Bristol Techno Nights

upcoming clubnight

Bristol's Techno Scene

Techno is a big deal in Bristol, book the right names or build a strong enough reputation and you’re gonna need a seriously big club to keep everyone happy. And so Bristol has Motion, masterfully converted into a 1200+ capacity nightclub from derelict warehouse via a skatepark. If Motion is Bristol’s techno castle then there’s no denying Just Jack is king. Reigning for over a decade, Just Jack have enough programming muscle to pull names like Ricardo Villalobos and Omar S. If there’s a secret to the ultimate big-room techno experience, then Motion knows it.

On the other hand, if there’s a secret to healthy techno scene, then Bristol has totally nailed it. While tickets for Just Jack, Apex and Tribe of Frog may sell in their thousands, some of Bristol’s most forward thinking techno nights have capacities for just one or two hundred. The Prison Cells at The Island have become an unlikely home to some of the most adventurous dance music in Bristol. Promoters like Room 237 and Timedance are putting out challenging and thought-provoking line-ups with past guests including the likes of Surgeon, Untold, Asusu and Helena Hauff.

If techno had a spiritual home in Bristol, it would be Lakota. With 4 rooms, a back-to-basics yard and a pair of coroners courtrooms for larger events, Lakota is Bristol’s ultimate techno playground. The venue has found favour with pervasive promoters including the electro-techno focused Get Born and bass techno masters Wide Eyes.

Amongst the city’s resident house music djs, many of Bristol’s best techno djs regularly play Bristol’s smaller clubs and bars. Dojos, The Love Inn, The Doghouse and the Small Horse Inn to name a few.

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Our recent techno recommendations

A hefty AF lineup as Baile do Futuro and Breach launch Talk To Strangers, a warped brew of mutant bass, erratic drum freakouts and full-tilt breakbeat carnage. At the helm: Abadir’s twisted, sideways rhythms; Distant Planet shelling pure ’90s hardcore energy; and UVB-76’s half-step industrial noise-makers out in full force. Serious bizniz! Talk to Strangers w ABADIR, Distant Planet, Pessimist ++ at Loco Klub.

Timedance & re:lax’s re:ni steps up with a heavy all-night-long session, landing hot on the heels of her seriously steppin’ new release with her pops, Biggabush (½ of Rockers Hi Fi) on Ilian Tape. Absolutely essential listening for heads into that wiggy UK techno futurism and dub-riddled, braindance material. Re:ni at The Love Inn.

Dense, hypnotic and seriously weighty stuff from Rome’s prime techno mover DJ Red, stepping into The Probe’s next immersion chamber from the ashes of her much-missed residency at Goa Club (RIP). She’s locking heads seamlessly with Negative Affect’s haunting, introspective late-night tekkers, flipping The Island into an infinite Tresor-esque wormhole of tessellating 4/4 dankness. DJ Red, Negative Affect, and Probe DJs at The Island.

Cirrina Sessions have been serving the crème de la crème these past few months with killer psych-dub meditations and shape-shifting rhythms on lock. Stepping up next: Severine delivers idiosyncratic club futurism, fresh from tearing up the d-floor before the almighty Tim Reaper in their classically turbo-charged style. Buckle up! Cirrina Sessions w/ severine, Fez the Kid, Casino Flats & Yulion at The Croft.

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What our editors say

“Cirrina Sessions are back at The Croft, this time with current crowned princess of the nu-skool Deselecta at the helm for a rare Techno set. Accompanying are the Cirrina Sessions residents: Fez the Kid, Casino Flats and Yulion; all together again. Expect to hear the Cirrina sound dissected in its layers and woven together in a way not seen before. Hypnotic, minimal techno drenched in whirring mids and intricate bass; Giegling-esque euphoria; and all the broken, left-field bass you could ever dream of. FFO: Isabel Soto, Tasha, Traumprinz, Wata Igarashi, if Tim Reaper played techno. [A-Z] CASINO FLATS DESELECTA FEZ THE KID YULION Free entry all night - no ticket needed.”
From: Cirrina Sessions: Deselecta, Fez The Kid, Casino Flats, Yulion

“Strange Brew presents: Kia + livwutang + Junior We’re excited to welcome two selectors at the top of their game on Friday 8th May livwutang is a DJ who pulls from every corner of the dance music spectrum, weaving between house, techno and bass music with a dub-wise approach. Kia heads up the Animalia label and approaches sets with a playful take on house and techno, creating a driving, psychedelic world that’s free-flowing. On warm up duties is Junior. Expect dubby left field selections from a Noods Radio regular. Artwork @guillaume”
From: Strange Brew presents Kia + livwutang + Junior

“Remedy is back for another night bringing you the best of the UK underground sounds! This month we will be welcoming AMBA who will be making the trip down from Birmingham and bringing her signature style of upbeat bass heavy tunes with her! As always, Remedy residents MadMax and Ambassador will be bringing you a selection of heavy breaks, techno, Acid, Hardcore, Jungle & Drum and Bass throughout and raising the tempo from 120-170bpm across the night! Saturday 2nd May / 10pm - 3am / Cosies £5 OTD + ticket deals in advance from here.”
From: Remedy

“Stretch Collective are teaming up with Madruga Festival for a second time this May, inviting DJ Masda to Strange Brew. DJ Masda is a Japanese DJ, who began his career spinning vinyl in the 1990s and has since developed a deep, refined approach to house and techno. Through his Cabaret and Middle of NowHere parties in Tokyo, as well as his Cabaret Recordings label co-founded with So Inagawa, he has become a key figure connecting scenes in Japan and Europe. With trusted hands on the controls, we look forward to welcoming DJ Masda for a 3 Hour set ahead of his Madruga debut this summer.”
From: Stretch Collective X Madruga w/DJ Masda

“To celebrate our latest release we've curated a hefty line up of some of the best Jungle & Hardcore DJs in Bristol Sirepinski (Darkside Set) DJ b2b Azure (Vinyl Gabba Set) Mousai (hardcore Set) DJ Doubt (rawkus 4 to the floor 303 madness) Interlude (vinyl techno & breakbeat set) Join us for a massive dance to celebrate Sirepinski: Damnation. Eye candy visual Beaten Track Sound System Wax and art for sale !”
From: SIERPINSKI : DAMNATION : RELEASE PARTY