100% Magazine #1308

).3)$%

7%$ &%" .$

!# 3,!4%253!

"/-" 4(% "!335+

(5$3/. 5+ -/(!7+%

#3 !.$ -/2% 0) " ,5 # 3

52 / 4 3

%7 .

53 0,

Excision: Excused From Creamfields This year’s dubstep contingency at Creamfields 2012 is looking truly fearsome – however, the loss of one of its main drawcards was certainly a bit of a downer. Canadian bass music powerhouse Excision, whose releases have been snapped up by the likes of Mau5trap, UKF and Dubline and who’s notorious for a live show that’s as heavy and unforgiving as his name, has unfortunately announced his withdrawal from this year’s Creamfields. Announcing on Facebook that “due to unforeseen changes beyond our control”, he won’t be making it down this time. Not all hope is lost, though – looks like there’ll be a rescheduled trip down to Australia and New Zealand on the cards, soon. Watch out.

FOR MORE UP TO DATE NEWS GO TO BEAT.COM.AU

FEBRUARY

NEW ORDER [UK] Thursday March 1, Festival Hall STEVE BUG [GER] Friday March 2, Brown Alley LEE BURRIDGE [UK], DAMIAN LAZARUS [GER], ART DEPARTMENT [CAN] + MORE Friday March 2, The Bottom End DIESELBOY [USA] Friday March 2, Brown Alley DJ KRUSH [JPN] Saturday March 3, The Espy AC SLATER [USA] Saturday March 3, Brown Alley BONOBO [UK] Monday March 5, Corner Hotel Thursday March 8, Corner Hotel DJ /RUPTURE [USA] Thursday March 8, Mercat Basement RONNIE [USA], DJ FINGAZ [USA] Friday March 9, CQ THE RAPTURE [USA], AZARI & III [CAN] Tuesday March 6, The Forum APHEX TWIN [USA] Tuesday March 6, Palace Theatre DIE ANTWOORD [RSA] Wednesday March 7, Prince Bandroom JESSIE J [UK], PROFESSOR GREEN [UK] Wednesday March 7, Festival Hall FATBOY SLIM [UK] Wednesday March 7, The Palace TINIE TEMPAH [UK], CHASE & STATUS [UK], ZANE LOWE [UK] Thursday March 8, Festival Hall MAD PROFESSOR [USA] Friday March 9, The Espy IAN POOLEY [GER] Friday March 9, OneSixOne ARIL BRIKHA [SWE] Friday March 9, Brown Alley MAITREYA: LIQUID SOUL [SWI], ACE VENTURA [ISR], ELECTRIC UNIVERSE [GER] + MORE Friday March 9 – 12, Carlsbrook ROOTS MANUVA [UK] Saturday March 10, Prince Bandroom GOLDEN PLAINS: CHIC [USA], ROOTS MANUVA [UK] + MORE Saturday March 10 – 12, Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA [SWE], FATBOY SLIM [UK], PAUL VAN DYK [GER] Sunday March 11, Flemington Racecourse ICICLE [UK], SPECTRASOUL [UK], KRYPTIC MINDS [UK] + MORE Sunday March 11, Billboard DJ QUIK [USA] Friday March 16, Prince Bandroom SIDETRACKED: FLO RIDA [USA], GRANDMASTER FLASH [USA], ART VS. SCIENCE [AUS] + MORE Saturday March 17 – 18, Formula One Grand Prix LUKE ABBOTT [UK], FAIRMONT [CAN], AVUS [UK] Friday March 23, Brown Alley PROSUMER [GER] Friday March 23, Mercat Basement NICK CURLY [GER] Sunday March 25, Revolver YELAWOLF [USA] Friday March 30, Prince Bandroom HEADMAN [GER] Saturday March 31, The Liberty Social

UPCOMING

ERYKAH BADU [USA] Wednesday February 22, The Palais DJ LO DOWN LORETTA [USA] Wednesday February 22, Seven GAPPY RANKS [UK] Friday February 24, Laundry CUT CHEMIST [USA] Friday February 24, The Corner Hotel SOUL II SOUL [UK] Friday February 24, Trak Lounge Bar GREG WILSON [UK] Friday February 24, Buffalo Club KIDD KAOS [UK] Friday February 24, CBD Nightclub DANNY DAZE [USA] Friday February 24, New Guernica THE ORB [UK], BOMB THE BASS [UK] Friday February 24, The Hi-Fi HUDSON MOHAWKE [UK], RUSTIE [UK], BALAM ACAB [USA] Friday February 24, Roxanne Parlour HEDFLUX [UK], GROUCH [NZ] + MORE Friday February 24, TBA DROP OUT ORCHESTRA [SWE] Sunday February 26, Circus MAYER HAWTHORNE [USA] Wednesday February 29, The Corner Hotel

MARCH

ONTOUR

RICK WILHITE [USA] Thursday April 5, Mercat Basement COSMIC GATE [GER] Thursday April 5, Festival Hall PEDRO [USA] Friday April 6, The Espy MOODYMANN [USA], MARTIN BUTTRICH, [USA] TINI [GER], ROMAN FLUGEL [GER] Sunday April 8, Brown Alley JACQUES GREENE [CAN], MACHINEDRUM [USA] + MR. DIBIASE [USA] Sunday April 8, TBA DERRICK MAY [USA] Tuesday April 24, TBA CREAMFIELDS: DAVID GUETTA [USA], ABOVE & BEYOND [UK] + MORE Saturday April 28, Melbourne Showgrounds GROOVIN’ THE MOO: DIGITALISM [GER], SHAPESHIFTER [NZ] + MORE Saturday May 5, Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo

4.

REAL TALK

You know that moment when the lights are turned on in a club in the early hours of the morning and as you slowly gather your thoughts and exit into daylight you contemplate kicking on somewhere else? Yeah.

I’ve got to remember that nothing good happens after 5am. Except I suppose you write off the entire next day. It’s sort of like time travel. Well, not really.

Tyson Wray

Bass Jump: Off The Billboard

Flo Rida: Gotta Good Feeling

Sidetracked Music Festival, running alongside the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix over two days, was announced recently with a stellar lineup that includes Grandmaster Flash and some of Australia’s biggest names in the music business – and set to join them is Florida-born rap superstar Flo Rida. Currently sitting at the top of the ARIA charts with his Sia collaboration Wild Ones, Flo Rida’s ability to tear through genre boundaries and unite fans of pop, hip hop, and club music around the world has guaranteed his rightful place among the highest echelons of the music industry. Joining an all-class cast of names including the Potbelleez, Art Vs. Science and plenty more, Sidetracked promises to combine the epic thrill and spectacle of Formula 1 racing with the sun-splashed good times of Melbourne’s best music festivals – get in there. Sidetracked takes place at the Grand Prix from Saturday March 17 – Sunday March 18.

DJ Quik: Speeding Through Australia

One of the West Coast’s most beloved hip hop stalwarts, DJ Quik has just announced a whirlwind tour of Australia – his first appearance in the country after a career spanning more than 20 years. A prolific producer with a discography that spans eight full-length records (hence the moniker, Quik), his continued endurance on the hip hop scene as an MC, instrumentalist and producer is welldeserved – having released some of the finest hip hop records of his time, collaborated with everyone from Dr. Dre, 2Pac, and Snoop Dogg, and worked the production side of things for Jay-Z, The Game and Janet Jackson. Busy in the studio working with Death Row Records’ Kurupt on a new release for sometime this year, he’s taking a break from it to finally show Australians where it’s at. Catch DJ Quik as he powers through the Prince Bandroom on Friday March 16.

Joining forces with Croatia’s Outlook Festival for what will undoubtedly be a heavy-going night of broken beats, the latest Bass Jump party is sure to launch you into the all-consuming world of bass music. Icicle’s chilly and highly technical approach to writing heavy-hitting beats are a breath of fresh air in the world of drum and bass, whose talents have been recognised by labels including Shogun, RAM and Critical. Fellow Shogun signees Spectrasoul run in similar circles, with a reputation for emotive production and collaborative efforts that include Forsaken with Alix Perez and Glimpse with dBridge that have seen their careers endure for many a year.

Alongside plenty more names including Kryptic Minds, Ulterior Motive, and loads of local DJs and producers, this is a lineup too big to miss. Bass Jump takes place at Billboard on Sunday March 11.

