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Bristol's Experimental Music Listings

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Bristol's Experimental Music Scene

It’s Bristol’s dance music that has earnt Bristol’s music scene international recognition, but the city’s playful experimentation between musicianship, electronics and sound art that is starting to gain the most traction. It's with a sigh of relief that we bid farewell to loop-pedal-powered hippies of the past and embrace the patch bays, compressors and modular synths of the future. All Bristol’s experimental music events are listed on this page.

Buy tickets for experimental music events in Bristol

Our recent experimental music recommendations

Sell out warning! Crazed cumbia meets mutant surf, acid champeta and retro-future radiophonic SFX via Bogotá’s most notorious supergroup (ft. Meridian Brothers mastermind Eblis Alvarez). Astonishingly strange new instrumental worlds FFO: Romperayo, Dengue Dengue Dengue!, Ondatrópica, Frente Cumbiero, Fumaça Preta. Los Pirañas at The Jam Jar.

Sell-out warning! Gorgeous, dream-soaked ghost music, refracted through hypnagogic pop lulls and a soulful jazz poise. Tara Clerkin Trio’s seductive sound is rooted in the city’s lineage of smudged trip-hop and experimental forms, with this homecoming gig at Trinity promising something quietly magical that we’ll all look back on for years to come… utterly unmissable. Tara Clerkin Trio at The Trinity Centre.

Sell out warning! Come commune with the music of the stones: TSHNE continues to astound after THAT intimate Bridget St John happening with Incredible String Band treasure Robin Williamson – the arch bard of UK outsider folk – gracing the lil ol’ Microplex. Undiminished by time, he performs with longtime partner Bina on a stunning set of Celtic and Indian traditionals, marked by intricate, eccentric magic. Robin & Bina Williamson + Rosie Brownhill + Fohn at The Cube.

Radical troubadour Grace Petrie brings her unique brand of fist-in-the-air protest folk to a rapturous St George's, examining social and political issues of austerity-ravaged modern Britain with Bragg-approved anthems of solidarity and solace. 21st century icon FFO: Frank Turner, Laura Jane Grace, Kirsty MacColl, Onsind. Grace Petrie - Bristol at St George's Bristol.

What our editors say

“Old Empire present Krallice + special guests tba "Krallice is a metal band formed by New York City musicians Colin Marston, Mick Barr, Nick McMaster and Lev Weinstein. They play an experimental, highly technical style of black metal. The band has released eight studio albums and two EPs, most recently the LP Go Be Forgotten on November 21, 2017. They have been described as "one of the most interesting, engaging black metal bands to emerge in recent years" and "one of the most important bands in modern black metal”. Age: 14+ (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult)”
From: Krallice + special guests

“Shaking Hand Shaking Hand are a Manchester trio who construct long slowburning post-rock in multiple tunings and time signatures, taking inspiration from modernist architecture, 90s US alternative and midwestern emo. The band’s musical DNA runs through experimental guitar outfits like Women, Slint, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and Ulrika Spacek, balanced with the melodic sensibility of Big Thief and the dynamic intimacy of Yo La Tengo. Holly Head Manchester punk-groove noiseniks Normal Village 1000 Legs Bristol Bug Punk”
From: Shaking Hand

“Even as its five members have been pulled by tides of their own, Ulrika Spacek has always been a symbol of collective art. Despite a range of day jobs (experimental physicists, graphic designers, music producers) the collective pursuit is there in the shared dream logic of the music: the off-kilter melodies, jagged guitars and cirrus cloud atmospherics. It’s there, in all the things that are said and unsaid between them; there in the writing, producing and mixing processes they share in. And even as each of their parts moves toward a unified vision, it’s never more keenly felt than in the bigger picture to which Ulrika Spacek belong.”
From: ULRIKA SPACEK

“Hilary Woods is an Irish musician, composer and analogue filmmaker whose work moves between sound, film and experimental composition. In this live performance, she presents material from her acclaimed new album Night CRIÚ, reworking its songs for the stage through a blend of structured writing and improvisation. Built from voice, tape, field recordings and processed noise, the set unfolds as an immersive, cinematic experience where sound and image sit in close dialogue. Presented by Bristol Beacon Format: Standing Age: 14+ (Under 18s to be accompanied by an adult) Performance times Doors: 19.00 All timings are approximate and subject to change”
From: Hilary Woods + special guests

“Ninush is the solo project of London-based violinist, songwriter and producer Nina Lim, blending experimental electronica, intricate string arrangements and intimate vocals into a distinctive sound shaped by collaborations with artists including Black Country, New Road, Jockstrap, Geordie Greep and Little Simz. This is an unreserved seated show. + Support www.eyesofftheclock.com”
From: Ninush