CLUBS
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Les Rythmes Digitales
Glasgow: Faceoff, The Arches, Fri 2 Oct In his individual parts, there’s something undeniably crap about Jacques Lu Cont. The video for his new electro-pop single '(Hey You) What’s That Sound?’ is a study in 805 ephemerality, all Rubik's cubes, Atari cartridge consoles and Kids From Fame dance routines. He slinks the 905 New York streets with one of those keyboard guitars slung low under his arm, turning businessmen into shimmering dancers and gangstas into crop top breakers. Monsieur Lu Cont, the sole recording member of Les Rythmes Digitales, is a man rather obsessed with the decade that fashion forgot, and he says he’s French too. 'l’ve finally worked out what it is with me and the 80$,' he says in a very English accent. 'I was three when the 805 began, so I missed it first time round. I'm sure if I was there then, I’d hate it now.’ This son of two concert pianists was born 21 years ago in Paris and spent six months there before returning home to Reading, where he was subjected to a strict musical upbringing. Pop music was banned in the house and Lu Cont had to go out and discover modern music for himself. Initially this meant playing in death metal bands at the age of ten, but he says he didn't hear dance music and understand it until he was in his mid- teens, and found that he had a lot of catching up to do. His official biography says he briefly went nuts after this, being sent to an asylum where he found some dusty old analogue synths and started twiddling the knobs and building up a catalogue of sounds. 'I wasn’t rocking back and forwards violently, it was more of a day centre for problem kids really,’ he says. His parents were very sceptical that he would make anything of himself with this new fangled dance music, and it was only when he signed to Wall Of Sound, after an exceptionally steep learning curve, and produced his first album Liberation that they thought there might be something in it. Three years after this album, Lu Cont’s music has
New Bars, New Clubs
Queen Street;
Planet Peach has already opened on opposite it,
Les Rythmes Digitales: the house that Jacques built
changed dramatically. Then it was a mix of soundtrack orches’;ral sweeps with the trademark WOS breaks, beats and bleeps; but now he's regressed/progressed (have it as you will) into electro-pop. He puts the shift in emphasis down to the extended touring he's been through.
'Doing that whole circuit thing, you see what works on the dancefloor,’ he says. 'The housey more dancey thing is what works. You can‘t drop an BOBPM experimental track and expect Joe Public, who hasn’t heard it before, to get into it.’
As you might have noticed in Glasgow earlier in the year, when he stole the show on the Vapour tour, Lu Cont's getting it just right. The new single has enough of a hook and bare faced funky cheek, that it’s very possibly going to be the next ’Music Sounds Better With You’. He's remixed Placebo, Pavement (who he coincidentally toured with when he was fourteen) and home-grown talent Bis. If this is what he’s like after only five years making dance music, god knows what's to come. (Rory Weller) $533- ’(Hey You) l’t/hat's' That S">ti'i:.'7' Sound Recordings on Mon 5 Or I
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Colin Walker: Budda resident to be
You are about to be spoiled for club chOice in Glasgow. Six clubs Will opening in as many months, all fighting to get you to throw your shapes on their particular dancefloor.
88 THE lIST 24 Sep—8 Oct I998
commences trading this fortnight, and (32, behind the Garage, wrll start in the middle of October Then there’s Budda opening up above the bar of the same name, a place called The Sky Bar, and The Loft down the southside What's more, it Will shortly be announced who has got the license for the old Reds site on Sauchiehall Street.
Are we in danger of becoming clubbed out? Each nev. venue is trying to find its own angle on the form With Yang, we see a club-bar \‘Jllll minimalist design which opens at 6pm and goes tltrOugh until 3am Although there are three Dis playing each night, they’ve only got one proper dance space, a fabulous sweathox at the hack of the club, the idea being that the whole venue is a dancefloor
Yang, like (32, is dllTlllT(_] at the student dance market, where you don't have to wear Versace to get in
charripionrno new talent uhicn has crept tip through the student radio stations and house parties rneaninri the stranglehold the old tiuard had on the scene is likely to he ever
Five years ado, we saw a slew ii‘l
cluhs (:()Stl‘.1l The Chantinon, The Choice, Tin Pan Alley - in a market that seemed to he saturated New, \.'."th more students than eser (:‘ft‘d't’l to the city and older neorfle extendcnti their clubbing year‘s far more than hefore, Glasgow rnioht just be able to handle ;z
With \ar‘xi, The :33. .i-c-t .ts first
weeklyr (l'Li'l‘ 't hiss r‘rzizht in a indas',
anti ‘.'.rhen Bttalda t‘l‘t‘fis, it j}l(‘.'lll\t‘\
lot k to The Linderdiound for inspiration, with the likes of New York Alliance's Colin Walker and Sele Music 's Stevie Middleton as residents It can only be good for us iRory Weller)
See clubs fist/rigs for tenue detai/s
Club News
Negociants are remodelling their downstairs bar in time for Freshers Week, so expect a big re-launch party bash in mid-October. They are also looking for new talented DJs. They are interested in the full range of electronic music and if you think you have what it takes, drop in a tape to Michael Brown,the downstairs manager before 9pm any week day.
Peter Symington aka DJ Kid (Manga) has started a DJ agency called Different Class DJs . Initially a jungle/drum ’n’ bass agency, Peter plans to expand representation into house and hip hop. He plans to open an office in America and will represent local talent there as well. Any one interested can send a demo to PO Box 14049, Edinburgh EH9 1WD or phone 0973 142195. He is organising a ’Jungle and drum 'n' bass spectacular’ at Potterrow on Sat 17 Oct featuring an enormous lineup of DJs and MCs — be sure to lookout for that one!
We were so excited by Streetrave’s 9th birthday that we brought the giveaways forward an issue. If you were disappointed at not getting your free smiley bandana and badges at the last Colours, you’ll get them at the Streetrave 9th Birthday on 27 Sep. What would have upset you more no doubt was the almost complete lack of billed guest DJs that night. Bukem was double booked by his agents, but will be back in November, Darren Price and Craig Walsh got stuck in Croatia and Karl ’Tuff Enuff’ Brown had a note from his mum so he couldn't come. Colours gave out half price discount passes for next time with Jon Digweed and say that they only had two complaints.
: Another shout for the Under The
Duvet night at The Briggait on Sat 26 Sep raising funds for AIDS and
HIV awareness charity, The Names
Project. The night will feature Micheal Kilkie, Colin Teveldale, Scott McKay (all Tunnel), Fisher 8r Price (Taste), Maggie (Joy), Jared and Peter (Luvely) and hopefully you.
Peter Symington aka DJ Kid (Manga) has started a DJ agency called Different Class DJs