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‘WE WANTED RPZ TO LOOK POP ART, LIKE A NEON 805 VIDEO'
Hushpuppy
Colin McKean talks to the heads behind RPZ about midweek clubbing, Moogs and pop art as the Glasgow favourite celebrates its seventh birthday
hilc gifted resident |).ls form the backbone of all of (ilasgow's most successful clubs. the majority of the city‘s club nights operate as a platform for talent from elsewhere. Although there are other notable exceptions to this rule. few clubs have been as singularly driven by the talent. commitment and vision of their resident l).ls as ()ptimo and Rl"/.. the latter of which this month celebrates its seventh birthday at the Art School. When Alan Miller. better known as llushpuppy. started Record l’layer/ (since abbreviated to RPX) in 2002. he and founding colleague lli-li Shaun saw an opportunity to create a midweek club that was unique in (ilasgow. ‘\\'e wanted to do something that was
very specifically about putting together our particular
interests.‘ says Miller. ‘\\'e wanted to play the music that we really liked across a number of genres. and we wanted to put that into a party that would not only sound fun. but that would look fun and that people would get something out of that they wouldn't get from other nights. We‘ve been lucky to be in a venue that‘s synony inous with being a little bit off-kilter and off the beaten track and we were allowed to do what we did for the first two years as it gradually got busier.’
While the success of the club has resulted in queues that regularly extend down chfrew Street on a 'l‘hursday night. it is RP/fs commitment to quality. rather than any reliance on low drink prices and thirsty students. that has consistently distinguished it from the shoal of midweek clubs that has formed in
its wake. ‘Musically what sets us apart is that mix of
being able to find things that are new and suited to our particular kind of sound and tying thetn into things that are older.‘ he says. ‘We are able to draw on old electronic intisic. Belgian new beat or synth stuff. Moogs or pop music and find a context in which those things can drop in and make sense.'
Reflecting on the part his club has played in perpetuating (ilasgow's reputation as a party city. where weekends begin in the Vic Bar on a Thursday evening. and end at the Sub (‘lub in the wee small hours of Monday morning. Miller attributes RPZ‘s continuing success to the club's philosophy. centred on creating an immersive audiovisual experience. ‘I don't think anyone else has the kind of all- encompassing approach to visual aesthetic that we have.' he says. 'We wanted RPZ to look really pop art and very SOs-style. like Danceteria. like a neon 80s video. and to put something on that has been curated as a complete aesthetic. so that when you come along there's a complete sensory thing.’
It‘s this commitment to creating a party atmosphere that makes RPX such a memorable event. melding the RP] experience into a brew of sight and sound. ‘The imagery is quite jokey. it's quite tongue in check. but there's nothing hollow and ironic about what we do.‘ says Miller. ‘We have the images and the music and everything because we love them.‘
RPZ, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Thu 30 Apr.
THE BEST DANCEFLOOR ACTION
>l<
* Numbers Featuring youthful Mancunian bassline producer Piddy Pye. Basura Blanca at the Brunswick Hotel, Glasgow, Fri 77 Apr.
>l< Andrew Weatherall One of the world's greatest Dds this time indulging in his passion for rockabilly. The Voodoo Rooms. Edinburgh, Fri 17 Apr.
=l= Stepback Wonky techno and electro from Andrew Weatherall's long time sparring partner, Radioactive Man (pictured). Sneaky Pete '3, Edinburgh, Fri 7 7 Apr.
=l= Sugarbeat Break, beats and harsh electro as Fake Blood and Kidda are joined by a late addition to the bill in the form of Alex Metric. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Fri 24 Apr. >i< Behaviour Cloalng Party Celebrate the finale of the Arches' rebranded theatre festival in the company of Torsten Lauschmann and more, representing Edinburgh electronic label Seven Things. Stereo, Glasgow, Sat 25 Apr. =l< Blacktrackln’ Real authentic Northern Soul at this lively, semiregular night. Woodside Social Club, Glasgow, Sat 25 Apr.
=i= Departure Lounge More sweet soul and dancefloor jazz from the appropriately named special guests the Souljazz Orchestra (live). The Caves, Edinburgh, Sat 25 Apr.
>l< Men a. Machine: The latest instalment of M&M, a techno and electronica night which has already picked up some impressive guests. This month they feature a live set from Thisisnotanexit's electrokrautrockers Brain Machine. Stereo, Glasgow, Sat 25 Apr.
>l< Trade Union Ghetto-tech pioneer. DJ Assault, brings the madness to Monday nights with a set of booty bass mayhem. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Mon 27 Apr.
16—30 Apr 2009 THE LIST 37