It astounds me that a club playing no wave, girl group, classical, punk, soul, krautrock, etc etc etc etc etc can be a huge success but by all accounts it is. Could this happen in Manchester/Liverpool/Kent/Cardiff or is is a Scot thang? Mr Optimo should franchise out the Optimo brandname and become a 21st century Zilkha, or all clubnight-running guys should just rip him off wholesale (I know I intend to).
If Stirmonster is reading, how did you set the whole thing up? Was it a blazing success from the off or did you have to build it up?
Also, if anyone has the mix cd as teasingly described on http://www.optimo.co.uk/download.htm then please please let me get a copy of it somehow (soulseek? cd-r tradey stuff?)
― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 17:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
it does sound great, i wonder if i can obtain a copy from the chaps - will investigate
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 19:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 20:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 20:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
I can't believe that a club with *that* music policy is so popular, how on earth has it worked so well? Lauren, what's their secret? And why haven't clubs all over Britain followed suit?
The first I heard of it was in the business pages of The Sun (!) where they mentioned how the djs hung a mic over the crowd dancing, sampled them, made a song out of the noise and played it back out minutes later. Unreal.
Also, is it always on a Sunday? I thought it was a Friday night thing.
― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 20:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
Had that impression the 2 years i spent in Glasgow. The rest of scotland was full of hardcore rave/gabber kids.
― Billy, Wednesday, 5 February 2003 20:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
then one week three hundred people turned up which we thought was a fluke, but the next week even more turned up and it continued to grow from there. our home, the sub club burned down and we were in temporary homes for three years but returned back 'home' a few months ago. since then it has gone even more ballistic. last sunday there was a blizzard going on outside and we expected it to be really quiet but we had the biggest crowd we have ever had and had to turn a couple of hundred away. it's insane, i tell ya!
the really strange thing for me is that we have a really young crowd who will freak to records they don't know from before they were born! i guess people are bored and want more from their night out. people in scotland also party like their lives depend on it!
we have been lumped in with electroc(l)a$h, post punk, bootlegs, too many djs etc but really, we are none of these things. i follow music, not what anyone else does and doing this in relative isolation up in scotland has been great for us. it means we don't belong to any scene and will always operate outside what is happening in the media. as fads come and go, we will still be here just playing music.
one of the reasons it might have worked is that after ten years of being techno djs, myself and my partner really know how to work a crowd so even though we play all types of music, we put it together in quite an energetic way and mix records that should never work together. i mean who'd have thought mo tucker kept such good time but it's possible to mix live the whole of 'waiting for my man' over some slamming techno track . likewise johnny cash's 'personal jesus' or a whole multitude of other songs. also, using a powerbook live lets me do things that leave people wondering 'how did he do that?'. but most importantly, it's fun - i might play reallly obscure records from the sun city girls, billy childish, the ze or 99 label or whatever but i always know when it is time to give the crowd a dose of fun.
i hope i don't come across all arrogant here. i'm not but i truly love what i do and it is the most enjoyable thing i have ever done in my whole life.
and finally, it CAN work elsewhere - we have taken optimo to new york, paris, helsinki, belfast, munich and stockholm and it worked every time.
if any ILM'ers ever come and don't enjoy themselves i will personally refund their costs for getting here.
― stirmonster, Wednesday, 5 February 2003 21:35 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 22:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
presumptuous? never
― mosurock (mosurock), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 22:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
What is it about this song? Erol Alkan (of Trash) namechecks it in this month's Jockey Slut. I really must try to make it sometime. I missed thema at Auto too, despite being there. I was probably stuck in the murderous beer queue. Unfortunately whenever I'm up in Glasgow I'm usually travelling back down south on a Sunday. I will get there though.
― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 5 February 2003 22:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
that's what really struck me about the night. the crowd went mad whether they knew a track or not. there is no way to manufacture that kind of enthusiasm, and it's really exciting to see.
― lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 6 February 2003 15:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― robin (robin), Thursday, 6 February 2003 16:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 6 February 2003 18:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 01:47 (twenty years ago) link
― stirmonster, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 01:53 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 01:58 (twenty years ago) link
gygax, how's the old fmbb doing?
― stirmonster, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:16 (twenty years ago) link
i was in thinking today of crazy things: optimo global tastemaker early 2000s nostalgia. but in a very chris marker exotica way. crazy things.
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:27 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:34 (twenty years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 05:29 (twenty years ago) link
― stirmonster, Wednesday, 26 November 2003 11:11 (twenty years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:24 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:47 (twenty years ago) link
― raphael diligent (Cozen), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:58 (twenty years ago) link
yes it is.
― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 13:18 (twenty years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:28 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 22:45 (twenty years ago) link
― nebbesh (nebbesh), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 11:30 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 12:53 (twenty years ago) link
(i thk i know wht she looks like, really pretty, bowl cut, i thk i saw her at the latest 'mars hotel' gig.)
― raphael diligent (Cozen), Thursday, 4 December 2003 22:38 (twenty years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:13 (nineteen years ago) link
Next Optimo for me: The Go! Team one, I think. Would like to do Clinic too but don't think I will.
New Year too.
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 09:02 (nineteen years ago) link
So, when they confirm I have to find somewhere to live and move. And do NYE Optimo. I am sure it is possible somehow...
― 3underscore (___), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 09:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 09:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― 3underscore (___), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 09:39 (nineteen years ago) link
take the megabus, ronan.
― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 11:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― *@*.* (gareth), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― *@*.* (gareth), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― MattR (MattR), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:23 (nineteen years ago) link
i attended the 1999/2000 hogmanay optimo at the art school..... i don't remember a single thing except a friend of mine stealing an entire case of mini tonic bottles.
― You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:25 (nineteen years ago) link
Haha, it’s not going to be long before drinks will be 11 pounds in a lot of places that‘s for sure.
― Chewshabadoo, Thursday, 12 May 2022 04:35 (one year ago) link
I was listening to an interview with Surgeon the other day, and Optimo got a nice shout out
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Saturday, 14 May 2022 00:28 (one year ago) link
The new Pleasure Pool album on Optimo seems pretty good so far. Really interesting grooves and use of vocals.
https://pleasure-pool.bandcamp.com/album/love-without-illusion-lp
― Treblekicker, Friday, 9 December 2022 10:10 (one year ago) link
looking forward to hearing this! Watching Trees was an amazing festival and I gotta say that Pleasure Pool were the most amazing thing I saw there. Whole set was incredible, can't wait to see them live again one day
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Friday, 9 December 2022 12:41 (one year ago) link
ooh thanks, this is nice
― sleeve, Friday, 9 December 2022 14:57 (one year ago) link
sounding incredible so far, like can, jon hassell, the happy mondays and the shamen all trying to make a cosmic disco record together
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Friday, 9 December 2022 16:28 (one year ago) link
fucking hell, so good
getting some Lissvek/Studio vibes as well
― sleeve, Friday, 9 December 2022 16:29 (one year ago) link
yeah indeed, that was very much a flavour when I saw them live
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Friday, 9 December 2022 16:30 (one year ago) link
Really good album, my body chose a particularily bad time to demand a disco nap at Watching Trees and I missed the magic.
― Chewshabadoo, Friday, 9 December 2022 16:56 (one year ago) link
whoa Cease & Resist vinyl sold out already?!? dang, good on y'all.
― Perverted By Linguiça (sleeve), Sunday, 9 April 2023 22:01 (one year ago) link
de ambassade album is fantastic
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Sunday, 9 April 2023 22:39 (one year ago) link
Cease & Resist copies on Friday were just some very limited pre-release copies. There will be more at the start of May and then it will be in all good record shops from mid May.
:-)
― stirmonster, Sunday, 9 April 2023 23:29 (one year ago) link
No SF date... :(((
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 31 May 2023 18:42 (ten months ago) link
they were in SF literally last month
― serving bundt (sic), Wednesday, 31 May 2023 19:01 (ten months ago) link
well... i was in fukken' LA gah.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 1 June 2023 04:37 (ten months ago) link
if i can stay awake i may attempt the LA gig on friday
― donna rouge, Thursday, 1 June 2023 05:25 (ten months ago) link
This one's a really great recent release: https://optimomusic.bandcamp.com/album/inside-the-sphere
Shades of the more contemplative work of Mika Vainio and Plastikman's Consumed, but not limited to those references.
― jvc, Monday, 26 June 2023 17:50 (nine months ago) link
yes great album
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Monday, 26 June 2023 18:01 (nine months ago) link
Gonna catch the show in Miami thurs B-)
― xheugy eddy (D-40), Tuesday, 19 September 2023 04:26 (seven months ago) link
loving this
https://soundcloud.com/loveintfestival/live-from-the-adriatic-2023-optimo
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Wednesday, 20 September 2023 17:42 (six months ago) link
This is 100000000000% more interesting than Tycho's annual burning man dawn mix as posted around the internet.
― dan selzer, Wednesday, 20 September 2023 23:11 (six months ago) link
Caught the closing “Watching Trees” takeover at Field Manouvers a few weeks back and it was full of brilliant moments - perfect end to the festival.
