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Posts Tagged ‘Hot Boy Dancing Spot’

Mighty Mouse

Tomorrow night sees disco and re-edit aficionado Mighty Mouse take to the laser basement for a Friday night edition of Hot Boy Dancing Spot! He’ll be joined by Hot Boy residents The Lovely Jonjo and Hello Mozart whilst those crazy Grizzle Gurls will be taking over the top bar with their very own version of Hot Slut Dancing Spot Extravaganza.

With a new side project with Van She singer Matt Van Schie in progress and a brand new volume of his acclaimed Disco Circus compilation fresh out, we decided it was high time to catch up with Mighty Mouse himself and find out about all that and more ahead of tomorrow night’s party…

Why are you so excited to be playing at Superstore for Hot Boy Dancing Spot?

I first went to Dalston Superstore when the Magician played with Mylo. I thought the atmosphere was amazing, the crowd was amazing and I love intimate spaces. Then someone told me they had a great night at Hot Boy Dancing Spot, so I thought, I’ve got to play there. So I’m really excited it’s happened.

Why did you chose to name yourself after the original Mighty Mouse over any other anthropomorphised mice? What makes him better?

I’ve no idea why I chose the name, I think at the time I wanted something silly and fun; I really didn’t expect to be making Mighty Mouse tunes three years later. It’s all a bit crazy. So I must have seen it somewhere and gone, “Yeah. Mighty Mouse, that’s a fun name.” It will have been a split second decision, not a lot of thought went into it.

Favourite cheese? Music and actual cheese…

Actual cheese – it changes a lot, I am a massive cheese fan though, like, I could live off cheese… Hmmm, maybe subconsciously my mind was telling me to include ‘Mouse’ in my name??? My favourite at the moment is manchego. Musically, I would say Toto – Africa…but I suppose that’s not cheese, although some people would consider it cheesy. Maybe Queen ‘Radio Ga Ga’ is a better answer.

How did you come to collaborate with Matt Van Schie from Van She?

We met in Paris about two and half years ago, we were both playing at the Social Club. I was sat outside a cafe somewhere and these two Australians came and sat down, for some reason I decided they must be the only Australians in Paris, so I said “Are you Matt Van Schie?”, and he said “Yes”. We sat in that cafe drinking for about eight hours then went straight to the gig, it was a messy night. But we became good friends since then and had been saying we should do something together…. it just took a while.

Where did you guys get the name Du Tonc from?

It came from that night in Paris when we met, probably best Matt tells that story because it’s about him, or more what he becomes.

We hear you just shot the latest Du Tonc video at our neighbours Vogue Fabrics. Can you tell us more about it?

Yes! Super excited about this. Simon Savory has done it, he had just finished a film and wanted to put the Du Tonc single (Darkness) in it. Then he asked if we had a video. We saw his script and were sold, he’s a really talented and lovely guy, it should be ready in a few weeks… I think there are like 40 or 50 people in it. Should be quite mental.

What’s your favourite re-edit you’ve ever done and one you wish you’d done?

My favorite I’ve done is Prince – Controversy, it works every time on the dancefloor. One I’d wish I’d done? No idea to be honest, I make so many myself to play out, I probably make ones other people have done. Nothing springs to mind though. I don’t actively seek out other peoples edits, but get some cool ones I play.

Have there been any tracks you’ve found to be uneditable or just too sacred to touch?

Oh god yes, loads – normally because I can’t make them sound as good as the original, the magic just isn’t there – or they start sounding too much like a house track with a disco sample in it. I’d love to do Chris Rea – Josaphine and TOTO – Africa, but I just can’t bring myself to touch them.

This month sees the release of your latest compilation Disco Circus- what track are you most pleased about securing for it?

I’m really happy with this one, probably the most out of all of them. Track I’m most pleased to have on it is Lindstrøm - I Feel Space. One of my favourite dance tracks ever.

And finally who is your ultimate disco hero and why?

That’s a tough one because so many have had an influence on me, but I would say Prince. I could probably do an entire evening of just Prince edits. For me he’s the perfect musician. He can play multiple instruments, write clever lyrics and hooky melodies and he’s an incredible performer. I don’t think we’ll see many of his type in the future, I hope we do though!

