Experience Bruce Lacey with the Bruce Lacey Experience

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‘Professor’ Bruce Lacey is perhaps undoubtedly the star in the crown of British eccentrics. Many Supersonic attendees will be too young to remember the era when Lacey’s avant-garde performances that created an on-stage fantasy which juxtaposed a particular British zeitgeist between the 50’s and 70’s. However, let me tell you that Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller has teamed up once again with Nick Abrahams, and created a cinematic extravaganza that draws consistently on the satirical nature of the nation’s customs.

Lacey’s mechanical constructions have oscillated between robotic sex symbols to tool kits for aspiring shamans to a Flea Circus. However, what remains the same is that he is one of the most exciting performers of the last Century, despite his status as a relative ‘unknown’. Many have attributed this back to his incredible foresight. Much like Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 who predicted that one day we would all be watching televisions the size of walls, Lacey was unbelievably ahead of his time. He is inter-disciplinary, a collector of talents. His foresight is difficult to comprehend, now that we exist within a sea of celebrities who seem to be a jack of all trades, but a master of none. It is this, amongst other things that Deller and Abrahams have chosen to explore.

The Bruce Lacey Experience celebrates both Lacey’s work and his life, tracing back to how he used his initial training as an electrical mechanic to further his interest in the eccentric world of television. He has worked both backstage and on the stage itself, and it is this hybrid of talents which make him such a riveting object of fascination. There is no doubt that the film will be an addition to the festival line up that will inspire, engage and hopefully encourage a ‘make and do it yourself’ attitude amongst revelers.

If film is your thing, why not have a look at the rest of Supersonic’s amazing cinematic line-up. With ‘Bullshit Detector‘ and ‘The Luxury of Empire’ running alongside the Bruce Lacey Experience, festival goers will experience a selection of sentiments and ideas that differ between each recording. From the DIY ethos of Bullshit Detector, in its understanding of the cultural significance and the legacy of CRASS records, to the intimate portrait of Oxbow on the French leg of their 2009 European tour, each film offers an exploration of the relationship between art and music in ways that will undoutedly stimulate your senses.

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The crossroads of Sabbath – fully booked

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This walking tour is now fully booked and we have no places left – it was massively oversubscribed. We’ll have lots more activities for you to get involved with during the weekend of Supersonic – to be announced in the next couple of weeks so watch this space. Why not sign up for Imperfect Cinema’s DIY film workshop and create visuals for Drunk In Hell’s live set at Supersonic.
If you haven’t bought your tickets yet of course now is the time – details of where to get them from are HERE

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Photographers – Capsule Needs You!

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Barn Owl, by Carlos Eduardo Pinto, 2011

The response to our callout for photographs of previous editions of the festival has been incredible, it seems there’s a healthy portion of very talented photographers amongst Supersonic’s fanbase!

We’re still on the lookout for more of your snapshots though, so keep them coming! We want to see photos of your very favourite Supersonic memories; whether you managed to sneak a glimpse at Sunn O))) through their trademark fog, captured OvO in all their psychotic glory, or snapped a shot that perfectly sums up the atmosphere and ethos of the festival, we’d love to hear from you.

Submission Guidelines

Original photographs should be emailed to [email protected] or uploaded to Supersonic’s Flickr page – http://www.flickr.com/groups/supersonic/ no later than Friday 14th September.

Please limit your submission to no more than three photographs – we’re looking for the very best photographs that sum up the nature of the festival. If you can, please include a description of the photograph, and the year it was taken.

Images should measure 152 x 203 mm (8″ x 10″) with a resolution of 300 dpi.

