Clubs PROFILE
SKINNYMAN Real name: Alex Holland
Occupation: Brit hip hop star and founding member of the Mud Family (alongside Mongo and Chester P). What might I have heard? Initially signing to Talkin’ Loud, his calling card was debut album Council Estate of Mind, that summed up the reality of city life with sharp rap, grime beats and heavy bass. Describing his own productions as ‘rhythmatic urban poetry’ he specialises in articulate social observation from a very British perspective.
What attracted you to hip hop in the first place? ‘The birth of a brand new culture unfolding before my very eyes.’
And what do you think of the current UK hip hop scene? ‘Same as it ever was; an underground struggling scene.’ What can we expect on the night in Edinburgh? ‘A night of fun, frills and frolicking with the fantastic Mud Family entourage and a moment to reflect for the less fortunate people suffering throughout the world as a result of natural and unnatural disasters. Any contributions welcome at: www.wateraid.org (note: no direct contributions will be taken on the night).’
What’s next for Skinnyman? ‘The dentist! But I am looking forward to seeing you all at Studio 24. Don’t be a stranger Edinburgh, I’m coming all the way from London to say “high”!’
Sounds good, where can we catch him? Skinnyman is guesting at Studio 24’s dub, reggae and hip hop night One Drop (with resident MCs Northern Exposure) where he will be playing live as well as manning the wheels of steel for a DJ set. ■ Skinnyman guests at One Drop, Studio 24, Edinburgh, Fri 26 Mar. We also have five pairs of tickets to the show to give away, for a chance to win head to www.list.co.uk/offers no later than Wed 24 Mar.
Got an opinion? You can now Comment on all our articles at list .co.uk 36 THE LIST 18 Mar–1 Apr 2010
Nevada Base
DISCO HOUSE DEVIL DISCO CLUB Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri 26 Mar.
A night which combines all that’s best about Edinburgh’s recent clubbing history and its current, vibrant incarnation, Devil Disco Club is described by its co-promoter Hobbes as ‘the new Trouble’. Not so much a virgin night as a rethought, re-energised version of the residency he and Erik d’Viking held down at the Jazz Bar on Chambers Street and then Cabaret Voltaire over the last eight years.
‘Devil Disco Club is more streamlined than the Trouble of old,’ says Hobbes, ‘with less hip hop and broken beat, but more disco, house and electro-funk.’ Originally conceived as an equal-billing collaboration between himself, Erik, Nick Yuill and Kris Wasabi of the excellent Wasabi Disco at Sneaky Pete’s, the departure
of Yuill and Kris’ current travelling sabbatical from the Edinburgh scene have meant that reinforcements are required. So Simonotron of the GRV’s Club For Heroes has been drafted in as a permanent replacement, while Giles Walker of Mixtape at Aberdeen’s Snafu will be guesting for this night only, alongside live band Nevada Base. ‘Basically, we want to emulate the spirit of classic
nights from years gone by,’ says Hobbes, ‘from legendary names like The Loft and Paradise Garage to local favourites like Optimo and Ultragroove.’ For the first time in a while Edinburgh has the DJing talent to realise that, and DDC’s main selling point is that it pulls them all together in one room. Not that Trouble is completely dead, mind you. Keep your ear to the ground for a word-of-mouth eighth birthday special in the city over the next couple of months. (David Pollock)
DUBSTEP IKONIKA The Sub Club, Glasgow, Thu 1 Apr
The Sub Club is due to welcome the unique dubstep sounds of Ikonika next month. After a hitch with a different venue last year, Ballers Social Club had her perform in someone’s flat. Not that it seems to have put her off coming back to Glasgow: ‘Although radiators broke and neighbours complained, it was just pure vibes,’ Ikonika recalls. ‘There must have been over 100 people in that flat.’ With many dubstep producers either going all aggro or desperately following the Bristol sound, it is refreshing to hear Ikonika’s distinctive music. Bleeps reminiscent of early Warp Records combine with synth melodies more intricate and experimental than that of a good deal of her peers. Hailing from London, Ikonika found success with a number of releases on Hyperdub and a remix of DJ Majuva’s ‘Township Funk’, while her debut album Contact, Love, Want, Have is out this month.
‘I guess with the album I wanted my sound to be a little more grounded but still be a continuation from my past singles,’ Ikonika explains. ‘It’s definitely a debut piece, an introduction, it will make you cry and dance. There’s not enough people that know about Ikonika or Hyperdub, so we really wanna expand.’ And what should we expect from an Ikonika DJ set? ‘Pressure, warmth, melody and bass,’ is her reply. (Pete MacLeod)