All posts by Andy

Jungle & drum n bass legends Fabio & Grooverider make Bongo debut Friday 17th November

15 November 2023 -

Among the most revered DJs in the history UK dance music, Fabio & Grooverider play Bongo for the very first time, headlining Jungle Magik’s 3rd Birthday Party event on Friday 17th November.

It’s hard to over-estimate how deep this pair’s roots go and how profound their influence is on the wider international scene.  They were not just there when the scene was exploding around the UK: they were at the very epicentre of its development during the pivotal era between 1988 and 1993, as resident DJs for the seminal London club night, Rage, at Heaven in Charing Cross.

This is where jungle and drum n bass music was effectively born, at their fingertips, as the house, techno, hardcore and rave sounds mutated via Fabio & Grooverider’s incorporation of the more breakbeat-driven sound that was emerging from a few producers’ studios.  They mixed innovative records such as Renegade Soundwave’s The Phantom alongside contemporary hip house productions plus their favourite instrumental hip hop tracks, the latter of which were all played at the wrong speed to match the tempo of these other dance tracks.  It seems so obvious now but was truly groundbreaking stuff that very few other DJs were doing.

The next thing they knew, people started making records like Lennie De Ice’s We Are IE…

True pioneers, it really is a pleasure to have them on at Bongo for the first time.  These guys are all about the music and always deliver the best they can, so you can be sure they will be putting our Danley Sound Lab PA through its paces!   ‘Watch yer bass-bins, I’m telling ya!’

Check out some of the clips below for a more comprehensive telling of Fabio & Grooverider’s story by fellow legends such as Goldie (Metalheadz), Storm, Bushwacka, Bryan Gee, MC GQ, Colin Dale, Carl Loben (DJ Mag) and the duo’s own recollections, alongside some great archive footage.

Tickets for Friday are available here.

 

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HALLOWEEN EVENTS AT BONGO

26 October 2023 -

With Halloween becoming almost as big as NYE (if not bigger?!), there are quite a few Halloween themed events happening at Bongo this season.

THURS 26TH OCT: UPLANDS ROAST w/CHARLIE P, WENDS, VIXEN SOUND, 527 SOUND SYSTEM (DJ SET)

The unofficial start to Halloween, as promoters Uplands Roast haven’t declared it remotely haunted but they HAVE got a SOLID line up in, as per previous sold out events (with Mungo’s HiFi and General Levy).  Ace reggae vocalist Charlie P headlines this one, showcasing why he’s got one of the best toasting voices this side of Kingston with a bevy of extremely talents in support.

ELECTRIKAL SOUND SYSTEM (DNB HALLOWEEN): RODENT, POLLYANNA, HARRY JACKSON, D/RUSS, HONKIN HIFI, T-O-D, EOIN ++

Electrikal comes correct once again with another Wall Of Bass happening, this time inviting floor-shaking local sound system aces Messenger to provide the PA (the first in a series of such guest PA style events from them) and some of the finest dnb players on the Scottish circuit.  And, subtitled ‘DNB Halloween’, you can expect a more ghoulish playlist than usual.

MUMBO JUMBO: HALLOWEEN DANCE

Mumbo audience LOVES a Halloween party, as last year’s sold out event proved and this year shouldn’t be any different.  Expect a slightly spooky, party-starting selection of disco and house from residents Trendy Wendy, Steve Austin and Mairi B (live percussion & warm-up).  Upstairs YBZ Collective – DJs Texyo, Gilbo Zoe, William and Harry – deliver their mix of Garage, Techno, DnB, Grime, Dub & Rave.

MIDNIGHT BASS (BONGOWEEN ’23): LU.RE, ARFA, FEENA, SMIFF, MB DJs [SOLD OUT]

Midnight Bass’s ‘Bongoween’ party is now firmly entrenched as an annual tradition here and among the best nights out of the season and this year will be no different, as they welcome buzzing UKG newcomers Arfa (Brighter Days Family / Shall Not Fade) and Lu.Re (Kicks & Snares) to headline, with support from local champions Feena & Smiff (Postal / Red Room Sound).

