'I GUESS IT'S A LITTLE MORE ROCKY, SPACED OUT DISCO FUNK'
‘ L h ‘M . ._ i . L. V a.‘
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Mark Edmundson chats to Martin Brew as he brings his ever eclectic tastes back to Edinburgh’s Headspin.
lie houndary-busting mish mash of musical
forms has been making a clubland comeback
over the last year or two. bringing forth a resurgence in live acts and a step away from the endless. repetitive beat. Bttt with the rise of individual downloads and the advent of myspacecom. a certain democratisation of music is leading DJ sets to hit new heights of eclecticism. ()ver its eight year history. cult lidinburgli club lleadspin has always championed a liotpot of styles through four decks of hip hop. house. funk and reggae. and this fortnight welcomes back Manchester‘s underground crown-holder Martin Brew. (‘reating spacey. downbeat hip hop before the term trip hop had been coined. Martin Fisher (as is his civilian persona) later took the sound into more club friendly territory with his neon soul partnership. J- \\'alk. .\'ow a solo project. Fisher is juggling work on a second J—Walk album alongside DJ sets and cheeky re-edits under the Martin Brew monicker. ‘My DJ set is getting even more eclectic. really. crazily so.’ exclaims Fisher of play lists that cosy up the punk- funk of APB with (‘hubby Checker. ‘l‘m playing all sorts and having a lot of fun just trying a lot of things out. I guess it's a little more rocky. spaced out disco funk. a bit psychedelic but groovy. moving away a little from the hip hop thing.~ Such a claim will come as no surprise to those who got into bed with last year”s Brew album No Room In The (‘in For Big IIUUI'IS like ()urs. an extended anthology of the odds and ends he had produced for the Fat City label. which took in deep house. twisted disco. bouncing breakbeat and fuzzy funk. Like the J-Walk debut. A
Night On The Rocks. its release proved somewhat muted. Martin again conceded to underground applause but can expect a deserved fanfare for the sequel. released on the diverse Peacefrog label (home to Jose Gonzalez. Moodymann and Nouvelle Vague). Nowadays. if you‘re producing something worthwhile your audience is likely to find you. ‘People are more aware of things now than they were even a year ago.‘ enthuses Fisher of the public‘s growing sense of adventure and the greater freedom this permits on the steels. ‘lt's a mad phenomenon. finding so many good tunes on myspace. I‘ve heard my new favourite band and found my old favourite band. APB. on there. It‘s so addictive that thing. I‘m
just sucked into it like mad. I think that’s reflective of
what a lot of people are getting really. People are surfing around and their tastes are getting broader.’ So what effect has this opening of minds had on the notoriously rich breeding ground of Manchester's music scene? ‘I don‘t know if there is a certain scene
at the moment really.~ squirms the one-time manager
of hip hop‘s Northern hub. Fat City record shop. admitting that he has been living in the studio for the
best part of the last year. ‘The clubs are still rocking it
and the whole band explosion has taken over a lot of cities. so there‘s quite a fertile live scene. It‘s just more and more music. And if one thing is true of today‘s explosion of interest in new sounds. more is most assuredly more.‘
Martin Brew guests at Headspin. the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 20 May.
allit _
THE BEST DANCEFLOOR ACTION
1%: lmpotent Fury The Wheel is King as one half of Lemon Jelly. Fred Deakin, plays to the whims of fate (and your final ever chance to catch the Fury). The Venue, Edinburgh, Fri 1 2 May. t'r Inner City Acid You might not have heard of Belgium's Starski and Tonic. but you may well be impressed to learn their predecessors as residents at Ghent's Culture Club were 2ManyDJs and the Glimmers? Soundhaus, Glasgow, Sat 73 May.
=l< Reverend Funk The joyous celebration of all that is funk returns with more classic soaring trumpets and Hammond grooves. Ego, Edinburgh, Sat 73 May.
:5: Haywire A new night from those busy folks who bring us Cotton Cake. Glasgow's all-girl Hedrons tear up the headline spot. Woodside Social Club, Glasgow, Fri 19 May.
Mylo Young chap. You might have heard of him. From Skye. Released a few tunes like ‘Destroy Rock'n'Roll' and ‘Drop the Pressure’. Go on, you know you want to. City, Edinburgh, Fri 79 May.
>§< Death Disco The suitably stellar line-up includes Cosmic Sound's Daniele Baldelli, the Munk DJs and Alexander Robotnick. The Arches, Glasgow. Sat 20 May
a? Mind The Gap A special showcase from Michael Mayer's Kompakt Records. with a live set from Le Petit Orb (see Answer Machine, page 112). CCA, Glasgow, Sat 21 May.
>i< Colours presents John Digweed That’s right John Digweed (pictured) at the Cab. classic house all night long. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Thu 25 May.
11—25 May 2006 THE “81' 31