The third in their series of parties for the year, Fluidlife Lunar returns with an appropriately deep and mysterious guest to head the next in their marathon all-night raves. German-based Ian Pooley is a slow-burn in the electronic music scene, a thoughtful and enigmatic voice in the house and techno scenes, his hectic touring schedule as a DJ contrasting with his patient approach to production which has borne some of the genre’s finest pieces of work, including the powerful 2008 effort In Other Words. Notorious for DJ sets that follow a similarly careful and thoughtful ethos, he’ll be joined by Tom Pandzic, Walter Juan and Jason D Costa, for one night of exploring the deeper sounds in dance. Ian Pooley plays OneSixOne on Friday March 9.

Party Profile: Boats, Rhymes & Life

DJ Lo Down Loretta: Down With The Beats

Surely Erykah Badu needs no introduction – with hits such as On & On, Love Of My Life, Apple Tree, Tyrone, Bag Lady and Window Seat under her belt, the American queen of neo-soul can list singersongwriter, record producer, activist and actress on her impressive CV, and is already slated for a run of dates across the country. Performing at The Palais Theatre alongside Fat Freddy’s Drop, it appears she’s not content with premiering her seven-piece live act in Australia for the first time: she’s also set to adopt another one of her guises as DJ Lo Down Loretta afterwards to keep on bringing the fresh, soulful vibes to Melbourne. Join her and the likes of Kano, Ennio Styles, Danielsan and Slim Charles at Seven on Wednesday February 22.

DJ Haircut: Mayer Hawthorne

Before moving to LA, signing to Stones Throw and gaining critical acclaim as Mayer Hawthorne, Andrew Cohen was already an accomplished DJ, honing his craft in his native Detroit, before manning the decks for Athletic Mic League and supplying production for Now On. Raiding his parents’ vinyl collection growing up, DJ Haircut’s roots are in funk and soul, with his DJ sets aimed strictly at the dance floor combining funk, soul and disco jams alongside classic hip hop and anything else that gets booty’s shaking. On Wednesday February 29 after his live performance at The Corner Hotel, Mayer Hawthorne will be transforming into DJ Haircut and playing an exclusive DJ set at The Lounge alongside locals DJ Manchild, Eddie Mac & Cam, Mika5k and more to be announced.

RESPONSIBLE: Managing Editor: Ronnit Sternfein ronnit@beat.com.au Editor: Tyson Wray tyson@beat.com.au Sub-editor: Nick Taras Listings: club/promoter submissions clubguide@beat.com.au - now online at beat.com.au - it’s free!

Production: Pat O’Neill art@beat.com.au Typesetting: Rebecca Houlden Cover Design: Pat O’Neill Advertising Senior Sales: ronnit@beat.com.au (03) 8414 9710 Taryn Stenvei taryn@beat.com.au Fashion and Beverages: Tamara Perenic tamara@furstmedia.com.au Ph: 03 8414 9732 Deadlines: Editorial Friday 2PM – absolutely NO exceptions. Club photos Monday 9AM (email only clubpics@beat.com.au). Advertising artwork Monday 12PM. Photographers: Callum Linsell Contributors: Rezo Kezerashvili, Miki McLay, Shane Scott, Simon Traspier, Brian Rotide, The Knowledge, Ellen Devenney, Dan Watt, Aaron Ralston, Birdie, Liam Pieper, Simon Hampson, Chad-Michael Michaelson, Mikolai, Reuben Adams, David Edgley.

Publisher: Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond 3121 Ph 03 9428 3600 www.beat.com.au

EDITORIALDEADLINE - 2PM FRIDAYS NO EXCEPTIONS UP TO DATE

Fluidlife Lunar: Pooley Party

It sounds like: A bangin’ hip hop party on the bay with dope MCs and mad DJs, dropping the fattest beats and rhymes!

DJs/live acts playing: Mantra, Nick Thayer, The Psyde Projects, DJ Perplex, Flagrant, M.A.F.I.A, DJ Prequel, Zack Rampage and Claymore 74.

Three records that’ll rock the floor: Mantra – Got Me Wrong, Nick Thayer ft. N’FA – Like Boom, The Psyde Projects – Kay Pee Em. And one that you’d rather die than play: Tuckers Daughter. She wasn’t all she was cracked up to be!

Sell it to us: Sunset, city views, heavy beats and a block rockin’ boat!

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Looking out the ships portal and seeing the city twinkling from the middle of a thumping hip hop party in Port Phillip Bay. Crowd specs: 18+, 350 passengers.

Wallet damage: $36.10 + bf.

Where: Victoria Star, Dock 9, Central Pier, Victoria Harbour, Docklands When: Saturday, March 3. Boat boards at 7.30pm.

After Party: Sweat at The George.

Party Profile: SINthetic Turns 7 ‘Cirque de Fetiche’

It sounds like: Deep, phat, rumbling bass-lines presented by intelligent DJs that actually know how to beat mix.

DJs/live acts playing: Special guest DJ Kasey Taylor with residents Syme Tollens, SmuDJ and Lady J. Three records that’ll rock the floor: A.D.M Granada, DJ Boris - La Musica, Booka Shade & M.A.N.D.Y - Home (Tim Green Remix).

And one that you’d rather die than play: Anything that’s gone viral.

Sell it to us: The dirtiest underground tech house, the nastiest performers and the sassiest alternative crowd all packaged up in Australia’s finest fetish club.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: How cool the purple laser looked bouncing off the black shiny disco ball.

Crowd specs: Grown up, alternative, unique, funky and not precious.

Wallet damage: $20/25.

Where: Abode – 374 St Kilda RD (cnr Martin St), St Kilda.

When: 11pm, Saturday February 25.

THE BIG MAG FOR CLUB CULTURE

5.

DANNY DAZE MIAMI MAYHEM: AT THE BREAKFAST CLUB Notorious for claiming that “real DJs don’t have a tan”, Miami-based producer of everything from Detroit techno to Italo disco Danny Daze is a voice that stands out among the babble of DJs out there, in it for the lifestyle and the fame. In an industry where distinctively unique creative endeavours are steadily being superseded by the cult of personality and high-sheen soulless tracks made for rapid consumption on commercial radio, Daze is proudly defiant – an uncompromising creative ethos bolstered by an incredible amount of success found at such a young age. One of 2011’s breakout producers and DJs, the self-professed studio nerd has suddenly found himself in high demand by audiences across the globe. Set to kick off his first Australian tour in March, we figure there’s no better time to introduce you all to one of our favourite young stars at the moment.

The morning I sent off these questions for our current favourite purveyor of warm, sunny disco-tinged jams off, Twitter had informed me that Daze’s shoes had been nicked at a party the night before; no context whatsoever was provided. Which, of course, is a story strange enough for me to ask as soon as I get the opportunity to begin this interview. “My favourite pair of airport shoes… that’s it. I’m done with this interview,” he jokes. “I went to an afterparty where we had to take our shoes off, only to head to the airport in a pair of shoes that were three times my size. Should’ve seen the faces on TSA. No clue who the hell would steal a pair of sneakers, but oh well. If you’re reading this, sneaky sneaker thief – you’re welcome!”

Daze’s interest in mixing began at 13 – an age where young and budding fans of electronic music can often be confined to bedrooms through a lack of money and opportunity, unable to immerse themselves within the after-dark lifestyle of DJs and producers in clubs and raves, finding themselves consumed by other, more mundane commitments, like school or parents. This didn’t stop Daze from trying his hand at the decks, however, as he explained to me. “I started really young doing weddings and house parties which is where I honestly learned a lot of technical stuff. From the weddings, I’d go directly to all-age raves where older DJs would let me hop on for 30 minutes or so. The more I went to the all age parties, the more they noticed I started gaining a little bit of a fan base. Those times were really fun.”

His love for music production was piqued around a similar time – messing about on FruityLoops and putting

6.

“All producers shouldn’t care what sub-genre they fall into.

Just do what you do.” together his first tracks, but it was a few years before he began to release the adrenaline-riddled club fuel he’s now notorious for. Asked about the relationship between those two worlds for him, he is quick to compare the two. “They are extremely closely related – in my world at least,” he says. “Being a DJ gives you the experience of knowing what works on the dancefloor. Some things may be a great idea in your head but as soon as you lay it down it sounds awful.”

Studying sound engineering after high school and graduating at the top of his class provided those interested with an excellent indicator of where Daze’s interest in music was to take him. “I was one of the only electronic heads in my class. I knew nothing about how to properly record audio before I went to school. Before I went there I had no clue the difference was between sample rate and bit rate. I’d render out projects at 128KB/ sec, just to make more room in my computer. The guys I went to school with had previous knowledge on how to mic up a drum kit for insane metal bands and definitely gave me pointers when needed. They themselves were learning as well though.”

There’s a decidedly electronic feel to a lot of Daze’s productions, but a soulful, human glow manages to shine through, too – giving life and warmth to music that often draws accusations of being unfeeling and machinelike.

