ELECTRONICA NINJA TUNE ZEN TV TOUR QMU, Glasgow, Sat 28 Feb
Jon More to the fore with Coldcut cohort Matt Black
‘
the best bits from old records, the bits that rock the party - the breaks, effectively - and creating a new
‘Ninja Tune was our multi-coloured space vehicle,’ explains Jon More, founder of the seminal label and one half of influential production duo Coldcut. ‘We hand- tinkered it together out of bits of old scrap metal and launched into space, retrieving our band of entertainers - with their tricks and wares - to entertain the socks off
your granny.’
It’s quotes like that which remind you that the Coldcut/DJ Food/Ninja Tune axis of More and Matt Black are not only a big noise today, but that they were actually in on the ground floor of the acid house movement in 1987. The big bang which essentially created dance music as we know it today. Were it not for guys like More and Black and classics like their debut single ‘Say Kids, What Time is it?’, this very club section you read right now would probably be a page of
ballroom dancing listings.
‘A long time ago, in a land far, far away called the 808,’ recounts More with fake world-weariness, ‘I met Matt in a record shop, we made a few records, had a few hits. It was really influenced by things which were coming out of America: the hip-hop concept of taking
TECHNO TOBIAS SCHMIDT React at Ego, Edinburgh, Fri 27 Feb
Tobi comes home
Edinburgh’s place in the landscape of techno should never be overlooked. Of course there was Pure but there was
musical idiom with that. And then there were the house records coming out of Chicago, very strange records which were influenced by disco, but featuring the Roland 303, which is the machine which makes that incredible, acidic-sounding bassline.’
Essentially independent artists at heart, the duo eventually became tired of pop’s machinations and
struck out on their own in 1990 with Ninja Tune, initially
a vehicle for their own sound, and now home to much of the UK’s finest electronica artists. The very best of this will be showcased this month at QMU, with appearances by DK, Blockhead, Polish four-deck masters Skalpel and the ever-unmissable Kid Koala. VJs Lucky Cat and Juxta will also be on hand and of course there’s More’s very own laptop set.
80 would More say his own approach to making music has changed since the 805? ‘Not really, it’s still a
cut and paste ethic,’ he confirms. ‘It’s just that it was 3
also Sativa. taking things one step further into the more obscure realms of intensity and abstract beats. Techno for the mind as well as jacking the body
Tobias Schmidt was a Sativa regular, cutting his teeth with live PAs across the Edinburgh scene. ‘Pure and Sativa in particular and the guests they got made Edinburgh an important part of early techno,“ Schmidt remembers. ‘It was great to be part of something that was happening around us and with us. as opposed to being into a music that has already happened years ago and miles away.‘
The self-styled purveyor of ‘bastardised-wonky-street-techno' isn't stuck in some sort of nostalgic ghetto. His latest. LP Hooray for Everything, continues his subversion of the techno beat. taking it in truly
clear field when we started, and there was only ourselves and a few other people discovering this music, which was fresh and new and exciting. But those discoveries have all been made, so now you have to develop. And we are developing.’ (David Pollock)
original directions, much like contemporaries Cristian Vogel and Jamie Liddle. He's now based in Brighton, and the DJing isn't all he has on the cards. ‘l've been scoring short films. some for Scandinavia. as the label turns into more of a multimedia company; working with Neil Landstrumm on a hip hop project. with vocals and real instruments. called the Verticals; starting a guitar band with some blokes down here; doing some more techno with Dave Tarrida this Spring and still running a label called Nest Records' And most important of all, he's just got himself a puppy called Ronnie.
With a live set promising “noise. noise. noise'. Schmidt and React are firmly making their mark on the Edinburgh techno scene once again. (Henry NOrthmore)
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WORDUP
The latest club news
Jeff Mills shows off
LOADS TO GET THROUGH THIS issue so let’s cut to the chase. You’ll notice the first of our special guest Glasgow Fabulous strips (p86) this issue written by Slam and inked by Lucy Sweet. AND FROM SLAM TO SOMA.
Funk D'Void (see preview p83) is doing two instore appearances at Fopp: Edinburgh 28 Feb and Glasgow 1 Mar both at 1pm. DAVID HOLMES WILL BE IN conversation with Brian Irvine talking about his soundtrack work among other things at the Tollbooth, Stirling, Sunday 22 February (call 01786 274000 for more info).
NOW ONTO THE GOOD STUFF. That's right — competition time. First up in recognition of their tenth birthday tour (see preview, left) Ninja have got pairs of tickets to the night. T-shirts, skins, posters and stickers for two lucky winners. And on top of that one grand winner will receive all of the above and the complete Zen CD and DVD set and slipmats. Send an email marked ‘NINJA' to promotions@list.co.uk with your names, address and daytime telephone number by no later than 24 February.
TECHNO ICON JEFF MILLS IS currently touring Europe and his first night in the UK is at Pressure, the Arches, Friday 27 February (see preview p78). Tickets for the Exhibitionist Tour, sponsored by urban footwear brand Art, are selling out fast but we have two guest list tickets and two pairs of Art trainers to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question: What’s the name of the Jeff Mills tour sponsor?
Art shoes are available locally at Gravity, Sandalwood and Schuh. For more information on art and the tour log onto www.the-art- company.com. To enter send an email marked ‘JEFF MlLLS’ to promotions@list.co.uk with the answer, your name and address no later than 25 February.
19 Feb—11 Mar 2004 THE LIST 77