Sonic Mook Experience Album, Tour

Four years ago, the Sonic Mook Experience began shaking up the London club scene. In contrast to your average hedonistic Saturday house slam, club founder Sean McLusky sought to create a space with a difference: these "leftfield nights out" could feature anything from punked-out soundscapes to hip-hop scratchery where DJs could exist alongside experimental, live musical performances. McLusky describes Sonic Mook as "a collective of DJs and friends aiming to counteract the formulaic club experience that prevailed at that time."

To celebrate this extraordinary club night, Hub Records released a two-CD set, The Sonic Mook Experiment, in England in late September. Featuring a multitude of artists and genres ( including Primal Scream, David Holmes, Death In Vegas, Squarepusher, Stereolab) many of the tracks have previously only been available on hard-to-find vinyl. The CD booklet accompanying the album includes a visual history of Sonic Mook Experiment club events, with photography by Euan Spencer, Jason Manning and Chris Beardmore.

The album's tracks are: Primal Scream, "Swastika Eyes" (David Holmes Mix); Clinic, "The Second Line"; Fat Truckers, "Teenage Daughter"; Death In Vegas, "Dirge" (Pulp remix); Christian Vogel "Whipaspank" (Tube Jerk Mix); Asian Dub Foundation, "Naxalite Dub"; Squarepusher v. Richard Thomas, "Plate Core"; Add N To X, "Plug Me In"; Stereolab v. Hairy Butter, "Brain Drain"; Death In Vegas, "Neptune City" (Andrew Weatherall Mix); Leftfield, "Open Up" (Andrew Weatherall Remix); King Biscuit Time, "I Walk the Earth"; Hairy Butter, "I Came When I Heard" (DJ Godfather Mix); Disastronaut, "Kick My Teeth Out"; 2 Player, "Extreme Possibilities" (Wagon Christ Mix); Con Pro, "No Shit"; Suicide, "Dream Baby Dream."

Begun as a one-off club night, the Sonic Mook Experiment grew in stature at Hoxton's 333 Club during 1997 and 1998, then moved to the Scala before settling in this past February at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). Club nights have featured Headrillaz, Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols), E-Z Rollers, Groove Armada and many others.

Not content with their regular club night at ICA, Sonic Mook began a club tour in September, which, in addition to UK dates, includes one-offs in Dublin and Paris. The tour features a diverse range of guests in rotation, including Barry 7 (Add N To X), Les McKeown (Bay City Rollers), and Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey of Pulp doing the DJ thing. It concludes on Saturday, November 17, at the Batofar Club in Paris.

The next London date is Sunday, October 28, at the ICA. It features a rare performance by the Alan Vega and Martin Rev, otherwise known as Suicide. There will be a screening of appropriate films in the cinema; lounging in the bar will be Jerry Dammers (Specials) playing retro future mood music. Also in the bar: chess playing, sponsored by the London Chess & Bridge Centre. — Andrea Parra [Wednesday, October 24, 2001]