Tag: House

TBC Review – BBC Essential Mix of the Year 2014

nickroffey19831 Comment

IMG_2863

Pete Tong announced the shortlist for the Essential Mix of the year 2014 last weekend (6th December) and TBC thought it best that we had our own review of the shortlist and select our favourite.

The shortlist:

  1. Bicep
  2. Caribou
  3. Jon Hopkins
  4. Joy Orbison
  5. Ten Walls

Over the last week at TBC we have been re-listening to the Essential Mix of the year shortlist and boy have we had a good time. Boogying at lunch time at work, while driving in the car, walking to the shops and, of course, loudly at TBC HQ, basically whenever we got a spare second we have had the essential mixes on. It has been incredibly enjoyable to review some mixes which we hadn’t given too much time to when they were aired; Caribou and Joy Orbison, as well as reviewing the other mixes which we had thoroughly enjoyed on multiple occasions this year. It has to be said that 2014 was a great year for the essential mix and some great mixes didn’t quite make it into the shortlist. Amine Edge and Dance introduced us to G-House. Marcel Dettmann delivered a monstrous techno mix for the Easter holidays while we were away in NYC and Green Velvet blended his signature techno and electro sounds during the Summer which got us very excited at TBC. We were also throughly entertained by a multitude of music genres and diversity from the likes of Finnebassen, Bonobo, Anja Schneider, Gaiser, Matador, Jimmy Edgar, Kink, Steffi, Subb-an, Heidi and Huxley to name a few. We must all say thanks to Pete Tong and his team at the BBC for again curating an amazing year of Essential Mixes. Roll on 2015!

We have reviewed each mix individually, reduced the list to a top 3 and then selected our favourite, so here it goes.

-Bicep – Deep house’s representation in this years essential mix of the year shortlist. A great party vibe from the Northern Irish due Bicep with the odd harder edged electro or techno track thrown in for good measure, especially nearer the end. Highlights in the mix are; Agoria la Onzieme Marche and Ferrer & Sydenham Timbuktu (Jerome’s Afro Tonic Dub). There is also a superb sample courtesy of Arnold Schwarzenegger in reference to his body building days in Ireland which Bicep have found to introduce their mix and, we assume, hint at the basis for their DJ name. This mix is not quite a TBC favourite but is a great mix to have on at a party whether its pre/post clubbing.
-Caribou – A mix of two halves, one half by Caribou and one half by Daphni, who are the multiple personalities of the Canadian Daniel Snaith. The former is more eclectic, disco, alternative and the latter more dance floor and club focused. Unfortunately the mix doesn’t really take off at any stage and is mainly focused around the representation of the diverse musical knowledge of Caribou, which while providing a great opportunity to appreciate his musical talent does mean that there are less opportunities to get dancing and party hard. It is well mixed, the tune selection is excellent and it has a great structure but it doesn’t make it into the top 3 for TBC.
-Joy Orbison – This mix is raw, filled with amazing eclectic electronica with an urban feel that builds from slow, reggae style tracks at the start to banging techno towards the end. Turn the bass up, treasure the tracklist, find the artists and tracks who feature and track down a Joy Orbison live performance. This mix is so entertaining it had us listening to it back to back for 4 hours! That’s a rare occurrence at TBC, especially when considering we had missed this mix earlier in the 2014 Essential Mix calendar. The highlights of the mix; Lady Blacktronika Getting Heavy, Bruce Technostatic, Kowton Glock & Roll, Barnt’s double selection of Under his Own Name But Also as Sir and Chappell (one of TBC’s current big tunes), Fourtet Buchla and the tracks from Joy Orbison (solo and with Boddika).
-Jon Hopkins – the perfectionist live  show performance feel is what sets this mix apart. The progression and structure of the mix is excellent and is testament to Jon Hopkins skill as a live performer and composer. The mix is delivered via Logic, Ableton and various samples and tools which show off a more technical offering. A particular highlight is one of the best mixes and tune selections we have ever heard from I Breathe ak Horses called Faith (Field Remix) to Gary Beck’s Algoreal, this mix literally leaves you with goosebumps! The musical landscape created by Jon Hopkins is an aural pleasure! Also featuring are great tracks from Daniel Avery, Boddika and Joy Orbison, Clark and Mux Mool to name but a few.
-Ten Walls – This is the most club ready of the mixes and is brought to you by Mario Basanov in his live, progressive techno/electro guise Ten Walls, who produced one of the tracks of 2013; Gotham. This set is the tracklist of Summer 2014 for any one who ventured to dance music festivals at home or abroad, for TBC it was a perfect accompaniment to Melt Festival in Leipzig. The mix has the perfect balance; a great intro track from the Mass Effect Videograme Soundtrack (which is epic), then it builds through eclectic tracks such as Atom TM Ich Bin Meine Maschine to Helium Robots Jarza (Theo Parrish Translation 2). It then progresses with fan favourites such as &Me After Dark, Moderat Bad Kingdom (Dj Koze remix), his own Walking with Elephants. Ten Walls then shows off some of his favourites and less well known producers; a few tracks from Few Nolder (upcoming artist from Lithuania), an Eastern European sounding electro stormer from C.A.R. called Angelina, a beautiful moody track from Robinn called The Game is Now Over and ends with Plastikmans dark and haunting Consumer plus a final outro from the Mass Effect soundtrack.
The Top 3
  1. Ten Walls
  2. Jon Hopkins
  3. Joy Orbison

