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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

Bristol’s prime downtuned doomgazers come of age with a monolithic debut LP almost as epic as Deftones jamming with Boris to the monkey scene from A Space Odyssey. Help them launch it into the outer limits with hometown post-sludge heroes Row of Ashes on a cosmic billing FFO: Kowloon Walled City, Jesu, LLNN, Conjurer. Epimetheus at Exchange.

Sell out warning! Bristol’s Host Body erupts in a storm of blackened mathcore, Scotland’s Beneath A Steel Sky drape post-metal in soaring crescendos, and London collective IAN pulp sludge, drone, and doom into a full metal platter FFO: Isis, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Emma Ruth Rundle, Cult of Luna. Host Body, Beneath a Steel Sky, Ian, Big Shipping at Exchange.

Free entry! Imploding destructo-rock double billing from two treasured local underground units. Riley/Radley take a desert-frazzled Sun City Girls-style detour into primitive guitar twang and impressionistic drums, while Carnivorous Plants marry found radio sound smudges with melodic dronegaze delight. A basement treasure FFO: Bill Orcutt, Dirty Three, Flying Saucer Attack, Manuel Mota. Avant-rock deconstructionists

A quadruple bill of oddball sonics for Mouthfeel’s Xmas shubz at The Cube. In the mix: Kar Pouzi’s melding baritone sax and electronix, Copper Sounds’ epic sonic sculpture meets electro-acoustic mastery, Jo Hellier’s operatic melodrama, and Raina Greifer’s grotesque festive cabaret. Freax to the front! Kar Pouzi, Copper Sounds, Spell Press, Raina Greifer

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What our editors say

“From the days of Bong to a host of collaborations; cranky lo fi Dungeon Synth to one of the most arresting and enveloping improvised solo drone projects around, Dawn Terry is a mainstay of the UK underground. She plays slow, melancholic, optimistic music for sad people. Based in Newcastle, she is a veteran drone artist, producing work that is heavy, dreamlike, open and hypnotic. In her recent music Dawn has turned towards acoustic resonances provided by accordion, hurdy-gurdy, and voice.”
From: SHFTD & SB pres. Jarboe feat. Thor Harris & Joy Von Spain + Dawn Terry

“S A R R A M,solo project of Valerio Marras,heads to Bristol,on tour ,and all the way from Sardinia, Italy.' A dark ceremony ' , promises ambient electronic noise , with a new album.FFO Coil,Sunn ((((0))))) ,The Body ,Nadja.”
From: SARRAM + Colossloth + Prior

“Another rocket name to be reckoned with, Thee Alcoholics are experts in noise rock, recklessly combining distortion, psychedelia, drone and kraut into sounds reminiscent of The Fall, The Heads & Chrome. The band and their performances have been described as a "churning, doomy, krauty racket" and a "relentless brick to your face". Witness it and believe it!”
From: Acid Mothers Temple / Teeth of The Sea / Thee Alcoholics

“MOJO - "Minimalist, lengthy and free to drone, it’s an immersive experience that pulses with cosmic illumination. And MOJO is pleased to be reminded that the performer – AKA Ajay Saggar – is also the man who had has head shaved on the video for Dinosaur Jr’s Freak Scene back in 1988."”
From: Bhajan Bhoy/ Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani/ Double Pelican

“Last but not least is the ambient techno atavist Tudor Acid. With his album “Dancing with the weather” having had airplay on RTE, it’s a unique opportunity to groove to the sounds of rugged wind-torn seascapes from the comfort of the kino basement.”
From: Xylitol, FROST, Tudor Acid- an Electro Cafe event