It’s not a deliberate movement, as he tells us; his method of production is far too anarchic for careful planning, and the results are a decidedly organic and fresh take on the genre. “I’m running Ableton as my DAW, along with both analogue synths and VSTs. I just freestyle, to be honest.

My way of producing is a bit chaotic. I put a million ideas onto one session then little by little start stripping back so it’s not too overloaded.”

And if you’ve listened at all to this year’s releases over the past few months, you’ll notice this careful balance between the disciplined curating of samples and beats and his chaotic creative spirit, his influences that run the gamut between Detroit techno and Italo-disco and everything in between. Listening to the mixes he’s put together, or his own material, is a captivating experience.

Latest EP, Your Everything, was awarded the title of 27th best track of the year by Resident Advisor, and it’s almost a sure thing that one of your favourite DJs has dropped one of Daze’s stellar jams into a mix over the past year, universally singing its praises as one of the more eclectic sounds from a new producer in the scene. It mightn’t

COVER STORY

have come as a surprise to listeners entranced by Daze’s euphoric releases, but its success came as a surprise to Daze. “No artist ever expects a track to become huge,” he points out. “I was barely given a chance to play it out before anyone else was playing it so I basically was seeing the climb of the tune with everyone else. That was really intense!”

Released on Hot Creations – a label that’s home to the likes of releases by Jacques Renault, Jamie Jones, Tiefschwarz, and plenty more – it’s an impressive achievement for somebody his age. “I met with the fellas during conference. It was real simple – they dug the tune, then they heard Fall Away From Love, then we high fived, then we had my EP ready to go.”

If you’ve visited Daze’s SoundCloud page, you might notice a particularly intriguing comment about the use of subgenre names in dance music – that is, he absolutely loathes them. “I just make music,” he explains.

“Sometimes you dance to it. Sometimes you listen to it in your car. I understand the difference between techhouse, disco-house, deep-house, jack-house, househouse, super-duper-classic-house, Tiesto-house, but really – who cares, man? All producers shouldn’t care what sub-genre they fall into. Just do what you do.”

2011 was Daze’s year of breaking into the consciousness of clubbers, everywhere. “It was pretty nuts. I hit 200,000 air miles – never in my life would I have thought I could do that in a year!” Those 200,000 miles have included a mind-blowing list of club dates, and he’s more than happy to recount some of the highlights. “A couple stand out gigs were Fabric because London has really supported me, it was a really warm welcoming. I got to play alongside Jamie, and the other gig had to be at D-Edge in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The vibe was incredible and I played about a nine hour set. I’m very used to playing long sets and prefer them – rather than having to cram a story into two hours. I’m really excited that now people are noticing I’m a bit of an old school soul, I try and tell a story with every DJ set. The longer the better!” In what is possibly a naïve and misguided move, I ask him about some of the contemporaries he finds himself particularly enamoured by. “There’s too many to name and I don’t wanna leave anyone out,” he says, diplomatically, before segueing into possibly one of the funniest answers a DJ has ever given me in an interview. “So I’m just gonna say S.Mouse, of Slap My Elbow fame.”

America’s history in cultivating breakout scenes in dance

music has always impressed people beyond its borders, shaping the tastes of audiences on an international scale and dictating trends in dance. Ever since the emergence of Detroit’s techno scene, America has become inextricably linked with the creation of machine-driven music. In the years that have passed since, however, the country’s role in the cultivation of dance music has become harder to define, and Daze provides an interesting assessment of the state of dance there, along with his role in the Miami music scene. “America started techno and house – but it definitely isn’t thriving at the moment,” he points out. “At least not the underground, that is. It’s all auto-tuned car alarm electro house out here.” The heyday of innovative, underground producers in Detroit techno and Chicago house are long gone, it seems, replaced by commercial grabs for cash by a slew of artists we could list, but don’t for fear of retribution. As for the dance music scene that’s kicking about in his home city of Miami, he’s ambivalent.

“Miami is great to live in, but I really wish people were a bit more motivated to work and collaborate out here.

I love it out here though and have a lot of love for the people who have supported me throughout the years.”

His hectic touring schedule is not the only thing on Daze’s mind at the moment – busy in the studio, he’s got a decent amount planned for 2012, as a follow-up to such a wildly prosperous year last year. “I’m finishing up a bunch of original tunes at the moment. Just finished a remix for Flight Facilities a couple of seconds ago actually, coming out on Future Classic soon.” And set to play both a slot at New South Wales’ Playground Weekender, and treating Melbourne audiences unable to spare the expense or the time off work to head to Wiseman’s Ferry (I feel you on that, people) to what will undoubtedly be a gargantuan night out at New Guernica for the city’s more discerning disco and techno consumers, it’s Daze’s first venture down into the country for a tour, and his expectations for this run of dates echoes the approach he takes to music. I ask him about what he’s expecting when he’s down, and he responds saying he has none.

“I really wish I knew about the country but at the same time, who doesn’t love surprises?”

Good thing we do, too.

Miki McLay Danny Daze [USA] plays New Guernica on Friday February 24.

PRESENT

DATE/

Friday February 24

DATE/

Saturday March 3

FEAT/

Hudson Mohawke Rustie / Balam Acab Araab Muzik

FEAT/

Africa Hitech

WITH/

Matt Radovich & JPS TIME/ Miss Libertine 9pm–4am

JPS, Nam, Fugitive & Able Roxanne Parlour TIME/ 10pm–5am

NOTES/

WITH/ VENUE/ TICKETS/

DATE/

VENUE/

Door sales only $15 before 11pm, $20 after

moshtix.com.au

Fri March 16

DATE/

Sunday April 8

FEAT/

Jacques Greene Mr. Dibiase / Funkineven Machinedrum

WITH/

Nam, JPS, Fugitive, Edd Fisher, Cosmo and Silent Jay Roxanne Parlour TIME/ 10pm–5am

Opiuo ‘Butternut Slap’ live tour WITH/

VENUE/ TICKETS/

SunMonx, Russ Liquid, JPS, Closer Apart, Circuit Bent and Johnny Hooves TIME/

10pm–5am

ENUE/

moshtix.com.au

TICKETS/

THEOPERATIVES.COM.AU

moshtix.com.au

THEOPERATIVES.COM.AU

THE BIG MAG FOR CLUB CULTURE

7.

unlike a number of fellow big-name producers we won’t name here. With 2012 already looking seriously busy for this fresh new face on the scene, we highly recommend you check him out when he makes his Australian debut.

New Guernica, 2/318-322 Little Collins Street Melbourne

WEDNESDAY22ND COQ ROQ Rocking Wednesdays at Lucky Coq are rotating DJs Lady Noir, Agent 86, Kiti, Mr Thom, Joybot and guests giving you nothing but the best new wave, punk, Brit pop, bong rap and hair metal. Coq Roq takes place every Wednesday from 8pm with free pool downstairs from 9pm as well as drink specials. Roq out!

Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

MISS LIBERTINE WEDNESDAYS Summer is here and the crew at Miss Libertine have gone mad and are throwing a crazy season long sale. $12 jugs of Boags, $22 jugs of Cocktails all night long and what has got the whole of Melbourne talking 2-4-1 Basic Spirits from 7pm till 10pm. Yes that is right you heard correctly. And don’t forget we will still be bringing you your favourite Miss Libertine pizzas for $5. With fun party tunes cranking out all night long, with everything from funk, soul, hip hop, R&B and everything in-between.

Miss Libertine, 34 Franklin St, Melbourne CBD

SOUL ARMY Bring that special lady because when the boys lay down the love it could be the difference between ‘we’re just friends’ to ‘let’s get it on’. PBS stalwarts Vince Peach and Miss Goldie accompany Prequel and Black Diamond Kicks weekly. Free.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

WEDNESDAYS AT CO. Don’t miss Melbourne’s biggest mid-week party night Wednesdays at Co.! Featuring Premier DJ Petar Tolich and Scotty E spinning all your favourite 90’s to current party anthems!

Co., Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

THURSDAY23RD BIMBO THURSDAYS Sailing sax, veracious vocals and beats for bonking.. sound familiar? Tigerfunk are back for Thursdays and brings with him his full band of travelling gypsies, hipsters and middle class executives, all of whom are prepared to deliver the most excitement you can have this side of the weekend.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

DUBSTEP THURSDAYS It’s Dubstep, it’s Eurotrash, it’s new, it’s the vibe, it’s Thursdays, it’s weekly and it’s free. So get down to Eurotrash and get your wobble on.