Khyam Allami & Master Musicians of Bukkake, by Andy Avery, 2010

Factory Floor, by Phil Bowden, 2010

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Collaborations – A Supersonic Tradition

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There are several exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime collaborative performances taking place at this year’s Supersonic, ranging from Lash Frenzy’s all-star noise ensemble to KK Null’s performance with local tuba-drone pioneers ORE, and of course, the pairing of several string, woodwind and brass musicians with Eugene S. Robinson and Niko Wenner for the much anticipated Oxbow Orchestra. There must be something about the adventurous atmosphere of Supersonic, as the festival has a long history of inspiring musicians to step out of their comfort zones and join forces with one another to contribute something truly special to the festival. Indeed, these one-off spectacles and collaborations are part of what makes the festival so unique, and have provided avid concert goers with a veritable smörgåsbord of cherished memories over the years. Here are just a few of the highlights – which one was your favourite?

2011 – Fire! & Oren Ambarchi

Last year’s edition of the festival saw Swedish avant-jazz trio Fire! team up with Australia’s finest purveyor of drones (and frequent Sunn O))) collaborator) Oren Ambarchi, for an enthralling set that touched on noise, jazz, and musique concrète with the kind of subtle elegance and deft textural sensibility we’ve come to expand from these fine musicians. Evidently these guys enjoyed the performance as much as the audience did, as Fire! recruited Ambarchi once again for their third album,  ‘In The Mouth – A Hand’, which was released last year.

2010 – Lash Frenzy VS KK Null

When these two noise titans clashed together two years ago, the results were akin to a nuclear bomb detonation, obliterating all in its path (it’s rumoured that there are still children being born in Digbeth with tinnitus to this very day). Holding the honour of being one of Supersonic’s loudest ever performances (and, as those who have attended the festival before will attest, this is certainly no small feat!), the Library was packed to the rafters for this one-off show, with a lengthy queue of dedicated noise addicts stretching around the block. Be sure to get there early for this year’s special performances to avoid listening from outside!

2010 – Khyam Allami & Master Musicians Of Bukkake Present Bosphorean

Providing some respite from the ear-bleeding antics of the aforementioned duo, 2010 also found Iraqi Oud virtuoso Khyam Allami teaming up with mysterious psych-rock collective Master Musicians of Bukkake for this exclusive performance. Named after the Bosphorus Strait that divides East and West, Europe and Asia, this was an extremely diverse set that sought to bridge musical schisms, joining Allami’s meditative Eastern melodies with the Master Musicians’ penchant for acid fried jams, taking the audience on an aural pilgrimage to the furthest regions of their collective psyche and sounding rather fantastic in the process.

2008 –Kikuri, feat. Merzbow & Keiji Haino

The pairing of two of Japan’s most extreme musical exports was never going to make for easy listening, but nothing could have prepared us for the deafening onslaught produced by these masters of their respective crafts. Masami Akita’s torrential outbursts of static and rich, layered walls of feedback provided the perfect counterpoint to Haino’s chilling, ethereal wail and guitar mangling histrionics, resulting in an eclectic and vibrant set that’s often spoken of in hushed tones by Supersonic veterans.

2007 – Oxbow Duo Presents: Love’s Holiday Orchestra

When Oxbow’s Eugene & Niko performed at the festival 5 years ago, they brought along an all-star ensemble (featuring Godflesh/Jesu mastermind Justin Broadrick, Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley and ex-Head Of David bassist David Cochrane) for an unforgettable and thrillingly intimate set, never to be repeated again (but fear not – Oxbow will be returning this year with a small orchestra in tow, and Justin Broadrick will also be putting in an appearance with his new JK Flesh project).

The performance was captured on tape and released on wax as part of Capsule’s limited edition vinyl series. Unfortunately all 1000 copies are long sold out, but there are still a number of great releases available, chronicling Supersonic sets from the likes of Harvey Milk, Tweak Bird and Iron Lung – the perfect way to relive those Supersonic memories and keep your excitement under control during the wait for this year’s edition!

