Preview: Dot to Dot Festival 2014, Friday 23 May

Dot to Dot Festival rolls in to town once more this weekend to kick off the festival season early, with more titillating new music in tow than anything the majors could possibly offer and all in the comfort of some of Manchester’s finest venues.

Spoiling numerous audiences for choice as it makes its way through Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham (Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively) the only real question for attendees is who can’t you afford to miss? Thankfully the festival has put together an extremely comprehensive stage guide so you can perfect your sprint from Gorilla to Zoo just in time to catch Macaulay Culkin and co’s homage to Neapolitan flatbreads and early John Cale records.



Other highlights across this gargantuan day of sound include kings of nostalgic indie-rock Real Estate, the icy, Scandinavian alt-folk of Noah Gundersen and the warm, spacious pop of New Yorkers Caveman. Running water, zero mud baths, plentiful cash machines and reasonably priced drinks as standard.

Words: Dan Coultas

Tickets are still available, priced at £20 (+ booking fee). The downloadable timetable is here. For more info visit their website here.

Competition: Fingathing @ Sound Control

Combining an MPC and turntables with live double bass and unique cartoon visuals, Peter Parker, Sneaky and Chris Drury have built up a strong reputation within the field of leftfield live hip hop under the banner of Fingathing.

They bring their legendary live show to Manchester's Sound Control this Saturday 22 March as part of a spring tour of the UK.

Support comes from local drum and bass band Red Sky Noise and Hoya:Hoya resident Jonny Dub.



We've teamed up with Sound Control to offer Now Then Manchester readers a pair of tickets to the show, so for your chance to see some astoundingly dexterous live hip hop, like and share the image via this link (making sure it's public).

We will notify the winners on the evening of Friday 21 March. Good luck!

Vessels @ Sound Control, 07.11.13

Overcoming the winter sickness that seems to have been enveloping the North West in recent months, From the Kites of San Quentin presented their trademark, harmonious yet unnerving juxtaposition of sounds. With their sub-bass rattling all fixtures and fittings of Sound Control, they fuse end of the world rave sirens with the delicately manipulated vocals of Alison Carney.

There is an undeniable humanism to their music and a ludicrous level of mechanical dexterity from their primary beat-maker Blood Boy. That said, there’s plenty of headroom for progression for a band that could perhaps progress their sound even further and benefit from stripping things back to their bare minimum. Following a few singles and EPs, From the Kites of San Quentin have a debut LP due out on the new Victoria Warehouse Records imprint next year, so we’ll find out what direction their sound takes for that.

Having previously become acquainted with the music of Vessels through their superb cover of Nathan Fake’s ‘The Sky Was Pink’, their evolution from a synthesized post-rock ensemble to something resembling a live, contemporary techno sound was confirmed when faced with a back line resembling the deck of the Starship Enterprise, truly a synthesiser enthusiast’s wet dream. Shades of early Vitalic and Modeselektor were at times present, but Vessels really come into their own when they exceed all contemporary influences, like a house band on Mars riffing out alien love songs.

In a world where techno producers seem to spend more and more of their lives striving for the most organic, human principles of sound, Vessels have superbly embodied these elements of live bass, drums and shakers into their performance with ease and poise, and for this reason they remain as exciting a live prospect as you will come across, this year or next.

Words: Dan Coultas

Nicolas Jaar & Scuba Vs SCB @ Sound Control, Saturday 28th January 2012

“Gotta love student crowds... The educated face of the nation,” tweets Scuba sarcastically during a performance in his SCB guise down in the Sound Control basement.

A brash, acerbic, unnecessary and incendiary statement, yes, but it’s hard not to agree with him on some level, university attendees or otherwise, even if not for the same reasons.

In following up with another tweet (“So bored with the music upstairs at Sound Control I’ve been forced to switch on data roaming”), he unwittingly puts himself in the same musically unappreciative boat as the audience in his crosshairs.

The issue is this: it’s as if the venue has been turned on its head as punters pile upstairs en masse for Nicolas Jaar, seemingly expectant of an uptempo rave to the tune of techno. Many are unsuspecting of the subtlety in Jaar’s set; his soundwaves flowing through the room with a sobriety not shared by those busy flexing their vocal chords.

Jaar and his Clown & Sunset cohorts replicate more Mulatu Astatke’s jazz than the 90s techno and house peddled by SCB. Acid Pauli trots in with Balearic clips and clops at a mellow canter before Soul Keita adds an engaging fusion of highs and lows with bursts of jazz samples amidst echoing clacks akin to Baths, both facing sparse to average crowd sizes.

