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! Industrial hardtek heads: if you miss EXRCISM your year was wasted. Inside the 6 hour Thunderdome: Rotterdam’s meanest Krista Bourgeois unleashing raw live modular hell, The Teknoist & Tokky Horror underground icon Mollie Rush linking for big fuck off vocal rave annihilation + 00s Deathchant / Rebelscum rotter Deathmachine inna darkside crossbreed meltdown. EXRCISM: Chapter One at The Trinity Centre.

Bristol Dub Club dials in another spesh at the immortal Kuumba with the mighty Jah Lokko veteran sound. Representing Frontline International, Jah Sufferer and Coxsone, London's undisputed dubplate king Natty Frontline links with Lokko for the first time in 40 years: rootical selections, ruffneck riddims, and heavy steppas inna community fashion! Jah Lokko & Natty Frontline – Bristol Dub Club at Kuumba Centre.

Sell out warning! Brussels club angel AZO beams in live ‘n direct with outerdimensional synths and hypnotic analog drum kicks in a slick blend of acid, prog house and funk with a healthy nod to UK hardcore. Joining her, a live debut from Queerky fam The Ribbit Itch + plenty more resident techno mutations and a dreamy cuddle puddle chill-out room. QUEERKY w/ AZO at Loco Klub.

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.

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What our editors say

“Karl O'Connor is most certainly Regis and it is also highly probable that he propagates other pseudonyms. This has only added to the greater mythology surrounding the influential Downwards label that he has run with fellow art terrorist Peter Sutton (Female) since 1993. Unconventional and single-minded to say the least (what label can boast a back catalogue free of the industry standard cash cow remix ) by decentralising the focus on the dj/producer personality, he remains one of the more highly regarded creative forces within the British techno/electronic scene. Degenerate art indeed. #theislandvenue”
From: Regis featuring Liam Andrews + Support TBC

“EGYPTIAN LOVER | GENE ON EARTH B2B SAOIRSE | SILQ | + MORE TBA This Halloween, Sawmills welcomes heavyweight names from across the underground. Egyptian Lover, the original West Coast electro pioneer returns to Bristol. Joining him is a first time b2b from Gene On Earth & Saoirse, some of the UK’s most distinctive selectors across house, techno and beyond. Completing the first announcement is local hero's SILQ, with more names still to come. Tickets live from 02.09.26”
From: Sawmills Halloween - EGYPTIAN LOVER | GENE ON EARTH B2B SAOIRSE | SILQ | ++

“Sub_structure return to Cosies with an exploration of deep and rhythmic bass music. Rooted in a love of dub techno, anticipate spaced-out oscillations, pulsating electronics, and hypnotic grooves. Lineup Confit Dub (LIVE) Caruti Culplex Ant on Decks Solidfrequency Please note: Ticket buyers must arrive before 23:15 or risk their ticket being resold”
From: Sub_structure w/ Confit Dub , Caruti and Culplex

“After two SOLD OUT events, we’re back - and this time, we’re putting a spell on you. A sexy, sapphic rave for queer women & non-binary people - the dancefloor is full of women you probably shouldn’t make eye contact with. Expect heavy sounds, dark energy, hypnotic techno and a dancefloor full of the hottest WLW in Bristol. You can’t unhex yourself. Location: Lakota - 6 Upper York Street, Bristol, BS2 8QN. Who is welcome? We welcome anyone who identifies as women and/or non-binary.”
From: CRAVE HER: HEXED

“RAMBLE Presents: A special night to begin the journey. Ramble brings together Jonty, Morgan Stansfield & Ben Kay for the first instalment. Expect fluid, high-energy house, prog, techno and everything beyond, all night long — taking you through the sounds at the heart of Ramble. Come down and be a part of something special. 10:30PM — Doors 11PM — Music 10:30–11:30PM — Happy Hour (20% off) Tickets available now via Headfirst. Exchange has a small ramp entrance from the street. Our bar and main event space are on the ground floor with level access throughout and we have an accessible toilet. If you need any other info on accessibility, please contact [email protected]”
From: Ramble