At the end of our incredible weekend for #48HrsWith @IamLempo, Applique Music announced their first remix competition to celebrate the label’s first birthday. The competition takes their search for new talent to a new level, allowing entrants to remix the Lempo and Japwow original  track, “Wishbone” . Competing artists have the chance to get their entry signed to the label and released alongside the original and a remix from Jonathan Lee (Label A&R).

The winner and runner-up will be showcased on the Applique Music social media pages (Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud) and hit the shelf in all major online stores in September 2012.

Competition Rules: 

1. Competition begins July 10th and concludes August 10th 2012.
2. Remixes must be produced in one of these three styles: Deep House, Tech House or Progressive House. These three styles have been chosen due to Applique Music sound policy focusing primarily on these genres.
3. Artist may only submit one remix. If any artists submit more than one remix, they will be disqualified from the competition immediately. This includes artists using alternative aliases or a production team.
4. All remixes must be submitted to the Applique Music Soundcloud competition group. Artists who are competing must have a Soundcloud profile to compete and you must follow the label page upon submission.
5. All remixes must not use any copyrighted samples.
6. All submitted remixes on Soundcloud must not have the option to download. Should you Make a remix from these stems and allow the general public to download said remix the label will be forced to take legal action.
7. Remix submissions must not be shared with anyone but Applique Music.
8. Anyone found to be handing his or her remix out for free before the end of the competition will be disqualified.

Judging of Competition: 
The Applique Music Competition is in no way shape or form a popularity contest on Soundcloud and other social media sites. Some artists may have an unfair advantage due to having a larger amount of followers on their social media sites than another artists. With this in mind, Applique Music and its staff which shall include but not limited to; Applique Music Owner, Director, Manager, A&R, Distributors, current and past label artists/remixers.

Judging begins as soon as the first submission is posted and continues until August 10th. Applique Music will publically announce its primary winner and runner-up on August 12th 2012. This is a competition of proficiency and technical skill; each remix will be analyzed and judged on creativity, complexity, mastering and all around production. Applique Music is searching for the next global producing superstar and we expect nothing but the best in our artists and our prospects.

Wishbone Stem Pack: 
www.tinyurl.com/wshboneparts

“Wishbone” – Lempo & Japwow (Original Mix): 
www.tinyurl.com/wishboneoriginal

Applique Music Soundcloud Group: 
www.tinyurl.com/wishbonecomp

After an incredible weekend, the Dance Music Manchester team thought the best way to cap it off would be to interview the man himself and see how he felt the weekend went. So, here is the interview with Mr. Mike McGuinness aka Lempo.

So, how was last weekend and spending #48HrsWith DMM? 

Last weekend was a great all-round party. Non-stop from starting the radio show at 8pm on Friday night – right through to getting home from the studio late on Sunday evening but truth be known it was like most weekends for me. It’s what I live for and as you saw, there is a crop of incredible people around me that help it all tick over. As for spending every waking hour that weekend with James (DMM) I think it is safe to say I have made a new friend on the Manchester club scene. The banter was top draw and his enthusiasm for the music was a joy to see, I’m still very honoured to have been selected as the first specimen for #48HrsWith.

Whats next for Lempo and Japwow?

The future looks good. We have forthcoming releases on some major labels, the next of which is “Jazz Handz” on MC Flipside’s Canadian imprint ‘DBR’ – Flip himself has done the remix package which we were honoured to discover. We have plenty of remix work for several prominent labels in the works. A collaboration alongside dance heavyweights K-Klass and a studio album for 80d (Ashley Taylor Dawson) co producing with Mark Hill (Artful Dodger). Add to that the day to day running of our own record label and you have a busy schedule. Our latest demo is already gaining support from the likes of Doorly and Worthy along with airplay on Capital FM from Andi Durrant. We are pushing this around a few labels at the moment. The sky is the limit!

How did the Applique Music Showcase at The Yacht Club go? Did the DJs involved enjoy the night? Will there be more of the same coming to Manchester any time soon?