The top 3 is summarised by Club vs Perfection vs Raw, respectively. Ten Walls provides the mix most representative of TBC clubbing in 2014 and in particular Melt Festival which was one our highlights of the year, Jon Hopkins delivers a perfectionist live performance that you would expect from a live performer (similar to John Talabot currently, Paul Kalkbrenner a few years ago or, for the older ones, Junkie XL) and Joy Orbison hits you with a devastating raw mix of techno and dub that makes selecting one of the three as a favourite very difficult. The decision was difficult and the countless hours spent listening to the mixes, some a multiple of times for the full 120 minutes and others in segments to identify those key tracks, mixes and transitions that make a mix excel. However, finally after a lot of consideration, we made our call and gave Essential Mix of the year 2014 to Joy Orbison. It wouldn’t have been our selection when we first saw the list announced and choosing this mix over Ten Walls and Jon Hopkins was difficult when there were so many good things to say about these mixes but Joy Orbison literally blew us away. The style of the mix, the fact that he rarely performs live or records mixes, the severity of some of the tracks on the scale of heavy techno and the fact that we had rarely heard a mix from this DJ/producer before created a package that is hard not to love.

We look forward to hearing from the Essential Mix team and Pete Tong himself on who they will vote for the Essential Mix of the year 2014.

Looking forward to next year when we hope the level of the mixes remains of this calibre. The artists we would like to see next year are listed below, we hope that some feature.

Ellen Allien, Helena Hauf, Ben Klock, John Talabot, Modeselektor, Acid Pauli, Mister Saturday Night, Robert Hood, Pan Pot, Gary Beck, Shed, Oliver Koletzki, The Hacker, Oliver Schories, Objekt, Model 500, Tube & Berger, Spektre.
Thanks for reading and check out the mixes for yourself below. Tell us what you think.
TBC

Promo Album Review – Mister Saturday Night pres. Weekends and Beginnings

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

Weekends_Beginnings_Promo_Credit_Scott_Bowley

Welcome back to another of our Promotional Album Reviews for TBC. This time we are announcing another of our amazing opportunities to review a great record label release; Mister Saturday Night. When we visited New York in April 2014 we got caught up in the hype that accompanies this amazing night as we planned our partying over the Easter Weekend and visited the local record shops in Brooklyn. Unfortunately there wasn’t a Mister Saturday Night party that weekend but we heard plenty about the label from local record shops owners and employees who were keen to promote the latest EP release. TBC feel an affinity with Mister Saturday Night (MSN) based on our experience of their nights, musical stance and dedication to a good party and their mission on their website:

“Mister Saturday Night strives to do a little more than a typical party. With a love of great music and a passion for bringing people together, we try to create an experience that’s truly fun and engaging for everyone involved – party people, DJs, bartenders and doormen alike.”