Eurotrash Bar, 18 Corrs Lane, Off Chinatown, Melbourne CBD

FREE RANGE FUNK Funk up your Thursday nights with Free Range Funk at the Windsor favourite Lucky Coq. Grab a couch early and enjoy one (or more) of their famous $4 pizzas from 7-11pm. Meanwhile DJs Who, Agent 86, Lewis CanCut & special guests tempt you into the night with their eclectic bag of treats.

Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

MISS LIBERTINE THURSDAYS Summer is here and the crew at Miss Libertine have gone mad and are throwing a crazy season long sale. $12 jugs of Boags, $22 jugs of Cocktails all night long and what has got the whole of Melbourne talking 2 4 1 Basic Spirits from 7pm till 10pm. Yes that is right you heard correctly.

And don’t forget we will still be bringing you your favourite Miss Libertine pizzas for $5. With fun party tunes cranking out all night long, with everything from funk, soul, disco, house, hip hop, R&B and everything in-between.

Miss Libertine, 34 Franklin St, Melbourne CBD

PAPPARAZZI Paparazzi Fridays present DJs Nikkos, Joe Sofo & Kitty Kat bringing you the biggest anthems & club classics all night long.

Co., Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

DNA FRIDAYS DNA (Developing New Artistry) brings you genetically modified musical molecules specifically developed to entertain and enhance Melbourne’s dance scene.

Every Friday we showcase the next crop of promising DJ/producers handpicked by Lab22’ s mastermind technician Genetix! Doors open 10pm, $5 basics til midnight and $5 DNA shots all night.

First Floor, 393 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

ESPIONAGE Hudson Mohawke, AraabMuzik, Balam Acab and Rustie are set the night on fire with one the biggest Espionage’s to date.

Roxanne Parlour, Coverlid Pl, Melbourne

MEZZANINE Mezzanine gives you the freedom to enjoy the Alternative-Sophisticated-Opulence any way you like it. Sound artist Xtian brings you a unique mix of dirty underground tech house. Dress neat smart and sexy or alternative - (proudly a blue jeans free zone).

Abode, 374 St Kilda Road, St Kilda

PANORAMA Start your weekend on a good note with Panorama Fridays at Lucky Coq. DJs Matt Rad, Mr George, Tom Meagher and Phato A Mano transform the upstairs area into one hell of a house party with hip hop, funk, r&b, disco and house.

Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

RETRO SEXUAL DJ Grandmaster Vicious playing the best 80s and 90s pop, hip hop, new wave classics and cheese plus dance floor anthems from then to now.

One Twenty Bar, 120 Johnston St, Fitzroy

FRIDAY24TH BOMB THE BASS & THE ORB Two of the UK’s founding fathers of modern-day electronica, Bomb the Bass and The Orb, are teaming up for a double bill. Nobody should have to talk you into hitting this one up, because this is the kind of chance to catch two incontrovertible pioneers of dance music still kicking about that doesn’t come often – get on it!

The Hi-Fi, 125 Swanston Street, Melbourne

DANNY DAZE Miami’s techno and electro young-gun Danny Daze is proud to proclaim his lack of tan, despite living in what could arguably be called the USA’s home of partying.

Instead, he prefers to spend his time in the studio experimenting with the underground sounds of house, disco and techno instead of posturing and being photographed,

SOUNDS OF FUSION Don’t miss Phil Ross bringing an electric style and big house sounds to the dance floor. Whether its belting out fist pumping anthems to a massive crowd or bringing the house vibe to a room full of rockstars, you can count on him getting the job done.

Fusion, Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

TRANSITION Boy From Borneo, Martin Statham, Leahannah, Jonathan Boey plus Mr Peculiar, Syzmix, Bornvibe, Johnny Vector, Da Phat Nerd and Johhny Rocka.

Royal Melbourne Hotel, 629 Bourke Street, Melbourne

FRIDAYS Wednesday 22nd

“CoQ RoQ” Blaberunner / Agent86

FROM 9PM

Thursday 23rd

“Free Range Funk”

NHJ

FROM 11PM

Thursday 23rd T’Funk (LIVE)

Friday 24th

Mr. Moonshine

“Panorama” Saturday 25th

“Textile” DOWNSTAIRS

Sam McEwin / Jean-Paul / Samari

DJ GRANDMASTER VICIOUS PLAYING THE BEST 80S AND 90S POP, HIP HOP, ROCK, NEW WAVE CLASSICS AND CHEESE PLUS DANCE FLOOR ANTHEMS FROM THEN TO NOW.

Tom Mohr

Dj Who / Lewis CANCUT / Tiger Funk

Phato A Mano / Mr George / Matt Rad

RETRO SEXUAL

Wednesday 22nd

“Cosmic Pizza”

FROM 8PM

SATURDAY

FROM 10:30PM

Friday 24th

Juicy!

Weekly: AGENT 86 / DJ FLAGRANT / M PHAZES / JESSE I / MIKE HUNT / TOM BOOZE / TOM SHOWTIME / AYNA / KUYA / JAPEYE / EDDIE MAC

UPSTAIRS

Ash-Lee / Mr Moonshine / Dj B-Two Sunday 26th

Saturday 25th Adam Askew FROM 8:30

“Roof Top Party”

Luke Bowditch

BAND

Sam McEwin

Zevon

“South Side Hustle” Adam Askew / Mr George / Booshank

NIGHTS DJ CKASS WILL TAKE YOU ON A MUSICAL JOURNEY TO THE RETRO SOUNDS OF THE 70’S & 80’S. FOLLOWED BY TOP 40’S.

FROM 10:30 FROM 12:30

Tigerfunk

Damon / Tiger Funk

Monday 27th

Tuesday 28th

“Cosmic pizzas” The Original Dj Ransom / Inkswel

iBimbo

Tuesday 28th Matt Radovich

Put your hands in the air with some of Melbourne’s best party DJs including 1928, Supreme, Tranter and more.

Eurotrash Bar, 18 Corrs Lane, Off Chinatown, Melbourne CBD

FIRST FLOOR SATURDAYS It’s house, electro, dub, anthems, disco and funk with guest DJs Genetix, Zanna and Oohee rocking til the break of day. Doors open 10pm with $5 basics til midnight!

First Floor, 393 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

HOT STEP Google Hot Step and you’ll get a bunch of Vietnamese game reviews and Balkanese dances on YouTube.

But that’s nothing like what you can expect to find within the confines of Bimbo on a Saturday night.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

SINTHETIC Melbourne’s avant-garde fetish discotheque is celebrating 7 years of wicked pleasures. Featuring Kasey Taylor and residents Lady J, SmuDJ, Syme Tollens.

Sophisticated underground clubbing.

Abode, 374 St Kilda Road, St Kilda

REPLAY A temptress in big rooms, Helena is Australia’s very own queen of clubs, with a signature sound of uplifting melodies and rolling bass lines. Her onstage energy is immense, extracting all the best of house, and she will command the dance floor when she comes to Fusion.

Fusion, Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

SATURDAYS AT ONE TWENTY BAR DJ CKass will take you on a musical journey to the retro sounds of the ‘70s and ‘80s, followed by Top 40s.

One Twenty Bar, 120 Johnston St, Fitzroy

TEXTILE Saturdays at Lucky Coq tick all the boxes so start your night early and stay til close! Famous $4 pizzas from 7-9pm (that’s dinner sorted) then from 9pm spread over two levels with DJs playing hip hop, funk, disco, house and electro. Rotating guests on both levels keep the tunes fresh. Free entry.

Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

SUNDAY26TH SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE The perfect Sunday soundtrack with DJs Askew, Peter Baker, Booshank, Paz, Miss Butt, Junji, Disco Harry and guests. They will be laying down disco, afro beat and deep house til 3am. For lovers of good music - South Side Hustle.

Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

SUNDAE SHAKE Our Signature serve. Each and every Sunday we play host to a self professed vinyl junkie caught between the golden years & boogie wonderland. A mouthful? Perhaps. Phato Amano perfectly sets the mood for an audio-adventure that redefines the dance floor weekly. Our Sunday aficionados Agent 86 and Tigerfunk stir up a full cream shake to the flavour of your liking. Forget everything you thought you knew about losing yourself to the grooves.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

MONDAY27TH IBIMBO Have you always wanted to be a DJ but been cruelly cursed with tone deafness and a general inability to version excursion? Well Bimbo Deluxe saves the day once again.. All you need is an iPhone and you’re set. Just download the free ‘remote’ application from the app store, log into the Bimbo DJ wireless network and you choose which song plays next.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

COSMIC PIZZA

FROM 9PM

Harry Who

120 JOHNSTON ST, FITZROY 9416 1220 www.120bar.com

FROM 11PM

8.

