Hiku Presents, Manchester
The dance music world has been tuning in to Scandinavia for inspiration for decades, but as well as the playful cosmic disco of its biggest exports – Todd Terje, Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas and so on – the more recent wave of Norwegian jocks and producers stepping into the light has proven to be just as offbeat and ambitious. DJ Fett Burger, co-founder of cult disco-not-disco label Sex Tags Mania, is hardly a new kid on the block, but his output has developed a deservedly cultish following in the past few years, with each weirder and groovier release disappearing from record stores at a rapid rate. Mr Burger will be joined for a back-to-back session with his fellow Norwegian, Telephones, whose sunny yet psychedelic productions have featured in the playlists of every house jock worth their salt lately. Rounding out the lineup is local stalwart Jon K, a man who knows his way around any crate that needs digging.
1 Primrose Street, Sat
JT
City Bass, Cardiff
Elgato arrives in Cardiff for only the second time in his career to set the vibe for a special instalment of the city’s most consistently on-the-button club night. This guy is pretty laidback, releasing only one record a year on average, but when his tracks do emerge – whether signed to discerning deep house label Galdoors, his own white-label series or the impeccable Hessle Audio – they’re always a cause for excitement. Rhythmically sharp yet hypnotic, with a woozy, narcotic edge, tracks like 2013’s Dunkel Jam seem to have soaked up the percussive energy and bass methods from 20 years of US house, techno and garage, as well as the full gamut of London’s mutant dancefloor strains. The reticent producer cut his teeth running similarly toned, small, dark basement events in Bristol, so he’ll be right at home with City Bass’s back-to-basics ethos, and his focused, skilful mixing of rarely heard 90s NY house’n’garage with prime UK modernism will put everyone in the right headspace to get down.
Undertone, Sat
GT
Convergence Festival, London
Under the banner “music + art + technology”, Convergence offers a mix that’s notoriously tricky, with the twin dangers of pointless visuals and bloodless music. Yet the talent amassed here is so witty and brutal that it looks set to chart the right course. The highlight is a night of bass dread from Andy Stott, Untold and Inga Copeland (Village Underground, EC2, Fri), but there’s an embarrassment of riches: Andrew Weatherall and Mental Overdrive explore the power of reverb (16 Mar); Matthew Bourne revisits Kraftwerk’s Radio-Activity (20 Mar), and Batida lead a night exploring how tropical styles are increasingly deploying banging software (19 Mar).
Various venues, Thu to 21 Mar
BB
Mister Sunday, London
Between Tobacco Dock, Studio 338 and a crop of one-day summer festivals already earlybirding your hard-earned, London’s daytime clubbing scene is healthier than ever. It brings together two otherwise disparate social groups: responsible folk thinking about Monday’s 7am start, and complete wreckheads steaming through their circadian cycles. It makes for oddly good vibes, and New York disco-house crew Mister Saturday Night have been masters of the format since 2009, putting the Abba in sabbath across various Brooklyn warehouses. As well as roller-rink funk curios, there’ll be food and ping-pong here.
Oval Space, E2, Sun
BB
Logan Sama, Edinburgh
Now that Drake’s Instagram feed is full of praise for Skepta and Wiley, it’s easy to roll your eyes and think that the mainstream is only just catching on to the genius of grime. But grime isn’t Drake’s new pet; it’s a thriving underground culture built on local heroes, one of whom is DJ Logan Sama. After starting out on the then-pirate station Rinse, Sama DJed for 10 years on Kiss, and has become known for his encyclopedic knowledge and slick, rapid-fire technique on the decks. Gun fingers, ready!
Sneaky Pete’s, Wed
LM
