THIS IS TRMW & SUPERSONIC FESTIVAL PRESENTS 

THE MESSTHETICS

+ SUPPORT

MON 28th JAN 2019

**Please note that the venue is only accessible via stairs.**

Supersonic Presents…
Dorcha (single release show)
Rattle
Adrena Adrena
TICKETS £6 in adv. £7 otd
https://supersonicfestival.com/product/dorcha-rattle-adrena-adrena/

DORCHA
Dorcha are a genre-fluid 5 piece band of synths, strings, electronics and heavy beats. A dynamic, versatile group with a refusenik attitude, Dorcha obsess over transporting listeners to a pool of shifting, nearly gothic, barely pop, experimental songwriting. Praised by the likes of BBC Radio 6’s Stuart Maconie on the Freak Zone, 2017 saw further progression in Dorcha’s recognition, with a live performance on BBC Radio 3 Late Junction, appearances at Flatpack Film Festival, Supernormal, Supersonic Festival and more. This May the band launch a brand new single from the forth-coming album set for release later this year. Bubbling with a new energy, this home-town show will be one not to be missed!

“Dorcha already know their own collective mind and are starting to channel a genre defying path through the increasingly fractured musical landscape. They deliver original and ambitious ideas with attitude and commitment, combining their considerable aptitude as players with an impressive musical sensibility. They clearly enjoy what they do. In Anna Palmer they have a tenacious front woman whose ability to move convincingly from sweet song to dark folk to visceral noise is captivating. Dorcha are a tight, grounded, self assured band delivering solid ideas that demand some attentive listening.” – Verity Sharp, BBCRadio3.

RATTLE
RATTLE are Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley. Rattle began as an experiment in crafting rich songs and melody using only drums and voice. Their music weaves and intertwines post-punk, minimalism and experimental rock, through off-kilter rhythms, patterns and counter melodies. Their debut album, ‘Rattle’ (via Upset The Rhythm and I Own You Records) led to invitations to support Animal Collective on a short UK tour and The Julie Ruin on their European tour. Their live performances, at once hypnotic, monastic and danceable entranced audiences in the UK, Spain, Belgium and Ireland in 2017. The band have just completed their second album in their home town of Nottingham, UK due for release later this year. Rattle will join Protomartyr on their UK tour in May 2018.

ADRENA ADRENA
Adrena Adrena is a collaboration between visual artist Daisy Dickinson and drummer E-Da Kazuhisa, previously the drummer of the Japanese noise band Boredoms and currently British electronic/post-rock band Seefeel (Rephlex, Warp Records).
The duo cut a raw blend of drums, noise and organic visual work, featuring in their performances an eight foot white sphere that hangs above Kazuhisa’s drum kit and which Dickinson maps videos on to; her work was described by William Barns-Graham of Fluid Radio as ‘cosmological and transcendental, drawing attention to the wonder of the earth and our sensuality on it’.

We’re delighted to welcome back two of last years Supersonic Festival highlights in slightly less sweaty surroundings with the addition of the ever raucous Youth Man.

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs 

“This is classic 70s heavy metal deep-fried in iron and blood.” – The Quietus

“He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man”, as a sage wiser and more debauched than most of us once remarked. Such is the headspace of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, whose animalistic headspace is set out by their very moniker, yet who have wasted little time in creating an almighty psychic charge that has blown minds and summoned bedlam in sweat-drenched venues across the UK’s underground and beyond.

“The energy created is so thick you can almost bite down on it and it feels like there’s no longer any barrier between band and audience. Those are the special shows, where there’s a solidarity and a very visceral bond. That, and being able to smell our amps melting”.

Amps and brains alike, as these psychic omnivores bring seven times the joy, seven times the pain, seven times the dementia and deliverance.

Listen here: pigspigspigspigspigspigspigs.bandcamp.com/album/feed-the-rats-2

Grey Hairs

Emerging from the fertile Nottingham DIY scene, Grey Hairs recall a time when it was harder to pigeon hole bands and people cared less about doing so anyway. 2017’s LP “Serious Business” matches the band’s love of volume to a new-found directness and power. Every song is like a miniature world in itself, taking unexpected twists and turns that mean just when you think you’ve got them pinned they wriggle free.It’s raucous energy and quarrelling male/female vocals recall everything from the Stooges to Status Quo, from The Birthday Party to Black Sabbath but it never feels like a re-tread. Live, these songs take on a life of their own. The band might only just about stay in the saddle but it’s always a thrilling ride.

greyhairs.bandcamp.com

Youth Man are the band you will wish you saw in years to come. Their live show is a shrieking, thrilling wrecking-ball of human bodies, flailing limbs and chaos. With their currently emerging plans for 2018, the band are more inspired and revitalised than ever, brace yourself for an intense live performance.