EUROTRASH HOUSE PARTY

Bimbo Tuesday’s have long been the discerning DJs midweek breath of fresh air. An opportunity to indulge in, and to each parade their individual takes on music.

A night where by the weird and wonderful is not frowned upon but rather celebrated.

Resident selectors Matt Radovich, Andras Fox and Henry Who draw from a colorful array of sounds that warm your midweek blues. From 8pm, free.

Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

Phato-Amano FROM 10:30PM

With a deadly combination of beauty and brains, Brooke knows all the right tracks to keep the dance floor going all night long and this will be no exception when she plays at Co.! With resident DJs Matty G and Dean T playing all your favourite club classics, dance floor anthems and top 40. Plus old skool R&B tunes in the side room with Marcus Knight.

Co., Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

BIMBO TUESDAYS

FROM 5PM ON THE ROOFTOP FROM 8PM

Monday 27th

ENVY

TUESDAY28TH

Sunday 26th Agent 86

“Struggle”

SATURDAY25TH

ESSENTIALS

NHJ & friends host every Tuesday night upstairs at Lucky Coq. Playing uneasy listening, freaked out bass jams, romantic comedy disco, tropi-jazz, soundtracks and shit you won’t hear on the other nights. 8pm-3am.

Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

THE BIG MAG FOR CLUB CULTURE

9.

HUDSON MOHAWKE WARPED: REALITY Mention Scotland in front of anybody who proclaims to be a dance music enthusiast, and you’re likely to have Danny Boyle’s cult-classic film remake of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting mentioned at some point. The story of a rag-tag bunch of junkies caught in the shackles of heroin addiction, its soundtrack (featuring the likes of Leftfield, New Order and Underworld with their breakout tune Born Slippy) paints a gloomy picture of life in the country, and protagonist Mark Renton provides a miserable assessment of life there – “it’s shite being Scottish!” he shouts semi-coherently, swigging from a bottle of vodka in one of the film’s most memorable scenes. “I don’t hate the English – they’re just wankers! We on the other hand are colonised by wankers!”

Yet the more discerning music consumers may point you towards the new wave of beatmakers emerging from the rainy cities of Scotland – remarkably young, yet as talented as many of their peers, figures like post-dubstep’s Koreless or hip hop hero Rustie seem to be changing minds about the sleepy country. Possibly one of the most exciting being Glasgow’s Hudson Mohawke (the production alias of Ross Birchard), immediately demanding attention when signed to Warp Records at the startlingly youthful age of 23. One of the genius children of the hip hop/electronica offshoot rapidly gaining attention at the moment, it was on the strength of two self-released EPs that he was picked up by the revered label, allowing him the opportunity to show the world the potential of these two worlds.

It’s his first night back at home with the family when we get on the phone together, and we open up talking about life back home after an extended stay in London. “Traditionally, it’s been a techno city – there’s been a lot of influential house and techno records that came out of Glasgow – the very first ever Daft Punk record came out on a Glasgow label,” he points out. “And a lot of big bands have come from here. Within our circle of things though, it only really took off a couple of years ago. There’s

quite a lot of people working on different stuff now. I hang out in London now, and Rustie lives there. Koreless still lives in Glasgow, and the Numbers guys still do their events there.

There’s definitely enough of a scene there, even more so I think after we got ourselves a bit of attention and press, people have now started to move here thinking it’s a hotbed of good music, and there’s more club nights and events.”

Starting to DJ as a teenager, with an interest in production to be inspired not long afterwards (his first experiences were on a PlayStation game, due to a lack of PC and any recording equipment), he managed to make it to the finals of the DMC at 15. His experiences as a turntablist have shaped his earlier approaches to writing music, as he explains. “It makes you listen to music in a different way, which is good and bad. When I was really doing hardcore turntablism stuff, it’s very intricate and focused on the technical side of things. It’s good to apply that to production because it helps you to be very accurate and meticulous, detail-focused, but at the same time, I think you can get carried away with being too technical-minded. I had to learn to focus more on the musical aspect of it, and that’s why I stopped doing turntablism; I thought what I really wanted to do was make, listen to and DJ music that I enjoy listening to and not music that’s based off technical skills, so I consciously tried to make that move.”

I point out to him that his highbrow, technical approach is something that many listeners appreciate in his music, from 2009’s debut album Butter and the few EPs he’s put out, and he agrees. “It’s not something I’ll ever be able to completely get away from…but not necessarily as much as my old stuff – glitchy and cut-up. The recent material, I think, is more musical.

It’s a little bit of a new direction; the last album I did was like a big collage of ideas, which is what I wanted to be at the time, like a mixture. Loads of random ideas and a big pastiche of different styles. This album, I’m trying to make it flow more like an album, have it less all over the place and more musical,

more live instrumentation, but still like an electronic album.

Birchard’s music certainly shows off a highbrow technical approach, but there’s also a vivid liveliness to it, which he attributes to his early choices of listening material. “The first music I was really, really passionate about was rave music… even before turntablism and hip hop. I still listen to lots of it,” he reveals. “I don’t really keep up with the modern stuff, but I recently bought all the old vinyl I used to have – tracked down all of the original copies. Back in 1999 or 2000, my house got flooded and I lost all of it and last year, I decided I was going to re-collect all of it. It’s one of my main influences, really – still is today.”

Being signed by Warp was beyond a dream come true for Birchard, with their records forming a significant proportion of his listening material in his younger days. “I found it quite intimidating, really, I was worried by the prospect of having to release music on there because I’d spent so much time

growing up listening to that music… it was just an untouchable, completely unreachable level. And their approach of not accepting demos, ‘We have to come to you if we want to sign you’, at that point, it was like, I can’t believe this is happening.

All of the classic albums and the records, I thought there was a lot of expectations for me, but I got to the point of thinking these people who made these classic albums weren’t thinking, ‘Oh shit, I’ve got to make a classic album’ – they were just doing their own thing, and I felt that was the only way to really approach it.”

Keep doing your thing, HudMo. Miki McLay Hudson Mohawke [UK] plays alongside Rustie [UK], AraabMuzik [USA] and more at Roxanne Parlour on Friday February 24.

AC SLATER CREEPIN’: TO CLUB SODA West Virginia in the good old US of A isn’t exactly what you’d call electronic musical heartland, but Aaron Slater is trying to change all that. Indeed, music runs in his blood.

He’s always been a fan with unusually eclectic taste, for keeping things different is his very modus operandi.

“It has really weaved around a little bit for me – music that is,” he says in retrospect from his home in WV. “I’ve really come back to what I love recently. Dub, house, electro, drum and bass – it’s all about bass music for me.

It’s always been that way and I’m really feeling that vibe right now, more than I’ve felt in a long time.”

A decad- plus veteran of the game, Slater is well known for not only his studio work, but also for a number of remixes and collaborations that have hit the big time. “It’s always fun to work with different people,” chimes the American, rather humbly. “It’s like stepping out of your own bubble.

When you click with someone it really works! I’ve done a lot of remixes over the years because it’s what I really love.

It’s about picking out the elements of a song you love and making them your own. I’ve been lucky enough to remix some of my favorite songs and artists.

“A simple love of twiddling knobs in the studio keeps my brain occupied and my feet tapping. Look, remixes as well – they can be really fun; normally when I get approached for a remix, the first time I listen to a track I realise if I want to do it. If I listen to a track once or twice, I already have an idea for a remix knocked out in my head.

The track has to do it for you I guess, but it’s about taking

the parts apart to see if it is something you can build on.

If a track isn’t as amazing – it can be a really good song – you can do something different, better, but some are too good to do anything with.”

Likewise, he isn’t too fearful of the odd collaboration or two either. His 2010 EP, Creepin’, with Drop the Lime, highlighted his diversity as an artist. “Yeah we got a place in LA for a couple of weeks and started working on music and we wrote four tunes and that was one of them. We just wrote a little instrumental and I was like, ‘Hey Luca, do some vocals on here!’ so you know we laid some shit down. I did some vocals, some really creepy vocals as a fucking devil or something and a little speaking part. And yeah that’s that!”

To that end, his other classic remix, Show Me Love, was one of his finest moments – an opportunity to tweak a track that he considered an anthem. “That was an absolutely amazing experience,” he says. “I was also really lucky to get the chance to remix some Moby material and that was great too, because he was an inspiration for me coming up!”

He also adds that right around the time of the Australian tour he’s got a new EP coming on Sweat It Out Records.

