A Limerick super-club is making waves as a record label, from the banks of the Shannon to the sweaty heights of Ibiza.

Limerick superclub Trinity Rooms [pictured: staff and DJs] recorded a full house for the first of its six fortnightly Tuesday parties at the back room of 7,000-capacity club Eden in Ibiza.
Alex Ellenger from Eden said of the team-up with top UK brand Gatecrasher: “It was a natural choice for our back room. Trinity Rooms is becoming world renowned for being Ireland’s top club and to have them co-hosting with Dave Pearce from the BBC and Gatecrasher should make for an essential new night for the island.”
Trinity Rooms’ manager Joe Clarke was extra-pleased about the fact that the first track on the club’s new record label - resident DJ Paul Webb’s infectious electro-house workout ‘Hey Guy’ – was the biggest tune of the night. “It was our second notable international success with the track,” Clarke informed. “The previous week, at Sonar in Barcelona, Mike Monday finished his set, at one of the festival’s biggest parties, with the 110th Street remix of it, and it took the roof off the castle in question.”
The rest of the Trinity Rooms at Eden sessions take place on July 2, 16 and 30 and August 13 and 27.
Proof, if needed, of the impact that Irish trance is having on the clubbing world can be found on the new mix CD from BBC Radio 1FM’s Eddie Halliwell, Cream Ibiza ’07. There are no fewer than six Irish tracks or remixes included: two from John O’Callaghan and one each from Gleave Dobbin, Paul Webster, Bryan Kearney and Greg Downey.
Navan-based ace O’Callaghan’s career continues to soar to greater heights. World number one DJ Paul van Dyk’s support for the Something To Live For producer is well documented, and in recent weeks the number two and three – Armin van Buuren and Tiesto respectively – have both sung his praises in interviews. Both DJs were particularly keen on the Planetlove Summer Session star’s first ever vocal track – ‘Big Sky’ featuring Audrey Gallagher – and van Buuren expressed an interest in signing the tune to his Armada stable of labels. A number of other high-profile labels are also interested – watch this space.
Another O’Callaghan creation causing a clubland stir is his second collaboration with John Askew under the guise of Cartel. ‘Moments’ is not due for release until later in the year, however. Incidentally, John has just been signed by the PFA DJ agency which manages Eddie Halliwell’s bookings.
The aforementioned Bryan Kearney’s slamming new tech-trance anthem, ‘Punchline’, has been signed by Discover Dark for release later in the year. Check myspace.com/bryankearney to get a sneak preview.
The UK stamp’s sister label, Discover, recently unleashed ‘Stung on The River’ from Dubliner Neal Scarborough – whose collaborations with John O’Callaghan as Inertia are world-renowned – and it has been a major success both critically and commercially.
Due soon on the same label is Neal’s massive remix of Thomas Datt’s ‘Distance’, which is already being caned by all of the big guns and looks likely to be one of the big tunes of the summer. As is his cover version of Art of Trance’s all-time classic ‘Madagascar’, which Armin van Buuren is releasing on his Soundpiercing stamp.
Top 20 star D. Ramirez (aka Dean Marriott) will be the guest of honour at the opening night of new monthly electro club Shabang, which launches at Spirit on Sunday July 29.
Dublin club Clampdown hosts an all-day party at The Lock Tavern in Camden on July 1. Residents Johnny Moy and Arveene will be joined by David Holmes and X-Press 2’s Ashley Beedle. Incidentally, rumour has it that Moy is to depart from Dublin’s Spin FM (on which he has hosted a Saturday night show since its launch) and take up a slot on its national sister station, Newstalk. If Johnny is to host the first music show on Newstalk, it will be the latest in a long line of career firsts.
There have been a number of small changes to the Planetlove Summer Session line-up announced earlier this month. DJ Magazine is now hosting the Nu Skool vs Old Skool arena, and Trinity Rooms is bringing its famed Funktion One sound system to the VIP arena. See sessionstour.com for full details. The website for the Lovebox festival has just been launched at www.lovebox.ie
Groove Armada’s hugely successful English festival makes its Irish debut on Saturday July 21 in Malahide Castle from 1pm until 2am.
Also performing live at Lovebox are New York punk-funk wonders The Rapture, Welsh wizards Super Furry Animals and reggae superstars Toots & The Maytals. The line-up also includes Irish electronica wizard, Jape and clubland heroes Sasha, Spirit Catcher, Japanese Popstars, Dancepig, Deadbots, Hystereo and Sourcecode, who release their debut album Contemporary Corruption later this year. Tickets for the new festival are on sale now, priced e79, from usual outlets nationwide.
Another new summer music festival is the Amazen Music Festival at the Showgrounds in Ennis, Co. Clare on July 21. Headlined by The Undertones, the event will feature a hardstyle dance tent where renowned international DJs such as JP and Lady Dana from Holland, Proteus from Finland and Dr Willis from Australia will join homeboys Maze and Buck for a marathon session of nuttiness. Tickets are €50 plus booking fee from Ticketmaster for an individual, or €100 for family of two adults and two children under 10.
And finally, your Beats & Pieces scribe along with Dublin hard dance don Karl Davis will be flying the Irish flag at Tidy Weekender 12 from October 5-7 at Pontins at Prestatyn in Wales. Other DJs include Andy Farley, Lisa Lashes, Anne Savage, Ian M, Dark by Design and Ilogik. See tidy.com for booking details … THE BEAT GOES ON!