LOUD Bristol Issue One

editor’s note Editor Matt Robson matt@365bristol.com Contributors Hannah Moll Kate Hutchison Colin Moody Shelby Alexander Leighton De Burca Jade Saul Graphic Design Jasmine Roberts rendergal666@gmail.com Marketing/Sales Brendan Murphy brendan@365bristol.com With thanks to Bristol BID // BARBIE Bristol // Elevator Sound

Welcome to the very first edition of LOUD Magazine, an in-depth look at Bristol’s flourishing underground music scene.

Defined by a passionate DIY attitude and unwavering focus on friendship and support, Bristol's musical landscape is propped up by some of the city’s most hard-working individuals and collectives. Crucially, each and every project featured in these pages plays its own part in keeping the city ahead of the game.

In Issue 1, we speak to the Mix Nights team as they work to address the drastic gender imbalance in the music industry. We also meet Bitch, Please! co-founders Liam and Travis to discuss their dedication to inclusive partying and explore the origins of Chris Farrell’s universally-loved Idle Hands store.

We’re proud to feature some incredible artists in our first edition, including Black Roots, Eats Everything and Foreign Concept.

You’ll also hear from both Noods and 1020 Radio - two celebrated platforms that have become synonymous with the boundarypushing Bristol sound.

Of course, there are reasons to be downbeat. Even our most iconic venues face threats of closure, but the shared sense of optimism among the most influential figures of the city’s music scene is encouraging.

Have a flick through LOUD Magazine Issue 1 and get to know the innovative artists, labels, venues, promoters and collectives keeping Bristol at the forefront of UK music.

contents 6

Mix Nights: Shaping lineups of the future

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Black Roots: 40 years of pioneering Bristol reggae

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Noods Radio: Broadcasting Bristol

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Motion: Martin Page on the fight to protect a cultural icon

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Bitch, Please! Reclaiming a space on the dancefloor

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Bristol Club Guide: Our favourite Bristol clubs

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Eats Everything: Early influences and first Bristol sets

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Bristol Live Venues: The best of the city’s live venues

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Manami: The fast-rising DJ on her love of music

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Idle Hands: Keeping things fresh in the digital age

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Elevator Sound: Inside the musical hardware Mecca

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The Gryphon: Strictly guests, no repeats

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Bristol Drag: The New Kings & Queens of England

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Love International 2019: From Bristol to Tisno

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p.32

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LOUD Magazine is published by 365 The World Ltd. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the written permission of 365 The World Ltd. The opinions expressed or advice given in this publication are the views of the individual authors and do not represent the views of 365 The World Ltd. 365 The World Ltd accepts no responsibility for misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages.

Mix Nights

The Mix Nights project is helping more and more Bristol womxn to break into the notoriously male-dominated world of electronic music and DJing. Here we take a look at how the course is helping to shape the lineups of the future.

Originally thought up by Bristol Women in Music – an all-female collective with backgrounds in all corners of the music business – back in 2016, Mix Nights was established with the aim of introducing more female DJs into electronic music, both locally in Bristol and further afield.

What started out as a freeto-attend workshop has developed over the years into a professionally run course, led by a team of tutors and project managers with a wealth of business experience as well as production and DJing.

Lizzy Ellis, who was part of the original Bristol Women in Music team and currently works as a creative development manager at Saffron Records, is an integral part of the current Mix Nights setup and oversees

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each group of students as project manager.

“The course has evolved so much in the last three years,” Lizzy explains. “What used to

“There’s absolutely no reason why our graduates shouldn’t go on to have successful careers in music” be a really informal, sort of ‘turn up and have a go on the decks’ type thing has become so much more structured as we’ve realised the demand for it.”

The demand is certainly there, too, with a few-hundred-strong

waiting list and courses now running all year round, one after the other. What was initially a four-week class, then six, is now a fully-fledged eight-week course, with a Mix Nights showcase on the ninth week to allow the graduates to put what they’ve learnt to the test with a 30-minute set at The Love Inn. Despite being just three years in, and with limited resources to actually run the course, Mix Nights has kickstarted a shift in the gender imbalance on Bristol lineups. Lizzy tells me she already sees a noticeably higher female presence at club nights across the city.

“When we had the initial discussion, we thought that a DJ course might be a good first step to try and make a change,” she says. “The best is definitely yet to come, but if you just look at lineups in Bristol at

the moment, you can see more women are playing compared to even a year or two ago – so many of those DJs have come through our course.”

All it takes is a quick glance at Mix Nights’ graduates roster to see exactly what she’s talking about, with a huge range of now-established names having been involved with the project at some point or another.

Motion resident and Love Inn booking co-ordinator Ellie Stokes, prolific selector and Booty Bass curator DJ Ngaio and Rinse FM regular Beth are just three examples of artists who have gone onto become household names in the city after completing the Mix Nights course.

“If you look at how some of the grads are doing so far, it’s been amazing for some people.

There’s absolutely no reason why some of them shouldn’t go on to have successful music careers,” Lizzy says.

She’s quick to point out that the wider Bristol music community has been hugely supportive of the project, too, with several of the city’s electronic music

Mix Nights Project Manager Lizzy Ellis also works as a creative development manager for Saffron Records. Image: Tom Ham

institutions getting behind the initiative including Team Love, Crack Magazine and DBS (the latter provide the studio space and equipment for the Mix Nights practice sessions).

It’s collectives like Team Love who play a huge part in getting the graduates out there in their early stages as well, recruiting them to play sets at seminal events like Love Saves The Day, Love International and even Glastonbury. Several course graduates played across various stages in the latter’s Silver Hayes area this year.

An unexpected by-product of the Mix Nights project, according to Lizzy, is the lasting friendships formed on the course and the continued support among graduates once they’ve completed it.

“We really encourage people to keep in touch once they’ve finished the course and keep supporting each other,” she says, and that’s exactly what’s happened. The emphasis on continued support is a pillar of the Mix Nights setup, and it’s personified by the showcase nights that take place at the end of each course at The Love Inn.

“We try to welcome people who are maybe lacking in confidence by making the showcases really fun and supportive,” Lizzy explains, “and with that in mind, there are absolutely no restrictions in terms of genre – it’s just a ‘this is what I love and I’m gonna play you half an hour of it’ sort of thing.”

The freedom for graduates to be able to play what they love clearly takes the edge off on the night and creates a party atmosphere as upbeat as any other you’re likely to find on a Wednesday night in Bristol.

The overwhelming positivity of the crowd – made up largely of friends and family who get down to support the new graduates – is infectious from start to finish and consolidates everything that Lizzy and the team are trying to do with the Mix Nights project.

Not only is that positivity felt by those in front of the decks, but it’s a huge boost for the DJs behind them, many of whom are playing in front of people for the very first time. Mercy Sotire, better known as R&B singer, songwriter and producer Mercy’s Cartel, says she had only ever given mixing a go at house parties but wanted to November 2019

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get into DJing to explore another avenue of expression and experiment with new sounds.

“I had heard a lot about Mix Nights through word of mouth on the Bristol scene,” Mercy explains, “and after going to one of the showcase nights at The Love Inn I knew I had to give it a try. I’ve tried twice to put some time aside to do the course, but have been too busy with other commitments.

Once I was ready, I spoke to the organisers and they helped me get involved as soon as possible.”

Like many of her peers on the course, Mercy says her experience with Mix Nights has been overwhelmingly positive.

The course has set her up to potentially pursue DJing in the future, linking her up with what has become an extensive support network of graduates, organisers and other members of the Bristol music scene.

“What’s really great about Mix Nights is being able to look around at your female peers and feel represented,” she says. “Every time a Mix Nights alumni books an amazing show,

“What’s really great about Mix Nights is being able to look around at your female peers and feel represented” or I see them on a gig poster, or on a festival lineup, I know I can do the same. I wouldn’t have imagined myself in a DJ space before the course, but I’ve got gigging experience right off the bat. I feel confident enough to record and send out my own mixes, and I’ve met some great people.”

She also mentions Danielle, an established Bristol DJ and a CDJ tutor on the course, as a key mentor. “[Danielle] was who kept me motivated enough to keep going and keep trying new things. I felt genuinely self-conscious at times but she was great for calming me down and keeping me focused.”

When it came to playing her own set at the end of the course, Mercy explains that despite huge nerves leading

up to it, it was a vital part of her personal process. “I was hella nervous!” she recalls. “It was really nerve-wracking since it was my first time performing, but I was so excited to see everyone else, and it was so rewarding to hear your peers sets and to have them hear yours. It was such a love-filled night.”

The atmosphere at the Mix Nights showcase is infectious.

The course has attracted almost universal support from every corner of the music scene in Bristol and beyond.

The graduates and members of the team rightly sing its praises at every opportunity and it’s already changing the shape of lineups in clubs up and down the country. The course’s influence on the dance music landscape is plain to see.

The Mix Nights team are quietly building a community of some of the most exciting artists on the local scene right now.

The barriers that previously prevented them from forging a career in electronic music are being taken apart, one killer DJ at a time.

For more information on the Mix Nights course or to find out how you can support the project, visit mix-nights.com.

Mercy’s Cartel on the decks during Mix Nights’ Term 15 Showcase night at The Love Inn on 25th June.

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WORDS: MATT ROBSON PHOTOS: ASHLEY REYNOLDS

Rigs in the streets, balloons and bottles in hand, thousands of ravers block the roads and dance while police look on, docile. It’s the loose landscape we’ve all become accustomed to in Bristol, but it didn’t used to be like this. The sound of the city as we know it is rooted in a pioneering soundsystem culture, cultivated by Bristol's West Indian community in the late 1970s and early 80s.

Black Roots are one of the most well-known roots reggae bands to have ever come out of the UK, let alone Bristol. Originally formed with ten band members, today I sit down with four, Jabulani Ngozi, Kondwani Ngozi, Carlton Smith and Errol Brown.

We meet at a sombre time, with the news that original founding member Charlie has sadly passed on the day of our interview. The band are in shock, but still want to share their story, “Charlie was our brother” they say. “Charlie had those ancient reggae vibes, which he put out physically in his energy and his voice” Jabulani explains, in his strong, commanding tone. As the youngest member of the

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band, Carlton poignantly shares a memory of him as a teenager standing front row at the early Black Roots shows. “I used to watch Charlie and he made me love the music and want to do it. I’d go home and practice for hours, and then I ended up joining the band!” he smiles.

The band’s energy is a strong presence in the room and commands a sort of calm respect.

“We got nothing to prove” Jabulani points out, and it’s evident. Kondwani picks up an apple from the communal office fruit bowl, and leans back into his chair tranquilly, dropping regular words of wisdom throughout the duration of our interview.

This year marks Black Roots’

40th anniversary, but let’s go back for a minute. Imagine the year is 1965, a group of youths emigrate from Jamaica to the cold and unwelcoming streets of Bristol. “It was very hard for us because many places didn’t accept or accommodate you.

Really and truly all our lives we had to fight some form of racism.” Jabulani tells me, recalling the socio-political landscape of Bristol, and indeed most of the UK, at that time.

Growing up, the band were experiencing the early days of soundsystem culture in all its rebellious glory, bringing the heavy bass music to the streets of England, in a powerful movement the likes of which had

never been experienced before.

St Paul’s became the musical hub of the city, soundsystems were owned by the West Indian community, and those who previously didn’t have a platform to put their sound to the test, now could.

Fast forward to the year 1979 and the same youths, now young adults, are playing dominos in a basement “in a place just like this!” Jabulani remarks, while looking around the room we’re sat in today. It was in that basement that Black Roots was born. From a lack of opportunities, they wanted to try to make something for themselves, like they were witnessing their elders doing.

“After seeing Burning Spear at Colston Hall our brother Charlie had the idea to form a band”. At that time, soundsystem culture had boomed into a fully-fledged “enterprise,” as Carlton remarks, and it had taken over the underground soundscape of the city.

“If anyone tells you that there’s no such thing as good British reggae, first tell them they’re a herbert, then show them Black Roots.”

- John Peel, 1981

before they would gain international traction, Black Roots - like many other black musicians living in an environment so deeply ingrained in racism - had to accommodate their own spaces to play, “the blues parties as we liked to call them,” Jabulani remembers.

gained notable following in 1981 after John Peel showcased their debut EP on his show, the revered Radio 1 DJ famously telling his audience “if anyone tells you that there is no such thing as good British reggae, first tell them they’re a herbert, then show them Black Roots.”

“We started coming up with cash to build soundsystems so we could put our music out ourselves,” he says. In the days

These blues parties were organised house parties which were happening all over the country in basements and backyards.

People would bring their own soundsystems and, in some cases, charge an entry fee on the door. “It was like setting up a company, a business - everyone had their jobs to do, you had a manager, a selector, a sound engineer an MC. The best sounds that made it were the most organised,” says Carlton.

In the years that followed, the band toured the UK and Europe playing clubs, venues, college parties and regular festivals like Glastonbury, touring with the likes of UB40, making TV appearances and releasing several successful albums including Black Roots, The Frontline, In Session and more.

Charles Bryan, vocalist and founding member of Black Roots, passed away in July.

These parties marked a pivotal moment in UK culture because they were instrumental in breaking down racial and social barriers at the time, as Jabulani explains: “the European youts started to come and see our music and seewhat we were about, so they participated in what we were doing and that’s when we all started to integrate.” The band played alongside some well-known soundsystems including Tarzan the High Priest, Count Ajax, Commander, Still Water and many more. It wasn’t until the 80s that Black Roots would be welcome in clubs and legitimised music venues. They

“Rest in peace John Peel who helped make us,” Jabulani says, “after he showcased us we got tours, doors started opening.

Him, Peter Powel and Kid Jenson were the only DJs who played reggae and our music in those days.”

Forced to release material independently from the start, record companies tried to water down their music. “They didn’t want us to play our hardcore roots, they wanted to commercialise it!” Jabulani tells in frustration.

At that time, the best-selling and most heavily listened to reggae music was roots, eventually influencing genres like punk and ska and gaining huge commercial success off the back of the roots movement. Despite all November 2019

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Right: An early shot of Black Roots in Bristol, circa 1980.

Left: Black Roots performing live at The Elephant Fayre in Cornwall, 1983.

Left: One of Black Roots’ earliest publicity shots, circa 1980.

ARCHIVE: BLACK ROOTS

Above: One of the first-ever photos of Black Roots, circa 1980 // Right: Black Roots performing at The Starlight Rooms, 1981.

that, though, the band always remained true to themselves and went on to gain a huge worldwide fan base in the years that followed.

During the 90s however, “reggae had a bad beating” Jabulani continues, sighing. But after their several-year-hiatus, the band had no struggle in creating new material together, the process being just as organic as that of the 80s. And that’s the thing about roots reggae, it’s timeless.

“When the world’s is still so unjust it’s easy for us to come up with new music”.

After the release of their first studio album in 20 years, On The Ground back in 2012, the band put out more original recordings: Ghetto Feel in 2014 and Son of Man in 2016. In 2017, they released Take It on their imprint Nubian Records and re-released some of their back catalogue, With Friends, in April of this year. The band believe that “the youth will always relate to the message of roots reggae," and they show no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Now, the creative flow is strong as ever, although the process is never without creative blocks.

Kondwani reassures that when that happens, you have to “listen to your body, trust people and be true to yourself” in a moment of enlightenment. Smiling, Jabulani chimes in “many times you get a block, so what you do? You bun a spliff and walk out in mother nature, and lead yourself back to where you need to.” Even the trees make melodies, as the band agrees.

Now, when we think of Bristol and it’s its cultural development throughout the years in music, electronic music takes the helm. A city revered for its raves It’s easy to see how this side of dance music culture may have “squashed reggae” as Carlton suggests. But equally, as Kondwani says “Roots reggae is like a tree with many branches”. He’s absolutely right, it runs into all avenues of modern bass-driven electronic music. It can be traced back to dub, punk, and 90s trip hop, through to current day drum & bass, jungle, dubstep, and even grime.

Today, Bristol’s bass scene is larger than ever, soundsystem culture sculpted the city’s soundscape as we now know it, with the 140 bpm dominating a large part of the spectrum.

“I’m starting to really like grime,” Jabulani smiles, while the others nod in approval.

In fact, Carlton’s son and Jabulani’s grandson make grime, exemplifying the music’s development between generations.

There are certain similarities between roots reggae and grime, in that both genres can lyricise social issues and have a political underbelly. Carlton remarks how his “kids go to drum & bass raves where a lot of reggae is pirated and mixed into sets! And they still always ask when we’ve got new music coming!” In proof that the message of roots music remains everlasting. “What we say, in our lyrics,” – talking of the political reference in ‘Take It’ of the Tories as false prophets and Trump as a reincarnation of Hitler - “everybody’s thinking already” the group confirms.

