Oxbow fans have much to rejoice over at this year’s festival; in addition to their extremely special Oxbow Orchestra set and frontman Eugene S. Robinson’s appearance in our ‘You Can Be You’ panel discussion, Supersonic will also be screening ‘The Luxury Of Empire’, an enthralling and stylish glimpse at life on the road for one of the most polarising and unrestrained avant-rock bands to walk the Earth. A gripping, warts-and-all portrait of a band maturing whilst having to deal with the trials and tribulations of the touring process, the film features candid interviews and live footage, all wrapped up in a deliciously dark and cinematic aesthetic, informed by Oxbow’s music itself as much as it is by film making convention. The themes of coming-of-age and the difficulties of touring are sure to fascinate anyone with even the remotest interest in live music, but for Oxbow enthusiasts especially, this is mandatory viewing.

‘The Luxury of Empire’ is the work of French film-maker Mariexxme, a former animator who has also filmed the Melvins, Sleep, the Jesus Lizard, Lightning Bolt and Jello Biafra, to name but a few. We asked Marie a few questions about the film, and why it should be an essential part of your Supersonic experience…

Supersonic: What was it about Oxbow that inspired you to make them the focal point of your film?
Marie: It was the 20th anniversary of Oxbow the year I decided to make that film focused on them. A year before that I had interviewed them for a French magazine with a friend of mine and edited a 40 minute video based on the history of the band, which we cut in 4 parts and posted online. That video made me want to go further, 40 minutes of something more! It made me really want to enter their life and make them talk about themselves and their approach to art. That’s why I focused the film more on their way of seeing art and their work.

Also, I’d heard that they were looking for somebody to make a film about ‘The Narcotic Story’, which for me is one of the most brilliant albums of the last few years and one of the reasons I wanted everybody to know about Oxbow! I couldn’t work on a film like that by myself but that’s the reason why my documentary has been filmed in the dark, I wanted it to look like a movie, I wanted it to look like ‘The Narcotic Story’.

‘The Luxury of Empire’ was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Would you recommend this way of funding to other aspiring artists?
I’d never heard about Kickstarter before ‘The Luxury of Empire’, I think it was Niko Wenner who told me about it. At first I thought it was crazy and would never work, but it’s been a nice surprise! Since then I’ve seen lots of other projects reaching their goals, I myself pledged on 2 different projects involving my friend David Yow (The Jesus Lizard), I must admit it works perfectly well. Yes I would definitely recommend it to others, and maybe even use this way myself next time if needed.

Why should Supersonic attendees check out ‘The Luxury of Empire’?
Why? Because I think people coming to a festival like Supersonic are passionate and curious people. Because this film is about one of the most brilliant bands existing and one of the most unrecognized (this film was made for Oxbow’s fans but also, and this is really important to me, for others to discover). Because this film is about Oxbow but more than a film about one band, it’s a film talking about what makes an artist live. Something I got myself inside like anybody involved in any kind of Art, something you could never live without, something that makes you play or paint, write or sing everyday and until the end of your life – whatever happened, even if you know you ‘ll never get rich by this, even if it means doing the same things everyday and living hard times most of the time.

‘The Luxury of Empire’ shows the inside, what the audience and fans never see, the reality of being an artist, the reality of being on tour, it also includes uncut live performances because it’s important to see the result of the process. It has been made to go with a whole live show filmed in Paris at the same time, my idea was to make a film to explain the inside and one to show the result without talking anymore, like Darkness and Light. It has been planed like that and it’s on the DVD like that with Manuel Libeskind’s tour diary about Oxbow ‘Still Before’ as a wonderful bonus.

Who else are you looking forward to seeing at the festival this year?
Zeni Geva, I haven’t seen them for years, Ufommammut (they are friends of mine), and then Grey Hairs, Dope Body, Bohren und der Club of Gore, Jarboe, Goat, Body /Head, Mothertrucker. But I will have to film Oxbow’s Orchestra experience and rehearsal during the week too, I’m waiting to see the schedules to organize my weekend at the festival.

You’ve filmed a great number of awesome bands, but are there any left that you would like to work with?
I’ve started working with Amenra and I’m really happy about this, they’re one of the bands I really wanted to make a film about. I would have loved working with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, I talked about it but unfortunately they don’t exist anymore. Melvins are second, I really want to work with them. All those bands have their own unique world and that’s what I’m looking for.

