Here’s the bit you’ve all been waiting for… the Supersonic 2023 timetable! Grab a pen and get circling, cause you won’t want to miss any of the mind-blowing music, workshops, films and talks we have in store for you!
* please note timetable may be subject to change *
Take a gander at this wonderful line-up…
Blue Ruth
Tropical Wreck DJs 18:00 – 19:30
A secret J G Ballard novel set on a cruise ship. The music’s wild; everyone’s louche; everyone’s wrecked.
Blue Ruth – live 19:30 – 20:00
Utilising second-hand hardware, Blue Ruth’s musical ingenuity layers, upon layers of distortion pedals stacked on cheap keyboards, glitchy club beats and semi-improvised melodies transport us to a dystopian party that never ends.
Fat Out’s rooftop doom disco 20:00 – 23:00
Join the Fat Out crew on the Supersonic rooftop for 3 rowdy hours of queer ass fun. Expect makeovers, heavy karaoke, noisy live performances and the Fat Clams shaking their perfectly glittered asses!
Pocket Signs
Decolonise Fest Takeover 16:00 – 19:00
Come and meet members of the Decolonise Fest team, the DIY punk festival collectively organised by and for punx of colour and find out more about their work.
Demystifying Zine Publication Workshop 16:00 – 17:10
DJ sets by Stephanie Phillips (Big Joanie + co-founder of Decolonise Fest), special guest artists from the Supersonic line up joined by members of the collective.
Tropical Wreck DJs 19:00 – 19:40
A secret J G Ballard novel set on a cruise ship. The music’s wild; everyone’s louche; everyone’s wrecked.
Agathe Max – live 19:40 – 20:20
Working to create textures, layers and electronic boundaries with 4 strings on a piece of wood.
Algiers DJ set – 20:20 – 21:20
Find the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll with Algiers Franklin James Fisher and Ryan Mahan.
Pocket Signs – live 21:20 – 22:00
Matt Cargill and Dan Jones are variously current and dormant members of Sly & the Family Drone and UKAEA, groups that exist in and around noise, improvisation, chaos, flux and catharsis.
Nowhereness DJs 22:00 – 23:00
Nowhereness is a liminal space where borders and barriers dissolve; the old structures have no power here. Meet me nowhere and we will dance the world away.
The Seer
Freak Zone Take over 15:20 – 19:20
Join Stuart Maconie and a host of guest artists including Valentina Magaletti, Stuart Braithwaite + Elisabeth Elektra and Lankum for a deep dive into music they love.
Tropical Wreck DJs 19:20 – 20:10
A secret J G Ballard novel set on a cruise ship. The music’s wild; everyone’s louche; everyone’s wrecked.
The Seer – Live 20:10 – 20:40
The creative output of artist Conny Prantera echoing of Homeric myth, traditional folksong and dreamlike memories.
Nowhereness DJs 20:40 – 21:40
Nowhereness is a liminal space where borders and barriers dissolve; the old structures have no power here. Meet me nowhere and we will dance the world away.
Mark Wagner & Blanc Sceol – Live 21:40 – 22:10
Together they will create a ritual-celebration and party-ceremony. As a love, So be Love!
Chaired by Professor Lina Khatib, co-founder of the World Metal Congress and the director of the SOAS Middle East Institute. She is an Associate Fellow at and former director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.
Join us for a panel discussion that delves into the powerful and transformative role of music as a tool of social and political resistance. The speakers harness lyrics, music and creative practice to challenge the status quo, critique marginalization and shape a new narrative of artistic rebellion.
Chaired by Derek Walmsley (Editor, The Wire)
guest speakers include:
Caleb Madden (Director, Outlands Network), Fielding Hope (Cafe OTO/Counterflows Festival), Lisa Meyer (Supersonic Festival) and Stephanie Phillips (Decolonise Festival)
Starting out from reflections of Jennifer Lucy Allan’s Guardian review of last year’s Supersonic festival, which stated “ Supersonic is not just a music festival, but a site for resistance and community, a utopia made briefly real”, members of UK non-mainstream music communities discuss the ways that moments of collective expression and togetherness are socially valuable and become ever more important in the hostile environment of Tory cuts and their cynical and politicised notion of Culture Wars.
A rollicking no-holds barred memoir from journalist and musician Eugene S. Robinson (Oxbow) that takes us along through the story of his life.
The first major and the only comprehensive overview of Goth music and culture and its lasting legacy. John Robb discusses his new book The Art Of Darkness with lifelong goth, Julie Weir.
We can’t quite believe it, but it’s now only ONE MONTH TO GO until Supersonic Festival 2023! The team are rapidly ramping up to bring you an extraordinary weekend of experimental music, workshops, talks, DJs, food, exhibitions and more!
This year marks 20 years since the first incarnation of Supersonic Festival, celebrating two decades of championing experimental and adventurous music and creating an inclusive and joyful space where all are welcome.
Here at Supersonic Festival we have cultivated a forward-thinking, one-of-a-kind experience, showing immense resilience against the odds in the 20 years since our inception. The team are so excited to welcome loyal fans and curious new audiences to Digbeth, in the heart of post-industrial Birmingham on the 1-3 September.
