A massive thanks to the Hickeysonic duo for creating an awesome podcast for us, there are loads of related tracks for our Xmas Cocktail event on the 13 Dec, it will give you a taster of what we have in store. Hickeysonic were the duo responsible for the ‘Panic & Carousels’ show on basic.fm for the past couple of years until the station closed at the end of September, we’re delighted that we could coax them out of early retirement. Enjoy!

A christmas cocktail by Hickeysonic on Mixcloud

tracklist

Hickeysonic – intro…
Gallon Drunk – Christmas [The Rotten Mile]
The Sonics – Don’t Believe In Christmas
Palehorse – Bird Feed [Harm Starts Here]
Billy Childish – A Poundland Christmas [Christmas 1979]
Table Scraps – Foot Of Our Stairs [b-side]
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds – Kris Kringle Ju Ju [Dracula Boots]
Evil Blizzard – Nothing For Xmas
Glatze – Cafe Vixen [Glatze EP]
Ravioli Me Away – Mic Check
Iggy Pop – White Christmas [Gimme Some Skin]
The Lowest Form – Telepathy [Negative Ecstasy]
Year Of Birds – The Wax Hour [Slack Handfuls of Nothing]
Paddy Steer – ANCHIHOYE H4C
Hordes – All the White Crosses Stood In Rows [I]
Ben Frost – Secant [A U R O R A ]
Chris Herbert – Crest [Constants]
Sly & the Family Drone – Wine into Water [Appetite for Tax Deduction]
Cathode – the sky at night [before we split frequencies vol.2]

Tickets for the Xmas Cocktail at the Hare & Hounds on Dec 13 can be purchased directly from Milque & Muhle or via theticketsellers.co.uk

This is it. The Ex hit up Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds this Friday for our all-nighter consisting of 2 stages and 7 bands, as well as late night DJ sets. It’s going to be a Good Friday after all!

Advance tickets are available for just a tenner here.

If you don’t know what to expect from The Ex, then you might be interested to hear what’s been said about them…

” guitars played with screwdrivers from stalwarts of the Dutch power-improv scene the Ex, who’ve played more than 1,800 shows in their time. Spearheaded by axe-wielders

Terrie Hessels and Andy Moor, along with Katherina Bornefeld on drums and Arnold De Boer on vocals, the group started out in the late 70s as a punk outfit. They still do everything themselves, from roadying to releases, and have racked up an eclectic list of regular collaborators, from Ethiopian musician Getatchew Mekuria through power-jazz trio the Thing to jazz drummer Han Bennink.”

– The Guardian

“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

You can also listen to Capsule’s April playlist to sample some of the artists playing this Friday.

Get your tickets here.

This Friday, current WIRE cover-stars The

Ex will be headlining our Hare & Hounds showcase in Kings Heath which will see 7 bands perform across two stages, followed by late night DJ sets that will keep things going well into the night. This is one gig you don’t want to miss and best of all advance tickets are just a tenner! Buy here.

We’ve already given you plenty of good reasons to see The Ex, a band with legendary status established both at home and abroad. But now we turn your attention to the acts on the second stage programmed by our friends at Milque & Muhle. This will be an exciting opportunity to check out several emerging home grown bands that have been creating a buzz over the past year. Here’s a taster on what to expect…

GHOLD

If you like doom, if you like sludge, if you like it heavy, Ghold may very well be for you. Ghold are a drum and bass duo who’ve been getting rave reviews over the past 2 years. It’s rare to hear a band who feel like they’re doing something genuinely new within the genres they manage to effortlessly straddle. Comparisons have been drawn to The Melvins, Karp and even High On Fire, but Ghold are definitely carving out a distinctive path all of their own.

“…there’s a malevolent groove at work, they work a kind of hypno-sludge, trance wizardry around you, vocals shouted and chanted like a part of some ritual in a cavernous hall illuminated by flickering candlelight.” – tighttothenail.com

MOB RULES

Mob Rules are one of the best hardcore bands in the UK right now. Hailing from Leeds, Conor Rickford, who drums for Mob Rules points out that “If you’re living in Leeds you’re not going to make music that says that the world is a wonderful place and the sun is always shining,” he explains. “The anger that you hear in the music stems from what we see every day.”