I would have loved making a film about Alice Donut but it’s already been done. I must admit I’ve filmed a lot of bands, and since I’ve started working on small video interviews for the Canadian/French website Pelecanus, I’ve been making a short film about a band every month! I just finished one about Converge and will start one for Wovenhand. I had to film Baroness in July but had technical troubles with my camera, so I definitely have to do something with them again soon! I also did Sleep, I must say I’m overjoyed!

If you were curating Supersonic, which three artists would you most want to have on board?
Maybe Amenra, Oxbow and the Melvins, but I could easily find 10 bands I’d most want…..

Which items would you say are essential for festival survival?
For me : a camera, a pair of confortable shoes and a pint. That’s it!

‘The Luxury Of Empire’ will be screening at this year’s Supersonic Festival. For more information about Mariexxme, you can visit her official website and Vimeo page.

Joe Clay of the Quietus recently spoke to Sweden’s voodoo lunatics Goat about their music, their upcoming live show at Supersonic and life in their remote Korpilombolo commune, which they summarise as –

A blissful, easeful & peaceful existence. At times transcendental. 24/7 beneficial activities, nudity and worship of the GREAT one. Invocations, prayers and total rejoice! The love of death and awaiting the return of the horned one…

To delve deeper into the mysteries of this fantastic band and find out more, you can read the full interview here. Make sure you catch Goat’s performance at Supersonic on Sunday 21st October, as this is sure to be a historic occasion indeed!

You can’t hold us back! We’ve added even more exciting live acts to the festival line up, keeping it bursting at the seams with a diverse range of new music. Australian sound artist Lucas Abela (the brains behind the Vinyl Rally will be at the festival performing as Justice Yeldham. Abela creates an other-worldy sound by pressing his face and lips against glass whist employing various vocal techniques ranging from throat singing to raspberries. Trust us, it has to be seen to be believed, so for a taster check out this video from his Supersonic 2008 appearance.

Rhythm, drone and psychedelic noise will come in the form of Manchester collective Gnod. Free School will bring the sunny Balearic sounds of summer and the icy kosmische sounds of winter for some disconcerting dance music.

Check out the full line up, there’s only a month to wait!

We’re thrilled to announce that Ufomammut will be playing all of their new magnum opus ‘ORO’ at Supersonic this year! Birmingham is the perfect place for this spiritually charged metal odyssey to take place, not just because of its gritty, post-industrial aesthetic; the city is unquestionably where the screeching, fanged foetus of heavy metal was violently ejected from the cosmic womb and let loose to terrorize the world at large. Despite what some journalists will tell you, the exact moment when this happened is easily identifiable and can be pin-pointed when Tony Iommi first summoned that planet-obliteratingly evil chord that opens Black Sabbath’s infamous titular song. The streets and factories of Birmingham did more than act as the genre’s birthplace, as the industrial environment that Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward grew up in played a pivotal role in influencing the bleak and terrifying sound that epitomised the genre’s early classics. It’s hard to imagine ‘Electric Funeral’ coming out of anywhere but the turbulent mechanical landscape of Birmingham circa 1970, as metal’s most important 4 piece allowed themselves to vent away the pent-up depression brought on by menial factory jobs, against the backdrop of the most ominous riffs in existence -“dying world of radiation, victims of mad frustration” indeed.

As part of Capsule’s Home Of Metal initiative, we’re proud to present the Crossroads of Sabbath walking tour this year, an in-depth look at the city that changed the face of music forever led by music historian and Sabbath enthusiast Rob Horrocks. It’s heartening to know the world is still populated by a healthy number of Sabbath devotees as the tour is completely over-subscribed and is now fully booked! But don’t worry if you missed out on tickets as Supersonic has more than enough riff related goodness for you this year, with a couple of bands cut from the same recognisable lineage that Sabbath themselves prompted all those years ago.

First up is the hugely influential guitarist Dylan Carlson. His band Earth (which, incidentally, is what Bill, Geezer, Ozzy & Tony referred to themselves as in their early blues-rock incarnation) are perhaps the most extreme manifestation of Sabbathian lore to rear its head thus far. Records like ‘Earth 2’ and ‘Phase 3: Thrones & Dominions’ took gargantuan Sabbath style riffs and reduced them to a crawl, producing a long, resonant drone that enraptured many across the globe (not least two youngsters named Anderson and O’Malley). This special set finds Dylan distancing himself somewhat from his Earth colleagues, and branching out with a new set of musicians. Dylan’s solo work has been shrouded in secrecy so far, but it would not be entirely unfounded to expect a continuation of the mystical, folky direction Carlson has pursued on the last two Earth records, the ‘Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light’ duology. However, Dylan could well have a trick or two up his sleeve, making this an essential experience for Earth fans!