“Over the last 20 years our aim has been to provide a means for unity, for escapism, camaraderie; for belonging and most importantly for unrestrained joy.” – Lisa Meyer, Artistic Director/co-founder, Supersonic Festival
With only one month to go before we opens our doors, this year we welcome homecoming heroes Godflesh, whose origins are deeply entrenched in the backdrop of Birmingham, and Zambian-Canadian rapper & producer Backxwash, performing her first and only UK performance as a Supersonic Festival exclusive. Known for their captivating live performance are the widely acclaimed Irish quartet Lankum, and Deerhoof, one of indie music’s most influential bands. Just announced and joining them are Algiers who shall perform as a duo, presenting their anti-fascist dystopian grooves.
Deerhoof | Ex Easter Island Head | Hey Colossus | Infinity Knives x Brian Ennals | MC Yallah + Debmaster | Ondata Rossa | Total Luck | un. procedure
Ashenspire | Backxwash | Blacks’ Myths | Blind Eye | Divide & Dissolve | Elvin Brandhi | Godflesh | Horse Lords | Oxbow | Ragana | Taqbir | DJ Bus Replacement Service
75 Dollar Bill | Algiers | Avalanche Kaito | Big Brave with Jessica Moss | Jessica Moss | Josephine Foster | Lankum | Matana Roberts | Shovel Dance Collective |Silver Moth | Širom
“The Supersonic festival is Britain’s premier celebration of both adventurous, heavy and mind – blowing sounds and the spirit of England’s second city. The Freak Zone is proud to be its friend and partner’” – Stuart Maconie, the Freak Zone on BBC 6 Music
★★★★★ – The Guardian
★★★★★ – The Arts Desk
“The mother of all British underground festivals” – The Quietus
“Supersonic is ahead of the curve again.” – The Wire
photo AJA at Supersonic Festival 2019 photo by Joseph Singh
Read the article via The Quietus HERE
Huge thanks to Kez Whelan at The Quietus for this amazing feature which charts 20 years of Supersonic Festival as we are a month out from the 20th anniversary edition.
“Birmingham’s Supersonic Festival celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, and looking back over the last two decades of its existence, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that organisers Capsule have laid down the groundwork for all the specialised, boutique UK festivals that have sprung up in its wake. It’s easy to take such events for granted these days, but it’s worth remembering just how ground-breaking Supersonic has been, and what an anomaly it was when it first appeared. A staunchly DIY, female-founded festival in an extremely corporate, male dominated industry, Supersonic revolutionised the idea of a music festival in the early 2000s and has been going strong ever since……
This combination of inclusive politics, diverse representation, experimental art and unpredictable atmosphere is what has kept Supersonic so fresh, unique and resilient for the last twenty years. This year is no exception, with a line-up boasting old favourites like Godflesh, Deerhoof and Oxbow alongside a host of exciting new acts from across the world, such as Zambian-Canadian rapper Backxwash, Irish avant-folk collective Lankum, Moroccan feminist punk band Taqbir and anti-colonial drone-doom duo Divide And Dissolve. Whilst other festivals may come and go, Supersonic’s continued existence stands in defiance of industry norms and proves that so called “challenging” music can be for everyone.”
| TICKETS HERE |
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Multiple bars can be found across the site, including in the market place; an array of real ale, cider and spirits to aid your weekend enjoyment. We have a team of energetic and hardworking volunteers supporting us across the Festival Site including on our bars. Don’t forget to give them a smile and please treat them with love and respect.
We are proud to have Purity supplying Supersonic bars once again. Continuing a long standing partnership that builds upon shared values and principles. Purity Brewing beers are crafted with a conscience in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside, each one of their award-winning beers embodies a love of great beer with real character – brewed responsibly to leave an even better taste in your mouth.
We’re delighted to let you know that Longhorn IPA and Lawless Lager are both vegan friendly as accredited by the vegan society.
Beet the System are a Vegan Worker Co-operative from Birmingham. They make the best Organic #FreshTempeh you’ve ever tasted and they are chuffed to be fuelling Supersonic Festival again with some amazing gastronomic delights!
A female-led enterprise based in Birmingham, Blow Water is passionate about introducing people to the spirit of Hong Kong through authentic East Asian cuisine. You can find Sabrina serving her take on healthy home cooked flavours from Hong Kong, including delicious Heavy Metal Dumplings, throughout the weekend at Supersonic Festival.
Since 2008, founder Watcharanuch Wollweber has been on a mission to recreate and share her favourite childhood dish for others to experience. She has perfected the homemade sauce (vegan & gluten free) made with traditional ingredients that highlight the unique flavours of Thai cuisine. This is an immersive street food experience just like in Bangkok.
Join our mobile barista, Phil Short who can offer a selection of bean-to-cup gourmet coffees, delicious hot chocolates and made-to-order smoothies, frappes and iced coffees.
Combining fresh ingredients with tasty spices, Sri-Licious prepare every element of their dishes lovingly from scratch. From the roti bread in their Kothu Roti, to the Short Eats and tasty Sambols, Sri-Licious is passionate about bringing the unique and amazing flavours of Sri Lanka to you. There’s something for everyone with vegan and gluten-free options available!
Our audiences are at the heart of what we do. That’s why we strive to give them experiences which get them closest to the things they love. So if you fancy having a hands-on start to your day, or taking a breather between our stonking live acts – we have some exceptional workshops planned for you to get involved with!
