The month ahead: Techno and Electronica in the North

Image: Clouds

October is a month that can give even a person with the fuzziest rose-tinted glasses the deepest chill. September allowed us to go crazy and at least pretend it was still Summer for another month (even if the rain wanted us to forget…), so, what do we do now that the honeymoon period is over?

If you’re reading this you’re more than likely one of two things: A devoted member of the student assemblage still (probably) in fresher mode no matter what your year of study, or a slave to the nine-to-five grind where you count the clock all week long until you can finally sashay out of that office at 5pm on a Friday evening, wriggling out of that stuffy tie before you’ve even left the revolving door entrance. But hey, why the glum face? October may be grey however the events are anything but- take my (digital) hand and I’ll guide you through the best nights in the North, over the next coming four weeks.

After a crazy year involving releases with the likes of Kano, a tour with Toddla T and a slink of Summer festivals performing in his own right, twenty-one year old wonder kid Melé is set to play a special homecoming show in Liverpool’s Shipping Forecast basement, on October 7^th. Bringing along MC Slick Don for the ride and judging from his recent live sets and Mele Vanele mixtape (stream above), expect everything from bashment  DMX bootlegs (I’m deadly serious) over to new-gen techno, his own grimier-influenced workings and maybe even the odd early nineties’ house classic.

Speaking of old school, one of Manchester’s hottest promoters Swing Ting will be hosting their regular end-of-the-month celebration in the basal hidings of Soup Kitchen, with bassline garage aficionado DJ Q topping the bill. Well, I do say! If that wasn’t enough, the likes of instrumental grime and romanticised soca will be spun thanks to resident Murlo also playing into the wee hours- and it’s only £3 a pop entry before midnight, so you’ll be able to impress all the babes by affording to get the beers in, too. 

Heading just a smidge up North and over to Leeds’s Mint Club, the 19^th will see the sensational Floating Points stance on jazz-influenced dance and deep grooves, fused with boogie house take to the forefront, as presenters Louche have also enlisted German ambient tech connoisseur Move D alongside, for a seriously cinematic welcoming.

What’s that? Things sounding not quite gritty enough for you in Yorkshire? Why don’t you spend the previous Saturday back in Liverpool’s East Village Arts Club getting your fix, as French current tech-punk Gesaffelstein fuses forces with ManMakeMusic’s George Fitzgerald and oh, I don’t know, just a guy you may of heard of whom goes by the name of Erol Alkan, for one hell of a Chibuku to remember.

Golden Ticket

Bring your own beer secret warehouse parties are popping up in every metropolis for those who want to get their fix of excellent music, with an element of surprise and for this month Mekka have struck gold on the booking front with Clouds and Hessle Audio’s Peverelist. As a lucky attendee of witnessing Cloud’s first ever live set, I can tell you from personal experience that their unique blend of industrially warped techno is something of pummeling intelligence, not to be missed (check their awesome show for Boiler Room below for further proof).

Also tailgating hot on their heels will be Punch Drunk and Livity Sound head Peverelist, a producer whose work could not be more suited to a Warehouse venue if it tried, launching his dub and jungle influenced beats into the darkest and dirtiest of derelict spaces, that will be heaving with go-hard attendees.

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