Photo credit Andrea Fiumana
SUPERSONIC FESTIVAL 22ND-24TH JUNE NEW LINE UP ANNOUNCEMENT: LEGENDARY BRITISH FOLK SINGER SHIRLEY COLLINS TO PERFORM, ROBERT AIKI AUBREY LOWE REVEALED AS GUEST CURATOR, PERFORMING WITH YOSHIMIO (BOREDOMS) + SUSIE IBARRA, AND INVITING MOOR MOTHER, WETWARE AND CROWW.
ALSO ANNOUNCED: DEAFKIDS, GOAT (JP), GROUP A, JOASIHNO AND TERMINAL CHEESECAKE
Supersonic Festival 2018 returns to the cultural hub of Digbeth in Birmingham between 22nd and 24th of June, offering a weekend full of imaginative, stimulating and downright fun experiences, placing audiences at the very heart of our programming. Championing an array of ambitious, fiercely independent, and progressive artists, each committed to doing things in their own unique way, the initial announcement included the news of the UK premiere of new Gazelle Twin material, The Ex performing the Supersonic Kids gig, and the first major large-scale project from artist-in-residence Dennis McNett, amongst many other names.
GUEST CURATOR – ROBERT AIKI AUBREY LOWE
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe is an artist and multi instrumentalist working with voice in the realm of spontaneous music and prolific collaborator. He has had a long-standing relationship with Supersonic Festival, first performing as Lichens at the 2010 edition, returning in 2012 for our 10th anniversary edition both performing and curating part of our film programme, and in addition, as part of legendary band OM who have performed at many of our events. We are delighted and honoured to announce that he is our guest curator for Supersonic Festival 2018. Bringing to the festival a selection of artists who push the boundaries of both performance and sound. These include…
Yunohana Variations is three improvisational luminaries, YoshimiO (OOIOO, Boredoms, Free Kitten, SAICOBAB), Susie Ibarra and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe performing live together for the first time. The performance will explore spontaneous composition and showcase the freedom and musical immediacy of all three artists’ ability to interplay as well as their individual unique techniques to create engaging experimental sounds.
Moor Mother is the viscerally charged output of Philadelphia based interdisciplinary artist, Camae Ayewa. Her music is often harsh and strange, projecting both the cathartic anger of punk and the expansive improvisatory spirit of Sun Ra. Moor Mother brings her powerful message to the Supersonic Stage this June after 3 days in the The MOOG Sound Lab as our artist in residence, hosted by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
NYC duo Wetware build on the legacy of industrial music and New York’s long history of dance music fused with confrontational performance. Vocalist Roxy Farman, captures the audience’s attention immediately, using her body in tandem with her voice as a weaponised vehicle for the band’s anxiety filled performance.
Croww is a Manchester based artist working around the periphery of music pecking at the corpuses of Black Metal, Flashcore and DnB and nesting new mutations of hypermodern dance music.
“For me Supersonic festival has not only stood out from others of its kind by pushing it’s scope away from the one dimensional trap that is indicative of most music based festivals, but has programmed things people might not be aware of. And due to the nature of the event itself those in attendance tend to be open to investigate those things. It’s an amazing feeling to be allowed the opportunity to present sound and visual works within the framework of an established festival that gives trust to others to bring in outside perspectives.”
Supersonic are also delighted to invite legendary folk singer and one of England’s most respected song collectors Shirley Collins (MBE) to perform at this year’s event, having only performed a handful of shows after a 38 year hiatus. Though Shirley Collins has been absent from the music scene for many years, her impact has not diminished, the likes of Stewart Lee and Angel Olsen laud her.
Brazilian based DEAFKIDS are Neurot Recordings’ latest signing. They juxtapose monolithic drone riffage with frantic polyrhythmic detours, and cite the syncopated beats of African drums as a major influence.
Hailing from Osaka, Japan, Goat build compositions that explore rhythmic aspect, centering on intertwining patterns of repetitive rhythms. The trance and fatigue brought about from relentless repetition and the melody-like sounds are both urban and tribal at the same time.
Japanese avant-garde synth wave duo Group A, mix synth heavy minimal wave, avant noise, striking visuals and performance art akin to early industrial pioneers such as Throbbing Gristle or Cabaret Voltaire.
Joasihno are Cico Beck (Aloa Input, the Notwist) and Nico Sierig, whose live set up combines robot instruments, electronics and trashy percussion. Switching between analogue synths, world percussion instruments and computer programming, they draw inspiration from experimental pioneers like Mort Garson and the melancholy of Kraut Electronica.
Terminal Cheesecake are one of England’s greatest musical oddities, chief exponents of unmerciful. head-frying psychedelia, deranged dub and electronica. Noise rock, dub, industrial and heavy, heavy psychedelia.
ROUND UP OF THE CURRENT LINE UP:
Andrea Belfi | Croww | Daniel Higgs | DEAFKIDS | Faka | Gazelle Twin | Goat (JP) | Group A | Housewives | Joasihno | Mario Batkovic | Moor Mother | Shirley Collins | Terminal Cheesecake | The Ex | Vanishing Twin | Wetware | Wolves In The Throne Room | Yunohana Variations – YoshimiO (Boredoms, OOIOO), Susie Ibarra & Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe | Yves Tumor and more to be announced