As part of their 40th Anniversary celebrations, Black Roots have reissued their 1993 album, With Friends, available now to buy and stream via Nubian Records. Find out more on blackrootsreggae.net.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL PHOTOS: JONO LEACH

Broadcasting Bristol: a day with

radio

From starting out filming sets on a webcam because they couldn’t work out how to stream audio, Jack Machin and Leon Pattrick have built Noods Radio into a full-time station with a programme that spans all corners of Bristol music.

We spend a day at their brand-new HQ to find out where it all began and just how they manage to fit a growing list of over 200 resident DJs into their broadcast schedule.

In a fitting scenario for a piece covering the unpredictable world of independent radio, our date with Noods falls just one day after the team is forced to move the entire station across the street, from their previous HQ above The Crofters Rights.

That was their base for almost two years, to an impromptu setup inside Hamilton House.

Their new home may not have been the first choice of longtime friends and Noods Radio heads Jack Machin and Leon Pattrick, especially given the infamously uncertain future of the building itself, but the space has a decidedly DIY vibe about

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it and seems to encapsulate the spirit of the station.

Established in 2015, Noods was initially just something for Jack and Leon to fill their Sunday afternoons with, streaming sets from home to anyone that might be listening. “For ages it was

“Bristol’s great for projects like ours everyone’s just doing it for themselves in so many different ways”

just us two,” Jack explains, “running between different people’s houses with a laptop.”

Despite not having any real direction in the station’s early days, the pair still strived to run it as professionally as possible.

Jack and Leon “had a bit of a vision and took it seriously, but really it was about doing something that your mates can get involved, and to have a bit of fun with.”

In the three-and-a-half years that have followed (Noods celebrates its fourth birthday this month) the project has grown into a fully-fledged online

to find a more permanent place to set up. From there, Jack and Leon plan to put more time aside to help out with other Bristol music projects in the same way that other people have helped them nurture Noods and develop it into what it is today.

Noods Radio heads Jack Machin (left) and Leon Pattrick at their new Hamilton House HQ.

radio station with a full team of volunteers, and has recently expanded into the realm of DAB. There are more than 200 residents on the books, as well as semi-regular all-day takeovers from respected Bristol collectives like Bitch, Please! and Mix Nights, and an array of guest shows.

“It’s a bit tricky [to programme] because once someone’s got a slot that’s theirs and it’s taken,” Leon says. “You’ve got to be a bit aware of what’s around it, too, and what time of day it is – you don’t want to be pumping out industrial techno at 1 o clock in the afternoon.”

On the face of it, and particularly in their new temporary location, the station seems a bit thrown together and improvised, but the Noods team know what they’re doing.

What used to be a case of inviting friends over to play a set from their house on a Sunday afternoon, is now established enough to warrant careful consideration as to what makes it onto the airwaves.

Leon makes sure to be clear that they’re not just looking for people to come down and have a mix once a month. “When people apply for a residency

they have to outline what their concept is, what they’re looking to do with their show and what they want to get out of it personally” he says.

Bruce, Dave Harvey, Em Williams and Giant Swan’s Robin Stewart are among the 200+ residents that make up Noods’ busy broadcast schedule The result is a huge catalogue of musicians, DJs, labels and more with a specific vision and a massively diverse musical output.

As for the future, priority one is

“We’re definitely looking to do more of that sort of thing, to work on more community-type projects that other people are trying to get off the ground,” Jack says, personifying in one comment the family nature of independent initiatives across the city’s music scene.

“Bristol’s great for projects like ours - everyone’s just doing things for themselves in so many different ways, and everyone else around them will be there to help out, get behind them and say ‘yeah, do it’.”

After speaking with Jack and Leon, we stick around and spend the rest of the afternoon at the new Noods studio. Today, Bristol producer Gabriel Gifford, reggae and dub DJ Spud Roots, a time-travelling Red Rack ‘Em and Better Days head Manami take over the airwaves for a few hours of genre-spanning sounds coming to you live...

Spud Roots recording Spuds Mashdown with special guests Sound Transmission Recordings on the first day at Noods’ new studio.

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Bristol producer Gabriel Gifford in the mix during his two-hour Charlatan Jazz slot.

11am-12pm: An Hour for Sade w/B Rupp Exactly what it says on the tin.

A pre-recorded set made up of the effortlessly soulful sound of Sade and ending on a live version of Smooth Operator.

12pm-1pm: Catching Up w/Niko Niko uses each of his monthly slots to explore a new genre for the first time and share newly discovered music with the Noods audience. Today, he breezes through a range of fusion and contemporary jazz courtesy of Steve Jenkins and Stimpy Lockjaw.

1pm-2pm: Charlatan Jazz The radio project of Bristol producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Gifford. Usually, he keeps it – you guessed it – jazz-orientated, but today, he leans towards psych-rock and kraut-rock.“Noods has gotten much more diverse in the last few months,” he says. “There’s a lot of dance music obviously, but then I can come on and play a show like this - there’s a lot of freedom in that sense.”

The show weaves seemlessly between classics from The Flaming Lips and The Beatles and smoother jazz sections.

2pm-4pm: Red Rack ‘Em The host emails the station a few hours before he’s due to play, informing them that he wouldn’t be making it down today because he’s “in India”.

Unfazed, the crew play a pre-recorded set from the beginning of January, which goes off

4pm-6pm: Spuds Mashdown This slot is hosted by Spud Roots, with special guests Sound Transmission Records.

It’s two hours of free-flowing dub, reggae and dancehall.

6pm-7pm: Hanami w/Manami Manami has been doing monthly shows for Noods ever since they invited her on for a guest appearance in early 2019. Today, she explores some techno and old-school electro from the likes of Special Request, Afrodeutsche and Hugo Massien. “I did a guest show for Noods earlier on in the year and they picked me up for a residency show,” Manami explains. “I really like how they’re set up here, and there’s always a great atmosphere at the station.” Read the full interview with Manami on p.40.

You can find Noods Radio online at noodsradio.com, or retune your radio to catch them on the DAB airwaves. without a hitch (providing no one notices the occasional ad libs about New Year’s resolutions).

It’s an energetic mix of reggae, jazz and electronica with one or two Red Rack ‘Em releases thrown in for good measure.

WORDS & PHOTOS: MATT ROBSON

Can’t reach the mixer? Not to worry.

Manami and studio technician Maddie came up with a creative solution.

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“I suppose nothing stays the same forever, Kate Hutchison meets Motion does it?� co-owner Martin

Page as the world-renowned club becomes the latest in Bristol to face an uncertain future.

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to mitigate risks to existing properties before receiving planning permission. A more “robust” legal mechanism than the Agent of Change, the club believes that a Deed of Easement is the only way to secure sufficient protection against noise complaints.

Sat in amongst a vast industrial estate along the Avon River, Motion is faced with proposals to develop properties close by. Image: George Bale

If there’s one club most people have heard of when it comes to Bristol nightlife, it’s Motion. Sat in a sparse industrial estate, the 4,000-capacity monster club has thrived on Avon Street for the past decade. In what has become an incomparable destination for electronic music’s biggest names, the club was recently voted 11th in DJ Mag’s Top 100 International Nightclubs poll and the UK’s Best Large Club at their Best of British Awards.

But in August 2019, things started to shift. In a series of Facebook posts, the club’s co-owner Dan Deeks revealed that Motion’s future is “uncertain” after nearby industrial land was acquired with the view to build residential properties.

A situation familiar to Bristol, this same uncertainty has also been felt by venues including The Fleece and Thekla in recent years. The issue? Potential noise complaints from new residents. With over 100 employees, Motion’s loud, late-night itinerary cannot afford to face disruption, never mind closure.

In September, LOUD caught

up with Martin Page, the club’s co-owner and director, to find out more.

“This whole thing - it puts food on our tables”, says Martin.

“The number of employees we have – they have mortgages, they’ve got kids. I’ve got kids - Dan’s got kids! It’s a lot of responsibility. So, we’re striving to fight for it.”

To secure Motion’s future, the team launched a petition on September 12 calling for the council to back a ‘Deed of Easement’ as an alternative to the ‘Agent of Change’ bill – which urges developers

“The Agent of Change - it doesn’t have the history of actually working to its full effect,” explains Martin. “I understand what a Deed of Easement can do, and I think it’s the way forward.”

Originally from Birmingham, Martin helped to run Digbeth’s Custard Factory before moving to Malaysia. After a call from Tom Paine, the club’s former manager, he joined the Motion team seven years ago. Now a director and co-owner, Martin helped to launch the club’s sister-venue, the Marble Factory. He’s also responsible for day-to-day licensing, safety and external relations.

More recently, he says that they have spent time working “closely” with councillor Nicola Beech and the Mayor regarding the proposed

Motion’s expansive outdoor spaces allow it to host a wide range of events year-round. Image: Sarah Koury // KoLAB

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developments: “We’ve built a good relationship over the last five weeks. We’re recognised as a cultural hub for Bristol and an important aspect in the music scene. With some of the clubs like Lakota falling by the wayside, it’s a little bit tricky out there for nightlife – for the more underground venues, anyway.”

I agree. Motion is a cultural hub for Bristol. The club’s flagship autumn series, in:Motion, is just one example. But before the petition’s launch, the very same series was the first thing to take a hit. With an uncertain future ahead, the club announced that 2019 would see the final chapter of in:Motion, causing a wave of concern on social media.

“As a brand, we decided just to sort of park it up until we are sure that we have a future.

Motion itself is a year-round experience, so that’s what we’re pushing it out to be,” explains Martin. “We’ve still got to be mindful that, you know, we may have 12 months, we may have three years. Everything is so up in the air.”

Despite a slight rebrand and uncertain future, it seems the love for Motion is stronger than ever: the petition has received nearly 8,000 signatures in just two weeks.

But it’s no secret that Bristol property is a hot commodity.

And Motion – with its sought-after location and lack of neighbours – seems like a no-brainer for developers. So, did Motion expect this to happen? Martin isn’t under any illusions.

“I suppose nothing stays the same forever, does it? We’ve been here for over ten years,

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and there’s a lot of space down here. I think, the council - they are under pressure to build more homes,” Martin continues.

“Nothing stays the same forever, so we just have to continue to adapt and keep pushing on.”

If anything, then, Martin seems excited for the area to develop – so long as Motion can continue to provide a safe and enjoyable party. He mentions Boomtown’s new club, Area 404, which is due to open in St Philips.

“It’s competition: those guys know what they’re doing.

They’re really good at what they do, but you know - so are we! I think it’s a ‘the more the merrier’ sort of thing, really. If anything, I think it’ll make everyone pull their socks up a bit.”

And Motion is doing just that: looking forward, Martin says he’s excited about next year’s programming at the Marble Factory, as well as the team’s plans to open a new events space above their existing office and studio space at Easton’s Pennywell Studios.

But for now, the Motion team continue to fight for their Avon Street club.

“We’re independent; we’re self-funded. There’s not many of us independents left. You’ve got Love Saves The Day, Tokyo World, obviously, and now Boomtown, and they’re going to find it as tough as we are.

But there’s a real pride in being independent.”

To join the fight to keep Motion open, sign the petition on Change.org.

WORDS: KATE HUTCHISON

HIGHLIGHTS SAT 9 NOV

IN:MOTION TENTH BIRTHDAY

w/ LIL LOUIS, CARISTA, MANAMI SAT 16 NOV

PURE GARAGE

w/ SO SOLID CREW, ARTFUL DODGER + MORE FRI 22 NOV

CIRQUE DU SOUL

HORSE MEAT DISCO, DAZED + MORE SAT 23 NOV

SNOWBOMBING LAUNCH PARTY

w/ DUSKY, ARTWORK, JASPER JAMES + MORE SAT 30 NOV

RUN

w/ DIMENSION, DJ HYPE, BLACK SUN EMPIRE + MORE FRI 13 DEC

BOILER ROOM BRISTOL

w/ HYBRID MINDS, NASTIA, DJ STINGRAY SAT 14 DEC

PERPETUAL PRESENTS

w/ ÂME, GERD JANSON, DJ TENNIS + MORE 31 DEC/1 JAN

IN:MOTION NYE/NYD

LINEUPS TBA TICKETS ON SALE NOW

October 2019

7

Now a permanent fixture in Bristol’s summer calendar, Bitch, Please! has, in a short time, become one of the city’s best-loved promoters. The team’s core ethos remains the same as it was when they started out just three years ago: provide genuinely safe and inclusive spaces for everyone to party, and have a fucking good time doing it.

Given the calibre of the lineups Bitch, Please! put together in Bristol, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re a party promoter first and a pillar of the local LGBTQ+ scene second. The reality is that they’ve struck a perfect balance between the two, running some of the very best events the city has seen in recent years while also maintaining an unwavering focus on inclusivity, safety against discrimination and making sure everyone - regardless of identity, race, gender or sexual orientation - is welcome.

The label’s Lock Yard takeover is their final Bristol party of the summer, and a relatively low-key affair compared to some of the events they’ve hosted over the last 12 months. It still has that unmistakable Bitch, Please! flavour courtesy of Find Your

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Own Records head Ceri, 1020 resident Aphelion and Bitch, Please! bosses/in-house party starters Liam Norris and Travis Derrick, playing under their ZenZero alias.

“In a sense Bitch, Please! became a bit of a ‘reclaiming our space on the dancefloor’ kind of thing,” Liam says when we

“Bitch, Please! really has become a party that DJs come to thinking ‘I need to do something special for these guys’”

meet at Motion. “When I was first involved in the gay scene, dance music ruled the main rooms and the small rooms were normally the camp rooms. The scene was completely different, but then the recession hit, owners started selling up and moving on and gay bars had to start offering cheap bars, £1 drinks and that sort of thing to stay open.”

“It started drawing a straight crowd,” he continues, “and it became a bit of a show for some people, to have a laugh and go to a gay bar for that entertainment factor. From there, stereotypically ‘camp’ music was the only thing that got played, and house music just got phased out.”

Having been drawn to dance music from an early age and to the classic Chicago House

sound in particular, Liam says he never really felt comfortable with what the mainstream gay scene had become in Bristol.

“I’ve always been one of those people to party at any venue whether it’s a straight venue, a gay venue or whatever because I want to see a certain DJ or a particular name on a lineup.

So for me, I wasn’t prepared to live up to that kind of gay stereotype.”

It was that rejection of what the party landscape had become that pushed Liam, a DJ himself with a background as an artist liaison, to start running his own parties alongside friend and member of the Motion team, Travis Derrick, and bring dance music back to the forefront of the LGBTQ+ party scene.

From there, Bitch, Please! has gone from strength to strength, building a dedicated core crowd and attracting some huge names from across the electronic music spectrum to play their events, including The Black Madonna, Honey Dijon, Artwork, Derrick Carter, Octo Octa and Bambounou among others.

“We book a lot of gay DJs, but it’s not a case of ‘they have to be gay’,” Liam explains. “We naturally book a lot of female

Bitch, Please! has drawn some of the world’s most respected DJs to their Bristol parties and stage takeovers since starting out in 2016, including The Black Madonna, Hunee, Palms Trax, Derrick Carter, Artwork, Octo Octa, Bambounou, Honey Dijon and many more.

DJs, people of colour and trans people because we know them and we have a relationship with them. A lot of the time it feels like you’re booking your friend and it means you’re always in safe hands.”

The main criteria when it comes to bookings, though, is whether or not an artist can create the kind of atmosphere that Bitch, Please! has become synonymous with. Instead of getting too deep into the identity side of things or being selective because of who someone is (although it is still a factor in the decision making), Travis tells me they’re primarily looking for DJs who approach their craft in a certain way and can make an event memorable.

“We book people that we wanna go and see at a party. We see people play out and we’re like ‘these guys are great, we need to get them involved in what we’re doing’, and the amount of

Bitch, Please! co-founders Liam & Travis behind the decks as the ZenZero duo. Image: Soul Media

people who I’ve contacted for them to say ‘yeah I know about you guys’ is great – it shows that we’re running something that stands out and isn’t just another booking for the artist.”

The careful planning and consideration of relationships with artists creates events and moments that you won’t experience at any other Bristol parties, with DJs known to meticulously plan their sets for Bitch, Please! events. Octo Octa played a huge rave set a last year’s Summer Party, Bambounou unexpectedly went down a house route earlier this year, and The Black Madonna spun some jungle and reggae when she headlined the label’s New Year’s Day party as part of the last in:Motion series.

The fact that Bitch, Please! has become more than the standard booking, and blossomed into a party that artists genuinely relish playing at, is something that both Liam and Travis are understandably proud of.

“We don’t want people to come to our parties and just play a set they played last week,” Travis says. “It genuinely has become the sort of thing that makes artists think ‘this is something important to me, there’s a relationship there with these guys, so I should do something special’, and that’s invaluable when you’re running an event.”

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Celebrating Bristol’s Nightlife Everyone who loves Bristol knows how amazing and diverse the city’s nightlife is, and that it’s more than just what people would traditionally expect of a city centre. This is why since 2012 Bristol city centre districts have won this international award.