― Chewshabadoo, Thursday, 21 September 2023 20:50 (six months ago) link
posted mostly for humour content, someone's been monkeying around with your tune, stirm:
https://bleachingagent.bandcamp.com/track/limbtimo
― blazin' squab (NickB), Monday, 23 October 2023 17:09 (five months ago) link
Some funny edits/mash-ups from that guy. New to me. Some pretty hip sources. Mass? A dance edit of Henry Badowski's Baby Sign Here With Me? Not sure how I feel about it all.
― dan selzer, Monday, 23 October 2023 17:33 (five months ago) link
he's done some great stuff, that one just made me laugh because of the place that booker t tune has in british (or should that be english?) culture
― blazin' squab (NickB), Monday, 23 October 2023 17:38 (five months ago) link
(would say more, but don't want to spoil the surprise)
― blazin' squab (NickB), Monday, 23 October 2023 17:40 (five months ago) link
(probably have already though)
― blazin' squab (NickB), Monday, 23 October 2023 17:41 (five months ago) link
ha ha! i'm surprised it took so long for anyone to do that. first few times i ever played the liquid liquid track several people asked "what was the track that sounded a bit like the cricket theme?". for non Brits, soul limbo is synonmyous with cricket here as it is / was the tv theme tune for a long time.
mr bleaching agent is a good pal of mine. he told me he had done a ton of edits but i hadn't got as far as hearing this one yet.
― stirmonster, Monday, 23 October 2023 18:43 (five months ago) link
listened to it again and it actually bangs, would totally lose my mind if I heard that out at just the right moment.
just clocked the lifetones sample on the 4th track on that release, bloody lovely that!
― blazin' squab (NickB), Monday, 23 October 2023 19:17 (five months ago) link
https://www.watchingtrees.com
^^ brighton crew are mobilising. anyone else?
― blazin' squab (NickB), Thursday, 25 January 2024 13:00 (two months ago) link
Yes, but you knew that already.
― Chewshabadoo, Thursday, 25 January 2024 17:44 (two months ago) link
:)
― blazin' squab (NickB), Thursday, 25 January 2024 18:50 (two months ago) link
almost sold out.
― stirmonster, Friday, 2 February 2024 21:31 (two months ago) link
Yeah you must be delighted! and very relieved. congrats!
― blazin' squab (NickB), Friday, 2 February 2024 21:35 (two months ago) link
yes to both!! thanks.
― stirmonster, Friday, 2 February 2024 21:52 (two months ago) link
it was the chips that did it
― blazin' squab (NickB), Friday, 2 February 2024 22:02 (two months ago) link
Got my Optimo package from monorail today. And only a dozen emails from the royal mail tracking its progress along the way!
― dan selzer, Friday, 2 February 2024 23:35 (two months ago) link
v. happy you picked that up. royal mail have gone email mad in recent times - i am bombarded by their updates.
― stirmonster, Saturday, 3 February 2024 05:12 (two months ago) link
Also looking forward to the chips.
― Chewshabadoo, Saturday, 3 February 2024 17:23 (two months ago) link
Thought this might be the right place to ask, but is the Naum Gabo LP getting widely distributed in UK?
Bandcamp are charging international shipping, and I can see Phonica has vinyl copies (Juno out of stock already), but I have a local store I like to order from if its possible.
Sounding great from what I have heard.
― my opinionation (Hamildan), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 09:58 (one month ago) link
it deffo has UK distribution. i don't know who the distributor is though i'm afraid.
― stirmonster, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 16:49 (one month ago) link
Enjoyed listening back to this newly uploaded set from Field Maneuvers last year: https://soundcloud.com/resident-advisor/ra-live-optimo-field-maneuvers-uk
Unless my memory is playing tricks on me there was even more after this recording ends though?
― Chewshabadoo, Friday, 29 March 2024 12:15 (three weeks ago) link
i think that was right near the end no? i have to confess i don't recall how the set ended.
― stirmonster, Saturday, 30 March 2024 00:20 (two weeks ago) link
Well it was the end of a rather heavy weekend so I could very well have a loose grip on the facts! I trust you :D
― Chewshabadoo, Saturday, 30 March 2024 10:59 (two weeks ago) link
One thing I will say is that one of my friends still hasn’t forgiven you both for teasing “Boys” and then not playing it! You know what to do at Watching Trees…
― Chewshabadoo, Saturday, 30 March 2024 11:01 (two weeks ago) link
ha! i don't recall, that either and was 100% sober.
― stirmonster, Saturday, 30 March 2024 16:46 (two weeks ago) link
Very excited to see y'all are coming to Austin next week
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Saturday, 30 March 2024 23:00 (two weeks ago) link
it has been a long time. excited to be back and also to hopefully catch the eclipse.
― stirmonster, Sunday, 31 March 2024 01:10 (two weeks ago) link
Everyone has eclipse mania!
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Sunday, 31 March 2024 04:41 (two weeks ago) link