Eponymous Andy Field

Somewhere there is a gig happening. A sweat-drenched heartbreaking gig. A set for the ages. There is dancing, and nodding heads, and the sound is loud and and the sound is dirty and the sound is mean and the sound is euphoric. But you are not at that gig. You are here. So, what can we do about that?

Eponymous is about being an audience, whether the band are there or not. It might involve your imagination. It might involve standing up.
Andy Field is a performance maker, creating strange events in unusual places including audio walks, sound installations, festivals of imaginary events, pervasive games, miniature reenactments and one-on-one hazing rituals.

We’ve asked a few regular visitors to Supersonic to highlight what they’re most looking forward to at this years festival, to help guide you through our program. First up is Spencer Hickman of Rough Trade East fame, this is what he’s giving the thumbs up to:

Factory Floor
FF will be an absolute highlight of ss10 I can guarantee it. There is no other band in the UK that is exciting me as much as they are , here at Rough Trade we have watched them evolve from a very good post punk band into one of the most incredible electronic bands around. it’s dark, oppressive yet danceable and accessible , i guess a  lazy comparison would be ‘Throbbing Gristle,Cabaret Voltaire shot through with a slice of Weatherall produced Fuck Buttons’. yes they are that good. get excited now.

Swans
Who doesn’t want to see the Swans doing what they do best ? Being moody and unsettling in equal amounts. Although this isn’t an industrial return to their terror inducing early material it is far and away the most aggressive I have heard them sound in a very long time , it also has the songs to back it up this should be very special indeed.

Cloaks
I remember taking the Cloaks record to SS09 to sell on our stall, it was one of those records we had sold a lot of in store but outside of that I had heard little about them, we sold all ten copies by the time the second track had finished, there is no better recommendation than that in my mind. They sound like Skinny Puppy making dubstep , it’s dark, brutal and unforgiving. Oh it’s also very f*cking good, and very f*cking loud.

Peter Broderick
It doesn’t matter if he is being all weird and experimental or creating finely crafted songs ala the ‘home’ record, he is always engaging and blessed with a truly beautiful voice. I have no idea what he will be doing at this years festival but I do know I’ll be watching.

Godflesh
What can you say ? Brummie legends, back when they were releasing records they were way ahead of their time having given us a few years to catch up with them they are back to reclaim  their crown and destroy SS and our ears in the process. very exciting.

Rough Tade will have a stall in our market place this year so make sure you save all your pennies cause they’re bring a whole heap of treats!

On 07/07/07 at 7:07pm, Japanese group Boredoms, orchestrated a performance by 77 drummers at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, NYC.  Hisham Akira Bharoocha put out an email inviting drummers to apply for a place in the performance and out of the 3000 replies, 77 were chosen, including Andrew WK (drummer no 57), David Grubbs (drummer no 23) and Lightning Bolt’s Brian Chippendale (drummer no 77).  The players were positioned in a spiral that trailed from a circular stage where the principal Boredoms members – Yozoro (drummer no 1), Yoshimi (drummer no 2), Sen (drummer no 3) were situated together with Eye (0) playing electronics, a seven-necked guitar and conducting the ensemble.  This is the screening of Jun Kawaguchi’s simply shot but effective documentary of the performance, complete with behind the scenes rehearsal footage, interviews, and, of course, lots of footage of the performance itself.  Come and experience the power of this momentous musical landmark.

There are also a series of shorts from the Thrill Jockey discography, which will feature new videos from Pontiak, Future Islands, Oval, Imbogodom and Dustin Wong.

[jwplayer config=”video mainpage” playlistid=”1534″]

Noise Box – Supersonic from Sam Underwood on Vimeo.

Book your place now for Supersonic Noise Boxes – workshop

When: 2pm, SATURDAY, 23rd October
Number of places: 20
Cost: Free to weekend ticket holders plus £10 contribution to materials, each participant will get a Supersonic Noise Box Kit, for you to make and keep. You will need to bring your own thing to house it in(see details further on)

What: A 3hr workshop led by sound artist and performer mr.underwood aka Glatze to build a 3 oscillator screaming, light-controlled Noise Box. Each participant will build and take home their Noise Box. This will be based on the unit shown in the demo video, with a few nice tweaks and additions to make it even cooler!

What is the Noise Box?:
A sci-fi electronic drone instrument whose pitch is controlled with gesture.  The frequency of the sound output by each of the three oscillators in this Optical Theremin is determined by the intensity of the light falling on each sensor. Vary the light using your hands or by shining a light directly onto the unit . Use just one oscillator for a more playable instrument, or all three at once for a noisy cacophony of sound!

Suitable for: All skill levels. Complete beginners welcome – we’ll teach you how to solder etc. Mr.Underwood and his team will assist you throughout the build of your 3 oscillator Supersonic Noise Box.

