CLUBS | Previews
POSITIVE EDUCATION Make Do, Glasgow, Fri 30 Aug
Club promotion is a tricky business. Many claim to be in it for the party, to put on the best undiscovered talent or just create an opportunity to DJ themselves, but if you’re not making money, you won’t last long. It’s something Fraser Welsh, promoter of new charity event Positive Education, realised a long time ago. ‘I started PE because I’ve never been interested in profiting from events and thought it'd be a much better idea to make money for better causes’, he says. ‘I find it’s more rewarding handing over funds to people who will use it better than I will. And in regards to the crowd, who wouldn’t want their money going to a good cause rather than personal profit!?’ After launching in June with an exceptional roster
of local talent (who were only too happy to get involved), a sequel was never in doubt. Lining up Optimo’s JG Wilkes (right), Thunder Disco Club, synth wizards Ben Butler & Mousepad and High Sheen’s Lovers’ Rights, the next event is shaping
up to be very special. ‘The profits will go to Sense Scotland. It uses art to help those with hearing, visual and vocal impairments communicate and express themselves. All our DJs are local and so are the charities - I think everyone involved has appreciated that.’ (Alex Caslano)
PROFILE CLAUDE VONSTROKE
Name: Claude VonStroke
Story so far: Barclay Crenshaw was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and went round to Juan Atkins’ Metroplex studios in his younger days to convince the techno legend to give him a job (unsuccessfully). He then moved to New York and San Francisco while trying out rapping and Hollywood studio work, before making up his fake ‘European DJ name’ alias as a joke at a party. The hype: What do you mean you don’t know? Label boss of Dirtybird, which he started in 2005, and also Mothership, both of which have released the bulk of his own upbeat, funk- laden house output, including the albums Beware of the Bird (2006) and Bird Brain.
Track to check: So many to choose from, but we’re going to send you back to ‘Who’s Afraid of Detroit?’ (2006) for old times’ sake - a stew of bouncing minimal beats, haunting synth lines for dark city streets and an insistent keyboard stab which cuts through the dry ice.
Where can I see him? At the next instalment of clubber’s radio station and touring brand Rinse in Glasgow, with support from the omnipresent iAM duo of Beta and Kappa. (David Pollock) ■ Claude VonStroke plays the Sub Club, Glasgow, Sun 25 Aug.
46 THE LIST 22 Aug–19 Sep 2013
HOSPITALITY EDINBURGH Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Aug
‘You know how when you were a kid, the thought of having six weeks off for the summer holidays seemed like an eternity of fun ahead of you but on the last night before the start of school again you wondered where all those weeks had disappeared to so quickly? My music sounds a bit like that,’ says High Contrast. And if you aren’t sold already HC (aka Lincoln Barrett) is visiting Edinburgh as part of a Hospital Records showcase also featuring SPY, Nu:Logic (a collaborative project from Nu:Tone and Logistics) and Fred V & Grafix. The label has become a by-line for high quality drum & bass, from intelligent liquid funk to darker
techy beats. High Contrast’s music is a cinematic fusion of jittery beats and deep bass that has led to five albums, a Fabric mix and remix work for everyone from Enter Shikari and MGMT to Kanye West and Adele. However the Welsh DJ/producer’s highest profile gig yet has to be his collaboration with Underworld working on the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics last year. ‘Thankfully it was mostly like working on any of my usual musical endeavours, except for the thought at the back of my mind that this one will be heard by a billion people,’ explains Barrett. This night, promoted by Edinburgh’s Xplicit, is being billed as the biggest Hospital Records
event north of the border. ‘I do enjoy playing in Edinburgh, for the people seem most joyous in their merriment whilst the town has a grey air of gothic melancholy that appeals to my romantic disposition,’ adds Barrett. ‘Hospitality events welcome all comers and have an atmosphere of inclusivity and family. We shall endeavour to play the best music we can and deliver copious amounts of bass.’ (Henry Northmore)