What's On in Bristol

Few can list a t.A.t.u remix as one of their finest achievements and retain their musical credibility. Yet, like much of techno’s new wave of pioneering producers, no cultural stones lay unturned for Air Max '97 Music. In keeping with Bristol’s own experimental sound, the Melbourne producer spills a diverse pool of influences across his oblique DJ sets, reworking the likes of Bjork, Rihanna, Kelela and even Gangsta Boo into unrecognisable, frenzied mayhem, packed with rhythmic complexity and a floor-heavy focus. Joining the dots between broken beat, bassline, grime and garage, his own productions are dark and twisted amalgams, warping vocal samples into nightmarish yet melancholy textures that call to mind IDM greats such as Burial, Aphex & Autechre. Don’t miss him alongside Hi5ghost, Zoee, Saaaz and NES$ b2b MUN SING for Illegal Data’s first show of 2019 at The Old England. 🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E50870 📺

Nebula​ invite breakbeat-house poster boy The Burrell Connection​ to The Crofters Rights​ on January 30th. Underground favourites of La Cheetah Club, Craigie Knowes​ and the wider Glasgow scene, their twisted Analog-driven cuts are full of raw energy, emotive pads, 808 basslines and huge breaks. 🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E50626

Parisian selector Raphael Top-Secret brings a packed bag of dancefloor obscurities to Lakota - Bristol for the first of Deep Discs’ 2019 Spring Series. A close affiliate of Music From Memory boss Jamie Tiller, the selector’s oddball sensibilities saw him enlisted to co-curate the label’s 2017’s Uneven Paths compilation, whilst his afro edit ‘Owhaaou!’ made a star appearance on Hunee’s seminal Hunchin All Night comp in 2018. Drawing from an extensive pool of wide-reaching influences, Raphael’s DJ sets inject a dose of summer sunshine to the darkest of winter nights, spanning from lilting lover’s rock to pumping disco cuts, balearic warmers and unknown 80s house gems. 🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E50344 📺

While national politics is an increasingly bleak proposition with increasingly inhuman spectres gracing TV and broadsheet, Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol cuts a figure of integrity and reminds us that local victories can be won. The first directly elected black mayor of a major European city - The Mayor's Race - Documentary follows his hard won 2016 bid for the Bristol Mayoral Election. Rees' story of perserverence, mobility, class, race-relations has gained traction in Europe and the States and it's central message cuts beyond party political boundaries. Premiering last year after a successful Indiegogo campaign, here's another chance to see the crowd-funded film about Bristol's self-made Mayor at Bristol's most loved self-run cinema - The Cube Microplex. 🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E50661 📺 Trailer: vimeo.com/58363234

Milo's Planes Howling Owl Records' in-house answer to Fugazi: Milos Planes make tortured bursts of deft hardcore for kicking over bins in Stokes Croft. milosplanes.bandcamp.com/ Tickets: hdfst.uk/E50006 The Naturals With a new album rumoured to be brewing, the success of Breakfast Records favs The Gnarwhals and punk techno deities Giant Swan have suddenly turned the Naturals into Bristol's hottest super-group soundcloud.com/t-h-e-n-a-t-u-r-a-l-s Photo of Wych Elm by Simon Holliday: simonholliday.com/

Boy Harsher specialise in torchlit EBM tracks for late night drives round David Lynch sets and wild ones at the Roadhouse. Set aside from their retro-fetish peers by electronics that suck in the full breadth of post-80s club DNA - Boy Harsher are the new cold wave. Since its cassette release a few years back, their anthem 'Pain' has struck a Youtube nerve to the tune of over 4 million views. It's a rare opportunity to see them at The Lanes, where ghoulish new night Damnatio Memoriae is bringing in the support of industrial strength EBMer Kontravoid for a night of minimal synth and pulsing dark rays. Huge recommendationfor fans of: The Soft Moon, Crystal Castles, Cold Cave, Marie Davidson's Essaie Pas or anything on Minimal Wave 🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E49437 📺

TEACHINGS FROM THE DUB MASTERS: CHANNEL ONE There's many lessons to be learnt at Trinity Centre on Friday from survivors of UK reggae Channel One Sound System. 30 years holding ground at Notting Hill with a box of dubplates to match, this sound brings the name of Kingston's legendary Channel One Records into new decades and new scenes. Far from 'just a roots/dub' sound system: Channel One nights are a journey - running the full gauntlet through steppas and onto harder sounds. Their Dub to Dubstep and Dub to Jungle tours paired them with RSD, Kromestar and Congo Natty (as well as beating Metalheadz and Boy Better Know and the Red Bull Culture Clash). So it's a dream partnership to see them hosted by Teachings in Dub, whose close ties with everything dubstep in Bristol has let to infamous dub crossover nights with Bandulu and Deep Medi. Your masters of ceremony are innovators and icons in their own right, Mikey Dread & Ras KAYLEB. 🎫 Tickets: hdfst.uk/E50058 📺