We were very excited when we were offered a chance to be added to their promotional mailing list and couldn’t wait to review their next big release in November which was to be a new compilation CD. We will also be reviewing the back catalogue including the amazing LP Brother and Sisters (released back in July 2014)

Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter, commonly know as the duo Mister Saturday Night, provide the DJ collaboration for their record label’s (which shares their duo name) latest release called Weekends & Beginnings. The mix CD was released on the 18th November and is available through on line retailers and iTunes. It was recorded live at an MSN party in August 2014 and from the outset you know this one is going to be special when the French vocal led track from Le Chanteur graces your speakers. This is followed by a great disco track from Terrence Jerome and then slips nicely into a groovy, piano infused, vocal house track from Alice Smith titled Love Endeavour.  This track eases you into the mix and helps you to imagine the mood in the club with the musical flow developing a great party vibe. It doesn’t take long for the MSN duo to introduce some heavy drum beats and show off their eclecticism with a heavy percussive, tribally track from Nebraska and a new track from Cobblestone Jazz (Mathew Jonson lead trio) which pulses with an acid sounding baseline. The mix continues to develop and features some great artists and tracks; Mr.G, Anthony Parasole and Caribou. The mix really steps it up a notch at around the half an hour mark with a superb remix by Motor City Drum Ensemble of Caribou’s Leave House which builds on the haunting vocal to deliver a atmospheric progressive track that sits well within the mix and shows off the remixers signature sound. This is then followed by a great samba style track featuring trumpets and piano keys from Adessa Versions that makes you shake your ass. The proceeding tracks maintain the uplifting vibe of the mix CD with gospel style, funky and samba style percussive house that lead up to TBC’s favourite track Take That from Jurgen Paape which is a true TBC classic. Take That does exactly what is says on the tin and thrusts a bouncy, electro synth track right in your face, we couldn’t help but turn the mix up at this point, throw some shapes and even enjoy a cheeky ‘rewind’ moment as we had to listen to the track again. Next, Ike Release brings you down with a moody, hazy progressive track called Phazzled which then leads on to quirky, dubby,  broken vocal track from Recloose and then to Bassclef’s dreamy soundscape. Finally ending the mix with an amazing track from Sam Orwell which features an awesome saxophone solo to provide you with a sublime yet eclectic finale.

Tracklisting:

01. Le Chanteur – La Passion des Collines**
02. Terrence Jerome – Believe**
03. Alice Smith – Love Endeavor (Maurice Fulton Remix)
04. Nebraska – Green Marimba
05. Cobblestone Jazz – Traffic Jam
06. Mr. G – Daily Prayer
07. Anthony Parasole/Elgato – Quickstrike/Zone
08. Caribou – Leave House (Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix)
09. Adesse Versions – Modal
10. Jasper Street Company – Solid Ground (Tommy Musto Remix)
11. House of Gypsies – Another Worry
12. Lord Nelson – Shango (Daniel Haaksman and DJ Beware Remix)
13. DJ Duke – Sun Beats
14. Jurgen Paape – Take That
15. Ike Release – Phazzled
16. Recloose – Can’t Take It (Herbert’s Some Dumb Dub)
17. Bassclef – Ghost Kicks In The Spiral
18. Sam Orwell – Secret Nothings**

Weekends & Beginnings is top notch eclectic house party set that leaves you envious of not experiencing it live, the added crowd noise just adds to the jealousy. This style is exactly what TBC HQ love in a good mix CD and it will remain on our playlist for a while. Disco, ‘eclecticity’, techno and house all feature and yet at no point, despite the diverse tracklist, do you ever feel like the mix is disjointed, it flows so well that it highlights the Mister Saturday Night party formula creates the perfect party mix. We need to get our asses back to Brooklyn NYC, fast!

We hope you have enjoyed the review and we cannot recommend this mix high enough.

Thanks for reading, and thank you to the Mister Saturday Night team.

If you would like a sneak peak at the NYC loft party vibe then check out the great feature on Resident Advisor below:

TBC

Promotional Album Review – Eskimo Recordings pres. The Green Collection

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

Eskimo Green

Good evening TBC. Hot on the heels of our last promotional review post, thanks to our recent tie in with Eskimo Recordings via Maouris Promotions, we have another post featuring a new compilation called The Green Collection. If you have been fortunate to listen to the previous two releases titled the Pink and Blue collection you will know that Eskimo Recordings releases are as cool as their name suggests, they seem to effortlessly select the most upfront disco, deep house and house that is currently on offer. We would highly recommend that you check out the previous collections along with the record labels back catalogue which is extensive and equally as impressive.