Italy’s finest space-doom trio Ufomammut are making the pilgrimage to Supersonic this year, riding a wave of inspiration off the back of their recent two-part album ‘ORO’. Despite sharing traits with many of their amp laden, doom saying peers, Ufomammut’s style is very unique and distinctive, with a rich psychedelic aura and a visceral, gut-punching intensity. If you replaced Electric Wizard’s weed stash and horror movie collection with several grams of peyote and a copy of Pink Floyd’s ‘Meddle’, the ensuing voyage would seem like a pleasing parallel to the path Ufomammut have carved out for themselves. In the two years that have passed since their humongous modern day classic ‘Eve’, the band have returned from the wilderness like psychedelic visionaries, armed with the two records that comprise ‘ORO’, ‘Opus: Primum’ and ‘Opus: Alter’. A dense and imposing body of work, the ‘ORO’ saga is more than the sum of its parts, and Ufomammut have a real treat in store for us this year. In addition to this exclusive sneak peek at their new video, the band has just revealed that they’ll be playing ‘ORO’ in its entirety at the festival, offering an ecstatic voyage into a vast, deep space riff utopia that will consume and unravel the very fibre of your being. And what self-respecting Sabbath fan wouldn’t want that?

Dylan Carlson will play Supersonic on Saturday 20th October, and Ufomammut will appear on Sunday 21st October.

To honour the occasion of Supersonic’s 10th anniversary and the recent discovery of the lost Festival of The Rea, the SOUNDkitchen collective will give a special performance of Earth Ears: A Sonic Ritual by Pauline Oliveros. Known for her ritualistic and meditative approach to sound and listening, Oliveros’ work invites performers and audience to engage in a Deep Listening experience.

For this performance each member of the collective will invoke one of the four classical elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water, central to ancient pagan practices and magic rituals. Each performer will reveal their sonic manifestation through musical actions, recorded representations and improvisation. Through collective expression and meditation we invite you to celebrate the spirit and history of the River Rea in Digbeth as an historic site of community, creativity and mystical energy.

SONICritual  will be performed by: Iain Armstrong, Julien Guillamat, Shelly Knotts, Annie Mahtani. Sound engineer: James Carpenter

SOUNDkitchen are a collective of composers and sound artists dedicated to promoting artists working in the medium of sound. Their ongoing series of live events present emerging and established performers from Birmingham and beyond with a focus on current and emerging approaches to experimental electronic music. They also curate and create sound art installations and exhibits, initiate collaborative projects and give live performances.

http://soundkitchenuk.org

Islaja, Lau Nau, Tomuntonttu– three of Finland’s finest. Imagine a rearrangement of sounds and images, whereby psych-folk is juxtaposed with groovy animal noises and a variety of instruments create a cacophony of noise that is as subtle and intimate as it is full of impact and intrigue.

Let us start with Islaja. Heading up 2012’s Kids Gigs, she is an artist that is and will be appreciated by all ages and all tastes. She is credited with playing a whole host of instruments, ranging between colourful juice glasses, witch laugh megaphone and even beer cans. Her new album, Keraaminen Pää, is overflowing with rich, sculptural sounds, dense atmospherics and Nordic romanticism, and will she will undoubtedly evoke a vibe on stage that mirrors her unique vocal style.

Islaja performs regularly at venues and festivals across Europe and the UK, and has shared the stage with bands as diverse as Animal Collective, Low, Handsome Furs, Skaters and Junip. However, she has remained relatively unknown in her native country until recently, where people have really begun to sit up and stare. Whilst many have referred to her music as ethereal, relating her presence to that of a nymph amongst the tamed wilderness of the forest, Islaja herself has said noted that ultimately, ‘I am a child of the city, and I reckon my music ultimately is just rock.’

Since the release of her celebrated debut full length Kuutarha on Chicago’s Locust Music in 2005, Lau Nau has enjoyed considerable recognition for her intimate and playful blend of ethnic tinged folk songs with curious and intuitive sounds conjured from familiar and exotic sound sources. Like her Nordic counterparts, whilst her music is at home in the city she manages to transform the room by making her audience feel as though they are experiencing the great outdoors. The gentle meeting of edginess, warmth and elements of natural beauty ensure that her performance will stand up and provide a protective jumper for revelers against the unpredictable October weather.

