Issue 106 / Dec 2019/Jan 2020

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 December.
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.
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