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

Thee industrial techno steppas titans cometh! Gonz and Pack’s SELN mini-verse finally aligns with the cosmically-predestined Bristol nexus. The collision will be seismic, with live sets and DJs joining dots between doomcore dub and brutalist tekno propulsion in a totally unfuckwithable offering FFO: John T Gast, TNT Roots, T++, Chain Reaction. SELN Presents: Celebrating New Industrial at Strange Brew.

Sierpinski turns to the dark side for the latest Beaten Track emission: paranoid darkcore stylings with lashings of bad acid sampledelia and god-level amens. Celebrate with the best crew around, keeping arms a-flailing with their usual top-shelf old skool energy from jungle techno to pumping tribe to breakbeat hardcore. SIERPINSKI : DAMNATION : RELEASE PARTY at Green Works.

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. 3 hr set from Sentinel 793

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What our editors say

“Control Freak lands in Bristol once again, this time with Naarm-based DJ & producer Pugilist in tow. With a prolific output spanning all shades of bass music, dub, jungle & techno - don’t miss a rare chance to see this sub-pressure technician on UK soil, joined by label founders/residents Control Freak and local mainstay Monika Taneska.”
From: Control Freak Recordings: Pugilist & Monika Taneska

“FAIRIES VS WITCHES (ROUND 2) Last one sold out… so if you’re reading this, consider it your prophecy The forest wasn’t ready the first time… so we’ve reopened the portal. Again. Bad idea? Probably. We’re summoning the louder, uglier, more possessed side of sound this time: jungle, hardcore, industrial techno, schranz, tribecore & acidcore (aka: music that sounds like it’s being cast in a damp cave at 3am) Mystic motion, set your notion, early birds will be gone in smoke and potion Abracadabra, don’t delay, grab your ticket, and let’s fly awayyyy @notizzcollective + @aphrodite.audio brewing chaos in the cauldron Dress code highly encouraged, you know the drill”
From: Fairies vs Witches 2.0

“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