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The Bug – Acid Ragga Review – The Quietus

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The prolific and ever unpredictable Kevin Martin (AKA The Bug) will once again be bringing his heavy dub basslines and grimey dancehall vibes to Supersonic this year. Kevin has just put out another 7″, and according to the fine folk over at The Quietus, it’s a very heady concoction indeed…

His latest project – the first ‘proper’ new Bug material since 2008’s London Zoo – is another scientific endeavour: an exercise in genetic recombination, triggered by a long-unanswered question that’s apparently been burning in Martin’s mind for years: “What happens if I cross acid house with ragga?” Leading up to the release of his long-awaited new Bug album proper Angels & Devils, his Acid Ragga 7″ series attempts to answer that question via a series of gene splices that transfer traits from each test subject into a new and virulent third form, a sort of Frankenstein’s monster of the electronic dub world that roars along at breakneck speed.

You can read the full review over at The Quietus website, and also hear a preview of the record’s title track!

If you like The Bug, then you won’t want to miss out on this year’s performances from elusive electronica merchants Hype Williams and hyperactive dubstep lunatics Devilman.

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Supersonic festival podcast no.2

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The second of three Supersonic Festival preview podcasts lovingly created by Chris Downing for your listening pleasure.

Playlist
Politicians & Paedophiles (Feat. Daddy Freddy) By The Bug

Urgelblut By Bohren & Der Club Of Gore

The Beginning Of The End By Flower Corsano Duo

Vevor Of Agassou By Lichens

A Warm Front, Coming From The North By Warm Digits

Geen Dank By Thomas Ankersmit

Hafgee By PCM

Black Dog In The Sky By Richard Dawson

Form And Function By Hookworms

Infearnatural By Ufomammut

Untitled By Tomutonttu

Charioteer By Ore

Uni Pöllönä Olemisesta By Islaja

Black Addict Otter By Clifford Torus

The Earth Is Cold By SWLLS

Refusal Fossil By Ruins Alone

Sigil Of Brass By Earth

True Warriors Endure The Idleness By Kevin Drumm

Weekend tickets are just £80 and available from HERE
First Supersonic 2012  podcast LISTEN HERE

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Walking Tour – The Crossroads of Sabbath

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A 90 MINUTE WALKING TOUR IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BLACK SABBATH 1948 – 1970

PERRY BARR, WITTON, ASTON & NEWTOWN

Join us for a special Black Sabbath themed walking tour, in the birthplace of Heavy Metal. Along the way you will be walking in the footsteps of Tony, Bill, Ozzy and Geezer and learning about the environment they grew up in and how they formed to be one of the most important bands in music history.

Sign up for a free, guided tour of Black Sabbath’s early environment by music historian Rob Horrocks. Rob was our lead researcher for our Home of Metal project. Read more about him and the walking tour HERE

This special event will take place on Saturday 20th October and is free to all Supersonic weekend ticket holders, but booking is essential as spaces are limited. To do so, email [email protected] with ‘Crossroads of Sabbath’ as the subject title.

You can learn more about the birthplace of Heavy Metal via our Home of Metal project

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The Crossroads of Sabbath

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*NOW FULLY BOOKED – SORRY NO PLACES LEFT*
A 90 MINUTE WALKING TOUR IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BLACK SABBATH 1948 – 1970

PERRY BARR, WITTON, ASTON & NEWTOWN

Join us for a special Black Sabbath themed walking tour, in the birthplace of Heavy Metal. Along the way you will be walking in the footsteps of Tony, Bill, Ozzy and Geezer and learning about the environment they grew up in and how they formed to be one of the most important bands in music history.

Sign up for a free, guided tour of Black Sabbath’s early environment by music historian Rob Horrocks.

About Rob:

“I was never a metal-er at school. Around the age of 14 (1986) when musical identity lines were drawn I was into punk and new wave. I would argue endlessly with my metal head friends over the merits of 1000 note a minute guitar solos, poodle hair and spandex versus the emotional rawness, honesty and relative poppy simplicity of the stuff that John Peel played. I was increasingly out numbered  – Iron Maiden went straight in at number one and Echo & The Bunnymen split up. The outcome of those endless discussions is that I got to know how the whole metal scene fits together. I know my Venom from my Poison.

