His discoteca debut alongside associate Appleblim in summer was a feast of techno and bass music, it’s clear his first release on Sneaker Social Club is following in the same tradition. Check the video below featuring a mix of Japanese scientific short films, 80s Italian B-Movie erotica and lots and lots of fractals.
The single is out on 12″ and digital in February, the physical copy comes with a limited edition poster made by none other Al’s better half, Sophia Cox. Check out Sneaker Social Club for details.
Bottin brings his own brand of intricate cosmic thump with this exclusive mix for We Love. He’s been star performer in for the Tirk crew in Space’s chic back room El Salon for a couple of years now and we’re big fans of his uniquely horror fueled disco. There’s a few unreleased bits on here so think of it as a literal look into the future.
52 minutes of 320 Kbps gold, listen below, download here.
Getting a listen to PBR Streetgang‘s low slung stomper ‘The Downstroke’ could only previously be done by attending their residencies in Leeds, Ibiza or Croatia. Luckily for the rest of you the World’s #1 DJ™ Jamie Jones has snapped it up for his feverishly hyped Hot Creations label. As testament to it’s heat, getting a listen involved passwords, watermarks and a specific list of who not to share with.
Downstroke has been tested to destructive results most Sundays on the sometimes shuttered sometimes sunkissed We Love Space terrace throughout the 2011 Ibiza season. The crunching overdriven bass certainly suits that warm up slot, being less chemical and more musical than much of what’s successful in Ibiza. Expect a bouncy acid stabs from Deetron’s mix on the flip alongside PBR’s kosmische-house number Vibos.
There’s an inevitable backlash to come from the sub-culture of conformity surrounding the consistently high charting positions of Jones and his Crosstown Vision Creations Quest extended families. Accusations of ‘neo-handbag’ already abound, but it’s good to see for now at least he’s still supporting the very best in what makes you move your feet.
Sorry, we just couldn’t resist. Since everyone and their dog seems to be doing end of year lists here’s our top 5 We Love podcasts produced with the capable hands (and voice) of Andy Wilson. There’s also our top 5 behind the scenes type photos from Frank. Drum roll please…
At 5 it’s our closing party special. Plenty of bang for your buck here with 2 live sets and 2 live PAs from our Terraces. Rob Da Bank is in conversation and Adamski performs his classic ‘Killer’.
Can you at least get me backstage! Leaves us wondering what more than backstage would mean.
At number 4 it’s a personal fave from We Love HQ, Kompakt’s takeover where Superpitcher provides his 4 favourite tracks and chats about alfresco voodoo.
Rafter party
There’s a nice cross-section of the ethos of We Love at 3, with veteran Hell, and young guns jozif and Foamo. jozif tells us why he wants to be Paul Woolford and why he’s rolling with the sheep.
Careful inspection of Mezcal worms, before careless consumption.
Mat Playford talks about his debut album at number 2 and there’s sets from the club featuring likely lads PBR Streetgang and golden boy Joris Voorn.
Protip: Wearing a pretty dress and a winning smile will get you one more tune.
Our favourite podcast is Paul Woolford’s where he talks about hooking into Detroit, his famous Terrace edits and return of his alter-ego Bobby Peru.
The security guard literally jumping for joy to see the back of us... until next year!
You look like you’ve been for breakfast at the heartbreak hotel
Inside of a back booth by the pamphlets and the literature on how to lose.
Your waitress was miserable and so was your food.
If you’re gonna try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes.
Alex Turner – Piledriver Waltz
It’s time to reignite our series of film soundtrack reviews with a tenuous link to We Love Space. Alex Turner’s short but sweet EP written to accompany the film Submarine was produced by James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco. James is also producer of Alex’s main musical concern, Arctic Monkeys. The ‘Monkeys catalogue is mainly unabashed, accessible rock and this release can be considered less esoteric and cinematic than most other soundtracks we’ve looked at before. It does fit flawlessly though, converting the theme of a first romance viewed through adolescent eyes to straight-up, instantly likeable indie love songs.
My mother is worried I have mental problems. I found a book about teenage paranoid delusions during a routine search of my parents' bedroom.