NB This is now completely SOLD OUT.  However, if you’ve missed out on the chance of bagging a ticket, you might get lucky via RA re-sale or with someone else flogging (an) extra ticket(s) at the door, due to an over-enthusiastic purchase, flaky pals dropping out etc…

FEMMERGY: 2ND BIRTHDAY BASH

Femmergy’s 2nd Birthday Bash doesn’t have an explicit Halloween theme but, knowing them, they’ll be making some ghostly moves on the night!  LINE UP: Sweet Philly, CLO (2),
Groundskeeper Fanny, Annafleur, Katelate, Rianna, NANI, Matt.

OVERGROUND: RAVE TO THE GRAVE

Overground, on the other hand, are taking it all the way to the cemetery and back!  “On Halloween Friday (3rd Nov), Bongo Club enters the Twilight Zone for Part 2 of Overground’s Halloween Spooktacular,” they say. “R2TG will see our (g)rave digger DJs trace back the evolution of rave music. An anthology of hardcore; from the cradle to the (g)rave. Expect ghoulish garage, haunting hardcore, devilish dubstep, bloodcurdling breaks, and gruesome grime. Electrifying eclecticism to raise the undead.”

TAIS-TOI: NARCISS

We’re equally uncertain how much Tais-Toi’s guest will be digging into their Halloween playlist but we do know it’ll be banging!  Don’t miss this if you could use a shot of fast-paced Hard Groove action to get your pulse racing….

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FRESHERS’ WEEK AT BONGO

05 September 2023 -

Bongo will be open every night (bar Sunday) for this year’s Freshers’ Week, featuring no shortage of special guests, big events throughout and the action effectively kicking off a few days early….

THURSDAY 7TH SEPT: CANDYFLIP – ‘RAVETOPIA’

If you’ve arrived extra early, come check out Candy Flip from regular Bongo promoters Alien Disko.  This night flips the script/s of their regular playlist/s, championing some of the less well-known corners, the more niche genres, of the dance music scene, on this occasion shining a light on Donk, Makina, Bassline, Jersey Club, alongside a helping of less niche Drum and Bass.  The  line features “underground legends and rising stars who are masters of their craft”: Seaurchin, Amhailt.xox, Rodent b2b F:N and trap6mafia.   RA TICKETS

FRIDAY 8TH SEPT: OVERGROUND – ‘BACK 2 BONGO’

Bongo regulars for some years now, the Overground crew know how to throw a party, consistently hosting packed out events at the club  (and you can get a taste of previous nights via their photo album).   Following a slew of dates at Mash House and Sneaky Pete’s throughout August (when Bongo is always closed, due to the Underbelly), hence ‘Back 2 Bongo’, they advise as follows: “Expect hardcore, techno, garage, jungle and razor sharp cuts from the outer limits of club innovations. Limited FREE B4 MIDNIGHT advance tickets are available for the early birds. These are very limited and will sell out.”  Don’t sleep: RA TICKETS.

SATURDAY 9TH SEPT: TAIS-TOI x RARE: SHAMPAIN B2B IMOGEN

Relative newcomers to Bongo, Tais-Toi promoted DJ Hearstring here in January and then MRD for our Summer Closing event in July, with both events selling out.  As a special Freshers treat, Rare and Tais-Toi have teamed up to bring two very special acts their debut back-to-back.   LINE UP: Shampain b2b IMOGEN, Tais-Toi, Oakley CarterRA TICKETS.