“It’s a straight original dance floor killer and I’m doing a lot of work in that sort of style. So I’ll be promoting that when I get down there. I’m also working with my man Tittsworth from DC and a few other artists around the place so there will be some new and exciting music coming out.”

BOMB THE BASS EXPLOSION: CAUSING THE CHAOS Bristol-based rag-tag collective The Wild Bunch flourished as outsiders from mid-‘80s mainstream music. The DIY approach they took to making music and various other art forms simply wasn’t in a competitive field, as much of their output was consigned to being played in local clubs or on pirate radio. However, the future had in store an unprecedented level of acclaim and acceptance for the micro-scene’s main players. Massive Attack, Neneh Cherry, Tricky and Nellee Hooper among others all got their first break in the mostly migrant collective. But the scene, long before launching the globally admired stars of trip hop, was early on having a rather profound impact on a young Scottish-Malaysian lad named Tim Simenon. Simenon, being a Londoner, was an outsider even among The Wild Bunch.

“I became friends with a lot of that group through going to Jazzi B’s Soul II Soul club. They ran a local DJ battle night, where anyone could show off their skills or just hang out.” Like them, Tim was driven by the potential of a new music style created utilising samplers. “I was the guy with the records, basically,” he laughs. “I had been collecting since I was about eight or nine years old, and when I started mucking about with samplers I had a shit load of music already to work with, which was essential if you were serious about live DJing.” Simenon adopted the title Bomb The Bass to DJ under, and like his mates in Massive Attack, the emphasis was on devastation; specifically the ‘annihilation’ of hundreds of recorded works for use in samples. However, where Massive Attack became known for the somber, subtle approach, Bomb The Bass’s debut single, Beat Dis! hit the listener with a montage of over

10.

50 samples, kicking open the door for a whole new wave of sample-heavy dance 12”s. The release effectively shook-up The Wild Bunch crew – most of who were yet to release any of their music/mixes. Tim explains, “DJing was still a new thing, and a lot of the artists on that scene wanted to release records, but nobody knew if what we were doing would have any kind of appeal beyond our little club nights,” he shrugs.

“That’s the beauty of what was happening in that scene, we were just friends doing what we enjoyed doing. Nobody thought it would become this massive thing.”

One of the first of the Bristol crew to get a record out was Afro-Swedish MC Neneh Cherry. She and Tim collaborated on the sweet and sassy Buffalo Stance in 1988, which became so huge that supposedly it was the prompt for Madonna to write Express Yourself. “I have to say, that was one of the most enjoyable records to make, primarily because Neneh was such a breeze to work with. I’ll always remember that powerful attitude she brought to everything; I mean Buffalo Stance was her through and through. That was her personality, you know.” From that single, the scene began to grow as more and more names linked to The Wild Bunch turned out records that seemed incapable of failure. Bomb The Bass’s second album, Unknown Territory, surfaced around the same time as Massive Attack’s Blue Lines, prompting talk of an ‘exciting new movement’ in music. However, Tim was a far less stationary act, flirting only briefly with trip hop. His next release would begin to develop from a meeting with Russian/American hip hop artist Justin Warfield (whose album, My Field Trip To Planet 9, Tim was enamored with), who importantly, also shared Tim’s FEATURES

And as if all that isn’t enough, he’s also focused on his Party Like Us imprint, which is his three-year-old baby.

“The whole idea was to make straight dance floor music. Nothing’s really changed there. It’s all about the bass driven music I mentioned, with a lot of old rave influences. Right now, it’s evolving a little bit too. We’re doing a bit of hip hop and things like that. It’s going really well; we’re building up a roster of artists that are doing cool music and even some merchandise as well.”

Finally, he shares a few words on the tour as if to ensure we get the whole picture. “When I DJ, I have my own agenda so I do want to play certain stuff. I also enjoy playing a wide range of tempos so depending on how the crowd is feeling, I’ll go with the flow a little which is a great way to work for me. The past two times I’ve

love of William S. Burroughs.

“I remember at our first meeting, Justin and I talked a lot about Burroughs, and straight after he went off and wrote these fantastic lyrics based around Naked Lunch.”

Simenon’s Bug Powder Dust began as a collection of dialogue samples from the David Cronenberg film adaption, before blossoming into a full collaborative rap. The track – a massive hit – pre-empted 1995’s Clear, and a newly acquired use of live instrumentation. Tim was beginning to scratch the surface of Bomb The Bass’s potential as a live band, but it would take a further 13 years for him to fully realise it. “I hadn’t had a break in over ten years.” He recalls, “I spent a couple of years in my room in front of the speakers just listening to music instead of working with it. I needed to be inspired again, you know?” Simenon’s silence was finally broken in 2008 with a dramatic new album, Future Chaos.

His ambitions for Bomb The Bass – ‘the live band’ along with collaborator Paul Conboy – finally began to take shape. ”The key to getting back into music was writing the Future Chaos album,” he explains. “That album came together with such momentum that I found I had regained a kind of excitement about making music which had been missing for some time.” For his appearance at The Hi-Fi, Tim promises fans ‘a few exclusives’. “Paul and I have been writing the follow-up to Future Chaos, so we’ll be premiering about five or six of those songs in Australia.” The new album, he explains, is again further from the sample-based work he mastered in his formative years. “On this tour Paul will be singing and playing live bass, and I’ll be making the beats and just playing around with the BPM’s a lot more. It’s exciting for us to have the sort of ‘raw edge’ of a live band.

I’ve been building up to this for a long time, so I think it’s going to be fun.”

Leigh Salter Bomb The Bass [UK] share a double-bill with The Orb [UK] at The Hi-Fi on Friday February 24.

been out, I’ve done festival tours. This time it’s all club shows so I’ll switch up the style a bit. I’ll be playing music from Trouble and Bass and Party Like Us.” As an aside, I’d add that Laidback Luke and Crookers didn’t choose him to do their remixes by accident. It was a calculated move that, seemingly, won’t stop paying dividends. And what better a country to practice a love of surfing and cocktails in than Australia? Slater is coming back to the right place. Let’s make him welcome.

RK AC Slater [USA] plays at Brown Alley on Saturday March 3.

ONETWENTYBAR BIMBOS

STRIKE

EUROTRASH LUCKYCOQ

STARBAR

MISSLIBERTINE

FIRSTFLOOR

WORKSHOP

12.

100% CLUB PICS

:$; 6(66,216 :$; 6(66,216 7+( 60,7+ :$; 6(66,216 *(7 <285 :$; 21 :,7+ 7+( :$9,1* $7 75$,16 '-V

3OD\LQJ WKH VRXQG WUDFN WR \RXU 6XQGD\V &RFNWDLOV 7DSDV SP WLOO ODWH

681'$<6 $7 7+( 60,7+

213 High St, Prahran 3181 (03) 9514 2444 www.thesmithprahran.com.au

THE BIG MAG FOR CLUB CULTURE

13.

KHOKOLATKOATED BE.ATCO.

FAKTORYATKHOKOLATBAR

RHYTHMALISMATFUSION

LIGHTATREDLOVE

14.

100% URBAN PICS

URBAN ESSENTIALS WEDNESDAY22ND

COMPRESSION SESSION Reggae at E55 every Wednesday night. Resident selectors play stricly vinyl. Free entry. 8pm.

E55, 55 Elizabeth St, Melbourne CBD

THURSDAY23RD RHYTHM-AL-ISM Start the weekend early with Fusion’s Resident DJs. Music for your funkin’ soul. Special guests every week!

Fusion, Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

FRIDAY24TH FAKTORY This is it. Faktory Fridays are open for business at Melbourne’s home of R&B, Khokolat Bar. Where else?

Damion De Silva, Ken Walker, Durmy, K Dee, Simon Sez, Yaths and Jacqui Dusk spinning all night long.

Khokolat Bar, Basement, 43 Hardware La, Melbourne

GAPPY RANKS Pushing his way into international fame with 2009’s huge hits Heaven In Her Eyes, Put The Stereo On and Mountain Top, Gappy Ranks has enjoyed a good few years of late, with two studio albums under his belt and the praise of the international scene in his wake. Having worked with American rapper Twista, UK MC Lethal B, producers Kray Twinz and dancehall collective Suncycle, his fresh take on UK dancehall and reggae is a surefire winner – and with support from Chant Down Sound, Armagideon Time, Al Good, Jumpdread and Apprentice, this will be one wicked night.

Laundry Bar, 50 Johnston Street Fitzroy

LIKE FRIDAYS Like Fridays at La Di Da serves up RnB and Electro House across two rooms giving you a fun filled end to your week. DJs Dinesh, Dir-X, Sef, NYD, Shaun D, Shaggz, Broz and more. 10pm-5am La Di Da, 577 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

SWEET NOTHING FRIDAYS DJ Marcus Knight and DJ Xander James spin Hip Hop, R&B and House tunes all night from 8pm. Free entry and early drink specials.