Finally, let us move on to Tomutonttu. Described as a ‘creature who looks after all the dust’, it is again Finnish-based musician Jan Anderzen who rearranged images and sounds and makes the music of Tomutonttu audible. Read streams, mutilated voices, groovy animal noises and records other people have made are some of the ingredients Anderzen uses to mold his ecstatic music. Someone described it like this: a confusing close-up of music, a microcosmos of strange sound events and dirt flying around in stereo space, interacting with a logic all of their own.

Let us imagine our Nordic dream. Now, let us see our Nordic dream being realised at Supersonic 2012.

Another excellent, hands on workshop has been announced for the festival this year. The GET A GRIP screen-printing workshop returns, this time in honour of Supersonic’s tenth anniversary. The two-hour workshop, run from the GET A GRIP poolside studio and shop front, gives you an informal introduction to their manual water-based screen printing techniques.

The workshop is open to weekend ticket holders for £25 which includes guidance, materials and a 100% organic t-shirt to take home. Using elements developed by an independent illustrator, you’ll put together a multi-coloured design to print onto a t-shirt. No experience required – you’ll enjoy this workshop whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced printer.

To book a place, email [email protected] with ‘SCREENPRINT’ in the subject line – please also include your T-shirt size (Male or Female S/M/L/XL/XXL).

GET A GRIP, the Custard Factory’s resident print studio, can print to order and regularly supply DIY bands and organisations with clothing labels, illustrations, vinyl record sleeves and posters. For more information visit www.getagripstudio.com

John Doran of The Quietus has recently interviewed Baltimore’s noise rock heroes Dope Body about their musical influences, their creative process and their upcoming set at Supersonic this year –

We all do our own thing and we’re all into different stuff. The songs come out of very long protracted jams, for maybe three hours while we change and change it. Each of us has different musical taste though. David is into hip hop, so you get different rhythms than you’d expect to get. The same with the guitar playing [Zachary Utz], it gets really classic rock at times but overall we try and keep things sludgy and heavy. And our band is also inspired by all Baltimore sounds, concentrated into one format: the rock band. Garage, hardcore, electronic music. It’s actually weirder for us not to use all these influences. It’s natural and organic and it just comes out this way.

 

You can read the whole interview over at The Quietus website, and catch Dope Body on Sunday 21st October at Supersonic.

Supersonic’s gigs for kids series returns this year in style, with some of the festival’s finest performing artists taking the time to play their big sounds for little people. Ideally suited for children under 7, this is a great way to introduce your children to the wonders of experimental audio, and a fantastic opportunity to show them the power and beauty of live music in a safe, child friendly environment.

First up, the Flower/Corsano Duo will be providing a psychedelic, free-flowing voyage for your young ones to embark upon. Taking place on the Saturday at 1.30pm in the Custard Factory’s Old Library, these two fine musicians will create a warm and inviting (yet distinctly avant-garde) soundscape that can’t fail to capture the attentions of listeners both young and old. Chris Corsano is a bona fide percussive virtuoso, whose energetic and unconventional drumming is sure to get your kids dancing, whilst Mick Flower will be manning the strings to provide some expansive textural accompaniment.

“I once played for a classroom full of 5 year olds and they all immediately got up and danced. That was a reaction I’d never seen before and I loved it” says Chris of his decision to play this special pre-school set. “I’d imagine that it’ll be quieter [than our other set at the festival] since little ears are sensitive to loud sounds. What we do is always improvised, and it seems like a great chance to play off the energy of an audience of kids and see where things go from there.” Playing to a room of infants is evidently a very different proposition to playing for an adult (or even adolescent) audience, forcing the musician to find new ways to perform their craft. “It’ll be a challenge to keep shorter attention spans engaged throughout the set” Chris muses, “and I wonder if it’ll be tough to keep kids focused when the music doesn’t have vocals. But I hope they get into it in the totally unselfconscious way that kids do.” It’s a pleasing thought that many of the children in attendance may look back fondly at this gig and cherish Corsano’s frantic drumming as their first musical memory. “I remember listening to LPs” says Chris, reminiscing on his earliest encounters with music. “The two that stick out the most in my memory are Devo’s ‘Freedom of Choice’ and a record of Haunted House sound effects.”

So if you’d like to share a very special musical memory with your children, bring them down to witness Chris and Mick’s adventurous sounds first-hand  on Saturday 20th October. Tickets cost £10 (parent and child) or £12.50 (parent and two children), and the gig will also include an animation workshop by artist duo Juneau Projects. And if your kids can’t seem to get enough experimental music, you can also take them to see daring Finnish folk artist Islaja the next day!