Supersonic Festival in association with the Hare & Hounds 10th Anniversary Series Present
DJ sets from
Surgeon
Steve Davis & Kavus Tarobi
DJ Bus Replacement Service

with visuals from EDWARDO TECH

Surgeon, real name Anthony Child, has been at the forefront of UK techno since 1994.
His debut “Surgeon EP” is regarded by many as seminal, and along with several early Downwards releases, caused a ripple of excitement through the techno cognoscenti of the time. Surgeon released a further three albums on Tresor, numerous Counterbalance and Dynamic Tension EPs and LPs “Body Request” in 2000, “Breaking The Frame” LP in 2011, and “From Farthest Known Objects” in 2016.
Over the course of his career, the Birmingham resident has perfected a unique and uncommonly effective production style. His is a tough techno sound with an industrial murk about it but also plenty of funk, swing and a sophisticated sense of dub-space learned in part from his Chain Reaction contemporaries in Berlin.
Nov 10th this local legend brings his notorious DJ set to The Hare venue 1 – NOT TO BE MISSED!
http://www.dj-surgeon.com/
https://soundcloud.com/dynamic-tension/surgeon-live-freerotation-7-7-17

RETURNING TO THE HARE after a killer show back in March this year is the one and only Steve Davis – this time with alt-music partner in tow – Kavus Torabi.
The legendary sporting phenomenon from the 80s who took snooker to new heights and as presenter of The Interesting Alternative Show on Pheonix FM with Kavus brought prog and jazz oddities to his cult audience, now turns his hands to the decks. As a hobby which he claims has spun out of control, their notorious 2016 Glastonbury set at the 500 capacity Stonebridge bar was mobbed by a curious turned shocked and enthralled crowd. With a packed out DJ diary since, the duo has continued to woo party goers from Bluedot to Bloc Festival. Drawing from an eclectic array of influences: Magma, Caravan, Oscar Perry, Soft Machine and Gong to name but a few – Steve & Kavus spin together a unique set in their quest to deliver the music they love to lovers of the party.
Listen back to The Interesting Alternative Show archive:
https://www.mixcloud.com/interestingalternative/

DJ Bus Replacement Service has been described by multi- disciplinary artist Russell Haswell as “evil” and “like a policewoman”.
Also known in Japan as DJ バスガス爆発 (BASU-GASU-bakahatsu).
https://soundcloud.com/deejaybrs

Promised to be a night of mind-bending music as these 4 alt-techno party lovers take turns on the decks, heightened by the flashes, projections & firworks of EDWARDOtme
https://www.facebook.com/edwardotme/?pnref=lhc

Tickets £12.50 advance / £15 otd
https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Birmingham/Hare-And-Hounds/Supersonic-Festival-x-Hare--Hounds-Surgeon-Steve-Davis–more/13050346/

Supersonic Festival in association with the Hare & Hounds 10th Anniversary Series Present
Steve Davis (DJ Set) with support from Graham Dunning – Mechanical Techno Set Plus Visuals from Hellocatfood

Steve Davis – the legendary sporting phenomenon from the 80s who took snooker to new heights and as presenter of The Interesting Alternative Show on Pheonix FM brought prog and jazz oddities to his cult audience, now turns his hands to the decks. As a hobby which he claims has spun out of control, his notorious 2016 Glastonbury set at the 500 capacity Stonebridge bar was mobbed by a curious turned shocked and enthralled crowd. With a packed out DJ diary since, Steve has continued to woo party goers from Bluedot to Bloc Festival. Drawing from an eclectic array of influences: Magma, Caravan, Oscar Perry, Soft Machine and Gong to name but a few – Steve spins together a unique set in his quest to deliver the music he loves to lovers of the party.

