Heads, we got the tunes for you this weekend.
Cork based hip hop, turntablist and beats crew Cuttin’ Heads Collective celebrate their 4th Birthday in a jam packed weekend of gigs. Taking place across Cork city they’ve booked a quality lineup, as always packing in a rake of hip hop and experimental beats.
The crew have gone through some changes the last while what with crew members moving and life generally getting in the way but it hasn’t stopped them from keeping hip hop alive and well having booked acts such as Dirty Dike (High Focus), DJ Sammy B-Side, Detax (Outerclass), L Plate, as well as booking Irish legends DJ Mek, Gadget And The Cloud, Gaptoof and loads more over the last year.
Here’s a blow by blow account of what’s in store for the big birthday weekender which kicks off on Friday:
@plugd at The Roundy // Sponsored by The White Hag Irish Brewing Co.
Doors: 7:30PM
Entry: €10
Djackulate (aka Jack Dempsey Mc Mahon) is Dublin born and based multi-instrumentalist, turntablist and sample artist.
With a wide range of musical influences stemming from a life time of mining records for odd samples, and experience playing various musical instruments like saxophone, uilleann pipes, kaval and musical saw, McMahon has recently begun to try and distil this knowledge, and apply it to his performances focused around a turntable, with striking results.
Having just won the World freestyle scratching title in Berlin at the “Clash Of the Titans” World championship, and just back from a 3 week run on Broadway as a musician for the dance show “Velocity”, Mr McMahon is also a very keen collaborator.
Working with the likes of jazz heartthrobs, Jeff Ballard, and Tim Berne, scoring and performing for theatre projects, and collaborating with improvising musicians and artists around Europe, he seems to find comfort outside his comfort zone.
Djackulate is a member of Dublin improvising experimental jazz outfit OKO, and a founding member of the North Strand Kontra band. He is also a core member of international high octane skratch music loons The Skratch Lords.
Cornerstones of Limerick’s banging, weird and completely unique hip hop scene, Hazey and Citrus spill emotion, honesty and character on a track like few others in the country. Their energetic live shows have become legendary.
Over the last year they’ve had stand out appearances in the “Somewhere In Ireland” from SESH FM (watch below) video series, Hazey released 2 EPs (“Spillin Beans” and “The Drugs”) While Citrus released his debut “Early Days/Late Nights” a concept piece based on the aftermath of a failed relationship. More recently he collaborated with the enigmatic super villain Naive Ted on the incredible “Night In Question” EP.
Experimental electronic project from two of the Cork music scenes most important players, Dan Walsh and Cathal McGabhann. We could be here all day listing out their various bands and achievements, Altered Hours, Fixity, The Great Balloon Race, Not Earth, Cork Improvised Music Club, Stink, The Tan Jackets etc.. Tip of the iceberg. You already know, I’ll say no more.
Sebi C and Jimmy Penguin have both been important players in the Irish music scene for well over a decade.
Full time Skratch Lord, Jimmy was a founding member of turntable super group Vince Mac Mahon who went on to run the 13 year institution that is the Community Skratch Games. He runs Alkalinear Records, and is half of electro duo Krayb David. That’s just the tip of the Iceberg but for the sake of space we’ll leave it there.
The illusive Sebi C is a rapper. He was one half of Flying Buttresses with Naive Ted who released a genuine contender for the best Irish hip hop record ever made, The Orson Wells EP. He was a vocalist with experimental band Maori John Wayne and released an EP with Senior Infants.
@Dali
Doors: 7:30PM
Entry: €10
South London beat maker, musician and singer Reginald Omas Mamode IV has three albums and several EPs in his discography on labels such as Five Easy Pieces, 22a and Intimate Friends. Long championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson (his self titled debut full length was nominated for best album of the year at Petersons Worldwide Awards in 2017) Reginald also helped forge the 22a Co-operative along with Mo Kolours, Jeen Bassa, Henry Wu. Al Dobson Jr and Tenderlonious.
“He has a natural ability to embed an honest level of jazz sensibility into house or hip-hop, and we love that. This dude should be on your radar at all costs” – Juno Records
“Equal parts D’Angelo to J Dilla, here was soul music sweet and smooth enough for the 70s groover, but glitchy enough for the fan of broken beats.” – Record Collector
The Love Movement
It started as a college project for drummer Adhamh O’Leary, who enlisted a group of musician friends to help him recreate the timeless music of his favourite hip hop group, A Tribe Called Quest.
James Coady (bass) Katie O’Donnell (keys) Sarah Hall (sax) Cian O’Sullivan (drums) JusMe (turntables + MPC) and vocalists Ophelia, Shaool and Spekulativ Fiktion have come together to create an energetic show that has evolved to include other classic 90s hip hop artists.
Irish producer Adam Gould, more widely known by his musical alias Gaptoof has gained a reputation for impossibly smooth, yet suitably gritty hip hop and electronic beats which have racked up impressive numbers on Soundcloud and landed him with Soft Boy Records. Gaptoof has been a regular guest Cuttin Heads since the beginning so it feels right to have him on this line up. Expect a live set of original material.
Day 3 of the weekender is an all day session in the homely beer garden of the Vicarstown Bar. A time for the residents to relax, get stuck in on the 1s and 2s, and enjoy themselves after the madness of the weekend.
Eddie Ruckspin joins the crew from the UK, an Allspun out DJ champion, part of the Super Scratch Sunday and Community Skratch Music crews. Expect fresh Hip hop, Electro with plenty of skills for the heads. Also joining the crew is friend, constant supporter and reliable party starter Farid Williams.
There it is lads! Get involved, stay updated with CHC here.
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