What's On / Bristol Gigs / drone/noise

Drone, Noise & Experimental

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Bristol's Drone/noise Scene

Bristol’s drone and noise rock scenes are some of the most awesome musical niches found in this city. Small packed-out gigs, captivated crowds and performers pushing the boundaries between music, white noise and sound art. While international names like Tim Hecker and the Haxan Cloak have made appearances in Bristol, it’s local label Howling Owl Records and promoters Cacophonous Sarcophagus who are leading the way here. Keep your eyes peeled for gigs at the Arnolfini gallery, The Cube cinema, The Exchange and small events spaces like the Scout Hut and Centre Space.

Intimate Drone/noise music in Bristol
The Bristol drone/noise scene, it’s not just the Bristol Hum like you’d think! Bristol drone and noise gigs can be some of the most intimate around, the crowd all huddled in silence in one of Bristol prestigious venues (like the newly rebranded Bristol Beacon). Although lacking big local names to rival international drone artists like William Basinski or Tim Hecker, there’s been a recent increase in ambient gigs, nights like Dark Alchemy and Lust Pattern have taken the beat out of music but still made it droney and noisey, and just very Bristol.

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Our recent drone/noise recommendations

"This is not your Daddy's jazz!" The DIY shapeshifting dark lord MXLX comes at us in piano trio formation, hammering away in ivory minimalist/maximalist drone bliss with EP/64 dynamo Dan Johnson on blurry sticks and Viridian’s Jo Kelly on double bass. Bill Evans will turn repeatedly in his grave throughout – he will also hate Grotty Scummerz’s hellish cybergrind. Trio of MXLX (Fender Rhodes), Jo Kelly (Double Bass) and Dan Johnson (drums) in fullbody powerdrone mode - noisetone celestia, feedback party, drone worship and skreeeeee prayer! Plus ridiculously sick cybergrind from Grotty Scummers and vvitch synth drone from Pixaban

Enter the Noid brings us another belter to bless The Croft’s mighty return with unearthly noise provocateur Dis Fig at the helm. Further warped experimentalism comes via Regina Collage’s psychedelic no-wave dreamscapes, lurching jazz-mathtronica improv from David/David + Spell Press’ crushing industrial-ambient. 100% essential FFO: Puce Mary, Evicshen, Carla dal Forno, Moin. NYC's Dis Fig returns with a new live show of foreboding & unruly noise

Mercurial rap futurists Cold Light curate a heavyweight billing of smudged and swaggering sonics. PTP boss King Vision Ultra steps up for his first UK appearance in a decade with murky hip-hop and doom ambient mutations. Plus there’s Mantua’s spectral drone-pop rituals, breezy acid polyrhythms from Leech, Bristol fam RS Tangent on the dubby techno + Idle Hands' Chris Farrell. Get ye to Shredenhams, this is huge! Hold Your Line: King Vision Ultra, Mantua,Leech, RS Tangent, Cold Light +++

Pinch us, we’re dreaming; two indispensable axes of New Weird Americana coming forth on the same bill! Six Organs’ pitch-black drone-folk mysticism sparring with Jackie O-Motherfucker’s fantastical improv psychedelic freak-outs!? Pure fucking magic FFO: Bardo Pond, Flying Saucer Attack, Current 93, Charalambides, Fahey, Sun City Girls. A double headline show of two cult favourites from the 'New Weird America' movement, exploring various folk musics of the world, drone, free jazz, psychedelia, noise rock & more

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What our editors say

“Based in Brooklyn, The Antlers began as Peter Silberman’s solo project, gradually evolving into a larger ensemble with Michael Lerner and formerly Darby Cicci. Their music blends indie rock with elements of art rock, dream pop, chamber pop and ambient textures.”
From: The Antlers + special guests

“Whilst the line-up of Soft Machine may have changed many times since the heady days of the late 1960’s, the band’s spirit of musical adventure, and the ease with which it freely avoids being pigeon holed and can move from powerful progressive jazz fusion to atmospheric psychedelia to free improvised jazz-rock to ambient loop music continues to make it both unique and totally contemporary.”
From: Soft Machine

“Inspired by Afropessimist thought and the work of economist Jacques Attali, Quinton Barnes became interested in noise and its function within the context of Black music. He hoped to situate noise within a context of Black cultural expression, fusing soul and gospel-inspired vocals with noise, pushing the limits of Black genres to their sonic brink. Together with 7 of Montreal’s most daring experimental musicians they explore an expansive sound that merges avant-jazz, noise, hip-hop, breakbeat, drone, and footwork, supporting Barnes’ poetic, nihilistic sprechgesang.”
From: Quinton Barnes with The Black Noise Ensemble

“Dan Thorman - all round nice bloke and aficianado of all things 'ambient' makes a rare live outing to open proceedings. With previous performances at Freerotation and a support slot for Laraaji under his belt, his live show is not to be missed”
From: SSP10 w/ Jake Muir, Fergus Clark, Llyn y Cwn, Alliyah Enyo & Dan Thorman

“Brown's solo work is heavily electronica-based utilising analogue synths alongside tape machines, piano, strings and walls of ambient atmospherics. His work focuses on the analogue side of capturing and creating sound in the real world with physical hardware.”
From: James Adrian Brown & Sulk Rooms