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

Sell out warning! Few can claim to have bent dance music quite like A Guy Called Gerald; the architect behind Voodoo Ray and Black Secret Technology still sounds like tomorrow! Do ya homework if you haven’t already, before the Manchester mastermind locks in for a marathon all-day session, spiralling through acid house tekkers and rudeboy-funk to sci-fi jungle futurism and beyond. A Guy Called Gerald - All Day Long at Lost Horizon.

Sell out warning! 3 months seems a long time to wait for your borderless dose of Pangea, but the crew have been cooking. Yes, you’ll get your usual helping of gospel, jungle, bhangra and dancehall all running at utopia-inducing volume, PLUS a joyful live improv experiment, fusing Irish trad, Burkinabè griot and Malian donso music. Supercontinental club dreams made flesh, where else eh…. Pangea presents ~ Operation Joyful Behaviour at The Trinity Centre.

The celebrations continue with a triple threat of loose-limbed cosmic club goodies! Taking us through ‘til 4am: World Unknown’s Andy Blake serving up mind-altering trippy wrigglers, psychedelic chuggers and acid magick from Sameheads’ Alice Carrera + Dirtytalk’s own deep house weapon Tender T. We are truly spoilt, long live the Brew <3 Strange Brew turns 6 ft. Andy Blake, Alicia Carrera & Tender T at Strange Brew.

Still reeling from DJ Pierre, the ILA crew calls on the acid dub professor Om Unit to launch his 303 into outer space, live! Expect weightless bleep techno devoured by the mixing desk, with Night Slugs bossman L-VIS 1990, Meg Ward and Posthuman serving fucked-up braindance gear and diva euphoria for the microdot masses. Feel the squelch, BE THE SQUELCH! I LOVE ACID OM UNIT ACID DUB STUDIES / L-VIS 1990/MEG WARD/POSTHUMAN at Lost Horizon.

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What our editors say

“After a blinding sold-out debut in November, Kylie Wears Berghaus returns to Lost Horizon this September for another headline set of turbo Kylie. This is Kylie like you’ve never heard her before. 2 hours of exclusive, first-time-aired edits, transcending across house, breaks, acid, trance and techno. Support TBA.”
From: Kylie Wears Berghaus

“Buckle up, Bristol. Headlining our next party is none other than Mollie Rush, the ultimate purveyor of euphoric, high-energy rave chaos. As the powerhouse founder of the iconic queer hardcore collective Soz Lad and the former frontwoman of digital-hardcore outfit Tokky Horror, Mollie has torn up stages from Glastonbury to Boomtown. Seamlessly blending a punk-rock ethos with heavy-hitting electronic production, her sets are a relentless, high-octane journey through rave, jungle, acid, and hard techno. [A-Z] ANOMALY KAISER B2B NEPTUNE MOLLIE RUSH RIGPIG B2B PROMISCUOUS PIGGY Last entry 00:30”
From: Notizz: Mollie Rush + Support

“Excited to welcome iconic duo Tama Sumo & Lakuti back to the Brew for another Bank Holiday Sunday special. Their last visit was a highlight of the year. Known for free-flowing sets rooted in awareness, they move effortlessly across genres, spanning new and classic house, techno and disco. Sharing a deep knowledge and love of music and what it takes to make people dance. Leading the way will be one of Bristol's best kept secrets and proprietor of one of the largest vinyl collections we've ever seen: Winkles. Blending the finest in deeper than deep house and (un)classics to loosen up the floor.”
From: Strange Brew presents Lakuti & Tama Sumo + Winkles

“RAVE IT UP // 6 YEARS // 140 + TEK + JUNGLE + DONK + MORE We’re celebrating over 6 years of throwing underground parties, and you’re all invited. Come join us at the crown for a night of proper multi-genre goodies – expect everything from 140 and 4x4 to jungle and techno. No messing around with this event! To say thanks, we’re giving away free tickets. [A-Z] ANOMALY CO-EN HAJICORE RIGÖUR ROZZA STOYLEY WUBSY DAISY Free entry - no ticket needed.”
From: 6 Years Of Rave It Up: Anomaly, Co-En, Hajicore + more

“Do you want another one? Very excited to announce Bellingtier's event debut at the Red Lion, BS5, for a night of LIVE performances n top shelf DJs for ya Saturday night. Expect some live techno, jungle, scratching and everything in-between. Free entry as always Thanks to the Undo Cru for letting us cover their slot too, big shoes to fill!”
From: BellingTier presents... Lyn Diesel , Bob the Blender, Tom Tier & more