The event at The Yacht Club was a massive success. If you take into consideration the typical Manchester weather it was amazing to see anybody out but they were raving in force and it is safe to say they all had a great time.

All the DJs that represented us at the event have made a point of contacting me to say how much they and their friends enjoyed it. My original concept for this showcase was to just let the acts play what they want to play with no pressure. Too many promoters have their hands forced by venues to meet ticket sales, which puts a lot of pressure on the talent to make sales. This is not what we are about and it is the main issue on the promo side of the industry. So, we set the stage for a free party, no pressure, no problem! All we want to do with the artists on Applique Music is help them progress, and that is what this event was about. We believe in their productions and the skills they all poses behind the decks.

The venue have expressed their joy at the atmosphere created by the Applique Music team and have already invited us back for two further showcase events, which we have accepted. These events will be on the last Saturday of the month in July and August from 5pm as official pre parties for the main event… Bitch at Venus!

I would just like to say a huge thank you to all the artists on the label, specifically those who played at the event, the ravers who braved the weather to enjoy the music with us and my brother from another mother – Mr. Jamie Jones (The Yacht Club Manager) for agreeing to my concept. Much luv y’all! x

Bitch was one of our favourite club nights ever. How was the night for you? Pete Mobey has said that the sit down during Avicii’s, “Superlove” was one of his favourite moments behind the decks. How did it feel to get such a massive reaction as part of B3?

As always Bitch was an amazing event, the infrastructure of this brand is unreal. It is so well organised from top to bottom and executed with such style, testiment to the Bitch team and all the crew at Venus The Club. I spend a lot of time with the main man… Tricky (Ric Feingold) is a great lad and he is very passionate about his Bitch!

I think what made this night so special was that coming together of myself, Russo and Pedro for the three way! (not like that). When we decided to do the gig under the B3 alias we had no idea it would be such a success and gain so much interest in such a short space of time. We have been working together closely on the radio show every Friday and that combined with us being residents together for a number of years at Venus every month – enabled us to have a better understanding of how to entertain the Bitch faithful. I would go as far as to say the sit down was the highlight of my own career as a DJ and that is saying something as I have clocked up a fair few gigs. The feeling a moment like that gives you is unbelievable and it will stay with the three of us for the rest of our lives. Lets not forget that all the other DJs played a blinder too Felix, Kim, Adrian, Frater & Stent etc. were all on top of there game.

Talking of B3, what do you think the future holds for the group? Anything big in the pipeline?

Well the feedback has been next level, we didn’t expect the reaction we had. It helped that we kept the identity of B3 a secret until the event. People were already buzzed up about the promo mix we aired on Unity Radio but when the three of us walked out in those t-shirts the raw was incredible and all we could do was grin as we took to the decks.

We have just confirmed that our next set as B3 will be at Mint Festival in Leeds alongside artists such as Michael Woods, Third Party and Kryder on Sat 28th September. We have set up at Twitter page too @thisisb3 – we are just gonna see what happens, by no means will this become a monthly thing and nor will it stray too far from the (Bitch) mothership.

As for the label, you’ve had chart success with some of your releases and are working with some huge talent. What should we expect from Applique in 2012 / 2013? 

The label is still very much in it’s infancy. Yes we have been lucky enough to gain some major support from the likes of Tiesto, Roger Sanchez, Mark Knight, Eric Morillo etc. but it is the chart positions that show true support. It means the clubbers are finding the music and buying it which is a winner. To date we have had three number one sellers and around 80% of the releases have held a chart position on one or more of the many download stores such as Beatport and Trackitdown.

The future is bright, we have big plans. I think now we have a foot in the door and the respect has been earned we are finding it easier to sign the bigger names both as original artists and remixers. The Summer Session Compilation which is released on July 25th includes the three number one selling tracks “Boston Boogie” by Will Gold vs Lempo and Japwow, “Runch” by London duo John Ryan & Foreman and Ben Clarke’s “Old School Drop Out”. Along with the local talent you would expect to see on one of our releases we also have household names such as Oliver Lang, Rob Nutek, Will Clarke, Frater & Stent and David Glass.

