downtownsounds
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52FUNK PROUDLY PRESENTS THE UNABOMBERS ALL NIGHT LONG AND 'WILD COMBINATION' A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR RUSSELL.
The Unabombers will play an intimate date in Dublin as guests of 52FUNK on Saturday 8th November.
They were the dj’s that ran Manchester’s ‘Electric Chair’ parties, a monthly hoe-down that played host to a rake of clubland legends and underground heroes in it’s 13 year year existence. It was there that they developed a unique style they dubbed ‘Northern Sulphuric Souling’, with anything from freaky-deaky r’n’b and hip hop to disco and house thrown into the mix.
Word has spread rapidly since the release of ‘Basement Soul Music’ in 2001, the first of 6 mix albums they’ve compiled. Regular visitors to Ireland since Downtownsounds first brought them to Dublin in September 2003, they have proved a popular draw at Electric Picnic, playing the festival four years in a row since their peak time debut in the dance tent at EP ’05.
Since The Chair came to an end last January they have concentrated on running ‘Electric Elephant’, a 3 day festival in Croatia that transplanted their soulful dancefloor aesthetic to a blissful fishing village on the Adriatic in August, as well as compiling their new mix CD ‘Electric Chair Saved My Life’ for London label Tirk.
They are also hard at work on their 2nd album as The Elektrons, following the release of their debut album ‘Red Light Don’t Stop’ in 2007. It was a work that drew praise from heavyweights like Laurent Garnier and Gilles Peterson and reviews comparing it to Soul To Soul, Massive Attack and Basement Jaxx.
They’ll be manning the decks in the newly refurbished Kennedy’s from the moment the club opens and are sure to bring you on a musical journey you won’t forget in a hurry!!
As a special treat beforehand we'll be showing Matt Wolf's sublime documentary 'Wild Combination' on the maverick disco genius Arthur Russell at 9pm. We showed this beautiful, engaging film as part of the DEAF Festival and were inundated with requests for a rescreening from those who couldn't make it first time round. Russell's work spanned the genres - folk, soul, funk, disco, ambient and indescribable proto house grooves were all a part of his canon. He was a classically trained cellist who lost himself in the percussive frenzy and polymorphous sexuality of 1970s New York disco culture. An open minded, visionary musician, his list of collaborators stretched from celebrated beat poet Allen Ginsberg to minimalist composer Philip Glass, with names like David Byrne (Talking Heads), Wave Music founder Francois K and legendary Studio 54/Gallery DJ Nicky Siano dotted in-between. He also ran Sleeping Bag, a label that released music from the likes of Todd Terry, Mantronix and EPMD.
As the 21st Century progresses and club culture increasingly turns to its past in order to discover its future, so Russell's music has been rediscovered and increasingly celebrated. A major 2004 retrospective on Soul Jazz Records brought acclaim from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Mr Scruff, while Russell's work as part of Loose Joints and Dinosaur L has appeared on compilations like The Loft, Disco Not Disco and Optimo's Kill The DJ, as well as producing two of the biggest ever DTS/52FUNK anthems in the form of Is It All Over My Face and 'Tell You Today'.
Tragically, Arthur died from AIDS related complications in 1992 before the recent resurgence of interest in his work. The film reveals the complex character behind the music in a warm, human manner, with contributions from legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg – who spoke at his funeral - and his friends, family and lovers. If you've not heard his music, you'll be instantly converted. If you have, you know exactly what to do…..
Don't just take our word for it though – The film was recently awarded the top Jury Prize for International Film at the In-Edit Documentary Film Festival in Barcelona, which celebrates music documentaries from around the world and garnered these kind words from the people of the press too….
"A tender, fascinating documentary which will delight the Russell cult and instantly convert new members." – New York Times
"Moving… something unusually marvellous" – The Guardian
"Touching, handsomely structured – 4 Stars " – Time Out
