So here’s some utterly shitty news. Arguably one of Melbourne’s most (as much as I hate to use the word) iconic nightclubs, the Mercat Basement, will close early next year due to forthcoming re-development of the Queen Victoria Market precinct. For over three decades the Mercat Basement has been an imperative cornerstone of the Melbourne dance and clubbing community. Originally opening in 1990 under the moniker Banana Bar before quickly rebranding as Deep Eleven, the venue re-opened in its current form in 2008. Home to the likes of the infamous C Grade and Animals Dancing parties, alongside a regular staple for promoters of every genre, the Mercat has hosted the likes of Jeff Mills, Four Tet, Floating Points, Soulwax, Darkside and many more. The venue will continue hosting parties until its closure in February 2017, currently boasting a fully booked roster of special events and one-off parties. Get yourself down for one (or a dozen) final dances in the smoke-filled begrimed basement of hedonism.
Bloody hell – here comes a double-headed techno bill for the ages. The champs behind Bunker are hosting an all-night rager with Sleeparchive and Claudio PRC. Roger Semsroth AKA Sleeparchive is a Berlin native, who first began making waves in when his debut 12” hit the shelves of the seminal Hard Wax record store. Since then, his hard-hitting approach fuelled by the influences of the likes of Jeff Mills, Mika Vainio and Richie Hawtin have seen him traverse the globe with straight-up mind-numbing live sets. Some may also know him as one half of the group TR-101 alongside DJ Pete AKA Substance. A relative newer figure to the scene, the Italian Claudio PRC released his debut album Inner State (on Prologue) in 2012 and is the co-founder of The Gods Planet project and related TGP label with ol’ mate Ness. It’s going down on Friday October 28 at the Mercat Basement (sad face). Support will come from Craig McWhinney, Lateral and Bunker DJs.
Tour rumours: it’s about time that Palms Trax made a return our way, innit? Wink wink. I also reckon (I kinda hate people that say ‘reckon’, so consider this sentence editorialised self-loathing) a dose of Brazilian house and techno ‘The King of Curitiba’ HNQO is on the near-future cards.
Best releases this week: oh man oh man oh man. After the killer EPs Purple / Blue and Mint / Clay earlier this year Will Long’s full-length Long Trax (on Comatonse Recordings) is here and fucking hell it’s good – as are the DJ Sprinkles overdubs. Bjarki’s Lefhanded Fuqs (трип) is worth a spin, as is Lustmord’s Dark Matter (Touch) if you’ve ever wanted to hear space recordings and realise how minuscule you really are in the scheme of the world.
