'PEOPLE WHO RUN THESE EVENTS ARE GETTING MUCH BETTER SOUNDSYSTEMS’
Justin Robertson
The main event
COLOURSFEST O5 is Scotland’s biggest dance festival, packed with over 50 DJs as well as live music. David Pollock checks out the line-up.
ow that summer looks very much like it‘s rearing
its none-too—unwelcome head at last. we can all
start to look forward to festival season again. What that means in Scotland is that June kicks in with the regular annual appearance of Coloursfest. a humid. fists-in-the-air night of dancefloor-based enjoyment. courtesy of the biggest club brand north of the border.
Spread over six individual arenas. Scotland‘s only dedicated dance festival offers an embarrassment of riches for your dedicated mainstream clubber. each stage being run in conjunction with another name promoter and programmed with their own individual take in mind. For example. Inside Out‘s Main Arena features Paul Van Dyk and Armin van Buuren. with a live set from Ferry Corsten. while the progressive Bedrock Arena is headlined by Herman Cattaneo. Elsewhere there‘s house from Hed Kandi. up-and-coming talent courtesy of Nuklear Puppy. and old skool with Back to the Future (including L'Itrasonic. for proper nutters and those with a sense of humour).
While (‘olours won't have to look too far to find the dedicated crowd who helped make last year’s event a sellout success. however. the discerning types will get truly excited once they hear mention of the Soma Sessions marquee. and the delights to be found therein. Like techno-inventing Detroit legend Derrick May. esteemed doyen of the New York scene from disco to house Francoise K. eclectic but dancefltmr-unifying Brit duo FC Kahuna. ex-Lionrocking big beat boy wonder Justin Robertson and live sets from Soma Records signees Vector Lovers and Hystereo. All this and you get to see Ultrasonic too. Are you looking forward to it?
34 THE LIST 26 May S) Jun 2005
Justin Robertson is.
‘Yeah. I can‘t wait.’ he confirms. 'I‘ve done a few festivals over the years and I'm doing a few this summer. and the biggest improvement I've noticed is the quality of production. They used to be a bit hit and miss. but people who run them have started to get much better soundsystems and really hone it down.‘ For his part. Robertson promises ‘rough. acidic. electronic house. I try to play records with a dynamic energy and a bit of oddness.‘ he says. ‘but still keeping that underlying party vibe. Big beat? No. that was never my thing. When I was in Lionrock we used a couple of Coldcut-type breakbeats and people jumped on it. but I try to steer clear of scenes which start as liberation and end up being the orthodoxy.‘
As far as his own involvement goes. Soma head Crae Caldwell explains: ‘Colours had done these events previously. purely as an event branded in their own name. It went well for them. but they wanted to expand a bit so they contacted us about getting involved last year. We were doing Soma Sessions in Mas at the time. so it made sense to move that to Coloursfest. Obviously with T in the Park. we wouldn‘t have been able to brand it any other way [Soma and Slam are throughly entwined. with Slam already sponsoring the dance tent at Balado].
‘It worked well. because it lent Colours a cooler edge and gave them perhaps more credible artists than the mainstream they're used to. while Soma also benefited from exposure on a scale we wouldn't have had before.’
Coloursfest 05 is at Braehead Arena and Waterfront, Glasgow, Sat 4 Jun.
twig?
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2:: Pressure It just gets better and better. Subterranean pleasure from Tiga, DJ T, Slam, Derrick Carter, UMEK, Ewan Pearson and the icing on the cake - Plaid (live). The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 27 May. DeathKiIMOOO You don‘t see this stuff every day. Smatka Molot screams, lilts, whispers and allures while playing dirty-ass rock'n’roll. This is so much more than stage presence. Leave your hang-ups at home. Barfly, Glasgow, Sat 28 May.
Urban Niche Dex’n’FX show from Atomic Hooligan (Botchit & Scarper) with a rock/dance hybrid that should have the dancefloor quaking under the impact of their mighty breaks. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 28 May.
ii: The Big Bang Bank Holiday Special Ahh. bank holidays. Don‘t ya just love ’em? And especially all the one-off club nights that come with them, as DJ Yoda, Sammy Jo and Touche provide the enviable bill at this cavernous venue. City,
Edinburgh, Sun 29 May.
Mylo Special Olympics Benefit Skye's finest does another free gig for charity. It‘s in aid of Glasgow City Council’s Special Olympics National Summer Games. Both Mylo (pictured) and the Arches are donating their time and facilities for free. The Arches, Glasgow, Sun 29 May.
2:: The Wee Chill: Part No Who needs the Big Chill when you got the wee one on your doorstep? Special guest Daddy G (Massive Attack) and Men in Speedos join Glasgow’s finest. The Queens Park Glasshouse, Glasgow, Sun 29 May.
:2: Coloursfest Scotland's biggest dance test with everyone from Paul Van Dyk to and Ferry Corsten to Derrick May and FC Kahuna. Quite literally huge. Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Sat 4 Jun.
2?: Offbeat Bit of indie funk to put the punk frug into your week as Sheffield’s legendary night hits the capital. The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh, Thu 9 Jun.