Press Release Me, Let Me Know III

Here at Deep In The Joojoo HQ we – that’s me, my inner child and a World Cup winning footballer who has amnesia and has forgotten how to play - are all about facts. We love facts. We simply cant get enough of them. Which is why, despite the obvious sabbatical since the last instalment, ‘we’ bring a collection of fuel-injected death-ray factoids courtesy of the glut of useless emails we've received from those determined PR and marketeers of the world. Get on board the fact bus!

Shiver me timbers!

Forget Beijing, the real sporting event of the week takes place in Queenborough Harbour on Kent’s Isle of Sheppey aboard the Salty Sea Pig galleon – which is a boat. On Sunday 3rd August the world’s best will gather for the annual World Walking The Plank Championships. Organised by the fearsome Captain Cutlass - leader of the Sheppey Pirates - in order to raise funds for the RNLI lifeboat charity, the championship is open to all ‘plankers’ wishing to be hurled into the briny by sword-point as long as they can supply golden doubloons (£5) and be able to swim.

John “Long John” Lenton, a long-distance lorry driver (say that when our drunk) won the competitions in 2006 and 2007 when he dressed as a eight-foot parrot. He will not be competing this year, however, as he’s taking a break to get married. “My fiancé says I won’t be able to concentrate on the wedding if I am trying to win the plank walking championships,” he was quoted as saying.

In case you are interested, the judges grade the contestants out of ten on the following categories:
- Use of piratical language
- Originality of dress
- Execution of jump including the crucial height of after-splash
- Overall star quality known as the R (aargh) Factor.

This year’s winner will receive £100, a trophy and a case of Shepherd Neame Spitfire ale.

BYO everything

There’s big sandwich news of the week: according to Sainsburys, Tupperware sales are up 36% this year, as are sandwich bags by 25%.

The British Sandwich Association - who else can you trust? – claims the UK usually consumes roughly 2.7 billion sandwiches outside the home each year. But throw in a looming credit crunch and the possibility of a recession and suddenly homemade sarnies become a lucrative option. Ingredients for ‘fakeaways’ - homemade curry, Chinese and pizzas – are also on the rise with vindaloo curry paste burning up 33% more sales this year and plain poppadums getting dipped by half as much more as last year.

You was flirting with him, you was!!

Travel website Trivago has come up with a Summer survey that has thrown up a few cheery statistics, the most poignant of which is the fact that 60% of all British couples have a fight when they’re on holiday. Yep, of the 5300 vacationers surveyed nearly two-thirds admitted to having a row when they were supposed to be chillaxing. And the most common causes? The weather and food are responsible for around 16% of tiffs and deciding who is the boss accounts for 16%. Edging the hot topic for debate stakes is jealousy, though, with 17%.

The Spanish are the most aggressively jealous with 60% of their arguments starting from innocent flirtations. And it seems the further North you go the harmonious the less likely you'll quarrel: 62 percent of Swedish couples relax without any conflicts on their vacation. Bloody typical!

A bup-bup-boom

All hail, the United Kingdom of Great Britain has a new champion! MC Zani was recently crowned the UK’s best beat-boxer and in the doing so won the keys to a brand new Vauxhall Corsa SXI with 17” alloy wheels. Wicked!

Zani saw off mad skillz from fellow finalist, Reeps One, in front of the royal judges Beardyman, Shlomo, and Kila Kela.

Big Brother

Do you like being watched? Do you get off on having your every move under surveillance? Well, Alton Towers has got the ultimate souvenir for you. It’s imaginatively called YourDay and for a mere £19.99 you can reserve a DVD...of yourself. 100 RFID antennas, 36 cameras, 6km of data networking cable and 140 computer servers all synchronise to deliver a frightening account of all your queue waiting and scream-face antics throughout your special day at the theme park.

How’s it done? A clever wristband sends signals to Big Brother, alerting the system of your every move. Weird!

The UK greenest business

...is Marks & Spencers. Fact. According to the FOOTSIE 100 Green Winners and Green Washers Survey which polled the UK’s best sustainability experts, national and trade journalists and political groups.

Elk Bar

587 Fulham Road, SW6 5UA

For anyone whose seen those adverts purporting Carlsberg’s utopian dreamworld for blokes, Elk Bar brings that vision to life with wall-to-wall grilled meats, uniformed waitresses, plasmas and lager.

Welcome to bloke country. Here, the smell of testosterone lingers in the air and chaps wearing un-ironed shirts outnumber those with fashion standards; or women as they’re sometimes known. Gladly, the fairer sex is in attendance, although in the minority. They succumb to the wily ways of the management whose devious enticements include Sweet Shop Shooters (Bubblegum, Aniseed Balls, etc), an enormous 2-4-1 cocktail extravaganza, and a wine list that says “work is from 9 to 5, I make it 5.01, so hit me with your rhythym stick”.

Now, statistically, at least a couple of the blokes should be ex-crims, murderers or possibly even bankers, but on the whole these fellas are genuinely cordial. People who you’d possible converse with. Maybe even become acquainted with. And there’s a reason for that: they’re all Antipodeans. Going into Elk Bar is like wading through a shallow lake of floating seagulls, simultaneous “mate, mate, mate” squawks everywhere you look. Having laid claim to the land known as The District Line, and being relatively unaffected by the looming credit crunch with their quick in-out-no-mortgage-to-worry-about Euro trip, these chirpy chaps come to Elk to put a P to the A to the RTY. Of course, there are a few Brits but they don’t usually show themselves on the DJ nights (Thursday-Sunday) for fear of actually interacting with strangers; they usually just gather during the quieter weeknights for the post-work feeding trough.

I’m not sure who wrote the rules of fun, but at Elk they seem to adhere to the strict elements of food, flirtation and fluids. In the first instance, food, it’s BBQ all day every day, putting the men into menu. They only serve food that once had a face. If you were an elk, you certainly wouldn’t go to Elk Bar. Lettuce is an after thought, salad is a swear word (I saw a bloke proudly display his burger as he divorced it from anything that wasn’t meat) and the couscous comes straight from the Saharan dunes. There’s also a considerable lack of carbs (chips, baked potatoes?).

Be warned, the second rule of fun, flirtation, involves people getting jiggy wid it. Elk’s sister bars (Koko, Bison & Bird, Infernos) are reknowned for combining cheesey music with packs 20-30somethings out on the hunt. Hence, Elk’s music policy is always going to be cheesey. But this is a delicious cheese, cured in the 70s, 80s and 90s. It’s not some bog standard pop cheddar. No, this is cheese that feels elegant, like a fresh French brie. On a cracker. With chutney! You WILL singalong, you WILL ask the DJ to play Tears For Fears, you WILL embarrass yourself.

