Category: BPreviews

Friday May 16^th sees House of God return to The Tunnel Club (nee Subway City) for another all night bash.

Headlining the main room will be Perc Trax founder Perc, performing a live set, alongside Jerome Hill (Don’t Recordings) and Jake Conlon (Resonance) – the latter also performing live. HOG residents Paul Damage, Sir Real and Harvey Lane complete the main room Techno line up

Room 2 will be breaks ‘n’ bass from Beta Test’s Automaton, alongside Reaction (Circles), Pace, DJ-X & Jules Henry.

Room 3 rounds off the HOG all-nighter with spit, polish, Wonky Disco and Classic House from DJ Stacked, Nicky B, Deadbeat & Ronco K-Tel.

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Perc is a UK Techno DJ & producer, who founded Perc Trax in 2004 as an imprint to release his own material.

A decade later and Perc Trax has a substantial catalogue of releases from artists including Sawf, Forward Strategy Group, Truss, Derek Plaslaiko & Jeff Derringer.

Then in 2011 Perc release his own debut album, Wicker & Steel, via Perc Trax; a 9 track fusion of genres old & new from here & there, with the occasional gun shot or steam engine.

Widely well received, Wicker & Steel gave a new level of credence to Perc as a producer, with The Guardian referring to it as ‘one of this year’s few essential releases’ and Xpress-2 adding “I don’t like this, it sounds like Gabba”. Well, if you can reach just one person…

To listen to more from Perc and other Perc Trax artists, visit http://perctrax.bandcamp.com

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Ambassador of vinyl, Jerome Hill has been championing Techno from our nation’s capital since the early 90’s.

Cutting his teeth at the Wag Club on Wardour St, it was through a long term residency with the JIBA sound system that Hill found his musical feet – before a worldwide gig schedule and two record labels (Fat Hop – Hip Hop / Don’t – Techno) would keep him just a touch busy.

Known for his scratching as much as anything else acetate related, Jerome Hill is ‘a self confessed sufferer of multiple music personality disorder’ – being the only DJ booked for both Raindance the rave and Raindance the film festival in the same year (a choice nugget from the man’s biography). Hill also hosts the weekly ‘The Roots of Rave’ show on Origin FM, as well as contributing to BBC Radio London.

For more on Jerome Hill, visit http://www.swervingthecommunity.com

House of God hosts an all night event (10pm – 6am) at The Tunnel Club (Livery St) on May 16^th. For more info & links to tickets, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/764601906884812/

For more from The Tunnel Club, visit https://www.facebook.com/SubwayCityBirmingham

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Ed’s note…

The fact House of God is still running makes me feel better. Even safer.

It tells me there’s room for more than the mundane, not everyone’s an idiot, and that dance music parties don’t need to be adorned with branded sequins and guarded by snotty door whores. It shows me there’s still some things right with the world.

Having said that I haven’t been to one in ages. Years in fact. But like the bottle of Christmas Brandy, just knowing it’s there is sometimes enough.

But you should go, and I should again. So let’s dust down the Cyberdog tee (..?) don some comfortable clogs and fulfill the scarily pertinent prophecy of many a mid 90’s club kid.

“You know how my Gran goes to Tea Dances, when we’re old…”

Oh, and one last thing. With the greatest respect. KNEEL SINNERS.

Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210 

Friday 14^th March sees packed line up of Hip Hip, Ska, Reggae and Gypsy Punk at The Bull’s Head in Moseley.

Promoted by Freestyle, Sam Redmore’s regular eclectic showcase, the event will include JamTidy, Lobster, Too Spicy & Call Me Unique.

Doors open at 8:30pm, running until 2am, with entry £4 all night.

JamTidy are a 6 piece, Birmingham based, fusion band – mixing Hip Hop beats & verse with Gypsy swing over a Jazz and Reggae vibe. A sax is probably not far behind either.

Celebrated by the brains behind Hot Club de Swing and Swingamajig, JamTidy are cited as ‘one of the tightest acts I’ve booked, getting people dancing any time of the day and anywhere.’ Not a bad endorsement, but to listen for yourself, visit https://soundcloud.com/jamtidy

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Lobster are a self professed ‘Reggae influenced Punk band’, which is pretty apt description.