MONDAY 11TH: ORIGIN FRESHERS SPECIAL

Last seen at Bongo in November ’22, student promoters Origin host parties around town championing some of the best DJs from the local student communities.  “ORIGIN is back for Freshers Week!” they say.  “Exhibiting Edinburgh’s finest student DJs across both floors of the Bongo Club, ORIGIN will be kicking the year off with a bang.”  LINE UP: Ferb, DJ Discgrace, Archie Holmes, Gabriel Hopton, George Kemp, Felix B2B Sam B2B Felix, Freddie Dumbill.  RA TICKETS

TUESDAY 12TH: MIDNIGHT BASS

Hosting weekly parties at Bongo since late ’17 (with these consistently hitting the club’s capacity since the end of the Pandemic), Midnight Bass is the home of all things drum n bass (some would say the spiritual home of the nu skool and cream of the burgeoning Scottish scene).  If you’re looking to get your midweek groove on or just soak up the buzz, look no further.

WEDNESDAY 13TH: PARADOX RECORDS W/FUNK CARTEL & BASTIANO

Fledgling promoters & local label Paradox make their Bongo debut with UK fraternal house DJ & production Funk Cartel, who recently capped a run of dates at London’s 93 Feet East venue by releasing a collaboration with legendary house music diva Ulta Nate (house music royalty, basically!)  Ooft.  LINE UP: Funk Cartel, Bastiano. RA TICKETS

THURSDAY 14TH: DISORDER FRESHERS’ SPECIAL W/ENTA

Disorder DJ/promoter Harry Jackson is a very well-known face at Bongo, as a result of popping up behind the decks at Midnight Bass (among other local dnb nights) on a regular basis.  He launched Disorder here earlier this year, to champion some of his favourite artists from the scene.  “Disorder is back again for its third instalment at Bongo for a freshers week special!” he says.  “This time inviting London based drum & bass DJ & Producer Enta, up for his Scottish debut. With a strong line up filled with heavy hitters this is sure to go off!” LINE UP: Room 1 (Drum & Bass): Enta, Myco B2B Kosmotix (Bass Injection), Peski, Harry Jackson, Verbivore MC. Room 2 (Techno / Hard Dance):
DV60 B2B Ryan Murphy. MORE INFO & TICKETS

FRIDAY 15TH: ALIEN DISKO: GLITCHGIRL, POLLYANNA + CLUB ANYWHEN: IN THE WILD

Alien Disko have hit Bongo and the Cowgate scene hard in the last year, with a run of dates flying the flag for hard and fast dance music of all persuasions.  Their 1st Birthday with French techno-trance star Axyom was a big one here back in March and this date promises to pull just as few punches as they welcome Spanish player Glitchgirl “to unleash her unique blend of genre-bending chaos upon us!”  they say.  “She has released several albums spanning a wide variety of sounds with elements of Breakcore, Drum and Bass, Hardcore, IDM, and Donk. Her DJ sets are an explosive concotion of 174+ BPM madness, focussed in Drum and Bass but always refusing to conform to traditional genre lines. Having played all across Europe and at events like Bang Face and Tramlines Festival, she now sets her sights on Edinburgh to bring the mayhem to Alien Disko!”  LINE UP – MAIN ROOM: GLITCHGIRL, Pollyanna (Sunday Service), Teknocrat (Alien Disko), Rodent b2b F:N (Alien Disko/Candy Flip).  UPSTAIRS: Morphamish (ETC/Riot Radio Records), Laldy, Live visuals from Pencase and Bloof.  MORE INFO/TIX // CHEAP TIX VIA RA

SATURDAY 16TH: CLUB NACHT x HOBBES MUSIC W/AUSTIN ATO

Club Nacht host a monthly party at the Mash House, celebrating all things house, techno, acid, electro etc.  Hobbes Music is an Edinburgh label, currently celebrating ten years of electronic music releases for all occasions (including, naturally, all things house, techno, acid, electro etc), with many on vinyl.  Following their big party with German duo COEO back in February, they team up again to present the unstoppable force that is Austin Ato, capping this season’s Fresher’s Week celebrations at Bongo.  ROOM 1: AUSTIN ATO, HOBBES. ROOM 2: NAMELESS BROS, PARADOX RECORDS. MORE INFO/TIX // BAG CHEAP TIX VIA RA.

