A Love From Outer Space at Corsica Studios
Date / Saturday, 21 December 2013
Time / 22:00 - 06:00
Venue / Corsica Studios/ 5 Farrell Court; Elephant & Castle; London SE17 1LB; United Kingdom
Cost / £12 / £15 Advnace
Line-up /
Andrew Weatherall, Sean Johnston, Ivan Smagghe, Geoffroy Mugwump
Promoter /
Corsica Studios, A Love From Outer Space
In a season long associated with celestial phenomena, it is apt that A Love from Outer Space have chosen the Winter Solstice, the longest and blackest of all nights, to return to the Elephant and Castle and their London home of Corsica Studios.
From modest basement beginnings, Andrew Weatherall & Sean Johnston's A Love from Outer Space has risen to become one of the underground's best loved successes of recent years. Built on the manifesto of "Never knowingly exceeding 122bpm", the pair have espoused a slow burning and measured style of delivery that had long been out of favour in the new-fangled discotheque.
Embracing a musical cannon which far out-scales the myopic genre concerns of their contemporaries, that takes in ambient, dub, post-punk, disco, house, techno and new beat whilst keeping a firm eye on modern developments has won them a sizeable and doggedly loyal following.
2013 has found ALFOS in expansive mood, taking the party abroad to unused French ferries, the sun-drenched Adriatic, Parisian roof tops, Trouw Amsterdam, a slew of triumphant Festival appearances (including a memorable head to head with Horsemeat Disco at Lovebox) and a "Scrutton Street Axis" focused mini festival within the walls of a Medieval Castle in the South of France.
Weatherall, never a laggard, has had a spectacularly productive year. February 2013 saw Andrew release the highly acclaimed new album, ‘Ruled by Passion, Destroyed by Lust’, under the name The Asphodells (with Timothy J Fairplay, ex-Battant).
September 2013 saw two more releases, firstly, The Asphodells ‘Remixed’ which includes reworkings of tracks from ‘Ruled By Passion…’ by the likes of Baldelli & Rocca, Justin Robertson, Daniel Avery, and ALFOS partner Sean Johnston, in Hardway Bros guise. Secondly, Andrew has composed some music released with Michael Smith’s book ‘Unreal City’. Faber published a special edition containing the book, a CD of Andrew’s tracks and a remix 10”. Additionally Andrew is Faber’s first ever Artist in Residence, a post he will hold until April 2014. His prodigious remix output continued this year including vintage efforts for Moby, Primal Scream and Emilana Torrini amongst many others.
Sean Johnston, as Hardway Bros, released a successful EP on NYC label Throne of Blood and delivered 15 remixes for acts as diverse as Alien Alien, Max Essa, Ajello, Phil Kieran & Green Velvet, Frederick and Heavenly Records signings, Out Cold. Additionally, Hardway Bros collaborated with Haules Baules on the underground smash "Creeper."
Thus, to round off proceedings in suitable style, the ALFOS founders have turned to trusted fellow travellers Ivan Smagghe & Geoffroy Mugwump to preside over festivities alongside them on December 21st.
Ivan Smagghe, who we will lazily describe as "the DJ's DJ" and a usual suspect as far as Weatherall collaboration goes will headline Room 2.
He has the ability to play music like a raw conduit between his famously obscure records and the dancefloor’s strobe-soaked bodies, injecting something of himself seamlessly into the mix along the way. His genre defying/defining production work originally in Black Strobe and now in It’s A Fine Line (who have recently finished Battant's second LP, As I Ride with No Horse) has connected him to and garnered the praise of (amongst others) James Murphy, Trevor Jackson, Ata, Optimo and the aforementioned Weatherall. All fellow crusaders in the fight to prove that electronic music can be so much more than a one dimensional soundtrack for a night on the lash.
To complete the selection, we have none other than the author of a bona fide ALFOS anthem, Geoffroy Mugwump. Resident Advisor described Mugwump's über-prolific output as "the most diverse catalogue in the current house music field" and Pitchfork simply reviewed their music as "timeless" and with "a solid range". He has released tracks on a plethora of leading dance labels, predominantly on Kompakt, but on R&S, Cocoon, Gigolo, Throne of Blood, Permanent Vacation, Eskimo, Endless Flight, Astrolab or Let's Play House too. Geoffroy Mugwump (& his partner Kolombo) have truly refined their disco-techno fusion, with their slo-mo anthem, "Boutade" being the cornerstone of their rich catalogue and a modern-day classic now. Mugwump have recently remixed The Asphodells on Rotter's Golf Club and re-released "Boutade" on cult Balearic imprint International Feel.
All in all then, what better way to start your Christmas festivities and what better company to guide you through this year’s longest night?
December 21st, Corsica Studios, 4-5 Elephant Road, London SE17 1LB