Behind the Scenes // Thekla returns after a £1m refurbishment
Thekla’s Simon Brown has risen to a few challenges since joining the crew in 2016, helping secure Thekla’s future against a threat from nearby developments and – most recently – seeing the ship through a massive £1m restoration. The 60-year-old cargo ship has been missing from its spot on Bristol’s Floating Harbour for the past …
Muttley: ‘That’s what I’m aiming to produce – that question mark stuff’
‘Young producers, keep hold of your first tunes!’ says Bristol producer Muttley aka Alex Hughes. His first solo vinyl release, Architect dropped on Von D’s Dubs Galore last week, though it’s actually the first track he ever uploaded to SoundCloud nearly 10 years ago. Muttley’s second solo release to be laid to wax will follow …
Music can change the world: Skunk Anansie on 25 years of breaking boundaries
Figureheads of the mid-nineties Britrock movement, Skunk Anansie have remained one of the most important British rock bands of the modern age, counting five studio albums since their 1995 debut Paranoid & Sunburnt and spanning generations of fans. Skunk Anansie are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year with the release of 25Live@25 – a collection of …
10 questions with Kasra
Critical Music boss Kasra is globally acknowledged as a pioneer of underground drum and bass. He established the forward-looking label in 2002 and covers all aspects of cutting-edge drum and bass, from putting out Sam Binga and Rider Shafique’s dancehall-flavoured Champion EP, to launching the career of Mefjus; whose forward thinking jungle with allusions to …
10 questions with Oh, The Guilt
The printed version of this interview incorrectly names Oh, The Guilt’s guitarist and vocalist. His correct name is Elijah Dahl. We are very sorry for this and for any upset caused to Elijah. a sound that combines cold atmospherics, rousing crescendos and a hell of a lot of volume Three-piece, post-punk band Oh, The Guilt …
Rising UK MC Kiko Bun on his debut album and full live band Bristol show
Ahead of his debut album release, the genre-defying, rising reggae star Kiko Bun touches down at The Fleece this August for a full-band live show. Having graced the stage at the likes of Outlook, Glastonbury, Boomtown – and even the Royal Albert Hall – Kiko Bun comes from London to Bristol promising a taste of …
INTERVIEW // L U C Y launches her SZNS7N label with a dark, 140-orientated EP
Since self-releasing her Mixtape 01 back in 2017, Bristol producer Lucy Helyer aka L U C Y has enjoyed a fast ascent towards the top of the underground music scene. Her genre-bending sound has already earned her a spot on some bucket-list lineups, with big support from Butterz, Bandulu and Swamp81, as well as B2Bs …
Behind the scenes with John Blakeley
John Blakeley is the man behind the music booking at some of Bristol’s best loved intimate venues – Canteen, No 1 Harbourside, Old Market Assembly and Wardrobe Theatre. He also programmes the music for nearby hidden gem, Valley Fest. It’s during this long-standing career that’s focussed on bringing quality music to its deserved platform, that …
INTERVIEW // The Bug: ‘If no one else is trying to do it, I’ll do it’
Kevin Martin has been busy. So far this year, he’s dropped projects via his most recent JK Flesh collaboration Zonal, King Midas Sound, as well as a solo album under his new, most personal moniker yet, Kevin Richard Martin. Though fans of his club music will be pleased to hear that he is now working …
10 questions with Cruelty
Handpicked right from the womb by IDLES to play the after show to their Joy as an Act of Resistance homecoming show, the elusive Cruelty arrived on the Bristol scene late last year. Their debut single Disgraced spun our heads in a big way. The frenetic two-minute track is as aggressive as it is vulnerable, …