Todo El Mundo @ Hyem Bar - 25/09/10

Renowned record hound, LP compiler, international DJ and co-founder of Finders Keepers Records, Doug splits his time between his label duties, involvement in the seminal globetrotting club night/collective B-music and manning his fitful pocket empire Battered Ornaments.

Catch him upstairs at Hyem bar playing exclusive tracks from his forthcoming debut mixtape 'Dedicated Swallower Of Fashion' - a cacophony of syncopated psychedelic ...madness that draws from his enviably expansive record collection and challenging DJ sets, dusting off handpicked fuzz-ridden-break-heavy platters from as far and wide as Malaysia, France, India, Germany, USA, Russia, Spain, Columbia, Italy and Indonesia.

Joining him on the turntables will be Todo el mundo residents Antonio Morales and Major Dawson.

Friday 25th September
Hyem
19.30 - Late
Free Entry

Follow them on Facebook or go to the event page for more info.

Sketches @ The Tyne Bar - 13/08/10

There's another Sketches party tonight at the Tyne Bar. Not only is it the last Sketches party at the Tyne, it's also the last ever club night at the Tyne now the local idiots have learned to use phones.

Anyway, I'm reliably informed they will be moving to another club in October so it won't be the end of Sketches and it promises to be a spiffy night with the usual musical shenanigans and the return of the art walls in which anyone and everyone can draw penises or 'LOL' on them or whatever it is the young people do with paint these days.

Music and whatnot will be provided by:

Shim
Capo Ultra
Edmondson
Veshch
Spalec

Plus super secret special guest/s (maybe)

Friday 13th August
The Tyne
18.30 - 23.00
Free Entry

Join the Facebook group.

Sketches @ The Tyne Bar - 06/08/10

My genuinely good friend Alec "Spalec" Wilkinson informs me there will be another Sketches party this Friday at The Tyne Bar and the best part is it's free!

Shim
Capo Ultra
Spalec feat. MC Drop Dead Fred
Veshch
Edmondson

06/08/10 6-11pm

"I don't see it as allowing an illegal drug party"

I wasn't going to post this video until I realised where it was: the North East! I couldn't believe this was on the Birthday Party Berlin blog, but then again our good chum Jason Forrest knows his stuff!

Sorry for being shit!

Wow. Well, it's been pretty hectic of late - thus the sporadic updates - but it's given me some time to think about the direction of this blog. As far as dance/club music goes, I suspect my coverage will wind down if UK Funky takes over.

I'm going to keep covering dubstep and bassline for as long as it keeps going but I've been trying to cast my net wider, looking to more introspective and experimental music to write about. Interestingly - and encouragingly - the best stuff seems to be local.

Basically, an interesting thing seems to be happening, at least here in Newcastle: Club music seems to be on the decline; while folk, shoegazer and post-rock are making a return. I went to The Cluny here in Newcastle for the Blank Promotions first birthday last week. Sadly my hippy timekeeping got the better of me and I was rather late. BUT, I did manage to check out a few bands that are really looking promising.

Sona Di
They're a great local band who seem to be spearheading the local scene at the moment with their own take on shoegazer and post-rock with bits of noise and whatnot thrown in for good measure. I know I've already written about these chaps before, but just to drum it in I thought I'd tell you again. And because you don't fucking listen.

Her Name Is Calla
They headlined the birthday party with a really intense blend of classical, post rock, folk and shoegazer and rolled up into a really cohesive package. And for a band whose music could hardly be described as "showy", they commanded the stage well despite a few technical difficulties.

Worriedaboutsatan
Unfortunately, I missed their set but checked out their MySpace later on. It's so refreshing and exciting to find an electronic artist who's doing something different! It kind of reminds me of old Squarepusher without the needless abrasion and some soulful vocals for good measure. It's just great to see someone making music for the sheer fuck of it, rather than to simply making a "club banger".

I don't have any mp3s to offer y'all but if you look back at the Sona Di review I did a while back there's an mp3 of the tune Forest for you to download. Also, they have lots of songs to stream on their myspaces.