Join Mighty Mouse this Friday 22nd March at Dalston Superstore from 9pm – 3am for Hot Boy Dancing Spot.

How The Other Half Lives

This Saturday sees two of our favourite parties come to Superstore for an excellent team-up taking place over both floors. The basement plays host to Hot Boy Dancing Spot, where special guest Rory Phillips, fresh from a US tour that even took in a celebrated Beats In Space appearance, will join residents The Lovely Jonjo and Hello Mozart. Meanwhile, upstairs, vinyl-obsessives Drop The Needle return for another journey through the depths of their record bags.

We caught up with DTN guest Goncalo Pereira aka ZNTN from record label and mixtape series How The Other Half Lives to quiz him on all things wax ahead of the party…

Why the cassette tape limitations on the HTOHL mixtapes?

As I didn’t want people to try to use obvious dance music genres or edits I thought that referring to it as a mix-tape would help to put it in perspective. No mixing and a short amount of time will make people only get their favourites and not care if a track is easily mixable or not. Also making a reference to cassettes might bring back memories of old tapes.

Is there much, or any, crossover with tracks that feature on them, to what you play out?

Depends on the night. It’s a great way to find new tracks and I’ve had a couple residencies that worked around the same sort of music selection and mixing style, but I’m mostly booked for more of a club type of night. I do try to mix it up a bit if it’s early enough and bring some weird gems through the night but I suppose this project is an outlet for music I don’t usually play out.

Which one do you find yourself coming back to more often that not?

I try to go over all of them every now and then and my best-of keeps on changing, I think some of them take a while to get to you. I’d suggest as a starting point the mix-tapes by Ivan Smagghe, Bennedict Bull’s four part mix-tape, Romain BNO, Scott Fraser, Justin Robertson, JD Twitch…

What can we look forward to on the record label for the rest of the year?

I just released a couple weeks ago a double 12” by The Draughtsman (Alex Egan), that includes six original tracks and remixes by Cosmo Vitelli, Tim Paris, Daniel Avery and Roman Flugel.

Currently I am working on release number four which includes a new project called Herman Brahns (Unlikely and Medlar) with remixes by Scott Fraser and DMX Krew.

Plus getting back on guest mix-tapes and more of my own original material.

What’s currently on your stereo?

Currently on my stereo or piled next to it are Office Of Future Plans, The Asphodells, Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean, Yo La Tengo – Fade, Macadam Mambo 003, Anthony Naples – Moscato, Rogue Edits 003.

What’s your favourite record store ever?

Embarrassed to pick favourites but I make a weekly visit to Rough Trade for my ‘rock’ collection and to Phonica for my ‘electronic’ collection. Kristina and Sounds Of The Universe are also unmissable. Back in Lisbon I’d pick Flur as a mandatory stop.

What was the last record you bought?

You can never buy just one and you can tell how divided I feel about my collection which prompted the mix-tape project.

Last week includes Crackboy – Crackwood, Doubleheart – Roots, Brassica - Temple Fortune, Jawbreaker/Jawbox split, Husker Du – Everything Falls Apart…

Why is wax still so important?

If you’re paying for something it has to count – I completely understand the necessity for digital for it’s portability and accessibility but digital-only releases are disposable. If you’re willing to release a vinyl record or to pay for one then there’s more effort involved and that will keep the quality on another level. The records you buy on vinyl will most likely be your favourites. Plus the obvious higher quality and amazing artwork! Having said that I love when albums come with voucher for digital.

Discogs or crate digging?

I have to say it’s usually Discogs, I do some digging but mostly trying to track down records I’ve missed or are out of print. There are also a lot of American labels that I admire which don’t seem to do particularly well in the UK so it’s impossible to find them in second-hand shops.

And what’s one track we can expect to hear from you at Drop The Needle?

Can I pick two? An upper and a downer?

Fader – Fortunate Alpha

Sophie – Nothing More To Say (Jackmaster Dub)

Join Goncalo in the top bar this Saturday 23rd February for Drop The Needle. Downstairs plays host to Hot Boy Dancing Spot with special guest Rory Phillips.