Booking: email admin[at]capsule.org.uk , marking the subject field as “noisebox” a payment request for the materials contribution will then we sent to you, places will be offered on a first come first serve basis.

For further details see HERE

photograph by Hellocatfood

Supersonic Noise Boxes – workshop

When: 2pm, SATURDAY, 23rd October
Number of places: 20
Cost: Free to weekend ticket holders plus £10 contribution for materials, each participant will get a Supersonic Noise Box Kit, for you to make and keep. You will need to bring your own thing to house it in (see details further on)

What: A 3hr workshop led by sound artist mr.underwood aka Glatze to build a 3 oscillator screaming, light-controlled Noise Box. Each participant will build and take home their Noise Box. This will be based on the unit shown in the demo video, with a few nice tweaks and additions to make it even cooler!

Noise Box – Supersonic from Sam Underwood on Vimeo.

What is the Noise Box?:
A sci-fi electronic drone instrument whose pitch is controlled with gesture.  The frequency of the sound output by each of the three oscillators in this Optical Theremin is determined by the intensity of the light falling on each sensor. Vary the light using your hands or by shining a light directly onto the unit . Use just one oscillator for a more playable instrument, or all three at once for a noisy cacophony of sound!

Suitable for: All skill levels. Complete beginners welcome – we’ll teach you how to solder etc. Mr.Underwood and his team will assist you throughout the build of your 3 oscillator Supersonic Noise Box.

Booking: email admin[at]capsule.org.uk , marking the subject field as “noisebox” a payment request for the materials contribution will then we sent to you, places will be offered on a first come first serve basis.

What you will need to bring:
You will need to bring your own enclosure to house the electronics. Something with the following minimum internal dimensions: 140mm (long) x 90mm (wide) x 40mm (deep), you will be provided with all other components, instructions and tools you will require to complete the build.

Your £10 materials cost covers the circuit board, the various components and the project amp. The only thing we leave up to you is what you would like to put it in. We do this to provide a level of personalisation and customisation. So, please bring a sturdy container of some kind to house it in.

Mr.Underwood is a musician, sound artist and instrument designer. His established projects go under the names of Mr.Undewood and Glatze. He started instrument building many moons ago, starting out with odd acoustic instruments and then he got into circuit bending. From this, he has started to develop a series of electronic and mechanical instruments, including his midi-octopus. A great believer in knowledge sharing and a DIY culture, Mr.Underwood is delivering a series of workshops throughout 2010.



Another aural delight for your listening pleasure from the ever enigmatic Little Chris responsible for Brum Cast.

Playlist as follows
1. PCM – Hafgee (4:58)
2. Gum takes tooth – Tannkjøtt (7:20)
3. Zeni Geva – Sweetheart (5:45)
4. Voice Of The Seven Thunders – Out Of The Smoke (2:16)
5. Swans – I am the Sun (3:23)
6. Peter Broderick – Bad Song (1:31)
7. Peter Broderick – Three Cats (0:43)
8. Stinky Wizzleteat – megtilda (2:32)
9. Barn Owl – Voice Of The Other (5:02)
10. Eagle Twin – 10,000 Birds of Black Hot Fire (9:02)
11. Blue Sabbath Black Fiji – Six Fingers For California (3:50)
12. Melt Banana – Spider Snipe (2:12)
13. Melt Banana – Stick Out (0:48)
14. Cave – High, I Am (4:35)
15. NEU! – HERO (7:11)
16. Dosh – yer face (3:22)
17. Lash Frenzy – C (25:44)

Don’t forget if you haven’t got your tickets yet they are available from HERE

Friday 22nd October 9pm – 2.30am
Tickets £20 BUY NOW
Headlined by Napalm Death
with Dead Fader, Demons (feat Sick Llama), Devil Man (feat DJ Scotch Egg), Drumcorps, Fukpig, Gum Takes Tooth, Necro Deathmort, PCM

Saturday 23rd October 4pm – 1.30am
Tickets £35 BUY NOW
Headlined by Godflesh + Melt Banana
with Blue Sabbath Black Fiji, Cave, Cloaks (DJ set), Dosh, Eagle Twin, Gnaw, Gnod, King Midas Sound, Lash Frenzy vs KK Null, Lichens, Melt Banana, oVo, Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides, People Like Us, Steve Troman & Dan Nicholls Duo, Stinky Wizzleteat, Tweak Bird
+ talks, films, workshops, market place, tea room

Sunday 24th October 2pm – 12.30am
Tickets £35 BUY NOW
Headlined by Swans + Hallogallo
with Barn Owl, Black Sun Drum Corps, Bong, Factory Floor, Jailbreak feat. Chris Corsano + Heather Leigh, James Blackshaw, Master Musicians of Bukkake + Khyam Allami, Mugstar, Nisennenmondai, Peter Broderick, Pierre Bastien & Male Instrumenty, Voice Of The Seven Thunders, Zeni Geva
+ talks, films, workshops, market place, tea room

Weekend tickets £75 BUY NOW

Supersonic needs YOU!

