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! AnExperience descends on the Boxing Gym with their own righteous take on amen culture, taking us back to 92-96 with an all-vinyl crew running pure junglist/hardcore/breakbeat euphoria through Scotland Yard’s ‘so loud it’s psychedelic’ soundsystem. 100% deconstructed-rave free zone across 5 arenas, it doesn’t get much bigger than this! AnExperience presents ~ A proper jungle night at The Boxing Gym.

Sell out warning! Still reeling from his 3 hour devastation of Strange Brew, Cirrina invites a titanic pillar of 21st century junglism to ditch his amen stripes and school us on cutting edge techno / 140 mutations. This is a new kinda Reaper, rocking the shit outta The Island with AM's dubby conquerer i-sha + Casino Flats & Fez the Kid's opening downtempo hypnotics. Cirrina Sessions w/ Tim Reaper , i-sha & residents at The Island.

Sell out warning! The Blanco spookfest spectacular reaches a witchy peak with this stacked secret location seance. Phreaking you the fuck out: the Rephlex-anointed god of bleep-funk beatdown LIVE w/ Chez and Smagghe sparring partner Mandfredas stirring the cauldron of wiry post-punk, slo-mo acid sludge and funk’d up techno. Nuttin' but synth-y curveballs inside for the anti-4/4 brigade! Club Blanco Halloween at Secret Location.

Sell out warning! Halloween sleaze incoming from LA legend and 808 maestro Egyptian Lover, bringing that dirty electro boogie funk to the halls of the undead alongside Gene on Earth’s technicolour minimal-tech inna first time head:head with Saoirse’s pummelling house. Sawmills Halloween - EGYPTIAN LOVER | GENE ON EARTH B2B SAOIRSE | SILQ | ++ at Sawmills.

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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.”
From: Regis featuring Liam Andrews + Support TBC

“For more than four decades, Sven Väth has been one of electronic music's most influential and captivating DJs. From shaping Frankfurt's techno scene with Omen, Harthouse and Eye Q, to creating the legendary Cocoon brand and its iconic Ibiza residency, his impact on club culture is unmatched.”
From: Bugged Out presents: Sven Väth, Dave Clarke, Erol Alkan & more

“This will be a lot different to our usual vibe over at Notizz as well as being FUGAZI’s launch but it will be just as (if not more) fun! We’ll be taking you on a journey through techno sounds we don’t think we hear enough of in Bristol!”
From: Notizz x Fugazi Phase Shift

“His unique sound signature merges the complex rhythms of jazz, beats of electronica, the dynamic energy of techno, the soulful essence of house and the narrative depth of hip-hop into a singular, harmonious experience.”
From: Bigger Boat w/ Lefto Early Bird

“Bringing their shared love of UK garage, house, electro, and techno to the dancefloor, the pair have developed a natural chemistry that moves effortlessly between rolling groove and off-kilter club energy.”
From: Van Wilkins & Roaming Data