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Why Is Bongo Closing For Summer (16th July – 31st August) And Where Will I Go Out?

03 July 2023 -

Holidays (700 px)

As happens every year at this time, Bongo will be closing its doors to make way for the Underbelly to take over the lease of the building for the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

We do not make any money from this arrangement.  It’s due to a quirk of our lease with the landlord (Edinburgh City Council).

Bongo’s resident promoters will be running/appearing at the following events during our July/August break:

CLUBS


Midnight Bass
Weekly Tuesdays at Cabaret Voltaire.
Tickets

Overground
Weekly Fridays at The Mash House throughout August.
Tickets

Pulse
w/Sunil Sharpe at The Mash House, Saturday 29th July – Tickets
Pulse x Jackhammer w/The Advent at La Belle Angele, Saturday 5th August – Tickets
w/Slam at The Mash House, Saturday 26th August – Instagram for more info as announced

Disco Makossa
w/Optimistic Soul (Africa Is Now), Friday 18th August – Tickets

Messenger Sound System
w/Mungo’s Hi Fi, Levi Roots & Afrikan Simba, Sat 29th July at Summerhall – Tickets
w/Hometown Hi Fi, Sat 26th August at Summerhall – Instagram for more info as announced

Mumbo Jumbo
Wendy, Steve & Mairi B at Mug Stock, Friday 4th August

Mini-Mumbo at The Street, Saturday 19th August 10pm-5am (FREE EVENT)

GIGS

The Baron Nonesutch LIVE at St Margaret’s House (Art Opening), 7pm, Thurs 10th Aug

Here’s a quick rundown of our Summer Closing Parties 2023:

Friday 30th June: Jackhammer presents I Love Acid w/Luke Vibert, Nightwave and Posthuman, playing acid house and techno.

Saturday 1st July: Messenger Sound System’s Sweet Sounds For The King (Ras Tafari Birthday celebration), playing dub reggae.

Tuesday 4th: Midnight Bass w/Clean Up Crew, 170Lex, JI2001, Kay Dee, Dav, Lara Sinclair, playing drum n bass.

Friday 7th: Truth Hz International DJ Federation w/Elanda, Camoufly, Arthi,
Comrade Massie plus WIZE & MoreNight, SWATT TEAM, Volens Chorus upstairs, all playing club and bass music from across the spectrum.

Saturday 8th: Mumbo Jumbo w/Trendy Wendy, Steve Austin, Mairi B, playing house music and disco plus YBZ Collective upstairs, playing garage, techno, dnb, grime, dub & rave.

Tuesday 11th: Midnight Bass w/ M.O.B (3000 Bass, DnB Lab, 4040 Records), miira,
Hobbes [Hardcore & Jungle Vinyl Set], Harry Jackson (Disorder Edinburgh), playing drum n bass and jungle plus a Club_Nacht Takeover upstairs, playign house music and disco. 

Thursday 13th: Nektar (Charity Event) w/Sadovski (EMS), Katelate (Femmergy, Principle 8)
Item9 (Half Past Now), Evska (EMS, Rave for Ukraine), showcasing techno and bass music by leading queer and Eastern European producers.

Friday 14th: Overground w/Lucky Dip and Wrisk plus guests TBA for a night of hardcore, grime, garage, jungle, club and much more.

Saturday 15th: Tais-toi w/Norwegian techno-trance newcomer MRD, who promotes debut album, Løvehjerte with his unique blend of fast-paced, melodic techno and atmospheric sounds, taking inspiration from the 80s & 90s.”

 

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UKF FEATURE ON MIDNIGHT BASS, BONGO & THE SCOTTISH DNB SCENE: ‘RAVE SCENES – EDINBURGH’

26 January 2023 -

This feature was first published by the UKF website.  Words by Becca Inglis.   