Drums Of Death

Who better to headline Hot Boy Dancing Spot’s Halloween extravaganza than DRUMS OF DEATH! Some say he is a master of things that go bump in the night… Some say he is a master of all things H.O.U.S.E… Both are right! We asked him our spookiest questions and then twisted his arm with a Chinese burn until he made us this exclusive mix until we found out what’s scarier: his taste in music or his skull-face-paint!

What is the scariest record you own?

The chord changes in Art Decade on Low by David Bowie have always given me the fear and the early mad stuff by Steve Reich like Pendulum Music, while not exactly scary, I find rather unsettling. Dance music though, no… Even the stupid or mad stuff is still funky.

I don’t think club record is scary. some are pretty daft or funny… Like everyone else I have records that I’ve never played out. Usually ridiculous techno that I can’t find the right time to play.

What is your idea of hell?

Pure boredom.

How does your Waves trilogy of EPs translate into the current A/V show you’re touring?

My current live show is all music from the Waves EP series and new album tracks. Music and visuals sync up and it’s a very immersive experience. I’ll be playing some of those new things at the Halloween party. I started off as being this raw, punky, energetic bassline and wonky house guy but I’ve really hit my stride now. My music is stripped back, I play synths live, no singing (I let others do that in the studio) and I let the music breathe. The new live show with or without the visuals is something I really proud of.

What’s been the best show for it so far in terms of how it’s worked visually in the venue, how the crowd’s responded to it, the atmosphere…

The debut at this year’s Springfestival in Graz, Austria was amazing… it was the culmination of the all work from the start of the year and the first time seeing the whole thing in action. Well, I didn’t actually see it as I was doing it, but my visual artists film the show and I’ve seen it. Very cool. I’ve also done the show at Zouk in Singapore, Razzmatazz in Barcelona and other places. It’s been dope. Really a lot of fun. This is the beginning; we’ll scale it up for next summer.

Here’s the clip of the debut show:

What’s your favourite Murk record and why?

It has to be an Oscar G solo joint. Reaching Up! (Raw Vocal Mix) – The whole track is raw and rough… love it.

How did it feel to hear Azealia Banks’ vocal on your track?

It’s been great, she and I have been working on/off since last year and aside from the tracks on her mixtape I’m doing something on the album. I’m working with a bunch of awesome artists right now, kind of easing into my role as a producer for other people. I’m taking two weeks out from after Halloween to work on some new Drums Of Death album music.

Is the art of song-writing a lost art in dance music?

It depends on the song. It’s easy to load a piece of music with too much song. The key is stripping it back to the essentials. I don’t really think anyone does this well in the UK to a consistent level. I love the Steffi record ‘Yours’, this is a prime example of pure hooky vocal and stripped back.

What vocalist would you love to work with?

If it could be anyone from any time it would have to be those we’ve lost… Gil Scott-Heron would be at the top of that list.

If you had a time-machine what dance floor would you visit?

I’d like to have gone to the Soundfactory or Music Box, though the privilege of hindsight means we ascribe a certain greater to value to those venues or parties but I’m not actually a retro-ist. I think there’s so much good music now, we have better soundsystems and more expansive technology. I love so much of house music but I don’t want to think that the best is behind us. I always want to be hit by something fresh. Saying that, I’ll be DJing a ton of old jams at Dalston Superstore for Halloween… Ha Ha Ha.

Drums Of Death plays a DJ set at Hot Boy Dancing Spot next Saturday 27th October from 9pm – 4am with The Lovely Jonjo, Hello Mozart and a top bar takeover from Anal House Meltdown.

The Lovely Jonjo

The Lovely Jonjo joins us this Sunday for another spectacular team up with the JERK! girls for a Bank Holiday bonanza in the form of Hot Boy Carnival Jerk Spot! In the midst of rumours flying about that headliners Bicep will be taking “tops off” to its literal conclusion in the lazer basement, we thought it best to catch up with Sueprstore fave Jonjo (who also kindly provided this amazing mix to get us the mood) and find out how he earned his disco stripes, his best carnival memories and what bands are getting him all hot ‘n’ bothered at the moment…

You’re an actual Londoner! At what discos did you hang out at during your misspent youth?