As for fluids, beer = lager, ales are clearly for soft Poms, and Guinness is a dessert. Everything else, as stated, is ladies night.
Aside from the inexhaustably amicable vibe, there are two other elements that make Elk worthwhile: the décor and the staff. Aesthetically, Elk is dominated by its popular beer garden, which looks suspiciously like a zoo enclosure with its high walls, potted plants, feeding area, dominant males and flambouyant females. They even herd everyone back inside at 10.30 after they’ve all been fed (granted, that’s due of neighbourly concerns). Once inside the atmos is akin to something like a house party put on by the team from Changing Rooms: wooden places to lean, mirrored places to dance, dimly-lit places for clandestine liaisons, all coated with hint of leather.

The staff are something else. Spookily attentive female waiting staff seem to constantly hover at your shoulder, waiting for that ghoulish moment to catch your eye, offer a mesmorising smile then hit you with the deadly ‘can I get you guys anything?’. To which you meakly reply the inevitable zombie-like ‘yesssssss’. And the service doesn’t end there. If you manage to avoid the gaze of the circling Stepford waitresses, then the staff manning the bar will get you: asking, unprompted, if your beer is cold enough or allowing you to taste-test the lager (like you don’t know!). And the consistency goes all the way to the top; even the manager is on autopilot niceness. Scary.

Aside from a few niggling food issues, Elk Bar is lively cauldron of sociability. The genial staff, the 1am license and the garden patio make it equal parts bar, pub and club (a ‘plub’ perhaps?). And the lack of any tangible competition in the area - Havannah (rough), The Slug (for kids) – means queues around the block. Eh, mate?

Eight Great Children's Museums

I was recently commissioned by Spire.com to research and write about eight of the world's great chidlren's museums that encompassed art, innovation, adventure and imagination. The published version an be found here.

The New Children's Museum
San Diego, California

Kids in San Diego have a brand new, ultra-cool playground that just might beat the beach. After a $29 million reincarnation, the New Children's Museum opened in May 2008 in the lively Marina district, in a glittering glass and concrete three-storey, 50,000-square-foot building designed by local architect Rob Wellington Quigley. Constructed from recycled materials, it was built to limit its environmental impact: water-saving devices; solar paneling generating 136,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year; and a glass shaft elevator that doubles as a cooling tower. “Think, play, create” is the threefold mission of the NCM. Part exhibit, part play pen, the center commissioned 19 artists to provide the initial exhibit, interactive installations collectively known as “childsplay": kids can climb up the graffiti wall; jump on walls and floors covered with mattresses; move around on kinetic "scooter" art; dance in the Porta-Party disco ball booth; and activate notes on the musical vacuum cleaners. Toddlers get to crawl through the fabric-enhanced Texture Forest, and older kids can hang out in the Teen Studio. Children are encouraged to dig into paints and clay and create their own art (or blow bubbles) at indoor and outdoor studios, using recycled and sustainable materials. They can even paint an old VW Bug parked outside. Special programs include puppetry and dance performances in the 250-seat theater. Come summer, the museum offers a range of educational day camp programs for kids of all ages, such as a DJ course for tweens. When the gang gets hungry, they can refuel on healthy organic food in the indoor/outdoor café or order a picnic to go and eat in the park across the street. With two private function rooms, the museum is sure to be a hot spot for birthday parties.

Museum hours:
Open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Closed Wednesday

Admission:
Adults and Children: $10
NCM Member: FREE
Children under one year: FREE
Seniors (65+): $5

www.thinkplaycreate.org | Phone: +1 619 233 8792
200 West Island Avenue | San Diego, CA 92101 United States


Imaginosity
Dublin, Ireland

Dublin's Beacon South Quarter now has an eclectic, eco-friendly museum specifically designed for children. If kids can't wear it, play with it or climb on it, they won't find it at Imaginosity. The center opened in 2007 and is a member of the European "Hands On" Association as well as the American Children's Museum Association.
Its three floors and 16,000 square feet are filled with colorful exhibits that help kids up to age 10 to grow with confidence, become more self perceptive, and to engage the notion of sharing. The role-playing village helps their math skills (the bank), nutritional awareness (the market), vehicle safety (the garage), and health awareness (the doctor's office). Little ones can dress up in hard hats and tool belts to wear at the Construction Company, or don costumes, props and face paints to create imaginative scenarios in the TV studio and theater. An artist-in-residence directs the action at the studio, where kids take a turn at costume design and pottery. Budding environmentalists get a head start at the Nature in the City roof garden. Other points of interest include two areas just for children under three, a two-storey clambering structure, a café and a shop. There are also rooms for birthdays and workshops.

Top tip:
During periods when the center reaches near-capacity, such as Friday afternoons and weekends, timed ticketing comes into operation and you will be limited to a two hour stay. Therefore, go in the mornings during the week and always book in advance. Also, avoid the month of June altogether as it's the school tour season.

Museum Hours:
Mon – 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tue – Fri 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sat – 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Members & Groups only from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Sun – 10:00am to 6:00pm
Bank Holiday Mondays 10:00am - 6:00pm

Admission:
Adults and Children (over 3 years): €8
Concession: €7
Toddlers (1 - 2 years ): €6
Babies (6 - 12 months): €2

www.imaginosity.ie | Phone: +353 (01) 2176130
The Plaza, Beacon South Quarter | Sandyford, Dublin 18 Ireland


Children's City
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai's enormous Children City in Creekside Park was launched in March 2002 and patroned by H. H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the incumbant Prime Minister and ruler of United Arab Emirates. The first of its kind for the UAE, it's geared towards children as young as two and as old as fifteen. Nearly 97,000-square-feet, the aptly named "city" has 220 exhibits, 121 computers, and 28 touch screens, and maximizes the use of modern technology to engage children with 3D animation, projections, audiovisuals and a planetarium. Interactive exhibits help bring out the astronomer, anthropologist, ecologist and scientist in every child. Special performances and workhops are held in the theater, and there is a special section created just for kids under 5, as well as a gift shop that boasts a marvelous stock of educational toys and cultural and scientific books. Thankfully, the handy displays appear in English as well as Arabic. Great for families on holiday in Dubai.

