58 NIGHTVISION CULTURED CLUBBERS
With the closure of Fabric in London, we desperately needed reassurance that clubbing in 2016 remained a vibrant cultural concern. Nightvision provided it, with events featuring Skream, Groove Armada and more, while Mr Scruff, Kölsch and Bondax are still to come pre-2017. (NB)
57 BE CHARLOTTE INTELLIGENT
54 SOPHIE LAPLANE STEPPING UP
From a brief ‘curtain raiser’ during Scottish Ballet’s 2015 tour to sharing the main stage in 2016 with the superb Sibilo, dancer Sophie Laplane is skyrocketing up the choreographic ladder. (KA) 53 MANIPULATE
POPSTER TOP DRAWER
The full-band project of Dundee’s Charlotte Brimner built up a solid CV of festival appearances this year, playing T in the Park, Hidden Door, Solas and many others. Her earwormy debut single ‘Machines That Breathe’ came out in October. (NB)
56 TRUE NORTH MOVING UP
Back for its second year, Aberdeen’s multi- venue music festival combined great gigs (from King Creosote, Richard Hawley and more) with talks, a gig for young listeners and a celebration of women in music, including a Kate Bush tribute concert curated by Emma Pollock. (DP)
55 JANIS CLAXTON POP-UP STAR
The Australian choreographer has called Scotland home for many years, but when it comes to performance she’s always looking for new and unusual locations. In 2016, her gorgeous POP-UP Duets brought contemporary dance to the public where and when they least expected it. (KA)
Staging exciting work from Scottish and international artists, manipulate’s visual theatre, puppetry and animation festival is unique and uncompromising, and in 2016 included challenging work from international artists Paper Doll Militia, Theatre Incline and AKHE. (LI)
52 GLASGOW COMIC CON CON ARTISTS
Expanding again in 2016, GCC took over the CCA and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for its sixth instalment. Special guest appearances were as impressive as ever, with the likes of Kate Leth, Marguerite Bennett, David Aja and Frank Quitely dropping by to check it out. (KS)
51 LOCAL HEROES CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Based at Edinburgh Airport over the summer, the Local Heroes exhibition sought to unite Scotland’s leading designers to explore what contemporary Scottish design really means. As the brainchild of curator / producer Dr Stacey Hunter, the exhibition helped celebrate Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design. (AQ)
58
STABLE DIET From Domestic Exile to Rock Action, Scottish record labels continue to thrive. Stewart Smith pores over both the established and emerging publishing houses
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One of the UK’s most adventurous independent labels, Night School Records has had a magnii cent 2016. Mastermind Michael Kasparis has worked tirelessly to champion the Glasgow underground (Ela Orleans, psychedelic punk trio The Flexibles, lo-i electronic experimentalist Helen Celle) alongside cult i gures from further ai eld (CC Dust, Billy Bao, David West, Patience). Some of the most exciting new music in Scotland is coming out on DIY cassette labels. Home to all things dank and sinister, Domestic Exile made their mark with tapes from Golden Teacher offshoot the Modern Institute and kinky industrialists Leatherette. Setting itself up as some imaginary research body, the Greater Lanarkshire Auditory Research Council released a debut from dreamy jazzoid pop trio Still House Plants, accompanied by an artfully produced poster-essay.
Chemikal Underground enjoyed a strong 2016, beginning with Emma Pollock’s SAY Award-shortlisted In Search of Harperi eld (pictured) in January, following it with albums from RM Hubbert, Found and Rick Redbeard, plus the reformed El Hombre Trajeado. Mogwai’s Rock Action, meanwhile, brought us the dark synth bombast of Texan Xander Harris and a terrii c new single from Glasgow-London duo Sacred Paws.
Optimo Music issued a steady
stream of 12”s in its Trax and Disco Plate series, a mini-album from downtown NYC legend Peter Zummo, and the debut EP from Scots-Australian duo Pussy Mothers.
Eigg’s beloved Lost Map put out new albums from Pictish Trail, Kid Canaveral and Rozi Plain, while Edinburgh’s Song, by Toad enjoyed widespread acclaim with Swell to Great, the debut album by indie- folk supergroup Modern Studies. The crowdfunded Last Night from Glasgow marked its i rst year with albums from Mark W Georgsson, Emme Woods, Teen Canteen and Be Charlotte.
3 Nov 2016–31 Jan 2017 THE LIST 27
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