Thank you to all who came out to see the Alif Ensemble at Ikon Gallery last week – it was a really special event with some incredible musicianship. Thanks also to all the performers, the Ikon Gallery staff and Khyam Allami for putting it all together.

Pictures below by Katja Ogrin

Simon Fox opened the show with a beautiful acoustic set

We’ve got two great shows in store for you next week, of a slightly different nature. Space rockers Bardo Pond perform at the Hare & Hounds on Wednesday 1st August and we’ve got a Supersonic Taster at Eastside Projects on Saturday 4th August, featuring King Midas Sound System, JK Flesh and a host of experimental musicians. Tickets for both shows are available via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Unsane on stage at Rainbow Warehouse

Thanks to all who came out to see the powerhouse bill of Unsane, Big Business and Stinky Wizzleteat. Sonic Shocks have posted up the below review, click through to read in full.

Channelling early Stooges and upping the distortion. Unsane really need no introduction and the crowd are ready for something closing on perfection when they come on….Without a doubt this will be a gig remembered by those in attendance for a long time.  Read more via Sonic Shocks

Hard working Coady of Big Business also took on drum duties for Unsane

And if you like your guitars loud and distorted, you really should come along to the next Capsule show. We’ve got Bardo Pond performing at Hare & Hounds on Wednesday 1st August. Tickets are available via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/ – see you there!

We thoroughly recommend you spend your Thursday evening at Ikon Gallery tonight to witness The Alif Ensemble a new collective of superbly talented and inventive Arabic musicians. Support comes from acoustic guitarist Simon Fox. Doors are 8pm and you can still grab a ticket via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/

Reviews from their debut performance at

Liverpool’s Arabic Arts Festival are coming in…

What quickly becomes apparent is that amongst these seven musicians – while they are clearly taking their lead from Allami – there is no real hierarchy, just a warmth and mutual appreciation of each other’s playing ability. Any concerns around the chances of Ghazaleh relaxing are quickly forgotten, as his earlier intensity is swapped for a rich vocal, allied with expert and driving buzuq-playing. Just like that he is a match for anyone on stage.

Indeed, this is a real feature of the whole set: seven musicians equal in quality and renown (at least to our untutored ears) working together for the simple enjoyment of it. Just when you are admiring the amazing drumming of the pony-tailed Ayman Mabrouk, the violin playing of Yaroub Smarait will kick in and briefly take centre-stage, keeping you on your toes and reminding you to look around, lest you miss out on something extraordinary. Read more via http://www.thedoublenegative.co.uk/2012/07/alif-ensemble-reviewed/

Our lovely volunteer film crew work hard at Supersonic each year to document the performances so you can relive your favourites or check out the people you missed. In advance of our show with Bardo Pond on Wednesday 1st August at Hare & Hounds, they’ve released some beautiful footage of the American space rockers in full flow at the festival last year.

Tickets for the show are available via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/

We’ve just announced a gig with the inimitable Om. Starting off from the ashes of Sleep, they have moved on to explore psychedelic and world music whilst maintaining groove ridden doom riffs. They will perform at The Rainbow Warehouse on Tuesday 25th September.

Tickets are available via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/

Capsule invited Om to embark on their first UK tour in 2007 – here they are performing at Supersonic Festival that year

And here they are at Roadburn 2012

You cab read an interview with Khyam Allami in advance of his show with the Alif Ensemble in Birmingham on Thursday 19th July about his first experiences of Arabic music and a little of what you can expect from this exciting show.

Despite his cultural background, Khyam Allami wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Middle Eastern music.

Having moved with his family from Damascus at the age of nine, and quick to embrace his new home, it was the electric guitar wizardry and thumping drum solos of rock music that got his heart beating quickly.

Then in 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq and Allami found his world view shifting.

“It wasn’t so much that I wanted to play Middle Eastern music per se, it was more that I wanted to immerse myself in music full stop,” he explains.