Museum Hours:
9 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Mon-Thurs, Sat-Sun
3 p.m. – 8:30pm Fri

During Ramadan:

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mon-Thurs, Sat-Sun
3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Fri

Admission:
Single entrance:
Child 2 - 15: $2.75
Adults 16+ : $4.10
Family entrance ticket (two adults, two children): $10.90
Free entrance for children less than two
Free entrance for children with special needs

www.childrencity.ae| Phone: +(9714) 334 0808
Creek Park, Gate 1 | Dubai United Arab Emirates


International Museum of Children's Art
Oslo, Norway

Not strictly a children's museum in the traditional, interactive sense, Norway's International Museum of Children's Art is instead a cultural institution that collates, conserves and markets a range of artwork created by children from around the world. Founded twenty years ago, the Barnekunst Museum, as it's called in Norwegian, is one of the biggest of its kind and emphasizes the global disparity of children's emotional, social and cultural awareness through drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculptures, textiles and handcrafts. Housed in an Olso homestead in a low-key residential area, the museum features works from 180 different countries—including pieces made by African children using recycled wire, paper, beads and boxes. Workshops are also available, tackling a variety of subjects, like music lead by a team of staff musicians from Norway, Argentina, Ivory Coast and Cuba.

Hours:
groups: €3.75 pr person (reservations)
children, students, seniors: €3.75
adults: €6.25
Oslo Pass: free entrance
Closed Dec 16-Jan 19, Aug 16-Sep 9
Guided tours upon request on Wednesdays and Thursdays that last roughly 90 minutes.

www.english.barnekunst.no | Phone: +47 22 46 85 73
Lille Frøens vei 4 | Oslo 3071 Norway


The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Fact: this is the world's largest museum dedicated entirely to children. If that doesn't grab you then how about the fact that it's five stories high and houses a planetarium, a children's theater and even a rock climbing wall. Originally founded in 1926 and expanded and enhanced over time, the 400,000-square-foot facility is like an amusement park that collided with a natural history museum. Adopting a very hands-on approach, it offers activities that develop children's learning capacity while keeping them fully entertained. There are a multitude of interactive topics to explore: the ocean, outer space, construction, robots, trains, ancient civilizations, science and food. Even Sesame Street, Bob the Builder and Curious George all have their own sections. Kids fascinated with dinosaurs will be in heaven at the huge Dinosphere—a collection of 65 million year old dinosaur fossils.

Top Tips:
Get a membership if you're planning on raiding the gift shop and wish to be there more than a day (extremely likely).

Get there as it opens; you can join the helpful introductory program that covers everything the museum has to offer.

Start at the top.

Museum Hours:

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Open Daily, March 3, 2008 – September 1, 2008 (Labor Day)
Open Tuesday – Sunday, September 2, 2008 – March 1, 2009
Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

Open on special Mondays September – March:
January 19, 2009 — MLK Day
February 16, 2009 — Presidents Day
December 31, 2009 — New Year's Eve

Free days:
December 24, 2008 — Christmas Eve (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
January 19, 2009 — MLK Day
February 16, 2009 — Presidents Day
April 26, 2009 — El Dia de Los Niños

Open free for families the first Thursday of each month from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Open exclusively for members on the first Saturday of each month from 9 – 10 a.m.

Admission:
Youth (ages 2-17): $8.50
Adult (ages 18-59): $13.50
Senior (60+): $12.50
Members receive $1 off guest admissions.

www.childrensmuseum.org | Phone: +1 317 334 3322
3000 N. Meridian Street | Indianapolis, IN 46208 United States


Eureka! The Museum for Children
Halifax, England
When Archimedes ran naked through the streets yelling “Eureka!”— following his density discovery— he probably wasn't thinking of England's West Yorkshire. It's doubtful he envisaged children, aged 0-11, using interactive tools to learn about their global implications or the science of their bodies. It's likely he wasn't picturing seven galleries filled with over 400 "must-touch" exhibits, and a variety of programs offered by trained staff. He didn't, but Dame Vivien Duffield did. As Director of the Clore Duffield Foundation, in 1992 she created Eureka!, the UK's first national children's museum. Set in a 13-acre patch of Halifax on a site once used for railway marshaling, this modern facility is housed in a Grade I-listed building. Among its highlights are a Desert Discovery habitat for kids under five; a SoundGarden with musical plants; and, a Town Square with grocery store, bank and post office role-playing arenas. Although driveable from London, Eureka! is still an 8-hour round trip from the capital. Instead, take an extra day to explore the old town of York (with ramparts and Viking Museum), then travel to Halifax early the next day, therefore only enduring a 2-hour round trip.

Museum hours:
Open every day (except 24-26 December) from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Last admission at 4 p.m.

Admission:
(Donation inclusive prices)*
Adults £7.25 each
Children age 3+ £7.25 each
Toddlers age 1-2 £2.25 each
Babies age 0-12 months free
Saver Ticket (admits 5 people) £31.00

After 3 p.m. from Monday-Friday during term time, visitors are admitted at half price.

*Eureka! is a charity and these prices INCLUDE a 10% donation. This allows the museum to reclaim the tax on the money you pay to visit through the Gift Aid scheme.

www.eureka.org.uk | Phone: +44 (0)1422 330069
Discovery Road | Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 2NE England


The Children's Museum Jordan
Amman, Jordan
It took royalty to dream it up this fantastic museum. Open since May 2007, CMJ was developed by Her Majesty Queen Rania—a passionate proponent of children's causes—and is the largest kids' museum in the Middle East. As part of the prestigious Association of Children's Museums, CMJ promotes a free thinking approach to learning through hands-on involvement with science, arts, history and the environment. This multi-colored realm of discovery is located in Amman's northwest quarter and is home to more than 150 interactive activities: kids can construct earthquake-resistant structures in the Dynamic Planet exhibit; uncover tools and vases in the Ancient Times purpose-built fake archaeology dig; or learn how to recycle and preserve water in the Energy Lab. There's also a gift shop, a restaurant, a birthday room, a planetarium, a pretend car garage (with a real pink and purple Corvette), a hard hat area where a crane shifts foam bricks about the place, and a library that houses books in Arabic and English.

