‘IT'S AN OPEN-MINDED HOUSE NIGHT'
House rules
Gareth Sommeiviil;
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David Pollock talks to Gareth Sommerville about his eight years at the helm of house haven Ultragroove
i\ en the nl'ten niehe—IMixed appeal nl‘ main nl‘
lidinhurgh'x mmt enduring eluhx past and
present linm leehnn tl’urel to drum & haxx (Mangal and retro (Big Beat) it makes a ehange to he ahle tn eelehrate the lite nl a night \xith hroad appeal. and \xliieh ltit\ \uxtained that appeal l‘nr eight _\ear.\ now.
When l'ltragrnm e l'irxt started out at the dear. departed La Belle Angele in 19‘)”. it “as amuedl) a house night. Yet. as en-l‘nunder and DJ (iareth SommerVille explains. that lahel doesn't rextriet the eapahilities nl‘ the eluh.
‘lt‘x a \er} open-minded \an nl‘ ltt)tl\e night. \\hieh means ya: can hear an_\thing at l'ltragrnme l‘rnm a lull-on disen record In a reall} deep. minimal linuxe eut.’ he says. ‘I think the main thing ahnut littlhe mtisie is that it‘s a|\\a_\'\ exuhing. and \xe'\e alua}\ tried to he a\\ are of trend\ \xithnut heing \uekered lltIU the lttlesi. greatest l‘iltl\. \VL‘W e ne\ er heen ttl‘ntll that: \\'e'\'e aluap ehmen the hit\ new liked and mmed on ~- it' )Utl don't mm e on and e\nl\ e. as a house eluh. _\nu ean heenme anaehrnnixtie \er_\ quiekl).‘
SommerVille names elassie house night\ like Bod} & Soul in New York and Faith in London ax inllueneex on l'ltragrnm‘e. plaeex \xhere: 'lt‘x all ahnut the part) rather than .\|a\i.\hl_\ l‘nlltming a \uh-genie. .‘\lnng \x'ith l’ellmx promoter and DJ (‘nlin (‘nnk ixxhn ix no longer in\'nl\ ed \\ ith the eluhl. Snmmen ille attempted to hring this musical aesthetie haek to lidinhurgh \\ ith l'ltragrom'e. hax'ing heen inwlx ed \\ ith the lneal \eene in Various eapaeities tor the hest part «it a deeade.
‘.-\t the time liditthttt‘gh\ eluhhing landseape \\a\ pretty mueh dominated h_\ tranee nightxf he e\plains.
~'l‘here \\ ere one or tun good linuxe night\. like 'I rihal l’tmktion. hut not \ei'} mneh l’ni' people like m_\\ell and m_\ l'riendx. Sn \\ e got together and hired out la Belle one l'i'ida) a month. and it tliiiekl} e\plnded to the point \xhere \xe \tere mined in a Saturda} night. and then to l'nrtnightl} Saturday \\ itliin a _\eai.'
'l'he eluh hax remained a l\\leerlllilllllll_\ \xeekend l'i\ture e\er \inee. and while the Still: lire \xliieh dextrn} ed l.a Belle ;\ngele ma§ ll;t\ e put a \panner in the \xnrkx. l'ltragrume had \er} lni‘tunatel} alread_\ mmed tn ('ahai‘et \nltaire a month earlier. 'l'he eluh ltLl\ maintained a stead} momentum throughout. htiined h} Sniiiinei‘\ille\ \tatux ax one ol the mmt talented and l‘k'\l‘l\lit\\\li lintlxe l).l\ in Seollantl. and a repertoire Ul- lit‘\l L'l;t\\ \peeial j_'tle\l\.
‘()ne nl‘ m} l'a\nurite guexh in a long time unl_\ pla)ed the other \xeek.‘ \a}\ Snimneiwille. 'II \\a\ Ben \Vatt. with a \eleelion nt \\at‘tit eleetrnme llHl|\L' and a lien teehnu intlueneex. ()t our paxt gttexh l)erriek (alter \\a\ ama/ing at our l‘.;t\lel pain in Ziltli Dimitri l-rum l’arix \xax ontuanding the luxt time me had him in. and Kerri ('handlei’x set at our l;t\l l.;t Belle .\ngele date \\;1\ [‘I‘L‘ll} \I‘L‘e'lttl. \tnpped just helore the end and gun e a little \peeeh tu \\ ixh ll\ \\ ell in out ne\\ \enue.'
'lihix hirthda} promixex to he a hit \peeial tnu. \\ ith a DJ \et trnm 'l‘he l'nahnmherx and their lixe inearnatinn lilektronx. and an appearanee h} (‘hieagn legend .luxtin long. ;\\ tn the tuture. Sommeiwille dnexn't like to look [on lat' ahead altei‘ all. eight wan ix alread) a long time in houxe muxie. Ultragroove celebrate their eighth birthday at Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 3 Nov.
Clutter House :s‘tuuie :>-1 u-rni imiuut‘h
““l'ltli"l“."ll
.'.'ii-’T ti iti‘utiiw lllll ot villillllf, out
:an m1 .ltltl and l;l'.t,* thtlilillllt)
‘1‘i5’333iglit‘t'tttilllMX hit-v;
fifuti'u i ."J, I titular/(fl), [II 4’ Not:
Ivy Weekender: Part 1 l“) w in) lilonlx Ron and Niniu lulu-"r. l lii‘t (int thi: intiiuutt: mint i,- ior'kaiu [he l'-. than ,u I H . 7.1):
Tokyoboo! Don't tr Wit fl ham inflown has only lll‘il tigerwi. no thorn", s;ti|l illllt: tor (i at)! )o'w, nptét‘iul of ll‘~.'(: house.
/ go. { u'i/éliu/oh, In .” Nov.
Pinup Nights Murmur; [maul winners; lhi- Klaxons tincture/l, appear on Illt: ones and tut/of). [he [io’it (Iii/h, (S/(i_‘;{jrii,'.q [H J) Nov.
Our Haus Set in a i(;ll(:ilt(:lli houst: (:0llil)l()l(: ‘.’.’lili a kitchen for r;liilliiiu_ ’llflfif} up rail. toast it gou tie-t a hit peakinh and tuna-‘5 tioin Pro thly’llfd Mann and pain. (ltenius. Hit} / lying Duck, (ii’;if,r}(;‘.'.g Hit 3 Nov.
Bass Syndicate l-loavy ham. tech funk and SCHUUS l,ir'<:;ii.lit:;its as Moat Katie and lioquul l(;lll(;lll lNltlt} thr; house rioxxn [he Bongo Club.
I {/t'wurrfli, In 7) Nov.
Kontrol Another taxt‘,’ :aa.nr,h niuht (lots/n at Studio 24. l)t'.t‘.f}itl(}‘,’(:1tll’)l(:’itlétlli‘/ try hnr, .'/lill a double bill of lili‘a’llétilbllétl Dot-1a,! Gigolos l (: (1hr; and K‘jfllll Gorinan. Stud/o 2-1. I ri/nhurgh. In ‘) {Jo-.4
DEFF A special shout r)ut to who have out on ‘ggru‘; great panic“ of late.
those (tar/s ‘.
Senw ola,~s live so expect some illill/ bass lines. C/t/l) 69. F Sat 70 r /o
Inner City Acid three years mung and still gomg strong. ICA pull,’; in the power that :9 DJ Pierre. godfather of aoid house. to celebrate. The yS‘ouno’haus. Glasgow. Sat 70 NOV.
THE LIST 31