Bristol success is due to its ever-evolving offerings, from its amazing grassroots live music venues offering a space for new talent to perform, late night venues offering a wide range of music to cater for people from all walks of life and its cultural sector with arts cinemas, galleries, festivals and events like black history month and LGBTQ+ festivals. This is what makes Bristol an international city to be proud of and the reward for the tireless work of people behind the scenes keeping the city going.

What is Purple Flag?

Purple Flag is an accreditation process similar to the Blue Flag award for beaches. It leads to Purple Flag status for town & city centres that meet or surpass the standards of excellence in managing the evening and night time economy.

In Bristol The Purple Flag partnership is a group of organizations from the public, private and non-profit sectors working together with the aim to attract a greater number of visitors into the city centre at night and to tackle the negative perceptions that some people held about our city centre. The Partnership feel that we have made considerable progress due to the Purple Flag scheme in bringing about change and believe that the Purple Flag award is an independent confirmation of our achievements to date.

What’s in it for Bristol?

Bristol is dynamic, prosperous and forward-looking with ambitions to be regarded among the great European cities, proud of its diverse communities, its heritage and proud of the rich range of attractions on offer to both visitors and residents. Bristol attracts around half a million overseas visitors a year, contributing to an economy worth an estimated £1 billion annually and supporting almost 20,000 jobs.

One of Purple Flag’s most significant achievements to date has been acting as a catalyst to enhance partnership work around managing the night time economy. Quarterly Night time self assessments are now a permanent fixture and have proved invaluable for addressing issues and identifying new opportunities to improve the city’s appeal to residents and visitors using the city centre.

to keep innovating and being creative are huge motivators, and the adversity is what makes your team so special and allows your family to grow.”

Bitch, Please! Lock Yard Takeover, Motion 23/8/19.

The artists that Bitch Please attract, in a lot of cases, are at the top of their game and, of course, attract a straight crowd as well as the LGBTQ+ community.

While that could, as has been the case with the LGBTQ+ scene in the past, threaten their ability to create spaces that are genuinely safe for everyone, Liam and Travis’ dedication to their ethos means that every measure is taken to protect their core crowd.

“We adopt a serious zero tolerance policy at every venue we work with and offer proper training to staff on how to handle things like religion, sex, gender and everything to make sure people are safe,” Liam says.

“We’re lucky enough to have such a good relationship with Motion that we’re able to be totally open and transparent with their security staff and say ‘look, this is gonna happen, you’re gonna see this, this and this’ and it be OK.” The operation of Bitch, Please! is naturally more difficult than it is for its straight counterparts, and we’ve all seen the rise of drag queens and vogue dancers at straight parties and festivals as they borrow from and appropriate the LGBTQ+ scene to draw bigger crowds.

“It makes our job as gay promoters even harder, fighting the struggle to build our presence in venues across the country just for a straight man

Check out Liam & Travis’ five biggest Bitch, Please! party starters on p.55 to come in and do the same thing,” Liam says. “It’s a constant battle for promoters like us, and Little Gay Brother, and He.She. They, and Meat Free, but the competition and the necessity

That adversity is counteracted

by Bristol’s enduring sense of community, too, and Liam and Travis both stress that the city’s musical network plays a huge part in their success. “Bristol is a place where you really can do anything you want to, and if you’re doing something that needs to be done then people will get behind you, they will turn up to your events, they will support you and they will give you opportunities,” Liam explains.

“We’ve got a big team around us now. Everyone’s opinion matters and everyone has their input, and that’s what makes Bitch, Please! special. We’re driven, we’re running parties properly and we’re in it for the right reasons – that’s what makes us so good at what we do.”

WORDS: MATT ROBSON PHOTOS: KHRIS COWLEY

1020 resident DJ Aphelion at the helm for Bitch, Please! during their last Bristol summer party of 2019.

November 2019

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Om Unit Jim Coles’ musical career spans more than two decades and a sizeable section of the BPM spectrum, and having operated under a number of different aliases he’s perhaps best known as genre-spanning producer Om Unit. Existing at the forefront of hybrid bass-driven music, his tracks defy any attempt at pigeonholing, lying somewhere on the fringes of several different styles.

You may know him from his decade in the trenches of hip-hop turntablism as alias 2tall in the 90s, or through his and Machinedrum’s seminal edits which bridged Chicago footwork with 26

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classic jungle under their ‘Dream Continuum’ moniker.

You might be aware of his position as a major member of the drum & bass scene having released on Goldie’s legendary Metalheadz imprint, releasing a slew of heavy material in the process.

It could be his multiple releases on Civil Music and BUNIT that you’re familiar with, or more recently his 2017 album Self or his 2019 release, Violet. You may have seen his name associated with his own Cosmic Bridge label that has previously championed

heavyweights Kromestar, Boxcutter, Bristol’s own Krust and Danny Scrilla.

You may well know Om Unit for all of the above, and then some.

Today, Coles’ philosophy with regards to music is one of duality: to learn and to teach. He’s always morphing into new directions, and, in turn, influencing others to do the same.

Still playing festivals, clubs, radio stations, and releasing new material, he continues to study and put his own stamp on an endless range of electronic genres.

What was your first avenue into electronic music?

It was hearing what we called ‘hardcore’ for the first time as a kid, hearing The Prodigy, and learning about rave culture at around 11/12 years old.

How did the Om Unit moniker come about?

I think from generally being a bit of a space cadet as a kid. I’ve always been into learning about various esoteric subjects, and the sound of ‘Om’ - the hymn of the universe - felt very open and subjective. The ‘Unit’ thing refers to a single thing or person. It’s a bit sci–fi sounding, but for me, it refers to this idea that music is the language of the spirit.

How has your music evolved over the years?

There’s been a few chapters I would say, I think really it’s been equal part learning techniques as much as navigating the balance of honesty and career stuff in a shifting musical landscape.

I’ve mainly tried to just keep being honest musically and explore what interests me.

Why is it important to you to release music under different aliases?

It’s not a golden rule as such, but I find it useful to give myself permission to hone in on one idea that way. It’s exciting to approach things with a more fixed concept, given that I’m not really part of any one scene or movement. They’re anchors in that sense.

What’s the wildest set you’ve played so far?

I was doing this live show with a mate from Antwerp and we were

invited to play in a maximum security prison as part of a local festival programme. My mate (DJ Lamont) had a section where he was doing breakcore stuff and there’s this guy sat up the front holding his ears looking really disturbed. I think he liked it though!

You’re known for retooling music and have spoken in the past about dubstep being explored in the 160 realm. With that in mind can you envision a new wave of electronic music in the UK? I think myself and some peers have definitely explored this concept of uptempo bass music that sometimes references drum and bass/jungle and sometimes borrows from styles like footwork, garage, dubstep and others. We weren’t the first and won’t the be the last - there’s always a next generation.

Do you feel that Bristol has influenced your methods and musical style?

Definitely, it’s a very focused space culturally with a lot of blending influences. I think from pure geography and curiosity I’ve been very blessed to witness and get to know certain people here who form part of the

rich tapestry of talented people who live in this city.

Where are some of your favourite Bristol venues?

Cosies! is one of the last few places in Bristol with a consistently well-curated set of nights on rotation, and it’s got such a long history. Steve Rice and John Stapleton put The Plough on the map for me as a real institution and Trinity Centre and The Exchange are both so important to the city and key Bristol venues. The Black Swan is great too – a proper down and dirty rave spot and host to some of the fringe promoters that don’t get a look in elsewhere.

Finally, who’s catching your eye in Bristol and the rest of the UK right now?

Sherelle, she deserves every bit of that love she’s getting, she’s been working quietly for years on her craft. There’s some really interesting DIY music stuff happening in Bristol where it’s not so much about DJ culture but more about spontaneous musicianship and experimentation.

Watch out for groups like Young Echo, Avon Terror Corps and the Plaque/Slack Alice guys, nights like Cacophonous Sarcophagus and bands like EP64.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL PHOTOS: KHALI ACKFORD

Bristol club guide There’s no denying Bristol’s club landscape is up there with the best in the UK, despite the city’s favourite venues coming under constant threat of closure. Check out our picks for the very best Bristol nightlife spots, ranging from the sprawling, multi-room Motion space to the dark twists and turns of The Island.

motion.

74-78 Avon St Bristol BS2 0PX If there’s one Bristol club most of us have heard of, it’s Motion. In 2019, the club was voted 11th in DJ Mag’s Top 100 International Clubs, just behind Berlin’s beloved Berghain. Armed with a huge courtyard, a recently renovated riverside terrace and four indoor dancefloors, it’s a club capable of hosting the very best parties. It can be crammed - it’s hot, it’s intense.

lakota.

6 Upper York St Bristol BS2 8QN Like Motion, Lakota is another crown jewel of the Bristol club scene – even Prince Harry was reported to have partied here back in ‘07. A multi-room experience, you’ll find allegiance to jungle and drum & bass at this Stokes Croft venue, with the odd techno night thrown in for good measure. Find Eats Everything recounting his memories of the iconic Bristol venue over on p.32.

the love inn.

84 Stokes Croft Bristol BS1 3QY

A restaurant-bar by day, an intimate events space by night: The Love Inn should be on your radar. A place to find a solid party almost any day of the week, much-loved collectives return to The Love Inn regularly to host their events. Here, find nights curated by the likes of Livity Sound and Mix Nights as well as a selection of big-name bookings from time to time.

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writer’s pick: the island.

Once a police station and prison, now an arts space; The Island is an unorthodox but esteemed location for club nights. The gritty industrial complex, hardly untouched its terms of its previous use, now provides a unique backdrop for boundary-pushing events. The ideal venue for hosting industrious and gut-wrenching sounds, there’s no excuse not to get down and dance with the souls of former offenders.

cosies!

34 Portland Sq Bristol BS2 8RG The Cosies! Facebook page declares itself to be “Bristol’s best-kept secret” and, to be fair, that’s not far from the truth. The low-ceiling space and crammed dancefloor make for some seriously intimate (or cosy!) parties. Here, expect a vast range of music; from reggae to techno, afrobeat to ambient and a whole lot more.

Om Unit praises the venue on p.26.

trinity centre.

Trinity Rd Bristol BS2 0NW The Trinity Centre is one of Bristol’s most interesting and unique venues, thanks to its one-of-a-kind setting and the sheer variety of parties it hosts. Set up in a converted church in BS2, the Trinity Centre’s club nights, live gigs and one-day festivals are talked about far and wide. The almost-200-year-old venue is, in our humble opinion, one of the truly great Bristol musical institutions.

the loco klub.

Clock Tower Yard Bristol BS1 6QH Much more than just a club venue, you’re just as likely to catch some theatre or a comedy night at The Loco Klub as you are a rave. The venue is in a league of its own in terms of the range and scope of its events (think Trainspotting Live and a Room 237 party headlined by DJ Stingray, Umwelt and Afrodeutsche) making it an absolute must if you’ve never been before.

blue mountain.

2 Stokes Croft Bristol BS1 3PR Another Bristol favourite whose future in the heart of Stokes Croft is far from secure, Blue Mountain’s cheap nights make it, for now at least, a firm favourite among students. Alongside Basement 45 the club is arguably one of the city’s best for hosting up-and-coming Bristol artists and labels, and the three-room setup allows it to keep things fresh all year round.

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basement 45.

8 Frogmore St Bristol BS1 5NA This underground venue has a capacity of 300 and boasts two intimate dancefloor spaces. One of the longest-running club venues on the list, Basement 45 has welcomed some huge names over the years including Skream, Eats Everything and Joy Orbison. But it’s not just about big names. As well as providing a platform for local artists and labels, owner Mark Davis runs a DJing course here on weekdays.

take five cafe.

72 Stokes Croft Bristol BS1 3QY You wouldn’t guess it walking past on a weekday afternoon but Take Five Cafe is one of Bristol’s most popular club venues for upcoming and first-time promoters. Underneath an unassuming and not-particularly-roomy café sits Take Five’s almost-claustrophobic basement space, just about big enough for about 100-150 people and the perfect spot to test the credentials of a brand-new party.

“I had the best times of my life at Lakota” - Eats Everything, p.32

crofters rights.

117-119 Stokes Croft Bristol BS1 3RW Crofters Rights is primarily a bar but hosts all sorts of events week in, week out in Stokes Croft, from Dial Africa’s world music club nights to BLG’s live gigs and everything in between. Their back-room dancefloor space is well suited to a wide range of sounds and offers an underground club-like experience, capable of turning into a real sweatbox in the right hands. Find Manami singing its praises on p.40.

Bristol BS2 0RF dare2club.

Not one that you’ll see a listing for every weekend, Dare2Club makes use of a space 1 Alfred St

normally occupied by Bristol’s swinger community. Events at the multi-level venue often feel more like a house party than a club thanks to its numerous chillout areas, a dark, disorienting basement and an only-half-dismantled kitchen upstairs that leads out on to a secret rooftop terrace. A weird one, but for sure one of Bristol’s best.

techno towers.

Deep Pit Rd Bristol BS5 7UZ Situated on the top floor of a disused office block, Techno Towers is probably the strangest venue on this list. Host of some of the city’s hardest techno parties featuring DJs like Berlin’s Stephanie Sykes and Czech selector Moskalus, it’s a sweaty, disorienting mess of lasers, bass and empty cans of Red Stripe, and one of our absolute favourites. Standout feature – the backroom smoking dungeon.

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Eats Everything Having headlined revered clubs and festivals around the world and released on Hypercolour, Dirtybird and his own Edible imprint among others, Dan Pearce is undoubtedly one of the most successful techno artists on the scene right now. Matt Robson caught up with the Bristol-born DJ to discuss early influences and how his home city shaped his style.

When & where was your first ever DJ set in Bristol?

My first ever DJ set was in 1996 at a place called Bar 150 on Nelson St. It was a DJ competition run by Bristol legend DJ Easygroove, to be a resident at his night at Club Loco. I won and a few weeks later I was playing at Club Loco as a 16 year old!

How many years did you spend playing in Bristol before you started going on to playing around the UK and internationally?

I started playing in Bristol in 1996 and played almost every weekend in some form

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or another, but didn’t start playing on bigger stages until mid-2011 – a really long time, basically!

How important do you think your time in Bristol was in terms of refining your sound and establishing your own style?

Absolutely vital. Bristol is a cacophony of different musical styles and I was into it all. I went to and played at techno nights like Death Row Techno, Temptation and Shimmy, house nights Revolution, Fandango and Just Jack, hard house nights like Scream, Ripsnorter and Infamous and Jungle parties

in my earlier years. I gained a wealth of musical knowledge and played with some badass DJs along the way who have all taught me something just by watching them play.

Was there anyone in particular that gave you a platform or influenced you directly during your early days?

I have to give a big shout out to Martin Podmore aka DJ Pod who made me resident at Ripsnorter at the tender age of 16. He is a phenomenal person, still a great friend to this day and an outstanding DJ. He gave me a leg up and put me on a platform at such a young age.

What’s been your best-ever experience at a Bristol club as a DJ? My live Essential Mix from Motion in 2011. The single most nerve-wracking, fulfilling and life changing experience of my life.

Eats Everything on the decks at Motion’s sell-out Yard: Open Air Club opener in May. Image: Khris Cowley // Here & Now

What are your thoughts on the club landscape in Bristol right now?

I’m obviously concerned about the rumours that Motion is coming under threat, but there are loads of amazing parties and underground promoters doing their thing in Bristol as always. With Boomtown opening their new place, talk of Motion starting up some new projects and some huge parties coming up (I’ll be at Lakota on 2 November), I’d say the club situation right now isn’t looking too bad.

Rave will never die – developers and the council need to realise this and stop messing with our nightlife because it’s so, so necessary.

what it is today is a beautiful thing.

When it comes to Lakota, I was going there every weekend religiously when I was 14/15, watching DJs of all styles that I still look up to today. A lot of my best friends now I met at Lakota, so it always stirs up amazing nostalgia for me.

And your favourite dancefloor in the city when you’re not playing?

Sadly I don’t get chance to dance in my own city these days and a lot of my faves have either changed or closed down, but I’ll go for Lakota - I had the best times of my life in there.

And your best on the dance floor?

Impossible to pick one but being absolutely off my chops at Lakota, surrounded by all my mates having the loveliest time to DJs I absolutely idolised. It doesn’t get better than that and it happened week in, week out. It still does, to be fair!

Any Bristol artists that you’ve got your eye on at the moment?

There are loads, but Demi Riquisimo is really doing it for me at the moment, as is the legend that is Lord Leopard.

Keep an eye out for Part Time Lover as well.

Catch Eats Everything at Lakota on 2 November as he brings his Come Rave With Me tour to Bristol.

What’s your favourite Bristol venue to play at and why?