I started going to a night called Smashing, an amazing night at the Eve Club on Regent Street which is no longer there. It was a proper night out where me and my girly mates would get dressed up at home. They would make a dress each week and we’d go every Friday night and feel like we missed out if we missed one. The club was a super mixed bag of people of trannies, indie kids, and pop stars like Bjork and Oasis. Pulp even filmed their Disco 2000 video down there. Matthew Glamorre, the host, got the crowd to give me birthday bumps for my 15th birthday but he kept shouting “He’s 18! He’s 18!” I used to go to Popstarz when it was at the Paradise Club in Angel and used to sneak into club Labyrnth on Dalston Lane, which had really good drum n bass nights. It was quite rough.

Pulp – Disco 2000 on MUZU.TV.>

How did you come to be involved with the George & Dragon?

Richard and Lilli, the owners, used to regularly come into a store I was a buyer for, the Japanese brand Superlovers. They’d heard I started DJing at mates’ parties and we got along really well and they asked me to DJ as one of the first weekly residents. Then I started doing the legendary Sundays, which were mental. Lots of drunken dancing on the bar.

You were resident at the legendary Trash club with Erol and Rory… What are your lasting Monday night memories?

God, so many. Soulwax doing their remix album live was mindblowing. These New Puritans and PNAU were also amazing. It really was a family-like tight-knit atmosphere and I just have really good memories of people smiling and going crazy on the dancefloor.

What prompted you to start Hot Boy Dancing Spot?

Partly because of really good memories of Popstarz and the gay boys that were into music other than the recent chart crap, and going to mates’ nights in Berlin that had boys who liked boys but were really into music and the lack of that in London.

If Hot Boy Dancing Spot started a boy band who would be in it? (ps you have a time machine)

Jimmy Edgar, Iggy Pop back in the day, Brodinski, Gesaffelstein, Nile Rogers, and Tom Daly now that he’s 18 haha!

Which bands are getting you excited right now?

Loving Disclosure at moment and have had the Tristesse Contemporaine LP on repeat. We have When Saints Go Machine playing at Durrr next month and can’t wait to see them again. What a treat.

What is your best carnival memory?

Ooooooooh so many! My mum used to know a lot of the old Twice As Nice garage crew so I used to go plonk myself by (or on) a speaker at the KCC Sound System. I can remember one really sunny year hearing Gabriel (garage tune not Joe Goddard) for the first time, incredible.

KCC was always amazing, big smiles and never any trouble. Just shuffling along with mates dancing in the streets. London needs more of that actually.

This is not the first time we’ve had a special Hot Boy Jerkin’ Spot, why do you like teaming up with JERK!

I love those gals and the JERK! crowd are always up for it and love a wine and grind and a good sing a long. I love r’n’b and ragga but I never play it out so I’ll definitely be joining the girls upstairs for a little set this Sunday.

You’ve got purveyors of the tops off dancefloor Bicep headlining in the basement. What’s your personal tops off track?

Man2Man – Male stripper OBVS.

At the moment Róisín Murphy’s collaboration with Luca C & Brigante – Flashlight Solomun remix is driving me fucking insane.

The Lovely Jonjo plays Hot Boy Carnival Jerkin’ Spot this Sunday 26th August from 9pm – 4:30am.

Bicep’s Top Ten “Taps Aff” Tracks

The Bicep boys join us in the basement for the evening leg of our carnival bank holiday bbq extravaganza, with a night of fist-pumpers and topless tunes at Hot Boy Carnival Jerk Spot. Whilst we’re praying for the day to be a proper sizzler as the JERK! girls are hosting an all-day BBQ of (what else!) jerk chicken served with rice n peas, delicious home-made Caribbean coleslaw, cans of Red Stripe and vodka watermelon crushed cups, we’re pretty sure Bicep are hoping for hot weather so that everyone throwing shapes to their set will also be shedding their tops! With this in mind, we asked them to tell us their top ten “taps aff” tracks for a taste of what’s to expect…

Omar-S And L’Renee – S.E.X (A.O.L Remix)

Not so subtle on the lyrics but as the name suggests it can only mean one thing.

