Hype

Crawdaddy, Dublin Tonight 11pm €18 01-6624305

House music with soul and drama tucked into the grooves has always been at the heart of Kenny Dixon Jr’s creative output. As Moodymann, the Detroit native has spent his career crafting beautifully emotional and enigmatic tracks that cross all manner of black music divides to join up the dots between Marvin Gaye and Carl Craig. Over the years, releases such as Forevernevermore and Mahogany Brown have become bona-fide classics, thanks to the symphonic depth and sheer musical breadth of Dixon’s sound.

But Dixon also has another agenda, and a string of complex, radicalised politically charged one-line riddles have seen him muse on the heart and soul of both Detroit and Black America. Best of all, Dixon is still turning out cuts that push the button: last year's Anotha Black Sundayalbum was a deep, smoky excursion into freestyle, far-out sounds. One for those still keeping the faith.

can’T see ThaT? caTch This

Toddla T at large (Friday, Dublin), Mr Scruff makes the tea (Friday, Dublin and Saturday, Belfast), and the Belfast4Haiti fund-raiser (Sunday, Belfast)