Barnt, Dublin
When BBC Radio 1 DJ Benji B played Barnt’s track Chappell on his show for the first time, you could hear the typically collected host utter a single, shocked word: “brutal”. He wasn’t exaggerating. In a flash, this German producer has become known across the British and European underground techno circuit for this gargantuan – and admittedly pretty strange – club track: a teasingly paced and immensely powerful arrangement of space and kick drum that hits the brain and the body with equal force, and makes even the most habitually pillar-leaning of clubbers rush to the dancefloor to pound the air into submission. After releasing Chappell in the autumn on the up-and-coming label Hinge Finger – which is helmed by superstar DJ Joy Orbison and taste-maker and designer Will Bankhead – Barnt has recently dropped his debut LP Magazine 13; a tightly wrought, riotous love letter to the dark and sweaty dancefloors the world over. Techno fans be warned – this DJ set won’t be for the faint-hearted.
The Opium Rooms, Sat
LM
Secretsundaze, London
The second outing of 2015 for the deep house and techno promoters Secretsundaze is topped by Ryan Elliott, who straddles both those sounds better than most. Living in Berlin, having cut his teeth in Detroit, he brings the swing of his old city to the grid of his new home, trading in pure machine music but decking it with a saucy leather interior. This fluid style means he can handle residencies at both hardcore Berghain and sensualist Panorama Bar. He’s joined by Shanti Celeste, who is easily one of the most exciting prospects for 2015. When she’s not working at the impeccably curated record store of Bristol-based label Idle Hands, where dutty bass and genteel disco happily coexist, she’s got an NTS Radio session, a brilliant entry in RA’s podcast series and her own tracks of emotional jack. Her ear tends towards the rough and analogue, where 80s curios bump and scratch against 90s power house and contemporary nostalgia.
Bloc, E3, Fri
BB
Jamz, Leeds
Despite emerging from the capital, grime in London has been having something of a tough time of late, following the closure of clubs and scene hot spots such as Cable. However, the always enterprising and forward-thinking Elijah and Skilliam, who run one of the genre’s smartest operations and labels in Butterz, have established a dedicated following by throwing parties around the country - ones that rival the original London incarnations in terms of sheer spirit and energy. This Leeds lineup unites the pair with the ever-versatile DJ and producer Flava D, and renowned heavy hitter Royal-T, with up and comer Spooky offering further support. It goes without saying, but dress to sweat.
Wire, Tue
JT
Entail, London
Mathew Jonson is like a boxing trainer keeping techno on its toes. Rather than letting it lapse into blockheaded flabbiness, he keeps it lithe and nimble across a wealth of different projects: solo productions; electronic jammers Cobblestone Jazz; and the Wagon Repair label, which brought you The Mole, Dinky and early Seth Troxler. He plays live here, with interleaved vocals and effects bound in sturdy basslines. Also live are Kollektiv Turmstrasse, whose mixes and production are more freighted with emotion and lack Jonson’s wit but nevertheless provide powerful chest-surges of dumb feeling.
Electric Brixton, SW2, Sat
BB
AKA AKA ROAR! Brighton
Cutting-edge Brighton promoters AKA AKA ROAR! are bowing out after five years of novel club nights with what is sure to be a bittersweet goodbye. Eclectic selector Mr Ties is best-known for his extraordinary record collection, extra-long sets and his beard - like that of a Franciscan monk. Second headliner Avalon Emerson is an actual San Franciscan; she also makes vibrant, psychedelic techno and house of an exceptionally high quality for a newcomer.
Audio, Fri
GT
