Meat Free, Manchester
In the face of tough commercial competition, Manchester’s Meat Free collective has taken admirable risks for the city’s scene. Conspiring to offer a tip of the hat to the classic Berlin aesthetic, recent bookings have included underground favourites such as Legowelt and Ben Sims. This week sees the advent of its first proper warehouse party, headlined by synth sorceress Xosar. Xosar has risen in stature as a figurehead of a somewhat cosmic live hardware scene, self-releasing records with titles such as Psychick Justice, while simultaneously checking in with a plethora of tastemaker labels. Her live show promises a true trip, with support from Rikki Humphrey and Mr Redley.
Secret Ancoats location, Fri
JT
24hrs, London
Oval Space opens its doors for its first 24-hour party, full of techno with its top button done up. Heading up the bill is Jeff Mills, still seen by many as the style’s definitive voice: hostile to frivolity in an earnest quest for utopia, his sound is triple-distilled dance based around immaculate shifts in pace and mood. His lofty current projects include work with the Louvre and pianist Mikhaïl Rudy, and that ambition trickles down into his dancefloor engagements, which still announce techno as the ultimate transcendent form. Joining him with a colossal live set is KiNK, whose hardware workouts go from light ambient showers to full-on digital monsoons and back again. Then there’s a pair of UK techno legends in Radio Slave and James Ruskin – the latter’s decades at the controls mean he can draw on everything from 90s acid right up to crisp contemporary minimalism. Dutch don Makam, Swedish producer Jesper Dahlbäck (as The Persuader) and Iceland’s Yagya add various Euro inflections.
Oval Space, E2, Fri to 2 May
BB
Huntleys + Palmers, Glasgow
This May Day, Huntleys + Palmers have collected a slew of underground dons into the Art School and, as ever, they are giving weight to local acts as well as international pulls to make this a very special party. James Holden leads the charge with the deep, ambient vision of techno his acclaimed Border Community label has long championed, but it’s the diversity elsewhere that piques the ears. There’s Alex Smoke, whose latest EP for Optimo Trax is a dancefloor stomper; Karen Gwyer, who perfectly nails No Pain In Pop’s trademark experimental noise soundscapes; Hodge, who is leading the charge in a newer, tougher Bristol sound; Glasgow band Golden Teacher, who smash house, dub and punk into a thrilling display of limbs and hardware; and finally Helena Hauff, the German wizard whose strung-out, acid-tinged techno releases on Werkdiscs have seen her quickly ascend the ranks of serious players in 2015.
Glasgow School Of Art, Fri
LM
Alfresco Disco, nr Bristol
If you’re familiar with the Bristol scene, you’ll have no doubt heard of Alfresco Disco. Set up by some of the team from the iconic Buoyancy club nights, Alfresco Disco pride themselves on putting on nights that promote a free-spirited vibe, away from the shackles that can often restrict inner-city clubs. Rave Of The Decade celebrates their 10th birthday and, as usual, all details – including lineup and venue – are kept under lock and key until the night itself. The only clue? The coach will take around 30-40 minutes from the centre of Bristol.
Secret location, Sat
SM
DJ Paypal, London
With his rather silly moniker and shouty lol-repository of a Twitter feed, some would call DJ Paypal a mere internet humorist, but his juke productions put paid to that. His Drake edits pair the Torontonian Andrex puppy with mournful 160bpm workouts, and he’s part of the Teklife fraternity alongside DJ Spinn et al. Check the recent Buy Now EP, in which he takes 80s boogie – SOS Band, Roy Ayers, Shalamar – and whips round the tempo dial until they’re chirruping at breakneck speed. So overwhelming that you’ll almost forget to dance.
Birthdays, N16, Fri
BB
