Open Source Festival at Strandbad Lörick

Saturday, 23 August 2008, Düsseldorf, Germany
We love unique venues at RA, and we also love outdoor parties. This week's top shindig has both. Starting out on the banks of the Rhine, a mini-festival will be going down on two stages, with styles ranging from house and nu-rave through to pop, including the talents of Subtle, Uffie and Feadz, Junior Boys, and Otto Von Schirach. Then along to a converted boiler house for some late-night, bass-heavy action from the likes of Modeselektor, N-Type, and Oliver Hacke. Our cheerful volunteer this time is N-Type, aka Mark Newton.

Have you ever played in Germany before? What's the dubstep scene like?

I've played in Berlin a few times before, it was heavy. I played at this sick underground vault called “The Cell”, the same weekend that Skream was playing at Panorama Bar. Panorama Bar is mental, bruv. I didn't know anything about that place until we got there, and it was nuts—we all got totally destroyed! Yeah man, Berlin's heavy. A lot of the guys from the UK have moved over there now, like Shackleton and Scuba, who's doing a night at Panoramabar now. The first one they did was completely rammed.

What about the rest of the world?

Well, Belgium's got a good scene... Europe's always had little sections where there's a few good nights growing. America's got a massive scene now, they go mental for it out there. Australia and New Zealand are gaining numbers now as well. Worldwide, it's growing quicker now than in the UK really. I guess people in the UK tend to be very particular about what genre they like. But I've seen that changing in the last few years. Dubstep has got a load of different sounds in it anyway.

Yeah. What's a hot track at the moment?

There's quite a few at the moment, that's difficult. Chase and Status have done a good tune that's made an impact. They weren't originally drum & bass, they did garage and dubstep back in the day, and recently they've had a bit more time to come back to that. "Eastern Jam"'s smashing up every dance at the moment, I mean last night it got, like, four rewinds or something. That's a big, big tune.

How would you describe your own sound?

Well, the way that techno rolls out and develops, and there might be a little sound that's introduced, comes in, and disappears and then you won't hear it again, well, when I make a tune I do that. I take people on a journey, rather than making an impact, bassline tune. There's one called "Can't and Won't" which a few people are playing at the moment, including Mary Anne Hobbs, which shows that.

The space of the sound and the reverberation of the bass in the venue is very important in dubstep...

Oh yeah, definitely.

Well, you'll be playing in an old boiler house with pipes everywhere. Care to comment?

Well, they'd better get in a plumber after I've been there, I'll tell ya that! Them pipes are gonna be blown out! My sound is weighty as fuck, so it's gonna be big. I'm looking forward to it.

There's going to be plenty of hot water around to make your favourite beverage. What're you going to have?

Tea, mate, it's gotta be tea! Everybody loves a cup of tea. If you have an English breakfast, you've got to have a cup of tea. If you've been out on it all night, wake up in the morning, little cup of tea... luvverly jubbly.

The room you'll be playing in is called the Training Workshop. What sort of training will you be giving the gurning masses?

Some jaw-er-cise aerobics mate, that's the thing going on! Ha ha! Yeah, they love the gurnage.

Thursday - 21 August 2008

Freak n' Chic at Batofar

Thursday, 21 August 2008, Paris, France
Parisian label Freak n' Chic continues their Thursday residency in their home town, held as always aboard Batofar, an old boat (bateau, geddit?) moored on the Seine. The night begins on the terrace with dining and chaise longues and then moves downstairs to the small, intimate club. The guest this week will be Oslo Records' Johnny D playing live; who is likely to complement the Freak n' Chic crew well.

Inner city pick: The Lazy Dog on Passage Thiéré, where you can get gadgets, toy figures, graphic design books and limited edition t-shirts by local designers.

Monza at Privilege

Thursday, 21 August 2008, Ibiza, Spain
Privilege is the world's largest superclub (says Guinness), and with the mighty Get Physical hosting the massive main room, it's difficult not to overuse the superlatives. M.A.N.D.Y., Booka Shade (live) and DJ T, all owners of the imprint, will be backed up by Tobi Neumann and Mike Shannon. Chuck in a pool, views across the island and the Ibizan standard of décor and light shows and you've got a clubbing experience that sits right at the top of the pile.

Inner city pick: For an alternative beach experience, try Atlantis. It's an old quarry where a swimming pool has been hewed out of the cliff.