The most difficult thing in the dance music industry is to be able to continuously put out single releases, albums and compilations while remaining at the forefront of your specific music genre. If you were to base your assessment of Eskimo on their last two releases you would believe that they were up there with the best in disco and deep house. They have managed to secure tracks by big artists such as Freeform Five feat. Roisin Murphy on their last Blue collection and have their own label favourites such as Satin Jackets who have a track on each of the three albums in the series. The Blue collection is one our favourite releases of 2014 at TBC and therefore we were apprehensive when we heard that a new collection was out so soon. Could it live up to its predecessor?

You first notice when listening to the new Green Collection compilation that a shift has taken place since its predecessor where the focus has moved to a more dreamy, percussive disco track structure on the first half of the album and a more upbeat, ‘spacey’ disco, synthesiser lead structure on the latter half. If you had your heart set on more of the same you may well be disappointed but you shouldn’t be because Eskimo have provided an alternative side to their label which should excite and captivate you. The earlier tracks from Knight One, Alexander Skancke and Horixon (the latter two were reviewed on TBC in September – follow this link https://technobreakfastclub.co.uk/2014/09/28/album-and-single-releases-promo-reviews/ ) are well produced, dreamy disco tracks with each one having its own quirky take on the Eskimo sound. Vinny Villbass (an Eskimo favourite who provided a great remix to the Found my Place track by Skancke), Mees Dierdrop and NTEIBINT pick things up a bit with their funky, spaced out disco sounds that have a more eclectic feel featuring wonky strings, ‘trancey’ lullabies and space funk respectively. From track 7 onwards is where this album moves onto a different level, lead by an amazing new track from Kraak & Smaak who are underground house legends from Netherlands. Their track Ghostnote has to be the standout track, oozing class and showing off an 80’s power track that wouldn’t go amiss in a stylish movie soundtrack like “Drive”. The synth lead piano track rises and falls throughout the track leaving you powerless to avoid grooving away. Duncan Grey, Blende, Trulz & Robin and Man Power continue the more upbeat focus of the album with tracks well suited to follow the monster Ghostnote. Blende’s track Sparkle would have to be the second stand out track, another great, classy, synth lead, space disco track (see sample below). The album ends with an almost Moderat-esque euphoric track by Satin Jackets featuring a superb vocal from Patrick Baker that will emotionally move you, a great way to end the album.

Overall this is a great edition to the Eskimo Recordings catalogue and creates a superb trilogy that all disco and house fans should own. Is the newest release better than the Blue Collection in TBC’s opinion I hear you asking? We wouldn’t say so, but the former collection was an exceptional release where each track shone, whereas the latest Green Collection provides a more diverse selection of what Eskimo have to offer that impresses in its own way.

We hoped you enjoyed and we have another great promotional label tie in to announce soon so keep you eyes peeled.

TBC

 

Tramlines Party Hopping Horseplay!

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

nokia-tramlines-2012-5

Well TBCers, that time of year is here again, the weekend when Sheffield becomes one huge party and with the flash of a wristband Sheffielders can party hop from venue to venue in a whirlwind of happiness and electronic beats (with some bands thrown in if you like that kinda thing). What am I banging on about? Yes ……………you guessed it……………. TRAM – TO – THE –LINES!!!!!!!!!

This year sees a line up like no previous year and there is a definite shift towards more electronic artists. The Tramlines team have really done Sheffield proud with the diversity and caliber of artists that they have managed to fly in to South Yorkshire’s marvelous annual party spectacular and all for the price of £28.00 for a full weekend festival wristband! Monsieur with these Tramlines DJs you are really spoiling us! So much so that it is difficult to know which party to go to, which awesome DJ to prioritise and which music to delight your ears with at any one time. Fret no more TBCers, Betty Bitch is here to share with you her meticulously researched, glittery, feathery, Tramlines party plan. Not only will following this ensure you don’t miss out on the best nights Tramlines has to offer, it will also allow you to shimmy on down with the one and only plastic fantastic as she cavorts to Sheffield’s finest Tramlines beats!