20 years later I came to an appreciation of Black Sabbath through a band I was working with. Einstellung love Sabbath and many of their colossal riffs are dropped tuned.  Soon I too came to appreciate Ozzy era Black Sabbath. That’s an understatement. I have grown to love those first albums.

I read Record Collector magazine, The Quietus blog and occasionally The Sunday Times.”

This special event will take place on Saturday 20th October and is free to all Supersonic weekend ticket holders, but booking is essential. To do so, email [email protected] with ‘Crossroads of Sabbath’ as the subject title.

You can learn more about the birthplace of Heavy Metal via our Home of Metal project

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Justice Yeldham and his amazing Vinyl Rally

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As arelative newbie to noise music, I decided that the easiest route to ‘enlightenment’ that I could take would be through the relationship between music and visual art. One thing that is at the top of my anticipatory list this year is the Vinyl Rally, an installation by Australian artist Justice Yeldham. Justice, AKA Lucas Abela, initially classed himself as a Turntablist with early attempts ranging between stabbing vinyl with Kruger-esque stylus gloves to performing deaf defying duets duels with amplified Samurai swords. Perhaps some of you may be more familiar with his performance work- a breathtaking combination of sound and visuals, whereby he uses a piece of glass to curate an exhibition of cacophonous sound. The performance is not for the faint hearted- Justice eats, smashes and crunches the glass and it is safe to assume that he will probably undertake his show barefoot. 

With the Vinyl Rally having previously travelled the Seven Seas and now finally landing in the UK, Supersonic festival-goers are in for a treat. A treat that is sure to tempt the senses into new realms through noise, visuals and most importantly, direct participation. You become the one in control, guiding the car around the track with the attached stylus scratching against the vinyls themselves creating a noise sequence that will never be created again.

In a world where computer games are taking over, what is so refreshing about the Vinyl Rally is that the player is not separated from their game by a lack of reality; you are part of the game itself. Justice Yeldham has chosen to reference old school Arcade games in his choice of seating, controls and general conception, transporting the player down memory lane, perhaps back to childhood. For me, perhaps the most exciting thing about the installation is the chance to quite literally sit back in the driver’s seat, away from the reality of the road and into the imaginary world of the Rally. Make sure not to miss out on tickets for Supersonic 2012 if you are wanting to catch any part of Justice Yeldham’s work.

Why not have a listen?

To find out more about this year’s line-up, read more here.

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Hooray – we hit 100%

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Wonderful news, we have just reached our 100% target with our We Fund campaign. 80 very generous folks helped us to raise £5000 which will go someway to helping us deliver our 10th birthday edition of Supersonic Festival. We are massively humbled by what a group of people can achieve together. Of course now it’s over to you guys to purchase the tickets. Many thanks and we can’t wait for Supersonic, which will be full of additional surprises.
From all of us at Supersonic HQ – THANKS x
Until then here is a taster from last year.

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Final call out…

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Folks we have just 5 days left of our We Fund campaign with the aim of raising £5000, the campaign asks those of you, in the position to, to support us by making a donation to Supersonic Festival this year. Your donations will help us to continue to put together a highly ambitious festival programme, allowing us to take risks on emergent artists and unique collaborations. We are hoping our loyal audience can help us further our ambition for this unique event. We’re currently at 87% which is pretty remarkable but without reaching the full 100%we get none of the funds raised. So dig deep – every bit helps.

Thank yous include an invite to a very special 10th birthday tea party which will take place over the weekend of the festival, and will give you the opportunity to share some sweet treats and a nice glass of fizz to toast 10 years of adventurous music and meet with some of the artists performing at the festival.

In addition there are some limited places left for our Sonic Feast, a unique sound led dining experience, featuring bespoke and unusual concoctions to celebrate the festival’s 10th year in style. Produced by Companis,  a nomadic artist and curatorial practice creating bespoke dining experiences that immerse the diner in performance, food and spectacle.

