Back by popular demand and after a successful 10 years of existence, Supersonic Festival return and are taking the event back to its core values

by curating ‘Supersonic Festival Ltd Edtn’ an intimate two day event. On 30th and 31st May, Capsule present Supersonic Festival Ltd Edtn and shall return to the Custard Factory where it all began.

Since the inception of Supersonic Festival in 2003, Capsule have firmly established the event as a unique, inner-city festival, with an undeniably vibrant atmosphere, always presenting a variety of performers – the inaugural event featured the bewildering blend of Coil, DJ Food, LCD soundsystem, The Bug and more – and where the film programme, workshops and exhibitions are as paramount to the event’s atmosphere as the live performances. Year in, year out, Capsule unite discerning music fans, embracing eclectic tastes and have over the years adapted a creative space for music lovers, musicians, artists, filmmakers, record stalls and independent businesses to thrive.

As this is a limited event, there are only 400 weekend tickets available at just £45 and they will be going on sale on Friday morning at 10am, so grab them while you can via the www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Supersonic have already confirmed the billing for the event, which will take place at a new space within the Custard Factory, and are delighted to welcome back Swans. Michael Gira, Norman Westberg, Christoph Hahn, Phil Puleo, Thor Harris and Christopher Pravdica are no strangers to Supersonic Festival, and are thrilled to play host to their infamous, dominant and strikingly powerful live show.

Baltimore duo Matmos shall bring their dizzyingly diverse assemblage to Supersonic Limited in support of their 2013 album. Their music comprises stomping techno, eerie synth

jams, musique concrete, Latin rhythms, and Ethiopian music, at once at home in the academy, the art gallery, the nightclub and the noise warehouse, perfect fit for the festival then.

Liverpool based ensemble, Ex Easter Island Head, will bring their expanded Large Electric Ensemble which includes twelve prepared electric guitars and drums to create a maximalist wash of amplified strings and droning overtones. The ensemble adopt a new vocabulary of playing based around various guitar preparations, from billowing harp-like arpeggios to ‘bowing’ the strings with allen keys to produce luminous upper register drones. Microtonal intervals create shimmering tones akin to the struck metallophones of Balinese gamelan, whilst the thrum of electrified strings creates a dense undertow of singing harmonies. Scored in custom notation the piece places free flowing passages alongside conductor cues, allowing the players to collectively create a distinctive sonic landscape. What Supersonic event would be complete without something special such as this?

Supersonic are pleased to welcome back, the infamous blistering noise of Wolf Eyes. From touring with Sonic Youth and Andrew W.K., Wolf Eyes have crossed borders into popularity which few other such confrontational units of their ilk have been able to and kept straight and narrow on their blazing path, and are on top form. The overwhelming force of Wolf Eyes must be seen to to be believed.

Sleaford Mods will bring their aggressive verbal onslaught to the Custard Factory, a great setting to spout about all that is contrived and connected to the day-to-day hammer of low paid employment and domestic situations arising from that trap.

Also returning to the festival, is French artist Agathe Max. With an elegant command of melody and a strident use of rhythm, Max creates dynamic, fast-flowing loop pieces that encompass noise, post-classicism and krautrock with nods to the High Lonesome Raga as filtered through Henry Flynt.

We warmly welcome a rising talent to this rich mix in the form of Basic House, the work of the UK’s Stephen Bishop, the man behind the ever more impressive label that is Opal Tapes and also vocalist of Drunk In Hell who played an unforgettable set at Supersonic in 2012. His textural and rhythmic explorations are fast growing in acclaim, described as “somewhere between Kassem Mosse, The New Blockaders and Zoviet*France.”

Finally, provocative Norwegian singer, composer, lyricist and writer Jenny Hval shall perform at Supersonic. Multidisciplinary and transgressive are words often employed to describe her art, but Jenny Hval’s polyphonic artistry is in fact seamlessly interwoven between musical, literary, visual and performative modes of expression. Despite her young age, she has already infused, carved and modulated an artistic voice that is altogether present, accessible and obscurely complex at the same time. We cannot wait!

Let’s not forget the other elements which always make Supersonic so special, the workshops and participatory events. Supersonic have selected If Wet to feature at the festival. If Wet is a monthly event of sonic exploration, usually held in a rural village hall; chaired by musical instrument designers MortonUnderwood. Part show and tell, part test bed, part salon. A place for artists to showcase their latest sonic works and research. A place to revel and discuss. After a successful inaugural season MortonUnderwood have decided to extend the reach of If Wet beyond the village hall and it is with great pleasure that they will transport their distinctive event to Supersonic 2014.

Supersonic Ltd Edtn will launch Capsule’s inaugural ‘Labs’ (artist development and commissioning scheme) devised to create more opportunities for commissioning experimental, cross-disciplinary art. More information about this will be coming soon.

