Shooglenifty
Scottish alternative and electronic influenced trad outfit are long time friends and collaborators who performed at Beirut’s Music Hall as part of Reel Festivals 2011.
Shooglenifty’s sound springs from traditional Scottish dance music, energised by the beats and bass line of something altogether more contemporary. It is not a sit-down kind of music, it’s a join-in, and get on your feet kind of vibe. Attempts to describe this almost uncatagorisable band include: ‘hypno-folkadelic-ambient-trad’ and ‘Acid-Croft’, which derives from late 1980s club music ‘Acid House’, a croft being a traditional Scottish rural dwelling.
The guys have entertained at festivals and venues in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, the United States and, of course, Europe. Previous career highlights include performing for Nelson Mandela and Emperor Akihito of Japan (not both at once), performing with dhol drummers of Rajasthan at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, inciting the crowd to a stage invasion at Sydney Opera House and of course the collaboration with Lebanese musicians in Beirut (Reel Festivals 2011).
Shooglenifty was formed in Edinburgh 25 years ago at the height of the late 80s/early 90s electronic dance music scene, and the vibe of that time is a key influence on their sound.