8 Tracks: Of Belfast With Jordan

Music

This weekend, Belfast’s Titanic Quarter will host the second edition of Belfast’s AVA Festival. On Saturday 4^th June, homegrown talent from Belfast, Dublin, Derry and beyond join will play alongside underground stalwarts.

Rodhad, Mano Le Tough, Gerd Janson, and Optimo head up the line-up with Bicep making their live-set Debut. The event champions local creativity and acts as both a showcase and sounding board for the industry with emerging artist competitions and an industry conference hosting speakers including Juan Atkins and Bicep and running creative workshops.

Belfast has come to light recently for non-native club-goers, gaining recognition as a city with an underground pulse and an unforgiving, often unforgettable party atmosphere which thumps beyond the night, into ungodly hours. Northern Ireland’s draconian licensing laws have long been a catalyst for illegal parties dotted around the divided city. Week in and out, clubs and promoters host consistently excellent events. Attention to detail on the bookings and the sense of community means again, week in and out, familiar faces on the scene gather to fill these clubs. You’ll be hard pushed to find a night within Northern Ireland's underground scene without raucous energy – the crowds' force thunders across dancefloors, with the taps-aff tradition firmly cemented.

Ahead of a weekend which brings the best in music, arts and nightlife together with the industry heads, music aficionados and party-goers, we spoke to Jordan. Jordan began spinning aged 13, and is well-known for his penchant for off-the-radar parties alongside regular stints in more commerical club settings. Aside from shrugging off strict licensing laws, hosting and DJing at Belfast's best parties, Jordan also heads up club night and label, Nocturne and is one half of The Night Institute. Here, he gives an insight to the native influences shaping both his musical career and Belfast's club culture.

You can follow Jordan HERE.

More information about AVA HERE.

LISTEN

Agoria - La Onzième Marche ( Phil Kieran Remix )

Anytime I’m asked to pick a Belfast anthem, this one always jumps to the forefront of my mind. Phil Kieran is a pillar of our local music scene as well as a notable international export – that’s probably why I have two tracks by him in this chart. Anyway, this remix of Agoria is dark, heavy and euphoric at the same time. It’s a bit of a weapon really.

Agoria - La Onzième Marche ( Phil Kieran Remix )

Anytime I’m asked to pick a Belfast anthem, this one always jumps to the forefront of my mind. Phil Kieran is a pillar of our local music scene as well as a notable international export – that’s probably why I have two tracks by him in this chart. Anyway, this remix of Agoria is dark, heavy and euphoric at the same time. It’s a bit of a weapon really.
.Humanism-Jon Carter

Jon Carter’s Humanism was released on Shine Recordings – the label arm of Belfast’s longest running techno club, Shine. It reminds me of another local hero, Fergie who used to have a show on Radio One showcasing all forms of electronica. This one ticks all the boxes for the late night faithful.
Space Dimension Controller - The Love Quadrant

Space Dimension Controller is leading the stall as one of Belfast’s hottest producer exports of the past decade. This blissed out dreamy piece of electronica is exactly what I want to hear outdoors at AVA, or equally by the beach at a European festival. Good work, Jack!
Bicep Vs Ejeca - You

It would be more or less impossible to compile a list of Belfast inspirations without including Bicep and Ejeca and so in the spirit of festival season, I’ve chosen this collaboration with both – it’s an absolute smiler, it’s very Belfast and it’s guaranteed to wreck any stage!
David Holmes Vs. Alter Ego - Patrick Kraut

David Holmes is a Belfast pioneer – Rave scene originator turned movie soundtrack king. His Sugar Sweet parties with Iain McCreedy were well before my time, but as an avid Roman Flugel (half of Alter Ego) fan, I stumbled across this piece of old gold, and thought it was only fair that rave-era Homer was represented!
Baby Wants To Ride (Bubba & T. Bone's Still Believing Re-Edit)

Timmy “T-Bone” Stewart is my partner in crime at our weekly party The Night Institute, and so perhaps I’m a touch biased. However, he’s an integral part over at AVA Festival, having absolutely wrecked the place at last year’s Boiler Room – so another scene original who’s earned his stripes. Alongside fellow Belfast player, Bubba they were approached to remix Baby Wants to Ride… an honour in itself surely?!
Alloy Mental - God Is Green

God is Green was one of the stand-out tracks from local hero Phil Kieran’s Alloy Mental project with Martin Corrigan. Is it rave is it punk? Who knows but it epitomises being 16 and going clean mental at Stiff Kitten seeing them live.
Orbital - Belfast

Not strictly a record which stemmed from Belfast producers directly, but it’s widely documented that Orbital’s seminal hit Belfast was produced after a certain long weekend in the city. With clubs ending at 3am at the latest in Belfast, the city has that rebellious charm where you can find things getting a bit out of hand for extended periods afterhours, and if it results in a musical document as strong as this, it surely has its benefits…