Since the weekend, what has the reception and feedback been like about the whole #48HrsWith weekend? Do you think it’s helped those involved with the recognition they deserve, even if only in a small manner?

Any exposure is good exposure and the depth in which you have gone to discuss the people we crossed paths with at all the events during the weekend has been a joy to read. These people are all my friends as well as colleges, I’m sure they are all very grateful for the place you have given them in the shop window… anything is a bonus. I believe it was Oscar Wilde who said,

 “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”

As for myself the exposure has been a great, lots of nice tweets and Facebook messages from people who have enjoyed the story. Lots of new followers and likes across the all the socials. Interaction on Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud for both Applique Music and Lempo & Japwow have rocketed with the links being in your articles. So on behalf of everyone at Applique Music, Japwow and myself – Thank you very much DMM!

Quickfire questions:

Favourite moment of the weekend?
The sit down during the B3 set at Venus by a country mile.

Studio or DJ Booth?
Ohhhhhhhhhhh too hard, I love both so much!

Dirty warehouse basement or posh nightclub?
I like it dirty, if the walls ain’t sweating it ain’t a party!

Favourite Krispy Kreme donut?
Original Glazed all the way baby!

#48HrsWith: would you do it again?
Hell yeah, but if we do, lets move the goal posts and do it on a bank holiday weekend… #72hrsWITH ???

Last but not least, what is this Applique Music remix competition all about?

Well, while you were in the studio with us last Sunday we put the finishing touches to a new Lempo & Japwow original called “Wishbone”. Jonathan Lee (The label A&R) is doing a remix but we will also be releasing the winner and runner up of this comp on the package. So if anyone out there think they have what it takes you can download the parts from the link below and submit your entry by August 10th via the labels Soundcloud page.

DOWNLOAD THE PARTS FROM:
www.tinyurl.com/wishbonecomp

Any last comments?
Just a lot of thanks… thank you to DMM – I can’t express my gratitude enough that you guys asked me to do this. Thank you for the support and patience Mrs. Lempo and my family give me and more to the point for letting me chase my dream. Massive thank you to my music crew, most notably Claire Savage, Jono Carr, Ric Feingold, Ben Egerton, Stu Smith, Russo and Pedro. Without the help and support of these guys it would all fall apart. Finally the fans – I guess you call them that, the guys following me on twitter, tuning into the show, coming to the gigs and buying the music! #LempoLovesYou x

 

Read the story from the very beginning here.

Follow:
Lempo
Lempo and Japwow
and Dance Music Manchester on Twitter.

Like:
Lempo and Japwow
Applique Music
and Dance Music Manchester on Facebook

After all that had happened over the weekend so far, you wouldn’t think that our Sunday would be a busy one but by 11am, Lempo, Jonathan Lee (Jono) and myself headed down to the Applique studio in Wolverhampton, for an afternoon / evening producing, remixing and general record label business with Miss Nina Japwow.

Naturally, the traffic was horrendous on the M6 but that left room for more banter, referring to Jono’s incredible amount of raving at Bitch the night before, winning himself the coveted, DMM Raver of the Week Award and the usual post-night analysis. Arriving at the studio with Krispy Kreme’s in hand we got down to record label business.

Sitting in the studio, the walls covered in plaques and vinyl’s from their past and the three producers bouncing off each other on their latest remixes and releases was quite humbling. The amount of work that goes behind every release is amazing and slightly humbling. DMM work hard to get our name out but this talented collective have been working impossibly hard for a very long time to get where they are and it was an absolute pleasure to be invited down, so I would like to say a huge thank you at this point to Lempo, Japwow and Jono for the privilege.

During the session, I witnessed the trio working on an awesome remix of Timone & Pumba’s, “I Must Dance”, working their technical wizardry on an already brilliant track to truly make it their own. What do you think?