Capsule’s internationally renowned festival runs 22nd to 24th October 2010 and there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer. The festival is small enough for everyone involved to gain not just an overview of how the festival works, but to give real value and be part of a dynamic team.

We need a team of volunteers to help deliver the festival over the weekend of the event itself – we are looking for people to work over the festival weekend 22nd -24th October and in the run up to Supersonic from early October onwards. We expect a minimum of 12 hrs over the festival period in exchange for a weekend wristband.

In addition we are looking for professional quality photographers to help us document the festival

How to apply:
To apply send an email to volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk
Mark in the SUBJECT of the email VOLUNTEER or PHOTOGRAPHER

We will send you an application form, which you need to fill out and email back to us before the deadline which is the 21st September. There will then be a meeting on the evening of the 22nd of September to find out more about the festival and to meet the team.

Please note, unfortunately we can only receive applications from people over 18 years of age.

For further info about the festival check: http://www.supersonicfestival.com

Please feel free to spread the word.

Welcome to Capsule zine no. 5, this edition has been designed by our brand new intern Tom J Hughes, a mighty fine illustrator who has done us proud. As ever you’ll find some info about all things Capsule, as well as Supersonic Festival news and how it feels to be a quiz show champion. We’ve got some great pieces from local illustrators and a spot of colouring in too plus another great cake recipe. Enjoy!

We’re always looking for submissions, so feel free to get in touch via admin[at]capsule.org.uk with your articles, rants and doodles.

DAY TICKETS RELEASED FOR
SUPERSONIC FESTIVAL 2010

FINAL ACTS ADDED TO LINE-UP

KING MIDAS SOUND / ZENI GEVA / CLOAKS (exclusive solo DJ set) /
FACTORY FLOOR / NISENNENMONDAI / MUGSTAR /  DEVILMAN / PETER BRODERICK PIERRE BASTIEN + MALE INSTRUMENTY / FUKPIG  / LASH FRENZY vs KK NULL /
KHYAM ALLAMI AND MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE PRESENT: BOSPHOREAN  / MONARCH/ DEAD FADER / STINKY WIZZLETEAT

Joining confirmed acts including:
NAPALM DEATH / GODFLESH / SWANS
HALLOGALLO – Michael Rother + Friends present the music of NEU!

PEOPLE LIKE US / DEMONS (W/SICK LLAMA) / OvO / PART WILD HORSES MANE ON BOTH SIDES / DOSH / TWEAK BIRD / DRUMCORPS / CAVE / PCM / JAILBREAK FEAT. CHRIS CORSANO + HEATHER LEIGH / MELT BANANA / JAMES BLACKSHAW / LICHENS / BONG / GNOD / VOICE OF THE SEVEN THUNDERS / NECRO DEATHMORT / GNAW / EAGLE TWIN / BLUE SABBATH BLACK FIJI

Tickets on sale now from:
www.theticketsellers.co.uk
www.seetickets.com

Friday: £20, Sat/Sun: £35, Weekend: £75

Following the news that the 2010 edition of Birmingham’s acclaimed annual Supersonic Festival will be headlined by NAPALM DEATH, SWANS, GODFLESH and HALLOGALLO, Capsule are pleased to announce that a limited number of individual day tickets are now on sale, priced £20 (Friday) and £35 (Saturday/Sunday), with weekend tickets on sale at £75.

Friday night will be headlined by Birmingham extreme metallers Napalm Death, Saturday by Godflesh, for their first UK appearance in over 10 years, and Sunday by two equally unmissable acts, Swans and Hallogallo 2010 – Michael Rother + friends play the music of NEU!

Supersonic are also excited to reveal the final round of incredible artists who will be appearing at this year’s festival. From Doom to dun step and folk, Supersonic 2010 is set to cement the festival’s reputation as one of the most original and eclectic music festivals in the UK.

Regarded as pioneers of experimental music by the likes of Sonic Youth and Merzbow, KK Null’s incredible collective Zeni Geva will be bringing their prog-hardcore to the Supersonic stage, and KK will also be appearing alongside Birmingham sound artist, Lash Frenzy, in a truly unmissable performance. Also confirmed, Kevin Martin, creator of experimental dancehall project The Bug, with his incredible, critically acclaimed new project, King Midas Sound.

