Max HeyraudBelfast’s Chris Flannigan rolled into Dublin on a Thursday night and turned Pawnshop upside down with a kaleidoscopic mix of jackin’ house and techno cuts.
Known for his uncanny ability to capture the golden era techno sound of the early 2000s, Flannigan has become a key figure in the resurgence of tribal techno in Ireland. His loop-heavy, gritty, and elastic tracks effortlessly blur the lines between techno and house. It’s his speciality, and he executes it flawlessly.
Fresh off a landmark debut at the coveted AVA Festival, Flannigan has been riding a wave of success. His return to Dublin packed out Dame Street’s most notorious techno bunker, the fabled Pawnshop. Although known for his high-octane sound, Flannigan used the extended set to stretch out, exploring dubby, gospel-tinged, Chicago-style house before driving into his signature soul-driven techno. It’s in this crossover that his sound truly shines, smoothly weaving influences from Ian Pooley and Paul Johnson into contemporary, stripped-back, hard-hitting techno minimalism. Yet despite the energy, it never feels rushed or forced, more like a finely tuned shift from a Mini Cooper into a Lamborghini.
Flannigan is undeniably a techno artist, but house forms the backbone of his musical identity. In a world flooded with monotone, soulless techno churned out like fast food, Chris offers an alternative: a breath of fresh air, full of character and emotion. This depth is what has made him so lauded thus far.