 Graham Dunning – Mechanical Techno Set
Graham Dunning works with sound, processes and found objects visually drawing upon dirt, dust and decay, evoking notions of memory, collecting and archiving. Dunning’s work sonically remixes cultural off-cuts, often utilising the unwarranted noise inherent in vinyl and cassette playback. A self-taught artist and musician, his work explores sound as texture, timbre and tactility, drawing on bedroom production, tinkering and recycling found objects. Recently Dunning’s performance project Mechanical Techno – a teetering stack of collaged vinyl interspersed with physical interventions and extended phonograph needles – has drawn accolades from sound art and music festival scenes.
https://grahamdunning.com/

Visuals by Hellocatfood
Hellocatfood is the alias of Antonio Roberts, a New Media artist and Curator based in Birmingham, UK. His artwork uses glitch art, hacking and technology-driven processes to explore issues surrounding copyright, remixing and free culture. He has provided visuals for the likes of MTV, Com Truise, Elmo Sexwhistle, Henry Homesweet and My Panda Shall Fly.
http://hellocatfood.com/

Supersonic Festival and Milque & Muhle partner to bring you an explosive Xmas cocktail of aural delights and high-spirited performances across 2 rooms with

Palehorse
Bludgeoning sludge rock from South London , now signed to Candlelight. expect heavy grooves, pounding drums and dual vocals.

Sly and the Family Drone
A primal orchestra of drum rhythms, radiophonic oscillator noise and electronically-abstracted vocals.

Lowest Form
Swirly nasty hardcore from one of britain’s finest ensembles, full length now out on iron lung records.

Ravioli Me Away
Ravioli Me Away are a dangerously ambitious and delusional all girl jazzy post punk, hip funk outfit from london.

Paddy Steer
Sounds like a Swiss cuckoo clock made of egg boxes and horsehair, glued together by an African Moog player in a Vietnamese iron monger’s shop.

Table Scraps
Local Garage Rock. Duo with guitar and stand up drumming with male/female vocals.

Rainbow Grave
Debut show formed from the ashes of Backwards (R.I.P) :'( – think Hate Sludge akin to  Stickmen with Rayguns/ Kilslug.

“They are the most interesting musical unit in the world today…Go and see the Ex and you will hear rhythms you have never heard before…a sweaty seething party, an uplifting, joyful celebration.” – The Quietus

Capsule are delighted to announce THE EX will be performing in Birmingham at the Hare & Hounds on April 18th.

Since emerging in 1979, Dutch anarcho-punk band THE EX have embarked on a series of adventurous collaborations, making their musical style impossible to confine to any one genre. Beginning in the 80s The Ex partnered with jazz musicians and an Iraqi-Kurdish band. Later, in the 90s the group found a myriad of partners from varied musical and non-musical backgrounds including Kamagurka, Tom Cora, Sonic Youth, Han Bennink, Jan Mulder, Shellac and Wolter Wierbos.

THE EX return to the UK this Spring and have just released a brand new 7” single. The A-side ‘How Thick You Think’ is available to listen to courtesy of The Quietus.

RATTLE

If the idea of a band consisting of just 2 drummers brings to mind a hippy bongo nightmare then you’ve obviously never heard RATTLE. Comprising of 2 of Nottingham’s most unique and recognisable drummers (Theresa Wrigley of Fists and Katharine Brown of KOGUMAZA) and aided by Kogumaza’s Mark Spivey they create a hypnotic and danceable music form that recalls This Heat or ESG even whilst remaining completely their own.

HEALTH & EFFICIENCY

Drawing influence and inspiration from a heterogeneous selection of art and music H&E formed in 2009. They combine elements of punk-rock, no-wave, free jazz, psych-folk, minimalist composition, and improvisation into a dynamic balance that sounds spontaneous and harmonious in its execution.

Tickets for THE EX + RATTLE + HEALTH & EFFICIENCY at Hare & Hounds on April 18th are available for purchase now and also include entry to a secondary stage which is being co-hosted by our friends at MILQUE & MUHLE.

The  MILQUE & MUHLE programme includes:

GHOLD

With a heavy bass line and percussive drums, this sludge rock duo pay homage to the early days of Sludge with bands like the Melvins, Karp and Godheadsilo.

MOB RULES

‘Cesstone music to try the patience of the Hardcore’, MOB RULES are arguably one of best bands on the UK Hardcore scene at the moment, Leeds anger-fuelled Powerviolence at its best. Formed in 2008, this four-piece are practically Leeds’ answer to Black Flag.

SUMP

Formed in 2008, SUMP is a Yorkshire two-piece consisting of George Proctor (guitar) and Gareth Howells (drums and vocals). Sump is a glorious fusion of Black Metal and Punk, this isn’t the first time the two have come together, yet somehow Sump achieve a unique and exciting sound.

BAYONNEBLEEDER

This will be the second show from local Hardcore outfit BAYONNEBLEEDER, who have spent over a year refining their tight and rapid sound; They take influence from bands such as Rorschach, Septic Death and His Hero Is Gone.

+ DJ SETS FROM LUKE YOUNGER & CHRIS BRESS

Buy tickets here for THE EX, RATTLE, HEALTH & EFFICIENCY and the MILQUE & MUHLE  line-up. Tickets include entry to both stages.

