2009 has well and truly been the year of The Revenge. The unassuming Glaswegian has been the lord of all he has surveyed, not putting a foot wrong in becoming the name to check. Be it the incredible series of podcasts emanating from his ooft blog to tightly programmed DJ sets that are equal parts smiles and surprises, he has risen to the highest prominence in little over twelve months. Mixing classic house with deep techno and his own inimitable disco edits, the man is a master of melting floors into an emotional wreck. For proof just check his latest mix in honour of Friday’s appearance with Todd Terje at Plastic People. Stepping toe to toe with this game plan has been Arthouse, who have taken it upon them selves in the last year of the decade to slow things down, sex things up and bring some of the most adventurous guests to Manchester in the shape of Lee Curtiss, Wolf + Lamb and Matt Tolfrey.
The Revenge has risen from cult stardom with the acclaimed Jisco imprint, spreading his reputation most pivotally to Berlin, where Steve Bug has snapped him up to play a key role in Dessous’ 2010 onslaught. It was his remix of Chamboché’s Feverish that tipped the scales and began to turn heads when it appeared on the German’s essential mix this summer. Before long the anthem was topping the Juno charts and cropping up in sets and charts worldwide. Since then the Scotsman’s feet have hardly touched the ground, with his services lauded from New York to Japan to the Snowbombing festival in the coming months. If we look back at the 2009 as the year that DJs began to rediscover their art with percussive tools, bouncing basslines and vocals that tug on your heartstrings then Saki Bar will be the perfect place to see this in full effect. As cold minimalism has given way to a new surge of creativity, as championed by the Arthouse bookings, the juxtaposition of dusty classics and raw, just finished jams has lead to the most memorable and moving dance floor moments since their April launch night at Joshua Brookes.
When The Revenge’s mother label Jisco suddenly folded this year many disco heads were left scratching their heads. From its ashes rose Under The Shade. The man chosen with kicking off the more stripped down, house angled imprint was Chamboché. Riding high in the Juno charts above the likes of Deadmau5 with both his and the label’s inaugural release made the summer for the young Welshman. His melodic take on disco and house has seen him become a fixture at Nottingham’s Stealth club and his work in the studio paid off big time with UTS came calling. With a run of white hot productions to be launched on the vinyl only imprint, this is a producer already endorsed by Mark E, Gerd Jansen and The Riotous Rockers.
Also in support will be residents William James Park and Moid. William’s knowledge of house music knows no limits and his ability to stitch an energetic set together is second to none. Expect jacking rhythms, sexy bass lines and freaky lyrics aplenty. Moid’s deep, deep vibes will be setting the initial pace to transform a sluggish Sunday afternoon into party mode. The Socio Rehab resident is adept at building a vibe to usher people onto the floor with sensual percussion and deep washes of melody.
The unique, musically knowledgeable crowd that circulates around Arthouse is growing rapidly. With many making the regular trip to the stripped back Saki Bar from around the North and Midlands as a matter of course, a community has built up around it. With this event falling so close to Xmas, look out for some cheeky edits already making their way onto the decks ; )