After watching the technical minds working together on a few tracks,  the conversation switched to the producers on the label, especially those playing at the brilliant outdoor gig. Just to show how much talent is on the label, especially considering it is in it’s first year, let me tell you a little bit about a few of the people involved.

Nina Japwow
As DJ and record label partner with Lempo, Nina’s influence runs throughout both Applique and Lempo’s playing style when joined by the incredibly talented Japwow. Before, during and after spending time with Japwow, a good handful of DJs and producers have commented on her excellent technical ability to turn a track from a good track to a fully mastered club banger. Combine this with Lempo’s mad ideas (operatic vocals on a deep, tech house remix of Skee-lo being just one) and we have a solid structure for success on both fronts. Their ability as a duo has also been recognised in the charts, reaching number 1 on Trackitdown with Lempo and Japwow vs Will Gold – “Boston Boogie”.

The aptly named Batshit Mix shows off the duo’s ability to improvise and experiment with new music, playing a style of house music that although new and relatively unknown, goes down a treat with crowds all over. With a bit of luck, this new sub-genre could go a long way, see what you think:

After spending so much time with Lempo and Japwow, naturally a lot of their tracks are played, in the car, at home and of course in the studio. A few tracks that stood out for me over the weekend were the incredible Jack in Boots by Lempo and Japwow featuring Nancy Sinatra and Lempo & Japwow – Hi De Ho, alongside their remix of U.M. Project – Funky Beat and their class bootleg, G6 Step. You can watch / listen to all three of these below!

Jonathan Lee / Jono Carr

On top of hosting the Lempo and Carr show every Tuesday night on Manchester Global Radio, Jono is also the A&R partner on the Applique Music label. Working with artists from all over to pull together their new Summer Session compilation, tipped to be a big release with roughly 30 tracks, highlighting all that is good within the label including all 3 of their number 1 sellers.

Working along side Mike now for many years, its a great inspiration to see someone who enjoys it as much as Mike does, and put so much effort and time into something he has a great passion for. Mike is great at whatever he does in music weather it be DJing, producing, presenting the radio show, running events or running our record label together. An all-round musical talent and a top guy to work with.

Adrian Jones (Reworked Robot)

Fellow Bitch resident and Brighton based house music DJ and producer Adrian Jones aka Reworked Robot has  played alongside some of the greats in the World of dance music, from Judge Jules, Tim Mason, Third Party and Nicky Romero. His remix of I Must Dance will be released on Applique in August, with more coming in the near future. The self confessed tech-geek and studio junkie saw his debut release, “Loaded” reaching the top 5 in the Trackitdown chart within days of release.

Check out Reworked Robot on Facebook and Soundcloud now!

Ben Clarke

Renowned for his unpredictability of selection ranging throughout the entire House/Tech spectrum, causing an overwhelming response from both the veteran souls and the new found minions alike, DJ / producer Ben Clarke will go far. Talented in his field, great fun as a performer and a genuinely all around top guy. Check out his Soundcloud profile for some cool new releases in the near future. Old School Drop Out is Ben’s number 1 seller, listen below:

Brodanse

I caught up with 1/2 of Brodanse, Scott Smart at The Yacht Club  during a quality live set during the Applique Showcase where there were plenty of their tracks causing the crowd to throw a few hands in the air. Since winning the Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Schwindelig Remix competition, Brodanse have been going in one direction, upwards.

Adam Martin (Twenty12)

Adam martin is one half of twenty12 producing a variation of the deep tech-house sounds and is also due to be launching a new night in november called Exhibit! Another star of the Applique Showcase, check out their podcast now!

Pete Mobey (Pedro)

As fans and friends of Pete, Dance Music Manchester expect huge things from his work with both Applique and B3. His opening set on Saturday showed his more chilled out, deep-house bar vibe but then as 1/3 of the incredible B3 he had one of the best moments behind the decks at Venus later that night. Great technical skill, a brilliant reader of a crowd and a great lad to work and party with. Check out his Soundcloud page or listen to his deep house mix below:

There is so much talent down at Applique, we couldn’t possibly squeeze them all in here. Rob Bunting‘s latest release, “Open Arms” is out now on Beatport and will also feature on the Summer Sessions compilation at a later date.