Many thanks to the 63 generous folks that have already funded us – much appreciated.
FUND US HERE

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Call for photographs!

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Monotonix take over the lake, by Jamie Robinson

This year Supersonic marks its tenth anniversary and to celebrate this amazing milestone we’re inviting you on a trip down memory lane..

Did you photograph Monotonix when they took over the lake in 2009? Or catch a sneaky shot of Black Sun Drum Corps as they paraded along Gibb Street? Or perhaps you’ve documented the quirks and subtleties that make Supersonic so special and unique?

We’re looking for photographs from the last ten years that capture the spirit of Supersonic, the best of which will be featured at this year’s festival.

So please, take a look back at your Supersonic photographs and send us your favourites!

Submission Guidelines

Original photographs should be emailed to [email protected] or uploaded to Supersonic’s Flickr page – http://www.flickr.com/groups/supersonic/ no later than Friday 14th September.

Please limit your submission to no more than three photographs – we’re looking for the very best photographs that sum up the nature of the festival. If you can, please include a description of the photograph, and the year it was taken.

Images should measure 152 x 203 mm (8″ x 10″) with a resolution of 300 dpi.

Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses by Katja Ogrin

As visually stunning as they are sonically punishing, Sunn0))) by James Singh

 

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Learn DIY cinema techniques and contribute to Drunk in Hell’s performance

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The first workshop of the festival has been announced and its an amazing opportunity to learn some new skills, work alongside some truly unique practitioners and creatively contribute to a live performance by Drunk in Hell.

In Imperfect Cinema’s workshop ‘Halide Oxide’, Attendees will be able explore the ‘halide’ of super-8mm film and the ‘oxide’ of audio cassette tape used to capture video, by using redundant camera technologies to capture images which will be processed, prepared and edited by Imperfect Cinema into two distinct visual forms. The first will be the visual backdrop to the lo-fi monolithic grit of Drunk In Hell’s performance, an experience which should definitely not be missed, and the second is an alternative visual document of the festival which will form a unique part of the archive of its tenth anniversary. Workshop attendees will be joined by  renowned sonic and visual artist Nicholas Bullen to discuss Imperfect Cinema and its influences.

To book a place, please email [email protected] with ‘Imperfect Cinema’ in the subject line

Last year, Imperfect Cinema with workshop attendees put together this beautiful film, which was screened alongside a live score by SOUNDkitchen.

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Goat – World Music – Norman Records review

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Just one of the bands we’re stupidly excited about playing the festival is year is  Goat. Afro heavy psych punk from a remote  Swedish village? Gotta be good! You can read a review of their album ‘World Music’ on Norman Records

Everything is perfectly in place here from well-segued samples and the odd field recording to the breathless running order. It’s hit after flipping hit with this band, they’ve concocted an alarmingly poppy creation filled with nine all-too brief excursions into a voodoo world where Swedish psychedelia meets belting Afro-rock and parties like there’s no tomorrow. Please, like with all your favourite albums, play it ridiculously loud, then, undoubtedly, re-rewind and crank it up again till dawn and beyond. Goat are worth falling out with your neighbours for. Read the full review via http://www.normanrecords.com/records/135427-goat—world-music

And if you’re into your psych rock, you’ll have a fab time at Supersonic, with the likes of Carlton Melton, Six Organs of Admittance and Hookworms all planning to turn us all inside out.

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Supersonic London Taster review

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Thank to all who came to Corsica Studios last Thursday for our second Supersonic Taster. It was a bass heavy line up of King Midas Sound, JK Flesh (Justin Broadrick) and Glatze who all tested the excellent sound system there to its very limits.Thanks also to Corsica Studios and The Quietus.

