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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

What our editors say

“One of the most prolific and experimental bands in history, Acid Mothers Temple are an ultra-psychedelic force to be reckoned with. Touring relentlessly since their conception with a rotating lineup of masters of their craft, the band conjure progressive jams, bathed in synthesizer and drowned in electric guitar. Witness true greatness, and embrace the liberation of cosmic melody, of which this will be THE LOUDEST POSSIBLE IN THE UNIVERSE!”
From: Acid Mothers Temple

“Pure Adult is an experimental rock band from Brooklyn, NY. Originally a solo project of multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Snyder, Pure Adult later expanded to be a collaboration between him and contemporary dancer and visual artist Bianca Abarca. They have toured internationally with Gilla Band, Mdou Moctar, Bambara and Thank, shared bills with A Place To Bury Strangers and Mclusky. In 2023, they released their first LP, II, on Fat Cat, two years after self-releasing their first EP, I.”
From: Pure Adult

“Expect an evening of genre-fluid performance where deep spiritual transformation meets boundless energy. With their debut album recording scheduled for June 2024 at Berlin's Brewery Studios, this is a chance to witness an emerging force in experimental jazz.”
From: Sera Kalo's eX.II

“Featuring the legendary rhythm section of Fugazi—Joe Lally on bass and Brendan Canty on drums—alongside experimental guitarist Anthony Pirog, The Messthetics have redefined instrumental music with their genre-blurring sound.”
From: The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

“A deadly double bill of icy EBM and electro for February as legendary Detroit synth duo ADULT. play Brew as part of their European tour. With releases going back to 2001, ADULT. have channelled electro, techno, punk, and darkwave into kinetic and unsettling sound, with output spanning hard-edged club tracks, classic EBM, sinister synth workouts and horror films. Using their own photography for their sleeve designs, their discography is one of the most visually idiosyncratic and instantly recognisable around, at once humorous, experimental and dark.”
From: Adult. + Spike Hellis