Issue 106 / Dec 2019/Jan 2020

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BOOK NOW: 0161 832 1111 MANchesteracademy.net MUNA THURSDAY 5TH DECEMBER CLUB ACADEMY CLOUDBUSTING - THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH SAT 21ST MARCH / ACADEMY 3 BJORN AGAIN SATURDAY 7TH DECEMBER MANCHESTER ACADEMY THE MURDER CAPITAL FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY ACADEMY 2 LOVE FAME TRAGEDY SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY CLUB ACADEMY STIFF LITTLE FINGERS FRIDAY 27TH MARCH MANCHESTER ACADEMY DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY CLUB ACADEMY TESTAMENT SATURDAY 7TH MARCH MANCHESTER ACADEMY PINEGROVE TUESDAY 31ST MARCH ACADEMY 2 SHELLAC THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER ACADEMY 2 THE PICTUREBOOKS SATURDAY 7TH MARCH ACADEMY 3 MYSTERY JETS THURSDAY 10TH APRIL ACADEMY 2 GLOBAL SOUL SHOWCASE SAT 14TH DECEMBER / CLUB ACADEMY SANCHEZ & BARRINGTON LEVY FRI 21ST FEBRUARY / MCR ACADEMY GABRIELLE APLIN SATURDAY 7TH MARCH ACADEMY 2 KING KING SATURDAY 11TH APRIL ACADEMY 2 MARK MORTON THURSDAY 9TH JANUARY CLUB ACADEMY JOEL ROTHWELL SUNDAY 23RD FEBRUARY ACADEMY 3 SEAFRET WEDNESDAY 11TH MARCH CLUB ACADEMY TOBI LOU THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY ACADEMY 3 BRIAN DOWNEY & DON AIREY MON 24TH FEBRUARY / ACADEMY 3 POPPY THURSSDAY 12TH MARCH ACADEMY 2 ROY AYERS UBIQUITY MONDAY 20TH APRIL CLUB ACADEMY JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART FRI 17TH JANUARY / CLUB ACADEMY THE MARCUS KING BAND WED 26TH FEBRUARY / ACADEMY 3 NADA SURF FRIDAY 13TH MARCH ACADEMY 3 CANTER SEMPER FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY ACADEMY 3 DIIV WEDNESDAY 26TH FEBRUARY ACADEMY 2 OAS-IS & THE COURTBETWEENERS SAT 25TH APRIL / ACADEMY 3 MILKY CHANCE TUESDAY 4TH FEBRUARY MANCHESTER ACADEMY HOUSE OF SUAREZ & CONTACT: VOGUE BALL SAT 29TH FEBRUARY / MCR ACADEMY HAYSEED DIXIE SATURDAY 14TH MARCH ACADEMY 2 REVEREND HORTON HEAT + THE DELTA BOMBERS WED 6TH MAY / ACADEMY 2 BLACK PUMAS THURSDAY 6TH FEBRUARY ACADEMY 3 THE SUBWAYS SATURDAY 14TH MARCH MANCHESTER ACADEMY THE ZANGWILLS SATURDAY 8TH FEBRUARY ACADEMY 3 GENTLEMAN'S DUB CLUB SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY ACADEMY 2 GRACE CARTER SATURDAY 21ST MARCH ACADEMY 2 ERIC GALES TUESDAY 2ND JUNE ACADEMY 3 facebook.com/manchesteracademy @mancacademy FOR UP TO DATE LISTINGS VISIT MANChesteracademy.net
ADD TO PLAYLIST Scientist + Kiko Bun + DJ Oxman and MC Magoo Positive Vibration @ District – 02/11 Despite taking a year out from their annual festival offering, the Positive Vibration crew have certainly not been resting on their laurels. A series of high profile shows throughout the year, including Horseman, King Yellowman and Mad Professor, have kept the reggae chalice blazing in Liverpool and tonight is arguably the jewel in the crown as acclaimed dub pioneer SCIENTIST brings his seminal 1981 album Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires to the ever welcoming environs of District (not for the first time a District first-timer comments on its inclusive coolness). District is pretty packed from the off and the crowd are soon dancing to DJ OXMAN, aided and abetted by MC MAGOO, whose selection of rarities and classics is pure quality and leads us skanking into KIKO BUN’s support set. The versatile Bun, a member of the current South London scene that includes collaborators Loyle Carner and Tom Misch, seems equally at home delivering a lovers rock vibrato or a dancehall flow and mixes songs from his relatively modest recorded output, such as the bouncy Sticky Situation, with new material from his forthcoming debut album which sounds very promising indeed. The UPPER CUT BAND take no time at all to hit their stride, the rhythm section of Bob Pearce (drums) and Ross Erlam (bass) are immediately locked into the tightest of irresistible grooves, offbeat cymbal crashes sending the crowd dipping in unison. Marcin Bobkowski’s choppy guitar riffs and Cyrus Richards’s swirling keys blend exquisitely with the punchy horn riffs of Adam Webb (sax) and Jake Jacas (trombone). Frankly, if