“Edinburgh’s a really good hub for connecting the whole of Scotland together,” says Anikonik, local DJ, Nook promoter and former EQ50 mentee. “You could probably fit the whole of the drum & bass scene in Scotland into Bristol.” To put the size of the Scottish scene into perspective, there are fewer people in the whole of Scotland than there are in London – London has a population of nearly nine million, while Scotland only has five million.

That means that, even with more than a hundred miles between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Scottish heads tend to travel between cities to attend club nights. You’ll see the same faces at Midnight Bass in Edinburgh, Symbiosis in Glasgow, or the Junglism Castle Party in Dundee. There’s even the Jungle Bus, which couriers Aberdonians down to big d&b nights in the central belt.

But in spite of its committed fanbase, drum n’ bass remains an underdog genre in Scotland.  “Everywhere else in Scotland is a lot more of a techno culture, really,” says producer Refracta, who plays as a resident with Electrikal and Midnight Bass. Names like Slam, JD Twitch, Optimo, Sub Club and Pure have all helped to put Scotland’s name on the global electronic music map, with Glasgow’s nightlife especially celebrated worldwide for its bustling house and techno scene. It’s one of Scotland’s oddities that, though Glasgow’s is considered the country’s music capital, it’s in Edinburgh that breakbeat has built its strongest enclave.

“Edinburgh’s definitely the drum & bass capital of Scotland,” says Anikonik, who moved down from Dundee with the night she co-promotes, Junglism Scotland, in 2016. She’s far from the only Scottish d&b fan to have gravitated to Edinburgh. Refracta used to mission over to Bongo from North Berwick, a seaside town an hour up the road. Richard Ince and DJ Era ventured up from the Scottish Borders in 2007, before they built their now notorious rig, Electrikal Sound System.

Photo Credit: Ben Glasgow (Lights Out Collective)

Scene veteran DJ Kid thinks that the reason why drum & bass has taken off so much more in Edinburgh than elsewhere in Scotland mostly lies with its university students. “Because you’ve got that new influx every year, it’s like this revolving door of students. It means you’ll always have that support,” he says. “If it wasn’t for the amount of English students that were in Edinburgh, there wouldn’t have been a scene over the years.” Nearly a quarter of students admitted to the University of Edinburgh in 2021 were English, and they bring their music tastes with them each year when they come up to study. That’s as true today as it was in the 90s, when DJ Kid was a resident at the one-time Edinburgh institution, Manga.

Scotland didn’t take easily to breakbeat at first, DJ Kid remembers. Unlike the nights that were booking him down south, where he played teeming jungle and hardcore raves, he and Manga founder G-Mac struggled to fill the floor at La Belle Angele. More than once, DJ Kid played to a room of 30 people in a 500 capacity venue. “You just couldn’t get breakbeat and jungle accepted in Scotland,” he says. “The majority of music that was always heard up here was a 4/4 beat.”

But there came a turning point in 1997, when Manga booked Ed Rush to play their first birthday. “We had never had a sellout, and it completely sold out in advance,” says DJ Kid. “The line from La Belle was down the vennel and away up the road on the Cowgate. I remember thinking, ‘This is mad, this is it. This is when it’s finally gonna happen.’ From then on, Manga became a bit of a monster.” Manga was the go-to drum & bass night for the next decade, selling out monthly and bringing up jungle and d&b stalwarts, like Roni Size, Fabio & Grooverider and DJ Marky, until its last party in 2008. “People would come to Manga even if I had my gran on the decks,” says DJ Kid. “It was a big wave that we were on.”

Edinburgh’s drum & bass scene has always tended to have one or two big brands leading the charge. After Manga came Xplicit (which was started by the same team as Edinburgh’s electronic music festival, Terminal V), and then Electrikal Sound System, which remains Scotland’s most recognisable d&b sound system today. It was Mungo’s Hi Fi who first taught founder Richard how to build and switch on the notoriously full-throated blue-horned stacks, after they gatecrashed an early Electrikal free party in Moffat.

