Thank Funk It’s Thursday, Balearic Jukebox

Om Thurs 2nd/16th/30th, Sat 4th

Following the Beloved’s Jon Marsh, both Billy Nasty and Richard Norris are both down this month. For those who are too young to remember, Billy Nasty was one of the biggest techno DJs in the early 90s. He’s still keeping busy, not least with a fortnightly appearance at Om for his appalling titled Thank Funk It’s Thursday, a mix of dub, reggae, funk, soul, dubstep. Richard Norris was similarly famous at the time as one half of The Grid, but now makes psyche-re-edits with Erol Alkan as the über-hip Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve. That’s got to make him the ultimate guest for Balearic Jukebox (Sat 4th). We’d love to see Om’s address book – who else is in there?

Hospitality

Audio Fri 3rd

Another killer line up for Hospitality sees D:Bridge, Nu:Tone, Danny Byrd, Sciphi, MC Wrec, and MC ID pack the stage at Audio. If you’re a fan of Hospital Records melodic take on drum’n’bass you’re probably queuing up already.

Casper C

Audio Sat 4th

Blog legend and ex-local boy Casper C returns to Brighton after last year’s Loop appearance, bringing his own take on electro house to Audio’s Summer of Love wallet-friendly night. The Adventures In The Beetroot Field/Blogger’s Delight fella has been hugely influential in blending the lines between what is ‘club music’ and what is ‘band music’ and is the poster boy for a new breed of DJ whom DJing on vinyl is as abstract a concept as using wax cylinders. As a Fluokids contributor, expect him to have all the records you’re waiting desperately for someone to post online.

Lottie

Honeyclub Sat 4th

Wow, here’s a name we haven’t heard for a while. It turns out that it’s not that she’s fallen of the map, but that she’s busy abroad, at least as big around the world – playing at Sao Paulo’s amazing Sirena and on the Space terrace – as she is in the UK. She’s hooked up with Coburn’s Pete Martin as Dr Strangelove as well as making her own savagely tough tribal tech tunes. Clearly her harder sound is a lot more suited to big rooms but we have fond memories of rocking Stompa Phunk at the Funky Buddha with deep grooves.

Digital Easter Weekend

Digital Thurs 9th

Well, Digital have certainly gone all out to celebrate the resurrection of the Jesus. Starting on Thursday A-Trak comes to visit – a man who has achieved way too much in his short life. Winning the DMC Championship at a ridiculous 15 years old, he’s been a member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and The Allies as well as Kanye West’s tour DJ. He also makes pretty damn good electro tunes, is dating Kid Sister and is cute as hell. Bastard! From there Apes & Androids play live at Stonelove on Friday, with The Complete Stone Roses (see gigs) on Saturday. The weekend is wrapped up by John Digweed on Saturday, the man who pretty much – alongside Sasha – brought about the second wave of progressive house in the late 90s. His mixing is so developed now that his last Transitions compilation could only be split into ten sections as the 22 tracks were so layered over each other it wasn’t clear where one started and the other finished. No wonder he’s been in the 100 Top DJs poll top 10 for the last decade.

Spellbound

Komedia Studio Bar Sat 11th

It’s now pretty much agreed that the music from the 80s was pretty damn good. With punk funk, electro and shiny pop all assimilated into this decade, it might be time for the alternative scene that balanced between goth and new romantic to get a look in. The Psychedelic Furs have been getting plenty of spins in the SOURCE Bunker of late (and at Maccabees HQ by the sound of their No Kind Words single) so Spellbound might be perfectly timed.

Nightslugs

Concorde Sun 12th

It’s all about the Easter weekend this month, but if you find the other offerings a little light on bass then Nightslugs could be worth a wander down the seafront for. Drop the Lime brings the NYC hipster angle, while super shaper shooter DJ Zinc is coming in from drum’n’bass through breaks, British style. Joker, L-Vis 1990 and the Squareroots DJs will also keep the basslines coming.

Battlejam

Audio Fri 24th

Beardyman and JFB’s Battlejam just keeps up the quality. In fact JFB texted us the other day to say “Beard and I discovered some mental new looping thing which makes everything we do much sicker!” You’d better believe it. Our only concern about the night is whether, as the pair of them get bigger, this grassroots night can continue the way it is. If you’ve been living under a stone for the last couple of years, the beatboxing champ makes amazing noise with his mouth and the DMC champion scratches them up into new forms. Geometri will also be on hand with their electro-y sound (see page 16).

ALSO

Supercharged

Audio Weds 1st

Breaks hero Krafty Kuts’ hometown set at a bargain price

Spiritual Element 11th Birthday

Concorde Thurs 9th

LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad, Fabio & Grooverider and The Ratpack get classic

Moorplay

Honeyclub Thurs 9th

Prok & Fitch back from the Miami WMC for a Floorplay special

Ministry of Sound Tour

Honeyclub Fri 10th

All the fun of Ministry without that horrific train home.

Innerfield Soundsystem

Volks Fri 17th

Free party legends come in from the cold – a taste of summer?

YolanDa Brown

Old Market Fri 17th

MOBO winning saxophonist brings hip hop influences to jazz