I can’t describe how impressed I was with Applique, everything from the team involved, their back stories, experiences and plans for the future. At Dance Music Manchester, we are really excited to see what the future holds for Applique, expect to see more from them on DMM very soon.

The 25th July will be the official 1st birthday for the label and already they are hitting the charts with awesome bar and club releases. The showcase on Saturday was such a success, they’ve been asked to return on the 28th July so make sure you head down to the Yacht Club on the night to hear more.

Tomorrow, we will be publishing the final chapter in the #48HrsWith @IamLempo story, a chance to sit down and talk with the man himself about the weekend, the future and the responses to this story he has received over the past week. We will also be launching the Applique Music + Dance Music Manchester remix competition, with a chance to release your remix on this fantastic label. Just to get your creative juices flowing, in time for the competition tomorrow, you can hear the track to be remixed by clicking play below!

Read the final chapter – The Interview with Lempo and the Applique Music Rexmix Competition Announcement

Read the story from the very beginning here.

Follow:
Lempo
Lempo and Japwow
and Dance Music Manchester on Twitter.

Like:
Lempo and Japwow
Applique Music
and Dance Music Manchester on Facebook

 

My first encounter with a Bitch night was in April with American, house DJ and awesome performer, Gina Star. The hospitality of Venus, the quality of the DJs and the friendliness in the atmosphere made for one of my favourite regular club nights in Manchester. I commented on how the dress code was smart and that I didn’t think people would be there to rave, at first anyway but the rave went on until the early hours, high heels and all. The friendliness of the crowd made you feel welcome and relaxed and people were genuinely there to enjoy themselves. Naturally, I haven’t missed a Bitch or even many Venus nights since. The standards were already high so I was looking forward to a good night but I don’t think anyone knew quite how memorable it would be.

From the Applique Music Showcase, we met our guestlist competition winners by chance so headed down to the club with them, chatting about how refreshing it was to head to The Yacht Club for a chilled out party before the short walk over for the main event. All of their friends seemed to agree with our thoughts, the cool, relaxed warm-up vibe was so much better than just getting smashed in someone’s flat, then staggering into town, half cooked. Landing at Venus just as the venue was starting to fill, I joined my friends already dancing in the back room, giving Lempo some breathing space. He had been stuck with me for 28 hours by this point, poor fella.

I was surprised to hear a lot of my friends hadn’t actually been to Bitch or Venus but when I caught up with them in the main room, I didn’t need to ask if they were enjoying themselves. Big smiles, big dance moves and huge amounts of banter said it all. Then Felix Leiter‘s new tune, “Your Future is Digital”, dropped for the first time of the night.

You can tell a big tune will be huge when you first hear it in a club by the way the crowd reacts and wow, the crowd reacted. Even the remaining few who weren’t already dancing were bouncing, fists in the air, massive grins on the faces of the Venus faithful. Club bangers like this need a packed nightclub to reach their audio-orgasmic potential. As expected, Felix Leiter’s set was nothing short of extra-ordinary. Technically sound but as I’ve said before, in a club it’s about making the crowd happy. If you’ve seen the Bitch TV episode with the Felix Leiter interview already, you’ll see how up-for-it the whole place seemed to be. As resident at Digital in Newcawstle, Mr. Leiter is used to a solid, clubbing audience and this showed in his confidence in the booth, reading what the crowd likes and playing to their tastes.

Kim Fai also stepped up the game, raising the bar once more. By this point the crowd were well and truly buzzing, Kim concentrating on the audience to keep the mood at the clubing sweet spot Felix had produced. We were stood behind him for a short while, a rare occassion yes as we tend to stay in the middle of the party not posing in the booth and just just observed as hundreds of dancing party animals beckoned to Kim’s every call.