Museum hours:
9am-6pm Saturday – Thursday
9am-7pm Friday
Tuesday – Closed
Open most public holidays

Admission:
Individuals JOD $4.25 (including children of any age)

www.cmj.jo | Phone: +962 6 5411 479
PO Box 386 | Amman 11831 Jordan


Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Norwalk, Connecticut

We all know it often takes a determined mother to get things done. The brainchild of Gigi Priebe, a Connecticut-based mother of three, Norwalk's Stepping Stones museum took eight years of tireless campaigning, fundraising and planning to bring to fruition. It proved a resounding success and has won several awards since its inception in March 2000, pulling in an average of 200,000 visitors a year, many of whom come from NYC. Set in five acres of Mathews Park, the museum boasts four galleries with over 100 interactive exhibits and educational programs. The "In The Works" exhibit provides an opportunity to manipulate the laws of physics, to experiment with energy in all its forms. "Healthyville" uses role-play to help children understand their bodies via the Good Foods Market, the Healthyville Community Center, and WBOD, a TV station from inside the body. A visit to the "Rainforest Adventure" might inspire turns kids to become conservation experts, and "Waterscape" trains future meteorologists with whirlpools, cascades, fog, mist and ice. There is also a Toddler Terrain for little ones, Family Fun Nights to encourage child literacy and a seasonal outdoor exhibit that delves into the science of giant bubbles. Be aware: although it claims kids as old as ten will have fun here, it is more geared towards younger children.

Museum hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 1 – 5 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Members enjoy early admission Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m.

Summer Hours
July 1 – Labor Day
10 a.m. – 5 p.m., every day

Admission:
Adults $9
Children $9
Children Under 1 Free
Members Free
Seniors (over 62) $7

www.steppingstonesmuseum.org| Phone: +1 203 899 0606
Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue | Norwalk, CT 06850 United States

Graphic

4 Golden Sqaure
London W1F 9HT

Stumbling blindly in from the sun-drenched and aptly-named Golden Square, your immediate feelings for Graphic are probably akin to what went through poor Augustus Gloop’s mind just after he accidentally plunged into Willy Wonka’s chocolate river and got sucked up a pipe: Oh my, I’m being engulfed by a wave of soft, brown stuff and the further in I tumble, the more it squeezes me so (only with a better German accent, of course).

Graphic’s narrow structure combines the oft-used worlds of chocolate, leather and booths to produce something that looks like the inside of a moist cake.

Clearly, someone had been reading a well-thumbed edition of A Dummies Guide to Bar Design (1998 Edition). It’s one thing to add a splash of colour here and there; it’s another to bloody drown the place with it.

How-very-much-ever, all is certainly not lost. Have a little sit down, alter the colour levels by donning a pair of rose-tinted glasses, and get to work on the real reason for going to Graphic in the first place: drinkie winkies.

Graphic doesn’t do many cocktails. It does many to the power of 3; times infinity; plus one. Every type, flavour, strength, religion, gender, sexually-swayed, breed, creed, kind and colour of mixed liquid is available for you to pour down your eager gullet or your best shirt/frock. Inventive spectacles of art contained within vessels that themselves are a work of unique creativity. If they don’t have it, you’re probably in the wrong place. They even cook the fruit right there in front of you on the bar, if you like that sort of thing. There’s a £9.50 Porn Star that comes (tee-hee) with a shot of champagne; there’s a £32 rum-heavy Sy-Tai especially made for sharing, or alcoholics; plus, there’s the Long Island Ice Tea that, due to it’s strength, is restricted to two per person per night. Tip: if you ever joyfully hopped and skipped as a child at the thought of necking a packet of delicious Parma Violet sweets, then give the Mrs Miagi a whirl.

Delighted, glee-ridden hugs and kisses must go to the smart banana who sourced such an interesting book of booze: Swedish cider, Chinese bottles, Japanese draught, Mexican-only Tequila, and nine types of Kentucky bourbon alone! The menu is so absurdly comprehensive, the bookies have it at odds-on favourite to win the next Man Booker prize; probably.

The high-end concept doesn’t stop with just the drinks though. To accompany your creations of varying strength and size, there’s sustenance of another form, food, and at Graphic they operate a strict on-a-stick regime. Skewered for what they coin ‘social dining’ - or sharing for those who went to a good primary school – the seared tuna with sesame seed dip and the haloumi cheese with redcurrant dip are both champions of the astute palette.

Graphic is also good for work: get a healthy wheatgrass detox shot when it opens at 10am; follow that with a coffee or homemade lemongrass & ginger lemonade; then business-meeting your brains out by utilising the free wifi. That, plus all of the above, should see you through to about midnight. And with a glut of big pant-wearing brands lurking in the back streets nearby, Graphic is bound to catch the noses of the media hounds.

Graphic is not a destination; it’s a holding lounge for the West End. You know how you’ve always wanted to sneak into one of those top notch airport executive lounges where the staff wait on your every wanton need? Graphic is that lounge. It’s the cerebral location known as ‘The Comfort Zone’. Clusters of people don’t dance, they sway. Caught in a pre-club rant about blah, blah and blah-blah, yeh?!

If you can get passed the obsessive ‘brown’ compulsion the designers suffered from whilst imaging the interior, then Graphic is a sturdy 8 out of 10. The manager has brought along some of that fresh thinking clout that he gained whilst working at his former haunts – Mahiki, Plan B and 22 Below. This promising haven is manned by a squad of mixologist geeks who do for Soho what Victor Frankenstein did for his monster.

Good for: those dolled-up, girly nights when credit cards are wielded like weapons and conversations manifest into a series of hysterical giggles.

Bad for: secluded romantic liaisons when you’re aiming for fourth base and you’re getting nothing but a strike out. OR if you’re averse to anything with fruit in it.

Felix Da Housecat

I recently got involved in a chat with an animated cat called Felix for ResidentAdvisor.net. The published version can also been seen here.

Thanks to a fusion of impact live sets – “every party I play is pretty intense and crazy”; album productions for Playboy, Bugged Out and Global Underground; plus, a swathe of weighty remixes for acts like Madonna, Britney and Gwen Steffani, Felix Da Housecat probably won’t need to reassess his CV any time soon. “Daddy gotta make that Barbie money!” he admits, hinting at his young daughter’s obsession with expensive synthesizers and piano lessons.

“Felix Da Housecat would do nothing for selling his soul. Meaning, I would never sell my soul to do anything”. This is the defiant claim emanating from the mid-30s Dad as he chills out in London. Sure, there’s truth in the notion that Felix has had an expansive career, one that can be coined successful, but at what point does fortune beget formulaic tendencies?

For those that might cynically believe Felix has already sold his soul for mercenary gains, the message is potently clear. “Oh my God! Are these motherfuckers crazy?” he references the controversy surrounding his employment for the GU:34 album. “So many people blogged ‘Why are you getting Felix? He’s too commercial. He’s not underground’. I helped to start all of this shit at the fucking beginning! Have they lost their minds!? I was the first guy who was doing it. I was making techno, I was making minimal, progressive; you name it. I can deal with criticism. If you’re going to criticise me just know your shit before you talk shit about me.”