Create a one-of-a-kind ‘deco’ photocard case and celebrate your rock & metal heroes!
Decolonise fest is an annual London-based, volunteer-run, non-profit DIY punk festival collectively organised by and for punx of colour. This workshop will explore the history, practical use, and creative process of making zines and allow participants the opportunity to explore several themes of self and of creation in their output.
Along The Lines is an experimental life drawing workshop ran by the queer collective Outcast Stomp who create spaces and a community for queer, alternative, and politically driven people in Birmingham.
For this two-part Cyanotype printing and costume making workshop, Melanie invites participants to print designs on fabrics and create wearable costumes.
Take part in a collaborative ballad-writing workshop where attendees will be invited to help write verses for a new original folk song ‘The Ballad of Digbeth’, folklorising the history of the area and Supersonic Festival.
Attendees will be able to build a hand-held amplifier/speaker sound system in their own plastic festival pint mug with either Bluetooth or mini-jack connection. Soldering boards, switches and speakers into place will create a unique and useful souvenir to take home with you!
A collective of migrant and refugee women working with Craftspace, Shelanu will be running a pop-up workshop at their market stall throughout the festival. Expect a variety of opportunities for crafting on the Sunday. Please swing by and get involved!
This podcast is the perfect introduction to the artists performing at this year’s festival! Join Team Supersonic as they take you on a wild journey through the sounds of Saturday at Supersonic Festival 2023. With so much stellar line-up to get through, we’re splitting up this edition into three parts, so welcome to part two!!
It’s an absolute stonker of a programme with music from Godflesh, Backxwash, Taqbir, Horse Lords, Blacks’ Myths, DJ Bus Replacement Service, Oxbow and more. Tune on in!
And if you missed part one with all the music from Friday night, no fear! Tune on in here…
If you’re in a position to support the artists in this podcast too, we suggest heading to their Bandcamp. Here’s the tracklist…
Supersonic Festival are delighted to welcome Steve Von Till (of Neurosis) to Birmingham for a special concert with full band at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, supported by Haress.
Tickets are available now for this August 5th show at our website. Steve Von Till shall be bringing his lush ambient performance of No Wilderness Deep Enough and previous work to the UK for the first time. Set in the stunning acoustics of a world-class Recital Hall, this extra special seated show will be an intimate, limited capacity affair.
A swirling and iridescent blend of ambient, neo-classical, gothic Americana and rural psychedelia, this music is his deep exploration into previously uncharted territory. Steve will also weave a few old tracks as well as spoken word readings from his first book 23 Untitled Poems and Collected Lyrics into extended instrumental passages by his ensemble of musicians.
His band for this tour consists of Dave French (of YOB and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth) on synths, guitars and percussion, Braden Diotte (touring member of Faust, EXO//ENDO, Pinback and Tarantula Hawk) on organ and modular synths, and PJ Van Assche (who performs on his own as Innerwoud) on double bass handling the string parts. Steve will also be performing on the piano, electric, and acoustic guitars.
Von Till has achieved a sense of mass resonance through his restless artistic exploration—providing art that journeys into the heart of fear and uncertainty in a world where we’ve often known little else.
Venue: Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Recital Hall, 200 Jennens Rd, Birmingham B4 7XR
Parking: Millennium Point Car Park, Birmingham, B4 7AP
Tickets: https://supersonicfestival.com/product/steve-von-till/
Accessibility: The venue is fully accessible, there is a lift on the ground floor. This is a seated show.
Timings: Doors – 19:00, set times TBC
Age Restrictions: 14+ only, under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
This year, the Market Place will be situated once again at our Festival hub, The Mill, taking place on the weekend of 1 – 3 Sept 2023. We’re bringing our global community back together with an ambitious programme of mind bending music, sense shifting art and life altering experiences.
Here’s who you’ll find peddling their wares…
From Birmingham to Tokyo and back! Bunny Bissoux will be selling original zines, prints & goods exploring pop culture and desire through a queer gaze – plus vintage trading card packs, select music mags & ephemera.
Boswellian Artifacts will be returning with an array of of weirdo wares for infernal freaks. Original screen printed t shirts, zines, limited edition books and prints.
Alongside his sold out workshop at Supersonic, Farmer Glitch will be bringing a range of sonic devices, electronics project kits and audio releases from Yeovil’s Eastville Project Space, along with one-off artworks and vintage vinyl.
For all you crate diggers we’ll have offerings from Edgeworld Records, Wrong Speed Records, State 51 and Thrill Jockey selling new and second hand records and tapes for curious ears.
Anti-profit publisher Dog Section Press will be stocked with anarchist books, pamphlets and zines, as well as their quarterly newspaper DOPE Magazine. They’ll also be selling publications on behalf of Exitstencil Press, including Dial House, a new work by Lucy McLauchlan.
Shelanu: Women’s Craft Collective (supported by Craftspace) – Shelanu, a collective of migrant and refugee women working with Craftspace, will be offering high quality jewellery and objects for sale inspired by the city, cross cultures and shared experiences of migration.
Finally, Another Realm promises a curiosity cabinet of handmade trinkets, art and adornments, from lasercut jewellery to giclée prints, cards, zines, mugs and coasters.
