Sad to say, in 2015 a big-room female club DJ is still a relative rarity, although not the endangered species they once were. But we’re not going to mansplain to you how a human being can have breasts and still mix music together. Here are the clubs we love this week.
Karnival with Monika Kruse – The Caves, Sat Mar 7
Making her Edinburgh debut here at house and techno night Karnival, the impressively-named Monika Kruse has a lengthy track record in clubland. Born in Berlin, raised in Munich and trained in classical piano since the age of four, she threw parties in World War II bunkers in her younger days and formed the Terminal M label (mostly releasing her own productions, including two albums, but many other artists including Oxia and Umek have also served) in 2000. More in demand than ever, she’s a Berghain resident and an Ibiza regular, having played Space, Amnesia and Sankey’s there in 2014, and now she’s bringing it all to your doorstep.
Nightvision with Hannah Wants – La Belle Angele, Sat Mar 7
Rapidly emerging as one of the superstars of the international underground club scene, Birmingham lass Hannah Wants revels in a sassy image (whoever takes her definitively pouty press pics deserves a raise) and a reputation for playing some tough beats, as informed by her upbringing listening to UK garage and her subsequent incorporation of house and techno into the mix. Urban and techy, she’s much in demand as a DJ, while her co-produced tracks with Chris Lorenzo – ‘Dappy’ and ‘Rhymes’ foremost among them – are gathering increasing recognition.
Hector’s House with Mr C – Sneaky Pete’s, Sat Mar 7
‘Happiness instructor’ is how Richard ‘Mr C’ West describes himself on his official Twitter page, and it’s no less a cheery title than we’d expect from the former MC with The Shamen, whose substantial contribution to the ‘90s dance-pop landscape was bellowing 'Es are good' from most daytime radio playlists in the land on luv’d-up crossover hit ‘Ebeneezer Goode’. It’s a legend which almost obscures his sizeable contribution to underground music, from co-owning London’s well-loved and now departed The End nightclub to currently owning and managing his own Superfreq label, as well as continuing to possess mean skills as a tech-house DJ.