Kim was clearly enjoying himself too, dancing away behind the decks, with Lempo on the other side of the booth pumping up the crowd jumping up and down with excitement as the big tunes kicked in. Playing a lot of tunes from Steve Angello’s Size Records, understandably, the biggest hit seemed to be his remix of “Sun & Moon” by Above and Beyond, which coincidentally ties in with our DMM Raver of the Week Award. And the winner is…drum roll please… Jono (aka Jonathan Lee) from Applique!

At this point, Lempo, myself and Emily, a new friend of DMM’s, headed over to the Renaissance Hotel to interview Felix. Being a packed clubnight, not everything always goes according to schedule, so we were stood chilling outside for a short period when some clearly messed up guy, covered in blood and totally oblivious to his condition tried to get into Venus. Quick note, he hadn’t come from Venus, in fact trouble of any kind is rare but nevertheless he was still trying to talk to Lempo and myself. As polite and friendly as Lempo is, how he kept his patience, I don’t know as the guy was trying to lean on him, rest his arm on Lempo’s shoulder, all whilst covered in blood. He did though and earned even more respect from myself and Emily as many in his situation wouldn’t have been so considerate.

We then crossed over to the Renaissance, for the Bitch TV interview with Felix. We all sat down and before Lempo had chance to introduce us, Felix being the gent that he is, introduced himself with complete sincerity. Now this is a guy who’s just smashed the hell out of a club, releasing an incredible track on Bitch Music and has an incredible past, present and future ahead of him and he still has the time of day to be a genuine bloke. Good game mate, good game.

The interview itself was awesome to watch, a few out-takes were made before we could get the full video but it was very funny to behold. Quite interesting to watch an interview from the camera behind the camera too, letting Lempo take control of the conversation. It was quite impressive too, watching him switch from DJ, to radio host, to clubber and then to interviewer without a blink of an eye. Will have to take lessons from the man himself I reckon!

The final cut of the interview is embedded as part of an incredible video by Jo3 Design that really highlights what is so awesome about Bitch. It’s not just a club night but it’s how club night’s should be, everybody is dancing, all enjoying an epic night and Joe’s skill behind a camera catches it perfectly. It’s extremely difficult to do this night justice writing this chapter but this video should help immensely! Watch it now:

Heading back to the club, we managed to catch the end of Kim’s set, the crowd still manically dancing away. When something I’d been waiting for most of the weekend finally happened. The launch of B3. We had heard the B3 promo mix and knew this was going to be something special. When Martyn Russo, Pete Mobey and Lempo himself donned B3 t-shirts and headed towards the booth, the crowd seemed to go crazy, ourselves included.

These were the lads they have known and loved for ages, lads that knew the audience, the music and exactly how to play together but this was their first live gig as a trio, so would the pressure get to them? Not in the slightest. Using the experience they have as individuals, during Bitch nights and The Bitch Show on Unity Radio, they tore the crowd apart. I have genuinely never seen a more perfectly targeted club set and neither had the hundreds of crazed animals, raving on the dance floor. The set must have been meticulously planned as the three seemed to relay off each other, each knowing exactly what the others were doing at any time, whilst still partying as if they were on the other side of the booth! Adding to this, 80-90% of the tracks were bootlegs, all of which seemed to be perfect for the occasion, the party was immense.

Then this happened:

As we hit that moment of peace, the build up before the big drop on Avicii’s, “Super Love”, the crowd stopped dancing and sat down. Now we know sit-downs have happened before but when the Swedish House Mafia did it at Creamfields, they actually asked the crowd to do it. B3 had nothing to do with this as it was genuinely a sign of the massive amount of respect everyone had for Lempo, Pete and Martyn. When the track dropped, Venus went absolutely mental. Awesome moment, one the B3 lads will remember for a long time.

The set I saw from B3 was something that had to be seen to be believed. I would go as far as to say it was the best 4-5am set at the club to date. They set up Frater & Stent for the best 5-6am set too. B3…The ones to watch. Ben, Manager of Venus Nightclub, Manchester.

At the end of B3′s set, Frater & Stent jumped in with the Bitch trio, massive credit to Chris and Ryan, they didn’t allow the party to fade for one instant, providing the perfect end to the night.

