A surreal account of genital surgery and general misadventure with The Mole. The soundtrack features a new release from our friends at Vitalik recordings, with amigos jozif and The Mole himself. Available from all good download stores and vinyl distributors.
Vitalik Recording was set up by Ryan O Gorman in 2009, its prevoius incarnation and namesake was synonymous with various forms of underground resistance and clandestine parties across Ibiza and thoughout London. Now with its sole agenda of releasing quality electronic music from upcoming artists; teaming them up with the most highly respected and talented producers trans genre; it focuses its energy firmly on good music and talent rather than a specific sound. Look out for a special Vitalik label night on Sunday August 8th this summer.
In the mountains overlooking Budva Montenegro a new club has been built. The completely out door venue ‘Top Hill’ with stunning panoramic views across the top of Budva will play host to 2 We Love… Parties this summer.
Setting the Stage
So new is this venue in fact that so far all we have to offer you are these pictures of the “under construction” stage. We can only imagine how good it’s going to look when its finished!
By all accounts there is a special moment predicted for the Discoteca on Sunday. Endearing innovator Carl Craig will be joined by neo-classical collaborator Francesco Tristano for an exclusive live performance involving a grand piano, moogs and a juno. An electronic-meets-acoustic showcase for our post-digital age. To get an idea of what to expect, check out the video below…
Cosmic disco doyen Prins Thomas discusses the vagaries of process versus result in making music. New kid in the Discoteca jozif on the importance of crafting a sound. Philosophical Swedes Minilogue profess artistic inspiration comes from being a human being and someone has to play Joris Voorn’s records.
Featuring performances from Prins Thomas, Joris Voorn and Jeff Mills.
A short preview of the artwork, music and artists to expect this summer – at We Love… Space, Ibiza. Music from Omar, Henrik Schwarz, PBR Streetgang and Soul Clap & Catz n Dogz as Clapz n Dogz.
As always we love to spread the love. This summer a free compilation album will be handed out to visitors in around our venue to showcase talent and tunes from the formidably enduring label 2020Vision. Based in Leeds, owned and operated by Ralph Lawson, his team of dedicated and genuine music lovers have shaped the imprint into one of the most respected house labels in the world. Since it’s inaugural pressing in 1995 the label has achieved it’s status of quality and consistency from the point of view of both artists and the record buying public alike. At We Love we are delighted to have not only a talent such as Ralph, with a label so prestigious as 2020Vision at our disposal to compile this compilation – but also from a promotional point of view being able to provide you, our patrons, an objet d’art at no cost to yourselves is such a simple but effective way to give something back. As Mark says: “Simply the best promotional tool we have used in years, a back page advert in popular monthly music press is around £4000 and 10,000 fully finished CDs costs around £3500 delivered. Do the math.”
Ralph will be playing for We Love on the renowned Space Terrace in Ibiza on June 20th, July 25th and September 12th. There will also be a special appearance from Ralph’s live project when he will roll into Space along with Danny Ward, Fernando Pulichino and Julian Sanza in the form of 2020Soundsystem on the 22nd of August. Their album Falling released last year struck the demanding task of a cross-over electronic album being a clear picture, a representation of the artists involved, a “thing-in-itself” and balancing that with enough dancey, trackey elements for the underground to fall in love with it. We’ll leave it to Ralph to explain how the We Love 2020Vision mix came about and his thought process behind the selection…
“The label mix album came about as an idea from Mark Broadbent from We Love last year with the first one featuring Steve Lawler and Viva. It worked out well for everyone as it profiles the DJ who mixes, their label and also provides clubbers with a soundtrack to their night at Space as a present. I have worked for We Love for many years but in the last couple of years it has really started to click for me on the Terrace. I think firstly there was a move towards my style of House music in recent years and secondly I have enough experience under my belt now to know how to play it and get it going off. It is always a high pressure gig playing at We Love and it takes quite a few attempts to learn how to do it right.
Label compilations are very very hard mixes to do. For a start there are fewer tracks to choose from on a normal mix and also you have to represent as many of your artists as possible which further tightens the selection. Then they have to be put together into a smooth flowing mix! Not an easy challenge. I also wanted it to be as fresh as possible so I chased up producers for exclusive up front material. I also had the idea to include a couple of my favourite remixes from Blaze and Layo & Bushwacka so I had to ask permission for those. As 2020Vision is all about having ‘perfect vision’ we include many styles on the label and I needed to highlight this. The CD starts with Nu Disco from 2020Soundsystem and Crazy P which is actually much slower than House so I worked in tempo changes. It then picks up the pace into House and some more techier moments before leaving people with ‘Lovelee Dae’ by Blaze as a kind of happy last tune to go home on.
