Meet the Hackers Rewiring Technology Through DIY Sound
Between tech overlords tracking our every move and the rise of electronic waste as devices rapidly become redundant, we have to resist the collective urge to retreat into bunkers and don tin-foil-hats. Luckily, across the world, artists using DIY practices are reclaiming a sense of agency over the machines and systems that punctuate our lives. […]
Release Radar: Indie Albums Dropping June 2026
June 2026 arrives with a packed slate of indie releases that span a wide range of moods, textures, and approaches. Across the month, established acts like Widowspeak, of Montreal, and Pond return with records that extend or refine their established sound, while newer or fast-rising names such as La Sécurité and Chanel Beads continue to […]
Album Review: Boards of Canada, ‘Inferno’
Turn off the lights. Put on the best headphones you own. Drive into the nearest forest and don’t look back. That’s the optimal way to experience Inferno, the long-awaited fifth album from Scottish brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin. Someone smarter than me once said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Well, […]
The Great Escape: Celebrating 20 Years of the Next Wave of Artists
This year, Brighton’s biggest city festival, The Great Escape (TGE), celebrated its 20th anniversary. Over the years, the four-day concert has become a crucial platform for emerging artists, often launching them to commercial success. Past alumni include established acts like Vampire Weekend, SBTRKT, The XX and many others. Today, TGE remains one of the most […]
How a Bout of Food Poisoning Sparked My New Band Believe’s Masterful Debut
Although he didn’t know it at the time, Cameron Picton started over in a Chinese hotel room. While on tour with his previous band—the anarchic, experimental jazz-rock trio Black Midi—the London-born multi-instrumentalist and songwriter fell into a state of utter delirium after coming down with food poisoning somewhere along the band’s Asian run in August […]
Silent Heroes: The Forgotten Women Pioneers Who Changed Film Forever
The last few years have seen more women at the forefront of cinema. Greta Gerwig marked a real shift for women in 2023 with her adaptation of Barbie, starring Margot Robbie. Kristen Stewart, once a teen sensation, stepped behind the camera, directing movies like Boygenius: The Film (2023) and The Chronology of Water (2025). And […]
The New Legacies: How ’90s Alternative Rock Became Gen Z’s Defining Sound
Here’s a scene. Olivia Rodrigo—22 years old, three Grammys deep, and a stadium-touring sensation—stands backstage at one of her sold-out shows. In front of her is the teenage daughter of Melissa Auf der Maur, the bassist who played on Hole’s Celebrity Skin. Rodrigo, with all the unselfconscious sincerity only real fans possess, looks at the […]
Album Review: Pigeon, ‘OUTTANATIONAL’
Pigeon have recorded their debut album OUTTANATIONAL in Margate of all places — the once-dying seaside town that has become, in recent years, a retreat for artists like Tracey Emin and The Libertines. The choice of location means something here. Like Margate, OUTTANATIONAL announces itself as something genuinely hard to pin down. Across 10 tracks, […]
Book of Churches @ The Cube Microplex, Bristol
It’s a warm Wednesday evening, and the air carries the kind of laid-back energy that makes a midweek show feel like a quiet reward. The Cube Microplex is one of Bristol’s original spots and a true hidden gem. It’s a volunteer-run, non-profit arts space tucked into Kingsdown’s Princess Row, in a building that dates back […]
Pearl Charles @ The Louisiana, Bristol
Thursday evening at The Louisiana—”The Louis” to anyone familiar with Bristol’s music scene—is a stomping ground for local bands and future legends, caught on the way up before the world catches on. Tonight it’s hosting a visiting shot of funky, honky-tonk LA glamour. The sun still stubbornly shines outside, making the idea of sealing yourself […]