Satomi Matsuzaki plays bass and sings, Greg Saunier plays drums, John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez play guitars. But what is Deerhoof really? Hell if we know. Pitchfork went so far as to label Deerhoof as “the best band in the world.” The New York Times described them as “one of the most original rock bands to have come along in the last decade.” From 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.

http://deerhoof.net

Support comes from:

Free School
Bringing the sunny Balearic sounds of summer and the icy kosmische sounds of winter to a venue near you, Free School are maximalist and minimalist all at once. But in a good way. The Birmingham duo signed to the internationally renowned Tirk label in 2011 and recently released their critically acclaimed LP ‘Tender Administration’, following two 12” EP releases and a string of remixes for the likes of Roots Manuva, Phil Oakey and Maps (Mute).

Their cosmic delights have won the support of Jacques Renault, Lauren Laverne & Gilles Peterson. Last year saw the duo play live supporting Andrew Weatherall, Walls, Parts & Labour, Ulrich Schnauss, Fujiya & Miyagi and Supersonic Festival & The Garden Festival in Croatia.
www.wearefreeschool.com

VICTOR are a Birmingham based noise quintet whose diverse influences blend to create a mash up of genres, creating a new sound that has something for every alternative pallet.

“Heavy grooves and dark noise give a beautiful backdrop to the reverb drenched power vocals that melodically dance around the room. Big choruses and dangerously boisterous breakdowns make VICTOR a band to keep your eye one and a band that definitely deserve a breakthrough into the public eye.” – Counteract Magazine
www.facebook.com/victortheverbose

A firm Capsule favourite, we are delighted to announce a show with the inimitable Daniel Higgs.

Daniel Arcus Incus Ululat Higgs is a musician and artist from Baltimore, Maryland on whose behalf superlatives are destined to fail. It’s not that his artistic output – spanning three decades, numerous albums, books of poetry and collections of drawings – simply eludes classification, it defies it. Often we hear that a true work of art is meant to speak for itself, and with the work of Daniel Higgs the maxim rings truer than ever. His art is of the cosmos, we on Earth merely lucky that it happens to be confined to our atmosphere, in our lifetime.

Higgs is known primarily for his work as the sole lyricist and frontman of the band Lungfish, a four-piece dedicated to charting, in this listener’s estimation, nothing short of the evolution of all species, known and unknown. That the band has undertaken this pursuit in the guise of a humble rock outfit, in the absence of any public relations fanfare, metanarrative, or manifesto has been enough to endear them to tens of thousands. They are enshrined as one of America’s last true folk bands, and Higgs anointed as a patron saint to artistic purity.

In recent years, Higgs has released a number of solo outings that can only be described as the ultimate in isolation, worlds away from the hypnotic, communal rock of his band. On Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot, Higgs weaves meditative, casually ruptured drones using acoustic and electric guitar, upright pianos, banjo and jew’s harp, recorded entirely at home on cassette recorder. www.dischord.com/band/daniel-higgs

“Where to start to describe The Horse Loom? The best acoustic guitar player in the country? Maybe. The most unique marriage between British folk music, avant garde guitar playing and punk rock spirit? Certainly. Wonderful? Definitely. Under-rated? You’ll have to ask him about that.

Northumbrian guitarist and singer Steve Malley would doubtless be extremely embarrassed to read any of these things. That says a lot. Steve played guitar in Crane in the early 90s, whose post-Husker Du take on The Byrds-meets-DC hardcore earned them a deserving reputation as one of the UK’s finest live bands. He would go on to play in Kodiak, Four Frame and then most notably The Unit Ama. The Unit Ama existed in direct contrast to their (musical) peers from America. Whereas a cold and cool approach was favoured by the bands from across the pond, The Ama dropped any of this façade and opened themselves and their music to possibilities of accident and misfortune creating a live experience that was truly inspiring. I say with total sincerity that they changed a lot of people’s musical outlook forever.” www.thehorseloom.com

Adam Beckley plays ambient drone guitar, creating hypnotic sounds reminiscent Tim Hecker. You can stream Adam’s performance at St Paul’s Church last year, supporting Esmerine, via his bandcamp

Poster designed by David Hand www.alongbirdalley.co.uk

Chrome Hoof are an experimental orchestra based in London, England. The group was formed in 2000 by Cathedral bassist Leo Smee and his brother Milo Smee. Initially performing as a duo, their music was mostly electronic. Since the start, however, the group have continuously recruited new members playing various instruments. As of 2007, the group had about ten members and instruments such as saxophone, trumpet, bassoon, violin, guitars, bass and drums. Being a large orchestra, Chrome Hoof’s music spans several diverse music genres such as metal, electro, funk, jazz, disco and chamber music. Their music has been described as progressive, futuristic and psychedelic.

