Tim Hecker, On tour
Techno music may have been born in the underground clubs of Detroit, but it’s grown up and moved on to plenty of weird and wonderful places since. Canadian composer and audio/visual experimenter Tim Hecker has spent the last 10 years making techno in unexpected places. Although he’s released a solid body of albums and EPs, it’s the live experience, as ever, that helps him really bring his ideas to fruition. His lauded 2011 album – Ravedeath, 1972 – with the theme of “noise degrading”, was recorded in an Icelandic church with the help of fellow drone demagogue Ben Frost, and he’s performed these unravelling sounds in churches, art galleries – basically, anywhere that can provide a home for (and withstand) his often chaotic sound. It all might sound a little high-brow, sure, but Hecker is the kind of guy that wants techno to move your mind – and ribcage – as well as your feet.
Audio, Brighton, Sun; Thekla, Bristol, Mon; Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds, Tue; Blade Factory, Liverpool, Wed; The Button Factory, Dublin, Thu; Stereo, Glasgow, Fri
LM
Test Tone 001, Nottingham
As we approach the end of 2014, house music has come to dominate both the UK charts and the underground. So it’s good to know that there’s still somebody out there making techno as vital and individual as Call Super. Released earlier this year on Fabric’s spin-off label Houndstooth, his debut LP, Suzi Ecto, is a multifaceted piece that flirts with an ambient, dreamlike aesthetic to absorbing effect. Back behind the decks though, Call Super – AKA JR Seaton – filters his out-there influences to create a more banging, dancefloor-friendly format. His recent excursions for tastemakers such as Boiler Room and Resident Advisor exhibit the breadth of his record collection and inherent understanding of the genre, no matter which direction he takes it in. Support comes from Nottingham legend and Wigflex founder Spam Chop plus “working-class hero” Prole and DJs Skimask and Playboy.
The Bodega, Tue
JT
Plastic People Presents, London
One of the best cult dance sounds of the last couple of years has been the strain of North American Balearic pumped out by labels such as Mood Hut, Pacific Rhythm, 1080p and Future Times, the latter co-curated by Andrew Field-Pickering. A jolly, bespectacled bear of a man, Field-Pickering’s Maxmillion Dunbar guise is all fractured dance with soap-bubble brightness, while his duo Beautiful Swimmers with Ari Goldman is the most straightforward proposition of all. It’s a repository for gorgeous tropical bangers, and a kind of deep flipside to the shallowness of today’s bland pop-house. Their all-night set here will have you pestering them for track IDs – perma-grins are guaranteed.
Plastic People, EC2, Sat
BB
Disco Deviant, Brighton
Disco Deviant has been trying to bag Motor City Drum Ensemble for five years and a quick look at his CV tells you why. The German producer – real name Danilo Plessow – has been bringing soul and texture to the often cold aspects of house and techno since first making a name for himself with his Raw Cuts Vol 1. But due to a relentless touring schedule he struggled with a bout of severe anxiety and burnout that stopped him from gigging altogether. Happily, he’s recovered now and back to playing around with classics, upfront newbies and unapologetic rarities. It’s easy to see why the wait was worth it.
Concorde 2, Sat
SM
Fabriclive, London
Given the breadth of their lineups, there’s usually at least one dud name on a Fabric night – but not this one, headlined by South African house legend Black Coffee. Back home he’s won Man Of The Year in GQ and played with orchestras, but tonight his room one sparring partners are Wbeeza, bringing a live set of tightly filtered disco loops and deep ghetto house, alongside Moxie and Alexander Nut. Room two is a Butterz takeover, with a Logos live set plus DJ Q and Flava D, while room three features Zed Bias playing all night.
Fabric, EC1, Fri
