It's that time of year again - Tranarchy's VOGUE BRAWL is happening on Saturday June 14th at Islington Mill, and in what is now becoming a tradition, we will be screening the cult classic documentary PARIS IS BURNING in the run up to the event. A classic piece of queer cinema, this amazing documentary will teach you almost everything you've ever wanted to know about vogue and house ball culture. It will be accompanied by a selection of voguing short films and debate and discussion of the issues raised is very welcome!
Hey kids, wanna know how the media in the UK works? Here's a rule of thumb: if something is not happening in London, it's not happening. If a music scene doesn't have an outlet or any representation within the capital, then it obviously must not be happening anywhere in the country. Everywhere outside London is filled with behind-the-times bumpkins, who are desperate to emulate the forward fashions and tastes of swinging London.Well fuck that noise. Right now, regional scenes are the healthiest they have ever been in the UK. In a way, you could even thank London for it - by ignoring what is going on around the country, these scenes have had a chance to flourish.I live and work in Manchester. Before I moved here, I lived and worked in Glasgow. Both cities have incredible live music and clubbing scenes - gay and straight, DIY and commercial. I'd like to tell you about some of the awesome shit that is going on in Manchester right now, particularly on the queer scene.
Vjuan Allure‘s impact on the early days of ballroom house is substantial – he’s been spinning and producing for over two decades, and claims to have put out some of the earliest releases in the genre. He’s far from a relic, though, working with the likes of Night Slugs, Fade To Mind and Mad Decent in the last few years.
Last week, FACT contributor Niall Connolly – aka ballroom producer CVNT TRAXXX – caught up with the producer to talk about past triumphs and future plans. As a supplement to that article, we’ve been furnished with an exclusive stream of the Vjuan Allure remix of CVNT TRAXXX’s ‘Mak3 L0ve’. Click below to stream it in full.
An influence on the new generation of ballroom DJs such as MikeQ, Vjuan has been DJing for almost 20 years, and his appeal is broader than just the American ballroom circuit: he is a beloved guest of both Night Slugs and House Of Trax in London, Fade To Mind in the US, and the Angels Of Love crew in Rimini. More than any other DJ, Vjuan connects the deep, dark, tribal house of the ’90s to the current fresh-as-a-daisy vogue house sound, and he’s never once failed to make an audience move in all the times I have seen him play, even to avowedly “two left feet” type crowds. I caught up with Vjuan at Streetstar to ask him a few questions.
You’ve been doing a lot of production work this year – what releases have you had recently and what’s coming out in the next few months?
Wow, so many things coming, I’m going to try and name them all. I have stuff ready for Mad Decent, Night Slugs, Fade To Mind, Hot Mom, Paradox 410, FEELINGS, and more, many more remixes coming. Recently I’ve completed work for CVNT TRAXXX, Cherie Lily, Somepoe, Roxy and The Ride Committee and more. I know I’m forgetting some, but it’s a lot.
You’ve been travelling around the world and DJing a lot too – where are some of your favourite places to play and why? Anywhere left you still want to go?
I love traveling and it’s really kind of hard to pin-point one specific place I love the most, but Naples, Italy is so close to my heart. I lived there and have so many friends and so much love from that place – and of course they know how to party! That is where I came into the forefront. I love playing everywhere though, the reactions I’ve had have been so great and heart-warming. The audience truly understands when a DJ comes to play for them, and I come to play. They get into what you are doing even if they may not understand the music at first – but good music is good music and I have never had a problem with any crowd ever.
