Clubs PROFILE
www.list.co.uk/clubs
I
/ T R A P U E V G H T R O W D O O L B N U A H S
DJ HEATHER Occupation: In demand Chicago DJ.
Chicago has a bit of a name for its house DJs, doesn’t it? It does indeed my friend. In fact Chicago is considered the birthplace of house in the 1980s. Specifically at the legendary Warehouse venue (hence the name) under the watchful eye of musical director Frankie Knuckles.
Enough of the history lesson, how does DJ Heather fit into all this? She was actually born in Brooklyn but found her musical roots when she moved to Chicago, influenced by the city’s rich house history and the second wave of Chicago jocks such as DJ Sneak, Mark Farina and Derrick Carter. So she just spins house then? Not at all. DJ Heather has an all encompassing approach to the wheels of steel mixing in techno, R&B, jazz, funk, disco and hip hop with her tribal house. ‘Many things influence me,’ explains Heather. ‘If it’s quality music and I enjoy it, I’ll play that record. You have to bring a little bit of everything to what you do and that makes for a broader experience. You have to incorporate music that you love and enjoy. To make a reflection of yourself out of this art form. It’s an extension of you and you have to take it very seriously. And at the same time you take it all with a pinch of salt. It is just playing records and it all really comes down to the party.’
Time to dig out the glad rags for a proper party then? Definitely, especially as DJ Heather’s date in Glasgow is to mark the second birthday of underground house night Fiasco. ■ DJ Heather plays Fiasco at Bacchus, Glasgow, Fri 5 Feb.
Check out the GreatOffers on page 6 38 THE LIST 4–18 Feb 2010
DUBSTEP TAZ BUCKFASTER Big’n’Bashy at the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 13 Feb Glaswegian dubstep rabble rouser Taz Buckfaster is the guest of choice at reggae and dub night Big’n’Bashy this February. ‘I play various styles which float around the 140bpm mark,’ explains Buckfaster of his bass-heavy productions. He started producing at the age of 17 and cites influences as diverse as Altern8, Skream, Slayer, Big Trouble In Little China, Rick James, Trojan Records and the Sega Megadrive, so it’s no surprise that his productions are at the harder end of the dubstep spectrum, mixing heavy techno beats with crashing grime rhythms. ‘I’ve always had an eclectic taste – from classical to extreme metal, and most things in-between – never
really buying much into the “Oh, all I listen to is this genre” thing. I just tend to go where my ears lead, which has brought me to where I am today.’ He’s also associated with Glasgow’s infamous
Numbers collective, and also has releases on Rwina, Subway and Ramp. ‘With regard to dubstep, [the Glasgow scene] is relatively small and intimate, and with regard to grime, practically non-existent. Things are on the up for good bass music in Glasgow and the promoters at Numbers and Fortified are really pushing this forward.’ And he’s looking forward to playing the capital. ‘I’ve
not played in the ‘burgh for a couple of years, so it’s nice to be back.’ He also warns us to watch out for: ‘anthemic synth-squelching and plenty of low-end rumbles, not to mention a load of forthcoming exclusives.’ (Henry Northmore)
AV/HIP HOP CHEEBA Mixed Bizness at the Art School, Glasgow, Thu 18 Feb
Although he’s been doing it for more than a decade, Simon Luscombe’s big break as a DJ came in 2008, when he won Solid Steel’s Mix of the Year award. Most DJs would be grateful of the associated glory and set about getting on with their own thing, but for Luscombe, aka DJ Cheeba, the Solid Steel and Ninja Tune ‘family’ of artists was precisely where he wanted to be. Taking his DJ Food-influenced three-turntable-and-two-laptop set a step further, he has now followed in the footsteps of his heroes Coldcut by producing a DJ set which merges audio and visual mixing.
‘I work with a company from New Zealand called Serato,’ says
Luscombe, who is based in Bristol but originally from Devon. ‘They have a product called Video SL which basically enables the user to scratch live videos using coded records, very much like scratching a DVD. So I can make my own films or re-edit old movies and then add my own soundtracks to perform with. The options with it are endless.’ Musically, Luscombe plays a style which will be familiar to any fans of Ninja Tune, a blend of breaks, hip hop and classic samples which come together in a sound that’s intelligently composed and dancefloor friendly. Despite his intention to eventually create his own artist album, he finds building a set using samples and visuals is currently a full-time creative challenge. ‘Making a set like this is my favourite way of working at the moment,’ he says. ‘For so long my ambition was to build some sort of narrative by mixing music together, and now it’s become really easy to do that effectively.’ (David Pollock)