“We had these little speakers,” Richard says. “Mungo’s turned up on the Saturday with a sound system. They have full Mungo’s overalls on. Jerome in his French accent was like, ‘Do you need some extra speakers?’ And they just opened the side of the van to half of Mungo’s Hi Fi. They set it up in this barn and absolutely kicked the arse out of it. We actually had to turn the generator off because they wouldn’t stop playing.”

Today, Electrikal can be found powering sets all over the UK, with regular sellout slots in Bristol, bookings at festivals like Boomtown, Outlook and NASS, and now a national tour. “At Boomtown, we had 10,000 people turn up to the Electrikal/Born On The Road street party,” says Richard. “I’d say we’re up there as one of the premium drum & bass sound systems, hopefully following in the footsteps of people like Valve Sound System. Obviously, Mungo’s Hi Fi were doing that for the reggae scene as well. We’re flying the flag high for Scotland with Bucky, Irn Bru and haggis-infused dubplates.”

Back in Edinburgh, they’re known for their heavyweight Wall of Bass nights, as well as for packing out Bongo with high profile acts, like Serum, Andy C and Dillinja, or artists on the cusp of breaking out, as with Hedex and Born On The Road. For more than ten years, Electrikal have been an essential conduit between Scotland and drum & bass around the UK.

That’s especially important for a scene based hundreds of miles away from the d&b heartlands in London and Bristol, where booking big names comes at a high price. Travel is automatically more expensive, and DJs need putting up in accommodation too. As costs rack up, they can get too prohibitive for smaller promoters.

“If you’ve got an act coming up from Bristol, you’re talking £200-300 return train tickets for one person,” says Anikonik. “That’s a joke. And then hotels in Edinburgh are extortionate. Unless you’ve got a really big following, you can’t afford to do that kind of stuff, which is unfortunate.”

“To be a promoter in Scotland right now, you need some serious cash behind you,” Richard adds. “Even the small to mid-sized acts have doubled or tripled their fees over lockdown, because they’re trying to make up for it, and it’s been making events harder and harder to put on.”

But, in a roundabout way, these setbacks may actually have benefited the local-led culture in Edinburgh, which can be found out in full force every Tuesday night at Midnight Bass. “Midnight Bass is the backbone, as far as I’m concerned, of the scene here,” says DJ Kid. “To have a weekly night that plays drum n’ bass in Edinburgh, it’s phenomenal.”

“There’s literally DJs I’ve never even heard of in Edinburgh that sell out the Tuesday night,” says Refracta. “Tuesday at Bongo is probably one of the busiest nights of the week, if not the busiest.”

Midnight Bass exists specifically to platform homegrown Scottish talent. Every Tuesday, the roster is made up of mostly locals, both the more established selectors and emerging DJs. Competition to play is high – browsing their past line-ups reveals the staggering number of people keen to assume position behind the decks, even in a small scene.

“There were loads of drum n’ bass crews that were doing small parties across Edinburgh. What we started doing was bringing all these parties together,” says Jamie. “A lot of these events, DJs and crews all have their own wee crowds. By bringing more people together, we can create a bit more of a cohesive community for drum & bass in Edinburgh.”

When the pandemic forced Midnight Bass to pause in 2020, they turned their attention to Scotland’s producers, releasing the Scotland VA on Bandcamp. Refracta features on the compilation, as do Torso and Mastaki, whose collab with Idylist, “Fatboi”, was named track of the week by BBC Introducing in Scotland. “It just so happened at that point in time that there were quite a few producers across Scotland all doing the same thing,” says Jamie. “We decided that we’d pull it all together for this release.”

A big part of their motivation was to showcase Scotland’s drum & bass artists to the rest of the UK, even the world. “Scotland has its own drum & bass scene. It’s insular compared to other cities and places around the UK,” Jamie says. “There’s quite a few DJs that haven’t really been picked up by promoters down south.”

Refracta agrees that being a producer in Scotland, so far away from the larger nights and labels down south, brings its challenges. “It is really difficult, I won’t lie,” he says. “It was really hard to network up here. I imagine the majority of label people and promoters have thousands of little people like me in their Instagram messages every day. Whereas if you’re in person, people will give you a lot more time of day.”

