Scotland’s largest electronic music event, the Electric Frog & Pressure Riverside Festival will kick off the summer with some banging tunes for the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Headliners Slam, Sven Väth, Fatboy Slim and Laurent Garnier will be joined by Ben Klock, Rødhåd, Gaiser and local underground dance stalwarts Animal Farm.
Soma Records celebrate their legacy in style at the festival by curating a stage lineup to mark their 25th anniversary year. The event has recently released VIP upgrade ticket packages which include DJ sets within the Riverside Museum.
We caught up with Darren Quail of Animal Farm to talk about Glasgow’s electronic music scene, Soma and their upcoming set at the Riverside.
Glasgowist: How did Animal Farm nights begin?
Darren Quail: We started off doing Thursday nights at the Halt Bar on Woodlands Road before moving into the city centre to Bar Bloc for a weekly Friday night.
This is where we met Ronin who was running the Off The Record event at The Soundhaus so we joined forces with him to start our first club venture. It was in 2009 we moved to our new home of the Sub Club where we’ve been ever since.
What’s the techno and electronic scene in Glasgow like right now?
The scene seems to be in a great place at the moment. The constant influx of new people to the city every year keeps things fresh and with more and more people discovering underground music through the various events and clubs that promote the sound it’s created a fairly evolved environment.
How will the club experience translate to a bigger stage at the Riverside Festival?
Glasgow’s crowd are always up for it so right from doors opening so the vibe will be special. I think it’s quite a different feeling rocking up the Riverside knowing you’re getting the big club names in an outdoor festival but right in the heart of the city.
The location really makes for something quite unique. With the after parties being held at SWG3 once again it will be back to the proper underground feel of the club once the festival is over.
Who else on the bill for the festival excites you?
Pretty much everyone! Ben Klock, Rødhåd & Vril are the main guys for us definitely having all played for us in the past. It will be great to see them take to the stage here in Glasgow once again.
The Riverside really caters for everyone’s taste and this year they’ve really nailed the line up.
You are opening the SOMA 25 stage on the Saturday. How important has SOMA records been to Glasgow?
Pretty much invaluable. I think you would struggle to find anyone involved in electronic music at any level who hasn’t been influenced by Soma in some way and that really speaks volumes.
It’s always been a passion for the guys behind the label and that has helped them stand the test of time.
They’ve been making sure Glasgow gets the recognition it deserves for 25 years.
From working with the label, what’s your favourite SOMA memory?
So many to choose from! I guess last year’s ‘Transmissions : Glasgow’ was a real standout. We decided to build a compilation based on the talent from Glasgow’s Techno scene and we had some amazing tracks included from Clouds, Harvey McKay, Slam, Gary Beck, Edit Select plus some more unheard names.
I also contributed a track to the compilation so it was great to work on the project behind the scenes, collating the music and creating something that represents the music and city I love but also adding to it artistically myself and becoming a part of Soma in that way, was a real honour.
What can we expect from the Animal Farm set?
With opening the Soma 25 stage we’ll definitely be delving into the deeper end of the spectrum with our selections. We’re big fans of Dub Techno and the more atmospheric side of things so this will set the scene perfectly for the acts that are due to follow us on the stage.
That being said, I’m sure the excitement on the day will see us pick up the pace towards the end!
We love to do warm up sets just as much as peak time as it really lets you stretch your legs as DJs. We’re setting the tone for the day so it’s imperative we get it right.
It’s a big honour for us to be asked to play the Riverside once again so we’ll be on our best form representing the Glasgow underground.
Buy tickets for the Electric Frog and Pressure Riverside Festival here.