My two faves are Motion and Lakota for very different reasons. Motion because it feels like home when I play there - I’ve been playing since it first opened when it was a tiny cave room that you had to crawl through a hole to get into at the back of a skate park, so to be a part of that journey into

Eats Everything alongside Fatboy Slim inside Arcadia’s brandnew Pangaea stage for Glastonbury 2019. Image: Charlie Raven November 2019

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Vanessa Maria DJ, radio presenter and producer and allround girl boss Vanessa Maria has been booked up and busy for pretty much the whole of 2019 so far. After work with Boiler Room, widespread support for her Level Up show on 1020, huge sets across Bristol and beyond and even an interview with David Attenborough, we had to find out more.

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From her beginnings on university radio as the host of her own show 'Lone & Grown', Vanessa Maria's journey to the present day has taken her across Bristol's best-loved stations and catapulted her to the forefront of the city's most talked-about parties.

"From my own show at uni I started volunteering with Ujima Radio," Vanessa tells us.

Just over two years later and she's still hosting, swapping out the university studio for 1020 Radio's in Stokes Croft for her monthly show 'Level Up with Vanessa Maria'.

Between hip-hop, grime, trap, drill and more, Level Up ex-

plores a wide range of topics in its hour-and-a-half slot, from Vanessa's day-to-day experiences to politics - with the occasional guest thrown in for good measure.

Having spent so much time sharpening her skills in the studio, in early 2019 Vanessa decided to branch out. She started DJing through Mix Nights. "After completing the 6-week course, my life completely changed!" she says.

And that's no exaggeration, either. Since she began the Mix Nights course, Vanessa has won a Foundation FM DJ competition, played at Wireless Festival and an array of Bristol clubs. A personal

highlight, she says, was this summer's set with Club Djembe at St Paul's Carnival.

"I've never drunk so much rum in my life," she laughs. "It was the first time I've pulled up the same track three times in a row – I literally stood in front of the decks at the end and put my hands in the air with the crowd. Memories were made!"

Vanessa's affiliation with Mix Nights also led to her being featured in Keep Bristol Weird, Boiler Room's short documentary on the Bristol music scene, released this summer to a mixed reception.

"I thought the documentary was interesting, and visually it was captivating to watch," she told LOUD, "but I do think it only covered a tiny part of the music scene here."

"Personally, I think they could have done a better job of representing the city as a whole.

There's a lack of people of colour in the film which is a shame as there are so many people making waves in the scene.

But I'm glad they gave Bristol the spotlight and celebrated some really talented artists."

On the topic of platforms and

“My life changed completely after completing the Mix Nights course” inclusivity, Vanessa strongly feels that the music scene would benefit from more diversity and that it should be a safe space for everyone. "Women, people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community – the list goes on," she explains. "Until everyone feels welcome, the work is not done.

"For diversity and inclusion to work," she continues, "people from different backgrounds need to be valued, and they need to feel respected. People should feel welcomed in, they should be able to thrive, and they should be allowed to contribute to their field. Creative career paths, especially in music, must be open for everyone."

Originally from East London, Vanessa says her time at the University of Bristol allowed

her to practice and hone her skills to kickstart a career in radio. Her experience as a SU Officer peaked back in April, as she was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview world-renowned documentarian, Sir David Attenborough. He was in the city to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the university.

We couldn't wrap things up without asking what it was like to sit down with one of the most iconic TV personalities of all time. "I was approached by the Vice-Chancellor about hosting the awards ceremony, and about two weeks before the event, I got an email saying David Attenborough was going to be the special guest and I had been recommended to interview him. The rest is history; I really owe my Vice-Chancellor a lot - he put me on from the very beginning!"

Listen to Level Up with Vanessa Maria every second Saturday of the month on 1020 Radio.

Vanessa Maria in the mix for Club Djembe at St Paul’s Carnival 2019. Image: Stacey Olika

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL & MATT ROBSON PHOTO: @POSIDAYS November 2019

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live music venues

As always, Bristol artists are making waves right now, both locally and further afield. But musical talent doesn’t nurture itself. No, we’ve got the city’s music venues to thank for that. Even though the future of these venues may appear bleak (with several of the venues below having faced threats of closure), each and every one remains committed to Bristol’s live music cause.

Old Market St the exchange.72-73 Bristol BS2 0EJ One of several spots that exemplify Old Market’s unique charm is The Exchange. A fiercely independent gig space, bar and coffee shop, it’s up there with Bristol’s best for live listings. They continually secure some of the UK’s most sought-after indie acts to play and in 2018 raised more than £250,000 to become the city’s first and only community-owned music venue.

trinity centre. Bristol BS2 0NW Trinity Rd

This spot also made an appearance on our Bristol Clubs Guide. Why? Well, there’s a lot to like about the Trinity Centre when it comes to music. As well as being an arts space and community hub, the venue opts for quality, not quantity when it comes to its bookings. The Grade II listed former church is a standout setting for gigs and performances – no prizes for guessing why.

O2 academy.

Frogmore St Bristol BS1 5NA Bristol’s lack of a standout arena venue means it’s left to the O2 Academy to attract top-drawer bands and artists to the city. With a capacity of just over 1,600 it’s one of Bristol’s biggest live venues, and its recent history speaks for itself. Maribou State, Jose Gonzalez, Sampha, Kamasi Washington, Dave and James Blake are just a few of the top-drawer acts to have played the O2 in the last two years.

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writer’s pick: the marble factory.

An extension of the world-renowned Motion complex, The Marble Factory has allowed the team behind Bristol’s biggest venue to book some polished live acts alongside their usual club-focused programme. Having hosted the likes of Foals, King Krule, Flying Lotus, Groove Armada, Kamaal Williams and more in recent years, the 1,600-capacity Marble Factory has emerged as a standout live venue in its own right.

rough trade.

Nelson St Bristol BS1 2QD With Rough Trade a firm fixture in both New York and London, the arrival of their Bristol store in 2017 was met with excitement across the city’s musical community. A hotspot for album launch parties, Rough Trade welcome some of the UK’s most exciting upcoming artists and bands to play their intimate gig space, as well as a few established acts, for performances and signings.

the fiddlers club. Bristol BS3 4BG

Willway St

Occupying what was once an 18th-century prison, Fiddlers is a quirky venue that feels a lot like an innocent village social club but plays host to some of the most eclectic live shows on the Bristol calendar. Primarily a jazz spot but open to a wide range of sounds, Fiddlers is a favourite for promoters of all genres, from hip-hop to folk, afrobeat to ambient and everything in between.

Bristol BS1 6UA the louisiana.

If there’s one Bristol venue that stands above the rest in promoting and celebrating Bathurst Terrace

up-and-coming Bristol musicians, it’s The Louisiana. In a snug, carpeted gig space above the humble harbourside pub, the venue regularly introduces new and exciting acts to Bristol crowds as well as a few established bookings. If an act sells out here, you’d better make sure they’re on your radar.

Bristol BS1 6JJ the fleece.

A rock lover’s paradise and metal head’s heaven, The Fleece is dedicated to the 12 St. Thomas St

heavier side of things. With its renowned club nights, sell-out tour slots and all-day takeovers, the venue has survived numerous threats of closure due to property developers. Today, it’s doors remain wide open as one of Bristol’s most-loved (and longest-running) live music venues.

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Started as a party label by three Bristol students with a plan to introduce ambitious, multi-genre events to the local club scene, The Blast is now undoubtedly one of the city’s biggest promoters. Co-founder and resident DJ Tom Hoyle breaks down The Blast’s beginnings, the team’s constant push for innovation and their plans to use their platform for the development of a new wave of Bristol artists.

When did you start The Blast and what were your plans for the brand initially?

We were mostly into DnB when we started out a few years back but we liked breakbeat-focused stuff, electro, garage, old skool and a lot of the sounds that were coming out of the US at that time. There weren’t any nights in Bristol that catered for all of those different bass-heavy genres under one roof so we decided to do something about it.

What was the first party The Blast ever ran, where was it and how did it go?

It was on my birthday at a great club called Level that used to

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be next door to Dojo. It was a bank holiday Friday and I shamelessly used the fact it was my birthday to rope loads of friends into coming. From what I remember it was a really fun night!

city, and striving to mix it up and keep things interesting musically.

How has The Blast developed over the years?

A lot of great venues have come and gone, and I think people have started to open up their musical taste a bit more. Beneath it all though there has always been the same enduring sense that Bristol will always have its own take on things and a sort of magnetic pull for both fans and producers of electronic music.

People involved in genres with a core bass sound will always find something to get stuck in to here.

We’ve gone from running parties for 300-400 people to around 4,000 in what seems like a relatively short time.

We’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredible acts and brands over the years, but the core ethos remains the same: working with a tight group of residents who we consider to be amongst some of the best DJs in the

And how do you feel the Bristol club scene has changed/ developed in that time?

Do you feel that the club scene here is in good shape right now?

I think Bristol is in fairly good shape in the general scheme of things. I’m so grateful to have started out here and I love being able to run events in my home city at a venue as large and prestigious as Motion. It’s truly incredible that we have a completely homegrown and independent venue of this calibre that gets so much recognition both across the UK and the rest of the world.

What's your take on Motion's situation right now?

It's obviously worrying, but Motion’s importance to the cultural landscape of Bristol and the South West is so widely acknowledged now. Any potential developer will have to take that into account.

Do you think Bristol would benefit from a wider range of venues/spaces?

In Bristol we have Cosies!, The Love Inn, The Crofters etc and they’re all amazing venues, but I definitely feel as

“Our bookers could give you a list several pages long of Bristol artists to watch out for right now” though there used to be a few more small venues when I first moved here. Back then it felt as though you could go out any night of the week and find 3 or 4 exciting low-key parties going on across the city, but I feel that we’re losing a lot of these spaces. This sadly seems to be the case in cities up and down the country.

What can people expect from a party run by The Blast if they haven’t been to one before?

We like to mix it up from event to event so one show may be DnB led, the next might be Bassline, then we’ll do a show with someone like David Rodigan at Colston Hall or a little in-store event somewhere with a load of local grime MCs. As long as you come with an open-minded attitude you should expect a great time and some properly weighty music.

How important is it for you to showcase local talent alongside the headline bookings at your events?

Very important. Its always been a core consideration for us to work with local artists who we’re enjoying and we always try and balance the big acts with some interesting up and comers and exciting acts on the underground scene.

And are there any Bristol DJs that you’ve got your eye on at the moment?

There are definitely some really talented acts coming out of Bristol at the moment and we’ve worked with a few of the very best of them in L U C Y, Sir Hiss, Jay0117 and Dimpson, J Oh Zee, Kloc and more. Our bookers Kane and Rob have their ears firmly to the ground and they could give you a list several pages long of Bristol DJs to watch out for right now.

The Blast are a big part of the final in:Motion series - what are your thoughts on the rest of this year’s I:M lineup?

I’m looking forward to all of it obviously! But most importantly our NYE party with My NU Leng & Dread MC, Darkzy & Window Kid, S.P.Y, P Money and more, which I'm absolutely certain will be one of our best events of the year!

Tickets for The Blast NYE at Motion on 31 December are on sale now.

The Blast co-founder Tom Hoyle (bottom right) with the rest of the team.

WORDS: MATT ROBSON IMAGES: KHALI ACKFORD November 2019

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Tokyo-born DJ Manami Baba has been hard at work making her mark on the Bristol scene since her move to the city four years ago. Here she talks musical beginnings, her progress as an artist and her love of Bristol’s close-knit musical community.

What’s your earliest experience of music?

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Which genres do you tend to stick to when you play out now?

Music has always been an incredibly important part of my life. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 6 and violin since I was 12. I was really big on late romantic Russian composers, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, that sort of vibe. I was such a nerd. So I don’t have much or any memory of a life without music.

I generally play music under the house and techno umbrella, but those terms are incredibly broad.

It depends on the night what type of musical direction I take, but I like to incorporate different styles within a set while maintaining that level of cohesion.

And how did you first get into electronic music?

What was your first-ever DJing experience?

Electronic music has always fascinated me. I've always found it really exciting that electronic music produces sounds that are physically impossible to play. I remember the first genres that really caught my attention were disco and Chicago House, and through that, I discovered the origin of dance music. I instantly resonated with what the whole genre stood for, the space it created for those that were oppressed in America in the 80’s, and what it represented - it held and still holds such an empowering message.

Standing behind a pair of CDJs and a Pioneer mixer at Basement 45! There were about six guys stood behind me which made for a pretty intimidating environment. I was the only girl in the uni’s DJing society at that time, but I’m so glad I stuck with it.

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And the first party you played at in Bristol?

My first ever gig was at a student night at Bunker. I had to hold down the bass EQ for the bass to work because the mixer was so broken!

How do you feel Bristol has influenced your sound as a DJ? Bristol has influenced and inspired me as a DJ in countless ways. It’s of course home to incredible techno labels that have been pushing the sound of the entire genre forward, like Livity Sound and Timedance. That sort of sound has definitely rubbed off on me and is something that I love to incorporate in my sets. There’s also a really good digging culture in Bristol. Idle Hands, Prime Cuts, Centre for Better Grooves and Wanted Records, and parties like Hot Buttered Soul are great places to listen to rare, ‘unshazamable’ records that really get you digging deeper into genres.

You’ve now gone onto play in London with established artists like HAAi and Tornado Wallace – what were the circumstances around your first gigs outside of Bristol?

I’ve been very lucky in the way my London network has developed. I warmed up for HAAi in Bristol last year, and soon after she was incredibly kind to give me the opportunity to warm up for her at Phonox when she was a resident there. That was my first experience playing a London club, and it was pretty surreal – a genuinely pivotal night.

What’s your favourite Bristol venue to play at?

I really enjoy playing at The Crofters Rights. Done right, that venue is great. If you install some good lights, get a smoke machine, and fill up the room, it can turn into a proper little sweatbox.

And your favourite venue when you’re not playing?

I think the Loco Klub is an incredible space. The way the sound bounces off those circular brick tunnels, it’s a great spot for a rave.

“Exciting things are happening in every corner of the Bristol scene right now” You run your own party, Better Days. How did that come about and when?

I run the party with Anil Chohan. I told him that I wanted to start running parties late last year, and at the time Anil was also looking to start a new project, so it came about pretty quickly and organically. He ran nights previously so he has all of that experience and between us, we have quite a wide network. It’s been working really well!

You’ve got a bit of experience now playing at Bristol clubs and festivals, what are your relationships like with other members of the Bristol music scene?

The thing I love about the Bristol music scene is the supportiveness everyone has for one another.

You big each others work up because everyone’s really passionate about what they do and everyone’s doing really exciting things. There’s a community vibe here that you wouldn’t get in bigger cities, which I’m so grateful for.

And what’s your perception of the electronic music scene in Bristol right now?

I think Bristol is in such a good position musically - there’s exciting things happening in every corner of the scene right now. I’m particularly liking the darker and heavier sounds that are currently coming to the fore in the scene, leaning more towards the ‘experimental’ end of things.

You can catch Manami behind the decks at Printworks on 9 November, as she appears alongside the likes of Denis Sulta, Gerd Janson, Eclair Fifi and more as part of Sulta Selects.

Manami on the decks broadcasting her monthly Hanami w/Manami show on Noods Radio.

WORDS: MATT ROBSON November 2019

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in conversation with

owner Chris Farrell

Record stores worldwide have taken a hit over the last few years, but in Bristol and other cities across the UK, the ones still standing have become vital parts of their respective communities.

Matt Robson met with Idle Hands boss Chris Farrell to discuss how his has flourished in a competitive environment and how he keeps things fresh in the digital age.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone involved in Bristol music that isn’t a big supporter of Idle Hands, such is the stellar reputation that Chris has cultivated over the course of the last ten (ish) years.

“Bristol is a city that punches well above its weight in terms of its musical output,” he tells me when we sit down to chat around the corner from his City Road store. He’s not wrong, and it’s for that reason that he’s so passionate about

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promoting local artists and championing the Bristol sound.

Bristol artists and labels are an ever-present fixture at Idle Hands, surrounded by a broad stock of music from around the world and across the electronic spectrum, including house, techno, garage, Italo, breakbeat, electro, reggae & dub and much more.

Records through the 2000s before opening his own. “But I’ll happily recommend other stores if I think they’ve got something we haven’t.”

“I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know everything,” he continues, “and as someone that sells music for a living it’s on me to look things up and keep learning if somebody comes in asking for something I haven’t heard of.”

“Bristol is a city that punches well above its weight in terms of its musical output”

As a result, as well as the expansive selection of Bristol music there’s stock from all corners of electronic music on the shelves at Idle Hands – you’re as likely to find the latest release from Nina Kraviz’ label or a reissue of an old Danny Krivit remix as you are a Roni Size record or debut from a Bristol newcomer.