George Fitzgerald – Child

Been killin it all summer, when that baseline drops people go nuts.

PBR Streetgang – J2ThaB

Veterans to the Taps Aff scene, PBR really know how to start a party if you kick off with this you are guaranteed a topless dancefloor.

Womack & Womack – Teardrops

When you want those girls who are acting too cool for school to get involved.

Stevie Nicks – “Smiling At You” (Young Edits Going Home Version)

Fist pumpin arps… Stevie Nicks… ooooooHHH too big.

Prince – Traffic Jam (Ron Hardy mix)

Prince + Ron Hardy = perfection.

Wired – To The Beat Of The Drum

BASSSSSSSLINE – big tune, packed fulla energy.

Brad Shitt – Casbah Breakdown

If removing peoples tops is your thang… this is your track.

Storm Queen – It Goes On

Yes, everyone knows this, but isn’t that the point of taps aff! When the second chorus drops… so does my leather waistcoat!

Serge Santiago – Running Passions

BIG Italo inspired piano houser from the main man Serge Santiago… no video available - hunt down the wax.

[Listen to the track here on Grooveshark]

Bicep play Hot Boy Carnival Jerk Spot on Sunday 26th August from 9pm – 3am along with The Lovely Jonjo, Hello Mozart, Adam Kraft and We’re Not Cool.

Little Boots x Louie Fresco

Our friend Little Boots has just given us an exclusive remix of her track Every Night I Say A Prayer courtesy of upcoming Mexican producer, DJ and Mexa Records label boss Louie Fresco. At her DJ set at February’s Hot Boy Dancing Spot, we saw in person that she knows how to take care of dancefloor business.

In between dates of his current UK megatour, the frenetic Louie took the time to explain to us how the remix came about and how he gets his disco kicks…

What is it that attracted you to this Little Boots track?

First off, the original tune had some much good elements to work with. As soon as I heard it for the first time, the ideas started bouncing all over my screwed up head, so it was really such a joy to work with this tune.

And secondly, it’s LITTLE BOOTS, ‘nahmean? I’ve been a big a fan of her for a long time now, so for me to be asked to do a remix for her, it was A-Mazing!

Why do you like London and the UK so much?

Who said I liked the UK so much?? Whoever told you that is soooo RIGHT!

You guys have the best scene for anything related to electronic dance music. There’s so much stuff going on at the same time that sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming.

Every time I’ve been here I end up having so many epiphanies; it’s insane!

I mean, yeah, I end up doing so much “silly” stuff all the time that it makes everyday into a whole new experience. It’s brilliant!

What amazing parties and venues have you been playing at or attending during your latest visit?

Each and every one of them has it’s perks, you know? I love Brighton (Audio Brighton, DPM, etc), Leicester (onefifteen), Birmingham (IF, Zukonda, etc.), and Leeds (One Religion, Solidstate, etc).

I just went to Sheffield, for the Tramlines Festival, for the first time and it was sooo good.

London (sooo many venues!) and Tunisia (HYPE) are two of my favorite spots in the world right now.

Seeing as the track that brought you to people’s attention, So Good, sampled the late great Donna Summer, we are wondering who else are your disco idols?

The King Of Pop, Earth, Wind And Fire, Anita Ward, and Tina Turner all the way!

But my fave (don’t know if I can put him on the disco genre though) is Curtis Mayfield. LEGEND!

You’re a self-proclaimed good cook- what’s your specialty?

Cannelloni, no jokes! Basically, everything that involves pasta.

What’s next for your label Mexa Records?

We have the summer sampler coming out next month, and I couldn’t be happier with tunes we’ve just signed for this. BOMBS!

And finally, it might seem a bit obvious, but why should people support gay marriage?

Life is free, why put rules on it?

Listen to Louie Fresco via soundcloud.com/louiefresco and be a fan of him on Facebook.