Friday

So Friday is a tough one because Tramlines in their infinite wisdom have put ALL the best techno and house nights on the Friday night. The Night Kitchen, Hopeworks, O2 Academy, The Leadmill and The Harley all have parties that TBC wants to go to on the Friday. So the choice is this: do them all, run around in a whirling dervish, get so wasted that you no longer know what city you’re in and consequently don’t venture out for the rest of the Tramlines weekend……….. a possibility. Alternatively, pick a select few of the best and still have some battery life available for a bit of Saturday shimmying. Betty’s choosing the latter and will be in attendance at the following shindigs:

The O2 academy: One word TBCers…………..T – I –G- A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes the Techno Breakfast Club favourite and all round God of our lives is playing in Sheffield! Granted its at the O2 academy but those of you who came to see Dixon there at the Collect weekender will know that as a venue it can actually work pretty well for this type of thing. Tiga is as hot as hell right now after the release of “Plush” and the frankly divine “Let’s Go Dancing” but has been knocking out delicious production work since his debut “Sunglasses at Night” in 2002. If you are into techno and electro and you don’t go and see him you need to have a serious word with yourself as he rarely plays in the North and he is an amazing party DJ. Check out his mix from Panorama Bar:

https://soundcloud.com/tiga/tiga-panorama-bar-live-mix

Following on from the Tigemeister and by the way, find out what time Tiga is playing, arrive exactly as he comes on, watch his set, dance like you’ve never danced before, then leave. We ain’t got time for any of the other artists on that line up. Next you’re headed straight to The Night Kitchen. Jimmy Edgar is headlining this particular danceathon. He’ll be throwing down techno Detroit style and playing hard with a real party, funky vibe going on. His Essential Mix was completely dreamy:

https://soundcloud.com/jimmyedgar/essential-mix-05-10-2014

Medlar and Alex Smoke are also going to be more than worth a listen and if you came to the Faction New Year Party a couple of years ago you’ll remember just how brilliantly Alex Smoke plays when he plays in the Steel City. The Night Kitchen is obviously the best venue for techno and house clubbing in Sheffield so you really would be a damn fool to miss this Tramlines party!

After that dust off your sequined trainers, re-apply your lipstick and find the coolest afterparty in town. Hunt Betty down before you leave – she’ll no doubt be going/hosting it!

Saturday

So once you leave the afterparty, drink a few smoothies, change into another spangly clubbing outfit and mainline berocca, its time for Tramlines Round 2. In the daytime make sure you check out Audiowhores at the Delve Deeper party at Bloo 88. This was Betty’s favourite party of Tramlines 2013 and you would be simply bonkers to miss out on their heavenly house beats on the sunshine terrace.

As night falls side step to the main stage to grab a glimpse of disco legends and all round Queens of the dancefloor – Sister Sledge!

Following that, hotfoot it to The Octogon to catch Lone’s set. This guy’s 2012 album: Galaxy Garden was simply sublime and one of TBC’s favourites that year featuring genres such as acid house, breaks, dubstep and bass. Stopping by for his set will therefore provide you with an interesting hour or 2 and is sure to get your booty shaking!

Now for a late night boogie fest and perfect follow up to the house and disco at Bloo 88 and the Main Stage. Seek out Horse Meat Disco. They are playing at Banana Hill at Queen’s Social Club. So TBCers follow those funky disco beats until you find what has to be the optimum way to finish your Saturday night. DJ sets don’t get much more fun that this and after the hard techno of Friday night this will be a wonderous way to sooth your addled Tramlines brain! Strut your funky, horsey stuff with Betty until the early hours.

Sunday

Pahhhhhhh you know you’re gona be rolling around in post party agony/ecstasy by this point! Don’t even kid yourself that you’re gona make it out to see the Sunday band line up! Betty sure ain’t!

TBCers all that’s left for you to do is purchase your wristband, douse yourself with glitter and join that party line to the best weekend of the Summer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty goes stateside…..

nickroffey19831 Comment

photo-3

 

 

New Yaaaaaaaaawk! New Yaaaaaaaak! This is all I’ve been singing since I got back from the Big Apple for my Easter boogie transatlantic party jaunt! My base for my week of debauchery was an exquisite apartment slap bang in the middle of coolest of the cool areas in Brooklyn – Williamsburg! My hostess was a sensational Russian Sex Bomb with a love of prescription drugs and sexual experimentation. One word FANTANTRIC! I dined in the Spice Market and I sunk super strong cocktails on The Whyte Hotel’s delicious roof terrace taking in the views of the Manhattan skyline over the East River. After drinking my fill of Bloody Mary’s and waltzing around a plethora of Brooklyn’s über cool record shops in an extremely focused way, I focused my mind on what I had really come to NYC to do – P P P PARRRRRRTY!