One last thing to mention, is a massive thank you to Eddy Gosht (Oh My Gosht Photography) for allowing us to use the incredible club night photos he takes. If you like them, check out the Oh My Gosht Facebook Page! Also a thanks to Adrian Jones (Reworked Robot) for the Youtube Video of the B3 sit down, Venus for their hospitality as always, Bitch for providing such an awesome monthly event and everyone else involved so far this weekend.

Download the B3 Promo Mix for FREE or read Chapter 4 – Applique Music Announcement NOW!

Follow:

Lempo
B3
Pete Mobey
Martyn Russo
Kim Fai
Felix Leiter
Chris J Frater
Venus Manchester
Bitch Events
and Dance Music Manchester on Twitter.

Like:

Venus Manchester
Bitch Events
and Dance Music Manchester on Facebook

If you’re enjoying the #48HrsWith @IamLempo story so far, don’t worry. There will be at least 2 more chapters, about our day in the Applique Music studio, the DJs on the label and a full interview with Lempo himself, the next chapter being published on Saturday evening!

Boots n cats!

 

Lesson Number 1 - Don’t try and out-drink a DJ.

Lesson Number 2 – Just because it’s free vodka, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Lesson Number 3 – Domino’s cures everything.

So I woke up in the morning, feeling like…crap.  Nearly, very nearly wrote P. Diddy but then realised I can’t quote Ke$ha and keep any remote signs of credibility. Anyway, we had a few hours sleep, on the comfiest sofa in the World at Casa de Lempo, after talking about the industry, the people and the music until about 9am. The lovely Mrs. Lempo actually left for work with the two of us still drinking outside in the wee hours.

We ordered a Domino’s, went through the plans for the day, the competitions, checked in on the World of social media and headed into town. By the time we had done our daily chores, running around sorting everything, rallying the troops, it was just after 5 and the Applique Music label showcase, “Summer Sessions”, at the classy, chilled, outdoor, Spinningfields venue that is The Yacht Club was already in full swing.

If you haven’t been yet, the bar features in glossy magazines such as Grazia, has it’s own lager, dubbed “Riviera” and is the perfect place to chill out if whether it’s sunny or not, in Manchester. There are huge beds and perfect viewing of the tennis, football or films shown at Spinningfields on the big screen. Even if it’s torrential outside (it’s currently lashing it down with rain), it’s sheltered enough to keep you dry and the patio heaters will keep you warm. As you can tell, we like The Yacht Club at DanceMusicManchester.co.uk!

As we walked into Spinningfields, Bitch resident and good friend of ours, Pete Mobey was already spinning the tunes to a busy Yacht Club, especially busy considering it’s an outdoor bar in the early evening rain! We can’t rely on the weather in Manchester but one thing we can rely on is Pete’s ability to play the right tunes at the right time and he took this unusual scenario at The Yacht Club in his stride. The majority of the bar, even those who were there for a chilled chat, were tapping their feet and nodding along, with some of the more enthusiastic music fans already doing the, “chillout 2-step”.

The energetic, Ben Clarke took to the decks at 6, dancing behind the table, truly enjoying every minute whilst still not missing a beat. As the label is predominantly deep, tech, bass fuelled house, his set aligned well and his moves got the constantly growing crowd on their feet. Still a really chilled out atmosphere but more and more hips started to sway as the party got into full swing. Great way to start a party, Pete and Ben setting the tone for the evening.

At this point, I checked my Facebook, only to find that I’d apparently posted from the Lempo residence.

I really shouldnt leave my facebook logged in at the McGuinness residence. this could have been dangerous but lempos wife is too nice for that!!!! Well played Mrs. McGuiness… Well played!

Lempo and Japwow followed up, after an awesome set at Sankeys the night before, they changed their sound completely, redefining their act to coincide with what the label is becoming known for. Mixing the techy, bass house you would expect to hear, with music from their past, the music they grew up with, Lempo adding his old-school hip hop influence and 80s samples to give the set a bit of spice.