Darrell Berry

Some people have been part of the fabric of Dalston Superstore since the very beginning. Our friends, our DJs, our patrons. One such person is photographer Darrell Berry who was here for our launch party and has snapped the bold, beautiful and the downright trashy that have passed through our doors for the last three years. We caught up with him to talk photography styles, Superstore memories and favourite pictures…

How would you describe your photography style?

21st century nightlife meets 1940s Hollywood studio shot.

What attracts you to club photography?

Being able to share my love of a world where endlessly creative people are making and sharing amazing new culture, whether that’s music, fashion or performance, hopefully in a way that others can see WHY that world is so amazing, even if they weren’t there or would have no real interest in that world for its own sake. Making the FEELING of a moment, one that was over in the duration of a dancefloor heartbeat, last as an image, and bringing that home so people can experience some part of that.

Who are you favourite subjects at Dalston Superstore to shoot?

Ha. It’s different every night. Some nights there are people who you just know are going to do … something… and that I’ll need to ready to capture that when it happens. That could be a look, or just a moment where everything comes together and works, and you know that feeling will translate into an image… but of course the scene superstars, like Ma Butcher, A Man To Pet, keep making an appearance in my favourites. They are truly beautiful creatures.

What’s your favourite picture you’ve ever taken here?

That’s a hard one. Probably my ‘defnitive’ Superstore shot is this one…

You’ve used that on posters and it tells the story of the upstairs bar on a big night pretty well, I think.

But there are so many others!

This one, from the pre-pre-launch party back before opening night, still makes me smile.

That’s on the dancefloor downstairs. Nothing like power tools to get the party started!

But they all tell a little bit of the story… I don’t think this one’s ever been published, but it’s a favourite…

You took pictures at our opening night and have been coming back ever since. What’s your favourite memory from the last three years here at Superstore?

My favourite moment was probably that pre-launch party. It was obvious even before day zero that Superstore was going to be amazing. And it was. And it still is, which is a hell of an achievement!

All photography reproduced with the kind permission of Darrell Berry. For more of his photography please visit his official website or his Flickr page.

10 Superstore Memories

With our third birthday almost upon us we’ve been reminiscing about our favourite times. Here are 10 Superstore memories that will never leave us!

Hot Boy Dancing Spot Construction Party

We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for when we opened our doors for the very first time for a ‘secret’ construction party with the help of The Lovely Jonjo. Totally bonkers.

Grizzle

John Sizzle and A Man To Pet are the epitome of showbiz. Their bar-top interpretations of classic movies are legendary. Our favourite? Difficult to choose between The Birds and Human Centipede… Their mini epics are always utterly incredible.

Optimo

Every time JD Twitch & JG Wilkes come down on the Megabus we have to have the handyman on standby the next day to repair the damage! Our basement has never seen such punishment.

Lovebox Sunday Afters

Firmly locked in the calendar as the must-do aftershow… Peaches dancing on the bar, Robyn on the decks and more synthetic hair than you could possibly imagine in one place.

Body Talk Launch

Rokk launched our flagship Body Talk night with a massive Grace Jones tribute and covered the venue with blinking ‘80s TVs – Since then it’s gone from strength to strength with some serious DJ guests like Trevor Jackson, Digs & Woosh, Mickey Moonlight and others dropping beats for one of London’s best crowds.

Robert Owens’ Residency

We couldn’t quite believe it when the legendary vocalist and DJ Robert Owens asked to play here once a month. His residency along with the Society collective pairs him with house music veterans like Terry Farley, Trevor Fung and Rocky. The Christmas party was something else… “Happy Christmaaaaaasaaaaaas Dalston Superstooooooooooore!”

Severino!

Always a pleasure when Mr Panzetta drops in for a spin! He rocks our basement like no one else and definitely scoops the prize for most enthusiastic DJ-dancer!!

Beautiful Freaks Opening

Gutterslut’s Ralf O launched his awesome photography exhibition with the help of artist Tony Hornecker …. A surreal happening involving a temporary shanty town in our basement, a hidden tranny in the toilet and Jonny Woo trapped in a box.