Bill Drummond: The 25 Paintings
Legendary musician and artist Bill Drummond will begin a twelve year ‘World Tour’ under Spaghetti Junction marking this momentous event with an exhibition at Eastside Projects.
The exhibition focuses on ‘The 25 Paintings’, a series of artworks that signpost actions Drummond will perform across Birmingham during his three month stay in the city including, but by no means limited to, giving away bunches of daffodils, discovering Dead Oak Rings, building rafts, hiding in cafes, making beds, sweeping the streets clean and brewing tea. Also on show will be The SIXTY Posters, The 25 Sixty Second Films, an evolving selection of photographs, a globe of the world and a large map of the city.
www.eastsideprojects.org

Photo credit: Pete Ashton

Capsule are pleased to announce the addition of GLATZE to our upcoming MELT BANANA show this May 27th, tickets HERE.

Glatze is back! After a brief hiatus the one-man musical loon (Sam Underwood) has been coaxed out to play by the prospect of supporting Melt Banana again, for old times’ sake. Glatze’s first gig for Capsule was this very same support slot, back in 2009.

Expect the usual live improvised electronic mayhem, with just a hint more “mad professor” than “young buck”. He promises to do his very best in support of one of his favourite live acts…

www.glatze.co.uk

Japanese noise-rock innovators MELT BANANA return to Birmingham’s Rainbow Warehouse this May 27th and are supported by Glatze + Thrilling Headgear. This is one show you do not want to miss! Tickets available now from HERE.

On April 18th, Capsule and our friends MILQUE & MUHLE will be joining forces to put on a killer night of music held across two rooms at Hare & Hounds. Tickets from HERE

Capsule’s stage will be headlined by legendary Dutch punk/noise/jazz/whatever quartet THE EX with support coming from

drumming duo RATTLE and experimental rockers HEALTH & EFFICIENCY. Meanwhile, Milque & Muhle will present their own eclectic mix of acts including GHOLD, MOB RULES, SUMP, BAYONNEBLEEDER + DJ SETS.

The very talented Ellena Donlon from Milque & Muhle has created this fun poster for our evening of collaborative co-hosting. With such a diverse line-up we know it’s going to be a great night, so don’t miss out. Tickets include entry to both rooms.

Milque & Muhle website here

THE EX

Born out of the punk explosion, when anything and everything was possible, the band have still managed to retain both curiosity and passion for their music. Using guitars, bass, drums and voice as their starting point they have continued to musically explore undiscovered areas right up to the present day.

For more info on the whole line-up go here.Tickets are available to purchase here (Tickets allow entry to both stages)

 

Capsule are delighted to announce the return of MELT BANANA who will perform in Birmingham on May 27 at the Rainbow Warehouse. Tickets from HERE

From the whip-like crack of Yako’s signature staccato vocals and impossible-to-memorize lyrics

night matched shop black after at of to.

to the relentless overdrive tempo of their one of-a-kind prog-core, MELT BANANA have long resided in a cybertopia of their own devising where the limits of technology and human capability are old-world concerns as quaint and cumbersome as bartering with a blacksmith. The demos for Fetch, their first studio album since the severely fried pop-punk of 1997’s Bambi’s Dilemma, were completed in March 2011, but the Fukushima earthquake changed everything, including their ability to concentrate on recording. Which stopped completely.

Once they felt ready to return to their music, they decided to approach the songs on a sound-by-sound basis, choosing each tone with meticulous attention to detail, affirming their personal connections, being themselves naturally and openly.

They’ve been performing live as a duo since summer 2012, and will do the same for their “2 do what 2 fetch” tour in support of the album. After nearly 20 years of playing with a live rhythm section, their use of a PC, while opening possibilities for a variety of drum and synth voicings, does not signal a move away from the traditional live band sound, as heard, for example, via the future transmissions from downtown Noiseapolis on 2009’s Lite Live: Ver. 0.0. Yako and Agata say they need to feel real band sounds onstage as much

as someone in the audience. This is a group that routinely excels at several kinds of impossible simultaneously, so of course any new challenge they come up with for themselves is sure to blow the doors off your Mini Cooper.

Melt Banana official

 

THRILLING HEADGEAR

Swelling from out of the cosmic putrescence of the Wizzleteat corpse, Thrilling Headgear force day-glo colours into angular shapes, holding groove as dogma. At turns both despondant and ethereal, TH play bleeted punk rock, transcendent and engaged, psychonautical engineering for earth-bound space mechanics.

 

Capsule are excited to announce THE EX will playing Birmingham at the Hare & Hounds on April 18th. Buy tickets here

Since emerging in 1979, Dutch anarcho-punk band THE EX have embarked on a series of adventurous collaborations, making their musical style impossible to confine to any one genre. Beginning in the 80s The Ex partnered with jazz musicians and an Iraqi-Kurdish band. Later, in the 90s the group found a myriad of partners from varied musical and non-musical backgrounds including Kamagurka, Tom Cora, Sonic Youth, Han Bennink, Jan Mulder, Shellac and Wolter Wierbos.

