Even if electronic music is not strictly my thing per se, I’m always willing to give any grassroots project, anything that’s about supporting underdogs and artists who are true to their vision and anything that just looks fun, so I headed out to Ctrl-Alt- Delete, an event that started in Cork that’s all about promoting and showcasing new and underground electronic acts. The night was held in De Burgo’s, a club that once highly regarded as the go-to place for alternative music of all sorts before the local residents complained. It’s still a top-notch venue, being literally underground with cavern-esque walls and ceilings for the perfect atmosphere.

After getting there more or less on time, I was greeted by the ambient sounds of Tunedin 52, working from a MacBook but also holding a guitar. He had a harsh sound at first; imagine if you will fingernails on a blackboard but in a good way and not at all grating. He reminded me of From the Bogs of Aughiska, but one track in particular reminded me of the type of stuff you’d hear from a Skinny Puppy B-Side. Good way to break the ice.


Next up to the stage was Tigali, who brought us some very warm House sounds. Great for any party that might be going down and a DJ is looking for some stuff to get people groovin’. Not too dissimilar to stuff they play in The Blue Note, one of my favourite pubs in Galway. Brought in a few tunes that reminded me of old Sega games towards the end, which is something I like to see as I feel that music in computer games is often overlooked due to its geeky origins.

Act No. 3 is Junior85 who’s also a friend of mine (I know someone performing! Yay! ) And takes things up a few notches with a higher analogue input, relying less on a computer and more on synthesisers. Musically it’s all quite experimental and far- flung, but done in a more subtle way then Tunedin 52.

Jimmy Penguin (Another artist I know!) takes the floor up with some scratching on the decks, showing how to make music from music already made. Talk about avant garde. The sound overall was good dancefloor material, by which I meant it was well rounded, polished, had a low cheese factor and you could move to it all you wanted.


Rumbus Merrylegs brought in some cold, high sounds, like electric blue icicles that pointed upwards to the sky. Not the same level of party favours as Tigali or Jimmy Penguin, but still as danceable. I also thought I heard a few glimpses of ethereal in his tunes, but maybe it’s just me.

And then Purist. The stand out musician who’s not just the headliner, but the man who did not bother to use a laptop, instead favouring row upon row of synthesisers and keyboards. He was a master at his trade, bringing life from his fortress of instruments to the crowd, which had slowly been building size and momentum throughout the night. Purist was the crown jewel of the night, demonstrating how electronic music should be done and the sheer level of dedication and skill that goes into making electronic music. To see him play live was a beautiful thing to behold.

With 6 projects playing (It was meant to be 7, but Beatpoet had to cancel) and the organisers Tomás and Aidan coming up from Cork to look after the whole thing, it would have been easy for something to go wrong. But amazingly enough it all held together and was a splendid and spectacular night that shows how much fun there is to be had at nights where it might not be the most glamorous but the people involved make up for it with zeal and passion. If they are playing near you, do yourselves a favour and give them a look.