Supersonic Festival, the world renowned event for adventurous music, art film and beyond is celebrating its 10th birthday.. We love a party so are expanding our celebrations by hosting two very special taster shows in London and Birmingham in August. These events showcase the sorts of artists programmed at the festival, and celebrate our passion for adventurous new music.
Produced in association with Eastside Projects, on Saturday 4th August King Midas Sound System and JK Flesh, joined by Iron Fist Of The Sun, Laurence Hunt and Sarah M Farmer will bring, abstract, abrasive and titanic sounds into the walls of this converted art gallery/warehouse space in Digbeth. Tickets are £15 for five brilliant acts, and we’ll be running a lovely real ale bar.
If you’re London inclined, a Supersonic Festival taster will take place on Thursday 9th August at Corsica Studios, in association with The Quietus. This event will feature King Midas Sound (without the system), JK Flesh and Glatze (aka Sam Underwood). Tickets are available via http://www.corsicastudios.com
Y Music is a consortium between a number of UK based experimental music promoters/agencies, made up of Qu Junktions (Bristol), Tusk (Newcastle) and yours truly, Capsule (Birmingham). The lovely Chris of Brumcast has skillfully put together a brilliant podcast featuring some of the artists Y Music are currently working with, either together or separately. Featuring Meg Baird, Aki Onda, Sleepy Sun and many more eclectic artists we passionately showcase.
Chris has also released the first of three Supersonic Festival podcasts, giving you a taster of some of the artists playing at the 2012 edition of the event, which just so happens to be its 10th year – how exciting.
In case you missed the news yesterday, we’ve just announced a very exciting show with Norwegian avant jazz group Supersilent, who will be joined by the legendary John Paul Jones – multi-instrumentalist and Led Zeppelin bassist. This heavyweight collaboration will enter uncharted sonic zones.
The Alif Ensemblehave posted up this teaser in advance of their UK tour dates. One of the most exciting new projects to come from the Arab world, bringing together musicians from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Iraq for a beguiling blend of acoustic and contemporary electronic sounds. The ensemble will feature Capsule favourite Khyam Allami, who has blown Supersonic audiences away both solo and in collaboration with Master Musicians of Bukkake.
The Alif Ensemble will perform at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham on Thursday 19th July. Support comes from Simon Fox whose work ranges from traditional folk songs to more challenging sonic experiments.
Cast your mind back a few weeks, when Capsule and Fierce Festival were asking you to entrust us with one night of your life. We co-commissioned a mysterious and memorable experience where an undisclosed artist performed in an undisclosed venue. Thanks to all who came to the sell out show.
So, what actually did happen at the Secret Show? According to the Wire magazine…
“A kind hand leads me to the car transporting me to who knows where. It comes to a halt after ten minutes. We might not have phone.
gone far, but, disorientated, I lose balance and start feeling deeply scared. Other hands lead me in complete silence to the designated space. The surface beneath my feet feels like grass or fur. Remembering I’m wearing an S&M like mask, I wonder if this is a porn movie set…
…Finally, a long synth sound emanates from the abyss: as if from a forest, sounds emerge one by one. They’re probably generated by a computer, but in my mind I see green trolls belching fire. The wisps of sound thicken into a fog; clicks and drones tremble over basses; guitars squeal, making me think of Norwegian Black Metallers in leather and painted faces. I lose hope and take refuge in childhood memories. Then a voice enters, an animalistic, asthmatic, death rattle. It’s like someone was being killed right in front of me. Unable to do anything, I slump in my seat, helpless. But having got this far, I must survive…
…I preferred not to know who had done this to me. Hearing an unknown performer in an unseen space had altered the way I experienced sound…But for the purposes of this review I must reveal the perpetrator was Francsico Lopez.
By way of introducing you to some of this yearsSupersonic Festival line up the wonderful Chris Brumcast has created the first of three Supersonic Festival podcasts for your listening pleasure. Be sure to share it with all your friends.
You can follow Chris – www.twitter.com/Brumcast
And of course weekend tickets are just £80 and available from HERE
We are extremely pleased to be bringing this very special show with some of the most talented and inventive young Arabic players to Birmingham. Fresh from a performance with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Liverpool Arab
Arts Festival, the Alif Ensemble will perform at Ikon Gallery on Thursday 19th July.
The Ensemble will feature the magnificent Khyam Allami on oud. See below his previous performances at Supersonic, both solo and with Master Musicians of Bukkake.
Tickets are £8 or £6 concessions and available from theticketsellers
