ELECTRO MEKANIK The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 13 May
‘l've been DJing since I was 13 which is almost 15 years.‘ explains Mekanik promoter Neil Connolly on the thinking behind his new night. ‘But I was getting seriously tired of the whole “who you know" aspect. of hearing amazing unknown DJs who were so much better than the people who get paid big bucks. So I wanted to give them a chance to stake their claim.’
What seems to set Mekanik's high aspirations apart from every other bunch of mates who have booked a club and then faltered is, first of all. their exposure. With support from Beat 106. they'll be soliciting tapes from new talent — not just their friends — and paying attention to word of mouth in order to find real quality to fit their remit of electro to acid. with house and hip hop in between. The first lucky winner to take to the Arches' stage will be Glasgow's Little Miss Mixit.
Most crucially, however. the club will be pairing newcomers with a big name who people will shell out to see. so this time it's a showcase of DJ Hell's pioneering electroclash label. International Deejay Gigolos. ‘lt's been one of my favourite labels since I was 18.‘ explains Connolly, “particularly anything by David Carretta. who's playing here. We've also got Christopher Just and Saves Pascalidis — who's possibly my favourite DJ at the moment — so it’s a bit of a wish list for us.’ With DJ Yoda lined up for next time, Connolly also makes mention of a ‘big name' from IDG before long. We wonder who that could be? (David Pollock)
Dfrnt Drum crew and Silvia Substance. So hold onto your jazz-hats. cats.
this one could go off.
(Mark Edmundson)
Rainer Trfiby
TECHNO
UTI
The Venue, Edinburgh, 20 May One of South America's rising stars is jetting into the capital for a two-hour set at UTI. and if Daniela Haverbeck's reputation is anything to go by. the Venue’s sound system is going to suffer some serious punishment. Haverbeck’s been DJing in her native Chile since 1997, playing progressively hard techno to an ever-increasing legion of fans. She's already got the attention of Europe‘s harder techno clubs, but now she's making a move on the UK. stopping off to drop some speaker-wrecking sounds as part of
Haverbeck is joined by fellow Chilean Carlos Rios. Now living in Amsterdam. Rios will be performing live, but for UTI resident and promoter Semaj. the real highlight is going to be Haverbeck‘s UK debut.
‘With a limited number of international hard techno female DJs to choose from, UTl has held back a long time looking for just the right one.‘ he says. 'But it's been well worth the wait. Daniela's known for her combination of hard techno and hardcore. and she's sure to blow you all away. Expect a hot Chilean night with mad visuals.‘ (Darren Watts)
ACID-NU_JAZZ her European tour. TROUBLE ; The Under the Influence boys are Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Fri 22 E known for their themed parties. and to Mill/W i keep the South American vibe going.
After all of a month off, Trouble is celebrating its re-relaunch in the new. comparatively capacious caverns of the Cab with an almighty soundclash of a night that features the return of the ever eclectic Rainer TrUby.
It was Gilles Peterson who turned Trtiby — a gent with a naturally sunny disposition — onto the 608 bossa that would shine through his work with Germany's Compost label and the TrUby Trio. ‘Maybe it's because Germany is such an un-Brazilian country that people always want to get that kind of sugarloaf-sunshine kind of feel,‘ he suggests of why his homeland is so fond of latin rhythms.
At the helm of his celebrated Root Down night in Frieburg he professes to be ‘happiest when I feel the freedom and the feedback from the crowd to be able to play whatever I feel right now', a luxury that open-minded Troublers are sure to afford. ‘And at the end of the night I can play something soulful and see people smile.’
The night will also feature guest MC DRS and new resident toaster Ratty B, while in the back room the Very will be playing live with support from the
Daniela Haverbeck
38 THE LIST 12-26 May 2005
David Carretta
TECHNO ANTHONY ‘SHAKE’ SHAKIR Traxx at the Liquid Lounge, Glasgow, Sat 21 May
Although his name might not inspire quite the same nod of recognition as pioneers of Detroit techno like Derrick May or Juan Atkins, aficionados will tell you Anthony Shakir was just as much a part of the scene. It was 1981 when ‘Shake’ began to indulge his love of electro and hip hop via bedroom recordings, although it wasn’t until he teamed up with May and Carl Craig to write, produce and - so the story goes - be in-house janitor for the Metroplex label that his name began to spread. And he also programmed the drums for Inner City’s ‘Good Life’, which deserves huge respect.
Where Shakir’s aversion to European strains of techno apparently accounted for his limited appearances on this side of the Atlantic in the early days, the sad onset of multiple sclerosis is a much more practical reason now. Despite being wheelchair-bound, his passion for music is undimmed, with this set sure to be purists’ gold. It even gives him a chance to catch up with fellow Detroit legend and Frictional Recordings partner, Claude Young, who has now relocated to the similarly functional climes of East Kilbride.
This Traxx night forms part of the clubbing events happening during Glasgow’s 10 Days in May festival. Other events to look out for include the live appearance of the original Blackheads alongside DJ sets from the Clash’s Mick Jones and Optimo’s Jonny Wilkes (Renfrew Ferry, Sunday 22 May), DJ Numark (QMU, Sunday 22 May) and Melting Pot with Sean P, Billy Woods and Simon Cordiner (Riverside Club, Saturday 28 May).
(David Pollock)