Temperance Hotel, 426 Chapel St, South Yarra

SATURDAY25TH KHOKOLAT KOATED All new experience, same great location with a fresh koat of Khokolat. Restless Entertainment reloads your favourite Saturday night party. Damion De Silva, K Dee, Jay Sin and weekly guests playing RnB & Ol’Skool sounds strictly for the urban elite.

Khokolat Bar, Basement, 43 Hardware La, Melbourne

UPCOMING BOATS, RHYMES AND LIFE Boats, Rhymes and Life has the honour of being Melbourne’s first ever block party on a cruise ship.

Surely that sells itself, right? Given that we have to fill up this paragraph, we might as well tell you a little more about what’s going down. After gathering the finest in Australian hip-hop and beats talent, the Victoria Star is ready to set sail with the likes of headliner Mantra along with his mates Bam Bam and DJ Wasabi, Melbourne’s own block rockin’ Nick Thayer and a slew of other names including DJ Flagrant, Psyde Projects, DJ Perplex, M.A.F.I.A, DJ Prequel, Claymore 74 and Zack Rampage.

Aaaaaaw yeahhhh.

Saturday March 3, Dock Nine, Central Pier

SUPAFEST After a gargantuan 2011 with Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Taio Cruz, Bow Wow and more, Supafest has once again raised the bar. Headlining the 2012 proceedings will be none other than Mr. P. Diddy, who will be joined on stage by the likes of Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Kelly Rowland and Lupe Fiasco. Stay tuned on Friday February 24 for more artists to be announced.

Saturday April 21, TBA

GAPPY RANKS RISING: THE REGGAE RANKS It’s a long journey from England to Australia, but according to Gappy Ranks (aka Jacob Williams), every mile of it is worth it if it means spreading the message of reggae across the world. As the reggae star points out – if they’re calling you back to do another show, that means you got something right the last time around.

“It’s a pleasure to be back in Australia,” says Williams. “Just getting the chance to come back and to promote reggae music – it’s a great feeling. I love to perform reggae music and when I’m up on the stage I really like to interact with people and give it my all. Music is the best form of communication in general. Reggae music, especially, is the only genre of music that speaks to the entire world. I get to talk about daily life issues and things that pretty much all people can relate to. On stage, I don’t try to act better than anybody else. I’m coming from the UK and the way that I grew up, I learned to know myself and what people wanted to hear and see. I matured by being in this industry and I learned to just go out there and I understand from experience that there are different territories and how people respond to different approaches to music.”

For Williams, one of the best things to happen to the artist so far has been his increasing international popularity, particularly in the last three years. On top of that, Williams adds that it’s been a privilege to act as one of the ambassadors of reggae music coming from the UK. “As Gappy Ranks, I couldn’t have done any of this without the people in my life – the community, my family, my friends and the lovers of music,” says Williams. “As an artist coming from the UK and having the chance to cross over into Jamaica, it’s been an honour. Getting played in Jamaica and getting respected over there, that’s been a great thing. Maxi Priest is another artist that I can think of who’s done really well over there and who is from the UK, and I know there are definitely a few more from the UK who have been great ambassadors. I’m very glad to be a part of that campaign because there is so much amazing talent in the UK.” In fact, Williams claims that he is glad he gets to make a living from the one thing he loves the most – music – especially when most of his peers have been nowhere near as lucky as he.

“I’ve had a passion for music for a long time, that’s why I’ve

URBAN

stayed with it,” he explains. “At the same time, a lot of my friends have unfortunately turned to crime or have got other jobs, and it makes me realise that I could have gone into many different directions – but I stayed with music. I was born in London – my father is from Jamaica and my mother is Dominican – so my background has been a very important part of my career as Gappy Ranks. It goes back to how I grew up and how I was from a very young age as well as throughout my years of being a teenager. I had some troubles growing up in my teenage life and that made me get to know myself as a person and to mature. It’s been a great reflection on my music in order to be able to tell my stories and where I am coming from, as well as where I aspire to go.”

And where exactly would that be? Well, according to Williams, wherever his mission to spread the word of reggae takes him.

Australia has been a pretty great start so far, he claims...

“Heaven In Her Eyes busted me first – that helped me reach international recognition,” Williams states. “It was just side that showed the versatility of Gappy Ranks, especially having come from London, which is such a multicultural city. I had no choice but to embrace other cultures anyway because of the city that I grew up in. With Gappy Ranks you get dancehall, hip hop, reggae – all in one. And you get the same thing on the stage as well. You’re going to get the full package of Gappy Ranks, a big level of energy but just upping the ante every time. I’ve been touring non-stop like crazy which is good because I’ve been putting smiles on people’s faces through reggae. I am also enjoying the mentoring and the fact that I get to learn new things every day. I am also a Gemini so I am an adventurist!

I’m also just a regular guy who just loves reggae music and when I am up on stage I don’t try to act better than anyone else. The way that I see it I am just a regular human being like everyone else.”

Birdie Gappy Ranks [UK] plays Laundry Bar on Friday February 24.

15.

WHERE TO NEXT?

Highlander 11a Highlander Lane, Melb, 9620 2227

Revolt Elizabeth St, Kensington, 03 9376 2115

Hoo Haa 105 Chapel St, Windsor, 9529 6900

Revolver Upstairs 229 Chapel St, Prahran, 9521 5985

Horse Bazaar 397 Little Lonsdale St, Melb, 9670 2329

Rochester Castle Hotel 202 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9415 7555

Iddy Biddy 47 Blessington St, St Kilda, 9534 4484

Rooftop Cider Bar, Cnr Swanston & Flinders St, Melbourne, 9650 3884

Jett Black 177 Greville St, Prahran

Room 680 Level 1, 680 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 9818 0680

John Curtin Hotel 29 Lygon St, Melb, 9663 6350

Roxanne Parlour Lvl 3, 2 Coverlid Pl, Melb

Khokolat Bar 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, 039642 1142

Royal Derby 446 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 2321

La Di Da 577 Lt Bourke St, Melb, 9670 7680

Roal Melbourne Hotel 629 Bourke St, 9629 2400

Labour In Vain 197A Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 5955

Ruby’s Lounge 1648 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave, 9754 7445

Lomond Hotel 225 Nicholson St, East Brunswick

Saint Hotel 54 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9593 8333

Longroom 162 Collins St, Melbourne, 9663 9226

Sandbelt Live Cnr South & Bignell Rd, Moorabbin, 9555 6899

Loop 23 Meyers Pl, Melb, 9654 0500

Scarlett Lounge 174 Burnley St, Richmond, 9428 0230

Lounge 243 Swanston St, Melb, 9663 2916

Seven Nightclub 52 Albert Rd, South Melb, 9690 7877

The Lounge Pit 386-388 Brunswick St, Fitzroy 9415 6142

Spensers Live 419 Spencer St, West Melb, 03 9329 8821

29th Apartment 29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9078 8922

Cornish Arms 163 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Love Machine Cnr Lt Chapel & Malvern Rd, Prahran, 9533 8837

Spot 133 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9388 0222

303 303 High Street, Northcote

CQ 113 Queen St, Melb, 8601 2738

Lucky Coq 179 Chapel St, Windsor, 9525 1288

Standard Hotel 293 Fitzroy St, Fitzroy, 9419 4793

Abode 374 St.Kilda Rd, St.Kilda

Croft Institute 21 Croft Alley, Melb, 9671 4399

The LuWOW 62-70 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9417 5447

Star Bar 160 Clarendon St, South Melb, 9810 0054

Albert Park Hotel Cnr Montague & Dundas Pl, Albert Park, 9690 5459

Cruzao Arepa Bar 365 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 7871

Mercat Cross Lvl 1, 456 Queen St, Melb, 9348 9998

Station 59 59 Church St, Richmond, 9427 8797

Alia Lvl 1, 83-87 Smith St, Fitzroy, 9486 0999

Cushion 99 Fitzroy St, St.Kilda, 9534 7575

Mink 2 Acland St, St Kilda, 9536 1199

Stolberg Beer Café 197 Plenty Rd, Preston, 9495 1444

Alumbra Shed 9, Central Pier, 161 Harbour Espl, Docklands, 8623 9666

Damask 1/347 Burnswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 4578

Miss Libertine 34 Franklin St, Melb, 9663 6855

Sub Lounge & Restaurant 168 Elizabeth St Melb, 0411 800 198

Back Bar 67 Green St, Windsor, 9529 7899

The Drunken Poet 65 Peel Street, West Melbourne, 9348 9797

Misty 3-5 Hosier Ln, Melb, 9663 9202

Sugar Bar (Hotel Urban) 35 Fitztroy St, St Kilda, 8530 8888

Bar Open 317 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9415 9601

Der Raum 438 Church St, Richmond, 9428 0055

Mockingbird Bar 129 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9534 0000