http://www.facebook.com/chromehoof

BO NINGEN

“They’re a mesmerising sight, and you can hardly ignore their sound. It’s a squall with shape, albeit of the inchoate variety: Can meets Sabbath is one way of describing their, not melange, no, that’s way too polite – charnel house of charged riffs, funk with a mathematically improbable rhythm (is that a 24/6 beat we can hear?)” Paul Lester- Guardian

http://www.myspace.com/boningen

The band of brothers known far and wide as Sleepy Sun don’t sit still for long. Though they remain real and spiritual citizens of the Northern California hive that birthed the band in the latter half of the last decade, Sleepy Sun is a rambling band- a certifiably vagabond unit that built a reputation among American and European audiences as fine-tuned, ironclad locomotive and candy sweet heavy pop machine. http://www.sleepysun.net

Mustard Tiger is a post hardcore band from Birmingham, UK. Formed in 2011, their sound has been described as “Toxic, Loud and Obnoxious”. Currently recording their debut EP scheduled  for a December release. www.facebook.com/mustardtigerband

Poster by Ben Javens

Capsule coaxed Harvey Milk to make their first UK appearance at Supersonic Festival in 2008. We’re thrilled to have them back.

Poster designed by Daniel Margretts

Harvey Milk are an American experimental rock/noise rock band that formed in Athens, Georgia in the early 1990s. While Harvey Milk invariably draws comparisons to the Melvins, due to their penchant for slow, heavy riffs, the band has touched upon such artists as ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen, and Kiss as influences in their music.

http://www.myspace.com/harveymilk

Einstellung are a krautrock/shoegaze band from Birmingham. Einstellung’s work has been likened to My Bloody Valentine Bardo Pond and Neu!. They released a double vinyl names ‘Wings of Desire’ on Capsule’s very own record label.

http://www.myspace.com/einstellung

Grimpen Mire

Effortlessly combining traditional Doom by the likes of Sabbath with the aggressiveness of sludge and hardcore, West Midlands trio Grimpen Mire have continued to lay waste to venues since their inception in late 2007. The blend of textured guitars and unrelenting heaviness has seen them rapidly rising the ranks of the UK doom scene, their debut album is due out in 2011 on At War With False Noise.

http://www.myspace.com/grimpenmire1971

An end of year party for the following independents and their friends (and frankly, anyone else who wants in)

Birmingham Bike Foundry
http://birminghambikefoundry.org/
Capsule
http://capsule.org.uk/
Ideal
http://www.idealbirmingham.co.uk/
Polar Bear
http://www.facebook.com/groups/163506481495/

There’ll be live music, DJs and of course some cake to round up the year.

Live bands:

Backwards – Drunk songs for the drunk

Stinky Wizzleteat – Blood, sweat and broken amplifiers

Selfless – somewhere between Black Flag and Here

Teeth of the Sea is a psychedelic rock band from London. The group (Sam Barton, Mike Bourne, John Hirst and Jimmy Martin) were inspired to forge forth in search of oblivion unknown after experiencing an epiphany during a Wolf Eyes gig.

After the release of their January 2009 album ‘Orphaned By The Ocean’ on Rocket Recordings John Hirst left the band, to be replaced by Mat Colegate. After a tour with Oneida, an appearance at the Offset Festival, and November’s ‘Holy Trinity’ tour with Gnod and Thought Foms, Teeth Of The Sea released the twenty-four-minute-long ‘Hypnoticon’ EP in January 2010. and their second album, ‘Your Mercury’ was released in November 2010. 2011 saw them tour with British Sea Power, Esben & The Witch and Parts & Labor, as well as playing the Supersonic, Standon Calling and Supernormal Festivals, along with dates with Circle, Crippled Black Phoenix and Vessels. . A third album is planned for later in 2012, also to be released on Rocket Recordings.

http://www.myspace.com/thewrongjaws

Health & Efficiency

Their music traverses an encyclopaedia of influences; psych, folk, no wave noise and electronic perhaps being some of the more predominant. They utilise banjo, two basses, two guitars, synths, samplers and more effects and loop pedals than it’s reasonable for one band to need.
http://healthandefficiency.net/

Victories At Sea are an experimental 3 piece from the Midlands, citing influences as wide and diverse as Slowdive, Boards of Canada, and M83 through to more unadulterated alternatives such as Echo and The Bunnymen, New Order and mid 80’s Cure. By using various electronics and drum loops live, their traditional set up is enveloped by resonating layers of sound cast against the backdrop of the city at night.

http://victoriesatsea.co.uk/

Daniel Higgs from Sandy Carson Photography on Vimeo.