Pigeonholing Mr Da Housecat is certainly far from easy. He has shown he is capable of adopting a myriad of characters. Does this make him some kind of modern day punk? “What’s your definition of a punk?” he asks, continuing playfully, “A punk can be a pussy; a punk can be a rebel. I figure you wouldn’t call me a pussy. I’m more of a free-spirit just trying to reach cats with what I do. I do look at myself as a rebel and edgy and ‘don’t give a fuck what people think’. I’ve always been stubborn like that.”

Although the GU experience was unexpected – “I was really shocked that they wanted me to do it” – spinning outside of his usual remit was a simple case of knowing what was needed. “I wanted to do one CD like fuck rave and the other one to be fuck rock. Fuck rock would be the dirty shit and fuck rave would be the sexy stuff.”

The rise of Felix has taken him through many levels. There was the position of apprentice under DJ Pierre decades ago. Then came the humble 90s beginnings in Billericay and Basildon when he got a break following his ‘Thee Dawn’ hit with William Orbit’s Guerilla Records - “I have a really close bond with England. I never forget coming over here, walking in the rain, sleeping on floors, taking the tube and trying to shop my songs”. Now, he sells out openings nights in Ibiza and controls his own record label, Rude Photo.

Whilst chatting with me he prowls, catlike, through a variety of personas; each somehow indicative of the complex cat he is today. From the maniacal joviality of a laughing Maddkatt (oddly, one of his former release names) to the deep, poignant flux in character as demonstrated in many of his favourite top ten artists. I suggest many of his choices have a darker element. “Yeh, they do have a haunting feel to most of them; but in a beautiful way.”

Felix is an imitator; that much is clear. He is able to bounce from mood to vibe to personality within an instant. And it’s displayed in the way he conveys his top ten: if he doesn’t have the track at hand, he makes a stab at humming or singing it instead; often breaking off into falsetto impressions and beatbox attempts.

He describes the homework I have set for him as “hard, man”. He is able to name ten, “but it changes all the time.”


Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun from the album Band Of Gypsies, on Capitol (US) and Track Records (UK), 1970
This is all-time for me. Basically, he was coming out of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He wanted to do something new and go to his black roots so he formed The Gypsies. The first time he performed it, to my knowledge, was caught on video in Newark. I first heard it before I saw the video and when I listened to that track.…man! I don’t play it a lot. I only play it when I’m either super stressed or when I’ve got a lot on my mind and I need to release. When I play it I crank it loud. That has to be the most amazing guitar solo riff ever. When you listen to it you would think he would be running all over the stage but when you watch him do that same solo live he is standing still. All you see is his fingers flying and his head moving just a little bit. He is just in a whole other world, like he’s just so in tune to his guitar or whatever else he’s on. It’s unreal. When I listen to it, it just blows me away. Afterwards I feel like I’ve done a ten mile workout. I have to just chill, man.


Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Going To Save Your Soul? from The Odd Couple, Downtown Recordings/Atl, 2008
For now, it is a classic because your boy Cee-Lo just be filling that shit! If you listen to his voice you can actually tell that he’s not reading words from a paper and just singing it. He’s actually feeling it and doing it off the top of his head. It definitely sounds like he needs some soul saving. I can definitely relate to that. That’s like down south, dirty, in-the-cornbread hills.


Prince & the Revolution – Controversy from the album of the same name, Warner Brothers, 1981
Everyone knows he’s my favourite artist. It sounds good now, it sounded good then. You can play it in the dance club, you can sit home and listen to it, you could listen to it in your car. The guitar riff catches you right away. It’s amazing when the music and the hook are good - everything is working and running. He was so raw on the Controversy album. He was so cool. He didn’t give a fuck about nothing. He was just stripped down funk. What I like about Prince is that he has a sort of punk funk about him; a dirty punk funk. Some of his best lines – like ‘Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?’ – it’s like he’s contradicting himself: is he a saint or a sinner? Black or white? Gay or straight? It was very simple but it worked. Right before Purple Rain and 1999, he was still coming into form. The first time I heard about Prince was when Controversy dropped.


Dr Buzzard’s Savannah Band – CherChez La Femme from the eponymous album, 1976
Some songs I’m giving you I’m not really educated about, I just like them. But one that I am educated on is this one. This is the cut, dude! Man, that’s like my top three discos of all time! Insane type vibe. I first heard that track when disco and deep house and Chicago were around and Frankie Knuckles would drop that. In the 80s they’d play a lot of deep house disco. The producer who produced this was August Darnell and that’s the same guy who started Kid Creole and the Coconuts. He was like the modern version of Prince, man. Back then he was very original. Tap it on the Youtube and you’ll see the video, it’s wild.


John Lennon – We All Shine On, 7 inch vinyl, 1970, Apple Records
It’s so crazy because I’d already heard this song - they used to play that at the stadiums - but I’d never put two and two together and knew that it was him until I was watching some documentaries on him a couple of years ago. He was going through a period for a while when the government was on his ass just because he wanted to give peace a chance and all that beautiful stuff. I’m a fan of his rebellionism. I’m a fan of The Beatles, but John Lennon was my favourite. I can relate to his edginess. Paul McCartney was more like the squeaky clean, reserved type cat. I loved Paul McCartney too, they made a great balance. Don’t get me wrong, Paul had some edginess in him too but the way his persona is, it just made him more acceptable; whereas John Lennon was this came-from-the-gutter type cat.


Radiohead – Exit Music For A Film from OK Computer, 1997, Parlophone, Capitol
They are my favourite band and this song is just euurrgghhh [orgasmic sound]. Man, that’s my shit. When I’m flying I’ll play that. The thing I love about Radiohead is that they make you feel sad but they make you feel happy at the same time. Thom York’s voice is so depressing, it puts you to sleep. He is one of my favourite singers. He can hit every note. He’s such a genius. You know how some bands go into a slump? These guys still be going on, they’re still doing their shit. I liked his solo album but I wish he’d just put more of that energy into Radiohead because I like them more as a group. I was sad that he went and did his own thing but I loved what he did, but it sounded like Radiohead had a child called ‘Thom Yorke’s Solo Album’.

Jungle Wonz/Marshall Jefferson - Time Marches On, Trax Records, 1987
This was one of the first house songs I ever heard when I was like 14. Marshall Jefferson has been a huge influence on all my baselines. People usually think that baselines come from 80s pop bands but they came from Marshall Jefferson. He made the house music anthem, ‘Move Your Body’. Everybody remembers the first time they heard it in the club, Ryan Hardy was playing, and when he dropped that it was like the first piano house song. Then everyone wanted to steal the ideas. That kind of started off house music. Marshall Jefferson is probably the best house producer of all time for his time.