To enter this free competition, head over to our facebook or instagram and tag the person you will bring with you if you’re our lucky winner, tell us why you love Supersonic Festival and what you’re looking forward to the most. Not sure who you’re most excited for? Find the full line up here!
Competition closes midday Tuesday 25 July 2023 – the winning entry will be drawn randomly and announced ahead of the festival.
Staying Cool is a design-led boutique serviced apartment operator in Birmingham.
Staying Cool opened atop the Rotunda (a Grade II listed building) in Birmingham in 2008. The 35 apartments are stylishly designed and range from studios to 2-bed penthouses. The collections larger apartments represent the only 5* (Visit England assessed) accommodation in the city a decade after opening.
Since launch Staying Cool’s mission has been to offer guests chic serviced apartments that combine all the style of a boutique hotel with the space
The business has a strong ethical streak with a focus on working with other local independent companies.
Our studio apartment is named after the famous British car built at Longbridge in its sixties heyday. The Mini gives you 370 square feet of city-centre living to enjoy. Floor-to-ceiling windows that open to deliver the perfect city vista while bespoke interiors bring the wow factor inside. All of our studio apartments are on levels 16-19 so great views are guaranteed. If you have a preferred view then let us know when you check-in and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
Each apartment has a fully-equipped kitchen, dining area and lounge area as well as the bedroom which is separated from the living areas by a low divider. The bathroom has a rainfall shower. Fluffy towels and bathrobes come as standard. You’ll find complimentary oranges for the juicer and Fairtrade teas as well as locally ground coffee.
We have a special code “SS23” giving 10% off on bookings made for the dates of the festival (valid Thursday 30th to Monday 4th Sept), so you can guarantee a luxury experience for Supersonic 2023!
This podcast is the perfect introduction to the artists performing at this year’s festival! Join Team Supersonic as they take you on a wild journey through the sounds of Friday night at Supersonic Festival 2023. With so much stellar line-up to get through, we’re splitting up this edition into three parts, so welcome to part one!!
It’s an absolute stonker of a programme with music and conversation from Deerhoof, Hey Colossus, Ex Easter Island Head, Ondata Rossa, Total Luck, Un.procedure, Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals and MC Yallah with Debmaster. Tune on in!
If you’re in a position to support the artists in this podcast too, we suggest heading to their Bandcamp. Here’s the tracklist…
We are on the lookout for some wonderfully creative minds to bring us unusual, imaginative and engaging new workshops that will take place as part of the festival weekend.
From in-depth sessions to indulgent fun, we want you to craft something extraordinary for our curious audiences. Whether you’re flying solo, a group or an organisation, we want to hear ideas that embrace our passion for collaboration between both artists and audience alike, forging lasting and meaningful connections across art forms.
We are a festival which celebrates expressive, challenging and generally out-there music and art. We remain inclusive, accessible and engaging to varied audiences; new and returning. Workshop proposals should present a singular, innovative idea that encapsulates a clear understanding of what Supersonic is about.
There is a fee of up to £150 available for the workshop (also to include materials), as well as 2 weekend tickets to the festival.
To apply, please complete the online form below. The deadline is 5pm, Monday 26 June, 2023.
| APPLY HERE |
For enquiries please contact: [email protected]
Supersonic Festival which takes place 1-3 September in Digbeth, Birmingham will this year be celebrating 20 years since its inception. It has been named as the UK’s premier experimental music festival, with rave reviews from The Independent, Arts Desk and The Quietus to name but a few, and topping The Guardian’s Guide to the best experimental music festivals in Europe.
This short-term, focused role is designed to assist the Festival Programme Coordinator, working across marketing and programme logistics support.
Deadline for application: Wednesday 14 June, 2023
Interview date: Tuesday 20 June, 2023
Start date: Tuesday 4 July, 2023
Fee: £2600 / 26 days @ £100 per day
| DOWNLOAD: Festival Marketing Assistant – Person Specification |
| DOWNLOAD: Equal Opportunities Form |
This short-term, focused role is designed to assist the Executive Producer, working across all festival operations.
Deadline for application: Wednesday 14 June, 2023
Interview date: Wednesday 21 June 2023
Start date: Tuesday 4 July, 2023
Fee: £2600 / 26 days @ £100 per day
| DOWNLOAD: Festival Operations Assistant – Person Specification |
| DOWNLOAD: Equal Opportunities Form |
Since 2003, we have been hosting superior weekends for the adventurous audience, taking care to present only the most artistically relevant and irreverent acts from the UK and across the globe, while simultaneously making sure to fill every moment with opportunities to let loose and party, or sit down at engaging talks, discussions and workshops, or take in exclusive screenings and exhibitions. Nowhere else will you find a festival experience quite like ours.
These freelance roles will work closely with Capsule’s Programme Coordinator & Executive Producer. Capsule’s office is in the Zellig building, Digbeth, and whilst some remote working may be required, predominantly these roles will be office-based.
We are a small but ambitious organisation. These roles would be ideal for emerging / early-career, freelance arts professionals, keen to expand their knowledge and enthusiasm and develop their skills in both the promotion and production of live events within a highly creative and dynamic organisation.
We actively encourage applications from practitioners who identify as at least one of the following under-represented in the music industries; Black, Asian or other underserved Ethnicity, female, LGBTQ+, from a low socio-economic background. Since its inception in 1999 Capsule has been female-led, uniquely championing female and Black, Asian or other culturally diverse artists.