Daniel A.I.U Higgs, Interdimensional Song-Seamstress and Corpse-Dancer of the Mystic Crags was born in the Harbor City of Baltimore, USA in the early-mid sixties of the previous millenium. Having begun singing 25 years ago, he is perhaps best known as the singer and lyricist of the band Lungfish, which is now, as it often has been, quasi if not entirely defunct. Presently, the music Daniel manifests proceeds without the blessing/curse and help/hinderance of collaborative influence.

Daniel currently has three solo albums available, “Magic Alphabet” on Ian MacKaye’s Northern Liberties imprint, “Ancestral Songs” on Holy Mountain and “Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot”, the new book/cd and LP on Thrill Jockey.

Co promotion with Polar Bear Records

Blood Ceremony’s distinct style of flute-tinged witch rock evolves from an infernal marriage of occult inspired acid folk and vintage hard rock riffing.  After a mind-numbing study of hundreds of witchcraft themed films, the group began to pour their energies into crafting songs, transforming their fascination for horror into a profane musical vision.

Invoking the mischievous Pipes of Pan, Blood Ceremony songs are distinguished by singer Alia O’Brien’s alluring flute solos, accenting an instrument long-associated with a list of devilish figures.

A celebration of Euro-horror, ’60s saturnalia and occult miscellanea, their self-titled debut album was mixed by Billy Anderson and released by Rise Above Records in 2008. Following this they completed a successful European tour alongside Brit doom legends Electric Wizard.

Blood Ceremony finished recording their second album ‘Living With The Ancients’, working alongside producer Sanford Parker in Chicago. The album displays a definite improvement in songwriting skills and a strong musical maturity. Wider influences from obscure areas can be heard fluctuating beyond the more obvious comparisons associated their aforementioned 2008 debut.

http://www.myspace.com/bloodceremony

Sally

Altogether more experimental, their ultra-heavy guitar rock owes more to the psychedelic world of Sonic Youth and Mudhonev than anything intrinsically metal. This is the ultimate in head music, cupping your brain and lifting it into the clouds before dragging it down an alley and kicking the crap out of it. C-Earth is a heavy and oppressive pressure wave. Heavy and hypnotic. Billy Anderson’s production drenches everything in a nice layer of mud, which suits the grimy, semi-liquid nature of the sound perfectly.

Where better to spend your honeymoon than Birmingham? Wills (P-Willy) and Kate have picked their favourite local noise makers to celebrate their marriage in style.

Stinky Wizzleteat have cancelled their performance at this gig – apologies.

Bargepole

Emeralds are an ambient / drone / psychedelic music trio from Cleveland, Ohio, United States.

John Elliott, Mark McGuire and Steve Hauschildt, as Emeralds, focus on live improvisation.Since June 2006, the group has released over fourty recordings, on labels such as Hanson Records, American Tapes, Manhand, Ecstatic Peace! and also on their own imprint Wagon.

They have collaborated with Aaron Dilloway on the cassette Under Pressure, released a split tour CD with Japanese noise musician Pain Jerk and opened for Throbbing Gristle in New York. The band has also had the pleasure of performing headlining spots in Carlos Giffoni’s No Fun Fest in New York and Stockholm, Sweden. Mark McGuire and Steve Hauschildt also perform and record under their own names. John Elliott performs as Outer Space, Imaginary Softwoods, Lilypad, colored mushroom and the medicine rocks, and as various other aliases.

Emeralds are noted for blending ambient music with 80’s synthesizer textures, German kosmische music and the minimalism of Terry Riley.

http://www.last.fm/music/Emeralds

Iron Fist of the Sun
Bitter cold contemporary power electronics/industrial that steers clear of the cliches that pollute the scene. Synth heavy and tonal, drawing inspirations from electro-acoustic academia as much as underground black metal.

http://www.myspace.com/ironfistofthesun

Mr Underwood fuses an array of electronic and acoustic sounds in his
improvised live performances. Drawing inspiration from electronica and
Musique concrète, Mr.Underwood weaves a complex sonic tapestry, from
delicate and intricate sounds to more beat driven compositions. Using his
ever growing collection of obscure and self-made instruments Mr.Underwood’s
live performances are rich with distinctive sounds and textures.
www.mrunderwood.co.uk

Poster by Bethan McKnight

Earth are an American drone band based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 1990 by Dylan Carlson, Slim Moon, and Greg Babior; the band took its name from the first incarnation of Black Sabbath. Although they have played various styles of music, they are best known as pioneers of a minimalistic, long and repetitive form of heavy music known as drone. To a lesser extent their sound is referred to as doom metal. Earth, however, have little to do with metal in their current sound. Their early albums could be seen as a variation of the experimental doom-influenced metal of The Melvins.