That was from the label perspective. I also needed to keep an eye on what works for We Love so I had a rule that all the tracks had to be playable at Space on Sundays. I picked a couple from the last year or so that were big for me on the Terrace last year such as Art Of Tones – Call The Shots and Mark Broom – People. Then I included ones I know I will be busting this year that aren’t out yet like Audiojack – Motion Sickness and Simon Baker – The Trick. I Imagined arriving at Space and heading upstairs to the top floor for a drink on the roof before where I could hear a tracks like ‘Ocean’ and then ‘Love on the line’ before heading down to the covered Terrace as the House starts to thump. A big turning point in the mix is the Radioslave track which is an epic production under his Panorama Garage moniker. As I was mixing the album I visited Berlin with Mark and Sarah Broadbent and we went to Panorama and Berghain. As luck would have it Matt Edwards (Radioslave) delivered his track for the album as I came back to the hotel and I put it straight on the headphones in my hotel room. After a night at the infamous club it totally hit the spot and I listened to it about 5 times in a row enjoying it more each time. Of course it had to go the CD and it marks the moment at a night at Space when the crowd is now ready to go and needs the beats tougher. The strings give a classic feel to the mix and really stand out.
I have a rule that I have to DJ my mixes live. I just feel they are more spontaneous and have a more natural feel that way. I can always tell when they have been pieced together one track at a time. I used Traktor Scratch pro to try mixes and then used Ableton on an Allen and Heath 4D to do the final mix but on the jam page so I could still DJ it. I did it like that so I could edit afterwards. It was recorded at 2020HQ in Leeds.” Ralph Lawson
Although first best known for their steady stream of re-issues and edits of what can loosely be described as disco, Tirk Records is a home for a range of styles and methodologies of modern dance music. In collaboration with critically acclaimed Hackney based DJ agency The Pool we are proud to announce a monthly residency with which The Pool and Tirk will host El Salon within Space for We Love this summer season.
Expect a showcase of carefully selected names. Legendary titans of the scene and fresh talent will be exhibited in the chic but loose backroom at We Love over four Sundays this summer. Artists appearing include; Steve Kotey (owner of Bear Funk from Chicken Lips (compilation about to drop on Tirk), Matthew Burgess – DJ History’s finest secret weapon, Richard Sen of Padded Cell – fresh out of the studio with Bryan Ferry, mysterious Brighton meets Brooklyn collective Soft Rocks, geordie nu-beat genius Phoreski. Italian horror-disco maestro (and office listening favourite) Bottin and most highly anticipated a live show from Tirk’s most recent discovery, one part King Tubby, two parts Carl Craig… Architeq. Tirk residents Matty J and Ben Terry will be on hand across the four dates to add a sprinkle of their own balearic fairy dust.
Rising like a disco driven phoenix from the ashes of the legendary Nuphonic (who led from the front in the recent disco resurgence with a pioneering output from 1995 to 2002) stable, which was revered across the world in its reputation for quality and diversity in sound, Tirk follows in that tradition of releasing cutting edge music from all corners of the dance spectrum. From the kraut-pop of Fujiya & Miyagi, to the punk-funk of New Young Pony Club and electro pioneer Greg Wilson along with other genre busting artists such as Idjut Boys and Time & Space Machine we hope by coming to Ibiza with We Love they can continue to throw their message far and wide.
Pencil in these dates for a taste of true-new-balearica at We Love… Space; June 27th, July 25th, August 22nd and September 26th. They’re all Sundays, as if you needed to ask!
Below you can watch a video directed by Steven Crichton at Duncan of Jordanstone art college in the delightful seaside “city of discovery” Dundee. The track is from Arqiteq’s album Gold and Green available on Tirk Recordings.
The Black Rabbit gang are descending on the White Isle for a summer residency with us at We Love. The idea behind the move is for all their guests to play alternative and unconventional sets in El Salon throughout the summer. Expect the likes of Shaun Reeves, Pete Herbert, Thomas Gandey (Cagedbaby), Luca C, Ali Love and a slew of other established and upcoming producers and DJs to be gracing the decks. El Salon (by day, an unassuming white lounge bar / back room, but the minute the sun starts to fade, it turns into a retro-inspired groove-tastic rave space for the Black Rabbit crew) will be swaying to the sounds of leftfield disco, analogue house and live vocals once a month starting on our opening party and ending fortuitously at our closing. In rabbiting style, expect the odd bit of 80’s party pop thrown in for good measure.
Bones and Guy, balearic bunnies
Formed in 2006, the Black Rabbit contingent of Chris Bones, Kelly Love, Justin Robertson and Guy Williams quickly gained appeal by their renowned residents Bones and Guy playing a refreshing, uplifting mishmash of musical styles. Highlights of the summer look to be Luca C and Ali Love live on the 13th of June, there’s sure to be a few unreleased licks from Chemical Brothers collaborator Ali Love’s anticipated new album. The 4th of July aptly brings Detroit native Shaun Reeves of Wolf + Lamb out to play his distinctive mix of American and Kraut House, both classic and contemporary. On Sunday the 1st of August be advised to expect the unexpected with Paradise 45, brainchild of Thomas Gandey (Cagedbaby) and Guy Williams dropping everything from italo, dub, funk and beyond. Also out that day will be disco king Pete Herbert – a constant force in dance for the past 15 years. The Rabbit’s final date, 5th September brings fellow Londoners DDD Simon Morell and Ryan Shaw, as Kelly says it’s going to be “fun, messy and Balearic all the way!”
Guy Williams has kindly provided a mix to give a taste of things to come this summer. You can download it here. Thump thump thump.