But by the time Jaar steps up for a live laptop set (a disappointment to those expecting the advertised ‘live’ show to mean his instrumental arrangements), the full effect of overselling tickets can be felt by those prohibited from accessing the packed main room.

Where SCB is right is with those who do manage to squeeze upstairs; many not only chatter over his ambient glistens and downtempo minimalism, but also complain that they’re not enjoying it and didn’t even enjoy his latest record, Space Is Only Noise. Jaar continues regardless, filtering in elements of his Darkside project with slow-burners such as ‘Don’t Break My Love’ alongside vocal samples by Scout LaRue and live, effects-heavy mixes of his own words – exhaling into the microphone to coin a Leonard Cohen lyric, “I can feel you when you breathe.”

When he does raise the tempo, such as with ‘Space Is Only Noise If You Can See’ dropped in towards the end of an hour-long set, it is incongruous to the soundscape as a whole. Using his own choice of rolling visuals for imagery, it is like barging through the bucolic as a bulldozer would through an open field. Many snap into movement with the onset of pulsating basslines, but in truth he has more in common with the progressive guitar chugs of Malian blues ensemble Tinariwen, whom he often references through his music both directly and by influence.

After the scrum upstairs, SCB’s room is busier for the early hours. Judging on its merits, the Hotflush label founder produces a diverse set ranging from 90s techno such as Moby’s ‘Go’ to acid and cosmic house both old and new, as with Boddika & Joy O’s newbie ‘Swims’.

But SCB himself should be content with second billing, particularly given Jaar’s hype explosion with the end-of-year lists, without which this show might’ve made for a good split between a chilled out attic and techno in the basement. Contrary to Scuba’s dismissive tone, the split isn’t between boring and exciting; that would be to neglect the challenging intricacies of Jaar’s work. And in any case Scuba in SCB form settles for mimicry by spinning others’ songs via CDJs, while Jaar performs his own compositions. Which is the more boring of those two options?

Words: Ian Pennington
Images: Camille Uliana

HearHere presents: Polar Bear with Jyager @ Sound Control, Wednesday 16th March 2011

I’ll get it out of the way at the start, Seb Rochford has a lot of hair, a veritable mane of hair. There, I said it, no need to mention it again, because from here on in, it’s all about the music.

Support comes from Sheffield’s King Capisce, comprising of a guitar, bass, drums rhythm section and fronted by dual saxophones, but they go far beyond what you’d assume from a jazz quintet line up. Their melting pot of influences makes for a delightful mix, moulding Battles-inspired math-rock riffs and psychedelic Mars Volta-esque noodlings alongside duelling saxes reminiscent of early Polar Bear. They are clearly talented musicians and the intelligent use of dynamics and groove display their abilities, new single ‘If Not Now, Then When?’ is a highlight - and well worth checking out - but as with many musical equations, this band doesn’t quite equal the sum of its parts. The talent is certainly there, but the performance is missing that extra something, a little excitement or dynamism from the group as a whole. There is great potential here and they are definitely worth keeping an eye on to see what they can produce through developing as a band.

The mature crowd slowly eases its way forward and welcomes Seb Roachford’s Polar Bear to the stage with warm applause, but who’s this baseball cap toting chap striding on stage? It’s Polar Bear’s latest addition, London-based rapper Jyager. It’s clear from the start that he’s going to be running the show, stealing some whoops and waves from the crowd between songs; he’s intent on having a good time and it’s easy to see why. The band onstage with him is a rapper’s delight, crafting tight grooves and melodies upon which his slick and rhythmic lyrical flow thrives. Playing all the hits from latest collaborative album Peepers, Polar Bear and Jyager are a delight to watch; each musician complementing the other as the tastiest of drum grooves, smooth guitar licks, delightfully melodic sax squawks and syncopated basslines, topped off by Jyager’s energetic presence, combine to form a glorious whole.

But you get the feeling that this isn’t the Polar Bear that some members of the audience have come to see. One heckle of "play one we know!" is met with a wry smile from Jyager, because if you were expecting the well-loved, sax-led jazz quartet, you may end up going home disappointed. The evolution from the early days of Polar Bear’s snarling sax duelling that earned them a Mercury Music Prize nomination is clearly evident as they embark upon this dynamic collaboration. On the strength of their combined musicianship alone, the prospects for what this band can create are insatiable and, united with such an exciting talent as Jyager, the jazz/rap union appears to have been carried off with vibrant aplomb.

