In the build up to a typically jubilant August Bank Holiday weekend of clubbing, Manchester is picking sweat on the dancefloor, offering the usual mix of house and techno, and a variety of outsider dispatches from the offbeat electronic scene and otherwise.
Zutekh continue their successful run of all night long sessions at Soup Kitchen with a set from celebrated Berlin/Detroit producer and DJ, Ryan Elliot (7th August), perhaps one of the best respected selectors in contemporary techno, whose hypnotic sets combined with flawless technical ability have earned him a cult following. Meanwhile, another highly influential figure from closer to home, Liverpool’s techno impresario Yousef takes the controls for one of Covert and Exploit’s Saturday evening soirees at Gorilla (8th August).
There’s a full dose of offbeat grooves from both the house and indie ends of the spectrum across Stevenson Square on Friday 14th. It’s been twenty years since the release of Pulp’s Common People, and the track has remained as amusing, heartfelt and oddly anthemic as upon it’s initial release. To celebrate, A Night of Pulp, taking place at Kraak, promises four hours of music from the vast back catalogue of the cult Sheffield band and associated acts, accompanied by live visuals. Please don’t your limbs out doing the classic Jarvis high kick. Meanwhile, across the way beneath Soup Kitchen, Ruf Dug’s much loved Dancers Wanted returns with mind blowing funk, soul and cosmic weirdness from Japan’s Mori Ra, with Ruffy himself on support duties as usual.
The following weekend, Soup Kitchen celebrates it’s birthday with a party in the hands of legendary Glaswegian party starters and crate diggers, Optimo, plus very special guests. What’s more, it’s free in before midnight and just a fiver thereafter. Expect this one to fill up rather rapidly, though. Meanwhile at Islington Mill, Brain Machine Radio makes a long awaited return with a potentially mind expanding event featuring Inkamera, a live duo made up of legendary French composers Viktoria Lukas and Thomas Suire, who promise modern electro with no compromises and a distinct melancholy edge. Both events takes place on August 22nd.
And finally, concluding August’s party schedule, Bank Holiday Weekend lands, which as usual in Manchester, encompasses Pride and it’s various fringe events. Finishing the weekend with a reliably energetic atmosphere, Homoelectric returns for it’s yearly trip to FAC251, this time bringing along Berlin-via-Edinburgh jock Prosumer to the party, spinning energetic, classic and obscure house and disco alongside beloved Manchester selector, Will Tramp. Mark Seven, Jamie Bull and Shake Yer Dicks keep the other two rooms jumping. Back at Soup, and Doodle present a live set from cult Irish producer The Cyclist, who’s all analogue live set is both gritty and funky in equal measure. Earlier during the weekend, on Friday 28th, Horse Meat Disco deliver one of their eternally popular, genre spanning sets of classics and obscurities at the Not So Secret Warehouse Party on the fringes of the city.
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