 

Verboten, a long running New York night was the first stop on my New York party tour. Luckily this club had just opened in its new home right on the next street to my Russian friend’s party pad! Also luckily, my current house obsession – Lee Burridge was playing a 4 hour set! Hellllloooooooo perfect first New York night out! We got into the club and everything looked swell with beautiful decor and crazy lighting. Lee Burridge’s soul caressing sounds were made even more amazing by the sound system which made me feel like I was wrapped in a warm blanket of smooth house. However, ladies and gents that’s where the fun stopped and annoyance began. The club was full of teenagers who looked like they would be more at home at Embrace in Sheffield than the chic yet grimy dance floors I know and love! After seeing one too many jock/cheerleaders sucking face and being barged by one too many drunken buffoons I realised that I needed to leave. It costs money to touch this bitch don’t ya know (plus my arm might fall off!). From now on Verboten ist Verboten!

 

I realised that night 2 was gonna be far more my kind of thing when I saw the announcement for the event location. BLKmarket membership had only gone and taken over 88 Palace – a carpeted Chinese restaurant on the top of a Chinese shopping mall underneath Manhattan Bridge. Yes we saw rats on the way there, yes we saw an abundance of waving Chinese cats in every single shop window and yes the restaurant owner was there looking like he was about to have cardiac arrest! The restaurant had been transformed into the kind of back street, techno haven that I simply adore! Dark and dirty with only the scary visuals projected from behind the DJ booth and the wonderful sounds of Matt Dekay for me to lose myself in! Not a snogging kid in sight – thank fack! We boogied our asses off and hands down put those Americans with there terrible dancing to shame! Loosen up brothas and sistas!

 

The rest of the holiday was spent in a haze of bottles, techno and wigs. Heaven! NYC I had the most ridiculous amount of fun and I will be back but until then I really need to wake up after all this partying …………… better call Dr Schwartz!

 

 

 

Hope Works 1st March 2014 Ben Sims and Kyle Hall

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

Hope works

TBC had promised ourselves a quiet March after the debauchery of our February and in particular our first party –  TBC Loved Up. Hope Works on the other hand had other ideas for us and when we saw the line up for their event on 1st March, any good intentions were thrown right out of the window! Not only had they secured UK techno god Ben Sims as the headline act but supporting him was Detroit’s fresh faced techno newcomer Kyle Hall. Well, tickets were booked without a second thought and excitement reached fever pitch in the days before the event. You see TBCers, Ben Sims playing in Sheffield was pretty damn special. Not only does he rarely play in the North of England but we at TBC had never seen him despite his tunes being regularly pelted out at TBC HQ and us having an all round humungous admiration for the guy! So yes, we were VERY excited!

We got to the club around 1.30am. By this time Detroit’s very own Kyle Hall was on the decks and his music was raw to say the least. It took a good 10 minutes and a shot of tequila for TBC to get to grips with the industrial, griminess that was being pumped through Hope Works. Once we did however, well ……. we really bloody liked it!  It wasn’t the easiest music to dance to as it was rather disjointed and brash however, its rawness suited the grittiness of Hope Works down to a tee. The set was varied and unusual. Mr Hall was also pulling off some very bizarre and ambitious mixing which shed a light on what a true DJing talent this guy is.

The layout of the club itself had also changed since the last time TBC came here. The dance floor had been widened and the place was generally more open than it had been which created a much easier space to get down and boogie in.