Formed in 2009 , Lobster have been playing in and around Birmingham, including supports slots for the Friendly Fire Band and Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdos – the latter bringing the six piece to Birmingham Review’s attention. To hear more, visit https://soundcloud.com/brumtownlobster

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Too Spicy will be travelling down from their native Newcastle to be on the Freestyle bill. Formed in 2010, the Ska/Reggae/Dub five piece are on the road with their second self released EP, We Might Be Broke… To hear more, visit http://toospicy.bandcamp.com

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Call Me Unique is has been a Birmingham Review favourite for ages, but since the release of her Urban Gypsy EP in January commands a whole new level of respect.

A serious artist on the rise, catch her any chance you can. To hear more, visit https://soundcloud.com/callmeunique

Freestyle presents… JamTidy, Lobster, Too Spicy & Call Me Unique at The Bull’s Head (Moseley) on Fri 14^th Mar.

For tickets and info, visit http://bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10030505

Ed’s note…

Another hearty pat on the back to Sam Redmore, whose Freestyle events are continuously exciting – but this one is ridiculously full. It’s two nights in one. At least. For four quid. GIVE THE MAN A CIGAR.

We love Call Me Unique at Birmingham Review, and so should you – or remove your ears. But the rest of this line up are pretty juicy too, especially the punchy fusion and circling sax of JamTidy. I’ve never seen them live, but (along with Lobster) have been heralded to us by Johnny Kowalski & the Sexy Weirdos. And never being one to ignore a bare-chested man…

So much that deserves support here.

Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210

Sat 1^st March sees the UK Glitch Hop Awards Tour arrive at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath.

Promoted by Jam Hott and Beta Test Records, the Birmingham purveyor of the Glitch Hop genre, the Hare & Hounds event will be headlined by William Breakspear – one of the nominees for Best UK DJ in the 2013 UK Glitch Hop Awards.

Also playing will be Krymes, Your Niece, DJ Mylz, Ben Dunn, Beta Test founder Terrorbyte, and UK Glitch Hop founder Morbidly Obese Midget. And the award for Best Pseudonym goes to…

Adopting the cuts, samples and distorted production that underpinned producers such as Autechre, Two Lone Swordsmen and Aphex Twin, Glitch Hop has done to Hip Hop what Warp did to Electronica and Ambient.

Nurtured in the UK’s independent club scene, and seeing significant success in the more eclectic party towns such as London and Bristol, Glitch Hop is picking up both domestic and international momentum. Many UK DJs and producers are now expanding the genre, including Birmingham’s own DMC champion DJ Switch, with further flung artists such as India’s B.R.E.E.D. also finding a home behind the sound.

UK Glitch Hop are the UK’s leading promoters of Glitch Hop (clue’s in the title) and manifest as an events company, a  record label, an online radio station (Glitch.FM) and a DJ agency. The March 1^st event will also be a precursor to their 2^nd birthday bash, whilst also marking Glitch.FM’s 5^th time round the sun.

Beta Test Records are Birmingham’s undisputed champions of Glitch Hop, with several artists on their roster currently promulgating the genre.

William Breakspear will be headlining the UK Glitch Hop Awards Tour at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Sat 1^st March. For more info & tickets, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10030484

For more on William Breakspear, visit http://www.williambreakspear.co.uk

For more on UK Glitch Hop, visit http://ukglitchhop.blogspot.co.uk

For more on Beta Test Records, visit http://www.betatestrecords.com

For further listings form the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listing 

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Ed’s note…

I first heard and heard of Glitch Hop after receiving Beta Test’s album, Council Pop, in April 2013. An excellent compilation from some top draw Brummie producers; stealing samples from the rare and recognised to mash into a Glitch Hop soundtrack. Superb stuff.

I had heard Harley Davies, the founder of Beta Test Records, talk about Glitch Hop for a while but nothing had honestly sunk in. Brains get full, there’s a lot of music out there, and there’s only so much memory my addled existence can manage. But once I heard Council Pop I had to know more, so I cleared out some less precious childhood moments and went to interview Davies in his Hockley studio – read more here.

