LUMA in Glasgow

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  • Dave Clark is one of Glasgow's best-loved musicians. Over the course of more than two decades, Clark has recorded under names including Sparky, Truffle Club and his current LUMA alias, as well as working alongside JD Twitch on Optimo (Espacio) remixes. Given his rich contribution to the city's music scene, it's perhaps surprising that Clark only very recently started DJing—his set at The Berkeley Suite was only his third ever DJ booking. It took place at Cosmic, a night that's been quietly growing over the past couple of years, and which revels in flamboyant house, acid records and party jams. The venue is a two-floor, 250-capacity space situated close to, but mercifully removed from, the raucous atmosphere of Sauchiehall Street. Clark had clearly done his homework on Cosmic, and there was barely a moment of his set that didn't live up to the night's defiantly fun reputation. As a relative beginner, it's unsurprising that the mixing was sometimes less than precise, but the transitions were never jarring either. In any case, the kind of tracks he played didn't demand much of a scientific approach. Joyous '80s club jams were the order of the day, with Quando Quango's "Love Tempo," Ralphi Rosario's "You Used To Hold Me" and Pierre's Pfantasy Club's "Mystery Girl" among the highlights. The odd new cut made its way in too, including the vibrating analogue roll of Golden Teacher's "Love" and LUMA's piano-house belter "John Broadwood." When Clark dropped the latter, Optimo's Jonnie Wilkes collared him in the booth, yelling: "you're not supposed to play yer own stuff!" For a combination of reasons, Cosmic is better than most at creating this sort of ultra-relaxed atmosphere, and it's a quality that should stand the night in good stead as it continues to build momentum. Noo's "Must Be The Music," an extraordinary 12-minute disco belter forthcoming on Optimo Music, was the perfect end to Clark's set, displaying a mix of fun, great taste and headsy knowledge that made his set, and the night as a whole, so enjoyable.
RA