Jamie Principle - It’s A Cold World, Trax Records,
He was the guy that did ‘Your Love’ and ‘Waiting On My Angel’ but my favourite song by him was this. It was Frankie Knuckles Presents but Jamie did everything. Frankie introduced him and got all the credit. Back then a lot of artists were producing but they weren’t getting the credit. ‘It’s A Cold World’, him singing in a falsetto voice, it even sounds like New Order. He was influenced by New Order and they were influenced by him; as was Depeche Mode. I’m telling you that right now for a fact. You listen to his voice; the synth is so creepy and hypnotic. It’s the cut.


Night Drive by Giorgio Moroder from the American Gigolo movie soundtrack, Polydor, 1980
Him and John Carpenter are my favourite producers of scores from the 80s. I’ll add John Carpenter’s Escape From New York (produced by Carpenter, 1981, Milan Records) to the list. I love my soundtracks. That’s what I wanted to do when I was a kid. That’s why some of my songs have a soundtrack vibe. Giorgio Moroder just scored everything from Scarface to Never Ending Story to Midnight Express. But at the same time, you listen to Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’, which he produced, it still sounds like something from a movie. You listen to Night Drive, it works in a film and works on the dance floor.

The Betjeman Arms

St Pancras Station, King’s Cross.

Author John Betjeman fought against plans to demolish St Pancras back in nineteen something and something and so rightfully deserves a permanent spot in the station. First, they gave him the Han Solo treatment and turned him into a bronze statue (as seen on one of the platforms); now he’s been given the King’s treatment and had a pub named after his body parts. How English does one get?

Recently opened (early 2008) as part of Rupert and Joanna Clevely’s Geronimo Inn empire, The Betjeman Arms resides, albeit quietly, in the far corner of the newly-international St Pancras station. The view, therefore, can call itself grand.

St Pancras is still technically in England - just - so bring on the old fashioned thick pint glasses filled with real ales; and bring on the posh fish and chips with lemon squeezed through gauze, vinegar served in jugs, and sizeable dollops of mushy peas. It couldn’t be more English even if Geoff Capes came wandering in with Chas N Dave under one arm and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson under the other; rabbit rabbit, what what!

It’s refreshing to note there’s no advertising when looking around the station. Even the large umbrellas of the Betjeman’s inside-outside area are not splashed with wife-beating lager sponsorship. Their purpose, incidentally, is not to stop you getting wet because, clearly, it wont rain inside. Their job must be to stop pigeons bombing doo-doo into your Betjeman Ale.
 
Quick explanation of the layout: No. Flipping. Idea! It sort of has an abandoned-grammar-school-soon-to-be-turned-into-luxury-apartments feel about it: all high ceilings, odd corridors and frumpy old geezers that look like they wouldn’t think twice about giving you a good shoe-ing.

The outside, but not outside, area is a kaleidoscope of Habitat-cum-Blue Peter colour; which is a good thing. The colours are the loudest thing about this place. The noise levels are set to bearable, even though it is still a working train station. There is an outside-outside bar at the front of the station, but that’s mainly for the sake of smokers and, as we all know, smokers and pubs have fallen out in recent times.

Inside, everything is high and chocolate brown: the seating, the ceilings, the bar. If it’s not chocolate brown then you’re in the wrong pub. The bar itself is compact, mainly due to the open(ish) plan kitchen, and mirrors which cunningly lure you into thinking that there is an element of expanse when there’s not.

The dining rooms are odd, one of which is old styled kitchen pantry. They are also even quieter than the main bar and regularly host pin-dropping competitions during the week. There is a boardroom, as well, should you want to hold a meeting in a train station (doesn’t everyone?).

Clietele-wise, the eclectic mix of grazers mingle in a civilised manner. Which is understandable because the riff raff usually take the ferry to France (still!) to stock up on fags and 10 pence beers rather than fork out for the Eurostar, innit?

Question of the day: what’s going on with the toliets? Good luck working that out, even if you find them: they’re unisex, they’re hidden behind a Star Tek door and they have several Dyson Blades to dry your hands in addition to a toilet attendant (needed?).

Aside from The Skinner Arms on Judd Street there’s nothing much else in the neighbourhood. Carluccio’s across the way certainly looks like it’s lacking a pulse. For those that know where The Betjeman is, it’s instantly the best place in the area. One of those cliched “hidden gems”; if, by ‘gem’, you’re thinking affordable, hearty wine lists, impeccable table service and food portions so ridiculously large they look like they’re going to eat YOU (example: the zesty orange bread & butter pudding. Good for one thing: sharing!).

So, if you want the honesty of England to be the last thing you see before you allez off to Paris pour le gay weekend avec Mademoiselle Smith, then yes, The Betjeman Arms is a ruddy good place to be. But if you couldn’t give a merde about Angleterre and can’t get on that Eurostar quick enough, then the overrated longest-champagne-bar-in-the-universe posing along the platform is probably much more up your boulevard.

The Crown

223 Grove Road, Bow E3 5SN

Geronimo!!!!!

No, this isn’t an impromptu celebration of the great Apache chief but a loud, baying call in honour of the company that brought you such monuments to relaxation as The Morgan in Mile End and The East Hill in Wandsworth. Yes, they’re at it again: the busy bods at the Geronimo Inn company have been buying up old sheds and turning them into hard drives of pleasure, or iPubs if you will. Simply select a playlist from all your favourite pub-like items – delicious morsels, gleaming clientele, foaming pints, plush furnishings – and press play.

For anybody who has ever been in a gastro pub (which is everyone, I take it), this is the Armani of gastro dining and will have you saying “Where the fek is Bow?” in no time.

Basically, this is a restaurant. And, oh look, someone’s gone and stuck a pub underneath it. How nice of them. ‘Them’ being the aforementioned Geronimo posse. This venue is saturated with their GI stamp of authority: a hefty wine list smartly collated by a Master Of Wine called John Cleverly, no less; a tidy sum of guest ale options made by people who know shitloads about beer and only beer; plus, the overall sense that this pub was put there for locals and nowt else.

The scene is pretty standard for GI – on a corner, next to the world’s most impeccilbly-kept roundabout, overlooking the domain of Victoria Park, standing newly refurbished, regurgitated, reknowned. The house rules: upstairs is for quiet quaffing and scoffing, downstairs is for rowdy lounging.