Buy Tickets – Saturday with Flower/Corsano
Buy Tickets – Sunday with Islaja

For 10 years now, Supersonic has been tirelessly emphasising the importance and beauty of the independent spirit; one need only glance through the reams of musical mavericks that have graced the festival’s stages to see how successful their efforts have been. To celebrate, Capsule have planned a couple of events to highlight the free-thinkers that have helped turn the festival into the glorious tour-de-force it is today.

In keeping with Supersonic’s tradition of featuring enlightening panel discussions, ‘You Can Be You’ promises the audience one of the most intruiging and horizon broadening conversations to ever take place in the Custard Factory, as The Quietus Editor, Vice columnist and all-round music enthusiast John Doran takes the chair to quiz Jarboe, Oxbow’s Eugene S. Robinson and Crass co-founder Penny Rimbaud on how these extremely accomplished artists have maintained their integrity and independence whilst operating in the furthest regions of the avant-garde.

Anyone who’s ever been moved by Eugene’s feral howl and imposing stage presence, Jarboe’s dulcet tones and emotive range, or Rimbaud’s energetic drumming and sneering social commentary will not want to miss out on this. These are artists that divide opinion with their untameable drive to create, and are united in their refusal of musical standards and any perceived rules or guidelines that others may wish to impose upon them, but how is this passion sustained through times of difficulty? Will there ever come a time where this deep-seated desire to create is satiated? There’s only one way to find out… See you there!

Running with this theme of independent creators, Jason Forrest of the new online TV site Network Awesome has curated a film prgramme entitled ‘3 ______ And The Truth’, a loving tribute to the maverick minds that created things that only they ever could, ranging from the ingenious to the downright bizarre! The Network Awesome site features a number of specially made programmes, curated by visionaries like John Zorn and Barry Adamson, and is well worth checking out!

Day tickets are available now via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk and of course weekend tickets can still be purchased for £80. Not bad for three days of adventurous music, art, film, workshops, talks and more!

And here’s a reminder of some events that are free to weekend ticket holders, but require booking.

Counting In: The Art of Listening

In partnership with Sound and Music, we are presenting an intriguing panel exploring contexts for the presentation of sound works and performances and approaches to listening.  The panel will include artist Lucas Abela (aka Justice Yeldham and creator of the Vinyl Rally), music writer Frances Morgan, Curator Irene Revell (Electra) and composer Dr Simon Hall. An excellent way to start the weekend, the event will take place Friday 19 October, 1.30pm-5.00pm at Birmingham City University’s School of Art. This event is free to weekend ticket holders, but you do need to book a place by emailing [email protected] with ‘Listening’ in the title.  Otherwise, tickets can be purchased for £10 via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Imperfect Cinema: Hallide Oxide

An amazing opportunity to learn DIY cinema techniques, participants will also contribute visuals to Drunk in Hell’s set. Imperfect Cinema will be joined by renowned sonic and visual artist Nicholas Bullen to discuss Imperfect Cinema and its influences, including the seminal Crass Records ‘Bullshit Detector’ compilation albums which featured the first vinyl appearance of Napalm Death.  The workshop is free to weekend ticket holders but capacity is limited, to book a place email [email protected],uk with ‘Imperfect Cinema’ in the subject line.

The word about Goat’s startling debut album ‘World Music’ has been spreading through the music press like wildfire recently, and rightly so; the record is a vibrant concoction of psych-rock histrionics, defiant afro-beat swagger, tribal Voodoo magic and crunchy garage punk stomp. Imagine if Fela Kuti had accompanied Can circa 1972 on an intrepid, hallucinogen fuelled expedition into the heart of the Amazon jungle and you’ll be somewhere near the right ballpark, but ‘World Music’ truly is a trip that must be experienced for one’s self – it’s kind of like the musical equivalent of a Shamanic, ayahuasca based rite of passage.

But just who are these mysterious folk responsible for this gloriously eclectic aural odyssey? According to their press release, the band hails from the tiny, remote village of Korpilombolo in Sweden. Apparently Korpilombolo has had a long history of Voodoo worship, which informs Goat’s music and hangs over the village to this day. Living out in a nearby commune, Goat consists of 3 core members but is an ever-evolving and adaptable entity, existing in some form or another for centuries as a traditional communal practice and only now venturing out into the wide world of popular music.

Whether you believe their tales or not, I’d wager your interest is certainly piqued right now. Shenanigans and questionable backstory aside, there’s no denying the righteous funky fury of their music -‘World Music’ is one of the freshest and most absorbing listens of the year so far. Their first ventures into the live arena (well, outside their commune, of course) are bound to be revelatory rituals; the band has claimed in recent interviews that the live experience will be much more expansive and free-form than their recorded debut, leading us to believe that there truly will be some kind of Voodoo magic summoned during their set at Supersonic…!