Application process:
To apply for this opportunity please email the following to [email protected] by Wednesday 14 June 2023 with ‘Marketing Assistant application’ or ‘Operations Assistant application’ in the subject line:
The deadline for applications is 5pm, Wednesday 14 June, interviews will be taking place on Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 June. We will notify candidates that we wish to interview by 5pm, Friday 16 June. If you haven’t heard from us by then please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. We cannot provide feedback on unsuccessful applications, but we will endeavour to provide feedback to those candidates we interview.
Taking place on the weekend of 1 – 3 September 2023, we’re bringing our global community back together with an ambitious programme of mind bending music, sense shifting art and life altering experiences.
We’ve invited old friends and new to join us including… the critically acclaimed Lankum, Birmingham figureheads Godflesh, Deerhoof, Oxbow, Elvin Brandhi, the first live show of Silver Moth (inc. Stuart from Mogwai), Matana Roberts, Sirôm, experimental supergroup Ondata Rossa, Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals and Canadian-Zambian rapper Backxwash who is joining us for her debut UK performance. They’ll join the likes of Shovel Dance Collective, Divide & Dissolve, DJ Bus Replacement Service and Nyege Nyege Tapes affiliates MC Yallah and Debmaster at our celebratory gathering.
Want to join us?! A weekend Market Place stall booking costs £160 which will include 2 x Supersonic Festival weekend tickets. To apply for a stall booking please complete the form below by Monday 12 June 2023.
For enquiries please contact: [email protected]
Supersonic has secured its experimental reputation with consistently innovative and explosive concoctions of visual installations, films, exhibitions and music. Guaranteed to open eyes and ears to music and art outside the predictable genre labels and familiar performance spaces.
You will be part of an ever growing, friendly community of music and art lovers helping to maintain the values of bringing the extraordinary to curious audiences in an all inclusive way. This is will be an invaluable experience into how our festival runs but not only that, you’ll be contributing to something truly Superspecial whilst making friends along the way!
The festival is small enough for every volunteer to give real input and value in the following areas:
If you would like to get involved, please complete the application form.
Volunteers must be over 18 years old.
“My mission is to create a line up that champions the most significant artists from the underground, artists that challenge us to think about injustices of the world we are currently living in and those that are pushing the boundaries of adventurous music. These indescribable links bind the programme together to make a festival which makes a space for those with open ears and hearts. Over the last 20 years our aim has been to provide a means for unity, for escapism, camaraderie; for belonging and most importantly for unrestrained joy.”
– Lisa Meyer, Artistic Director/co-founder, Supersonic Festival
GET TO KNOW THE ARTISTS PERFORMING AT SUPERSONIC THIS YEAR…
[Backxwash Photo Credit: Méchant Vaporwave]
We are celebrating twenty years with headliners Godflesh whose origins are deeply entrenched in the backdrop of post industrial Birmingham, and who have had a huge impact on heavy music, and the Irish quartet Lankum who have been selling out shows since the release of their critically acclaimed new album in March. Joining them is Zambian-Canadian rapper & producer Backxwash, performing the first and only UK performance as a Supersonic Festival exclusive. Backxwash makes cathartic and expressive music rooted in horrorcore, hip-hop and industrial metal, exploring themes around faith, identity and queerness. Also performing are one of indie music’s most influential bands, the ecstatic quartet Deerhoof who will bring the joy with their unruly avant pop music.
[Lankum Photo Credit: Sorcha Frances Ryder]
We’re also proud to be hosting the debut live performance of Silver Moth, an atmospheric noise-rock collective comprising of Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Elisabeth Elektra, Steven Hill and members of Abrasive Trees, Burning House, Prosthetic Head, and Evi Vine. Alongside Ondata Rossa, a brand-new project from an experimental supergroup of epic proportions, comprising four renowned and wildly experienced musicians and improvisors Valentina Magaletti (Vanishing Twin, Moin, Holy Tongue), Agathe Max, Dali De Saint Paul (HARRGA) and Yoshino Shigihara (Yama Warashi) with 16mm film footage as part of the performance.
We pride ourselves on curating a line-up of forward-thinking musicians with unique approaches to composition, and are proud to announce Matana Roberts, an internationally celebrated composer, performer, band leader, saxophonist, sound experimentalist and mixed-media practitioner.
[Infinity Knives x Brian Ennals]
Baltimore hip-hop/neoclassical experimentalists Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals craft a mighty, omnivorous set, masterfully executed with both ferocity and vibrant joy. DJ Bus Replacement Service provides a head-spinning rush of anything-goes bangers, using techno to form the base layer of her sets, wasting no time criss-crossing Asian hip-hop, yodelling, donk, gqom, spoken word, and more. Elvin Brandhi (Yeah You) is an improvising lyricist, producer and sound artist, who builds aberrant beats from field recordings, tape, vinyl, instrument and voice.
[Elvin Brandhi]
Born of Slovenia’s rural DIY free festival scene, Širom a trio who create vividly textured and mostly imagined folk music, a revelatory mix of improvisatory acoustics, post-jazz and drone, fusing handmade and global instruments with fearless sound exploration, the results are unbound by tradition or geography. Dynamic Birmingham based trio Total Luck who have quickly found their identity in Birmingham’s music scene with their robust sound and forceful audaciousness to create an intense live show.
