Tell me about Outlaw’d. Who are you and what is the night all about?
James: Heya, so I’m James and I run Outlaw’d alongside Nat (NATMAC). We met in the early days of EMC and the idea for Outlaw’d came through conversations we had back then about music we were into. We’re both big fans of bass-heavy dance music, particularly UK-originating sounds – UKG, bassline & jungle. At the time, none of these genres featured in any events in Cork, so we decided to bring something new to the table by platforming these genres in our nights. The series started out with us playing supported by friends, but has since morphed to feature national and international acts.We’ve booked acts across the spectrum of bass music, from UKG heavyweights like Prozak & Dr. Dubplate, to one of the most respected names in Jungle, Sully.
The ethos of Outlaw’d can be distilled into three strands. First and foremost is big sound. Bass music is to be felt as well as heard, and so we have had the peerless RiseUp system with us since our very first show. Second is community. We’ve been working on building a strong community network of both artists and fans of bass, and are very fortunate to have developed a good crew of heads who always turn out and always give it socks at our events. This community element means the buzz at Outlaw’d is always top notch. Finally, its development. Every single show we’ve added new elements to keep our gigs fresh and engaging – whether its new lights, decor, venues etc. or simply booking fresh exciting acts, we’re always trying to continually improve the experience.
Nat: As James said. Outlaw’d morphed from a conversation back in summer 2022. I’d been revisiting my roots of UKG and jungle since rediscovering my sounds over the pandemic and at the time there wasn’t many nights that harnessed those distinct vibes. So myself and James setup our first night in Crack Jenny’s (now Nudes) and it was maaaad. Place was wobbling with sound, exactly the vibe we wanted. Big bass sound is massively important to us. Jonezy’s Riseup system was gonna be a firm favourite of ours and has since become our regular structure at all Outlaw’d events. Big bass sound, freshly cut UKG, Jungle and footwork, sweaty bouncy vibes, red lights. That’s Outlaw’d.
We’ve been on a bit of a journey with local support acts alongside ourselves, then followed by some of our favourite heavyweights in UKG & jungle. The likes of Prozak, Dr Dubplate, Denham Audio, Sully have all graced the Outlaw’d stage with more fresh and forward pushing acts on way.
Can you tell us about your act next week, Cartin?
James: Cartin’s a Derry based DJ and live act. He’s been a stalwart of the scene up there for some time now, and has featured consistently at AVA festival, the North’s premier electronic music festival. He had his debut Boiler Room in 2021, and has featured at a number of big events and festivals across the UK and Ireland, including an appearance at Printworks in 2022.
His live setup is quite unique, incorporating an electric guitar alongside his cherished DeepMind 12 Synth and an Ableton Push. Having seen videos of him in action,I’m absolutely buzzing to see what happens on March 23rd. The electric guitar in particular will add an exciting new dimension for a headliner at Outlaw’d.
His sound is percussion heavy, plenty of rhythmic and drum elements which give a lot of energy to his performances. He draws inspiration from a wide variety of influences. I actually met Cartin at Ben UFO’s closing set at Dekmantel last year, a set that’s imprinted into my mind for the depth & variety included in it. Both of us are massive BUFO fans and are inspired by his eclecticism and skill.
Nat: We’ve been really keen to check out forward pushing live acts. Cartin LIVE was a front runner for us. It’s rare to see a guitar used and we love his energy. As James says, he’s a great eclectic variety in his percussion heavy edits. Plenty of bounceable beats to push through the soundsystem. It’s also nice to get acts down from the North. Really excited for this.
Alongside Cartin we have regular local favourites Summerhill DJs who have just released their latest EP Daydream. Been playing a few of the lads tunes in my sets and can’t get enough of their vibe. Looking forward to us kicking off with the new tracks from Summerhill DJs.
This isn’t the first time Outlaw’d have booked a live electronic act. What’s special to you about live sets over DJ sets?
Nat: The unpredictability and uniqueness of live set just makes it feel so special. You can be certain you’re getting something new, something unique to that space and time. There’s something that’s really special with that. Plus I always get a great energy off of someone using their intuition, body, facial expression, feeding off the vibe of the crowd to make the sound.
Sloucho was probably one of my stand out LIVE acts of 2024. When we had him last month it took the Spailpin to a new level. There is a deeper feeling when LIVE is mixed with AV. Gets all the senses going. To a point where I wanna dance silly.
James: I think for me, over the years of going to gigs, I’ve come to appreciate live acts a lot. You can get a better feel for the artist and their creative vision, and there is great flexibility and variability in how the act incorporates various elements into their performance, which can be very enjoyable. Some standout live shows I’ve seen include KiNK, Perc & Ansome’s Hybrid Live show and of course Overmono. I think booking live acts brings something extra, something exciting to the table in Cork and that’s what we’re all about.
Last month we had Sloucho down for a Live A/V set. Sloucho is an entity shrouded in mystery & lore, producing highly danceable garage and breaks with nods to post-dubstep sounds. Accompanied by a bespoke visual set-up, it was a fantastic show. It was also our first show to sell out in advance which was a buzz!
An Spailpín Fánach and RiseUp! Soundsystem seem to be inseparable lately. Can you tell us more about the venue and soundsystem?
Nat: Sound was a BIG factor for Outlaw’d. It’s gotta be good deep bass, so you feel it. But has to be clean and clear. We’ve loads of high end sounds that are important for the sound we deliver. Riseup was a no brainer really.
Known Jonezy and Riseup for a good while so we always knew it was a good fit. The system towers over the crowd and looks insane. So much so that it’s become part of our logo. Massive respect for Jonezy and his craftsmanship alongside his Dad. It’s got good history and we absolutely love it.
What can people expect at the party on the 23rd?
James: Alongside Cartin, we have local DJs/producers Summerhill on support. The lads have been making great music for a while now and have recently gone in a bass-heavy/breaky direction which has put them on our radar. We’re really excited to see how they get the room moving. Cartin’s headline slot will be mayhem, no doubt. We’ll be opening the night ourselves, and will also have a few new additions to the visual set up so expect a transformation of Spailpín.
Nat: Plenty boppy sweaty vibes. As well as Cartin and Summerhill, myself and James will pack a punch. I’ve been holding on to some wobblers for this one. They’ll be no stopping me jumping around.
Any cool plans in the future you can tell us about?
Nat: We are beyond excited about some of the acts we’ve booked for Outlawd this year and we’ve some cool projects in pipeline. Don’t wanna spill too much so keep an eye on socials for now.
Favourite track at the minute?
James: I’m gonna have to go with Da Click – We are Da Click (NnG Mix). I picked up this record for like 3 quid in Killacutz in Amsterdam over Christmas. I think the original mix was in the UK top 40 for a while back in 2001. The NnG mix is simple and fun and is always extremely well received! Special mention to the new Joy O track also, played it out at our last gig and it sounded insane on the RiseUp rig.
Nat: The new drop from DJ Cosworth called Hipnotico is just mental. Massively boppy, scrubber vocal edits and eerie drops with big bass sound. It’s got mad energy. Cannot wait to spin it on the big Riseup soundsystem.
Outlaw’d bring Cartin to An Spailpín Fánach this Saturday, March 23rd.
Tickets available on Resident Advisor here.