“I think I can hear what will sell,” Chris says, having cut his teeth working at established stores like Imperial and Rooted

It was a soft spot for Bristol music initially that pushed Chris to involve himself in the scene here after moving South

Chris worked at respected Bristol stores Imperial and Rooted Records before opening his own in 2011.

in 2001. He explains that he’s always felt the city is “looked down on a bit, even though it’s home to so many great artists and labels”, and can’t help but feel a bit disappointed when people get good things going locally then move on to London or elsewhere.

“A lot of people get things off the ground here and then leave,” he says, “but I was really keen on the idea of trying to solidify Bristol as a real hub of electronic music.” With that drive to contribute something of his own, and the encouragement of close friends including now-firmly established DJs Shanti Celeste, Kowton and Sean Kelly, Chris realised a long-standing ambition and opened his own store in 2011.

Initially set up in the heart of Stokes Croft and sharing a space with musical hardware specialists Elevator Sound,

Idle Hands moved around the corner to their current City Road location in 2017. I ask if there was any hesitation given that moving away from the main road through Stokes Croft could have potentially affected business.

“I just got a gut feeling and went with it,” Chris replies.

“The move wasn’t forced but it felt like a good time to refresh the store, and at the time I knew that if I went Elevator Sound could have a shop front, so it was kind of for everyone’s benefit really.” The Elevator Sound team have since been able to make the Stokes Croft space their own and build more of a solid base for their operation.

That community ethic and focus on support for other people and businesses is at the heart of Idle Hands’ setup, and it’s evident in all aspects of

the store's operation. From the prominence of Bristol artists and labels on the shelves to providing the space to locally-run initiatives like Mix Nights (who run semi-regular Open Decks sessions out of the store) and local labels like Pressure Dome (who just launched their first release in-store), the team are proud to maintain support for fellow members of the local scene.

The way Bristol’s musical community regards Idle Hands in return is a reflection of the admiration Chris has for the city itself. The relationship between the two brings home the continued importance of local record stores in the digital age.

“It took a few years for me to realise, but I’m really pleased with what we’ve put together here,” he says, “and it’s nice to feel like I’ve done something good. Fundamentally it’s just a fucking shop selling records, but if you look past that it really means something to people and I’m proud of that.”

Find Idle Hands at 32A City Road, Bristol BS2 8TP or visit idlehandsbristol.com for more.

WORDS & PHOTOS: MATT ROBSON

elevator sound

In the heart of Stokes Croft, opposite the murky grassland of Turbo Island, lies music hardware store Elevator Sound. Having overseen the store’s development into the local musical Mecca it is today, Ben Chilton spoke to us about the shop's evolution.

The building which Elevator Sound inhabits has housed several integral parts of the Bristol music scene over the years, including record stores DMT and Idle Hands and, more recently, 1020 Radio, who they currently share the building with.

Coming from a recording studio background and after studying at BIMM, Ben joined the shop when it was just interfaces, speakers and a couple of synths.

In the years that followed, the shop has stocked more and more hardware and intricate tech. "I would close the shop at the end of the day and play with stuff for hours to figure it out," Ben says, reminiscing his earlier days in the shop. It would be fair to say he’s become something of a music hardware connoisseur since then.

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As someone with virtually no knowledge about the stock inside, I look over the buttons and wires decorating the room with a 'what-the-fuck-is-allof-this' kind of bewilderment.

“It doesn’t matter,” Ben says, “people often come in here and ask what the hell everything is.

Someone once asked if it was an art exhibition.”

It is art, I suppose, technical and structured in all its many shapes and forms. There’s room for the weird and obscure, even in the tech world, perhaps the best example being a modular named The Earth Return Distortion. Although not in the shop, Ben’s inner nerd longs to stock it someday. “It’s a box of dirt that you fire sound through, and it distorts it, but the dirt is from Edgar Allen Poe’s grave,

somewhere in Transylvania. A lot of people think it’s stupid, but a lot of people like me think it’s the coolest thing in the world.”

Our discussion of the poetic qualities of some of the more obscure gear that’s out there leads me to view these machines in a sentient way – in some cases, they can bring like-minded people together. Take the regular Escher events that happen inside Elevator Sound, for example. Put a rig and some CDJs in the shop, invite anybody down to play and bang! The space becomes a melting pot of people with different musical backgrounds enjoying the vast experimental possibilities afforded by the hardware.

“Anything goes!” Ben explains.

“From 200bpm gabber to weird

acid jazz, post internet club sounds to hardcore jungle. We even had a guy come past one time who put on some nice acoustic folk.”

Lateral Sound Root Sound Pedal £165

x-io Technologies Dubkey Dub Siren Synth £139

Future Sound Systems OSC1 Cyclical Engine Eurorack Oscillator Module £239

Minirig 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker £139

For those who want to get into music production and DJing, it can be daunting knowing where to start. A shop like Elevator Sound can be intimidating with all its intergalactic, alien-looking gadgets and intricate hardware, but the ethos inside these walls is exactly the opposite. “It’s for everybody, no matter your level.

Even if you’ve never played an instrument or turned on a computer.”

The shop runs the Bristol Ableton User Group and Ben teaches a range of introductory modular courses for people of all abilities. “That’s the whole point with running a shop, especially with the whole modular thing, it looks super scary and science-y. It’s been so gatekept for years and its expensive, so it’s great to have a space where people can just come and play around with stuff or have a go at making a beat on the drum machine - that’s what we’re here for!”

From people who have never touched a synth, to people who build their own - it’s a welcoming place. But for those wanting to start modular music-making? . Ben recommends to find a sound first before beginning to think about synths and all that good stuff. “Different synths are good for different things.

The Polyvox is great for really shreddy industrial bass, then you’ve got something like the Corg Minilog XD which does loads of stuff!”

“Yeah mate you going Canteen?

See you at the party!” Ben

responds as a friend pops his head through the door. He’ll be playing at The Loco Klub under his Strangling Glass alias later today. “It’s just super industrial techno and me screaming through a microphone to kick drums” he laughs.

Most of Ben's bookings come from his friends, and he believes friendship runs deep in Bristol's music scene in here. Everyone genuinely supports each other and, as Ben tells me, "interesting stuff comes from when friends band around ideas."

"You're less scared to fail and willing to try stuff you wouldn't try otherwise. You know they have your back if things go wrong, but when they go right,, it's even better.”

“There’s a certain band to the whole music scene in Bristol,” he continues. “I’ll go and see people play who aren’t my sort of music necessarily. There’s loads of people supporting everyone across genres and that’s what makes the local scene so strong - everyone’s constantly influencing each other.”

With people like Ben making some of the more daunting aspects of electronic music production more open and accessible, there's no limit as to how far that collaborative influence of Bristol's music scene can reach.

Find Elevator Sound at 74 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY or visit elevatorsound.com for more.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL November 2019

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At 1020 radio, everything’s homegrown. The first of its kind in a new era of radio when they started up in the city, station bosses Sean McGovern and Joelie Sleap have manoeuvred themselves through a territory once unknown to them to become an integral part of Bristol’s underground music landscape.

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Joelie and Sean have become something of a dream team since starting up their station in a bedroom in 2014. DIY as anything, it's the kind of setting which often spawns creativity, those uncertain, sometimes far-fetched ideas which end up spiralling into a real, tangible thing. With the business and creative responsibilities perfectly pitched between the pair, they’ve found an equilibrium.

In their early days, Joelie was applying the skills she was learning back then whilst studying music event management. “I could help with the business side of things, making budgets, managing events and designing branding using the basic knowledge I had of Photoshop,” she tells me.

Sean, meanwhile, took control of building the studio and taking

charge of the musical side of things.

“I gutted my bedroom and got rid of everything, even my bed,” he remembers. “I got given a computer, and I used the pair of Technics and speakers that I already owned. Then saved up money to buy Pioneer CDJ1000s, a 4-channel mixer, a microphone and anything else we needed.” Sean also used the connections he’d made in the city through DJing to curate a daily schedule of shows.

There wasn’t a platform operating at the time that endeavoured to represent the full spectrum of Bristol’s talented producers, DJ’s and musicians. Now, the landscape has changed with several underground stations currently operating out of the city. Broadcasting from a

“The aim has always been to set no boundaries” bedroom with a shit internet connection can only get you so far, so naturally, they needed to progress. The cobbled streets of St Nicks Market don’t allow for fibre cables, so it turns out.

of oddball questions ranging from ‘which politician would you be?’ to ‘what’s your favourite sandwich?’ to which Syz replies: “You can’t beat a decent Ploughman’s”.

Fast forward a couple of years and 1020’s mainstay is in an important space, which was previously home to DMT record store Idle Hands. Today, it is shared with modular synthesiser store Elevator Sound. “It’s a very musical building, and it’s the perfect space to grow the station,” Sean says. The atmosphere inside certainly feels so, equipped with a range of hardware, mics, laptops, turntables, CDJs, mixers and more.

On the subject of shows, the team are open-minded when it comes to programming and are always looking for fresh ideas to add to an already diverse array of sounds. The station prides itself on working with up and coming artists, labels and collectives; creating a platform where creativity and the freedom to express are key.

As you enter the studio, there’s a wall covered in layers of posters from events hosted by residents, guests and friends lit up with a colour-changing lightbulb. Next to it, a digital clock face reads 10:20, like some sort of weird symbolic omen. Here, the station is worlds away from its humble beginnings on Broad Street.

With a selection of shows spanning across the globe, each slot carries a unique style, but all are united by pure passion.

Pioneering eclectic taste from day one, guests are encouraged to be as experimental and off-kilter as they like, or the total opposite, should they so wish.

“The aim has always been to set no boundaries,” Sean tells me. “It doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you have a strong idea

for a show and are passionate about what you’re doing.”

The station isn’t even strictly underground or electronic - “you can come on here and play live instruments or talk about space and science,” he adds. In the last couple of years, the station has curated a slew of events in favourite Bristol venues like The Love Inn, The Crofters Rights, Motion’s Lock Yard and the Pipe & Slippers, too. The events allow the station to showcase its residents, whilst also providing a way for listeners to engage with the station physically.

In September, the station celebrated its 4th birthday with an event at Stokes Croft Beer Garden. The party saw the station's first-ever external artist, who was quite fittingly, radio legend Alexander Nut. He came down from London to play alongside an array of 1020 radio residents.

It’s inspiring to be around Joelie and Sean, who are finally reaping the well-deserved fruits of their labour. 1020 Radio is living proof that if the right platform doesn’t exist, you should make it yourself.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL PHOTOS: SAM BARRETT

Built with the help of friends and a group of volunteers, 1020 enjoys a strong team dynamic.

With everyone bringing fresh ideas and inspirations to help shape the growth of the station, the pair are taking things more seriously than ever.

On my visit a new resident show is broadcasting. Haand’s Comma Show is on air with guest producer-on-the-rise Syz. He’s armed with a couple

Inside 1020 Radio’s Stokes Croft studio - “the perfect space to grow the station” according to Sean.

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Jen Hartley is a woman of many talents, and between running booking agency Eminent and DJing across Bristol and beyond under her Yushh alias, she’s been curating some of the city’s best parties and starting up her own label, Pressure Dome.

She sat down with Hannah Moll to talk musical beginnings, favourite records and the Bristol artists on her radar right now.

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Yushh What was your first avenue into electronic music?

Since I got my first Walkman, I’ve been a big collector of tunes and I've always been into electronic music. I think being brought up listening to my dad’s jazz records, and being taught classical piano definitely shaped my music tastes, but when I got to a certain age, I wanted to find music that was completely different. Electronic music ticked those boxes.

How did you become manager of Eminent?

I was lucky enough to meet Josh (Tramma) quite soon after moving to Bristol. We shared very similar taste in music, partied a lot and met Hywel, Jonski and Don soon after. Hywel had been running Eminent for a year before the rest of us joined in December 2017. We all contribute in

different ways and we’ve run some great parties over the last two years!

You’ve got a label start up in the works - what can we expect from it in the future?

I’ve been working on Pressure Dome for the last few months, focusing on broken, UKinfluenced, bassy techno. The first release is out now and features a full Bristol lineup including Syz, Mulengasound, Mish, Balouu and myself, and we’ll be hosting a monthly radio show on 1020 and occasional club nights.

What can you tell us about the process of starting up your own label?

I was in a really good position to start off with as Bristol is full of amazing producers and a lot of my friends are making music, so finding tracks has been a

really nice process so far. I’m also lucky enough to be working with Nick Harris (A Sagittariun) who’s been working in label management for a number of years. He's taught me a lot.

Setting up a label doesn’t have to be difficult - it’s just about finding what’s right for your sound and audience.

What are you looking for in a track for Pressure Dome?

The main thing I look for is detail. I want the tunes to be doing their own little thing, while also referencing and crossing over into multiple genres. I love beautiful, interesting tracks and I want to release good music, not just dance music. Bristol has so much talent, but I never feel like it’s competitive. Everyone pushes each other in a really great way so it’s really nice to be part of it all.

Where are some of your favourite venues in the city to either host parties or party yourself?

I’ve been to some good parties at Dare2Club in Old Market and the Queens Head in Easton.

They both have late licences which means extra partying which is always good. Eminent parties generally rotate around Cosies!, Crofters and The Love Inn - they all have slightly different crowds, so we try and book a suitable headline for the venue.

big loss to hundreds of students that would be stuck for a party venue and will probably lead to the smaller venues being even more overrun.

Massive big ups to the DirtyTalk crew for hitting their funding target so they’re able to open Strange Brew – that’s a big step in the right direction.

Any new records you’ve been bumping lately?

So many to choose from! I’ve been loving the latest two on Livity Sound reverse, Cando Bleak/Sundown and Bakongo - Momoweb/Disposition/ Goulbap. Both great releases, fully pop off on the dancefloor while still maintaining their individuality. The last two Wisdom Teeth releases from K-Lone & Lurka and the new Konduku on Idle Hands are absolutely killer too. Bristol doing the business.

What’s a tune that gets you through bad days?

I generally don’t like getting too emotional, so on bad days I try and just force away the negativity with real heavy tunes.

One I picked up recently is

Hamilton Scalpel on Concrete Cabin - definitely makes me want to screw my face up and forget my worries.

Weirdest DJ name you’ve ever heard?

The last booking for Eminent was called DJ Fart In The Club, pretty original name but has to be one of our favourite so far she absolutely smashed it!

Who should we be watching out for in Bristol right now?

I mentioned Cando earlier, definitely ones to watch. Henry Greenleaf, Glances, Zobol, Joe Craven and all the artists on the first Pressure Dome release are all making amazing stuff at the minute so I’m sure people will be seeing their names popping up in the near future.

You can catch Jen Hartley’s Domecast from 7pm-9pm every first Friday of the month on 1020 Radio, or find Pressure Dome on Soundcloud for latest releases.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL PHOTOS: OLLIE KIRK

How healthy is the landscape right now for music venues?

It’s really sad to see venues disappearing and the constant threat of some of the bigger clubs closing too. Even though I don’t really go to Blue Mountain or Lakota much, they would be a

Jen’s new label, Pressure Dome, recently held their first-ever release party in-store at Idle Hands.

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Sir Hiss & Emz Anyone who’s spent time in central Bristol this year is probably well aware of Sir Hiss & Emz; their names plastered across flyers and lineup posters around the city week in, week out. Whether playing together or separately, both have been making waves as part of the new generation of artists reimagining the city's longestablished 140 sound. Hannah Moll catches up with two of the biggest names on one of the most exciting scenes in Bristol right now.

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“How did we meet?” Emz asks Sir Hiss when we sit down to chat on Gloucester Road. “I don’t even know," he replies.

It turns out that the pair were both big fans of fast-rising Bristol grime artist Jay0117 in their early days, with the MC forming a bridge between the two when they were starting out. Hiss looked up to Jay as a teenager, commenting on his videos on YouTube and sending him tunes, before going on to DJ for him.

I wonder out loud if the name Sir Hiss draws from that old Robin Hood film - the one with the weird snake. Turns out, it does.

As a teenager, Hiss earned the name for himself because of his appetite for scabbing fags and pints. “Everyone was like ‘you’re kind of a snake’,” he laughs. “I looked up famous snakes and

Sir Hiss was the first one, so it kind of stuck”.

Emz, meanwhile, grew up on a steady diet of Dot Rotten grime instrumentals and Fruitloop Studio, inspired by his cousins Drepound, TDot and Gex who were established in Bristol’s early to mid-00s grime circuit.

First, he tried his hand at production aged 14, before landing into lyricism in his later teens.

Nowadays, he’s surrounded by people who welcome and appreciate his talent - Bristol's 140 microcosm is close-knit.

More recently, Hiss has been employing a global theme in his work, releasing the aptly-named Frequent Flyer EP, earlier this year to join previous projects Pyongyang and Kyoto and tracks like 'Taj Mahal' and 'Egypt'. The five-track record,

released earlier this summer via TrapDoor Records, is rich with atmospheric samples and a low-submerged dubsteptrap-grime chassis.

