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79 CHVRCHES 75 LUCKYME
HEAVENLY PURSUITS SPEEED FREAKS
The electronic trio undertook a mammoth tour of debut album The Bones Of What You Believe, gigging in Europe, Asia and the US. The album went gold in the UK and new track ‘Dead Air’ features in the latest Hunger Games blockbuster. (RMc)
78 DIVE QUEER CABARET
A decadent punk cabaret night for Edinburgh’s queers and freaks, DIVE sets spoken word, comedy and performance art against a dizzyingly eclectic soundtrack. A new venue – the Small Animal Hospital in Summerhall – and a new night (Untamed) has given them free rein to be more offbeat and innovative. (KW)
77 CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM DANCE PIONEER
Between touring the world with her aerial and dance pieces, Cunningham presented a gentle meditation on religion and disability, Guide Gods 2, which revealed that her intelligent analysis of culture is a match for her formidable vocal and physical theatre skills. (GKV)
76 SOUND FESTIVAL AURAL DELIGHTS
Avant-garde bagpiping from the rooftops and Indian-inspired cello-playing were among this year’s highlights at the Aberdeen festival celebrating new music in all its bewildering breadth. Uncompromising yet thoroughly accessible, sound is an indispensable (and fun) Scottish platform for the cutting edge in contemporary sounds. (DK)
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
24 THE LIST 11 Dec 2014–5 Feb 2015
The visually stunning pan- Scottish electronic label, design collective and party promoter had a good year, not least for their big GSA party featuring Eclair Fii (pictured) and releases from Jacques Greene, Claude Speeed, Baauer and S-Type. (DP)
74 COMAR OVER MULL
Based in Tobermory, Comar is a multi- disciplinary arts centre bringing eclectic and international art to the Isle of Mull. This year’s events included screenings of Rachel Maclean’s The Weepers and the opening of their year-round Fairtrade cafe. (MS)
73 SPACE BUDGIE VIDEO STARS
Made up of i ve Abertay University graduates, Space Budgie released a selection of innovative and quirky titles including 3D shooter Glitchspace and the experimental exploration of Light in the Night. (HN)
72 SLAM HIT CLUBBERS
Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle continue to graft hard, running Return to Mono at the Sub Club and Pressure at the Arches, as well as their own Slam Radio. They also released their i fth album Reverse Proceed on Soma, a strong entry in their catalogue of house and techno records. (DP)
71 STEPHEN DEAZLEY MUSIC MAESTRO
One of Scotland’s most unsung musical heroes, Belfast-born composer and conductor Deazley focuses squarely on getting the broader community involved in all types of music. He’s established the Usher Hall’s Love Music Community Choir (the biggest of its kind in Britain), he wrote the score for Glasgow 2014’s multinational aerial circus Perch, and he even has a kids’ opera coming up at Scottish Opera. (DK)
70 MR MCFALL’S CHAMBER ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES
The chamber orchestra that likes rock clubs made new and fascinating connections, bringing Polish tango to Shetland, celebrating Bermudan composer Gabriel Jackson and collaborating with artist and producer Amble Skuse on Remembered / Imagined, a fusion of traditional music, poetry and electronics. (AJ)