Freq have posted up this review of the show

King Midas Sound take the stage through a haze of dry ice, pumping a wall of sound that makes even JK Flesh seem quiet, with bass that makes your trousers dance before your feet have even had a chance to move. The twin vocal performances of Roger Robinson and Kiko Hitomi, somehow melodic, strident and languid all at the same time, put a human edge on proceedings, while behind the desk Martin unleashes the robots. It’s heavy. REALLY heavy. Imagine a Mezzanine-era Massive Attack hiding themselves behind a wall of sound with the biggest, and most stoned reggae sound system you ever heard, only breaking cover to pop out every now and then to punch you in the face. It’s like that. And it’s the perfect pick-me-up after the relentless vitriol of JK Flesh; the two acts complement each other perfectly. It would appear Broadrick and Martin being in the same room is ALWAYS an awesome proposition, even if they’re not making noise at the same time as each other. Read the full review HERE

We hope these tasters have given you a good opportunity to check out some of the artists due to perform at the festival and other interesting musicians we’re working with. King Midas Sound’s Kevin Martin will perform at October’s festival as The Bug, Justin will return with his JK Flesh project and Sam ‘Glatze’ Underwood will perform as part of a new collaboration – Ore and KK Null.

The Supersonic Taster have formed an exciting extension of our 10th anniversary celebrations. Other 10th birthday events include a special Tea Party and the Sonic Feast, which act as a thank you to those who have supported the festival through our We Fund campaign. There’s only a few days left to support and secure a place at one of these events. Learn more via http://wefund.com/project/supersonic-festival-10th-anniversary/p27749/

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Oxbow Orchestra, one off collaborations and more

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To celebrate the 10th edition of the festival, we are proud to host a number of special collaborations where you can see known performers embarking upon unknown sounds. One such performance we are proud to present is Oxbow Orchestra. Expect strings, woodwinds, brass, operatic backing vocals and classically contained renderings of the Oxbow song book, featuring Eugene S Robinson and Niko Wenner from Oxbow and an Orchestra who will deliver songs new and old in a format unaccustomed to the blood and sweat of a typical Oxbow outing. The textbook definition of ONCE IN A LIFETIME. This ties in very nicely with the first film announcement which will be The Luxury Of Empire, a very intimate portrait of Oxbow at the peak of their artistic maturity, candid interviews and live footage reveals the trials and tribulations of this band. The film programme is coming together nicely with Jeremy Deller’s ‘The Bruce Lacey Experience’ and a number of films curated by Jason Forrest at Network Awesome.

From one large scale event to a couple more (well it is our tenth birthday after all!) Lash Frenzy will perform Vir Heroicus Sublimis’ as an improvised noise collective, featuring members of Anaal Nathrackh, Beestung Lips, Benediction, Sally and Einstellung. Another distinctive pairing will see KK Null and Birmingham’s own ORE in sonic battle.  In many ways, KK Null’s collaboration with Lash Frenzy at Supersonic 2010 (with ORE’s Sam on tuba) acted as a proof of concept for the sound of ORE, so it’s entirely fitting  to bring the two entities together this year.

The issue of creating art in challenging times is one close to the festival’s heart and an exciting panel discussion will see the topic dissected by some truly inspirational practitioners.. The discussion is called ‘You Can Be You’ and will feature an array of maverick artists including Penny Rimbaud, Jarboe and Eugene Robinson. Offering an insight into some of the hows and whys of maintaining an independent spirit whilst on the very edge of the avant-garde, the panel will debate such topics as, how is the drive to make art is sustained under sometimes-difficult circumstances? and after many years of writing and touring music, will the desire to create ever be satiated?

Given the success of Imperfect Cinema’s cinematic workshop last year, we have invited the team back to host a free workshop exploring DIY modes of filming and cinema only this time, the footage people gather using Super 8 cameras will be edited and used as visuals for Drunk in Hell’s performance. All in all, an exciting opportunity for festival goers to be part of the performance and for them to utilise the unique industrial backdrop in a highly creative way. If you’re interested in booking a place, email [email protected] with ‘Imperfect Cinema’ in the subject line.