Temperance Hotel 426 Chapel St, South Yarra, 9827 7401

Baroq House 9-13 Drewery Ln, Melb, 8080 5680

Ding Dong Lounge Lvl 1, 18 Market Ln, Melb, 9662 1020

Musicland 1359A Sydney Rd, Fawkner, 9359 0006

Thornbury Theatre 859 High St, Thornbury, 9484 9813

Bendigo Hotel 125 Johnston St, Collingwood 9417 3415

Dizzy’s Jazz Club 381 Burnley St, Richmond, 9428 1233

Neverland 32-48 Johnson St, South Melb, 9646 5544

Tiki Lounge 327 Swan St, Richmond, 9428 4336

Bertha Brown 562 Flinders Street, 9629 1207

Double Happiness 21 Liverpool St, Melb, 9650 4488

New Guernica Lvl 2, Hub Arcade, 318-322 Lt Collins St, Melb, 9650 4464

Toff In Town Lvl 2, 252 Swanston St, Melb, 9639 8770

Big Mouth 168 Acland St, St.Kilda, 9534 4611

E:55 55 Elizabeth St, Melb, 9620 3899

Night Cat 141 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9417 0090

Tony Starr’s Kitten Club 267 Lt Collins St, Melb, 9650 2448

Billboard 170 Russell St, Melb, 9639 4000

East Brunswick Club 280 Lygon St, East Brunswick, 9388 2777

Night Cat 279 Flinders Ln, Melb, 9654 0444

The Tote Hotel 67 Johnson St, Collingwood, 9419 5320

Bimbo Deluxe 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 8600

Edinburgh Castle 681 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Noise Bar 291 Albert St, Brunswick, 9380 1493

Town Hall Hotel 33 Errol St, North Melbourne, 9328 1983

Birmingham Hotel Cnr Smith & Johnston St, Fitzroy

Electric Ladyland Lvl 1, 265 Chapel St, Prahran, 9521 5757

Northcote Social Club 301 High St, Northcote, 9489 3917

Trak Lounge 445 Toorak Rd, Toorak, 9826 9000

Black Cat 252 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 6230

Elwood Lounge 49-51 Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood, 9525 6788

Old Bar 74 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9417 4155

Tramp 20 King St, Melb

Blue Bar 330 Chapel St, Prahran, 9529 6499

Empress 714 Nicholson St, Nth Fitzroy, 9489 8605

One Twenty Bar 120 Johnston St, Fitzroy

Transport Hotel Federation Square, Melb, 9654 8808

Blue Tile Lounge 95 Smith St, Fitzroy

Espy 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda, 9534 0211

Onesixone 161 High St, Prahran, 9533 8433

Trunk 275 Exhibition St, Melbourne, 9663 7994

Boutique 134 Greville St, Prahran, 9525 2322

Eurotrash 18 Corrs Ln, Melb, 9654 4411

Order Of Melbourne level 2, 401 Swanston St, Melb, 9663 6707

Tyranny Of Distance 147 Union St, Windsor, 9525 1005

Brown Alley King Street, Melb,9670 8599

Eve 334 City Rd, Southbank, 9696 7388

Palace Hotel 893 Burke Rd, Camberwell

Two of Hearts 149 Commercial Road, Prahran

Brunswick Hotel 140 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9387 6637

Evelyn 351 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 5500

Palace Theatre 20-30 Bourke St, Melb, 9650 0180

Union Hotel Brunswick 109 Union St, Brunswick, 9388 2235

Builders Arms 211 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

Ferntree Gully Hotel 1130 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully, 9758 6544

Palais 111 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs, 5348 4849

Veludo 175 Acland St, St Kilda, 9534 4456

Cabinet Bar 11 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne, 9654 0915

Festival Hall 300 Dudley St, West Melbourne, 9329 9699

Palais Theatre Lower Esplanade, St Kilda, 9525 3240

Victoria Hotel 380 Victoria St, Brunswick, 9388 0830

Caravan Music Club 95 Drummond St, Oakleigh

First Floor 393 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 6380

Papa Goose 91 Flinders Ln, Melbourne, 9663 2800

Wah Wah Lounge Lvl 1, 185 Lonsdale St, Melb

Caseys Nightclub 660A Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 9810 0030

Forum Theatre 154 Flinders St, Melb, 9299 9800

Penny Black 420 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9380 8667

Wesley Anne 250 High St, Northcote, 9482 1333

Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets 80 Smith St, Collingwood, 9415 8876

The Fox Hotel 351 Wellington Street, Collingwood, 9416 4957

Pier Live Hotel 508 Nepean Hwy, Frankston, 9783 9800

Westernport Hotel 161 Marine Pde, San Remo, 5678 5205

CBD Club 12-14 McKillop St, Melb, 9670 3638

Fusion Lvl 3, Crown Complex, Southbank, 9292 5750

Pony 68-70 Lt Collins St, Melb, 9662 1026

Willow Bar 222 High Street, Northcote, 9481 1222

Chaise Lounge Basement, 105 Queen St, Melb, 9670 6120

The Gallery Room 1/510 Flinders St, Melbourne, 9629 1350

Portland Hotel Cnr Lt Collins & Russell St, Melb, 9810 0064

Windsor Castle 89 Albert St, Windsor, 9525 0239

Chandelier Room 91 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, 9532 2288

Gem Bar & Dining 289 Wellingston St, Collingwood, 9419 5170

The Prague Hotel, 911 High St, Northcote, 9495 0000

Workers Club 51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9415 8889

Chelsea Heights Hotel Cnr Springvale & Wells Rd,

George Basement, 127 Fitzroy St, 9534 8822

Pretty Please 61c Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9534 4484

Workshop Lvl 1, 413 Elizabeth St, Melb, 9326 4365

Chelsea Heights, 9773 4453

Gertrude’s Brown Couch 30 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, 9417 6420

Prince Bandroom 29 Fitztory St, St Kilda, 9536 1168

Yah Yah’s 99 Smith St, Fitzroy, 9419 4920

Cherry Bar AC/DC Ln, Melb, 9639 8122

Grace Darling Hotel 114 Smith St, Collingwood, 9416 0055

Prince Of Wales 29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9536 1168

The Vine 59 Wellington St, Collingwood, 9417 2434

Chi Lounge 195 Lt Bourke St, Melbourne, 9662 2688

Grandview Hotel Cnr Heidelberg Rd & Station St, Fairfield, 9489 8061

Public Bar 238 Victoria St, North Melb, 9329 6522

Co. Lvl 3, Crown Complex, 9292 5750

Great Britain Hotel 447 Church St, Richmond, 9429 5066

Railway Hotel 280 Ferrars St, South Melb, 9690 5092

Colonial Hotel (Brown Alley) Cnr King & Lonsdale St, Melb, 9670 8599

Grind N Groove 274 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville

Red Bennies 371 Chapel St, South Yarra, 9826 2689

Commercial Club Hotel 344 Nicholson St, Fitzroy, 9419 1522

Grumpy’s Green 125 Smith St, Collingwood, 9416 1944

Red Love Lvl 1, 401 Swanston St, Melb, 9639 3722

Cookie Lvl 1, 252 Swanston St, Melb, 9663 7660

Gypsy Bar 334 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 0548

Retreat Hotel 226 Nicholson St, Abbotsford, 9417 2693

Corner Hotel 57 Swan St, Richmond, 9427 9198

HiFi 125 Swanston St, Melb, 1300 843 4434

The Retreat Hotel 280 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9380 4090

WANTED: DRIVERS

FOR MORE VENUES, VISIT: BEAT.COM.AU/VENUES

YES! BEAT.COM.AU

IS NOW MOBILE

TO DELIVER BEAT MAGAZINE.

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS! EARLY STARTS

Must have own van.

Would suit students, musicians, etc.

email - distribution@furstmedia.com.au

16.

VENUE DIRECTORY

CHECK FOR GIGS & AND READ ARTICLES ALL ON A NICELY SKINNED SITE DESIGNED JUST WITH YOUR PHONE IN MIND. BEAT MOBILE AUTOMATICALLY DETECTS WHEN YOU LOG ON USING A PHONE, SO GO ON, HAVE A SQUIZZ.