Their music is beautiful and at the same time desolate featuring the sound of lonely highways, wide-open spaces and the occasional slide guitar. They are so far ahead of the pack it will take years for people to catch up with them. This is music to get totally immersed in; it’s melodic, powerful yet understated and reserved.
www.myspace.com/earthofficial

Lori Goldston’srestless curiosity and the adaptive sounds of her cello blur the lines of genre, time and geography. Her music reflects broad, layered interests and feelings, from fierce humor to focused chaos to hauntingly tender melancholy. Current projects include work with the experimental metal band Earth, and her bands Spectratone International, the Shifting Light and However; a score for Linas Phillips’s film “Bass Ackwards,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and live scores for several silent films, including a commission by WNYC’s New Sounds Live. Co-founder with partner Kyle Hanson of The Black Cat Orchestra, Lori is a frequent collaborator in dance, film and music from other disciplines. She has played with Nirvana, David Byrne, Cat Power, Earth, Mirah, John Doe, the Wedding Present, Laura Veirs, Secret Chiefs 3, Parenthetical Girls, TU, Larry Barrett, the Dead Science and many others. http://www.lorigoldston.com

Poster designed by Tom J Hughes

CANCELLED – We’re very sorry to announce that this event has been cancelled, here is the statement from Elastic Artists –

“We are extremely sorry to announce that we have been forced to cancel
Blood Ceremony in Birmingham and the rest of the band’s scheduled UK
dates.This is due to a conflict in schedule with Ghost who had been due to
tour as a package with Blood Ceremony. We have tried everything we
possibly could to keep the shows on but unfortunately it has not been
possible owing to the complex logistics involved. Blood Ceremony will
be returning to the UK in the Summer of 2011”

But keep the date in your diary as we’re planning a Capsule party of some great Brum bands – you can’t hold back the grannies!

Blood Ceremony

Born out of an obsession with ’70s occult rock, Blood Ceremony’s music resurrects the spirit of groups such as Coven, Affinity, and Black Widow. After a mind-numbing study of hundreds of trashy witchcraft films, the group began to pour their energies into crafting songs, transforming their fascination for horror into a profane musical vision. Blood Ceremony is interested in musical sorcery, the members having made a firm pact dedicating themselves to the twilight world of saturnalia and occult lore.

Blood Ceremony plays a distinctive brand of flute-tinged witch rock. Early on, their sound revealed an infernal marriage of Black Sabbath and the manic piping of Jethro Tull. Eschewing the affectations of modern rock music, Blood Ceremony keeps it simple and heavy; yet their songs are tempered with strong, brooding melodies. This effect is enhanced by their use of the flute; an instrument once prevalent in progressive rock, but which is uncommon in today’s scene. Invoking the mischievous “Pipes of Pan,” Blood Ceremony songs are distinguished by singer Alia O’Brien’s energetic jazz-flute solos – accenting an instrument long-associated with a list of devilish mythic characters. Writing of Blood Ceremony’s situation in heavy music, NOW critic Jason Keller points out: “Once (the flute) enters the forum of heavy metal, there aren’t many other bands you can reference.” Although the tag of Heavy Metal may be a stretch, there is a sense of heaviness and funereal gloom in Blood Ceremony’s music, as well as a lyrical obsession with eldritch themes, that aligns them with much of traditional Doom.
http://www.myspace.com/bloodceremony

Ghost

Ghost is the name of a devil worshipping ministry that – in order to spread their unholy gospels and, furthermore, trick mankind into believing that the end is ultimately a good thing – have decided to use the ever so popular rock music medium as a way to achieve their ends.

Standing motionless and anonymous beneath the painted faces, hoods and robes which their sect demand, the six nameless ghouls of Ghost deliver litanies of sexually pulsating heavy rock music and romantic lyrics, which glorify and glamorise the disgusting and sacrilegious, with the simple intention to communicate a message of pure evil via the most effective device they can find: Entertainment. This is Black Metal at its most original and deceiving; compositions such as “Ritual” and “Death Knell” majestically weave their melodic spell of evil through the senses until the listener finds themselves utterly possessed and open to any diabolical suggestion.
http://www.myspace.com/thebandghost

Arbouretum

We’ve been wanting these guys back in Brum ever since their storming Supersonic set in 2009 – and here they are touring their new album The Gathering.

