Events

With spring around the corner, March's Shades has both eyes on the not-so-distant future. Shades co-owner Duct will be launching his sublime Circles EP with a showcase DJ set, backed up by visuals from XXX, who'll be performing throughout the night. Support comes from Belgian Hotflush signee Locked Groove, whose recent 'Rooted' release has us begging for more, and Chairman Kato (Pictures/Awkward Movements), whose woozy slo-mo house jams and penchant for sub-troubling bass will satisfy all your low-end needs. Further support comes from residents Owen Howells and Trinomic. 

Duct

When he isn't teaching students how to make beats, Londoner Duct (aka Luke Harris) practises what he preaches. His latest EP, Circles (forthcoming Shades Of Grey), forges tightly syncopated rhythms, emotive synths and haunting vocal snatches into rich bass music that sounds at once fresh and familiar. Ably negotiating the delicate balance between the dancefloor-centric and ethereal without ever sounding the least contrived, this is the work of an incredibly talented producer; there'll be no surprises if 2012 proves to be his year. 

Locked Groove

Bass music is often guilty of pursuing the new at all costs, eschewing its own beginnings for fear of getting trapped in a rut. So it's refreshing when a new producer turns in work that's  as indebted to its roots as it is forward-thinking, like Locked Groove's recent EP, Rooted (Hotflush). Tim Van de Muetter is a musician who walks the path between past and present, nimbly appropriating elements from many dance genres along the way, then twisting and reshaping them into the music of tomorrow. 
We're certainly looking forward to what this guy's next move is. Go check out his music here [link]

Chairman Kato

Kato’s a bit of a mystery to us. His music is underpinned by emotionally haunting narratives that generate a twisted palette of sonic imagery. His production features huge sidechains and irregular beats that just make you want to steal his computer while he sleeps and hit the quantise button. When we heard he was playing out we didn't know what to expect, so we dropped in to an old street bar on a cold winter's night and noticed that this guy could drop a tune or two, sometimes three... consecutively. We've got every faith that Kato will bring a touch of class to our night while still making you reach for the disco ball.