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2 BAD MICE 1990s breakbeat originators guest at Optimo for fi rst Scottish date
‘A bsolutely unique,’ was the response of Optimo’s JD Twitch when he first heard post-hardcore breakbeat originators 2 Bad Mice in 1991. ‘They were pushing production, sampling and the use of breakbeats way out there, and they still fit in just fine with what’s going on today. Waremouse in particular sounds like it could have come out last week. I think they’ll go down a storm at Optimo, or at the very least myself and Jonnie (Wilkes) will be well into it. We didn’t book them as a rave nostalgia act, we booked them because they made timelessly great, mad records.’
Yet 2 Bad Mice’s Sean O’Keeffe doesn’t look back on the trio’s early days and see any intent to tear down genres and start anew. ‘We were just going with the flow as more and more people started using breakbeats and tempos started increasing,’ he says now, ‘although because of Simon’s (Colebrooke) hip hop roots we had a massive stash of breaks we could use.’ When the pair first met
as BMXers in the late 80s ‘we viewed each other with suspicion – he was a hip hop kid with a bad attitude and I was a raver with bad hair,’ he explains. However, they soon bonded over the record box at O’Keeffe’s Hertford club night in 1989. The trio would be completed by their producer and label boss at Moving Shadow, Rob Playford. ‘We’ve no idea why we’ve had so much attention lately,’ says O’Keeffe of their return to fashion, ‘but we’ve all been really surprised by the resurgence and blown away by the kind of places we’re being asked to play, such as Glastonbury, Berghain, Fabric and so on.’ What can we expect from this first ever Scottish set ? ‘All the classics, with a few twists and maybe even some unreleased material from back in the day. And heavy drinking.’ Just like old times. (David Pollock)
Sub Club, Glasgow, Fri 4 Apr. Four Tet also plays Optimo on Sun 30 Mar.
HITLIST THE BEST DANCEFLOOR ACTION
✽ Richy Ahmed One of the Hot Creations inner circle provides funk-inspired
nu-school house grooves. Sub Club, Glasgow, Fri 28 Mar.
✽ Egyptian Lover The 80s US electro legend jumps between turntables and live performance. See column, page 49. Art School, Glasgow, Fri 21 Mar.
✽ Alexander Slaughter The Berlin-based, Vancouver-born DJ takes you on an
emotive journey from melancholic techno to euphoric house. Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Fri 21 Mar.
✽ Pressure A very special end of season blowout for the deep house and techno
night, with Jeff Mills, Nina Kraviz, Surgeon and a live set from Karenn (aka Blawan and Pariah). The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 28 Mar.
✽ Ten Walls (live) Cosmic deep house producer Mario Basanov plays his first live
shows since revealing his dual identity. See preview, page 48. Sub Club, Glasgow, Sat 29 Mar.
✽ Radioactive Man One half of Two Lone Swordsmen (with Andrew Weatherall),
veteran UK producer Keith Tenniswood flaunts almost 20 years of musical influence, from acid and techno to experimental electronica. Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh, Sat 29 Mar.
✽ Optimo with 2 Bad Mice Twitch and Wilkes excitedly welcome their UK
hardcore heroes. See preview, left. Sub Club, Glasgow, Fri 4 Apr.
✽ Cyril Hahn An impressive label showcase of future house, garage and woozy R&B inspired electronica. See preview, page 50. The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 11 Apr.
20 Mar–17 Apr 2014 THE LIST 47