Arbouretum first began in late 2002 as a vehicle for singer/guitarist David Heumann’s songwriting.  Since their debut album, Long Live  the Well-Doer, there have been several lineup changes that have included musicians such as Ned Oldham (Anomoanon), Walker Teret (Cass McCombs’ band), and Jennifer Hutt, as well as drummers Mitchell Feldstein (Lungfish) and David Bergander (Celebration).  The sweeping, atmospheric textures of the first record soon gave way to a more visceral, elemental approach.  Amplifiers were turned up, drums were hit harder, and songs crescendoed into spiraling, noise-soaked climaxes on the second full-length, Rites of Uncovering. 
Released on Thrill Jockey in early 2007, the record garnered much attention and critical acclaim.  XLR8R called it “the best doom-folk record of all time” and Uncut referred to it as an instant “cult classic”. 
http://www.myspace.com/arbouretum

Health & Efficiency

Their music traverses an encyclopaedia of influences; psych, folk, no wave noise and electronic perhaps being some of the more predominant. They utilise banjo, two basses, two guitars, synths, samplers and more effects and loop pedals than it’s reasonable for one band to need.
http://healthandefficiency.net/

Tigernaut
Tigernaut make instrumental rock music that combines delicate guitar melodies with serious riffs. Folk elements vie with math and jazz time signature changes and inviting soundscapes to make music that always drives forwards, but often hides pleasant surprises.
Spending years practicing in garages and bedrooms, unable to afford the latest musical technology advertised in Guitar Monthly, Tigernaut were forced to fall back on music carefully written to engage the listener. They now have two delay pedals between them, but the habit has stuck.

http://www.myspace.com/tigernaut

Kayo Dot

First Birmingham appearance of Brooklyn-based mavericks Kayo Dot. Their last two albums, Blue Lambency Downward, and the lastest, Coyote, were released on the Los Angeles experimental heavy music label Hydra Head, and ironically do more than any of their previous output to transcend the often-applied ‘metal’ tag. Myriad influences and multifarious instrumentation combine to produce records of swirling, eerie majesty, full of startlingly original orchestration, poignant vocal harmonies and constantly challenging arrangements. The constantly-shifting soundscapes take in elements of jazz and classical music and filter them through a Zorn-esque modern composition aesthetic, and a command of dynamic range which belies founder Toby Driver’s background in heavy music. The resulting pieces are executed with such ease and erudition that any attempt to tease out the shreds of the band’s influences becomes futile and unnecessary as one becomes lost in the disturbing beauty and sheer wonder. Expect entrancing live renditions of tracks from Blue Lambency Downward, plus earlier releases on Holy Roar and John Zorn’s Tzadik label.

http://www.myspace.com/kayodot

Jeremiah Cymerman

The music of Jeremiah Cymerman (SIMMER-man), as described by Chris Weingarten of Spin/Village Voice “cuts a maddening line between free improv and musique concrète”. Based in New York City since 2002 and as an active participant in several different scenes, Cymerman’s work reflects an interest in improvisation, electronic manipulation & production, traditional, studio & graphic composition and solo performance. Cymerman has worked or performed with a broad range of contemporary artists and frequent collaborators include Toby Driver, Nate Wooley, Brian Chase, Mario Diaz de Leon, Christopher Hoffman, Jessica Pavone and Matthew Welch.  Cymerman has toured internationally, received numerous commissions and published several articles on music and music production. He has released several recordings of his own music and his recorded output has been documented on the  Tzadik and Porter record labels.

Bilbao Syndrome

Combining the more extreme elements of metal, jazz and modern composition in a confrontational and cathartic presentation. The bulk of the material is driven by relentless shifting guitar riffs which bring to mind a Ritalin-addled Meshuggah or a more wantonly violent Shining, underpinned by massive lurching bass and nervous, offbeat-laden drum figures. Periodically the rhythmic intensity reaches a climax and the groove breaks down into scattergun snare blasts and offbeat stabs, rendered with a seemingly telepathic sense of timing, recalling the spasmodic assault of The Locust.

The rules of metal allow for a certain amount of theatre, provided it is of the Dungeons and Dragons variety. Bilbao Syndrome circumvent the cliches of the genre to conjure a more austere, contemporary horrorshow which is guaranteed to be a divisive, ultimately rejuvenative presence in modern metal.

http://www.myspace.com/bilbaosyndrome

Poster designed by Tom J Hughes