The earthy tones and random books sitting on dusty shelves in a ‘all-stock-must-go’ charity shop sort of way should keep the readers of Love Your Library Weekly in fits and conniptions for a while. There’s beautiful wallpaper that could be construed as ‘busy’ or possibly dangerous after a few extra strong scrumpies. It even has its own waiting area with way too many sky lights so you’re never more than a blink away from a nifty little view. And if views are your vice, then you’ll be impressed by the balcony, which would be perfect for shouting obscenities from, if it were allowed, or for royal waving. Or both.

Plus, they LOVE giving you napkins. Not serviettes, mind, proper napkins. You end up with about five of the things perched on your lap by the end of dinner. Sod the environmental impact of having to clean that much linen, this is decadence baby! The presentation is impeccable and style kicks substance’s ass. For example, the devilishly good ham hock terrine and marinated beetroot is delivered on a chopping board. And the pan fried sea trout comes wrapped in actual newspaper. Containing actual news.

If words like liver, kidneys and testicles are to your fancy, then you’re in luck. The menu is littered with all of them. If you’re a cow or a vegetarian, however, this might not seem so appealing. Don’t fret though, if you are the latter, there’s plenty of fleshy asparagus to savagely tear to shreds.

Downstairs looks like a big playroom. The furnishings are mismatched, but in a matched sort of manner. There’s window booth seating and eco-friendly timer-operated outdoor heat lamps. During the day it becomes a true coffee trough for rabbiting mothers with pushchairs and generally the mix of customers is somewhere between edgy student and pop video extra. All with a pinch of affluence.

Despite all this it does have its niggles. For example, the journey from point A, your table, to point B, the loos, is so epic it would make Ben Hur wince. Plus, the bar itself is tiny, leading to serving problems (nothing a few jugs or an outside bottle bar couldn’t fix).

Overall, the change from its previous tapas incarnation is discernible and the area seems relieved to have it here.

Top European parties

I was recently commissioned by ResidentAdvisor.net to find the best weekly parties happening in and around Europe and to provide an interview with one DJ plus a small but concise travel tip for each city. This is an example of what I found. The published versions can be seen here, here and here.

20th Birthday Celebration @ Rex Club
Saturday 24th May, Paris
Line up:
Chloe
Jennifer Cardini
Ellen Allien

This week’s top shindig is a birthday bash with a twist. Personal space will be at a premium as the intimate and historically rich Rex Club continues the two-week celebration marking its 20th year. This time around its minimal and it’s womanly. Berlin’s Ellen Allien rides into town on the back of her recent Boogybytes Vol.04 mix. Her co-stars are hometown girl, Chloé, who also favours Germany’s minimal side (with a sprinkling of dirty electro), and Jennifer Cardini, another lady with a recent release, namely the Feeling Strange mix on Kompakt.

Like her French counterpart, Chloé, Cardini is daubed by the Kill The DJ brush and she’s one Paris' most longstanding and respected DJs. We cornered her for a chat before party time.

RA: What do you especially like about the Rex?
JC: The sound system.

RA: Describe the Rex in five words.
JC: "Can you feel the bass?" 

RA: Do you have any extra special memories from the club?
JC: The first time I met Michael Mayer. We were playing with Riccardo Villalobos for a Katapult party and the three of us ended playing back to back. That was also how I started to work and be friends with all the Kompakt crew.

RA: What kind of vibe are you expecting at the party?
JC: As I answer to this it's 27 degrees in Paris so I hope it will be hot on 24th of May. I hope people will sweat and shout!

RA: What impresses you most about parties in Paris?
JC: That there is always a moment around 5 am when it's special. You get a connection with the crowd and you can start to play more deeper.

RA: What are your feelings about being party of the all-girl line-up?
JC: I thought I was in an artist line up. I never realised we were only girls.

RA: Where are your favourite cities and why?
JC: I don't have a favourite city. I think parties are nice most of time if the promoter is a real music lover and if he enjoys hosting you. Most of the time the spirit of the people working for the event attract the good people.

RA: Which tunes go down really well in which cities?
JC: Euh??? A good tune is a good tune.

RA: Who are the funkiest nation?
JC: The ones from the one nation under a groove ...

RA: Who are the sexiest nation?
JC: The one from the seven nation army ...

RA: Who are the most boring nation?
JC: Monte Carlo!

RA: What are the key ingredients of a killer party?
JC: To play only Kill The DJ records

RA: If you could create a party anywhere in the world, where would it be and who would be there?
JC: Moorea Island. Mayer, Weatherall, Smagghe, Chloe, Funke, Fluegel, Ata.

RA: When you are travelling, what do you listen to?
JC: Music For Airports by Brian Eno. And if I'm on a bad mood, ‘Home’ by Depeche Mode. 

RA: What inspires you?
JC: Life 

RA: When is bed time?
JC: In the week, 11:30 pm. On the weekend, I never remember!

RA: What would you most like to be remembered for?
JC: There are more things I would not like to be remembered for!!


RA lifestyle recommendation: The beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg has a fountain with a writers corner and, if the security guards aren’t looking, you can lie on the grass.


Bugged Out & Modular @ Razzamatazz
Friday 23rd May, Barcelona
Line up:
Das Pop (live)
Gato
Luis le Nuit
Boys Noize
d.a.r.y.l.
Bang Gang DJs
Bumblebeez (live)
Modular DJs
Fredski DJ

Razzmatazz is notorious for mixing it with the big boys and tonight is no exception. The Bugged Out bravado is represented by the ubiquitous Boyz Noize who squeeze into the cosy Loft. The four remaining areas are taken over by the braun of Modular as Aussies-on-a-jaunt, Bumblebeez and Bang Gang DJs, muscle into the main rooms. Belgian band and close friends to the Dewaele ‘Soulwax’ brothers, Das Pop, will be testing out their blurred mix of quirky pop and indie dance.

RA lifestyle recommendation: Culture vultures get down to the Quatre Gats café/restaurant where Picasso and his arty mates used to hang out.

Urban Gorilla at The Plug
Sunday May 25, Shefflied
Sasha
Switch
Krafty Kuts (BBQ set)
Âme
Boy 8-Bit
Run Hide Survive
Alan Chapman

The Plug is getting ‘the full UG’ and self-congratulating back pats should go to the UG collective for putting the steel back into the city of Sheffield. Headline sturdiness comes from the legendary Sasha and Sonar Kollektiv’s German house virtuosos, Âme. THE name to look out for in the Bug room is red hot remixer, Boy 8-Bit. Tickets provide entry into the car park where you’ll find breaks masters, Kraft Kuts, and BBQ-d meat products. What Bank Holidays were made for, whoop whoop!