Friday - 22 August 2008

Sequence vs. Techno Experiment at Sankeys

Friday, 22 August 2008, Manchester, England
Before the Warehouse Project came along, Sankeys was the undisputed king of Manc clubbing, and it continues in its former tradition with varied world-class line-ups like this one. UR's Robert Hood and Britain's James Ruskin and CJ Bolland bring the early '90s techno as Milanese (live), Rob Hall and Michael Forshaw (live) go all circuit-bent electronica glitchiness. An unlikely combo, but one that sounds like it would work really well, doncha think?

Inner city pick: Some DJs run record shops, but Mr. Scruff opened a pie and tea shop called Cup, instead, in the Northern quarter.

Stars Gathering at Zeleni Gaj

Friday, 22 August 2008, Zeleni Gaj, Slovenia
Stars Gathering is an event that does exactly what it says. Richie Hawtin, Paul Ritch and Heartthrob as well as local lad Valentino Kanzyani descend upon an area that doesn't normally see this type of quality techno. Coupled with the fact that the venue is outdoors with a large video screen and stunning light show, and we're ready to believe that this might be the best party Slovenia has seen all year.

Inner city pick: Staying at the reasonably priced Gregorič Tourist Farm in Dornberk will get you a bed, as well as speciality dishes and wines of the region. And there's even horse riding too.

Rinse FM's 14th Birthday Party at The End

Friday, 22 August 2008, London, England
The growth of dubstep has been reflected by the FWD>> nights migrating from Plastic People in Shoreditch to the superclub setting. Along with Rinse FM, FWD>> has been a central element in the genre's development, and Rinse's birthday bash will be one of the year's biggest nights with Skream, Benga, N-Type, Youngsta, Kode 9 and more ready to push the low frequency capabilities of The End's heavyweight sound system.

Inner city pick: The chilled out atmosphere and creative haircuts makes The Lounge in Soho come highly recommended.

Saturday - 23 August 2008

Saturday Is Good Life at K_Nal

Saturday, 23 August 2008, Brussels, Belgium
Without a "the other" club as such, perhaps Brussels is ready to adopt this individualistic little gem to fill the slot. With locals Cosy Mozzy, Compuphonic and Lorenzo Ottati playing disco and electro house, the long and thin warehouse space by the river has got a terrace as well; enough to charm Mozzy away from his own Dirty Dancing club. Perhaps with the club having direct quay access, he'll be arriving by boat.

Inner city pick: Hat frenzy at Lombardstraat 16; the place is called Elvis Pompilio... expect the unexpected.

Hi-Tek Soul at Ministry of Sound

Saturday, 23 August 2008, London, England
This one just pips Lost with Jeff Mills and Kevin Saunderson at the post for best techno night in London this weekend. That's mainly because the combination of Derrick May and DJ Rolando is arguably purer original Detroit, but also due to the wider selection of DJs as well as one more room (that makes two) which will appeal to those with a short attention span. To complement there's also second-waver Stacey Pullen and Japanese legend Ken Ishii. Try not to scratch your chin.

Inner city pick: Go up the road to London Bridge and the famous London Dungeons await.

Clique & Connaisseur Wochende at Rechenzentrum / Funkpark

Saturday, 23 August 2008, Berlin, Germany
Sure, everybody raves about the big three of Berlin clubbing, but a bit further off the beaten path (in the outer Berlin woods, to be precise) is this venue, which has a cool cyber interior, and will play host to Chymera, Afrilounge and Alex Flitch. You'll still be able to tell you're in Berlin, though, because the party will go on till Sunday evening; moving outside in the morning to the Spree riverside and forest where Kollektiv Turmstrasse and Mark August, amongst others, will be keeping you company.

Inner city pick: Neurospy in Mitte, apart from having the coolest name ever, also makes amazing interior design products.

Sunday - 24 August 2008

We Love... Sundays at Space

Sunday, 24 August 2008, Ibiza, Spain
An icon of the White Isle, We Love... Sundays churns out another ridiculous line up which balances mainstream pulling power with underground credibility. Add to this the Space terrace experience and you can be sure that this one'll be a packed house to say the least. This time, there'll be Laurent Garnier (techno), Paul Woolford (house), Miss Kittin (electro), James Zabiela (house), Alex Smoke (minimal) and many more... in fact, for this line-up 45 Euros almost seems cheap. OK, maybe it doesn't.

Inner city pick: Can Den Parra serves traditional Spanish food, inside the castle walls in Ibiza Town.