Trailer Trash Christmas party

Who’s idea was it to install a snow machine in the upstairs bar??!! Somewhere between Santa’s grotto and a budget foam party – a night that we (and dry cleaners within a 5 mile radius) will remember for quite some time

A DJ or two…

Andy Blake, Prosumer, The Two Bears, Erol Alkan, DJ Nature, Thomas Bullock, Hard Ton, The Magician, Danny Wang, Joakim, Kim Ann Foxman, Mickey Moonlight, Discodromo, Abe Duque, Tom Trago, Tiago, Boris, Mylo, Villa, Disco Bloodbath, Horse Meat Disco, Hannah Holland, Boy George, Smokin’ Jo, Honey Dijon, Nathan Gregory Wilkins, Hunee, Mark Seven, Trevor Jackson, Alex Smoke, Chloe, Neville Watson, Frank Tope, Maxxi Soundsystem, Toby Tobias, Andrew Weatherall, Blake Baxter, Deepgroove, Azari & III, Daniel Avery, Bicep, Jay Shepheard, Danny Rampling, Little Boots, Zombie Nation, Drop The Lime and loads more….

Let us know YOUR favourite Superstore memory in the comments section and the best will win a bottle of prosecco to drink here at your favourite disco pleasure palace.

Dalston Superstore 3rd Birthday Party is this Saturday 26th April with some of our favourite DJs ever playing including Severino, Tom Stephan Kris Di Angelis, Mikki Most, Rokk, Dan Beaumont, Squeaky, John Sizzle, A Man To Pet, Josh Caffe, Borja Peña, Mark-Ashley Dupé, JERK! and Will Viper.

Photo credit of Beautiful Freaks Opening: Darrell Berry

Fringe!

The second annual Fringe! gay and lesbian film festival is almost upon us! We asked organiser and local hero Mr Alexander Karotsch to give us the lowdown…

Please explain what Fringe! is for the uninitiated

Fringe! is a DIY and community film and arts festival that takes place across various venues in East London over one long weekend in April.

Who is involved?

There are six of us in the core team, an increase of three from the first year. Liz is our producer extraordinaire, Anna heads up the First Love Project and works with me on press, Konstantinos is one of our curators and programmers along with Josefeen and Muffin. I work on publicity, programming and general organising (which sometimes results in me bossing around everyone, in the nicest possible way).

And then there’s of course our myriad of collaborators without who the festival just wouldn’t be possible. There are too many to list here so check out the programme on our website to see who we’re working with this year.

Why did you start it

We set up the festival in 2011 in response to the LLGFF being cut down from two to only one week. To make up for the missing weekend the three founding members (Liz, Anna and me) we decided to put on some films over the ‘lost’ weekend. It quickly ballooned from showing a few films into a full blown festival with loads of stuff from interactive events to talks and from performance art to parties happening. We had something on offer for everyone, from the thought provoking to the playful. We organised the whole festival in just two months. Putting together a weekend of events in such a short time was pretty mental but it really paid off and the first festival was a huge success. This year the LLGFF is thankfully back to an almost full run but we’ve decided that there’s a space for us to do something that’s maybe a little bit different and also reaches a different audience. Showing films is still at our very core but we’ve expanded the programme to also include more events, performance and art including our first commission Super 8 Cam, which will be showing in the DSS basement over the Fringe! weekend.

What makes East London unique?

There is an amazing creative spirit and community in East London who we are incredibly thankful for and indebted to, from filmmakers, artists, graphic and fashion designers to DJs, musicians, trannies and performers.

It’s a bit like the village where I come from where everyone knows everyone just much better. No-one’s going to run to tell my mum if I’ve done something wrong but the whole village might still find out.

It’s also an incredibly international environment which makes it super easy to establish contact with likeminded people all over the world, whether in London itself or abroad.

What is the First Love Project?

The First Love Project is our community outreach programme which we are running for the first time this year. It is designed to get young gay people in East London, especially those from ethnic minority groups, involved in filmmaking. To start off the project we have set up a Vimeo site where anyone can upload a short video about their first love, whoever or whatever that might have been. A selection of the best videos will be screened at Rich Mix and after the screening there will be discussions and workshops for anyone who wants to learn more about TV, film and radio.

