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

British folk iconoclast Chris Wood graces the candlelit hush of John Wesley’s New Room. His everyday epics sketch sharp-edged portraits of England’s many overlooked lives, from empty nests to minor league football teams to tragedies of industrial decay. Acute compassion ballads FFO: Martin Carthy, Karine Polwart, Billy Bragg, Richard Dawson. Chris Wood at John Wesley’s New Room.

Sell out warning! Granny’s Attic craft a mischievous folk playground, weaving original tunes into centuries-old reels and laments with effortless virtuosity. Crisp melodies, playful textures, and infectious energy celebrate the living, breathing pulse of the folk tradition. Joyous foot-stomping magic FFO: Jack Rutter, Eliza Carthy, Salt House. Granny's Attic - Greenbank Folk Club at St Anne's Church, Eastville.

Sell out warning! Kiss Facility unites Sega Bodega’s prodigious production alchemy with Mayah Alkhateri’s gossamer Arabic vocals, all refracted through a prism of shoegaze longing and soaring avant-pop emotivity. Prepare to be utterly transfixed by the ultimate creative power couple in an absolute no-brainer FFO: Erika de Casier, Eartheater, Nadah El Shazly Kiss Facility at Strange Brew.

Marauding Norsemen Agabas charge into town wielding their self-coined ‘deathjazz’: a pummeling uptempo rawk engine with a thrash gallop, horn blasts strafing through the noise, and shredding throat growls atop a storm of riffs and rhythms. A cataclysmic ruin ritual FFO: Kvelertak, Imperial Triumphant, Slipknot, Converge. AGABAS at Exchange.

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What our editors say

“Across the long weekend you will hear a whole collection of sounds and styles. Folk, psych, electronica, global, indie, ambient, disco, breakbeat, neo-soul, UK garage and many more. What matters is not the genre, but the feeling, the vibe, the energy.”
From: Shuffley Daze Music Festival

“Blending ambient, neoclassical, electronic and avant-pop influences, his immersive compositions create expansive sonic landscapes that invite deep listening and introspection. Across more than 30 albums, collaborations with figures including Ram Dass, Jon Hopkins and Laraaji, and performances around the world, East Forest has become a leading voice at the intersection of music, mindfulness and wellbeing.”
From: East Forest

“On stage, live drums and synths are intertwined with drum machines, laptops, samplers, chopped vocal fragments and custom robotic percussion, creating a hypnotic exchange of rhythm, texture and improvisation. The music twists and evolves in real time, moving from meditative ambient passages to explosive, adrenaline-charged rhythmic peaks. No two performances are ever the same.”
From: Elf Traps + Shunya

“Blending ambient textures and heavy experimental hip-hop beats with live improvised shoegaze guitar, the performance promises an immersive experience featuring a living, breathing audio-reactive art installation.”
From: Lobeless EP Launch

“T.G. EDWARDS creates dark-ambient modular soundscapes and over the last 2 years has taken inspiration from exoplanets and the ancient concept of musica universalis or “music of the spheres” to create music based on the movement of celestial bodies. His latest album, Corrupted Celestial Body was released in May this year on Italian label Brutal Forms.”
From: Return To The Crypt