Aphex Twin, Justice and Carl Craig) while their club night Pressure reached its tenth birthday in November. Their new project Paragraph promises to bring more productions to DJs and fans at an even faster rate. (HN)
84 Brewdog MAVERICK BEER BREWERS
Twentysomething beer fanatics James Watt and Martin Dickie set out on a quest to make beer bigger, sharper and stronger than anyone else’s. They succeded, and have grown a backroom experiment with half a dozen ingeniously created brews, into a Europe-wide concern for seriously aggressive ales. (MR)
experiment with his own productions as well as involving forward thinking local talent from across the globe’ H+H has released a slew of complex electro and squelching techno. (HN)
88 Paul Baxter BOUTIQUE CLASSICIST
Co-founded in 2000 by Edinburgh University graduates Baxter and Kevin Findlan, Delphian is a modestly sized classical music label which produces at least one album a month. 2008 saw an important first for the label, as their debut orchestral recording – the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Miracles – was released. (DP)
87 Desalvo MENTALIST ROCK BAND
After six years of sporadic demos Desalvo’s coruscating debut LP Mood Poisoner dropped from the womb of Mogwai’s Rock Action Records, and it was a belter. One of this country’s most devastating live musical prospects, we were blown away by their force, ingenuity and crowd scaring/entertaining tactics. (MR)
86 Hobbes CAPITAL POLYMATH
Not content with being the nicest man in Edinburgh clubbing, Andrew ‘Hobbes’ Richardson has a finger in more musical pies than most, what with manning the decks at Four Corners and Trouble, hosting live music showcase Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms. And lest we forget the record label (Black Spring Recordings, the band management and the rehearsal studios . . . ). Someone truly dedicated to good music and good vibes. (MR)
85 Slam KINGS OF TECHNO
Techno and house duo Slam are consistently at the top of their game. The pair hosted the dance tent at T in the Park (this year featuring Jeff Mills,
95 We Were Promised Jetpacks
SCHOLARLY INDIE BODS
The Glasgow-based quartet deliver a strain of rattling alt.pop which has been described as a more DIY version of Cold War Kids or Arcade Fire. Most pertinently, though, they’ve also just been signed to Fat Cat Records – wait for their popularity to balloon in the vein of stablemates Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad in ‘09. (DP)
94 The Alhambra RESURRECTED VENUE #1
The Alhambra was formerly a nondescript bingo hall in Dunfermline. The attentions of former Edinburgh Fringe director Paul Gudgin and property developer Bill Fletcher, both locals, has seen this 1922-vintage hall rediscovered as one of Scotland’s best venues. KT Tunstall said as much after playing it in July, while Biffy Clyro are among upcoming attractions. (DP)
93 Metro Ecosse Scotland FILM FACILITATORS
Long the secret technical weapon of many a filmmaker across Scotland, corporate and creative production house Metro Ecosse’s support for local talent was underlined by the One Minute Wonder and Short Film competitions, both of which The List was honoured to be part. (PD)
92 Tokyoblu MASSED GROOVERS
Formed around a core of John Hutchison and Iain Gibson, Tokyoblu started as an Edinburgh club night in 2002. The live Tokyoblu became the focus of the night, playing groove- laden, up-tempo house. In 2008 they went on to release their debut single ‘Groove Tonight’. (HN)
91 JK Rowling THE BEEDLIN’ BARD
She may be absolutely the most successful author of all time in the world ever, but anything post-Potter was always going to seem like something of an anti-climax. That didn’t stop a gajillion people picking up The Tales of Beedle the Bard on its publication this month. (MR)
90 David Greig SUDDENLY SUNNY SCRIBE
The renowned Scottish playwright made a triumphant return to the Traverse with the unashamedly feel- good Midsummer (featuring songs by Gordon McIntyre of ballboy) which breathes life into that most derided of genres, the romantic comedy. (AR)
89 Hum + Haw TURNTABLE TECHNOLOGISTS
A new record label from Glasgow electronica boffins Alex Smoke and Jim Hutchison was always going to be something worth celebrating. Launched as ‘an outlet for Alex to
David Greig’s Midsummer
83 Isobel Campbell SCOTLAND’S ANSWER TO
NANCY SINATRA
Rough meets smooth in Campbell’s irresistible pairing with gravelly-voiced Mark Lanegan, which has led to a sublimely strange and frissoned series of songs. This year’s critically-loved Sunday at Devil Dirt continued the grunge-folk partnership they began on 2006’s Ballad of the Broken Seas, and was created through phone calls between the pair, and recording sessions in Glasgow and the Catskill mountains. Last month’s EP Keep Me in Mind Sweetheart was a lusty, honey-sweet PS to the album, and hopefully an appetite whetter for more collaborations. (CS)
11 Dec 2008–8 Jan 2009 THE LIST 19