Essential nights for partying in November

SINGAPORE - The essential nights for next month.

Super 0 Season

When: Every Saturday from Nov 9
Where: Annex@The Mill, 5, Jalan Kilang
Price: $25-35 from EventClique

When the inaugural pop-up party opened its doors at Gillman Barracks in April, it brought a vibe that the local club scene has been sorely missing.

With its raw and gritty style, Super 0 Season (S0S) fashions itself after the underground warehouse parties of Europe.

The air conditioners broke down, the bar quickly ran out of ice, but partygoers were more than happy to sweat it out with techno, house and forward-thinking beats with like-minded people.

S0S returns next month with more than 20 DJs on the roster.

Headlining the series are the likes of techno stalwarts Ryan Elliot and Tama Sumo, both residents at Berlin's iconic Berghain club. There are also local favourites DJ KFC, Funk Bast*rd and Eddie Niguel.

Location is key and the organising team has chosen The Mill (a former art gallery), in the middle of the Redhill industrial estate. It goes beyond music with projection mapping, live VJing and DJ workshops.

They may have the run of The Mill, but it certainly isn't run-of-the-mill.

With something happening every week, it's like a year's worth of parties have been crammed into November.

But there are a few club nights that stand out, ones that push the boundaries of music and how it's delivered. Whether it's a unique venue or a rarely seen DJ, I'm talking about DJ-producers whose sounds are way ahead of their time. Here are my must-party five events for November:

Sub-Sonic Live 2013

When: Friday, Nov 1, 8pm
Where: Offside, 2, Whitley Road
Register at facebook.com/fredperrysg for entry

Already in its third year, the Sub-Sonic concert showcases quality local musicians.

The last few years have seen top local acts like I Am David Sparkle, Charlie Lim, Monster Cat, The Great Spy Experiment and many more rocking out.

Like Super 0 Season, Sub-Sonic scours obscure venues and transforms them into near-magical spaces.

Last year's gig was held at an open lawn opposite Liang Court; the one before that was at an abandoned basketball court on Kay Siang Road.

This year's Sub-Sonic will see a futsal field under the Thomson flyover feature some of the coolest musical acts.

Headlining is US indie-pop band Ra Ra Riot. But be sure to catch local post-rock band Sub:Shaman, one of Asia's best new bands, according to Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.

Rock band Anechois, emerging singer-songwriters Hilary Yang and Chris Jones (known as These Brittle Bones), Malaysian indie-dance outfit Enterprise and DJs from Vinyl Of The Day complete the line-up.

Para//el presents Carl Craig

When: Saturday, Nov 16, 10pm
Where: Velvet Underground at Zouk, 17, Jiak Kim Street
Price: $25/32 (includes two drinks)

Few DJs deserve the accolade "legend" more than Carl Craig.

The US DJ-producer is dance music's most well-respected and hardest-working luminary.

In his more than 20 years in the game, he has pioneered and pushed the boundaries of techno with his acclaimed releases (like Bug In The Bass Bin) and mind-boggling mixes. He has also played every major club and festival in the world.

He takes over Velvet Underground for one night. With the excellent sound system in that joint, his set could take you to another planet.

If you like techno, you cannot miss this.

Forward featuring Sei A

When: Saturday, Nov 23, 10pm
Where: kyo, #B1-02 Keck Seng Tower, 133, Cecil Street
Price: $20/25 (includes one drink)

Andy Graham's music is unconventional.

Under his stage name Sei A, the Scottish producer lays down familiar chugging techno beats, then laces them with ethnic, almost tribal elements.

The aural experience is like partying in a jungle, just with a decent bar close at hand (beat that, Katy Perry).

Before his much-anticipated set, local jocks Maurice Simon and kyo's resident DJ Norman Chung will play.

Four Tet Live

When: Thursday, Nov 28, 10pm
Where: Zouk, 17, Jiak Kim Street
Price: $40/50 from EventClique and Zouk

It's the first time Four Tet (Kieran Hebden to his mum) is playing in South-east Asia.

Hebden is as elusive as he is sought-after and to those in the know, having the English electronic music producer here is on a level to having Daft Punk drop by.

For this live set, expect an abstract sound that combines hip-hop, electronica, techno, 60s jazz and folk music.

His remixes for Radiohead, The xx and Bloc Party - to name a few - are weapons of choice for DJs looking to fill the dance floor. His latest album, Beautiful Rewind, is getting glowing reviews.

To hear him live will be an experience to check off the bucket list.

What are your personal picks? If you disagree with my choices or know of others worth trying, share them with me on Twitter at @zulandra with the tag #TNPSUN. See you on the dance floor.

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