SUMP

Formed in 2008, Sump is a Yorkshire two-piece consisting of George Proctor (guitar) and Gareth Howells (drums and vocals). In the short time they’ve been together they’ve managed to release numerous 7″ splits and demos as well as cassettes on their own labels, Dead Tapes and Turgid Animal. 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. Originally one drummer, guitarist, bass and vocalist they’ve recently made the addition of a second guitarist, to reach their heaviest potential. Expect a short and intense set of 10 tracks lasting 20 minutes.

Running Order (subject to change):

Room 1
Rattle 8.30 – 9.15
Health & Efficiency 9.45 – 10.30
The Ex 11.00 – 12.00
DJs 12.00 – 2.00 am

For tickets visit The Ticket Sellers here.

Capsule’s April playlist is now ready for you to enjoy and features artists performing in our fast approaching upcoming shows. Here’s a round-up of what we’ve got coming up prior to our calender biggie, Supersonic Festival. Scroll down for our playlist.

April 18th, Hare & Hounds (1 ticket gains you entry to watch 7 bands across 2 stages):

THE EX plus supports Health & Efficiency and Rattle (Stage 1). Stage 2 curated by Milque + Muhle features Ghold, Mob Rules, Sump and Bayonnebleeder. The Ex may have started as a punk band but their numerous collaborations and sonic explorations over a 30+ year career has seen them experiment with the exotic and unexpected, making their hefty musical back catalogue now difficult to confine to any one genre.

May 27th, Rainbow Warehouse:

Melt Banana plus supports Glatze and Thrilling Headgear. Melt Banana are a well respected Japanese noise rock band championed by the likes of John Peel who was an avid fan. The band incorporate elements of punk and psycho-pop into their fast and furious performances.

Tickets for both these events can be purchased at advance pricing here.

Liked that? For more tunes listen to our previous playlist. Tickets to either of these shows go here.

Image: Caffaknitted, Flikr

The Ex are the cover stars of the latest issue of The Wire (April, 2014).

Pick up a copy and read about Daniel Spicer travels to Amsterdam to talk DIY survival strategies with the Dutch ethno-improv-punk collective.

Don’t forget you can catch The Ex right here in Birmingham at Hare & Hounds on April 18th for just £10 (adv.). That’s a bargain all by itself, but we’ve teamed up with Milque & Muhle to put on 6 more up and coming bands for you to check out too. That’s right, two stages, 7 bands, all for a tenner. Investigate the full line-up below. Tickets here.

THE EX

Formed back in 1979, Terrie (guitar), Sok (vocals), Geurt (drums), and René (bass) choose their instruments by drawing straws to decide who would play what, starting from scratch. The name was chosen based on the fact that it could be sprayed on a wall in two seconds flat! Since those early days the band have worked across so many musical styles and with so many artists that categorizing their sound to any one genre seems almost unfair . For more band history read here.

“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

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

H&E thrive on an instinctive and experimental approach to the creation and composition of their music. Eschewing traditional songwriting and structural techniques in favour of a process of improvisation, editing, refinement and distillation of their sound working together as a democratic unit. Proponents of self-sufficiency and independence, their recordings to this point have been engineered and mixed by friends and more recently by the band themselves at their practice space, then released via the internet. Unhindered by a desire, or need, to be restricted to a specific genre, HEALTH & EFFICIENCY create a sound of unrestrained eclecticism.

GHOLD

Drums and bass sludge rock duo, GHOLD, have already gained recognition in their short time together, starting in 2012 in Brixton. With a heavy bass line and percussive drums, they pay homage to the early days of Sludge with bands like the Melvins, Karp and Godheadsilo. They’ve already got a

string of releases under their belt, which considering their 2 years together, is pretty impressive.

