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.

Buy tickets for techno events in Bristol

Our recent techno recommendations

Ultimate perreo ahead! Popola takes their booty-shaking global bass for a spin in the Loco tunnels. On the dials: residents Ivicore & Raven, Queerky dynamo Ashanti007 and Soft Butch daddy LEXX steer sensual dancefloor heaters thru guaracha, baile funk, dancehall and reggaeton. Plus dance divas from Bristol Ballroom Community, Shade Cartel and Tropicandance keeping that energy up all night long. Popola Presents: TWERKNO at Loco Klub.

Free entry! Definitely squeeze this lil live radio session into your Saturday night warmup plans – Arc are hosting the Alexander Nut/Floating Points-championed broken future beat stylings of Sentinel 793 for a 3 hour spesh. Unsung local hero, 20 years in the making FFO: Donsurf, Bugz In The Attic, Funkineven, Kyle Hall. Whole Sum - sentinel 793 at The Arc.

Polyrhythmic ritualism, granular textures and heady leftfield transmissions live’n’direct from this Livity Sound longtimer! Azu Tiwaline fuses Berber percussion with minimal dub-techno pressure in a way that makes you feel every fibre of your being in 4D. Come ride the rush with added retro-futurist rave melodics from Myriad Myriads’ and local techno titan Hodge. Livity Sound: Azu Tiwaline & Hodge at Strange Brew.

Baile do Futuro and Breach launch Talk To Strangers with 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.

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What our editors say

“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 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

“The return of Bristol's newest techno party, old heads playing fresh sounds moving from deep tech vibes and organic progressive house from Bobby B ( UNHU/Delicious) and James D (Delicious)to mix master Washer(UNHU) lifting the dance with his epic set builds. Then Barcelona based LINA brings high energy techno built on rising tension and powerful drops, to be followed by Roots and Outlier's (Delicious) intensely grindy funky techno, and the proper whirlwind soul soaring ride that is Whalts, original founding member of legendary UNHU sound system. It finishes with Saxon James' dark, compulsive and slightly psy tech sounds...probably the best DJ you hadn't heard of that you'll see all year.”
From: Delicious House and Techno