United Kingdom

Manchester

Music 

Nightlife

Rave

Interplanetary Criminal

Interplanetary Criminal is riding a wave of success, following on from his chart-topping hit 

Before the UK plunged into a seemingly unending winter, there was the 2022 summer anthem 

Featuring Eliza Rose with production from Interplanetary Criminal, the hit swept the nation, ringing out across sweltering fields and festival sets. It signalled the UK's garage revival, with Interplanetary Criminal – aka Zach Bruce – leading the wave.

Fast forward to 2023, and Bruce has since released the garage compilation 

 via Locked On, and launched his own label ATW Records. The latter pushes sounds that the producer has become known for, such as garage, donk and bassline. Through his productions and sets, Bruce's work acts as a love letter to UK club culture and 90s nostalgia.

As someone so immersed in the Manchester scene, it felt fitting to ask Bruce where we can find the best independent spots in the city. His choices range from clubs to record stores and shops.

The finest menswear shop in the north. Original Mephisto stockist and curated garms. OP is a certified dress code in Manchester.

Spent a lot of time behind the cage in Room 1 – what more could you ask for in a club in Manchester? Gritty with great sound and the finest line-ups. Chef's kiss.

The only place to get exceptional vintage Italian designer wear among other pieces in Manny.

Secondhand vinyl mostly [with] a massive bounce/donk collection alongside house and techno. I’ve found some gems in here.

Arguably the best club nights in the UK. The production levels are insane, the line-ups are phenomenal and it's in a massive warehouse.

I’ve heard people say this is the best club in the UK right now, and I can get beside that. It feels closer to Berlin than the UK, housing a lot of sick Manchester-based collectives' club nights.

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Interplanetary Criminal’s Guide to Clubs and Shops in Manchester

Ruf Dug

The original tropical cyberpunk, Manchester’s Ruf Dug makes tunes that find their way into A-list record bags and has built a reputation for jamming out highly energetic DJ sets that reflect his wide range of influences.


DJs from Moodymann to Ben UFO to Jose Padilla reach for Ruffy’s tracks on labels as diverse as Unknown To The Unknown, Golf Channel, Music For Dreams and his own highly collectible Ruf Kutz imprint – not content to stay still stylistically, Ruf Dug’s sound is tough to pigeonhole.


Blame the esotericism on his nomadic background – brought up in Manchester with summers in Ibiza, Ruf Dug moved to Australia and got caught up in the post-millenial Sydney underground warehouse scene,earning his DJ stripes (and staying a step ahead of the riot police) at squat jams, lesbian sex parties and 3 day mushroom-fuelled bush raves. He’s back in Manchester these days, holding a residency at award-winning club the Soup Kitchen and is one of the minds behind the infamous Wet Play parties. He’s a regular guest at Bradley Zero’s Rhythm Section (they called him “The epitome of everything we stand for and an inspiration for all we aim to blossom into,”) presents a monthly show on NTS radio and has a knack for bringing the vibe to any room.

It's now the premiere club in Manchester. It’s an old mechanics building in Salford in an absolute Wasteland - uber drivers are scared to go down there! But it’s just this amazing, world famous place now. It’s a great club that goes all the way through til the morning, sometimes the next day. They just champion anything that isn’t normal. Any night is a great night there because it’s all about the venue and the crowd.


It’s the crowd that makes it special for me, and for a while there it was the only spot in Manchester you would go to.


This place was like an atomic bomb that decimated the entire Manchester nightlife scene and that needed to happen. They had signed up all the good DJs so no one else could book them so it forced Manchester’s music scene to look inwards again, not to be booking names but to booking parties, to bringing communities together and developing parties within the local music DJs. 


It‘s not a michelin star yet but it should be. It’s run by a local chef from Manchester called Sam Buckley and they grow all their veg and leaves on top of the car park just next door so they’re sustainable. It’s in an old coffee warehouse and they have about 9 tables, with the kitchen right there, so you’re in and amongst it all. It’s a classic 12 course tasting menu, whichever chef is cooking your food will bring it over and tell you the story about it. It’s just really next level food!

It's the best Chinese pancake. You’ve got the egg, spring onions and the pancake and you just fold it up. It’s right in the middle of the city by the metro link - it’s an old ice cream/hot dog vendor and these guys have just taken it over. 


The White Hotel

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