Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris

MARCH 2007

CALVIN HARRIS

UPFRONT, OTW, MARCH 2007, COMMENTS

In recent years Glasgow has smartened itself up. The barren years that followed after the demise of the shipyards left it as a fairly bleak place to be, but with the rejuvenation of the city centre and the Clyde developments, as well as a fresh emphasis on the cultural aspects of the city, Glasgow has reclaimed its vibrancy and dusted down its unmistakable character. One thing that Glasgow has always retained, and Scotland for that matter, is the love for a good party.

As the nightlife capital of Scotland, Glasgow has taken on the role of national event organiser for the party kids that wander the city, desperately seeking out their next slice of the action. This demand has bred some of the most diverse and successful club nights in the UK and cemented some of its venues in the legendary section of the UK venue list. You only need to hear names like The Arches, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and The Barrowlands to recognise the impact that Glasgow has had on the UK live and clubbing circuit. Nights like Death Disco, Optimo and Pressure have consistently sold out to over 2,000 people each month.

Independent promoters succeed with their unique style of party, set in random venues and advertised with the greatest of non-textbook marketing techniques. ASBO Disco, Melting Pot, Vacuum and Salt Lick are some of the nights that have run or continue to run in small venues throughout the city.
With a solid environment and with these club nights acting as mothers, the children of the scene i.e. the producers and DJs, have found a loving place in which to hone their talents and showcase their skill. Mylo is the perfect example of this. Although an Isle of Skye lad who initiated his producing career in his bedroom, he founded the Salt Lick club night and Breastfed records, where he could develop into the international and critically acclaimed star that he is today. As the scene has continued to flourish, watered by the talents of visiting guest DJs, it was only a matter of time before the next kid from the Scottish block set tongues a wagging and dance floors a jumping.

Calvin Harris hails from rural roots just like Mylo and it seems he is about to make one almighty splash in the electro/pop world. Backed by the major contributions of Columbia Records and with an early career path that is already taking a steep climb for the top, 2007 is sure to be an impressive year. The Dumfries boy has moved on from filling shelves in his local Marks & Sparks to filling dance floors all across the land. Both a DJ and a live act, Harris has entertained some of the finest clubs in the land, from The Arches in Glasgow to Fabric in London. His first release, ‘Acceptable in the 80s’, is a glitteringly camp floor filler that despite awaiting its release date of March 12th, is already a clubbers ‘must hear’ and ‘golden child’ of Radio 1.

Building from a handful of his own gigs and club dates, Harris takes to the road with Faithless in March to spread his own flavour of Electro/Disco throughout the land. When he gets back from that, he’ll have his album, named with a firm tongue in cheek, ‘I Invented Disco’ to bring to his ever swelling public. With writing partnerships already formed that most producers spend a lifetime dreaming of, Calvin Harris is going to be massive and it seems there’s not a thing anyone can do about it.

Words: Michael Nicholson

From: March 2007 Issue

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