The lines between what people call grime and dubstep are murky, but tied together with a 140/UK Bass bow. Emz reminds me that he’s not “strictly grime” as people may have defined him. “I felt like I was being pigeonholed to grime a year ago, and I didn’t want to be only that,” he says. “I don’t want to be boxed.”

Exploration and experimentation is also something that Emz believes has come more naturally after immersing himself in Bristol’s music scene. “After I was adopted into it, I felt I could explore more, and develop my voice.” The two of them are at an exciting point right now. At 21 and 24, they’re young, driven and don’t care too much what people think, although Hiss adds that his most recent EP drew his first-ever bad review.

He can’t remember where it came from, though, so we agree it’s not worth worrying about.

2019 has been a productive year for them both. They’ve released music together, blending Hiss’ intricate production with Emz’ calmyet-sharp flow, had steady bookings throughout the year and collaborated with several other artists. Hiss is getting his

The video for Sir Hiss & Emz’ track ‘Rolling’ was featured on SB:TV back in May.

label No More Mailouts up and running this year, with the labels first release NMM001 dropping two tracks, 'Tehran Gunshots' and 'Mr Sandman'.

But it was the release of their track 'Rolling' that made Sir Hiss & Emz feel like they were finally being taken seriously.

Made two years ago the track had humble beginnings, with the pair producing a DIY video as well as the music itself. “I shot the 'Rolling' video on my shit little camera,” Emz says. “It was uploaded on GRM Daily, but it got lost in the sea of YouTube videos until Blazey told me to take it down because it would be re-released on SBTV. It felt good to know someone believed in me like that.”

The pair’s creative process isn’t without its shortfalls, and keeping a constant flow of producing material is near-impossible. Ironically, the last time he had writer’s block, Emz wrote

a track about having writer’s block, explaining to me how he overcomes it when it inevitably strikes. “I change my mindset when it happens,” he says. “I can’t expect to stay in the same room, trying to make the same thing happen. Instead, I’ve got to go and write something completely new.”

The pair agree that creative bursts happen at the worst times, like right before sleep, or while driving. Once, Hiss even left Lakota mid-dance to go write a tune, dashing out the door. He returned after, obviously.

It’s confirmed as we start to wrap things up that more collaborative releases are in the works. Expect to see - and hear - a lot more from these two in the future.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL PHOTOS: KoLAB STUDIOS

autumn/winter 2019 at

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Fri 1: bobby mac

Fri 6: Bobby Mac

fri 8: chick pea

sat 7: Da Hybrid

sat 9: groove jam

fri 13: Chick Pea

sun 10: booty bass

sat 14: Groove Jam

fri 15: lingo

fri 20: Lingo

sat 16: felix joy

sat 21: Felix Joy

fri 22: dj izaak levi

tue 31: NYE Beats n

sat 23: dj hybrid

Treats w/ DJ Izaak

FRi 29: chick pea

Levi & Da Hybrid MC

vinyl open deck night every wednesday!

facebook/flipsidecocktailclub twitter/flipsidebristol instagram/flipsidecocktailclub

five guaranteed party starters with

As they continue to take over Bristol’s club scene one unforgettable party at a time, we asked Bitch, Please! co-founders Liam Norris & Travis Derrick to pick out five tracks guaranteed to get a crowd moving...

Cinthie - Everything I Say Beste Modus, 2019 “Cinthie is definitely the standout female of our 2019. She’s played for us twice now, absolutely killed it on both occasions and has been turning out such great house music in between!”

DJ Sneak - Wickedy Sounds Magnetic Recordings, 2001 “It wouldn’t be a great house set without something from the one and only DJ Sneak. I really enjoy chucking a cheeky acapella over this one to add that extra element to what’s already one of his strongest releases.”

Jamanta Crew - Jazz Band Bambino Recordings, 2007 “We started a lot of our sets with this one this year and have done for a long time such a great tune with that classic Chicago house style to get you warmed up.”

JVXTA - Brawn (Cinthie’s Jack Be Nimble Mix) Homage, 2019 “This was a huge track over the summer for us. A stomping raw Jackin’ house vibe with an absolutely huge vocal throughout that just makes you want to dance!”

KiNK - Raw Running Back, 2019 “This track absolutely erupts the dance floor! The classic KiNK piano chords, slowly creeping in and eventually becoming the track’s main focus point can be a highlight of any party if deployed at the right time. Pure Piano Power.”

November 2019

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GotSome

In 2014, a Defected Records boss heard a brand-new GotSome track on the radio. He knew it was big. Weeks later, the original GotSome duo, Adam Gorsky and Alex Holmes, were signed to the very same label.

In the following years, GotSome would release a number of EPs (two on Defected) and a track with grime godfather Wiley, alongside a series of singles and heavy Kenny Dope remixes.

Fist-pumping music at its finest.

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through, he has his childhood to thank for his eclectic taste.

Adam describes himself as "the kid around the block", who would sneak into raves as young as 13 with his older mates, knowing even then that music was the route he wanted to go down.

Adam got into DJing at age 16.

"You'd always see Tricky walking down Gloucester Road, going to get his milk or something from the Co-op. It would make me feel inspired as a kid. These people are going on tour, but here they are in the supermarket!"

Today, GotSome is a solo project, and Adam has an infectious energy about him. Equipped with a cheerful smile and bright, friendly eyes, he joins me just a couple of days after Glastonbury with a dodgy throat and big shades, I applaud him for making the interview. “It was trippy,� he admits. Say no more.

"I'd be on the bus on my own with butterflies in my stomach on my way to meet my 19/20-year-old, taller friends," he remembers. It's a feeling many of us can relate to, that first experience at a club.

Queuing to get in, memorising the details on the ID, praying the bouncer wouldn't question it.

Recalling the days which inspired his earliest experiences with music, when he was into sampling a lot of hip hop and nicking records from his friends' boxes, Adam remembers: "I worked in Waitrose and saved up to buy my first pair of Technics, and the rest is history."

It's hard to think of a genre on the dance music spectrum into which Adam hasn't dipped his toes. A Bristol kid through and

Growing up in the thick of the drum & bass and trip-hop era of DJ Die, Roni Size, Full Cycle, Portishead and Massive Attack,

He fell into a music school in London and upon returning to Bristol afterwards, was reminded of its unique musical

LOUD Magazine

culture. "Bristol's the best," he says. Adam would play on pirate stations routinely, a regular on Passion FM among others.

"Passion was in an old squat house on Stapleton Road, next to the chicken shop. You'd knock on the door and run up, play your hour and hope the police wouldn't turn up. There'd be a shady toilet in the back room, with a flush that may or may not be working," he laughs.

Back then, he'd go to all the mainstays, including London's Rinse FM. There, he'd play jungle, a bit of garage and late dubstep alongside the likes of Joy Orbison and other peers of that scene ("before they went super techno," he adds). It was an interesting period to be on the radio circuit, with many of today's biggest producers and DJs cutting their teeth in underground circles.

From there, Adam lent his name to a variety of genres, playing drum & bass sets and releasing the acclaimed Planet Music alongside Danny Byrd under his Adrock alias in 2008. After, he delved into UK garage as part of the Forget Me Not trio.

It was almost by accident that he became a house producer after that, moving away from bass-driven sounds and into a new environment. "I'd heard jungle and drum & bass for so long, and began to think 'well, what's next?'", he explains. At that time, Adam was a resident DJ at the old E-Shed with garage DJ Ben Daly. On Saturday nights, the pair would take over the bar and experiment with each other's music. "I'd play hip hop and jungle, and he'd play garage and house. I'd go into his record box, he'd go into mine and then all of a sudden, I was a house DJ," he remembers.

”At Passion FM you’d knock on the door, run up, play your hour and hope the police wouldn’t turn up” The landscape has changed in the city since those days. Many of the clubs Adam raved and played sets in aren't around anymore, and he recounts when the likes of DJ Premier, De La Soul and Theo Parrish would play at Creation, or when Mixmag threw parties in UWE's SU. "They were ridiculous!" he laughs.

Nowadays, parties are thrown almost every night in Bristol, and there's a hell of a lot to choose from. So, chances are, you'll only attend the ones that play the sounds you like. Adam, on the other hand, still has a soft spot for the multi-genre parties of the early days.

"It needs to happen! We worked hard for years to host inclusive parties," he says, "it would be sick to see a dance with different heads from across the music scene. House, dub, jungle, grime, dancehall, techno - all under one roof. There's a bigger picture here, about culture: there are a lot of DJs and promoters who are coining money, but they're not thinking about it!"

An ode to this ethos underpins his latest track 'Acid', featuring hip-hop titan Roxanne Shante.

"The tune's about how we've worked the whole of the 80s and 90s to bring dancefloors together. The song we've written is about this message to keep it alive going forward. And right now, I want to see more of that in the party."

The track might be one of the most unexpected collabs of 2019, and the process was surprisingly easy, says Adam.

"A year ago, I went to see The Juice Crew at the O2 in Bristol, and she was the best out of everyone," he remembers. "I come from hip-hop, so thought 'why did hip-house stop happening?' The breakbeat, slow jungle and high vocals are on the line of being a tad cheesy, but Roxanne was a dream."

And so, Adam spoke to her label who gave him a number - her direct line. "Would you believe it! She answered the phone so casually," he smiles. It's clear: that same, excitable teenager who felt inspired by his idols buying milk is still there - he's just a little older.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL PHOTOS: SAM BARRETT November 2019

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Bristol festival guide The festival scene in Bristol is about as diverse as any across the UK right now. Parties like Love Saves The Day are renowned up and down the country, while a selection of the world’s most respected artists travel to the city year in year out for unforgettable multi-venue events like the Bristol Jazz & Blues Fest, Simple Things and more. Check out our list of festival favourites here.

tokyo world.

What started life as a one-day underground music festival in 2013 has rapidly grown into one of the biggest events on the Bristol calendar.

Catering for all music lovers by showcasing a huge range of genres, Tokyo World’s 2019 festival saw a huge cast of respected artists (including De La Soul, Nao and Alix Perez) head to Eastville Park across two days in late September.

simple things.

Simple Things has, in a short time, evolved into a staple of Bristol’s forward-thinking musical calendar. The multi-venue festival makes use of the city’s very best stages to invite an array of eclectic groups and artists to perform across full day and night programmes. This year’s Simple Things brought esteemed artists from across the musical spectrum to Bristol, including Ata Kak, Kode9, Bruce, Jayda G and more.

bristol jazz & blues.

Put simply, Bristol’s annual International Jazz & Blues festival hosts some of the most unforgettable live concerts you’re likely to experience in the city. Centred around jazz and blues but catering for all sorts of variations on the genres, the festival takes over Bristol’s favourite live venues for one weekend in March to bring you a lineup of revered artists from across that scene, from Gregory Porter to legendary saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis.

love saves the day.

Love Saves The Day is recognised across the UK as one of the most polished two-day dance music events in the country. Nominated for a DJ Mag Best Festival award and having invited the likes of Palms Trax, Bonobo, Bicep, Tom Misch, Kate Tempest, Stormzy and many, many more artists to Eastville Park over the last few years, LSTD is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious events on the Bristol festival calendar.

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writer’s pick: love international festival.

This one’s not strictly a Bristol festival, but since it’s run by the Bristol-based Team Love and one of the continent’s most popular electronic music events, it’s getting a mention. Taking place on a secluded resort along the South Croatian coastline, Love International invites some of the world’s top DJs and producers to Tisno for a week of sun, sea and stellar sets. Check out our full review of the festival’s 2019 edition over on p.74.

dot to dot.

Probably the best opportunity for Bristol live music fans to discover some new artists, Dot To Dot brings a top-notch multi-venue experience to Bristol every year and fills the programme with some of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming live acts. Previous editions of the festival have seen the likes of Ed Sheeran, Jake Bugg and Dua Lipa play obscure 3pm slots, so you really never know who you’re going to find at this one.

st pauls carnival.

Having made its return in 2018 after a lengthy absence, St Paul’s Carnival is firmly back on Bristol’s calendar and should absolutely be a saved date in yours in 2020. The one-day party celebrates every aspect of Caribbean culture and pays homage to the history of St Paul’s by bringing together music, dance, art, food, drinks and much more to create an event unlike any other you’ll find in the South West.

harbour festival.

Bristol’s Harbour Festival is the city’s biggest festival event of the year, drawing crowds in excess of 100,000 people across the weekend. The musical lineup always throws up an opportunity to catch some stellar live acts, whether it’s a Bristol local or a globally renowned artist. The past few years have seen Grandmaster Flash, Loyle Carner, Roots Manuva and more perform on stages in and around the city’s Harbourside area.

the downs festival.

The Downs is another addition to Team Love’s extensive festival roster, renowned across the city and beyond thanks to its consistently huge lineup bookings. This year saw the iconic Grace Jones perform alongside Ms Lauryn Hill, Loyle Carner and in-form local outfit IDLES, while previous years have seen Skepta, Massive Attack, De La Soul and more take over the Clifton Downs.

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StPaul’s carnival

The biggest and best party on the Bristol calendar returned in July. The carnival drew thousands of people to the streets of St Paul’s. Away from the music and the iconic street parade, Bristol photographer Colin Moody shot a different side of this year's party to capture the ways residents and revellers used the space.

"Two women put the final touches on their makeup. This last check is all that stands between them and their revelry. This photo isn’t just about being there and seeing the scene, its about being a part of the scene."

"A man in a bright blue, super-stylish mobility scooter being chased by a unicorn. This really conveys the energy of the carnival and captures the subject’s expression in the thick of it."

"My advice for anyone looking to get into Carnival is to pick a spot you love and then enjoy it for all it’s worth. As a photographer I’m often looking for people who are clearly so into it, and this couple stood out in a busy scene. I loved the contrast between how happy the couple were versus everyone else appearing to be on the move and more occupied with what’s around them."

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"There’s so much going on here. Trade, talking, listening, drinking, dancing. These moments, for me, are the contemporary human landscapes of our time."

"Soundsystem assembly.

Hours before the party begins these huge systems truck in and reach up to the sky. The joy of the crews is palpable, they know what’s coming."

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my Bristol records with

With more than 15 years’ experience at the heart of the local music scene, we asked Idle Hands boss Chris Farrell to pick out five of his favourite Bristol records of all time...

Smith & Mighty - B Line Fi Blow Studio !K7, 2002 “If I had to think of one tune that summed up my musical life in Bristol it would be this. The legendary duo have adopted a lot of different styles over the years but this, their take on UK Garage is one of their best. It maybe didn’t hit the wider garage scene, but it’s been played a lot in Bristol over the years.”

Maximum Joy - Silent Street Y Records, 1981 “I found a 12” of this in a collection my dad bought about 20 years ago. The cover jumped out at me, but it was when I put the needle on the groove that it really grabbed me. As much as I like post-punk a lot of records of that genre are heavy on ideas but maybe don’t nail a vibe. This does it in spades. I liked it so much I reissued it with a mate a few years back.”

Pinch - Qawwali Planet Mu, 2006 “When dubstep hit it felt like the genre that had been waiting to happen. It bought together a lot of my musical interests; garage, techno, dub, drum & bass and weird esoteric sounds all consolidated it into one glorious whole. This tune was one of Pinch’s earliest productions and speaks of the possibilities that existed in that sound in its early years. Still get a shiver down my spine when I hear it.”

DJ Krust - True Stories Talkin’ Loud, 1998 “Whilst jungle settled down into drum & bass and the sound honed in on a sharper, cleaner and techier palette, there were still people in Bristol pushing at the edges.

I love a lot of Full Cycle stuff from Die’s rollers to Roni’s jazzy grooves. It was Krust though who, at his best, was on some afro futurist tip. This is a great example of that.”

Shanti Celeste - Days Like This Idle Hands, 2014 “I was lucky to have my friends Kowton, Sean Kelly and Shanti working at my side when I opened the shop in 2011. Shanti has always been into the idea of a perfect kick drum, working hard to ‘crack’ her own sound. Her first release on our co-run BRSTL label was good, but with this one, her 2nd release on my label, she came into her own.”

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don’t get scammed!

We all know someone who’s been scammed out of a ticket for an event. Whether it’s a £15 gig or a £150 festival ticket the feeling of being ripped off by some anonymous Facebook account is enough to ruin your weekend, so check out our tips for spotting fake sale posts to minimise risk next time you’re buying a last-minute ticket online.

1) A suspect Facebook profile

This should be the first thing to look out for but often gets the benefit of the doubt when someone’s desperate for a ticket. If your seller’s got no friends, one profile picture and joined Facebook in 2018, don’t buy from them.

2) Suspiciously low ticket prices

If Boomtown are selling weekend tickets for more than £200 but Tom from London is offering you two for £180, chances are he’s trying to scam you. If an offer seems too good to be true it usually is, and given how hard it is to get your money back in these situations, you shouldn’t be taking any chances.