You can visit Goat’s website to find out more.

“Once in an eternity an artist will come along who defies all explanations, breaks all boundaries, and destroys all preconceived notions as to what music is. In reggae, we were blessed with the maniacal genius of Lee Perry; in jazz, we had Sun Ra; and in hip-hop no one even comes close to the one they call Sensational. ”

Former Jungle Brothers member Sensational will join DJ Scotch Bonnett and Koyxen on stage as part of the Small but Hard showcase. It’s gonna kick off!

Take a listen to his recent collaboration with former Supersonicers Dead Fader via The Quietus

We’re extremely excited to welcome the multi-faceted psychedelic improv monster known as Rangda to the stage. Taking its name from an Indonesian child-eating demon queen, this experimental unit features three prominent avant-garde musicians, namely Ben Chasny, Chris Corsano and Sir Richard Bishop, who will also be performing their own sets over the weekend too. If you’re yet to become acquainted with these three, here’s a quick introduction and a few reasons why their sets this year are going to be unmissable…

Rangda

The trio released their debut album, ‘False Flag’, back in 2010, much to the delight of experimental music fans across the globe. The howling, untamed improvisations contained within simultaneously bring to mind the wide eyed free jazz of Ornette Coleman, the blistering noise rock of Boredoms and the free-wheeling cosmic energy of Can. ‘Fist Family’ finds Corsano exorcising his demons and unleashing hell upon his poor kit, as Chasny and Bishop’s guitars howl away at the moon like highly strung lions. ‘Sarcophagi’ ventures into calmer waters, with tender, shimmering guitar licks playing off against Corsano’s beautifully restrained drumming, whilst the aptly titled ‘Serrated Edges’ sees frantic, kaleidoscopic Hendrix-isms colliding with intricate, jazzy cymbal splashes and gleeful snare abuse. The vast, meditative psychedelia and slowly unfurling vibrations of 15 minute closer ‘Plain of Jars’ round off this aural journey in spectacular fashion.

Anticipation is running high in certain circles for the band’s follow up, ‘Formerly Extinct’ due to be released through Drag City Records on the 18th September. Expect to hear choice cuts from both records and much more from the band’s Supersonic set, especially as these three players’ improvisational skills are sure to come to the fore and provide one wild ride for all and sundry!

Flower/Corsano Duo

Chris Corsano is an extremely accomplished improv percussionist, who has collaborated with artists as diverse as Björk, Thurston Moore, Jim O’Rourke and even Jandek. Corsano will be joined at Supersonic by Mick Flower (of incendiary drone rock behemoths Vibracathedral Orchestra) for a set of intricate Eastern tinged odysseys, pitting these two dazzling musicians against each other in an intense yet expansive musical setting that promises to be a very absorbing journey indeed.

Six Organs of Admittance

Ben Chasny has played with everyone from psych-rock heroes Comets On Fire to David Tibet’s esoteric Current 93, but with his primary project, Six Organs Of Admittance, Chasny gets the chance to show off his skills as a song-writer. Ranging from spacious, heartfelt folk to scorching psychedelic jams, Six Organs Of Admittance’s music is constantly evolving and redfining itself. Expect nothing less than an absolute revelation from Chasny’s set this year!

Sir Richard Bishop

After cutting his teeth with the highly acclaimed experimental rock three piece Sun City Girls, Bishop began to explore more diverse influences, taking inspiration from a number of different sources from around the world to create a truly unique and thoroughly engaging sound. Traditional Arabic, Indian and African sounds are all audible within Bishop’s nimble fretwork, but there’s something else at play here too, that indefinable something that makes Richard one of the most exciting contemporary acoustic guitarists around. Miss his set at your peril!

Small But Hard is a new independent label, set up by breakcore maverick DJ Scotch Egg (AKA Shigeru Ishihara) in conjunction with artist/print-maker Simon Fowler (co-founder of London based Cataract Press) and Daisuke Imamura (DJ Die Soon). The label has quickly amassed several very interesting artists, who are all quite distinct in terms of sound but united in their tireless dedication to pushing the boundaries of electronic music. Supersonic is honoured to present the whole Small But Hard family this year, so let’s take a look at what this showcase has in store…

DJ Scotch Bonnet

Scotch Egg is somewhat of a Supersonic veteran by now, but in case you’ve missed out on any of his previous manic performances, here’s a little taster of what you can expect. Scotch has been pioneering his frantic ADD chiptune/gabba mash ups for almost 10 years now, often using a circuit bent Game Boy to unleash all manner of breakcore upon his unsuspecting audiences. This time round he’ll be performing under the name DJ Scotch Bonnet (one of his many guises), stepping outside of his self-imposed 8-bit cage to supply us with his trademark cut-up beats and massively overdriven bass bombs – a potent combination that’s sure to get you moving!

