In the late 1980s, The Hacienda — an old warehouse in downtrodden Manchester, UK — became the unlikely site of a revolution, lighting the fuse for acid house and the rave culture that would follow. Helmed by DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park, its weekly Friday party was the inspiration for future superclubs and a breeding ground for some of Britain’s finest bands.
Five years ago, Erol Alkan’s club night, Trash, was being tipped as the new Hacienda. At the height of electroclash, his Monday night bash became the London hub, with an unlimited playlist and the hottest bands aching to appear. Alkan was also a prime mover in the bootleg mash-up movement and made a mainstream splash with his Kylie Minogue/New Order mix. He’s now ignored the lure of pop to produce new bands, however. One of them, a promising …