Name Greg Wilson Occupation The missing link between Northern Soul and Acid House.
On Northern Soul: ‘Unfortunately the black scene in Britain hasn't been documented as well as other scenes. Northern Soul was great. but the assumption that everything in the north in the 70s was Northern Scul is wrong. It was a retrospective 608 style. and all the black kids were listening to upto- date stuff like James Brown. the Ohio Players and Parliament. People try and tie Northern Soul to rave culture, but it died in 1981 when Wigan Casino closed and then there was a seven year gap.‘ On bridging the gap: ‘What a lot of people are starting to understand about my era is that it was a crossroads. that crossroads being the time between the old — Northern Soul, jazz-funk, disco -- and the new — house, hip hop, techno. A catalyst was needed for one era to become the other and that was early 808 electro—funk. a real hybrid age of new technology, the emergence of hip hop and more experimentation in music.‘
On taking a near two-decade break from DJing in 1984: ‘I realised that Legends [the seminal Manchester electro venue where Wilson made his name] was the peak, and that you can never repeat being on the cusp of something. I realised that this golden era of electro-funk was ending, and weirdly it was breakdancing which changed the dynamic. I loved it at first. and managed a breakdance group called Broken Glass, but at a club level it lost its appeal after a while and everyone was just getting pissed off with these guys challenging each other and taking up the dancefloor. So I could see a split emerging in the crowd which didn't really heal until 1988.‘ (David Pollock)
I Greg Wilson is appearing at Solescience, Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Fri 9 Sep.
30 THE LIST 8 I)? Sep 7003')
INDIE PANIC ROOM MAS, Glasgow, Thu 8 & 22 Sep
When both Babyshambles and Bloc Party appeared on stage this year as part of the new Ibiza Rocks nights at Manumission, it pretty much sealed the deal and summed up everything that as been happening in club land of late. Live music, and indeed live indie music, has now become as much a part of club land as the DJs, and across the country throngs of clubbers are laying down their glowsticks and picking up their finely tuned air guitars in admiration.
Panic Room, a co-promotion between Mas and Derek McCann’s Elevenpromotions, has been putting on live bands fortnightly since May alongside Beat 106’s Jim Gellaghty’s spinning skills. McCann is a firm believer in the new trend and believes that indie music is popular again because it has shaken off its serious
This issue: Munk, Dakar & Grinser
Electroclash might have come, saw and been dumped in an unmarked grave like the scene nobody wanted in the first place, but for those who prize the moments of musical genius it produced above the frankly ridiculous 80$ throwback fashions involved, there are a handful of nights in Scotland which are indispensable. Like the
Arches’ monthly Death Disco. So what’s so special about it this time round?
Only the dual appearance of scene pioneers Munk and Dakar & Grinser. The former (Munich based duo Mathias Modica and Jonas Imbery) already have their own Glaswegian connection. having released solo work by Franz Ferdinand's Nick McCarthy on their own high quality indie label Gomma. Yet the pair have many other outlets for their flowering trendy-bastardness. not least preViOus ai_)pearances at James Murphy's DFA parties in NYC and adoration from the fashion crowd (houses like Givenchy have hijacked their releases as Munk and under the Leroy Hanghofer alias for shows). Best adVice: lust forget who they know and go along to experience a unique DJ set of funk. disco. house and no wave. with added live instrumentation.
And what about Dakar & Grinser? That name seems strangely
familiar . . .
So it should if you've been playing SoulwaX/Q Many DJs' mix albums to death. For it was the Munich based duo (detecting a theme here?) who all but invented electroclash With their cover of the Stooges" ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog' a full six years ago. Its appearance on Radio Sou/wax Vol 2 may debatany be their career high so far but this live show is a line chance to preView the new album Iiii/iiip/i of flesh and decide if they're likely to better
it any time soon (DaVid Pollock) I Death Disco at the Arches, G/asgow, Sat 17 Sep.
navel-gazing image, and its new lease of life at club nights is a natural progression. ‘There’s a lot of new wave and punk coming through again and that just makes indie music more fun,’ he explains. ‘lt’s also a lot more tabloid friendly now and bands like the Libertines are easy to listen to so it’s getting people back into it and getting people into the clubs. I think it is now becoming cool and because it’s becoming cool, it’s becoming important’.
The people behind Panic Room are definitely more concerned with the talent they are trying to help out than the cool kudos it brings though. ‘With events like the Panic Room, if you have a guy like Jim Gellaghty DJing afterwards and an event that you promote well, it automatically becomes important to the bands,’ says McCann. ‘lt’s a bit of encouragement for the young bands that are going about because there are a hell of a lot of good bands around Glasgow right now.’ (Sandra Marron)
Dakar and Grinser