B-Sides give us the lowdown on Midland

The most exciting news to hit St Andrews this week comes in the shape of Leeds DJ/Producer Midland, who is taking over the Union courtesy of B-Sides. I’m sure everyone has seen the posters and I’m sure everyone is asking the same question: who is this Midland and why should St Andrews be excited by his presence?

This fresh electronic DJ is a big deal and here’s exactly why… Midland is already placing himself firmly in the spotlight of electronic music with his diverse sound. His tracks are a mix of everything that is good from the genre. From dubstep to chill house to garage, his tracks and remixes cross the boundaries between these sub-genre fields. Even his remixes highlight the vast range of his musical projects – from Julio Bashmore to Caribou, Midland is stating his love for all things electric.

It seems his travelling as a young child, having grown up in East Africa and moved back to Britain, influenced his view on his life and music – a mix of everything is good for the soul (and ears). His passion to mix music that he enjoys and loves is something which distinguishes him from the crowds of DJs who attempt to recreate rather than invent their own: “I get caught up in [productions] and don’t know where they’re going. It’s about finding that groove that you enjoy. If you’re in your room doing the dance when writing it, then you know people will do it on the dance floor when listening to it.” 

The Leeds DJ already has the likes of Mixmag on his side, with constant hype over his next tracks and a few Festivals under his belt, his hard work and dedication to creating his own sound is paying off. In short, this guy really is the next “big thing”. Chatting to B-Sides DJs Calum Bryant and Sam McCulloch, you can tell this is a big deal for them. “Our goal, when we started, was to bring the best and newest talent to St Andrews, not just established names”, comments Calum, “it’s about showing who the next big thing is and having them here first.” It takes a lot of patience and effort on behalf of these guys to get names here and they’ve opened up such opportunities for the rest of the UK to see how fresh the St Andrews music scene is. Being able to see an artist before their peak is exciting and still has that ‘underground’ feel to it.

^{Graphic design: Theo Weiss}

So what can we expect on the night? With support from Minimood and Calum Bryant himself, Thursday is set to be a night full of dancing to the coolest beats; so no high heels, boys. Midland will hit the Union stage at approximately 12.30am for an hour and a half set. And this is all for only £6 pre-sale/£8 on the door. The last remaining pre-sale tickets are being sold in Taste so be sure to get yourself one before they are all gone and you have to pay £8 on the door!

Listen to some of the sickest beats ahead of the night right here.