Nightlife
XOYO have announced Bradley Zero as their new Friday night resident
The London-based selector has lined up some of the finest DJs from across the globe – and is shaking things up with a brand new programme of live acts.
Shoreditch club XOYO have announced Bradley Zero as their next resident to take the reigns of Friday nights. Following on from drum 'n' bass legend Andy C, he'll be steering the sonic direction of the club to stretch across dance floors from around the world.
As the head honcho of London-based party, label and NTS Radio show Rhythm Section, Bradley Zero has amassed a dedicated following over the past decade. From his early vinyl-only parties in Peckham to playing everywhere from Canada to China and beyond, you'll hear him skip between leftfield house and disco, jazz, breakbeats and techno with ease. He's a genuine tastemaker with a deep knowledge of music from all four corners of the world, and has in turn forged a strong community both on the dance floor and the airwaves.
In an XOYO first, he's not only lined up 12 weeks of globetrotting DJs, but also an entire evening programme of live acts before the club nights get going. From 7.30pm-11pm, you can catch the likes of Afrobeat icon Dele Sosimi, Australian jazz outfit Mildlife and Jamaican dub pioneer Lee Scratch Perry play the newly renovated basement. You'll want to stick around, though, as the night shift will be upping the ante further with a huge line up of genre-spanning DJs, including Jayda G, Legowelt, Octave One and Move D, plus a Príncipe showcase featuring mainstays like DJ Marfox and DJ Firmenza.
Read the interview with Bradley Zero below for a further glimpse into what's in store for the upcoming months.
Bradley Zero will curate 12 weeks of music at Shoreditch club XOYO
© Roddy Bow
Congratulations on the residency! What are some of the most exciting prospects of being a weekly resident DJ at a space like XOYO?
I’ve held a number of residencies in the past but they’ve been more sporadic or in much smaller, DIY venues. I’ve never had a run like this in such a well equipped, purpose built space. I’m really looking forward to working with the sound and lighting engineers. The rig at XOYO is incredible, and to have 12 weeks to get to know each other’s style and sound, and work on creating a synergetic performance for the dancers, is an exciting prospect.
What was your vision for curating the line ups?
I didn’t want any one sound to dominate. My radio show and record label escape classification and this had to echo that eclecticism. We’ve managed to join the dots across the globe: from Syrian dabke to Detroit techno via Angolan kuduro, London Jazz and literally everything else in between, whilst somehow managing to keep it cohesive.
As well as a hugely varied line up of DJs there’s some exceptional live acts there too. Can you talk about some of the performances you’ve got coming up, and why you’re bringing a live element into the club?
Obviously I love DJing and the club culture that comes with it, but I think we’ve been worshipping the altar of the DJ booth for a bit too long. It’s super refreshing to see bands and musicians regain more of a presence in the club scene and great to see more young people going to concerts.
I’ve been pushing the live side of things for a little while now with my collaborations with Peckham Chamber Orchestra. We hosted the likes of Yussef Kamaal, Hiatus Kaiyote, Duval Timothy’s debut, Soccer96, Harvey Sutherland and Nubya Garcia before moving to a quarterly concert series at Jazz Café.
You've also got a Gilles Peterson B2B in there – what makes him a good partner behind the decks?
Well I guess we’ll find out! Gilles is a hero for so many reasons that don’t need explaining. We’ve never gone head to head behind the decks though... it’s definitely not going to be boring! I’m expecting him to keep me on my toes.
You’re going all night long for your opening night – are there any new releases you’re loving and can’t wait to play on the XOYO club sound system?
Too many to list – in fact, I’m about to nip into Soho now to see what’s out this week. I’m always getting new music, so the batch I have in April will be different from the tunes I get this week. I’m especially excited to test out some new masters from forthcoming Rhythm Section International and International Black releases, and the latest Pinty record on the system. There’s no testing ground quite like London town.
To view the full programme for Bradley Zero's residency, head to the XOYO website here
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