Bicep (Live) | Sat 2 Dec | Rainbow | £30.25 *cancelled*
Crate-digging, music-loving, Belfast-born house duo Bicep are the hottest property in dance music right now. Experimental yet energetic, their recent self-titled album is everything Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar stand for distilled down into fifty-so minutes: varied yet cohesive, it transmutes disparate elements of italo house, jungle and trance into something far greater than the sum of its parts. Bicep is the product of two encyclopaedic minds fully immersed within the sprawling world of electronic music, with all its permutations and sub-genre offshoots. Bicep perform alongside Omar-S, Gerd Janson, Horse Meat Disco and more. See our feature here. www.skiddle.com
New Street Records: Submission | Tues 28 Nov | Night Owl | £5
Take a break from essay stress and general despair at this funk, vinyl and disco night hosted by New Street Records, the University of Birmingham’s very own record label. Headlining are Groove Directory, seven-piece swing and soul outfit composed of Birmingham students and alumni who cover hits from the 1970s to more contemporary chart-toppers. DJs on the night also include SIX7FOUR, F.O.D. and Barney MK. www.skiddle.com
Hannah Wants: Playground | Fri 1 Dec | Rainbow | £16.50
If we are products of our environment, it’s easy to see how Birmingham-born DJ/producer Hannah Wants got into the music she now plays to ravers across the globe. Growing up on a strict diet of garage and assimilating into a local scene with an emphasis on bass-driven, garage-inflected house productions, Wants has quickly become one of the leading proponents of the newly emergent UK bass phenomenon. Her selection skills have never been in doubt, but 2016 saw Wants release solo singles ‘Just’ and ‘Hidden Love’, proving her credentials as a producer. She plays an intimate set in the Blackbox this Friday. www.skiddle.com
02.31 presents Circles | Fri 1 Dec | Rainbow | £22
It’s another Birmingham takeover as Preditah brings his Circles brand to the Rainbow Venues. Local lads Preditah and Bassboy top the bill with a bass-laden back-to-back set, alongside special guest DJ Q, who is bound to bring the bassline in bulk. There’s also a rare appearance from Tottenham MC and producer CASisDEAD, mysterious cult hero who was lauded by The Purist as being “the best rapper to ever come out of England”. That’s some compliment. The above acts star alongside Conducta, C4 and Shaqfive. www.skiddle.com
KODEN: Flaminia (Live) + Øliver | Fri 1 Dec | Amusement 13 | from £8
If you’re looking for techno, KODEN is your best bet. Moody, trippy techno is Flaminia’s speciality, fast-rising London DJ and producer who shies not away from experimentation. Her dark, dynamic sets are full of atmosphere above all else, taking dance floors on journeys through myriad sounds and deep, seductive grooves. The second guest slot of the night is filled by Øliver, leftfield post-punk enthusiast whose core sound is firmly anchored in the world of techno. Also starring KODEN mastermind Jay Sirett, Vasili Carlson and Sllav. www.skiddle.com
Corevibez rave all-nighter | Sat 2 Dec | Suki 10c | Free
Hardcore beats all night long just like the old days with an incredible roster of DJs and MCs kicking it up till the birds start shrieking on Sunday morning and you emerge bleary eyed into the Digbeth morning. www.facebook.com/corevibez
Words: Greg Woodin
Published on: Fri 10 Nov 2017