As January concludes, Manchester's party rota is back in absolute full swing. Expect a wealth of options this weekend alone, but here are four choices of parties big and small, featuring visiting guests and shining local residents playing house, techno, disco and hip hop. All the usual standards and more, then.
Tussle - Kraak, off Stevenson Square, Friday, £5
Krysko will be familiar to many as one of the Warehouse Project’s long standing residents, and he truly manages to blow the roof off the place as well as any visiting DJ with his knowledgeable and classy selections. It’s a skill that holds true when confronted with a more intimate room and crowd, such as this Friday, when he’ll be venturing out of the city’s car parks and down it’s back alleys as part of Tussle’s January Sale. Rifling through house and techno both old and new, he’ll also be joined by Love Dose regular Josamir, and the Meat Free residents, who promise to take things down a slightly darker avenue as the party winds down. A snip at a fiver, too!
El Diablos present Joe’s Bakery - Soup Kitchen, Stevenson Square, Friday, £5/7
Cross Pennine disco unity this weekend, when Manchester disco favourites El Diablos invite over Leeds’ own Joe’s Bakery for a party of thrilling groove obscurities, balearic beats and dancefloor oddities. Beginning as a party in Time Out’s other Northern city, last year the venture expanded into a label exploring the very same leftfield sounds, and the initial four track EP proved to be a huge hit among the Discogs diggers and crate surfers in the UK. Far from indulgent, they are purveyors of irresistible sounds that will bring a dose of a Croatian boat party to the lovably grubby basement of Soup.
Transmission: Drumcode - Albert Hall, Peter Street, Friday, £25
Following last week’s launch, Transmission continues to shake the foundations of the Albert Hall’s ornate interiors with a Drumcode curated night featuring some of the most no-nonsense names in contemporary techno. The ever reliable Adam Beyer leads the charge, joined by Hotflush boss and Berlin based provocateur Scuba. Dense and Pika’s heavy yet dynamic techno output also features, along with remixer of the moment, Alan Fitzpatrick. Saturday night sees a showcase for French hip-house label Cuff, including label bosses Amine Edge and DANCE.
Hoya Hoya - The Roadhouse, Newton Street, Saturday, £6/7
Ever reliable, ever eclectic and endlessly forward thinking, Hoya Hoya returns for 2015, as it well would and should. Founding crew Illum Sphere, Jon K and Jonny Dub will all take turns on the decks, ramping up the vibe while accompanied by out there visuals from the likes of Emmanual Baird, and the return of Chunky on the mic, fresh from his sophomore release on Swamp81. Expect anything from hip hop to house, disco, new wave and grime to keep even the most seasoned clubbers and the regular Hoya crew on their toes.