Nonetheless, Scotland’s producers have enjoyed quite a bit of attention down south of late. Refracta’s Elevate EP was picked up by DJ Hybrid’s Audio Addict label in 2021, while his funky collab with Torso, “Hollow”, went viral on Soundcloud. Blu Mar Ten put out WhyTwo’s record, Ghost, last year and imo-Lu has joined the Hospital family with the wistful liquid number “Hard Feelings”. Both imo-Lu and Anikonik are repping Scotland on the EQ50 mentoring scheme. Scotland hasn’t always been known for its prolific d&b producers, but that could be about to change.

It’s an exciting time for the DJs and promoters too. Since the pandemic, seemingly dozens of new names and nights have popped up in the city, signalling a new generation keen to make their mark. “Pre-COVID I knew all the DJs in the city off by heart,” says Prolifix, who runs Metropolis in The Mash House. “If you were new, you were on my radar like that. The other week I was headlining a night at Midnight Bass at Bongo, and I had a look at the lineup and I thought, ‘Who are you all?’”

The trick to sustaining a scene as small and as busy as Edinburgh’s is collaboration, says Prolifix. When you share the same audience not just with other club nights in your city, but the rest of the country, it’s in no one’s interests to clash. “You wouldn’t throw a drum & bass night on a Tuesday, when Midnight Bass is on. You just wouldn’t fucking do it,” he says. There’s a noticeable camaraderie between the promoters in Edinburgh. Nobody wants their own night to fall flat because another night was on, and everybody wants the scene to succeed. “At the end of the day, everyone’s out there for each other. We’ve all got each other’s backs,” says Prolifix. “It’s a small movement in terms of drum & bass scenes throughout the world, but we’re really close knit.”

One new night that has emerged since the pandemic is Sunday Service, which is spearheading the daytime party format in Edinburgh. Every first Sunday of the month, founder Pollyanna hosts an open decks session at The Dog House, where liquid tracks to accompany a chilled pint are the order of the day. Pollyanna set it up after she returned from Bristol, where she had been living for six years.

“I used to go to open decks at a place called To The Moon, which is a bar in Bristol, and I really liked the vibe,” she says. “You can bridge the gap between DJing at home and DJing in a club with DJing in a bar.” Sunday Service is the place for budding DJs to cut their teeth before they try their hand at Midnight Bass, or for more seasoned artists to get in some practice. Every month, it attracts a diverse crowd, with many of the older heads tempted out by the earlier closing time.

“I’ve been so happy to see it grow into exactly what I hoped it would – very supportive and inclusive,” says Pollyanna. “It’s to create a community vibe as well. It’s more like a DJ and producer meet up. Everyone that comes is a big lover of the scene and that type of music. It’s actually a chance for people to get to chat.”

People like Brynk and Ominous, two DJs who met at Sunday Service and are now launching their own club night, Niteshift. Brynk came to Edinburgh as a student, after fervently following the UK’s drum & bass from his home in Poland. Ominous started raving in the old Bongo – a dive venue that sat on Holyrood Road through the 00s, and is remembered fondly by many.

“In Scotland, there is much less opportunity to play, because of the timings. The finishing at 3AM, four slots,” says Brynk. “However, I believe that it’s really growing. It’s a good curve. I think you can tell by the nights that are opening. There are several new nights that happened just after the lockdown.”

“Small and strong” is the phrase that Pollyanna uses to describe the state of Edinburgh’s drum & bass scene today. Even with the challenges that it faces, it still stubbornly holds on in the Scottish capital, and has done for more than three decades now. And there are advantages to being on the petit side.

“If you were to start producing or DJing in somewhere like Bristol or London, there’s so many other people doing the same thing,” she says. “It’s hard to stand out. It’s hard to find that community vibe. But in Edinburgh, because there is a select amount of clubs that put on good electronic music, you get to know everyone. Everyone’s so passionate and everyone is really supportive.”