For the unexpectant neutral, this is a delight to behold and as I gaze at the musicianship on show my good English self can’t help but let out a wiggle of the hips and a tap of the foot in response to the rhythmic energy flowing from the speakers. As the inevitable encore ensues, there is noticeable sophistication about Polar Bear’s manner, no need for any tricks or flamboyance, just let the inventiveness and excitement of the music speaks for itself.

Words & Images: Simon Bray

Über Motion present Sascha Dive @ Sound Control, Friday 28th January 2011

Über Disco and Untold Motion recently converged, giving life to a single Über Motion offspring with the aim of bringing variations of tech and house into this city’s walls. Two heads are better than one, as some wise-cracker once uttered.

Both have made the Sound Control basement their new home since its doors opened just over a year ago; a Stimming show proving a success for Über Disco, while Untold Motion roped in Martinez and then Maya Jane Coles to mix’n’beatmatch. This one’s over three floors, though, with the Mind On Fire crew’s forward-thinking musical melange as the filling in a tech house sandwich.

It’s Untold Motion founder Enlukaa who begins tonight in the loft room, creaking the wooden floorboards into life with some chugging melodic deep house. Although the early punters are few, a striking lightshow set-up wraps the tune-warper in waves, lasers and shifting lines to supplement sampled vocal clips and piano chords in the between-beat atmosphere.

Lawrence takes the reins for hollow-sounding percussion interspersed with minimal clicks and shuffles, but there's more to explore as the Belgian double act FCL shift into first gear downstairs in the basement. They treat the growing crowd to a selection of throbbing basslines and Balearic-esque chord holds, while loitering on the fringes of funky house through layering some enchanting vocal tracks. Certainly one gent in particular is appreciative, throwing shapes and gurns in equal measure; blissfully unaware of the occasional volume blips interrupting mixing fluidity.

Leaving behind the Ninja Tuna t-shirt wearing FCL, it is a minor coincidence to briefly tune into the Mind On Fire frequency during a spin of Mr Scruff’s ‘Get A Move On’, en route upstairs. Lawrence’s set ends on a paradoxical switch from steadier, andante beats with ambient backing to more disjointed, intrusive inter-beat melodies before Sascha Dive’s turn to be entombed within the shadowy prisms of the visual show.

He immediately picks up the bass whomps and adds intensity through shakes, heavy-hitting vocal sample grinds and that quickening roll you hear when a coin reaches the final coils of a spiral wishing well charity box. Indeed, Sascha Dive has made a habit of partaking in the hard to pinpoint – a recent remix of Matthew Dear’s ‘Little People (Black City)’ attests to that – with inhuman yelps permeating sliced and diced house.

Words & Images: Ian Pennington

Arts, Music & Events Preview, January 2011 (Part Two)

Like a bleary eyed mid-morning on a lie-in day, 2011 is creaking into action. If you’ve already broken that New Year’s resolution then here’s another: check out more of the many events in and around the city. Here are some pointers...

There’s a discussion this evening (Wednesday 19th) on the relevance of poetry in our society; covering some recent attempts to rebrand the spoken and written verse as well as its appearances in other aspects of popular culture such as film and music. Manchester Salon host it in the Blackwell University Bookshop, inviting along Angelica Michelis and Anthony Rowland to shape the open conversation. If you can’t make it, then feed your thoughts on the intriguing subject with their selected background readings.

A reminder that Mooch N4 will bite the dust in a couple of weeks, so grab the opportunity to browse while it’s still standing.

Remember Dot Dash? It was a popular alt-indie clubnight in the Scubar (RIP) basement a couple of years ago. The only reason I mention it is that the Big Scary Monsters Records playlist at Trof on Saturday 22nd is shaping up with a similar ring to it.

As mentioned earlier this month, The Castle Hotel has been setting out its gigging stall as its New Year's revolution. They continue on Monday 24th with a night of folky balladeers headed by Dana Falconberry and curated by local folk troupe The Travelling Band.


Fast forward to Thursday 27th and Blank Media Collective open the doors to their new BLANKSPACE venue with an introductory exhibition under the banner of BlankExpression. Situated at the former home of student arts group Easa on Hulme Street, BLANKSPACE’s four walls are to be adorned by work from 27 artists. The doors remain open until 9pm on that launch night, at which point you could venture across to New Wakefield Street's Sound Control with ample time to catch one of the triumphs of 2010 in the form of cosmic disco groover Aeroplane, who tops the Drop The Mustard promotion.


