Volunteers chopping lemons backstage in 2012 – one of the many and varied tasks to undertake over the weekend!

SUPERSONIC NEEDS YOU!

Capsule’s internationally renowned festival runs 19-21 October 2012 and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer.

We need a dedicated team of volunteers to help deliver Supersonic over the festival weekend (19-21 October) and also in the run up to the festival (early October onwards). We expect a minimum of 12 hours over the festival period in exchange for a weekend wristband.

The festival is small enough for everyone involved as a volunteer to gain an overview of how the festival works, and to give real input and value.

A regular Supersonic volunteer, Ross Cotton wrote this piece about the life working behind the scenes last year, have a look via http://domesticcity.posterous.com/

HOW TO APPLY:

Please click through to download the application form

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjucQi45lUQqdGpGYWp0YTZSZEpYUVFPUlpkTndBbEE

Completed application forms should be emailed to volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk by 5pm on Tuesday 25th September. Please mark in the subject line of the email VOLUNTEER. If you have any issues downloading the application form, contact volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk and we can email you a copy direct.

The first volunteer meeting will take place on Tuesday 2^nd October, 6.30pm at Custard Factory where you will be able to find out more about the festival and meet the team.

NB/ unfortunately we can only consider applicants who are 18 years old and over.

In advance of their very special Home Comfort Sound System tour, which comes to Birmingham’s Custard Factory Gallery on Wednesday 19th September, Matt Valentine and Erika Elder discuss their music and what we can can expect from this specially crafted tour, that will see them perform a unique audio visual set each night in response to their surroundings.

we’ve learned to be pretty ergonomic yet sonically expansive from all the touring stateside. since we last hit the UK terrain erika and i have expanded the repertoire considerably and go beyond what people might think is possible within our lil’ homestead, so be on the lookout for some new jams and some pretty major tonal surprises.

Read the full interview HERE

Tickets for the show, which swill also see a set from Health & Efficiency can be purchased from https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/

Folks we have just 5 days left of our We Fund campaign with the aim of raising £5000, the campaign asks those of you, in the position to, to support us by making a donation to Supersonic Festival this year. Your donations will help us to continue to put together a highly ambitious festival programme, allowing us to take risks on emergent artists and unique collaborations. We are hoping our loyal audience can help us further our ambition for this unique event. We’re currently at 87% which is pretty remarkable but without reaching the full 100% we get none of the funds raised. So dig deep – every bit helps.

Thank yous include an invite to a very special 10th birthday tea party which will take place over the weekend of the festival, and will give you the opportunity to share some sweet treats and a nice glass of fizz to toast 10 years of adventurous music and meet with some of the artists performing at the festival.

In addition there are some limited places left for our Sonic Feast, a unique sound led dining experience, featuring bespoke and unusual concoctions to celebrate the festival’s 10th year in style. Produced by Companis,  a nomadic artist and curatorial practice creating bespoke dining experiences that immerse the diner in performance, food and spectacle.

Many thanks to the 63 generous folks that have already funded us – much appreciated.
FUND US HERE

The Wire have published a glowing review of our show with The Alif Ensemble feat. Khyam Allami at Ikon Gallery. It was a wonderful show, and great to continue working with Khyam and his varying projects.

Our next gig is with Sleepy Sun, perfect hazy late summer vibes, with support from Mustard Tiger and a band rising from the ashes of Mothwasp (we’re waiting on the new name!). Tickets are available via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/

Poster designed by Ben Javens

Just one of the bands we’re stupidly excited about playing Supersonic Festival is year is Goat. Afro heavy psych punk from a remote Swedish village? Gotta be good! You can read a review of their album ‘World Music’ on Norman Records

Everything is perfectly in place here from well-segued samples and the odd field recording to the breathless running order. It’s hit after flipping hit with this band, they’ve concocted an alarmingly poppy creation filled with nine all-too brief excursions into a voodoo world where Swedish psychedelia meets belting Afro-rock and parties like there’s no tomorrow. Please, like with all your favourite albums, play it ridiculously loud, then, undoubtedly, re-rewind and crank it up again till dawn and beyond. Goat are worth falling out with your neighbours for. Read the full review via http://www.normanrecords.com/records/135427-goat—world-music

And if you’re into your psych rock, you’ll have a fab time at Supersonic, with the likes of Carlton Melton, Six Organs of Admittance and Hookworms all planning to turn us all inside out.

Thank to all who came to Corsica Studios last Thursday for our second Supersonic Taster. It was a bass heavy line up of King Midas Sound, JK Flesh (Justin Broadrick) and Glatze who all tested the excellent sound system there to its very limits also to Corsica Studios and The Quietus.