Aggressive, noisy and hailed by many as the successor to Napalm Death, Fukpig will be playing their new breed of Birmingham grindcore, along with heavy, heavy dub from Devilman aka DJ Scotch Egg and Dokkebi Q. Also confirmed, Monarch, with the demonic, throat-shredding shrieks of Emilie, whose petite appearance belies one of the harshest throats in the underground Doom spectrum.
Following a knock-out 2009 performance, Nisennenmondai return, bringing their driving rhythm section and metallic guitar sound, along with Mugstar, who will be playing their unique underground mix of psychedelia and krautrock.  Also confirmed, the most exciting new band to come out of London, Factory Floor, who will also be putting in one of their legendary brutal, live performances, and there will be an unmissable Cloaks DJ set from Steve Cloaks, who will be playing strictly Cloaks material only, in an exclusive performance for Supersonic 2010. There will also be heaviness, good times and volume a-plenty from Birmingham’s very own Stinky Weezleteet and distorto-death groves from Brighton’s Dead Fader.
World music meets psychedelic rock in a unique performance from Khyam Allami and Master Musicians of Bukkake, combining the sublime Oud playing of Iraqi musician Khyam Allami with the 7-piece out rock unit, Master Musicians of Bukkake. French composer and surrealist inventor Pierre Bastien will also be bringing his musical machinery, which he has been making since the 1970s, and will share the bill with Male Instrumenty, the fantastic five-piece orchestra of toys and small instruments from Poland. Also, the “painfully young and unnervingly talented” American multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick, who will be exploring minimalism and instrumentalism with tinges of folk.

Michael Gira has reactivated his No Wave/industrial/apocalyptic folk project SWANS for the first time in 13-years, The Quietus asks him for a track-by-track review.
Read full article + listen to tracks here

Probably the most unique interview I’ve ever done and least flattering photo at that for covertmag

Last weekend I was relaxing in my Moscow Police Cell when I spotted, across the balcony, Capsule co-founder and Supersonic Festival curator Lisa Meyer, and took the opportunity to ask a few questions about what’s been going on with the Birmingham Experimental scene, Capsule, and their Supersonic Festival.

“Hey! Lisa!” I hiss through the steel grated window of my cell.

“What are you doing here?” she says, “and how did you recognise me?”.

“Your dogs wearing a vampire costume.” I say, waving at Frank-furtter. “Anyway, I’m a big experimental music fan, but I’ve been stuck in here a year, so tell me what you got going on!”.

Read more of this bizarrely written interview by Ben Phluxm here

Photograph by Pascal Bourdon

A statement by Justin Broadrick about their difficult performance at Hellfest, we can assure you that every care will be taken at Supersonic to make sure that Godflesh are properly sound checked and have the correct equipment.
We can’t wait!

GODFLESH @ Hellfest. Okay, if you were in attendance for this then I am sure you are aware of how disappointed we were with what transpired, and we are sure you are / were most likely disappointed too.
I am afraid that it was all utterly beyond our control, we salvaged a performance out of what was a fairly ridiculous set of events. The power generator blowing during the set from The Young Gods, on just prior to us, was the catalyst for the ensuing chaos. At one point, performing at all was even in doubt. We had an hour allocated for both soundcheck and stage set up, since there is no soundcheck prior to the start of the festival, unfortunately, something that we really did need, but we were having to put our trust in the one hour allocated before performance, this one hour then became 20 short and extremely stressful minutes, with the stage management proclaiming that we must start immediately without any check of the sound, disastrous for us – additionally, the backline they hired in for us was not entirely correct or had faults with it, Ben’s bass rig specifically, my guitar amp was not right either, the monitors were awful without the time for us to correct them sufficiently, resulting in not hearing virtually any of the Machine in the monitors for nearly all of our opener ‘Like Rats’, the DVD machine for our films was also somewhat faulty. In short, this was an absolute frustrating catalogue of disasters, presenting the band in, for us, one of the worst ways imaginable. We do though consider that we somewhat forged a performance out of a significantly bad situation.
We played 40 of our intended 60 minutes ; quite literally onstage I managed to turn 30 minutes into 40 due to ongoing arguments, during our set, with the stage management.
We’re really sorry to everyone concerned that all this happened and hopefully this will all be rectified at the forthcoming GODFLESH performance at the Supersonic Festival, details below, for those who can make it, of course.
By Justin Broadrick

We have just negotiated a number of special rate rooms for Supersonic visitors at the Paragon Hotel which is a mere 5 mins walk from the venue. These rooms go very quickly so best get in quickly.

Special Supersonic Deal:

Paragon Hotel

(5 mins walk from the Custard Factory)
A magnificent example of Gothic architecture, the Paragon is situated in the heart of the city, lovingly restored into a modern, stylish, urban retreat.
£35.00 Room Only for Standard Single Room
£40.00 Room Only for Standard Twin or Double Room
£45.00 Room Only for Superior Single Room
£50.00 Room Only for Superior Double or Twin Room.
Breakfast will be available upon request at £5.00

Quote ‘CATS221010′ to book at special festival rate

T: +44 (0) 121 627 0627 / F: +44 (0) 121 627 0628
E: [email protected]

For more hotel deals check Hotels