Ben Sims came on at 3am and his opening number made sure everyone on the dance floor stopped what they were doing and turned towards the DJ booth in awe. He played a gorgeously, rich and unexpected 1920’s swing track with footage of jazz musicians projected behind the DJ booth complimenting it perfectly.  It was a magnificent set opener and marked the bar for the rest of the set which was absolutely superb. Whereas Hall’s music had been difficult to dance to, Sims’ was the complete opposite. It had such an amazing flow and groove that made dancing to it a real pleasure. This was evident whenever TBC looked around the dance floor and was greeted by a sea of ecstatic faces and clubbers bopping away like nobody’s business. The night wasn’t a sell out which was a surprise considering the calibre of the line up. Come on Sheffield clubbing collective – what were you thinking if you missed this one? It did however mean there was ample space for TBC to throw our limbs around in wild abandon to the delicious techno that Sims was bestowing on us. His set varied from funky techno to hard as nails and at some points the intensity on the dance floor did make TBC think they might have a heart attack! Ben Sims was everything we had expected and so much more and the Hope Works team have a lot to be congratulated on and thanked for in bringing such a techno legend to the Steel City.

The only downside of the night was that despite the fact the music was awesome, the sound system wasn’t all that great. TBC still had slight ringing in their ears after a good nights sleep – hmmm not really what you want at work on the Monday! Aside from that though it was a monster of a night which appeared to be enjoyed thoroughly by all in attendance.

Betty gets Loved Up!

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

IMG_2890

As most of you know by now, last weekend was the first proper instalment of TBC’s club night! TBC Loved Up! I graced the basement of The Night Kitchen (FKA DLS) for 6 hours of bone shaking techno with all my nearest and dearest! The weeks beforehand were spent preparing with my TBC buddies, making decorations, blowing up inflatable lips and ordering all manner of loved up paraphernalia including confetti cannons and heart shaped cocktail umbrellas! I was literally in a frenzied whirlwind of hearts and kisses for weeks which suited me and my general well being down to the ground! Of course, I fitted in a couple of pre parties at TBC HQ with the TBC resident DJs to discuss party tunage and just generally crank up our TBC excitement levels!

On the day itself i donned some rather fetching heart shaped nipple tassels which made even Oro (my gold mannequin lover) blush! I looked hot to trot especially with my very own  sexual purple spot light! Yes, ladies and gents, as per usual, it was all about me!

The basement looked super cool with lots of dark graffiti covered in cutesy hearts and smooches. At midnight tasty clubbers started arriving in awesome outfits including multiple coloured wigs, a green mirror ball jacket and make up any drag queen would be proud of! The dance floor became a vision of colour and smiley faces with all the guests entering into the truly Loved Up spirit of the night!

Now you’ve got an idea of the look of the place let me help with the audio! Luke Symonds was first on the decks with a gorgeous house set. A perfect start to the night which really got people bopping on the dance floor. A set highlight for me was Simian Mobile Disco “Cerulean” which had me bouncing around like Tigger on heat. Simon Bryan was next up and by this point the dance floor was really buzzin. Si’s set was dark with some awesome house and techno tunes and at times was in the style of my ultimate gigolo DJ Hell. Can’t really get a better compliment than that from the Bettster! He finished with the amazing Marcel Dettman remix of “Bad Kingdom” by Moderat. Check his set out on our sound cloud page:

https://soundcloud.com/technobreakfastclub/simon-bryan-tbc-loved-up-15-2

Omar El Gohary was on next and boy did this Egyptian maverick pull it out of the bag – his set was banging to say the least and was completely different to those that had gone before. Super hard techno which at times made me completely lose my mind in a state of delirium! Ben Sims featuring Blake Baxter “I wanna go back” was a particular highlight as was the fez hat which topped his head at an appropriately epic point in the music! James Avery was up next and I’ve gotta say, I thought Jay would carry on in the same vein as Omar bearing in mind I didn’t think it could get much harder but no, Jay cranked up the bpm and played a really fast, ridiculously hard techno set! His penultimate tune was the soul grazing: Radioactive Man “Uranium” which had me practically wetting my pants (if I wasn’t made of plastic and just a torso I definitely would have done!). The residents completely blew my mind with the music and had everyone on the dance floor going wild!

TBC Loved Up was a complete success and my head is already buzzin with ideas for our next party! I have just about recovered after an awesome after party and after after party so watch this space for your invitation to TBC part 2!