3) PayPal details that don’t match the name of the seller

Scammers will often claim that they’re using their mate’s PayPal account for some reason, or their mum’s, or their girlfriend’s, and this isn’t always a problem but can be suspicious. PayPal takes minutes to set up, so if you’ve got any doubts about where you’re sending your money, hold on to it.

4) Only accepting payment via bank transfer

Following on from the last point, it’s not hard to set up a PayPal account and most people already have one, so there’s no reason for sellers to insist on money being sent via bank transfer. There’s no consumer protection if you do get scammed, so avoid bank transfers at all costs when buying online.

5) Generic language in sale post

If somebody’s posted on an event’s Facebook listing with “two cheap tickets for sale to this great event”, or “so disappointed I can’t make it to this event”, they often won’t actually have a clue what the event is. Prolific scammers’ posts are rarely event-specific, so watch out for this.

6) Refusal to send proof of ticket/booking

Anyone can use Snapchat or Instagram now to draw over a photo they’ve got in their phone, so there’s no reason, if you ask for it, that a seller can’t send you a screenshot of their ticket with their name on it and the barcode scribbled out. If you want extra peace of mind but the seller won’t oblige, look elsewhere.

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Great places to Eat, Drink & Dance in Bristol City Centre Agora All In One All Stars Sports Bar Aluna Antix Aqua Backyard Bambalan Basement 45 Be At One Bill’s Brewdog Bristol Folk House Bristol Hippodrome Bristol Old Vic Bristol Ram Browns BSB Central Chambers Clifton Lounge Colston Hall Cosy Club Dhamaka Dough Pizza El Puerto Forty Eight Gosha’s House Gravity Graze Greenhouse Horts Kaspa’s Desserts King Street Brew House King William Pub Kongs La Rocca

Locked In A Room Lola Lo London Cocktail Club Mackenzies Mayflower Mbargo Mr Wolf’s Mud Dock No. 1 Harbourside O2 Academy Bristol Obento OMG OPA Pata Negra Pho Pitcher & Piano Pizzarova Pret A Manger Prince Street Social Pryzm Queenshilling Raj Indian Renato’s Taverna Dell’Artista Restaurant 113 Revolucion de Cuba Revolution Vodka Bar Riverstation Seamus O’Donnell’s Severnshed Slug & Lettuce Small Bar Smoke & Mirrors Spitfire Barbecue Steak of the Art Subway (Broad Quay) SWX The Apple The Bank Tavern

The Bay Horse The Beer Emporium The Birkett Tap and Popworld The Botanist The Brass Pig The Bristol Yard The Crown The Doghouse The Drawbridge The Elbow Room The Florist The Gryphon The Hatchet Inn The Hole In The Wall The Lanes The Lost and Found The Milk Thistle The Mother’s Ruin The Old Duke The Old Fish Market The Royal Navy Volunteer The Rummer The Shakespeare The Stable The Station The Three Tuns The White Harte The Woods Thekla Turtle Bay Urban Tiger Walkabout Watershed Yia Mass Za Za Bazaar Zero Degrees

BARS / RESTAURANTS / CLUBS www.bristolcitycentrebid.co.uk twitter.com/briscentrebid facebook.com/bristolbid

Bristol’s best Open Mic Nights

Bristol’s musical landscape is a melting pot of different sounds, styles and instrumentation, but where do you start as a would-be musician if you’ve got no experience on stage? The city is bursting with Open Mic Nights, Live Jam Sessions, Open Collaborations and more, so check out our guide to the very best of them and get yourself down - you never know who’s watching.

Open Mic @ Leftbank // Every Wednesday

It’s a no-brainer: Stoke Croft’s LeftBank hosts one of the most popular open mic nights in the city every Wednesday,7pm to 1am. All genres are welcome and those brave enough to perform will be rewarded with a free drink! The venue has a PA system and some house instruments, but if you can, bring your own.

Word of Mouth @ The Lion // Every Tuesday

This is a fairly new one. Started in July 2019, Word of Mouth brings together local musicians in BS5 for candle-lit performances and pizza. With the option to have your set recorded for use in demos, Word of Mouth strikes the perfect chord between providing a platform for new artists and offering a polished live music experience.

Open Collaboration @ The Gallimaufry // Monthly

Hosted by acclaimed Bristol three-piece Waldo’s Gift, Open Collaboration is a chance for musicians, vocalists, poets, MCs and anyone with something to express to augment the trio on stage and join them in a free flow of ideas. Entry to the night is free if you want to go down to watch before getting involved, with music from 10pm.

Open Mic @ The Blue Lagoon // Every Tuesday

Another Gloucester Road Open Mic offering, what makes The Blue Lagoon’s unique is the fact that the bar team will ensure every sign up gets a video of their performance. If you want evidence to be able to prove you did it when you get to the office on Wednesday morning, this is the one for you.

November 2019

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Saffron Records’

GOAT List

As an integral part of the Saffron Records team, we asked Lizzy Ellis to pick out five of the biggest, best and most inspiring tracks by some of the greatest women to ever do it…

Jill Scott - Gettin’ in the Way Who is Jill Scott? (Words and Sounds Vol.1) Hidden Beach Recordings 2000

Angie Stone - Wish I Didn’t Miss You Mahogany Soul J Records 2001

Follow Saffron Records on

Nina Simone - Baltimore Baltimore CTI Records 1978

Erykah Badu - Didn’t Cha Know Mama’s Gun Motown Record Company 2000

Missy Elliott - The Rain Supa Dupa Fly East West Records 1997

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for regularlyupdated playlists featuring the label’s favourite artists past, present and future...

foreign concept

London-born Matt Price has been a staple of the UK drum & bass scene for some time. Now based in Bristol and signed to Critical Records alongside contemporaries Ivy Lab, Hyroglifics and label boss Kasra, his back catalogue spans an impressive array of sounds from dance-floor belters to more left-field projects. We caught up with the prolific producer to discuss his work and influences.

Firstly, how did you get into music production?

After bedroom DJing for a few years, I bought a Macbook pro and some speakers, and moved to Amsterdam with the sole purpose of learning how to make music. It was the best move I ever made!

What drew you to Critical?

I was following them pretty closely in the early days, as I was really into their output. What attracted me most though was that, at that time, it was one of the only drum & bass labels around that wasn’t spearheaded by a big DJ. Kasra, who owns Critical, became a popular DJ as a result of running a successful label, rather than the other way around.

musical perspective, but I wouldn’t necessarily play them out as they weren’t really designed for a dance floor. So, I wanted to make something new that was geared more towards a club environment.

What’s your favourite venue in Bristol?

I’d probably say Trinity. It’s got a nice vibe, and I love the juxtaposition in that it’s in an old church and still retains some of the original religious trappings.

What’s your favourite UK festival to play?

Probably Shambala. It’s got a bit of everything – a nice family vibe in the day, and a not so family vibe at night!

How much creative control do you have over your output under the label?

What's the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you during one of your sets?

The only real restriction is whether the label boss likes it or not. Critical has got a pretty diverse back catalogue, from plinky-plonky noodly stuff to balls to the wall bangers!

Someone at Fabric once came up to me after my set, popped out their glass eye and put it in my hand. That was pretty weird.

It seems as though the last EP is quite dancefloor oriented, was this a conscious decision?

Most definitely. A lot of the tracks I’d been making over the last couple of years I really liked from a

Catch Foreign Concept alongside Phaeleh, Eva Lazarus and more at Lakota on 1 November as part of Wide Eyes’ 2019 Halloween Special.

WORDS: HANNAH MOLL November 2019

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Strictly guests, no repeats.

in conversation with The Gryphon's owner John Ashby Ten years ago, the top corner of Colston Street was home to a dying gay bar, The Griffin.

“It was a nice space. It was a clean pub, but it didn’t really have much of an atmosphere – at all”, John recalls. “It just felt like something was missing.”

And what exactly was ‘missing’ didn’t matter: in 2010, John took over the plot and started anew. Swapping out the VKs; he filled the C19th building with real ale and obscure heavy metal. Now known as The Gryphon, the pub has become a destination. But for John, it’s also a dream come true: “Mainly, it’s entirely selfish, and it’s what I want. I love beer, and I love heavy metal - all I’m doing is creating the kind of

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place that if this isn’t what I did for a living, this is the kind of place that I’d want to come to,” he admits. “It’s just an extension of me, really. It’s friendly, it’s open, it’s honest - and it’s a safe space to be.”

The Gryphon is incredibly niche. The bar has a stringent policy on its dark, real ales

(strictly guests, no repeats), while its 50-capacity gig space throws the most severe of sound centre stage. Death metal, grindcore, black thrash; it’s extreme, and it’s working.

The Gryphon celebrated their ninth birthday in September, and they’ve bagged a spot on the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for seven years running.

“The pub is an extension of me - it’s friendly, open, honest and a safe place to be”

Besides John’s considerable bar experience (he started working in pubs as a Geology student in Birmingham), the continuing success of The Gryphon, he says, is closely related to the fact that the pub operates as a Freehouse.

Left to his own devices by the plot’s landlords, John admits he’s “incredibly lucky” to have free reign over the pub, allow-

A nod to the pub’s past, he ensures The Gryphon is also a safe space for the city’s LGBTQ+ community: “we honestly don’t care who you are or what you do, so long as you’re here to enjoy the space, respect us and each other.”

The Gryphon owner John Ashby behind the bar at the venue he’s been in charge of since 2010.

ing him to construct eccentric gig schedules and beer selections. Unlike most bars, The Gryphon has seen over 2,500 different real ales on tap in just nine years: “my plan was always: ‘well, there’s a lot we can have, so let’s try and drink it all, because why not?’”

The Bristol heavy metal scene existed long before The Gryphon, but in 2010, John remembers it struggling.

Recalling life before the pub, he mentions seeing a shift in Bristol’s music scene, with rock venues like The Junction, The Croft and The Eclipse quickly disappearing.

But even today, John is concerned that other venues lack the freedom to platform heavy metal regularly. He knows better than anyone that if you’re trying to cater for the heavy metal scene alone, then you’re not going to please the vast majority. But with stock to buy and rent to pay, cutting yourself off from the mass market can be fatal. A dilemma facing an already pressured music scene, extremely specialised sound can fall by the wayside.

Not only that, but John says

the scene’s reputation can make opening spaces like his even harder:

“It’s very difficult to open up spaces to the heavier side of things. Heavy metal has always been seen as a hairy-biker, Hells Angels kind of space; and you’re expected to be getting into trouble, which is bollocks. These are some of the safest places you can be.”

The Gryphon, John says, provides guests with the freedom to be themselves. “We do need this space to express ourselves,” he admits, as we talk about his no-nonsense approach to guest conduct.

John has six years left on his lease, but he’s keen to renew.

It’s good news, as he believes things are picking up again for Bristol’s metal scene. “The heavy metal scene has expanded again,” he estimates, pointing to the “big name international bands” playing the likes of SWX, The Fleece and the O2 Academy: “It’s just one of those cyclic things. It’ll happen, it’ll dwindle, it’ll come back.”

“I was told once that my heavy metal was just a phase and I’d get over it. That was 17 years ago, and now I own an internationally-known heavy metal venue. I mean, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done - long may it continue.”

Find The Gryphon at 41 Colston St, Bristol BS1 5AP. WORDS: KATE HUTCHISON

The bar as it was before John took over: The Griffin was a well-loved gay bar that opened in 1987, but closed in the late 2000s.

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the new

Kings & Queens

of England Professional photographer Shelby Alexander takes an in-depth look at Bristol’s burgeoning drag scene.

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I think I was a very sheltered teenager, much more naïve at 17 years old than my daughter is now at 13. The Life of Brian and The Rocky Horror Picture Show were banned in my house growing up, my dad calling them “disgusting”. Obviously, like any teenager would, I sneakily watched both of them at my friends’ house, where Sara and I would hang out in her bedroom eating crisps and drinking cider, listening to the Rocky Horror soundtrack on repeat until we knew every single word from the audience participation. I blame Tim Curry for my love of drag.

politically incorrect insults to guests, inviting us to laugh at them, are now immortalised as comedy legends. Their outdated brand of humour has been thankfully left behind.

Drag has come a long way since my childhood memories of Dame Edna Everage and Lily Savage hosting tv talk shows. Their working class, middle aged female characters handing out

huge hair and over the top make up. The men in women's clothes usually played the baddie, and they were there to be laughed at by the audience.

For many, these characters were the only chance that

LOUD Magazine

As kids we were taken to see the panto at Christmas with the larger than life Dames in

“Bristol’s drag community is full of the sweetest and most beautiful souls I’ve ever met”

the mainstream public had to experience drag. Now, 30 years later, it has transformed into a highly influential social movement.

Up until the last decade, drag shows were still very much hidden in underground clubs and backstreet bars and Bristol’s scene was no different. It was very rare to spot a drag queen outside of this environment. It was a form of entertainment that was purely limited to white gay men and niche venues only.

It seemed to me, perhaps unsurprisingly, to be a very closed community. I later learned that many drag performers had been rejected by their families after coming out and had made a safe haven for themselves with support and love from the community around them.

With a safe space to express

an unwavering commitment to their art. There are more safe spaces opening up, too, welcoming not only new types of drag, but new audiences.

Bristol act Sally Savage took part in the Drag Queen Story Time project last year.

themselves, members of the drag scene had made new families for themselves, with older Queens looking after the new ones.

My first real drag experience came about five years ago when I first went to Shambala Festival. Girls were dressed as boys and boys were dressed as girls - and everything else in between. I went as my male alter ego ‘Jerome’. It was that night that I finally saw my very first drag show, Sink the Pink, while wearing a massive ginger moustache. The show was utterly magical and so full of happiness; everyone in the marquee was singing, dancing, hugging and kissing. There was so much joy in one place.

This was the drag I needed in my life. It was everything that I had hoped it would be.

Over the next couple of years, I started to see Bristol’s drag world come alive. There’s no denying that RuPaul has made drag more mainstream, more accessible and more acceptable; it has given

performers a new kind of liberation that drag queens haven’t experienced before and as a result, there has been a real surge in Alternative Drag. There is now room on the stage for AFAB Queens, Kings, performers of colour and a diversity of genders.

Drag is no longer just for predominantly white, gay men and although the traditional camp queens still exist, with feather boas and bouffant hair, they have helped to forge the way for a new generation with

The styles of drag performances are varied, from punk and political, to stand up comedians; from singers to lip syncers. There's boy queens, girl queens, girl kings, drag princes; all fabulous and armed with perfected crafts.

It's a far cry from the maledominated, misogynistic drag of 1970's TV. Now the new Kings and Queens of England are paving the way, pushing the gender boundaries further.

A new drag is emerging - one that is for everyone.

Gone are the days when drag was something you had to seek out, it is there for the taking. The best drag exists on our very own stages, clubs and bars, not from the safety of your sofa. The audience is changing at a rate never seen before, too.

If you want to dip your toe in for starters, venture to a Drag

Bristol drag act Mariana Trench puts the final touches on her makeup ahead of a performance.

November 2019

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Taken from Bristol Pride 2019 on The Downs.

Queen Bingo event, or head to the Old Market Assembly's drag talent contests. Here, you'll meet the big-hearted Chocolate City Sisters, whose kindness and comedy will edge you into drag gently.

Alternatively, buy a ticket for ESDR (Eat Sleep Drag Repeat) who bring the stars from RuPaul's Drag Race to the Bristol stage. Bristol also has its very own drag family, too: The Haus of Slaughter.

They host a monthly show packed with some of Bristol's best talent.

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have created the community we have in Bristol now. The new Queens have changed the way we see drag, and whether it’s styles, genders, performances or anything else, this community has grown so strong over the last couple of years.

The more time I spend within Bristol's drag community, the more I see the Queens growing in confidence, passion and talent. They unapologetically love what they do. They are genuinely the sweetest and most beautiful souls I have ever met, so sure of who they are.

From a time when drag queens were shunned and hidden from view, they have turned things around to make sure that no one feels rejected.

I have never felt so welcome in any bar or club before.

Everyone is welcome - it doesn’t matter what gender you are, how you dress, or if you like kissing girls or boys or both. Drag is for everyone, and it is an amazing way of connecting with people.

Bristol’s community have opened their arms to me and pulled me in, and I love them all wholeheartedly.

They are supportive and giving to each other and

Drag performers are just that: performers. Please,

LOUD Magazine

please don’t just run up to a drag king or queen and take a selfie. Have a conversation with them. Buy them a drink.

Never touch them where you yourself wouldn’t want to be touched without consent.

The drag community is one of the most vibrant, welcoming, loving and genuinely joyous across the whole of the performing arts – follow these simple rules, and the door of drag is open to you.

Shelby Alexander will be bringing her ‘Born Naked’ exhibition to Bristol’s CentreSpace in February 2020. Find out more and check out her work at shelbyalexander.co.uk or on Instagram (@shelby_cameralicious).