Devilman

With DJ Scotch Egg taking control of an arsenal of skull rattling bass frequencies (anchored in place by Dokkebi Q’s Gorgonn’s live mixing and Bo Ningen’s Taigen Kawabe’s inimitable vocals, whilst under the supervision of the enigmatic Mr. D), Devilman sounds like dubstep turned inside out and inflated to cartoonishly gigantic proportions. This isn’t the first time Devilman have appeared at the festival – their larger-than-life bass blowout in 2010 reduced all in attendance to gleeful, quivering wrecks, hypnotised by the bowel rupturingly heavy low frequencies and gyrating in ecstatic devotion. Not to be missed!

Koyxeи

Koyxeи‘s obtuse take on hip-hop is unparalleled, bringing in dub and breakbeat influences and draping them in an exceptionally noisy and hyperactive dressing. Koyxeи (or Kouhei Matsunaga as he’s known to his friends) has worked with a number of prominent experimental musicians, including Autechre, Tangerine Dream’s Conrad Schnitzler and Merzbow (who will also be appearing at this year’s festival), and it seems the influence of these seemingly disparate artists has rubbed off on Matsunaga, whose eclectic sounds know no boundaries.

C_C

C_C finds Kouhei Matsunaga teaming up with jungle enthusiast Eduardo Ribuyo to indulge their love of handmade beats and analogue feedback loops. C_C performances are largely improvised, with the duo conjuring vast textures out of heavily manipulated source sounds, filling the room like liquid and syphoning into your ears like thick treacle. Fans of electronic music will certainly want to check these guys out!

Kakawaka

Berlin based noisemonger Kakawaka has been causing quite a stir of late with his expressive, volatile live shows, bringing together harsh noise & performance art, and sound experiments & outlandish tomfoolery in his own unique style. We’re not entirely sure what Kakawaka has in store for his Supersonic performance, but it’s sure to be a wild, spontaneous spectacle that you won’t forget in a hurry!

 Supersonic audience by Mark R Rhodes

Want to feature in our Zine…well Supersonic is doing a call out for all previous festival attendees to share their memories of the festival with us. The question we have chosen is “How would you describe your favourite Supersonic experience in a tweet of no more than 140 characters?”

In those 140 characters, we want you to sum up your experiences of previous festivals, highlighting key moments and memorable performances. You could even comment on your experiences in the legendary Supersonic tea room, marketplace or elsewhere!

Send your posts to either [email protected] or [email protected] by the 14th September and we will do our best to print as many as possible. We look forward to hearing from you! And of course feel free to tweet us your response @supersonicfest

We’re very pleased to confirm that as well as performing with Bill Nace as Body/Head, Kim Gordon will be presenting her installation Reverse Karaoke  at Supersonic Festival. This collaborative installation by Kim Gordon and Jutta Koether consists of a painted Yurt style tent housing a lo-fi rehearsal set-up with guitar, microphone, bass, and drums. The visitor is invited to play the instruments and record their own music along with a pre-recorded vocal track of Kim Gordon’s voice. The track is recorded live by a sound engineer who burns two CD copies of the track, while the visitor decorates two CD sleeves using materials in the gallery. One copy of the CD becomes part of the piece itself on display in a record box, and the other the visitor takes home.

Another new highlight includes Modified Toy Orchestra , festival alumni who first performed in 2005 (some may remember the set that was cut short due to the bomb scare) and again in 2006. In 2012, Modified Toy Orchestra continue to explore the hidden potential and surplus value latent inside redundant technology; a process creating sophisticated new electronic instruments from abandoned children’s toys. The results of this process can be shockingly beautiful, funny and also extreme.

In partnership with Sound and Music, Supersonic present a half-day extended panel discussion exploring contexts for the presentation of sound works and performances and approaches to listening. Bringing together artists, academics and industry professionals Counting In: The Art of Listening is an opportunity to discuss how artists and producers can best stage work, how audiences can be best encouraged to enjoy it and how we can all become better listeners. Participants in the panel discussion include artist Lucas Abela (aka Justice Yeldman), music writer Frances Morgan (deputy editor at The Wire Magazine), curator Irene Revell (Electra) and Dr.Simon Hall (composer, sound engineer and academic).