IMG_1549

IMG_2896

Check out the rest of our Loved Up photos here:

https://www.facebook.com/technobreakfastclub.tbc/media_set?set=a.1485165465044239.1073741832.100006523981025&type=3

‘Wilde Liebe’ – new album review

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

WL01_cover_RZ_1440px

When asked to review the first compilation from the Wilde record label its safe to say that TBC were whooping for joy.  Wilde is home to an amazing array of artists as diverse as Tiefschwarz and Heidi. Furthermore, TBC went to the Wilde boat party at Sonar a few years back and despite some seriously choppy waves and questionable dance moves it was clear that Wilde know how to throw a super cool party.

“Wilde Liebe” is the first compilation release from the Wilde family to mark its 10th anniversary and it showcases recent releases from the Wilde artists. “Ok”, I hear you cry, “it’s a great label but is the compilation any good?” Well TBCers its not exactly bad but it isn’t all that good either. There are some great individual tunes such as: Tiefschwarz  – “Voices” which is a classically Tiefschwarz haunting, dark, electro number with some soul grazing bass. Atapy – “Finding You” has some really satisfying noises going on and continues the dark theme with a rather disturbing, distorted vocal. The compilation closer is a perfect little Burning Man style trippy, spacey number, “Albin” by Kenny Leaven.

All in all however, this album is inoffensive but distinctly mediocre. TBC have had a good few listens now and found that each time we did, we kind of forgot we were supposed to be reviewing the album and ended up having to remind ourselves to listen which really isn’t how it should be. It just didn’t grab us. You may feel differently so take a look at the track list below and if it seems like your thing give it a download. We would recommend the individual tracks listed above but as a whole, from us, the compilation doesn’t get a thumbs up.

01 Pilocka Krach – Superboy

02 DIA – Spot On

03 Djuma Soundsystem – Chick

04 Daniel Wilde – Prairie

05 Lewis Boardman – Yeah

06 Daniel Dexter – Eclipse

07 Sierra Sam – House in my house

08 The Jaydes – Hidden Pleasure

09 Ian Pooley – Flash 78

10 Tim Xavier – Memory Man

11 Tiefschwarz – Voices

12 Atapy – Finding You

13 Christian Prommer – Betchugona

14 Chris Wood & Meat – Make it Raw

15 Acid Washed & Stuff – Move On

16 Kenny Leaven – Albin

Betty does Thailand

nickroffey1983Leave a comment

Sawadee Ka TBC lovers! I am currently floating around in a perpetual meditative state after 2 weeks of sun, yoga and most importantly techno in beautiful Thailand! First stop was Bangkok for 3 days of sky scrapers, lizards and shopping! Night times were spent sipping on sumptuous cocktails in a plethora of the city’s sky bars and dodging flying ping pong balls on Kao San Road.

Next Stop was Haad Tian for NYE and ooooooh baby this place is everything you’ve ever dreamed of and more! A huge room dedicated to Betty’s favourite ……………. glitter, wigs and feathers! Once I’d doused myself in sparkly magic I had the option of not 1 but 2 incredible and free techno parties to say hello to 2014. The first, under the stars at Guy’s Bar and the second up in the mountains over looking an idyllic beach at the one and only Eden! My Thai squeeze and I yo-yoed from one dance floor to the other for a good 14 hours and literally danced our little asses off along with fire throwers, hula hoppers and all manner of other loveable circus freaks. It was a new year like no other!

I had planned some R and R following NYE because as you TBCers know, I am a crazy party animal and I’ve literally gone off like a rocket in 2013. I booked myself into The Sanctuary which appeared to be a health resort on the beach with yoga, meditation and detoxes on offer. Well, you wouldn’t believe my surprise (and delight!) when I realised that The Sanctuary (code name fucked up party paradise) is actually on Haad Tian and literally slap bang in the middle of Guys Bar and Eden! Ha! I arrived on a Friday to be told that nothing happens on a Saturday, there are no classes, no mediation, no nothing as there is a huge party at Guys bar every Friday night. And yes, there was a party and not to mention that, this party did not finish until 4pm on Saturday! AND………………. when it did finish………………………………………………….another party started at Eden straight after and went on until Sunday lunchtime! When I eventually straightened my wig and stretched out my over danced, battered and bruised body after all this partying with a yoga class, I was greeted by the same guy I had seen dancing around on acid looking like a mental wizard only hours before in Eden! He was the yoga instructor!!! The Sanctuary is a messed up, crazy place – I FACKIN LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!

BettyNewYear2014