the crowd had just come for the Oxman DJ set and to see Kiko Bun and the Upper Cut Band they would have gone home handsomely rewarded. But yet, the main event is still to come; it is approaching Day Of The Dead midnight when Scientist appears at the mixing desk as quietly as one of the ghouls he is about to vanquish. Visible Women Liverpool Irish Festival @ Philharmonic Music Room – 23/10 “What do they call me? My name is sweet thing,” sings LISA O’NEILL with a biting intensity. The County Cavan songwriter admits she’d been unsure whether it would be appropriate to cover Nina Simone’s Four Women for tonight’s Liverpool Irish Festival showcase; none of the song’s narrators are white, and they’re either subjects of slavery or live in its cruel wake. However, its themes of oppression, inequality and resilience will surely have a universal resonance for many listeners tonight. Her voice peaking, she drives down her heels one final time and lets out a chilling bawl of “Peaches!”. A battle cry signalling the strength found in sisterhood, it’s an incredible note to finish the evening on. Yet, O’Neill is only one of the four performers that make the Visible Women showcase so memorable this evening. Bilingual spoken-word artist CIARA NÍ É hosts. Having been assured that Liverpudlians are famously “a great craic”, her blend of Irish Gaelic with fierce, proudly feminist poetry immediately appeals. The rattle of Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life backdrops her spin on Irvine Welsh’s “choose life” Trainspotting monologue. It’s a powerful take, pitching provocative humour against hard-hitting naked truths. Captivating English songwriter MAZ O’CONNOR is the first singer to take centre stage. Drawing from her fourth album Chosen Daughter, which was influenced by the trials and torments of various female relatives, her timely and evocative set is steered by her pristine, delicately nuanced voice. Mary’s lyrics linger long after she takes her leave, whereas the direct thrust of Loved Me Better hears O’Connor take aim at dominant patriarchy. Limerick’s LAURA DUFF then follows, her sultry pop DJ Oxman (Glyn Akroyd / @glyn_akroyd) Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires is an epic and playful comic book title for an album that is generally regarded as a dub classic, taking previously released (and, in 1981, contemporary rather than established) material from the likes of Michael Prophet and The Wailing Souls, adding judicious twists of echo and reverb but never draining the originals of their integrity. The sound quality, which has been superb all night, is somehow taken up a notch. A fuller, brighter sound drawn out by Scientist’s sleight of hand (promoter Rory Taylor later comments, “We’ve used that PA thousands of times but I’ve never heard it sound like that before”). No self-indulgence here, or 20-minute dub outs – just the songs delivered in relatively concise form. The performance takes not much longer than the original album, the unassuming controller hunkered down behind the decks – situated off-stage to the right of the dancefloor – are all that separates Scientist from an audience who are facing away from him towards the stage. As the performance progresses more and more people are sneaking a wondering look over their right shoulders to try to get a clue as to how Scientist is conjuring up this sound. Who knows? He is a picture of unadulterated concentration, probably the only person in the building not dancing. Prophet’s Love And Unity becomes Your Teeth In My Neck; Wailing Souls’ Fire House Rock morphs into The Mummy’s Shroud, its memorable horn motif echoing long into night. Bun strides across the stage, arms aloft as the crowd sing every word of Blood On His Lips (Wayne Jarrett’s Love In My Heart). The Upper Cut Band prove equally adept at soloing as they do nailing down a groove: horns, guitar, and keys all stepping out of the shadows to be transformed by Scientist’s sound-shifting searchlight. From the sea of bobbing heads audience members shout out their praise – “Thank you, thank you, massive tune that was”, “Sick