 

Vinyl Rally will be a large-scale installation combining sound art, video art and kinetic sculpture into every kid and kidult’s dream-hybrid; an immersive participatory play-set playing off vinyl fetishism, video arcade mystique and the machismo of motor sports in a video game played within a real world setting! Classic first person video racing is simulated as remote control cars with styli attached, race across a track constructed from a mass of disused vinyl records. This installation will be realised by Australian artist and glass eating expert Lucas Abela AKA Justice Yeldham. Who’s excited to have a go on this mean machine?

 

Phew! Lots more info to come, as well as day tickets and volunteering opportunities. Weekend tickets are available to purchase via https://supersonicfestival.com/tickets and don’t forget, if you want to see these sorts of ambitious projects continue, you can support us via our We Fund campaign

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The Bruce Lacey Experience

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For his new documentary the Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and his sometime accomplice Nick Abrahams turn their attention to fellow film pioneer and iconic performance artist Bruce Lacey.
Three years in the making the film examines Lacey’s remarkable legacy as a painter and sculptor (creating extraordinary mechanical devices in the 1960s), an avant-garde filmmaker (alongside Dick Lester and Bob Godfrey) and as an all-round cultural chameleon, working with The Goons, The Beatles and even folk-rock super-group Fairport Convention. An intimate portrait of a self confessed ‘silly bugger’ and true visionary artist who, at the age of 85, still lives the bohemian dream; creating art and magic in a farmhouse near Norwich.

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You Can Be You

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Offering an insight into some of the hows and whys of maintaining an independent spirit whilst on the very edge of the avant-garde, this panel will feature a number of maverick artists. How is the drive to make art sustained under sometimes-difficult circumstances? After many years of writing and touring music, will the desire to create ever be satiated?

Supersonic Festival is now in its 10th year, beginning as a one-day event it has become an internationally renowned weekend of music, art and more. The panellists have hugely influenced the festival producers, as well as many other artists performing at Supersonic. ‘You Can Be You’ (the title of the Honey Bane / Crass EP) will offer a fascinating insight into the drive and motivation behind some of the most prolific experimental artists around.

Panellists include:

Penny Rimbaud is a musician, poet and co founder of anarchist punk band Crass in 1977. A prolific writer, he has published over 14 books, set up Dial House and Exitstencil Press plus continues to release music three decades after Crass disbanded.

“If there was one message we had in Crass, it was that ‘there is no authority but yourself’. You don’t need to accept that you’re nobody, you can trust in yourself.”

Jarboe is a musician and artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with the highly influential Swans. With founder Michael Gira, the duo was the core of Swans until the group broke up in 1998. Since the band’s split she has made 17 solo albums, many self released and is a prolific collaborator, often working with new and emerging artists.

Eugene Robinson is the vocalist and co founder of the legendary avant rock band Oxbow. They formed in 1989 and have since been a prolific force in the experimental music world, touchng noise rock, musique concrete, free jazz and blues over the years. Oxbow are tireless touring band and the subject of a series of films looking at the whys of art creation, touring life and 20 years in, the motivations for continuing to do what you do.

Chair – John Doran is the editor of The Quietus and a music journalist/cultural commentator for many a publication. He is a regular columnist for Vice.

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Network Awesome: “3 ______ and the Truth”

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A strand of film programming curated by Jason Forrest at Network Awesome.

“Everyone likes to make things, sometime they end up being famous for it but often they just end up looking like freaks. Here’s a salute to those people who either did it themselves, made something up, or just did it like no one else.”

Network Awesome is a new online TV site that curates the media film, documentaries, and video collections from all eras of broadcast history. It’s free, not full of junk, and it broadcasts 6 new shows each day. The archives are stand-alone repositories of media, available anytime and are, like, totally social so you can share it with your friends. Root around in there! You’ll be amazed at what you find.

http://networkawesome.com/

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Vinyl Rally

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The Vinyl Rally is an large-scale installation combining sound art, video art and kinetic sculpture into every kid and kidult’s dream-hybrid; an immersive participatory play-set playing off vinyl fetishism, video arcade mystique and the machismo of motor sports in a video game played within a real world setting!

