Craig Richards, Jamie Jones and T Bar manager Derren Smart are set to launch their monthly Shoplifter party this weekend.
You might normally associate Jones and Richards with a more house and techno sound, but Shoplifter will give both DJs the opportunity to take things in a totally different direction to their usual sets. Disco will be the order of the day in both edited and original form, with Smart rounding off the trio of residents. Jamie Jones will sit out for the first party, which takes place at the T Bar on Sunday 26th July, leaving Richards and Smart to take to the decks alongside Dutch crate digging expert Intergalactic Gary.
Gary can occasionally be found behind the mixing desk with I-F as The Parallax Corporation, but he's best known for his mindbending mixes of Italo, disco and electro that have had trainspotters searching far and wide for his selections. As an added bonus, the Shoplifter crew will accompany each party with the release of a re-edit on vinyl, which will be strictly limited to just 200 copies. We caught up with Richards to get the lowdown on the night.Why is the party called Shoplifter?
Having spent many a Sunday morning screaming with excitement to the sounds of future and past, discussing music and sharing tricks, we decided to throw a party. I can't really remember how the subject of shoplifting came about, but in our stupor we worked out that all the best people had done it at one stage or another. Some get caught, some don't. Our party is aimed at the light-fingered.
What do you make of the whole disco re-edit phenomenon? Do these tracks really need "fixing"?
Re-editing records is exciting. What could possibly be wrong with hard-to-find disco gems changed respectfully and presented to a music-hungry audience in traditional vinyl format? Ultimately, people will only buy them if they value them. The purists who disapprove of the amendments can play the original.
How have you been enjoying the new T Bar? Better/worse than the old location?
I love the new venue. Houndsditch is one step up from Shoreditch. Our party will take place in the charming upstairs bar with extra sound and polite decoration. It is the greatest pleasure to have Intergalactic Gary play at our opening night.