[Oxbow]
A Supersonic line-up would not be complete without old friends, Oxbow, who have graced the Supersonic stages numerous times before, and last performed in 2012 with the jaw-dropping Oxbow Orchestra. Now in our 20th milestone year, and with their first new album in six years on the horizon, Oxbow will shake things up with their electrifying and visceral embrace of distortion, volume, foreboding emotional timbres, meticulous execution, and tension-baiting restraint.
“[Supersonic] have been the sisters in arms everyone should be lucky enough to have. To say I love them is an understatement. To be able to play Supersonic again this year, both a treat AND an honour.” – Eugene S Robinson/OXBOW
Returning to the festival following stand-out performances at the 2022 edition are Divide And Dissolve promoting their new album, Systemic, and BIG|BRAVE, who shall perform a special collaboration with fellow Montreal-based violinist Jessica Moss (Thee Silver Mt Zion, Black Ox Orkestar), a collaboration exclusive to Supersonic which we cannot wait to witness.
[Ragana]
Supersonic champions creative subversion from all walks of the underground, celebrates artists who are portents of hope and solidarity like Shovel Dance Collective, who’s modern folk music reclaims the narratives of the working class, people of colour and the queer community, alongside playful storyteller Josephine Foster and Ashenspire who’s music demands attention and argues for change. The queer and antifascist idiosyncratic black metal of Ragana join the bill, as well as the absolutely vital Taqbir, who are working against a culture that deems their music an insult, and instead they create a space for people like themselves to freely express their anger.
[Horse Lords]
This year’s edition promises to bring the stamina of krautrock and math-rock, fused with aspects of jazz in a variety of joyous performances, with the elemental rhythms from 75 Dollar Bill, the airtight grooves of Horse Lords and the frenetic sound world of Avalanche Kaito, both traditional and experimental in nature. Blacks’ Myths will meditate on the history of blackness via their frantic collisions of free jazz, post-rock and dissonant noise. Local to Birmingham, Un.Procedure creates a post-apocalyptic sound through an avant-jazz filter, with 70s rock influenced grooves and heady, sci–fi tinged soundscapes. MC Yallah and Debmaster will bring their high energy performance with rapid flow and rugged beats.
Supersonic is also welcoming back two distinct acts; Ex Easter Island Head, whose live performances have been praised for their hypnotic energy and unique spectacle, and Hey Colossus – who are celebrating their 20 year anniversary and promise to put on a special performance.
Alongside all these formidable acts on our line-up, we hope you’ll join us for a weekend of pure escapism. Further programme announcements including workshops, talks and more will be revealed in the coming months.
Deerhoof | Ex Easter Island Head | Hey Colossus | Infinity Knives x Brian Ennals | MC Yallah + Debmaster | Ondata Rossa | Total Luck | un. procedure
Godflesh | Backxwash | Ashenspire | Divide & Dissolve | Elvin Brandhi | Horse Lords | Oxbow | Ragana | Taqbir | DJ Bus Replacement Service + more TBA
Lankum | 75 Dollar Bill | Avalanche Kaito | Blacks’ Myths | Big Brave with Jessica Moss | Josephine Foster | Matana Roberts | Shovel Dance Collective |Silver Moth | Širom
Born in Lusaka, Zambia, now based in Montreal, the music Backxwash makes is cathartic, expressive and based on her lived experiences. Winner of the prestigious 2020 Polaris Music Prize, her output includes a culmination of themes around the intersection between faith, identity, and queerness. The poetry of her lyrics are the beginning of a cathartic healing process in which she is granting herself permission to be angry. Prepare yourselves for an immense live performance.
The fiercely DIY band have been producing avant-garde carnivals since their humble beginnings as an obscure San Francisco noise act. They’ve become one of indie music’s most influential bands with their ecstatic and unruly take on pop where Satomi Matsuzaki plays bass and sings, Greg Saunier plays drums, John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez play guitars.
Throughout their 28 years as a band, they’ve constantly shifted sound despite very few line-up changes. Their latest output, an album called ‘Miracle-Level’ sees the quartet manipulating traditional rock sounds, collaging them with distortion until they’re essentially unrecognisable. Fizzing with needlepoint riffs, shifting time signatures and catchy vocal melodies entirely in Japanese, this will be an utter treat in a live setting.
Pitchfork went so far as to label Deerhoof as “the best band in the world”, and so we’re honoured that they’ll be bringing their joyous Deerhoofian nuggets of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic gold to the Supersonic Stage. We cannot wait!