Classic first person video racing is simulated as remote control cars with styli attached, race across a track constructed from a mass of disused vinyl records. Transmitting sound (produced as the styli skim along the vinyl surface) and vision (from wireless spy cameras mounted to the front of each car) to reengineered old school racing consoles with immersive 50” flat screens. Here players navigate the course from the vehicles point of view, not only controlling the cars movements, but also the parameters of the resulting sounds they create via a series of unique audio effects mounted onto the dashboard giving each car its own distinct aural flavour. These sounds are emitted from speakers built into the seats causing them to vibrate in correspondence with the movements on screen, producing a personally immersive experience aurally, visually and physically that can only be truly appreciated seated at the controls.

Vinyl Rally is the project of Australian artist Lucas Abela, AKA Justice Yeldham

http://dualplover.com/vinylrally/

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ORE and KK Null

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Image glitched by Antonio Roberts

ORE and KK NULL are delighted to announce a distinctive collaboration as part of Supersonic 2012.

In many ways, KK NULL’s collaboration with Lash Frenzy (with Sam on tuba) at Supersonic 2010 acted as a proof of concept for the amplified tuba sound of ORE, so it’s entirely fitting for Capsule to bring the two entities together this year. Better still, KK NULL and ORE have gelled so well in the early stages of working on this collaboration that they have also decided to release a limited CDr single together, which will be available at the festival.

They will be performing a specially-written piece together, culminating in a vast cacophony of sound. Be scared.

http://www.soundofore.com/

http://www.kknull.com/

This performance is one of a number of special collaborations taking place at the tenth edition of the festival.

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The Luxury of Empire

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Mariexxme’s lush documentary “The Luxury of Empire”, filmed on the French leg of Oxbow’s 2009 European tour offers an intimate portrait of a band in full artistic maturity. It sees them undergoing the daily trials of touring with grace and provides sometimes touching and humorous insights into an otherwise mysterious band. The film’s dark, cinematic aesthetic was inspired by the atmosphere of Oxbow’s recent work. It echoes its title and is interlaced with live performances and candid interviews in which the band peel away the layers of their processes and which bring the viewer as close as it’s possible to get to a band without being in it.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oxbow-The-Luxury-of-Empire/230372437010276

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Oxbow Orchestra

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In advance of the world assault subsequent to the band OXBOW’s spring 2013 release of their long-awaited new record the THIN BLACK DUKE, there is this, the OXBOW ORCHESTRA. Strings, woodwinds, brass, operatic backing vocals and classically contained renderings of the OXBOW song book and featuring EUGENE S. ROBINSON and NIKO WENNER from OXBOW, the ORCHESTRA delivers songs new and old in a format unaccustomed to the blood and sweat of a typical OXBOW outing.
A textbook definition of ONCE IN A LIFETIME.

http://www.theoxbow.com/

This performance is one of a number of special collaborations taking place at the tenth edition of the festival.

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Lash Frenzy – Vir Heroicus Sublimis

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Lash Frenzy return to this year’s festival to present ‘Vir Heroicus Sublimis’. Celebrating a decade of Supersonic, Lash Frenzy will be taking inspiration from their own decade’s worth of performances and throwing them into a blender, along with your brain. Whatever comes out is whatever comes out, so expect everything and expect nothing.  All we know for sure is that there’s more than one person involved and less than 1000. Featuring members of Anaal Nathrackh, Beestung Lips, Benediction, Sally, Einstellung.

If you weren’t able to get in to the Lash Frenzy vs KK Null performance at Supersonic 2010, then make sure you don’t miss out twice!

This performance is one of a number of special collaborations taking place at the tenth edition of the festival.

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