Read More http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-culture/liverpool-arts/2012/07/12/interview-the-alif-ensemble-s-khyam-allami-on-his-philharmonic-hall-concert-99623-31366193/#ixzz20toxFopi

The debut performance by this new Arabic music collective took place in Liverpool at the weekend as part of the Arabic Arts Festival. We’re delighted that the Alif Ensemble will be performing in Birmingham this Thursday 19th July at Ikon Gallery. Tickets are still available via https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/

Here’s a review of the show from the Liverpool Echo –



The ‘sound’ is led by ensemble founder Kyam Allami, playing the oud, the traditional fretless string instrument which is the basis of middle eastern music.

Add to that the buzuk, mastered by vocalist Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, the the rest integrates the already widely familiar – bass guitar (Khaled Omran), two percussion players (Ayman Mabrouk and Kaled Yassine) with Yaroub Smarait on violin and Maurice Louca on keyboards.

Indeed, when also operating the mixing desk, Louca’s bodily animation communicated enthusiasm for a sound world which, frquently, could easily have crossed over into the realms of mid-period Pink Floyd.

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-entertainment/echo-entertainment/2012/07/16/review-the-alif-ensemble-philharmonic-hall-100252-31401375/#ixzz20nE4kS9Z

First and foremost, we are thrilled to invite back former Supersonic Festival alumni, someone who appeared at the very first Supersonic in 2003 (he also performed again in 2008 and with King Midas Sound in 2010) we are of course speaking of Kevin Martin aka The Bug. This time, Kevin Martin will be bringing the party vibes accompanied by the world’s fastest rapper and founder of Raggamuffin hip hop Daddy Freddy and Flow Dan (co-founder of UK Grime collective Roll Deep).

What Supersonic Festival line up would be complete without a local hero? For the tenth birthday celebrations, Supersonic are delighted to host the latest project of Nicholas Bullen, forever pushing and evolving ways of working with sound. With a highly impressive career spanning 35 years having founded Napalm Death and since established himself as sound artist and composer in his own right. Nicholas Bullen is known for his captivating multimedia performances and his omnipresence will undoubtedly be witnessed across the entire weekend. Stay tuned for more information regarding his involvement soon.

Bringing great diversity and an air of playfulness to the festival are a trio of musicians from the Finnish label Fonal Records. Visual artist and musician Islaja will marvel with her compelling combination of her unique vocal delivery and interweaving of a rainbow of instruments. Lau Nau, the free spirited Finnish artist otherwise known as Laura Naukkarinen playfully and expertly blends ethnic tinged folk songs with curious and intuitive sounds conjured from both familiar and exotic sound sources. And one of the most recognised experimental music makers, Jan Anderzen will perform as Tomoutonttu offering an exuberant cacophony of streams, mutilated voices and found sounds resulting in an all-round ecstatic display of contemporary music.

Over the next few months an exciting programme of film, talks and exhibitions will be revealed, including the unveiling of plans for sonic led dining experiences at the festival. There are still some more musical additions as well, all exploring & celebrating 10 years of adventurous music.

As a reminder, here is a list of the line up as it stands; Body/Head/Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore/The Bug/Carlton Melton/Clifford Torus/Dope Body/Drunk In Hell/ Dylan Carlson/Flower-Corsano/Goat/Hey Colossus/Hookworms/Hype Williams/Islaja/Jarboe/JK Flesh/Kevin Drumm/KK Null/Lau Lau/Lichens/Merzbow/My Disco/Nicholas Bullen/PCM/Rangda/Richard Dawson/Ruins Alone/Sir Richard Bishop/Six Organs Of Admittance/Small But Hard showcase/Stian Westerhus/SWLLWS/Thomas Ankersmit/Tim Hecker/Tomoutonttu/Ufomammut/Warm Digits and Zeni Geva

Tickets are available via http://www.supersonicfestival.com/tickets