The film’s plot is narrated with a voice obviously too mature in tone and vocabulary to be that of the film’s teenage protagonist. He looks uncannily like Alex Turner did when he broke into the music scene in 2006. It’s a diverting coincidence but it gives a kind of consistency to the unassuming lyrics toyed with throughout the EP. Turner is a bit of a master at using his voice to cultivate a frank, observational attitude with his songs. It’s not merely a literal re-telling the film’s narrative, it’s a unique musical interpretation of a coming of age tale involving a self-concious 15 year old boy Oliver Tate, his collapsing parental home (involving a New Age mystic called Graham) and his enigmatic but undoubtedly enchanting girlfriend Jordana.
Her mouth tasted of sour milk, Polo mints and Dunhill International.
The film is set in a particularly nostalgic 1980s viewed through tinted spectacles although given the autobiographical feel they’re probably not completely rosy. The soundtrack looks further back for inspiration to understated ballads of the 60s and 70s evoking the likes of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and John Lennon at their best. It all culminates in a setting which is in effect timeless and suiting of the universal and age-old matter of growing up, finding one’s place in the world and finding someone to enjoy it with.
At such a point there'd be a crane shot but, unless something dramatically changes in my life, there would only be the budget for a zoom-out.
Such a story (and concept for an album) could lend itself to over-sentimentality, but Turner keeps it quaint and charming rather than overwrought and gooey. It’s simple but astute songwriting on display and James Ford’s production is largely perfectly transparent, allowing the arrangements space around Turner’s quick-witted lyrics. The film itself is directed by Richard Ayoade and is both instantly endearing and comical, but the lasting impression and emotional echoes of it’s soundtrack seem to stick in the mind to a higher degree. It’s both an examination and celebration of the self-imposed trauma of youth and escapes the trap of contrived quirkiness it’s film counterpart occasionally falls into.
It’s taken a while but we’ve finally got all jozif‘s ‘terrace edits’ in one place. Individually they are brilliant, but together you can get a really good picture of the sound he brought to his We Love Space residency over the summer.
First up you’ll find a fresh take on a track which has been re-edited by everyone from Jamie XX to Dave Guetta – a hard task to follow indeed! jozif manages it with his usual aplomb, taking Adele’s smash vocal to floppy disco territory.
Next there’s a sunkissed slice of balearica with just the right amount of surface noise. Uplifting vox and some Tensnake-esque shimmering synths ensured this went down a storm during jozif’s early doors terrace sets.
Finally he’s taken what can only be described as a classic and pulled it wider, made some space, and let that bassline breathe. Guaranteed dancefloor destruction and check out those strings!
If you’re one of the many thousands making the Hogmanay pilgrimage to Edinburgh this New Year then come party with us at Liquid Room where jozif will be spinning alongside Julio Bashmore and Deetron. More info, here.
In what’s fast becoming an institution in West Yorkshire, Jamie ‘Fatneck‘ Low is bringing his buddy Greg Wilson to Huddersfield on Boxing Day for his annual Kitchen Sink Disco bash. They’ve moved to a bigger venue in the form of Cotton Factory after sardine like conditions last year.
Incase you are not aware (which disco deficiency rock have you been hiding under) Greg Wilson is something of a high priest of the re-edit scene. He’s been rocking floors since you were in short trousers everywhere from the Haçienda to Ministry and of course We Love Space. Expect the biggest, best, unabashed party vibes.
As an extra-special treat, Fatneck has invited Big L & Roo Dog for their UK debut. Traveling respectively from South and North for this special show, it will have been many months since they laid eyes on each other. Word has it that Big L is hoping Roo Dog has learned to mix in key and Roo Dog is hoping Big L has had a haircut. In honour of Jamie, his good lady Rebecca and the arrival of what will be West Yorkshire’s youngest disco aficionado, they’ve created this mix.
It’s time to welcome the turning of the Mayan Long Count calendar. With that in mind we’ve lined up two showcases of the best of We Love on both sides of the border. First up is one of the biggest annual party’s in Scotland, Hogmanay in Edinburgh where the whole centre of town is taken over for a street party. Things will be warmer in the Liquid Room where Julio Bashmore, jozif, Deetron and a host of local residents are set to welcome in the bells with style. You’ll find tickets, here.
Check out this video made by the capable hands of Jocie Cox featuring jozif and the story behind his summer residency on the We Love Space terrace.