But keep in mind the latest organised cycle with Bike Friday the following day; don’t tyre (geddit?) yourself out by staying out drinking too late. But if you can ‘handle bars’ (too much?) then I’m sure it’ll be fine. More info on the when and where is here. Too cold for a pedal around town? Another option on Friday 28th is to warm your cockles next to the proposed Manchester Artists’ Bonfire at Islington Mill, where submitted pieces will be ritualistically burned as a symbolic response to the swingeing arts cuts. Described as ‘an event for artists, by artists’, you’re asked to write 250 words explaining your reaction to the event and its motives in order to take part, and the deadline to do so is Wednesday 26th.


Doing some more burning – this time of the midnight oil – that night will be the mouth-watering results of a tech house promoter merger. Über Disco and Untold Motion become Über Motion for the purposes of staging Sascha Dive at Sound Control. Mind On Fire will also be DJing in the building.

Saturday 29th is one of those where everything is scheduled to happen all at once. Well, not everything, but there’re a few options. First off, a toss-up between two political avenues. Those favouring direct action, say aye – and head out to the latest anti-cuts march, starting at Manchester Museum at 1pm before cruising down to Platt Fields for a rally. Don’t let a one-off fire extinguisher incident, and the subsequent undergrad degree-length jail sentence, put you off. Those who’re naysayers to the question of a stroll down Oxford Road while the temperature’s still a bit iffy may favour the Manchester Trades Union Council Conference at Friends Meeting House, where there’ll be stalls (including Manchester Friends of the Earth), and aims to assist workplace and community cuts and to mobilise ahead of a demonstration on 26th March.


In music that day there’s a Friends of Mine all-dayer packed with should-see local bands, from Jim Noir to Air Cav, via The Janice Graham Band, Lucy & The Caterpillar and Rook & The Ravens. That one’s shared between Jabez Clegg and Kro Bar, and acts as a warm-up to their field-based Friends of Mine Festival in May. And if your eyes are still open after all that then there’s the first in Hoya:Hoya’s Secret Series. They’re at the Roadhouse, but just who ‘they’ are will remain a mystery until you arrive. Expect a night of off-kilter glitch-tronica.

Call the Sunday a day off after all that, but Monday 31st sees one worth venturing out for. Veí (who appeared at our Now Then Manchester event in October) takes his electronic orchestra to Tiger Lounge for the Big Dig showcase that also features Leonard Rossiter; free entry.

Finally, the 31st is also pencilled in for the release of local Idlewild soundalikes City Reign's sophomore single, 'Out In The Cold', on their own Cat Boot Records label.

Words: Ian Pennington
Image 1: Michael Thorp
Image 2: Rebecca Wild
[Images 1 & 2 appearing as part of BlankExpression 2011]

Working For A Nuclear Free City @ Sound Control, 02.07.10

Whatever else they’ve been working for, Working for a Nuclear Free City’s live shows in the UK have been infrequent at best over the past couple of years. An ambient eponymous debut, follow-up Rocket EP and the compilation of both entitled Businessmen & Ghosts; recorded output all dates back to 2006/2007 as well.

The fallout has been minor metamorphosis. Formerly a foursome, they’ve added an extra guitar; to tour the US with Fujiya & Miyagi and more recently to contribute to their latest album, Jojo Burger Tempest, due out later this year. In a step mirroring recent examples of track-length audacity by Oneida and Endless Boogie, JBT will comprise two discs with the latter consisting of one track in all-out looping jam mode.

The result is more post-rock ear-benders than previous mellowed chillwave; more up than down on the tempo front. The obvious difference is thickened sonic grunge, along with more off-kilter Battles-esque edginess, and an unrepentant desire to forcibly thwack the aural hammer against anvil.

Silverclub precede with pulsating drums and bass-led grooves (instigated by Chris McGrath, also of Sirconical and Magic Arm), catchily danceable hooks and icing on the top through scratch DJing.

The WFANFC showing is an odd one. For starters it’s only synth and production whiz Phil Kay on Sound Control's upstairs stage for a solo set, so another taster of the aforementioned shift in style will have to wait. It does mean that the electronic sampling and gadgetry synonymous with the more memorable moments of the debut album are again commonplace for the evening.

There’s much to appreciate in a seemingly unplanned fill-in for another band member’s holiday departure. Even if it’s a little disjointed on the mixing front, as audio assaults arrest abruptly and rhythms jump less than seamlessly. Melody-ridden electronica akin to Nathan Fake’s ‘The Sky was Pink’ dives into floor-shaking arena bouncers fluently enough, but it’s the comedown that’s elusive; it feels like you’re inside a TV set while someone channel-hops.

As ‘Troubled Son’ is dropped in later on it hardly matters and this, of course, can’t be considered representative of what to expect from WFANFC in any case.

Words: Ian Pennington