In-keeping with tradition, Supersonic proudly announce the Kid’s Gigs programme which will this year feature Flower/Corsano Duo and Islaja, the sole aim being to create big sounds with little people. Though really, this is fun for all the family!

Other programme additions include:

Grey Hairs – The kind of raucous grunge that can only be created by kids from the 90s

The Outcrowd’s Festival of the Rea – An exhibition exploring the lost myths and pagan rituals of Digbeth

Moonn – A haunting performance inspired by the Heavens Above, featuring Conny Prantera and Mark Wagner of Sunday Mourning

Wildman Life Drawing – A drop in drawing session featuring a semi tame Wildman

SOUNDkitchen – Electroacoustic composers perform in the Theatre Space

Scratch ‘n’ Phase – Come and destroy some CDs and needles in the name of noise in this sound work where you control the volume.

Blood Harvest – A collection of films looking at the wild stuff that happens way out on the back roads. Curated by Network Awesome.

Trash Humpers – Harmony Korine’s 2009 drama centred around an elderly cult in Nashville, Tennessee

Black Mass Rising – A lo fi experimental film exploring visions of the darkness, The Mystic, The Occult, The Religious and The Apocalypse.

Volunteers chopping lemons backstage in 2012 – one of the many and varied tasks to undertake over the weekend!

SUPERSONIC NEEDS YOU!

Capsule’s internationally renowned festival runs 19-21 October 2012 and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer.

We need a dedicated team of volunteers to help deliver Supersonic over the festival weekend (19-21 October) and also in the run up to the festival (early October onwards). We expect a minimum of 12 hours over the festival period in exchange for a weekend wristband.

The festival is small enough for everyone involved as a volunteer to gain an overview of how the festival works, and to give real input and value.

A regular Supersonic volunteer, Ross Cotton wrote this piece about the life working behind the scenes last year, have a look via http://domesticcity.posterous.com/

HOW TO APPLY:

Please click through to download the application form

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjucQi45lUQqdGpGYWp0YTZSZEpYUVFPUlpkTndBbEE

Completed application forms should be emailed to volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk by 5pm on Tuesday 25th September. Please mark in the subject line of the email VOLUNTEER. If you have any issues downloading the application form, contact volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk and we can email you a copy direct.

The first volunteer meeting will take place on Tuesday 2^nd October, 6.30pm at Custard Factory  where you will be able to find out more about the festival and meet the team.

NB/ unfortunately we can only consider applicants who are 18 years old and over.

With visual arts being such a huge influence on how I receive live music, I will be awaiting Jarboe’s performance at the festival with extreme trepidation. Also known as The Living Jarboe, she practices what she preaches. As a member of Swans, and consequently Skin, Jarboe’s warbling yet emotive vocals are sure to be situated within a visual atmosphere that will make any attendee weak at the knees. Her performances invite you to be a part of her particular moment, creating shockingly powerful visions through the music itself. It will undoubtedly be one of the performances to watch and I have no doubts that we will be subject to a feast for the eyes and the ears. ‘Lavender Girl’ is within the upper echelons of my favourite tracks of all time, with its ability to create an atmosphere that I feel is almost unique amongst musicians. Examples such as  ‘Totem’ and ‘Miracle of Love’bring a slice of the ungodly down to us mere mortals, proving why Jarboe’s career has been such a long and healthy one. Make sure to watch this interview with Swans which dates back two decades!

If you are a fan of Jarboe, then be sure to check out the equally as enchanting artist, Lichens. Lichens is the name of Robert A. A. Lowe’s musical project, that needs to be seen live to be believed. With tracks that trick the mind into a sense of suspension in time, through seamlessly looped wordless vocals, instrumental intersections and a beautiful layering of sound, Lichens epitomises transcendental sound. For Supersonic goers who haven’t listened to his music before, ‘Faeries’ and ‘Shore Line Scoring’ are two of my favourite tracks, and I would urge any fans of Jarboe to check out the music of Lichens before the festival to make sure you do not miss out. Having collaborated with the likes of Lucky Dragons, Alan Licht, Lee Ranaldo, White/Light, Kevin Martin, Tyondai Braxton and Genesis P-Orridge, this guy certainly knows what he is doing.

Also make sure to check out his fascinating blog, at www.lichensarealive.com.

Also check out the video for an example of Lichens collaborative work with White/Light.

‘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.

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

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 14^th 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

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!

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.