Next up we’re jumping on the east coast main line down to join a host of We Love stalwarts at our London home, Ministry of Sound. The lineup is huge by anyone’s standards with a host of our headline summer residents all together under one roof. There’s a rare UK appearance from Groove Armada and we’re welcoming back Simian Mobile Disco and Joris Voorn after stellar sets at our last New Year show (hard to believe that was almost a year ago!).
Check out our latest radio show with an exclusive live mix from Groove Armada on the Space Terraza recorded during the summer.
The resident theme continues into the smaller but perfectly formed 103 room. Disco-house doyens PBR Streetgang are joined by Jem Haynes and Ian Blevins for what will be the debut of their Second Line project.
A son who has learned how to smile from his father.
Heritage is a collaborative project bringing together two generations and more than a lifetime of musical discoveries. The father and son duo is a quintessentially Ibiza story, tracking the evolution of the sound and spirit of the island. ‘El padre’ Alfredo, purveyor of what has come to be known as the Balearic sound, and ‘el hijo’ Jaime Fiorito who through the addition of his knowledge and passion has delivered an ever changing style and vision over the years. Alfie’s prestige needs no introduction and is something of a high-priest when it comes to dance music globally.
Alfredo has been moved around like a precious chess piece between Space’s 6 rooms in recent years at We Love. He’s finally found a home where he can stretch his balearic muscles on the Premier Etage, the sun-kissed roof terrace. It’s been something of a revelation seeing a master at work, leaving no one in doubt that DJing as a true craft, selection, reading a crowd – can not be learned over-night. Jaime is no slouch either and a true multilingual child of the island. An accomplished DJ in his own right, he acts as something of a filter for his father who is all too aware there is too much music around these days! Together they bring an archetypal summer vibe to the roof, which is unique for We Love, in Space and on Ibiza as a whole.
There’s always a question of context in appreciating someone’s art. Music perhaps is easier than most forms to admire without a need for a back story, but with this mix you can’t help remember the significance it contains. Alfredo arguably kick-started the modern culture of dance music in Ibiza, and it’s good to see it quite literally moving through generations. As one veteran Ibiza promoter happily exclaimed to a questioning young resident as Alfredo made a contentious beat match, “if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t all have jobs!” Amen. Listen below and download here.
The throwaway free mag scene is hugely over-populated in Ibiza with a higher advertorial to article ratio than a Sunday Mail supplement. There is one publication opposing the trend of flunky journalism and that is dub curated by our own in-house photographer Phrank and his partner in crime Andreas Simon. You’ll find insight beyond the usual night life sycophancy with a healthy dose of cynicism thrown in for good measure.
It’s by no means pompous however, and also serves as an outlet for Phrank’s photography work which stretches far outside his bread and butter made in the confines of the island’s superclubs.
A favourite section among the Ibiza locals is dub’s own version of the standard society pages. This painstakingly produced collage of movers, shakers, visitors and taste makers is inspected as soon as the magazine hits the streets to see which of the island’s scenesters have made the grade that month. You can be haughtily assured that most if not all of the team at We Love, from PR staff to resident DJs have appeared here on occasion
Alongside the lavish photography, editor Andreas Simon ensures a philosophical and inclusive outlook to the interviews, articles and poetry which makes up the bulk of the publication’s content. Every article (except the poetry) is published in English and Spanish with subjects chosen to capture a range of island life and opinion. You’ll find interviews with everyone from visiting superstars such as Derrick May and Ricardo Villalobos to uniquely Ibicenco socialite characters. Alongside this, Andreas’ own editorials are always on point and pull no punches with subjects ranging from music and drugs to critiques of the (mis)management of the island’s largest institutions.
The magazine survives on sponsorship from local businesses and promotors (the likes of We Love and Cocoon being long-term supporters). Ibiza is a unique territory in terms of publishing with a readership looking for specific insider information on everything from a party calendar to cheap eats. There are countless rags doing just that, but dub stands alone in offering alternatives, and on an island sometimes accused of being homogenous and inward looking – this can only be a good thing.
dub is published monthly with a circulation of 20,000 in Ibiza and selected outlets Europe-wide throughout summer. It’s fast becoming a collectors item and fortunately for those not visiting or dwelling in Ibiza they have an online presence where you can download in PDF format. The last two editions are here and here (right click and save as).