Freq have posted up this review of the show

King Midas Sound take the stage through a haze of dry ice, pumping a wall of sound that makes even JK Flesh seem quiet, with bass that makes your trousers dance before your feet have even had a chance to move. The twin vocal performances of Roger Robinson and Kiko Hitomi, somehow melodic, strident and languid all at the same time, put a human edge on proceedings, while behind the desk Martin unleashes the robots. It’s heavy. REALLY heavy. Imagine a Mezzanine-era Massive Attack hiding themselves behind a wall of sound with the biggest, and most stoned reggae sound system you ever heard, only breaking cover to pop out every now and then to punch you in the face. It’s like that. And it’s the perfect pick-me-up after the relentless vitriol of JK Flesh; the two acts complement each other perfectly. It would appear Broadrick and Martin being in the same room is ALWAYS an awesome proposition, even if they’re not making noise at the same time as each other. Read the full review HERE

We hope these tasters have given you a good opportunity to check out some of the artists due to perform at the festival and other interesting musicians we’re working with. King Midas Sound’s Kevin Martin will perform at October’s festival as The Bug, Justin will return with his JK Flesh project and Sam ‘Glatze’ Underwood will perform as part of a new collaboration – Ore and KK Null.

The Supersonic Taster have formed an exciting extension of our 10th anniversary celebrations. Other 10th birthday events include a special Tea Party and the Sonic Feast, which act as a thank you to those who have supported the festival through our We Fund campaign. There’s only a few days left to support and secure a place at one of these events. Learn more via http://wefund.com/project/supersonic-festival-10th-anniversary/p27749/

To celebrate the 10th edition of the festival, we are proud to host a number of special collaborations where you can see known performers embarking upon unknown sounds. One such performance we are proud to present is Oxbow Orchestra. Expect strings, woodwinds, brass, operatic backing vocals and classically contained renderings of the Oxbow song book, featuring Eugene S Robinson and Niko Wenner from Oxbow and an Orchestra who will deliver songs new and old in a format unaccustomed to the blood and sweat of a typical Oxbow outing. The textbook definition of ONCE IN A LIFETIME. This ties in very nicely with the first film announcement which will be The Luxury Of Empire, a very intimate portrait of Oxbow at the peak of their artistic maturity, candid interviews and live footage reveals the trials and tribulations of this band. The film programme is coming together nicely with Jeremy Deller’s ‘The Bruce Lacey Experience’ and a number of films curated by Jason Forrest at Network Awesome.

From one large scale event to a couple more (well it is our tenth birthday after all!) Lash Frenzy will perform ‘Vir Heroicus Sublimis’ as an improvised noise collective, featuring members of Anaal Nathrackh, Beestung Lips, Benediction, Sally and Einstellung. Another distinctive pairing will see KK Null and Birmingham’s own ORE in sonic battle. In many ways, KK Null’s collaboration with Lash Frenzy at Supersonic 2010 (with ORE’s Sam on tuba) acted as a proof of concept for the sound of ORE, so it’s entirely fitting to bring the two entities together this year.

The issue of creating art in challenging times is one close to the festival’s heart and an exciting panel discussion will see the topic dissected by some truly inspirational practitioners.. The discussion is called ‘You Can Be You’ and will feature an array of maverick artists including Penny Rimbaud, Jarboe and Eugene Robinson. Offering an insight into some of the hows and whys of maintaining an independent spirit whilst on the very edge of the avant-garde, the panel will debate such topics as, how is the drive to make art is sustained under sometimes-difficult circumstances? and after many years of writing and touring music, will the desire to create ever be satiated?

Given the success of Imperfect Cinema’s cinematic workshop last year, we have invited the team back to host a free workshop exploring DIY modes of filming and cinema only this time, the footage people gather using Super 8 cameras will be edited and used as visuals for Drunk in Hell’s performance. All in all, an exciting opportunity for festival goers to be part of the performance and for them to utilise the unique industrial backdrop in a highly creative way. If you’re interested in booking a place, email [email protected] with ‘Imperfect Cinema’ in the subject line.

Vinyl Rally will be a large-scale installation combining sound art, video art and kinetic sculpture into every kid and kidult’s dream-hybrid; an immersive participatory play-set playing off vinyl fetishism, video arcade mystique and the machismo of motor sports in a video game played within a real world setting! Classic first person video racing is simulated as remote control cars with styli attached, race across a track constructed from a mass of disused vinyl records. This installation will be realised by Australian artist and glass eating expert Lucas Abela AKA Justice Yeldham. Who’s excited to have a go on this mean machine?

Phew! Lots more info to come, as well as day tickets and volunteering opportunities. Weekend tickets are available to purchase via http://www.supersonicfestival.com/tickets and don’t forget, if you want to see these sorts of ambitious projects continue, you can support us via our We Fund campaign

The second of our Supersonic Tasters takes place tomorrow night at London’s Corsica Studios. The heavy bass of King Midas Sound is joined by Justin Broadrick’s (Godflesh, Napalm Death, Techno Animal) new JK Flesh project. The Midlands’ very own Glatze aka Sam Underwood also takes to the stage to round up an exciting line up.

Tickets are £10 and can be purchased via http://www.corsicastudios.com/