UK Glitch Hop have been working hard to promote this burgeoning genre, as have Beta Test Records, but Birmingham has arguably not embraced the sound as much as other UK cities. Not sure why; but I know enough like-minds with a B postcode to give it a solid audience, so there’s no reason why not.

So by the power of Google I suggest you check it out; dead simple, type Glitch Hop, press return.

Or you could go to the source and email Beta Test Records (remember – Council Pop, or their new album Chemical Coercion). Or even better go to the UK Glitch Hop Awards Tour at the Hare & Hounds, you might squeeze a dance out of the endeavour too.

Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210

House of God celebrates its 21^st anniversary on Saturday 22^nd February. Birmingham’s long running Techno led club comes to The Rainbow for another all night affair.

Taking over the Digbeth venue’s Warehouse & Garden, the HOG 21^st birthday bash will be a mix of Old Skool (obligatory ‘k’), Drum ‘n’ Bass, House and Techno.

Familiar faces pepper the lineup, with PCM (who are also celebrating their 25^th anniversary), Richie Swift and DJ Ratty leading the breakbeats in Room 2. Room 3 sees DJ Stacked, Deadbeat and Harvey Lane playing Wonky Disco & House. Whilst on babysitting duty in the main room are HOG residents Surgeon, Terry Donovan, Sir Real, Nicky B and Paul Damage – with Scottish Techno/Electronica DJ/Producer Neil Landstrumm performing a live set, next to a Blacknecks ‘exclusive worldwide debut’. All we need now are the candles.

House of God began at Birmingham University 21 yea… clues in the title. Establishing its name with regular by-monthly parties at The Institute’s downstairs Dance Factory venue (begat Barfly, begat Sanctuary, begat Library…), HOG pushed the independent promoter’s bar higher with some well remembered all night events at The Que Club (begat open, begat shut, begat open again). With a clear focus on the music, HOG’s endorsement was reassuringly strong – bringing punters and players to the Birmingham underground from all over Europe.

After The Institute went into receivership in the late 1990’s, House of God took refuge at The Subway Club (now called The Tunnel Club) where the Techno baby blew out its 20 candles last year.

Now coming to The Rainbow for its 21^st birthday, HOG has remained unashamedly underground. Expect a well considered line up, spanking production, the occasional strobe light and a room full of addled memories – or as the House of God’s rather clandestine promo blurb puts it ‘quality music, mind blowing production and a healthy dose of irreverent naughtiness to produce one of the original no-nonsense hedonistic party nights’.

House of God comes to The Rainbow for its 21^st anniversary on Saturday 22^nd February. For more info & tickets, visit http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/house-of-god-21st-birthday/10030051?ref=let_aft

Follow House of God @hogbham

For more from The Rainbow Venues, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk

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Ed’s note….

Like a school reunion meets Event Horizon (in a good, Tekkno kind of way) this is an event that will be tinged in nostalgia for some and simply rooted in rave antics for others. Catering for clubland’s young, old, possibly too old or slightly dangerous, House of God has been a fixture on Birmingham’s club scene for an impressive tenure – the fact it’s now 21 makes me feel all kinds of funny.

It’s been possibly too long to comment, but House of God established itself in a time when Birmingham’s dance club scene was a little more open, accessible and achievable for fledgling promoters. The result being a lot of empty rooms, some pillaged credit cards, a healthy revenue stream for Tucky and Dawn Printers and the occasional golden nugget. House of God was the latter (and maybe sometimes one of the former) and nurtured a loyal following from a no nonsense approach to music and considered production. In short, you went for the night and the people, then the residents, then the big scary baby head – any headliner was a bonus.

There are people I know from HOG nights at The Dance Factory that still great me as an earnest old friend when I see them walking through town – our only connection being House of God. It warms the cockles.

So happy 21st birthday House of God; with all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams Birmingham’s clubland can still be a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy (and bless Terry Donovan).

Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210