RA lifestyle recommendation: On the hunt for a classic bargain? Jack’s Records in Devonshire Street is the requisite stop for second hand albums and movies.

Klubnacht Traum 10th Anniversary Tour @ Berghain/Panorama Bar
Saturday 24th May, Berlin
Line-up /
Ben Klock
Dominik Eulberg
Thomas Brinkmann Live
Triple R
Super Flu
Audiosex (Baggy Bukaddor & Tim Fischbeck) Live
Red Robin
Stephan Hill

This birthday celebration just doesn’t want to end. Traum was founded on its parties and over one hundred releases later, the intensity isn’t dwindling. Boss man, Triple R, has again collated a veritable who’s who from the label’s core as a preview of the Traum V100 release due out in June. Playful minimal house duo, Bukaddor & Fishbeck, and the dark mysterious Thomas Brinkmann, will be flexing their contributions from the album, as will Dominik Eulberg and Super Flu.

RA lifestyle recommendation: The old dance hall is East Berlin known as Claerchens Ballhaus promotes a ‘come one, come all’ attitude to dancing. And the upstairs bar is about as cool as a bar can be.

Compilation H Release Party @ Cocoon
Friday 23rd May, Frankfurt
Line-up
Joris Voorn
Dubfire
Simon Baker
Matt Star (live)

Are you keen to find out what’ll be making Sven Väth sweat beneath his collar this summer? Simply pop along to the big man’s Cocoon Club on May 23rd and you’ll witness firsthand the fresh faced delights handpicked by his highness to appear on this year’s Cocoon Compilation H. Joris Voorn get’s his ‘Deep Side of the Moog’ out, Simon Baker offers ’U’, Matt Star asks ‘Am I Dreaming’ and Dubfire will be looking for ‘Diablo’.

RA lifestyle recommendation: The Mantis Roof Garden has a stunning terrace thanks to an automatic folding roof which works well with the marble cocktail bar.


Six years of Electronic Motion feat. Sound Force KINGSIZE @ Gusswerk
Wednesday 21st May, Salzburg
Lineup:
Mauro Picotto
Adam Beyer
Turntablerocker
Moonbootica
John Acquaviva
Johannes Heil LIVE

Such a glut of headliner acts and to think it’s only a Wednesday! Surely, it’s not legal?! Salzburg’s premier outfit opens up all three arenas for the first time and offers a variety of flavours to taste at this 6-year anniversary: Turntablerocker lay down the ‘boogie’ beats; DJ/production machine, Mauro Picotto, goes partly high tempo and partly funky minimal; whilst the young-but-highly-developed Adam Beyer and Kanzleramt’s Johannes Heil tap the techno keg.

RA lifestyle recommendation: The Sound of Music bus tour with ‘alternative’ singalong lyrics should get a few smiles going (“Doh a beer, I need a beer. Ray, a bloke who buys me beer….”)

Display at BG
Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May, Amsterdam
Line-up:
Day One:
Cluase VonStroke
Justin Martin
Jimpster

Day Two:
Warren Fellow
Guy Gerber
Chaim
Unders
Lucio Aquilina

One big fat line-up. Times two! BG’s decadent locale gets a double dose of techno. First up is Claude VonStroke, boss of the deep techno Mothership and the tech-funk Dirtbird, as well as a massive favourite with the Resident Advisor family. Sharing day one with Claude is hot property producer and old pal, Christian Martin, with whom he teamed up with on the recent haunting tech-house hybrid, ’Groundhog Day’. The Bedrock/Cocoon prog house of Guy Gerber and minimal tech-house of Lucio Aquilina will be claiming day two.

RA lifestyle recommendation: The lovely Albert Cuypt street market specialises in food and is strolling distance from Sarphati Park.

Warm @ East Village
Saturday 24th May, London
Line-up:
Tim Goldsworthy (DFA)
Tim Sweeney (DFA/Beats in Space)
Skull Juice (Walk The Night)
Warm Residents

It’s the English Bank Holiday which can mean only one thing - it’s time to get the Tims in. The bi-monthly Warm will adhere to its name once the classy East Village basement begins to bounce. Those familiar with DFA’s supremacy will know that label owner, Tim Goldsworthy, is rinsed right through the entire scene. Goldsworthy’s former intern, now collaborator, Tim Sweeney, has a varied palette in genres, an aspect that has made his Beats In Space radio show so enticing.

RA lifestyle recommendation: Avoid the Brick Lane curry cliches if you’re looking for something hot and tasty. South London’s Tooting High Road is a much better Mecca for the devilish dishes.


I.S.M DeventerDubSessions @ Burgerweeshuis
Saturday 24th May, Deventer, Netherlands
Line up:
Bart Skils
2000 and One
Farimont LIVE

If you’re going to go deep, go Deventer deep. Fairmont, the softer side of Canadian producer Jake Fairley, performs his mid-tempo live set balancing somewhere on the interface between trance and minimal. The Traum/Kompakt/Connaisseur spinner gets some help from Bart Skills, presently one of the Netherlands’ frontrunning techno DJs, and from 2000 And One, the back-to-basics project of producer Dylan Hermelijn and DJ Dano Leeflang, who blend Detroit techno house with Chicago acid house.

RA lifestyle recommendation: Take a relaxing jaunt along the banks of the River Ijssel and chance upon the Bolwerksmolen, an authentic windmill and the foot ferry which takes you to the scenic Worpplantsoen and Ossenwaard park.

Padded Cell ‘A Night Must Fall’ Album Launch @ Café 1001
Sunday 25th May, London
Zombie Zombie Live (Versatile Records)
Andrew Weatherall (Wrong Meeting)
Trevor Jackson (K7!)
Richard Sen (Bronx Dogs)
A Mountain Of One (DJ set)
Andy Blake (Dissident)

Two factors are intrinsically intertwined here. Firstly, noone has to work the next day. Secondly, it’s the launch of Padded Cell’s debut album, Night Must Fall. Cafe 1001’s double-roomed warehouse plays host to this 12 hour flirtation with live analogue. Versatile’s Zombie Zombie give their Parisian take on classic krautrock and DJ duties fall to the capable Andrew Weatherall and Trevor Jackson, both of whom are forerunners of the leftfield motion, masters of the remix and keen-eyed collectors of every known genre.

RA lifestyle recommendation: Very close to this party venue is the historical Truman Brewery where you can take in a spectacular view of London from the roof.