Rhythm Section & Ruf Kutz Present, Manchester
Promising “a night of uncomplicated joy”, as well as a strong bridge between London and Manchester, Peckham powerhouse Rhythm Section meets unpredictable northern imprint Ruf Kutz, via the woozy but groovy leanings of Vancouver’s fast-rising Pender Street Steppers. Captained by Bradley Zero and Kutz founder Ruf Dug himself, the beauty of this party lies in its unusually broad appeal. Expect crowd-pleasing yet rarified disco, house and slabs of psychedelic funk, odd imports and, particularly in the case of Pender Street Steppers, regular dives into surprisingly out there sounds and aesthetics that bubble with originality and character. Two new artists on Rhythm Section’s expanding and impressive roster, Contours and Hidden Spheres, are on hand to add extra flavour and springtime power in a second room, where it’s strictly phones away and heads down all night.
Hidden, Fri
JT
NTS Is 5, London
Operating out of a soundproofed shack in Dalston, NTS Radio has become a resounding success since its inception back in 2011. Its fifth birthday celebrations see 30 artists take over five venues, with Gigi Masin kicking off proceedings on Monday (Cafe Oto, E8). Tuesday sees a lineup of post-punk, grunge and psych-rock from Shopping, Skinny Girl Diet and more (Waw Warehouse, E3), then Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti and UK grime crew Neverland Clan are amongst the acts taking over a snooker hall on Wednesday (Efes, N16). Expect dry ice, reggae and deadpan social commentary as Babyfather, the latest project from Dean Blunt, follows on Thursday (Autumn St Studios, E3). The whole shebang climaxes at Corsica Studios (SE17) on Friday, with some 12 members of the NTS family gathering together: Hieroglyphic Being and Funkineven are the cool, cognac-toting uncles, while Eclair Fifi and Nidia Minaj are the freakishly precocious cousins.
Various venues, Mon to Fri
BB
Timedance, Bristol
Batu’s night returns, with the DJ himself and fellow Bristol powerhouse Lurka playing alongside Berlin-based artist Dave Huismans (pictured). The latter started off at odds with the techno lineage of his home city, The Hague, making excellent European broken beat as Dogdaze before becoming involved in the dubstep scene in 2007, when it was still a broad church. Producing as 2562, he was partly responsible for the diversity of the blossoming genre, his rhythmic agility sprucing up the dark, dense weight of Tectonic, the label run by DJ Pinch. Working as A Made Up Sound, he produces mangled cuts of inventive techno syncopation for top labels from Delsin to The Trilogy Tapes.
The Island, Sat
GT
OH-141 Invites, Glasgow
Although Avalon Emerson’s musical pursuits have inevitably led her to the heart of Berlin, her productions still take direction from the geography of her past. Her latest 12-inch, released last month on Nic Tasker’s Whities, for instance, is a homage to the Arizonan desert where she grew up; its tracks deploying dusty percussion over galloping basslines and vocal splutters. Here she’ll be joined by All Caps co-head Ryan Martin, whose recent Boiler Room debut featured superlative selections from the likes of Green Velvet, Jeff Mills and Gemini; expect another record bag-full here.
Sub Club, Thu
SC
Shogun Audio, London
Friction’s drum’n’bass label Shogun Audio reaches its 100th release, and as well as launching Elevate Audio – a new imprint for straight-up bangers – he’s celebrating by airing the impressively varied output of his main venture. He and Icicle bring nimble anthems, while Rockwell and Spectrasoul go more soulful and abstract, and Dillinja and Randall drop by with jungle classics. A strong D&B alternative is Roni Size and Krust bringing back the jazzy 90s in a live Full Cycle set at Village Underground (EC2).
Fabric, EC1, Fri
BB
