Virgin

This is Not London is a series of special one-off events with a list of curators and guests that reads like a roll call of who’s relevant and exciting in music right now. It is a response against mediocrity and stagnation in parties and festivals, put together by music lovers, for music lovers.Beginning on October 3, a series of universally respected musical frontrunners will curate their very own bespoke nights at matter, thoughtfully gathering together their friends, heroes and peers to create a fascinating and unique insight into their respective worlds. To that end, Simian Mobile Disco, Southern Fried Records, Moshi Moshi Records and Justice have all wrangled together a rambunctious group of live and DJ talent, including the likes of Lindstrom, A Trak, Armand Van Helden, Kate Nash, Tilly and the Wall and DJ Mehdi.

Thrillingly enough, that’s not the end of it. Not hardly. For, come October 24, This is Not London will play host to James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, of New York’s legendary - and legendarily cool - DFA Records.

There are precious few people in the world to whom the word “cool” can be applied so freely (and without the slightest trace of irony or insincerity), but for the past seven years or so, James Murphy has undoubtedly come to epitomise its very essence. After all, not many people can hopscotch from forming a cutting edge record label like DFA Records, to being credited with injecting an element of live spontaneity and soul into dance with his own band, LCD Soundsystem, to collaborating with and bringing to prominence a whole host of bright young things like The Rapture to, indeed, creating a whole new genre of music in itself with dance-punk. His trademark sound - all jerky, pinballing beats, razor sharp angles and attitude to match - has seen its influence spread to a whole new generation of young artists and continues to make its mark on popular culture.

For one night only, James Murphy will be programming a whole night of musical mayhem for This is Not London, bringing together live performances from artists as diverse and exciting as the Juan Maclean, Gavin Russom, planningtorock and YACHT, as well as DJ sets from the stellar likes of Morgan Geist, Mock N’ Toof, Gucci Soundsystem, Babytalk, Horsemeat Disco and lots more. Friday nights may never be the same again.

James Murphy curates This is Not London on Friday, October 24.

Tickets are available through www.matterlondon.com

Featuring - SPECIAL DISCO VERSION feat. James Murphy and Pat Mahoney (DFA/LCDSoundsystem), JUAN MCLEAN (DJ set with Live Acid Performance) GAVIN RUSSOM, planningtorock (LIVE) YACHT (LIVE), MORGAN GEIST, OPTIMO,HORSEMEAT DISCO, STILL GOING, MOCK N TOOF , BABYTALK, GUCCI SOUNDSYSTEM

www.thisisnotlondon.co.uk & www.matterlondon.co.uk

Having started the uber cool label, Mowax, at the tender age of 18, UNKLE’s James Lavelle knows a thing or two about good music. The coupling of the UK’s finest (and newest) live venue ‘matter’ and a live appearance by UNKLE proved too much of a temptation for music.virgin.com so we went down for matter’s launch night to have a gander. Watch Eleanor Conway’s video interview where she gets down and dirty with the man from Unkle.

With a string of Eastern European dates under his belt in the last few months, James Lavelle describes the Eastern thirst for dance music as leaning towards minimalist tendencies while his much awaited live set at the launch night of new superclub ‘matter’ at the O2 this Friday is going to be anything but. Featuring iconic collaborators Ian Brown and Ian Astbury for the launch night of new superclub ‘matter’ he’ll be off to Shanghai and Korea where table culture, mafia and the harder edge of dance music exists. Anyone that has tingled with the symphonic sounds of F.E.A.R/Reign collaborator Brown will be rubbing their hands with glee and Lavelle himself is using this as an excuse to procure some ‘old faces’ from his past out into the 2,600 capacity, Fabric backed club. A new superclub is an exciting prospect in the landscape of noted clubs such as The Cross and Turnmills disappearing into the indie electro landscape of London, and matter is promising to kick start the Autumn with a vengeance. A rare live show by UNKLE and co, is followed swiftly by Carl Cox and Kissy Sell Out on Saturday and then a descent into a who’s who of the dance scene new and old over the coming months.

Lavelle is an institution in the UK music scene, having started the Mowax label at age 18, and developing it into the coolest label around after the release of Psyence Fiction with DJ Shadow. Going onto release close to 50 records a year on the label, this man knows something about music. Hot off the release of new album, End Titles… Stories for Film he continues in the vein of collaborations with features by Gavin Clark and Joel Cadbury who are also making an appearance at matter — check out the free download —- As a person, he comes across as being someone that knows his own creative mind. When talking about the furor the Rabbit in the Headlights video created, banned by MTV, it comes as no surprise that his reason for standing his ground in favour of keeping the controversial Jonathan Glazer directed video, is that he knew it was integrally right to do so, stating that ‘I’m lucky enough to have a lot of great people around me, whose opinions I can trust’. His close musical community make up some of the most highly regarded people in the industry, with collaborations with Ian Brown, a long standing club night with Giles Peterson, and a long tenancy agreement at Keith Reilly and Cameron Leslie’s superclub, Fabric—Lavelle’s contact book reads like a who’s who of musical stalwarts.

Name checked by Lupe Fiasco in his track ‘Superstar’—you’ll have to bob on down to matter on Friday to find out why.

www.unkle.com

www.myspace.com/unkle
www.matterlondon.com

Get a free UNKLE download of Hold My Hand (Innervisions Orchestra Remix)

Download it
http://frequency.unkle.com/Hold_My_Hand_Innervisions_Remix.zip

Stream it
http://66.221.167.99/Utrax/Rstories/hold/index.html

UNKLE releases new single Remix Stories (Volume One) on Surrender All : out this week (8th Sept)