THE EX return to the UK this Spring and have just released a brand new 7” single. The A-side ‘How Thick You Think’ is available to listen to courtesy of The Quietus.

“They are the most interesting musical unit in the world today…Go and see the Ex and you will hear rhythms you have never

heard before…a sweaty seething party, an uplifting, joyful celebration.” – The Quietus

www.theex.nl

RATTLE

If the idea of a band consisting of just 2 drummers brings to mind a hippy bongo nightmare then you’ve obviously never heard RATTLE. Comprising of 2 of Nottingham’s most unique and recognisable drummers (Theresa Wrigley of Fists and Katharine Brown of KOGUMAZA) and aided by Kogumaza’s Mark Spivey they create a hypnotic and danceable music form that recalls This Heat or ESG even whilst remaining completely their own.

HEALTH & EFFICIENCY

Drawing influence and inspiration from a heterogeneous selection of art and music H&E formed in 2009. They combine elements of punk-rock, no-wave, free jazz, psych-folk, minimalist composition, and improvisation into a dynamic balance that sounds spontaneous and harmonious in its execution.

Tickets for THE EX + RATTLE + HEALTH & EFFICIENCY at Hare & Hounds on April 18th are available for purchase now and also include entry to a secondary stage which is being co-hosted by our friends at MILQUE & MUHLE.

The MILQUE & MUHLE programme includes:

GHOLD

With a heavy bass line and percussive drums, this sludge rock duo pay homage to the early days of Sludge with bands like the Melvins, Karp and Godheadsilo.

MOB RULES

‘Cesstone music to try the patience of the Hardcore’, MOB RULES are arguably one of best bands on the UK Hardcore scene at the moment, Leeds anger-fuelled Powerviolence at its best. Formed in 2008, this four-piece are practically Leeds’ answer to Black Flag.

SUMP

Formed in 2008, SUMP is a Yorkshire two-piece consisting of George Proctor (guitar) and Gareth Howells (drums and vocals). Sump is a glorious fusion of Black Metal and Punk, this isn’t the first time the two have come together, yet somehow Sump achieve a unique and exciting sound.

BAYONNEBLEEDER

This will be the second show from local Hardcore outfit BAYONNEBLEEDER, who have spent over a year refining their tight and rapid sound; They take influence from bands such as Rorschach, Septic Death and His Hero Is Gone.

+ DJ SETS FROM LUKE YOUNGER & CHRIS BRESS

Buy tickets here for THE EX, RATTLE, HEALTH & EFFICIENCY and the MILQUE & MUHLE line-up. Tickets include entry to both stages.

There’s lots of good stuff with big reductions in the Capsule shop at the moment.

Supersonic 2012 t-shirt, was £15 now £10

Supersonic Kids Gig t-shirt, was £10 now £8

Supersonic 2006 CD (feat. Michael Gira, Alexander Tucker & more) was £6 now £3 and FREE with

every purchase during the sale

Supersonic 2010 print by Simon Fowler, was £20 now £10

Supersonic speakerhead hoodie, was £20 now £10

Home of Metal t-shirt, was £15 now £10

Supersonic 2012 ltd edition t-shirt, was £15 now £10

Supersonic 2011 hoodie, was £30 now £20

Barn Owl print, was £20 now £10

We’re very pleased to announce that legendary punk band The Ex will perform on Friday 18th April at the Hare & Hounds. More details and tickets to come soon, but make sure you put this one in your diary cos The Ex are an incredible live experience.

“An Ex show is a shared experience, they take the audience on a musical adventure to places no one has been before“. The Quietus

The adventurous and inspiring Dutch punk/noise/jazz/whatever quartet have defied categorization ever since they started playing in 1979. Born out of the punk explosion, when anything and everything was possible, the band have still managed to retain both curiosity and passion for their music. Using guitars, bass, drums and voice as their starting point they have continued to musically explore undiscovered areas right up to the present day.

After 33 years, more than 25 albums and around 1800 performances, the band continues to work as they did in when they began, completely independent of record companies, managers or roadies. Because of this ‘do it yourself’ work ethic The Ex is still a great example for other forward-thinking bands and musicians.

www.theex.nl

 

Following their highly successful Apollo tour, contemporary orchestra Icebreaker return to Town Hall Birmingham focusing on the music of Kraftwerk on Saturday 8th Feb.

Here, composer, producer and sound-scapist J. Peter Schwalm re-imagines tracks from across the group’s revolutionary back catalogue showing off their different sounds.

Hear Icebreaker perform reworkings of early acoustic tracks to the now iconic synthesized tunes, while award-winning visual artists Sophie Clements and Toby Cornish create a new cinematic work filmed in the Ruhr, the region in Germany from which Kraftwerk emerged.

More info here www.thsh.co.uk