“I’ve seen it high and I’ve seen some lows, but it seems to be getting stronger again,” says Ominous. “It’s healthy. There’s several people trying to put on nights and it’s always good vibes. It’s a community.”

“Right now, it’s in the very early stages of becoming a culture,” says Refracta. “Whether or not it lasts is another thing, but I sure as shit hope it does.”

 

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BRAND NEW DANLEY SOUND LAB PA IN MAIN ROOM

03 October 2022 -

Following extensive testing and the arrival just last week of the remaining two bass bins (replacing our old D&B rig), we are now rocking a FULL and brand spanking NEW Danley Sound Lab PA in the main room.

Here’s the technical chat for all audio nerds and environmentally conscious beings (from A Live Sound Ltd who did the installation):

“The Bongo’s new Danley PA consists of 2x SH46, 2x SM60i and 4x BC 215 subs powered by a Danley 20K4 and 20K8 amplifiers.

The new PA is extremely efficient and has lowered the electrical use of the venue from the old system by 65%.

With the venue’s focus on bass music and clubs, the sub needed to be up front and centre and BC215s will certainly do that.

Smart, sustainable high impact sound, that transforms the audience experience.”

Danley Distribution
A Live
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HOMETOWN PROMOTIONS SOUND SYSTEM WELCOME REGGAE TALENT CHARLIE P, THURS 29TH SEPT

26 September 2022 -

Glasgow’s Hometown Promotion Sound System crew have booked Southend’s rising star of the reggae scene, Charlie P, to headline their next date.

Still in his early 20s, Charlie P started doing talent shows and gigs when he was still in short trousers and has clearly honed his talent.  His 2014 single for Glasgow’s Scotch Bonnet label, Nice It Up, has now had over 1 million hits on YouTube.

Check out the documentary clip above for a full Charlie P story and grab a ticket for the gig here.  Support on the night from Tom Spirals (live) and the Hometown crew.

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ELECTRIKAL FINALLY WELCOMES ANDY C BACK TO THE BONGO, SUNDAY 25TH SEPT

20 September 2022 -

Originally scheduled to happen in February, when gale force winds grounded flights out of London, this date forms the final part of drum n bass legend Andy C’s X03.0 Tour, his first UK tour in 5 years.

The tour was designed to take his classic drum n bass sounds back to the intimacy of UK night clubs and smaller live music venues, after Andy C recently played a headlining show at Wembley Arena.

The DJ and producer behind the legendary Ram Records label, Andy C (better known to his mum as Andrew John Clarke) forged Origin Unknown’s stone cold classic tune, Valley Of The Shadows (originally released as a B-side, no less), when drum n bass was still in its infancy (1993).

Consequently rising through the ranks to establish a solid DJing rep at raves and clubs nationwide, by the tail end of that decade he was consistently being voted best DJ by drum n bass fans.  And he’s never looked back….

This is an absolutely essential date for dnb fansDon’t sleep.

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Jungle Magik returns, hosting dnb legend Aphrodite this Sunday 18th Sept

13 September 2022 -

Last seen in the capital almost two decades ago, original Scottish junglists Jungle Magik have returned and are hosting legendary jungle and dnb DJ/producer Aphrodite.

Aphrodite released a slew of classic party tunes, which became widely known as ‘jump up’ drum n bass, in the late Nineties and has never looked back.

Last time he played the Bongo (2017), it caused a proper road-block and was sold out.  Not to be missed.

Grab a ticket here.

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Bongo re-opening party, Friday 2nd Sept!

31 August 2022 -

Bongo’s re-opening party features Midnight Bass x Electrikal Sound System on Friday 2nd Sept!  Midnight Bass has been Bongo’s busiest night bar none for the past year, filling the club with drum n bass sounds every Tuesday night, while Electrikal has spent the summer touring their rather large sound system, dedicated to all things bass, around the UK festivals.  Details of full line-up to follow.

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