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; Largely influenced by the band, vocalist Thomas Campbell come up with MOB RULES as its said to be ‘Gregg Ginn’s seventh favourite Black Sabbath record’. Sticking to their guns for the last six years, these guys have very little internet presence, nevertheless they’ve gained a prominent presence on the scene in the UK, with an acclaimed reputation

SUMP

Formed in 2008, SUMP is a Yorkshire two-piece consisting of George Proctor (guitar) and Gareth Howells (drums and vocals). In the short time they’ve been together they’ve managed to release numerous 7″ splits and demos as well as cassettes on their own labels, Dead Tapes and Turgid Animal. 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. Originally one drummer, guitarist, bass and vocalist they’ve recently made the addition of a second guitarist, to reach their heaviest potential. Expect a short and intense set of 10 tracks lasting 20 minutes.

+ DJ SETS FROM LUKE YOUNGER & CHRIS BRESS

For tickets go here, you know you want to.

The Ex have just finished a 5 day festival in their native land (The Netherlands) to celebrate their 30+ years as a band. The Ex Festival was designed not as a retrospective, but was instead a forward-looking and adventurous celebration with friends and like-minded artists. Reviews have been coming in thick and fast for the Ex’s performance at their headline festival and we think you’ll agree they went down pretty well. You can read a few quotes from reviews of the The Ex’s recent performances below as well as take a peek

at a recent radio performance.

For your own chance to catch the band live, get your ticket to their Birmingham show on April 18th. Tickets cost just £10 and include a line-up of 7 bands across two stages. An absolute deal! Tickets here.

“The Ex, laying down the law; righting the rule book. People groove; or gawp at the way Kat, Terrie, Andy and Arnold construct their sound. The Ex are like some weird machine, constantly being deconstructed and reassembled; a vehicle that never breaks, one that travels vast distances to create its own hinterland…” – The Quietus (Read more here)

“My word, the energy of the band is quite remarkable – and for a group some 25 albums into a career, that’s a badge to be proud of. They were, at times, quite exhilarating here and when they weren’t they were still bloody good. The Ex are one of the most honest, down-to-earth bands I’ve ever come across because you can tell there’s no bullshit with them. They just get up there and play and when they do, you’d better stand back if you’re not prepared to go with them because they kick up quite a fuss when they get going. They are, in the truest sense of the word, exceptional.” – Incendiary Magazine (Read more here)

“Frankly they were unstoppable on this night; a mad charge into the valley, clanking and rattling around like a washing machine that’s suddenly torn up its ASBO, escaped from the local electrics shop and chuntered down the road in search of a suitable mate. Tonight the slow burners were extra good; their cosmic, baked-earth rumble somehow allowing serene, zen-like moments in the heady atmosphere, allowing people breathing space.” – Louderthanwar.com (Read more here)

Tickets for April 18th are available here. For full info on the line-up go here.

March’s playlist brings together tracks from some of the artists performing at Capsule’s upcoming events this Spring.

On April 18^th Capsule partners up with purveyors of fine records and good buddies MILQUE & MUHLE to curate an evening of musical activity held across two stages at Hare & Hounds. Topping the main stage are Dutch punk rock legends, THE EX, who are supported by percussion heavy RATTLE & rock experimentalists HEALTH & EFFICIENCY.

The second stage programmed by M+M takes things on a doomier route with GHOLD tipping their hat to the godfathers of sludge whilst continuing to forge their own unique sound. Hardcore will also be well represented on the bill with MOB RULES and BAYONNEBLEEDER both promising to punish ears and minds. Lastly SUMP will deliver their own hybrid of black metal and punk.

Tickets for THE EX on April 18^th are available now & grant access to both stages making this one all-nighter you don’t want to miss out on. Buy tickets HERE.

