clubs
AMIR ALEXANDER
Delete @ Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
Fri 31 Oct
pic: MARIE STAGGAT
As a founding member of Vanguard Sound, Amir Alexander has gone from lone ranger to a member
of a crew which now also includes Chris Mitchell, Dakini9, DJ. Spider, G. Marcell and Hakim Murphy.
He also has a few personal agendas which give him cause for excitement.
“One new thing will be the birth of my first child,” Amir tells us. “He’s not here yet but should be by
the time this is published. Another new thing with me as just a regular guy is that I recently started
skateboarding again after taking a few years off to recover from an injury and to break out as a DJ/
producer. I try to skate every day and I often bring my board with me to gigs to fill up the time at the
hotel beforehand.”
As well as Vanguard, Amir has formed sister label Annunaki Cartel which hosts output from artists
not in the Vanguard Crew, and Aaacid! which is solely dedicated to Smiley Virus’ "deep, tristed,
unconventional jak beat made on analogue vintage gear".
“Our latest Vanguard release also just dropped,” says Amir. “Guerrilla Soul is my deep house alias
project and it’s making its debut with a self-titled EP. Four tracks: two spoken word, one male vocal and
one straight-up jack track, but all just a bit left of centre as opposed to conventional deep house. The
next releases on will be EPs by Chris Mitchell, Vanguard Sound!’s co-owner. G. Marcell bringing that
South side Chicago flavour, and DJ. Spider after that. Production-wise I’ve got nuff remixes coming
out, some more alias material, and I’m working on my debut album.”
He is however reserving some pride in being one of Chicago’s most respected DJs and producers.
“I am thankful to have been chosen as one of the torch bearers/defenders of the faith,” he explains. “I
hope to be a direct connection between the origins and the future of our culture. If I pull it off to my
personal satisfaction, I will one day be a proud old man. But until then, there’s more work to be done.”
Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2023 2199 RYAN HEEGER
pic: SECESSION
TREATMENT
Solus, Cardiff University Students
Union
Fri 31 Oct
The jostle for drawing the best crowd
on Halloween sees the Treatment crew
throw their hat into the ring, for what is
their second event this month. (Fri 10 Oct
sees a line-up including Eats Everything,
Jackmaster b2b Jasper James, Paul
Woolford and Huxley in the same venue as
this one.)
This evening, however, is all about Bondax
[pictured], Shadow Child and Kry Wolf.
Bondax consists of George Townsend
and Adam Kaye, who emerged when still
teenagers from Lancaster. Notorously
difficult to pigeonhole, they have done
things their way, including launching their
own Just Us Recordings imprint in 2012.
A good place to start would be their last
two singles, All I See and Fires.
Shadow Child debuted as a producer in
2012 on Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird
label, with his String Thing EP. Not a bad
inauguration to the world of house music.
For a taster you can catch his weekly show
for Rinse FM on Wednesdays from 9-11pm.
Bill Francis & Lewis Darvill are the
duo behind Kry Wolf, who along with
Shadow Child are also responsible for
Food Music and their own bass music
label, SoundsofSumo which has featured
Canblaster, Mele, Submerse and more.
Cardiff promoters Purrmotions and duo
Eli & Fur will also be on point providing
rock-solid support. Tickets: £16-£20. Info:
029 2078 1458 (RH)
BUZZ 40
KOVE
Rise @ Sin City, Swansea
Sat 18 Oct
More nights should be conceived in the
way that Rise was. A few students decide
to put the local world of drum’n’bass to
rights by creating a night that appeals
to them and anyone they know, and then
the rest will come. As students they also
appreciate the fiscal challenges face by
their peers, so drink offers and sensible
ticket prices abound.
Then there are the names on the flyers,
which includes those of the Switch
collective who regularly host the second
r