts it: ‘Marriage ceremonies will be conducted at the club by the Reverend Rufus 8 Sweet from Arkansas. in the Vegas Chapel of Everlasting Love. under the auspices of the Ozark State Gaming Commission (firearms. tobacco & hitchin' division). For lovin' couples who want to make a spurious commitment to one another, the wedding licences can now be downloaded from ‘events' on www.vegasscotland.co.uk. The wedding licence should be brought along to the club on the night. AlthOugh the Reverend Rufus is fundamental in his beliefs, Vegas doesn't care about the gender mix of the couples so long as one of them (at least) is wearing a wedding dress.‘