Later on May 27^th we welcome back Japan’s unequivocal answer to grindcore-noise rock, MELT BANANA, who are

touring in support of their latest album Fetch. Support comes from sound artist and instrument maker Sam Underwood who returns with GLATZE, his solo outlet for his broader musical endeavours. The line-up is completed with local sonic deviants THRILLING HEADGEAR, born out of the ashes of Stinky Wizzleteat and ready to pummel with their bleeted, transcendent take on punk-rock. Tickets for MELT BANANA can be purchased HERE.

This week we put sludge duo GHOLD in focus. GHOLD will play as part of the musical showcase Capsule + Milque & Muhle have co-curated this April 18th headlined by experimental punk noisemakers THE EX. For a full list of acts playing both stages see HERE + tickets are available from HERE. You can also purchase

tickets in person at M+M (Digbeth Custard Factory) and Polar Bear (Kings Heath) record stores.

Drums and bass sludge rock duo, GHOLD, have already gained recognition in their short time together, starting in 2012 in Brixton. With a heavy bass line and percussive drums, they pay homage to the early days of Sludge with bands like the Melvins, Karp and Godheadsilo. They’ve already got a string of releases under their belt, which considering their 2 years together, is pretty impressive.

“…Ghold are not your bog standard NOLA worshipping sludge troupe, however. There may only be two of them, but on their debut full-length alone (‘Judas Ghoat’) these guys demonstrate more engaging ideas than many bands do over the course of their entire careers.” – Terrorizer.

Our friend Kez Whelan at Terrorizer recently interviewed GHOLD and we’ve picked out a few questions for you below, but be sure to read the full Terrorizer interview HERE.

Image: Terrorizer

Could you tell us briefly how you both met and formed Ghold?
“We met at art college where we shared a musical interests at the noisier, heavier end of the spectrum and our tastes naturally overlapped at bands like the Melvins. At that time we’d been making music under our own separate guises for quite a while and digged each other’s stuff so it seemed only natural to collaborate on something.”

What kind of music are you both into? Who would you cite as influences?
Alex: “I would cite a lot of influences starting from the not so obvious; such as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Parliament, Funkadelic, Captain Beyond, The Beatles to Slayer, Jim Jones and the Kool Aid Kids, Melvins, Primus, Cherubs (TX), Shellac, Drive like Jehu, Karp, Harvey Milk – lots of 60’s garage psyche, 70’s kraut and heavy psyche, 80’s progressive metal, funk, the list is ever on going…”
Paul: “As far as music goes there’s a shit-ton. A lot of the old stuff from Thorrs Hammer, Burning Witch, Confessor and Corrupted really gets my blood up. Darkthrone are a continuous inspiration. I grew up with bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Melvins, Aphex Twin, Converge, Lightning Bolt, Tortoise and Isis so I’m sure a lot of this has crept into the subconscious. Am also a big fan of electronic bass-weight music and dub (Digital Mystikz, Scorn, Shackleton, King Tubby etc). Recently really digging records by Dark Castle, Baby Killer, Raime, Wolf Eyes, Ulcerate and The Body. There’s some really exciting music out there.”

You guys are ridiculously tight when playing live. How would you describe the Ghold live show for those who have yet to witness it?
Alex: “Thanks, its something we try to keep up, we both share the idea that the tighter the better, plus there’s only two of us, if one of us messes up it’s easier seen. I guess that’s the other thing is that regardless of how a record sounds it’s always going to be better live with this kind of stuff (for now anyway, were only just starting to consider more recording techniques), we like to mix it up a lot, we change our setlist all the time and whatever you think we’re going to play, we probably wont.”
Paul: “A hard hitting, zero-bullshit weight-fest. With melodies!”

What’s next for Ghold?
“Well we look ahead to a prosperous new year haha! We’re working on a full-length record to come out at some point next summer, we shall be working with a cellist and touring with her for a few shows too. We’re going to be part of a compilation record as part of the This Is DIY family (Ladyscraper/Death Pedals/Yards/USA Nails) so look out for that. We’re working on lots of stuff so it should be a busy and productive year for us, look out for the material and come and see us play!”

GHOLD’S WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / BANDCAMP

Tickets for April 18th event can be bought HERE.