Selecta @ Undertone, Cardiff
Fri 15 Apr
Undertone’s in-house night for soundsystem-busting UK beats takes a break from its normal resident-fronted parties to bring to Cardiff a master of UK garage. This is a night for the ravers who enjoyed last month’s night with Jason Kaye and Mike ‘Ruffcut’ Lloyd; the Welsh capital seems to be having a resurgence of this sort of thing lately, which certainly makes a change from house.
Richard ‘Sticky’ Forbes built his reputation as one of the scene’s leading producers in the early noughties heyday. His distinctive sound ranges from full frontal, speaker-destroying examples of garage at its most bass-twisted and tearing, and ragga style vocal riddims that tap into the Caribbean soundsystem DNA of UK garage. There’s a total devotion to frenetic energy in his music’s zig-zagging rhythms, and the playful hooks with a touch of darkness make his music full of character – for proof, check out his track Triplets and the series of remade versions that he followed its dancefloor success with. His tunes were unavoidable in the clubs during the golden era, and his classic Booo! kickstarted the career of Ms. Dynamite.
Sticky’s long list of club and chart hits features other vocal collaborators like Kele Le Roc, Tubby T, Stush and Twista, and he remixed the likes of Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah and Sugababes at the peak of his powers.
(GTDC)
Admission: £7/£5. Info: 029 2022 8883