75 Dollar Bill / Ashenspire / Avalanche Kaito / BIG|BRAVE + Jessica Moss / Blacks’ Myths / Divide and Dissolve / Ex Easter Island Head / Godflesh / Hey Colossus / Horse Lords / Jessica Moss / Josephine Foster / Lankum / MC Yallah + Debmaster / Ragana / Shovel Dance Collective / Taqbir / Un.Procedure + more tba
A message from our Artistic Director, Lisa Meyer…
“In 2003 we naively created our first edition of Supersonic Festival, a one day event that reflected our own curiosity as music fans. This lineup included LCD SoundSystem, Coil and The Bug with the Warrior Queen, set in the warehouse spaces of post industrial Birmingham. The last 20 years have been a right old rollercoaster but we’ve held on with determination. The weight of the pandemic, the political situation locally, nationally and globally and another financial crisis could have done us in for good. Instead we’ve channelled that heavy energy into the festival and look forward to celebrating 20 years, gathering as a global community for one weekend, and joyfully embracing adventurous music.“
[LANKUM – credit Sorcha Frances Ryder]
Supersonic is proud to welcome critically acclaimed Irish quartet Lankum who will make their long awaited appearance this year, bringing with them their close vocal harmonies, instrumental interplay and dramatic storytelling. Their gritty updates of folk standards bring anger and contemporary viewpoints to traditional elements. With a diverse set of influences as disparate as Sunn O))), they show that folk music can be angry, progressive and is a vital force today.
[GODFLESH]
“Supersonic is a unifying experience of this culture I exist within, and us as a band; Godflesh, but all in my/our hometown/birthplace, Birmingham. Besides that fact, it’s run by a stellar collective and feels warm and homely.”
– Justin Broadrick, Godflesh
Supersonic welcome back Godflesh whose origins are deeply entrenched in the backdrop of post industrial Birmingham, and who have had a huge impact on heavy music. Godflesh’s storied history is legend, forming in the West Midlands, alongside the first incarnation of Napalm Death, to create landmark releases like Streetcleaner, which laid groundwork for other extreme and experimental metal releases. For the festival’s 20th edition, Godflesh will perform music from an expected new album.
[BIG|BRAVE & JESSICA MOSS]
Following stand-out performances at the 2022 edition, Divide And Dissolve will return with their incendiary work towards indigenous rights and the end of white supremacy, and BIG|BRAVE are also back to carve out their singularly gigantic sonic space of dynamic heavy minimalism. BIG|BRAVE shall perform a special collaboration with fellow Montreal-based violinist Jessica Moss, a collaboration exclusive to Supersonic which we cannot wait to witness. Jessica Moss will also perform a solo set over the weekend, her distinctive melodic sensibility channelling Klezmer, Balkan and Middle Eastern tropes, with an ear for textural grit and timbral noise forged from her 15-year tenure in political post-punk band Thee Silver Mt. Zion.
“One of the first things that struck me about entering the festival as a space was how at ease I felt with regards to how diverse, inclusive and authentic everyone attending and working there seemed, not to mention with regards to the music! The bill was incredible!”
– Robin Wattie (BIG|BRAVE)
[RAGANA]
Supersonic champions creative subversion from all walks of the underground. Shovel Dance Collective weaves queer, proto-feminist and working class narratives together in a new kind of folk music. Storytelling and tradition get upended in the playful music of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Josephine Foster whose music challenges perception.
Supersonic celebrates artists who are portents of hope and solidarity, like Ashenspire’s challenging and abrasive musical textures of violin and saxophone in an enraged progressive, post-black metal framework that demands attention and argues for change. The queer and antifascist idiosyncratic black metal of Ragana is heavy, dark, beautiful and punishing in its expression. Paying tribute to the female pioneers of the UK punk scene through a riot grrrl lens is the absolutely vital Taqbir, who are working against a culture that deems their music an insult, and instead they create a space for people like themselves to freely express their anger.
[MC YALLAH]
This year’s edition promises to bring the stamina of krautrock and math rock, fused with aspects of jazz in a variety of joyous performances, with the elemental rhythms from 75 Dollar Bill, the airtight grooves of Horse Lords and the frenetic sound world of Avalanche Kaito, both traditional and experimental in nature. Blacks’ Myths will meditate on the history of blackness via their frantic collisions of free jazz, post-rock and dissonant noise. Local to Birmingham, Un.Procedure creates a post-apocalyptic sound through an avant-jazz filter, with 70s rock influenced grooves and heady, sci–fi tinged soundscapes. MC Yallah and Debmaster will bring their high energy performance with rapid flow and rugged beats.
Returning to the festival after some time are two distinct acts; Ex Easter Island Head, whose live performances have been praised for their hypnotic energy and unique spectacle, and Hey Colossus – also celebrating their 20 year anniversary – promise to put on a special performance.
“Supersonic/Capsule have done everything in 20 years. They put their minds to it. They’ve built a world. People travel miles to visit it, to visit the home of metal. This will be our third time playing the festival. Cannot wait to play again, cannot wait to see who else is playing, the unpredictable variance is one of the many attractions. Happy Birthday Supersonic.”
– Joe Thompson (Hey Colossus)
More of the programme will be revealed in the coming months!
Visit our line-up page here for further information about the artists.
For more information on hotel deals, and festival information visit here.
We’ve thought carefully about ticket pricing, and we want to make sure the festival remains accessible. We recognise that not everyone has equal access to live events and that the cost of entry is a barrier to some people. We are working to create an inclusive space which is accessible to all, regardless of their financial situation. Find out more about our ticketing options this year to support those people in our music community who are on low wages or are unemployed here.
We’re an independent festival, we achieve a huge amount through good will, hard work and amazing support from our community.
Thanks and see you on the dancefloor!
