The true start of Irish summertime rolls round this weekend in the form of one of the world’s best respected electronic weekends — and Belfast native — AVA Festival. Boasting international icons Goldie, Peggy Gou, Overmono and the likes, AVA kick off this week’s lead up with a local-focused approach. Held at electronic hub and record store Sound Advice, the festival’s Emerging Talent programme featured visual arts, production and mixing with Scoobz winning in the Emerging DJ category. Then a team-up with Output on Thursday for the city’s biggest music conference and showcase across Cathedral Quarter venues, bringing together a day of talks and workshops with leading industry figures, and an evening showcase of genre-spanning independent talent.
In line with their unwavering support of blossoming producers and DJs billed this year at the festival, here’s our selection of names on the up:
KEM
Natalie Simpson’s moniker KEM has tallied up on billings for almost every party cru across Belfast, despite having only made Ireland — and very rural Ireland, at that — her home again in 2019. Back from Vietnam where she spent a few years cutting her teeth on the Hanoi circuit, the DJ scored her first Telegraph Building slot alongside none other than Sasha and John Digweed back in March this year. Not just a familiar face behind the decks, she’s also often found the other side of the barriers, getting stuck into the city’s electronic scene and flexing a real ear-to-the-ground approach to selecting. She’ll be spinning out dark nu wave, electro and left-field bits at 1pm on The Grasses. Big tip.
PLAIN SAILING
Little intro needed for Plain Sailing residents Andrew Moore and Peter Gibney; game-changers and driving forces of UKG in Belfast, no question. These are the heads responsible for bringing some of the biggest names in garage and techno to the city every month. Landing huge bookings with the likes of Efa O’Neill, Rizla Teef, Interplanetary Criminal, and Barker in the last year alone, the duo’s own sets break out sounds outside of the usual 4/4 — two-step, UK funky, garage n broken beats. The pair also run sister venture Harbour Music Society which helps to break the careers of budding electronic artists, and are over just about anything new that’s worth hearing. They bring big sounds to The Grasses at 6pm on Friday.
SÍOFRA
Aficionado of 90s sounds, Síofra’s immersion in the Irish underground scene is wide and deep. The Dublin-based creative runs mix series Perigee focused on exploration and discovery, plays regular sets for Dublin Modular, and holds a residency with the city’s Thrust collective. Her sets and mixes, including two in the past year for Höer, fire out heat in the form of nostalgic and cutting-edge 90s trance and tech house sounds. Hear them Saturday at 3.45pm on The Grasses.
RICKY CHONG
Sligo selector Ricky Chong has made a name for himself across the island as a purveyor of world sounds, funk, soul and disco. As a producer, his tracks and edits reflect his appreciation and ear for the niche and versatile; 2020’s ‘UH YEAH!’ collates classic house percussion with sampled funk-imbued guitar riffs and euphoric, ambient melodies. Ricky currently holds down a residency at The Big Romance, a Dublin vinyl-only spot as authentic as his own style, and Sligo party crew Faint — one for the curious on Saturday at 5.45pm on The Grasses.
DANSE INTERMISSION
Fresh-faced italo enthusiasts on the block, Danse Intermission residents have been sprucing up the circuit by making people dance in city centre venues that aren’t always Ulster Sports Cub (as much as we love the place, you can have too much of a good thing). Their nights have given the Belfast Barge a revival with their sea-level BYO raves that boast a crowd-reactive approach to party-throwing, cracking out chuggy house and italo to a dedicated following. Expect sounds by and for sound people opening The Pumphouse on Friday at 1pm.
HANNAH
Almost a decade of digging and collecting backs up the Belfast DJ’s versatile but consistent repertoire that leans toward the darker side of bass, breaks, dub, UK grime and techno. Hannah’s honed selecting has been heard recently and locally at OCD parties, warming up for Interplanetary Criminal in Dublin, AVA’s own NYE celebrations with Kessler and IMNOTYOURMATE, and as a Thompson’s resident. Catch her on The Pumphouse, 2pm on Saturday.
REGER
Robbie McCammon AKA Reger’s third AVA sees the staggeringly intuitive selector for his 21 years step into the Boiler Room for the first time on Saturday. The DJ, producer, radio presenter and crate digger has released his own and remixed tracks on respected Belfast imprint Extended Play, and frequented the decks at Sound Advice, Thompson’s, Ulster Sports Club, Banana Block, et al. Robbie’s mixes offer expertly selected eclectic treats, ranging from a deft walk through soulful hiphop & broken beats right up to deep house and clanging techno. Don’t miss his Boiler Room debut Saturday at 2.40pm on The Nomadic.