album, fucking wicked man” – smiling faces and cheers signalling universal agreement until Scientist, his exorcism complete, smiles at last and disappears. It has been a night of understated brilliance, a mixture of science, alchemy and magic to rid us of our demons. Glyn Akroyd / @glynakroyd Lisa O’Neill (Tomas Adam) inflections bringing more groove to proceedings. Humbled, she talks about how empowered she feels to be part of this bill. Still reeling from the last time we caught her, it’s a joy to see O’Neill make her grand return to Liverpool. A powerhouse, like Simone, Björk and Karen Dalton rolled into one, she’s a storyteller and songwriter of remarkable depth. Opener What A Voice says it all. Backdropped by the Liver bird, tales of cormorants, wrens and blackbirds circle overhead. “It’s good to shine a little light on madness, it’s in us all,” she grins before Violet Gibson; its daring chorus, “I moved in silence, for the love o’ truth, not violence” feeling particularly apt as we look back over the showcase. David Weir / @Betweenseeds ADD TO PLAYLIST is the monthly column brought to you by MELODIC DISTRACTION RADIO, delving into the fold of the newest releases on the dance music spectrum. If you’re into 808s, sample pads, DJ tools and everything in between, then you’re in good company. V/A NH Vol. 3 Nervous Horizon Nervous Horizon have swiftly established themselves as one of the most potent labels in the game. Nominated for Best Breakthrough Label in the DJ Mag awards this very year, they’ve become synonymous with experimental yet club-ready sounds and the new, percussion-driven London style. Drawing on a global palette of reggaeton, taraxxo, gqom and dabke, as well as techno and bass, old favourites DJ Plead and label co-head TSVI join newcomers Tzusing, Object Blue and hard drum prodigy, Ehua, who plays in Liverpool on the 6th <strong>Dec</strong>ember. Bella Boo Once Upon A Passion Studio Barnhus Studio Barnhus’ latest release features LA producer Bella Boo with a debut full-length. Following on from a smattering of EP releases and guest appearances, the LP oozes with signature Barnhus pop sensibility. Born out of a desire to capture the fullness of a creative era following the news that her studio building would be repossessed, Bella Boo craftily dives between melodic house, Balearic, post-dubstep and ambient while even finding the time to squeeze in a sultry R&B jam. Head to She’s Back for the standout track. Jabes Klunk001 Klunk The boys’ club of UK bass ’n’ breaks ’n’ techno is in a healthy place, and a number of the month’s releases have been stellar (shout out to Facta, Desert Sound Colony, Yak and 96 Back). However, in the interest of platforming only one white man per month, the crown’s gotta go to Jabes. Quietly perfecting his hyperactive melodies over the last few years, he’s becoming one of the tightest producers of the neonate scene. More importantly, you get a fetching yellow techwear cap if you buy the record. Words: Nina Franklin and James Zaremba Melodic Distraction Radio is an independent internet radio station based in the Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, platforming artists, DJs and producers from across the North West. Head to melodicdistraction.com to listen in. REVIEWS 47
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Page 5 and 6: An Audience With Connie Lush Plus s
Page 7 and 8: TATE LIVERPOOL 13 DEC 2019 - 3 MAY
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Page 24 and 25: GEOGRAPHY O Electronic artist Lo Fi
Page 26 and 27: THERE SHE GOES AGAIN Following the
Page 30 and 31: Wow. It hardly feels like 10 years
Page 32 and 33: Robin Clewley / robinclewley.co.uk
Page 34 and 35: SPOTLIGHT ALEX TELEKO “Songwritin
Page 37: Bristol electronic three-piece BEAK
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Page 44 and 45: REVIEWS Black Lips (Stuart Moulding
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Page 53 and 54: BIDO LITO! AND LIQUIDATION PRESENT
Page 55 and 56: Blow 3.0 Tin Men and The Telephone

Issue 106 / Dec 2019/Jan 2020

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