So in anticipation of our big announcement, we’re pleased to share our Highlights Reel from 2022 – a great reminder of what a joyous occasion the ‘UK’s best small festival’ can be! Bringing together live performances by some of the worlds most extraordinary artists, visual art, and audience participation to create a legendary one-of-a-kind gathering.
We were thrilled to be back in person with artists and audiences in Birmingham for Supersonic 2022. Your photos, feedback and a 5* review in the Guardian reminded us what a high producing a festival can be!
However, as you probably know, costs are rising everywhere – from venue and kit hire to crew fees and hotel prices – putting on a festival is becoming more expensive every year. We’ve been crunching the budget, and we need to make more from ticket income in 2023 to make the numbers balance. So we will be raising the cost of our standard ticket price this year.
We’ve thought carefully about ticket pricing, and we want to make sure the festival remains accessible. We recognise that not everyone has equal access to live events and that the cost of entry is a barrier to some people. We are working to create an inclusive space which is accessible to all, regardless of their financial situation. This year, we’ll be working with our partners including Decolonise Fest to give away a % of free tickets to people in our music community who are on low wages or are unemployed.
SOLIDARITY TICKET – Equally, we know that some of our long-standing fans could afford to pay more. Inspired by the global “solidarity ticket” movement, we are also introducing a new voluntary tier ticket. So if you are able to invest in Supersonic through a solidarity ticket, you’ll be subsidising a % of free tickets for others, whilst also ensuring the good ship Supersonic keeps sailing for many future festival editions. More information on that soon.
OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED – Plus we’ll be looking for Workshop proposals and Volunteer applications in the coming months, so there’s always a low-cost way to get involved with Supersonic.
We’re an independent festival, we achieve a huge amount through good will, hard work and amazing support from our community.
Thanks and see you on the dancefloor!
Since 2015, Brid Rose & Stuart Lee Tovey of Matters have weaved a dark, driving, all-encompassing sound; shifting seamlessly from film score to basement nightclub to industrial noise. Taking a DIY approach, they produce intoxicating live shows with self-made animated visuals and immersive lighting designs.
Their latest output ‘Echolocations’, an innovative collection of five songs, sees the band delve further into otherworldly realms; journeying through the deepest polarities of sound and exploring the planes between reality and imagination. Inspired by the aesthetic of liminal spaces, the music responds to the ambiguity of present day, capturing a feeling of collective disorientation and limbo. ‘Echolocations’ wills us to traverse the tunnel, acknowledge our liminal state and break out of it, into something tangible and genuine.
Super limited-edition Pop-Up Book of 50 with handprinted artwork by Brid Rose of Matters.
+ digital download of Echolocations album
Pre-order the Echolocations accompanying book of artwork, featuring pop-up and interactive elements. Cloth bound with a transparent wrap around and screen printed throughout. 7” square, 20 pages, super limited to 50 handmade copies.
Option to add Vinyl and Album Launch tickets.
The digital album ‘Echolocations is’ out now:
Forged with a multitude of synths, pedals and guitar, Matters’ signature blend of pulsing beats, soaring synths, and transcendental soundscapes are both experimental and accessible, challenging and comforting, and above all, truly captivating. Having previously garnered much support from BBC 6 Music & NTS Radio, Matters’ ‘Echolocations’ is an album that demands to be heard in its entirety, leaving you to question reality and yearn for more.
Supersonic Recordings is a label championing the best in experimental and genre-bending music for the ears of curious audiences.
| TICKETS ON SALE NOW | MORE INFO |
Grab those diaries folks…
This year marks a whopping *two decades* since our first festival took place in 2003, so you can expect an extra special edition this September. The team are working hard behind the scenes prepping a jaw-dropping line-up for our wonderful audiences worldwide.
First line-up announcement, hotel deals and tickets will be going on sale end of February – keep those eyes peeled! 👀
In the meantime, here’s some very happy reminders of what happens when we all meet under the rumbling roofs of Digbeth…
The Castle + Falcon, Balsall Heath
Sunday 14 May 2023
Doors 7.00pm
£15 adv – tickets.
BIG|BRAVE create heavy, vast post-rock. This elemental ensemble of guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie, guitarist Mathieu Ball, and drummer Tasy Hudson, harness an earthen heaviness composed of distorted and textural drones, austere bombast, and Wattie’s heart-rending voice. Minimalism, structural freedom and meticulous timing form the cornerstones of their precise, rhythmical sound.
The trio brandish sparseness and density like weapons, cast tense atmospheres with languid tempos and mutate feedback into eruptions of enveloping tempests. Their latest release, ‘nature morte’ sharpens BIG|BRAVE’s ferocity and expansive sound into emotional elegies for the disenfranchised, wringing abstracted textures and pure fervence into songs of unfathomable mass.
Support comes from AICHER is the latest solo project of musician Liam Andrews. For the past two decades, Andrews has been active in exploring amplified guitar music with the industrial group MY DISCO. With AICHER, he works within the atonal and monochromatic aesthetics he’s drawn to, the inclusion of place and the environmental influence of the bleak Scandinavian winters prove to be the perfect antidote. Eerie hollows of wind, solitude and the crushing of ice underfoot place the soundscape of the north into the brutalist path he is known for.
The results are a collection of sonic movements reimagined through generative computer software.
Supersonic is produced by Capsule:
Unit 317, Zellig
Gibb Street
Birmingham UK
B9 4AT