WORDS: SHELBY ALEXANDER

1020 Radio 2019 Favourites Radio boss Joelie Sleap picks out five of her favourite releases of the year so far from 1020 residents and affiliates Welcome to the Pressure Dome Pressure Dome Tied together by syncopated rhythms and broken beats, each producer featured brings their own style, tempo and atmosphere. The first release from this new imprint provides a range and depth that reflects Bristol’s musical versatility, from newcomer Syz to some of the city’s newest party starters to rise through the ranks.

Club Djembe Vol. 1 Club Djembe Club Djembe’s debut five-track EP featuring DJ POLO, Lobby, KG, Dean Lyon & Bamz Music is the perfect way to see off the summer, whether its bright beaches and rooftop hideaways by day, or dingy basements and cavernous warehouses by night.

Find a full review of Club Djembe Vol.1 on p.78.

Trash Traxx Vol. 1 Rubbish Heap Progressing from their monthly party in New Cross, London, Rubbish Heap have fulfilled their destiny of becoming a label and have put together a huge their debut release in ‘Trash Traxx Vol. 1’, a varied selection compiling dance-tested party fuel built by the core members of the crew Gregor, 1020 regular Jnthan, Junior Sagoe and Mxrky Vybz.

ONRU003 Only Ruins ONRU003 sees the masterful Kalli serve up a spirited selection of unproved heaters in this hardened, other-worldly EP. Thimitri Kalligas displays an affinity for laser sharp percussion, contorted vocals and eternal pads and leads in his debut with the label.

Shapes of Disruption Corrupt Data The Paris-based artist Shonen Bat takes Corrupt Data’s sound of reformed nostalgia, and transports it to a place of luscious organic sound, and glittering futurism, in the eclectic‘Shapes of Disruption’.

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in review:

love international 2019

a look back at Team Love’s fifth Adriatic Odyssey

The remarkable surroundings of Southern Croatia, combined with the programming expertise of Team Love in curating the lineup, made Love International 2019 one of the most intimate and personal festival experiences of the year.

So many events in the UK and abroad are famed for one particular feature that sets them apart from the competition - the extensive lineup and 24-hour licence at Houghton, Sonar’s expansive dancefloors in central Barcelona and Dekmantel’s mind-blowing main stage spring to mind - but Love International is one of very few parties that takes all of the very best features of your favourite festivals and brings them together with what seems like effortless ease.

It helps, of course, that Love International takes place in the captivating setting of The Garden, a holiday resort located on a secluded section of coastline in Tisno, Croatia.

Rather than climbing out of a wet tent to slip into soggy shoes and battle the elements in search of a bacon sandwich in the morning after a

big night, here you can stroll out of your apartment and find yourself on the beach with a cocktail in hand and smooth house tunes wafting through the air in a matter of minutes. A huge part of the festival’s charm is the fact that everything you need is right on your doorstep if you spend the week in on-site accommodation.

“Love International takes all the very best features of your favourite festivals and brings them together with what seems like effortless ease.”

While seven solid days of music might seem like overkill in a small site, the Love International lineup is programmed in such a way that every set feels like it’s going down on exactly the right stage, at exactly the right time.

Throughout the week you experience sets that get the vibe absolutely

right in terms of genre and style, whether it’s Dan Shake providing a discolaced soundtrack to an afternoon on the beach or Ivan Smagghe and Vladimir Ivkovic threatening to tear the temporary roof off the Olive Grove stage at 2 in the morning with a hard-hitting back-to-back set.

Barbarella’s Discotheque, one of the festival’s biggest draws and a venue that several electronic music magazines have picked out as one of the world’s best clubs, is the go-to once the main festival area winds down every night, hosting some of the most eclectic sets of the week curated this year by the likes of Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine and Futureboogie. Partying as the sun comes up in the company of a few hundred other people who, like you, aren’t quite ready to call it a night yet, is a wonderfully unique experience and provides some of the festival’s most unforgettable moments.

Several of this year’s standout sets came from British DJs and artists, with Saoirse showcasing her unrivalled genre-spanning abilities to

up, not letting anything get in the way of a good time.

bring Musu’s depleted Tuesday afternoon boat party to life and DMX Krew and Paranoid London taking care of two huge back-to-back live sets on the festival’s main stage in front of one of the busiest crowds of the week.

Fittingly, one of the most memorable and varied slots of Love Int. 2019 came as Hodge, Peverelist and Idle Hands head Chris Farrell teamed up for a mammoth 6-hour b2b2b on the penultimate night. Their all-night odyssey felt like a defining moment for the festival and stood out in a lineup tight enough to rival any electronic music event on the continent.

This year’s Love International was hit by a couple of unavoidable bumps in the road - Gerd Janson’s eagerly-anticipated Garden Stage headline and Sunrise Sessions sets were cancelled after he missed a connecting flight to Croatia, and the last two days were dampened by a torrential storm - but the festival’s overwhelmingly positive atmosphere prevailed.

Even when the peak of a huge thunderstorm cut the site’s power and plunged the entire area into darkness until the morning of the second-to-last day, people partied in the rain at Barbarella’s, partied in their apartments and waited by the beach for the sun to come

Love International is far from the only electronic music festival in Croatia - it’s not even the only one hosted by The Garden with Hospitality on the Beach, Suncebeat, Defected Croatia and Dekmantel Selectors sharing the site and Outlook & Dimensions set to join them in 2020 - but it seems to be one of few events capable of bringing the very best elements of a top-tier party together in a way that not many others can. Team Love’s Adriatic adventure really does have it all, and we can’t wait to be back next year.

Love International Festival will be back for its 5th edition from 15-21 July 2020, with early bird tickets on sale now. Follow lineup news and updates at loveinternationalfestival. com.

WORDS: MATT ROBSON PHOTOS: JAKE DAVIS // KHROMA COLLECTIVE

Between a barrage of techno, dubstep, jungle and garage the three Bristol veterans peaked with tracks like The Streets’ ‘Weak Become Heroes’, N-Joi’s ‘Anthem’, Kerri Chandler’s version of ‘In My System’ by The System, that Teriyaki Boyz tune from Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift and, somehow, even a few cheesier selections including Sean Paul’s ‘Temparature’.

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in Review: at The Gallimaufry Contemporary jazz three-piece Waldo’s Gift, made up of Alun Elliott-Williams (centre) on guitar, Cousin Kula drummer James Vine (right) and Route2Roots bassist Harry Stoneham (left), have been playing weekly gigs at The Gallimaufry now for well over two years, plying their trade at the Gloucester Road bar with a variety of accomplished and intriguing live shows.

The trio’s monthly Rework nights are undoubtedly their most popular, drawing packed-out crowds to watch them reimagine the back catalogues of some of the world’s most influential artists and acts, all with a decidedly improvised tone and a freedom to go off-script, often to great effect.

Since their first Rework gig back in February 2017 the band have taken on the discographies of a huge range of artists, from Bonobo to Burial, Rihanna to Rage

Against The Machine, Radiohead, Jon Hopkins and even Justin Timberlake, and have built something of a reputation for themselves as one of the city’s most innovative live acts.

“Our thing really is just going deep into improvisation” James tells me when we sit down to chat ahead of their most recent gig. “These aren’t cover versions – we take a core element of a song and take it down a totally different route.”

Tonight the band are reworking the music of trailblazing Icelandic icon Bjork, performing alongside Bristol vocalist Bethany Stenning in front of a packed-out Gallimaufry. James, Harry and Alun’s airtight musicianship and unwavering understanding of each other’s playing is a joy to watch, and the crowd remain captivated as they play through one of the most eclectic back catalogues around.

Stenning’s voice is the icing on top

of the cake, bringing the performance together perfectly with her acute renditions of Bjork’s ethereal and instantly recognisable vocal sections.

Before going on James explained to me that he was “blown away” when he first met his now-bandmates Harry and Alun at how the pair could feed off each other on stage, and that relationship was plain for all to see as they continued to ramp up the atmosphere with tricky chord progressions and seamless shifts in pace.

The immediate plans for Waldo’s Gift include the release of their own original music and a broader touring schedule, but you can catch them week in, week out at The Gallimaufry, bringing their evergreen improvisation to one of Bristol’s very best music bars.

WORDS: MATT ROBSON PHOTO: RIGO LUCHI

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in review:

Club Djembe Vol.1 out now via Club Djembe

Now a staple of Bristol’s club scene, it was only a matter of time before the Super Kitchen team developed Club Djembe into its own standalone label. Featuring music from a selection of headliners from some of their biggest parties, Club Djembe’s five-track debut EP carries enough range to soundtrack a sunset just as well as it could a Saturday night dancefloor.

Club Djembe Vol.1, released in early September, kicks off in understated fashion with DJ Polo & DJ Lobby’s Cava by the Harbour. After a tentative introduction the track combines a rippling vocal sample with steely percussion and echoing chords to create a sound that’s deeply atmospheric yet driven and direct.

The contrasting styles work to form a track that would be as fitting in the closing stages of a club night as it would be

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LOUD Magazine

on a night drive through the city or, appropriately, watching the afternoon turn to evening with a drink in your hand at the Harbourside.

From there the EP starts to move towards the club sound that Club Djembe has come to be known for in Bristol, as KG maintains the flowing vocal element from Cava by the Harbour but undercuts it with sharp organ synths and a South African house beat on Obsession.

If the first two tracks on Club Djembe Vol.1 sound like warmups to a night out, Say3 and Dean Lyon’s entries are a nosedive into a party at its sweaty, triumphant peak. A short but sharp inclusion, Get Up and Move borrows from a range of genres including Afrobeat and dubstep, rounded off by an unrelenting Latin melody.

The latter’s Space, meanwhile, carries a darker tone, bringing

together a throwback UK funky beat and eerie keys in a production reminiscent of something you might find deep in the back catalogues of Joy Orbison or Peverelist.

Bamz rounds off the EP with Holding On - an old-school grime melody propped up by her own hazy vocals. Moving away from the harder club sound that has endeared the London-based producer to crowds across her home city and beyond, the understated track is a fitting conclusion to a diverse release.

Club Djembe Vol.1 represents a solid debut for one of Bristol’s favourite promoters, carrying the full range of styles you’d expect from one of their parties on a versatile selection of tracks you could call on as a backdrop to an evening by the harbour, at the height of a rave or in the final few moments of an early hours aftersession.

WORDS: MATT ROBSON

in review:

Anna Lisa - Unfollowed out now via ALM Records

Having started out as a young vocalist in Bristol’s urban music scene, 2019 has already been a huge year for singer-songwriter and producer Anna Lisa. Since the release of her debut single Give Me a Reason back in February Anna Lisa has come a long way in a short time, releasing five quickfire singles since February, all equipped with her signature hypnotising sound.

With more music on the horizon, Anna Lisa recently released her hotly-anticipated debut EP, Unfollowed. Full to the brim with tantalising headbop beats and haunting vocals - particularly appropriate given its haunting release date on Friday 13th September, the five-track EP is otherworldly.

The release kicks off with Full in which Anna Lisa unveils her attempts to escape reality and her own personal battles.

Her combination of celestial

vocals and frank lyrics are complemented by co-writer and producer MUSSI’s dark and enchanting beats, allowing the track to set the sublime tone for the rest of the project.

Purple is about using nights out as a distraction and articulates the various repercussions that come with a party lifestyle. The light-hearted lyrics - Purple’s how I’m feeling, but also blue - smoothly depict how being wavy all the time can result in feeling alone and can even put stress on your wellbeing and relationships.

One of the catchiest songs on the EP, MUSSI’s floaty and dynamic production alongside Anna Lisa’s seductive vocal’s instantly makes you want to turn up the volume and let loose.

The rest of the release consists of a mix of fiery and energetic sounds, from the

dark exploration of battles with confidence on Fuck Your Feelings to the ambitious Save Me. The EP’s closing track, Moodswings, represents a determined reminder that our emotions can fluctuate but, ultimately, we’re in control. With a soft, honeyed production complemented

by Anna Lisa’s sweet and lulling tone, it’s a fitting end to a strong debut.

Unfollowed is the perfect introduction to Anna Lisa’s style. Her clean and impassioned vocal delivery delicately depicts a thought provoking, sweetly sour narrative of overcoming intimate battles with insecurity and self-worth. Supported

by MUSSI’s melodic and resonant beats, the pair have struck a perfect balance to create an effortlessly mesmerising sound.

WORDS: JADE SAUL November 2019

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Bristol promoters’ index Looking to host a new party or a gig in Bristol? Check out our listings below and find the perfect venue for your next event: Motion/The Marble Factory // 74-78 Avon St, Bristol BS2 0PX 200-4000 (Multiple Spaces) // info@motionbristol.com // motionbristol.com Lakota // 6 Upper York St, Bristol BS2 8QN 1200 // info@lakotabristol.co.uk // lakota.co.uk Blue Mountain // 2 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3PR 400 // info@bluemountainclub.co.uk // bluemountainclub.co.uk Thekla // The Grove, East Mud Dock, Bristol BS1 4RB 500 // simon@theklabristol.co.uk // theklabristol.co.uk The Love Inn // 84 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY 300 // enquiries@teamlove.org // theloveinn.com Basement 45 // 8 Frogmore St, Bristol BS1 5NA 300 // mark@basement45.co.uk // basement45.co.uk O2 Academy Bristol // Frogmore St, Bristol BS1 5NA 1800 // mail@o2academybristol.co.uk // academymusicgroup.com/o2academybristol The Crofters Rights // 117-119 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3RW 300 // music@croftersrights.co.uk // croftersrights.co.uk Cosies! // 34 Portland Square, Bristol BS2 8RG 110 // cosies@live.co.uk // facebook.com/cosiesbristoll The Island/Old Crown Courts // Bridewell St, Bristol BS1 2QD 250 // dina@theislandbristol.com // theislandbristol.com The Loco Klub // Clock Tower Yard, Bristol BS1 6QH 200 // bookings@locobristol.com // locobristol.com Trinity Centre // Trinity Rd, Bristol BS2 0NW 600 // info@3ca.org.uk // 3ca.org.uk 80

LOUD Magazine

The Fleece // 12 St Thomas St, Bristol BS1 6JJ 450 // chris@thefleece.co.uk // thefleece.co.uk SWX // 15 Nelson St, Bristol BS1 2JY 1100-1800 // enquiries@swxbristol.com // swxbristol.com The Lanes // 22 Nelson St, Bristol BS1 2LE 500 // info@thelanesbristol.com // thelanesbristol.com The Exchange // 72-73 Old Market St, Bristol BS2 0EJ 250 // iwan@exchangebristol.com // exchangebristol.com The Mother’s Ruin // 7-9 St Nicholas St, Bristol BS1 1UE 100 // mothersruinbristol.co.uk // mothersruinbristol.co.uk Full Moon/Attic Bar // 1 North Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3PR 240 // fmbristol.co.uk Fiddlers Club // Willway St, Bristol BS3 4BG 450 // info@fiddlers.co.uk // fiddlers.co.uk Jack of Diamonds // 46 West Street, Old Market, Bristol BS2 0BH 400 // info@jackofdiamonds.club // jackofdiamonds.club Mr Wolf’s // 32 St Nicholas St, Bristol BS1 1TG 270 // musicbookings@mrwolfs.com // mrwolfs.com Rough Trade // 3 New Bridewell, Nelson Street, Bristol BS1 2QD 150 // adriand@roughtrade.com // roughtrade.com/gb/events/store/rough-trade-bristol The Louisiana // Wapping Rd, Bathurst Terrace, Bristol BS1 6UA 140 // thelouisiana@gmail.com // thelouisiana.net Take Five Cafe // 72 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY 100 // take5cafe.co.uk The Trap // 10 All Saints Lane, Bristol BS1 1JH 100 // crownbristol@gmail.com // thecrown-bristol.co.uk/trap Leftbank // 128 Cheltenham Rd, Bristol BS6 5RW 120 // bookings.leftbank@gmail.com // leftbankbar.co.uk Arnolfini // 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA 200 // programme@arnolfini.org.uk // arnolfini.org.uk November 2019

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we’re on

!

Our dedicated Spotify playlists are now live, highlighting Bristol’s supremely diverse sound with a hand-picked mix of old and new tracks from the city’s best and brightest musical talent...

With such a variety of sounds coming out of Bristol it can be hard to keep track of new music and hidden gems, but we’ve done the digging to include some of the city’s most exciting artists from across the musical spectrum.

Featuring the likes of Elder Island, Cousin Kula, Maya Law, Harvey Causon, Shanti Celeste, IDLES, Leeches, Young Echo, Batu, Hodge, Giant Swan, Henry Green, Mercy’s Cartel, Bruce, Swimming Girls, Peverelist and Farebrother to name a few, we’ve tried our best to cover all the bases on our collection of regularly-updated playlists. Check them out by searching ‘Bristol Focus’ and ‘Bristol Radio’.

Enjoy!

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