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APRIL'S HIGH FIVE

EASTER IS UPON US! BUNNY HOP DOWN TO ONE OF THESE...

1
THE RAINBOW VENUES FESTIVAL – CHAPTER 11, BIRMINGHAM
SATURDAY 4TH APRIL
LOCO DICE, BEN KLOCK, HECTOR, STEVE LAWLER, ROBERT DIETZ, RICHY AHMED, PATRICK TOPPING, BICEP, DANIEL AVERY, PAUL WOOLFORD, EJECA, SHADOW CHILD, DJ ZINC, T.WILLIAMS, LOEFAH AND MORE!

It's obvious why The Rainbow Venues are the best loved rooms in Birmingham — and it's not just that when combined, they make up the biggest clubbing space in the Midlands.

Rather than a pub, warehouse, basement or arena, The Rainbow is all these things combined, giving clubbers variety while granting the owners carte blanche to throw “insania” (thanks, Peter Andre) all-day dance festivals like this one.

Returning for the birthday celebrations with Chapter 11, their most ambitious line-up to date, it's almost like the bookers for The Rainbow Venues Festival took one look at the house and techno scene today and booked every single DJ on the planet making noise at the minute. Loco Dice, Seth, Ben Klock, Steve Lawler, Bicep, Daniel Avery, Paul Woolford and Ejeca, they're all here, scheduled to play across the various rooms, stages and soundsystems of this industrial area, including The Arena, a massive outdoor space by some railway archways used in the past for events like Circoloco In The Arena and MADE. 

The Warehouse and The Garden will also be in operation, as will The Basement and The Arch, two new spaces presenting yet more colours to The Rainbow's ever-evolving spectrum, a club which started life as an old man's boozer in 2006. 

Kicking off at midday and running until 2am, this is one chapter you shouldn't leave unopened.

12pm – 2am | £20 - £35 | rainbowvenues.co.uk

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CARL COX & FRIENDS, ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER
FRIDAY 3RD APRIL
CARL COX, EATS EVERYTHING, JON RUNDELL 

The night after he brings an all-star techno line-up to Fabric for Intec and friends, the big man heads up to Manchester for another DJ date with his pals at the city's prestigious Albert Hall. 

Roping in Eats Everything, the Intec boss will spew his sinewy, sharp-edged sounds all over a suitably large room, with support from his label comrade Jon Rundell. Eats meanwhile will keep it meaty, no doubt, with plenty of energy as well as original house flavours. Nom nom nom!

9pm – 4am | £25+ | alberthallmanchester.com 

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TROUPE, ELECTRIC BRIXTON
THURSDAY 2ND APRIL
JOHN TALABOT, ROMAN FLÜGEL, CAPULET, FOLD

Londoners don't need an excuse to party. So when they do have a reason, it's only natural they go apeshit. Among the litany of ace events taking place this Easter weekend — including DJ Mag Sessions with Art Department (2nd April) and Ultramajic with Jimmy Edgar, Machinedrum and Chambray (3rd April), of course! — Troupe at Electric Brixton really stands out. Barcelona's elusive textured house king John Talabot will be joined by Germany's revered oddball of techno Roman Flügel for a night in south London geared towards those who like it a little leftfield, but still banging.

10pm – 6am | £10 - £30 | electricbrixton.uk.com

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THE DATE, LOFT STUDIOS, LONDON
SUNDAY 5TH APRIL
NICKY SIANO, PATRICE SCOTT, STUART PATTERSON

Three-years-old but with a musical heritage that reaches back way further, The Date, London, always keeps it old skool. With Faith Fanzine's Stuart Patterson as resident, and bookings like Frankie Knuckles (RIP), Tony Humphries and Kerri Chandler over the years, typically it attracts a smiley, more musically mature crowd to West London's Loft Studios. To celebrate their third birthday, they've invited NYC's original Loft resident Nicky Siano, who is coincidently 60-years-old that day too. Veteran Patrice Scott is also onboard to bring a taste of Detroit to proceedings, so it's worth saving the date! 

4pm – 2am |loftstudios.co.uk | loftstudios.co.uk

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DEVIATION, XOYO, LONDON
SATURDAY 11TH APRIL 
BENJI B, FOUR TET, FLOATING POINTS 

Benji B is the latest to be chosen to host Saturdays at XOYO for 13 weeks. Following quarterly residencies from Eats Everything, Jackmaster and Skream, the Radio 1 jock is no stranger to the club, which has provided a home for Deviation since it opened in 2011.

Taking his bass-informed house night weekly, he's lined up Skepta (4th), Todd Edwards and an old skool set from Zinc (18th) and Wiley, Zomby and Kode9 (25th April) for the first month alone, but the one that gets the pick on this page is Four Tet and Floating Points (11th), who'll hopefully recreate the infamous b2b journey that closed Plastic People so sentimentally at the end of 2014.

9pm - 3am | £20 | XOYO.co.uk

BEST OF THE REST...

BLUEPRINT X INNERVISIONS
Thursday 2nd April | Studio Spaces E1, London
Planetary Assault Systems (live), Surgeon, Ben Sims, Truss, Âme, Marcus Worgull, Osunlade
10pm – 8am | £10 - £25 | the-hydra.net

 

SECRETSUNDAZE EASTER SPECIAL
Thursday 2nd April | The Laundry, London
DJ Qu, Mosca, Virginia, James Priestley, Gilles Smith 
10pm – 6am | £12.50 - £14.50 | secretsundaze.net

 

CIRCUS EASTER SUNDAY
Sunday 5th April | Arts Club, Liverpool
Yousef, Eats Everything, DJ Tennis, Kölsch, Butch, Matador (live)
10pm – 4am | £20 | artsclubliverpool.com

 

GROOVE ODYSSEY 
Sunday 5th April | Ministry of Sound, London
Louie Vega, Atjazz, Phil Asher, CJ Mackinstosh, Jazzy M
10.30pm – 6am | £15 - £25 | ministryofsound.com

 

AUDIOWHORE
Saturday 18th April | Mint Warehouse, Leeds
Dennis Ferrer, Hector Couto, Lowsteppa, No Artificial Colours, Martin Ikin
10pm – 6am | £8 - £20 | mintleeds.co.uk

 

AUDIO ASYLUM X DIMENSION FESTIVAL
Thursday 23rd April | The World Headquarters, Newcastle
Floating Points, Romare (live)
11pm – 4am | £7 - £12 | welovewhq.com