The Month Ahead: Bass Music and Electronica in the North

Image: Evian Christ

November, I love you. The sterling month pre-Christmas where you actually have some money in the bank and your waistline hasn’t kaboomed yet, even if you are just going to cover up in ridiculous jumpers until you make it to the dancefloor. Winter, who needs it? With scorching events’ coming to the North throughout the month, it certainly doesn’t feel like we do.

The Mancunian tag team extraordinaire of Wet Play will be bringing their ‘Supernatural Showbiz Jamboree’ to Oxford Road’s Dancehouse Theatre on the 1st, setting the bar high for anyone that follows. Between their own collective outputs from producers such as Metrodome and Ste Spandex, I’ve also got these guys to thank for introducing me to Midnight Star’s ‘Wet My Whistle’ sped up to ridiculous new BPMs and first hearing Carmen’s ‘Time To Move’ (above) in a sweaty little office space- but it’s not strictly all about the boogie. Praised as one of the North’s least-pretentious nights out with a promise of a setting ‘Where good friends meet’ and an atmosphere to certainly soak up the drench, make sure you don’t miss out for some  ‘Pan-dimensional prom vibes’. 

Just a little detour down the road over to The Ritz and dream team promoters’ Now Wave are hosting a hat-tipping-ly brilliant late night event on Thursday 7th November, bolstered by a sprinkling of the best names in emerging beats and bass such as oOoOO, Lapalux and Snakehips. Oh and the best thing? Mount Kimbie will be headlining the bill, infiltrating the venue with their tinkering mixtures until 1am. But what if you want to wonder off the beaten path? Well, these clever devils are also bringing the chillwave dreamscape of Anticon-signee Baths to Salford’s Islington Mill, with Austra on the decks, too, come the 23rd. 

Always one to turn the night excellently gritty, Soup Kitchen have made the stellar booking of inviting Night Slug’s Jam City to play a one-off marathon set on Friday 15th, spinning tunes deep below the streets over in their basement (watch him run amok in the Boiler Room above). With Jack Latham’s own wonky pummelling’s and a penchant for unorthodox hip-hop cuts, it will certainly be a night to hear some of the rawest, no-holds-barred music straight from the underground, in an environment that it was made for. 

Branching out over to our Scouse counterparts, James Holden will be transporting his gushingly atmospheric live show to the quaint Kazimier on Saturday 16th, with Border Community affiliation Luke Abbott and Ghosting Season, to no doubt make us all beautifully emotional like we didn’t know was possible. Over in Yorkshire though, they really do know how to echo a go-hard-or-go-home mantra across the region, with the likes of Andy C and Rene La Vice locking horns with a four-hour set over at Leeds’ Mint Club for a Jungle Jam drum & bass party, unlike any other. 

Staying in the city, Friday 23rd November at Wire sees things slowing down and getting a whole lot more weird, Space Dimension Controller is set to transport his conceptual galactic funk. Whilst skipping down the road to Huddersfield’s Bar 1:22 showcases Garage legend in the game Zed Bias, taking the trip in support of his forthcoming Swamp81 ‘Boss’ release. Well then, I don’t need a lie-down, I need a bloody dance…

Golden Ticket

There is a multitude of reasons why I love Manchester’s Northern Quarter so much and 2022NQ is always one of them. A not-for-profit art space and strangely tiled after-hours venue, Tri Angle talent Evian Christ is taking some time out from rubbing shoulders producing for Kanye West to curate his ‘trance party’ series, of which will hit the city on November 23rd. 

Transitioning throughout the night between DJ sets and live performances, Christ has also hand-picked Holy Other, Lukid and Vessel to commence the festivities before the main man himself brings his perplexingly superb live show to the table, in such an intimate environment. 

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