As you’d expect from the pair leading the charge, they performed yet another quality set, enticing more and more people to flock through the (invisible) doors at The Yacht Club to see what all the fuss was about. By now, the bar is busy, the atmosphere buzzing and a lot of chatter was overheard about this new, exciting concept that seems to be a rare occasion in Manchester. Some friends of mine turned up and all commented how much better it is to chill at a gig like that than to just get wasted at home, pre-drinking until 1, so as far as they were concerned, the night was an awesome success already.

The Venus Loves House Show with Chris J Frater was on 7-9, so we headed down to Unity Radio for the second half, a quick chat about Bitch on air and planned to finish the show with Lempo in the mix. His diversity as a DJ really started to show by this point, playing the tracks you would expect to hear at Venus on a Saturday, the big, bounce around the club, hands up in the air house music which, as always, went down a treat. Twitter was inundated with people commenting on the tracks, getting everyone excited for the big gig later that night.

When the Sankeys DJ, who was expected at 9, didn’t show up, Frater and Lempo continued to play a set B2B, completely off-the-cuff. The duo’s first time DJing together made them both look like best mates who had been playing alongside each other for years, showing off their professionalism and the joy the music brings to them. I genuinely wish that I had recorded the set on video as watching them bounce off each other, jumping around the studio was brilliant to witness.

We finally headed back to The Yacht Club, walking from Unity Radio, just off Oldham Road all the way down to Spinningfields, in absolutely horrendous rain. So much for Summer hey? Did that dampen the spirits? Hell no. Walking past a busker behind Harvey Nicks, Frater and Lempo burst into beat-boxing mode, much to the delight of the dedicated violinist, putting a massive smile on his face, even in the miserable weather.

You know what this needs mate? A bit of … boots n cats, boots n cats, boots n cats. 

You would think that an outdoor bar in Manchester, during what could only be described as a tropical storm, would be empty. Just the determined few, holding out for their friends playing the music. Well, how wrong you would have been. The entire bar was packed, some people dancing, some chilling but everyone having a really good evening. The atmosphere was brilliant, a really happy, fun and relaxed scene and I believe a lot of this was due to the lads and lady playing the tracks. This casual way of turning up to a gig, not having to sell tickets, not having to worry about guest-lists or being told what to play, really showed off their talents.

Twenty12, Jonathan Lee, Brodanse and Si’Ke DJs topped the night off, with our tune of the evening easily being awarded to Si’Ke DJs. Playing “I Believe” by The Happy Clappers had everyone’s hands up in the air, Lempo and myself looked over and just nodded. A sign that this night was an awesome success, a great showcase to the label and the talent they have on board. If you’re interested in reading more about the individual DJs, check out the chapter I’ll be writing soon from Applique Music, where I’ll be talking about the tracks they play, what they’re planning and a bit more about the guys in general.

As the night at The Yacht Club was drawing to a close, I turned around to see Lempo and DMM’s very own Kurt Johnston clutching 3 jugs of the Riviera finest, Lempo’s gift to the gang before we head over to Venus, showing the true family values the label has, with the DJs and producers acting as best mates, not just colleagues and hopefully a sign that alongside the talent and hard-work, their friendship and teamwork will take them far.

An amazing start to Saturday and Bitch was yet to come. Top class performances from headliners Felix Leiter and Kim Fai, the ever-reliably brilliant sets from the Venus residents, 2 interviews including one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time, the Bitch Music debut release, “Your Future is Digital” by Felix Leiter and a scene on the dance floor that I cannot imagine being topped for a very long time. Read more on Thursday night around 11pm.

Follow:
Lempo
Lempo and Japwow
Pete Mobey
Chris J Frater
Brodanse
and Dance Music Manchester on Twitter.

Like:
Lempo and Japwow
Applique Music
The Yacht Club
and Dance Music Manchester on Facebook

OR Read Chapter 3 of #48HrsWith @IamLempo – DJ Interviews, Felix Leiter, Kim Fai and B3 at Bitch, Venus Manchester.