Who are the up-and-coming local film makers we should be on the lookout for?

Antonio da Silva is a friend of ours, originally from Portugal and now living in East London. We’ll be showing his short Mates, about online flirting, random internet hookups, social media and pornography, before our opening film I Want Your Love, and he is also one of the filmmakers who is contributing to Super 8 Cam.

Another of our favourites is Campbell X who produces experimental films and shorts which combine both fiction and documentary elements. Her first feature Stud Life about a lesbian and her best gay friend is having its premiere at the LLGFF.

Look out for the Fringe! meets Hot Boy Dancing Spot party at Superstore on April 13th (after the In Bed With Madonna late-night screening at the Rio!)

Have a look at the Fringe website for more information on what’s happening over the festival

LIKE their fan page on Facebook.

Drinks will be sponsored by Briska Cider.

Hello Mozart!

Saturday sees two of our favourite nights joining force for a fabulous time, as Hot Boy Dancing Spot takes over the basement with special guest pint-sized popstar Little Boots, whilst JERK’s girl-heat infiltrates the top bar with Queer Nation legend Jeffrey Hinton. We tracked down Hot Boy resident Hello Mozart! for a quick chat about all the upcoming fun…

How did you get the name Hello Mozart? A nickname from others or did you name yourself kinda after the Motorola catchphrase?

I have to say I was always a Nokia boy. In all seriousness, I used to DJ with a really good friend Ben. He called himself Ben Goodbye and I took the Hello part. Mozart comes from Queer As Folk when the young kid Nathan shouts out “I’m Mozart! I’m fucking Mozart!”. I kind of liked the notion of doing everything when I was young.

Can you tell us a bit about how you met The Lovely Jonjo and how you came to be part of Hot Boy Dancing Spot?

I met Jonjo when I was promoting a club night in Bournemouth called Big In Japan. We booked him and we got on really well so when I moved up to London it just made sense to work on something together. I really love throwing parties with him and we’ve got some pretty big plans for HB this year.

This Saturday sees you guys joining up with girl-heat extraordinaires JERK to create Hot Boy Jerkin’ Spot! How did this magical team-up come together?

We love throwing parties with other nights. There’s something about two different crowds getting together that makes it a really interesting night. We also really like girls and don’t really like it if there aren’t any at our nights. So this seemed perfect. JERK is also my favourite weekday night. Their parties are always amazing.

Please do tell us all about the extra special guest you have brightening the basement this weekend!

We’ve always been fans of Little Boots. I’ve seen her live a few times and her sets are always really interesting. It’s definitely going to one of the biggest nights we’ve had in a while. Expect some pretty big things!

Who’s been your favourite guest you’ve had so far?

We’ve had so many amazing guests, but I do love it when We Have Band and Dan ‘Stopmakingme’ Avery play for us. Also TEETH! always put on an amazing show. We have a lot of rotating residents as well so it’s always fun when we play with them.

Can you tell us your top three Hot Boy tunes?

Little Boots - Shake (Azari & III Remix)

This track had to be in here as standard. Expect to hear it this weekend. I don’t think Azari & III have ever done a bad remix, but this one’s especially great!

Cassius - The Sound Of Violence (Aeroplane Remix)

This has been a favourite of mine for a while, but especially so at the moment after having a near out of body experience in a cab across Berlin after leaving Berghain to check out of my apartment. Too much.

Closer – Nine Inch Nails

Anyone who’s been to a few Hot Boys knows this is a favourite end track of Jonjo’s and mine. It’s great to play a night where you feel you can play anything, which is what Hot Boy’s about, and this has been a favourite track of mine since I was a teenager. What ever you do don’t make me cut the track short…

Hello Mozart! plays in the basement this Saturday 25th February at Hot Boy Jerkin’ Spot alongside The Lovely Jonjo and Little Boots, whilst Jeffrey Hinton and JERK residents Zoe and Keziah play upstairs from 10pm – 4am.