LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Maria Uzor (21.08.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists! Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. Tash talked about their excitement for Yeah Yeah Yeah’s performance at upcoming East London festival All Points East, whilst Kate shared memories of her day at Bloodstock Festival a few weeks ago. Artists featured on the eclectic playlist included Lauren Auder, Deyah, Kelly Lee Owens, ALT BLK ERA, HAVVK, Mykki Blanco and Gender Chores.

Tash also caught up with Norwich-based electronic artist and GIHE fave Maria Uzor to talk about her upcoming debut album, Soft Cuts. Set for release on 13th October via Castles In Space, Maria spoke about the inspirations behind the tracks on the record, including her latest single ‘Ventolin’. Maria will be playing a headline show at The Windmill in Brixton on 18th October. Tickets are available here.

Listen back to the show below:

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 18th September from 12-2pm!

Tracklist
The Breeders – Cannonball
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Spitting Off The Edge of the World
Boygenius – Without You Without Them
Kelly Lee Owens – Throwing Lines
Lauren Auder – the ripple
DROWND – Sinner (KANGA Remix)
Melanie Charles – Petty
Deyah – Heart Status
Amaroun – Dopamine
ALT BLK ERA – Misfits: SOLAR
ZAND – Deliverance
Witch Weather – Don’t Need
shaene – sad
Frances and The Majesties – All Of Time
Mary Lovett – Seven
Maria Uzor – Ventolin
**Interview with Maria Uzor**
Emily Winng – Leave The Grass Grow Wild
GENN – Calypso
Baby Rose – Stop the Bleeding
Hinako Omori – cyanotype memories
Pet Snake – Jacket
Mykki Blanco – Holidays In The Sun
HAVVK – Expiry
Gender Chores – Dysphurious
CHROMA – Woman To Woman
Noga Erez – Quiet
HAIM – Want You Back

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GUIDE & PLAYLIST: Supersonic Festival 2023

Event: Supersonic Festival

Where: Digbeth, Birmingham, UK

When: 1st – 3rd September 2023

Ticket Info:
Weekend ticket: £160.00 / Day tickets: £40.00

Full info about other ticket options available here

General Info:
To mark 20 years since its inception, Supersonic Festival have put together another exciting programme of alternative music and events for their 2023 line-up. Described as “championing experimental and adventurous music and creating an inclusive and joyful space where all are welcome,” the team have organised three days of art and events for festival-goers to immerse themselves in.

Alongside the music line-up (which you can read more about below), Supersonic have a vast selection of extracurricular activities to get involved in. There will be workshops, guest DJs and Do.om Yoga, as well as a roof-top takeover by Decolonise Fest (a DIY collective organised by and for punx of colour). BBC Radio 6 Music’s flagship experimental show Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone will be in attendance, with a pub quiz hosted by Stuart, plus there will be film screenings from labels including Ipecac, The Flenser, Thrill Jockey and Constellation Records.

There will also be ‘In Conversation’ events with Eugene S. Robinson of Oxbow on his book A Walk Across Dirty Water and Straight Into Murderer’s Row: A Memoir, and with John Robb on his book The Art Of Darkness: The History of Goth. Finally, Supersonic will be hosting exhibitions of artwork by Black Lodge Press in collaboration with Dog Section Press, and by skateboarder and artist Richard “French” Sayer celebrating the Home of Metal, and a special celebratory display in response to the festival’s archive by artist and designer David Hand and friends.

 

Who’s Playing: Check out the full line-up here

There are so many excellent bands playing Supersonic this year, it’s hard to pick favourites! At Get In Her Ears, we focus on female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ talent, so beneath the official line-up poster below, there are some in depth recommendations about artists who we think you should check out.

You can get to know them all better by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist at the end of this feature too.

 

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE

The gargantuan-yet-graceful sounds of this heavy duo will definitely be a festival highlight on Saturday night. Their doom-ridden instrumentals are designed to erode the foundations of colonialism and liberate the land for indigenous communities. Saxophonist and guitarist Takiaya Reed and percussionist Sylvie Nehill have been honing their unique form of noise in order to help cauterize the wounds of colonialism since the release of their debut album BASIC, back in 2017. The patience and empathy that underscores their creativity inspires a deep sense of awe and respect. Read our interview with Takiaya here, and check out our review of the band’s latest album Systemic here.

BACKXWASH

Supersonic will be hosting genre-blending rapper & producer Ashanti Mutinta aka BACKXWASH’s first and only UK show this year – making this performance totally exclusive. The Zambian-Canadian, Polaris Music Prize-winning artist will unleash her hip-hop, horrorcore and industrial sounds on festival-goers on Saturday night. The poetic and cathartic qualities of her seething lyricism are enhanced by the visceral, corrosive soundscapes she has built around them. Her latest album, HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING, is well worth your attention.

TOTAL LUCK

Birmingham-based post punk trio Total Luck will be performing on Friday night. Switching between spoken word and loud, punk vocals, the band create noisy, brooding cacophonies that are are sure to linger in your ears long after they’ve finished playing. Listen to more of their sounds via their bandcamp page here.

ELVIN BRANDHI

If festival-goers want to witness some truly chaotic, intense, experimental noise, then Elvin Brandhi’s set on Saturday is a must see. Described as “an improvising lyricist, producer and sound artist who builds aberrant beats from field recordings, tape, vinyl, instrument and voice,” the Welsh artist will provide her listeners with an unusual, visceral performance. Check out her latest album Drunken Love, here.

TAQBIR

Blending activism and abrasive music together to encourage and empower North African women to express themselves freely, Moroccan punks Taqbir will be a live force to be reckoned with when they play on Saturday night. The five-piece pay homage to the female pioneers of the UK punk scene such as X-Ray Spex, Bona Rays or The Slits, and use their own music as a vessel to unleash their anger and frustration at the systems that oppress them. Check out their bandcamp page here.

SILVERMOTH

On Sunday, Supersonic will be hosting the debut live performance of atmospheric noise-rock collective Silver Moth. Comprised of Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Elisabeth Elektra, Steven Hill and members of Abrasive Trees, Burning House and Prosthetic Head, together they create genre-blending, evocative aural ruminations. Listen to their latest album Black Bay, here.

LANKUM

Admired for their captivating live performances, acclaimed Irish contemporary folk quartet Lankum will be playing Supersonic on Sunday night. They were first recommended to us by Dublin-based trio Bitch Falcon, and we’ve been assured that the atmosphere at their shows is completely magnetic. Listen to their latest record, False Lankum, here.

DEERHOOF

Festival-goers will be able to enjoy the idiosyncratic sounds of acclaimed alt-indie band Deerhoof on Friday night. Their melodic-yet-noisy infusions are not to be missed. Check out their latest record, Miracle-Level, here.

MORE TALENT

These artists are completely new to us, but we recommend you check them out too: un.procedure, BIG|BRAVE, Jessica Moss, MC Yallah & Debmaster, Ashenspire, Blue Ruth, Agathe Max, Matana Roberts, The Seer, Ondata Rossa, Ragana, Josephine Foster, Sirom

 

For more information visit Supersonic Festival’s official website

Check out our Supersonic Playlist below, featuring some of the female & LGBTQ+ talent playing the festival this year!

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

GUIDE & PLAYLIST: ArcTanGent Festival 2023

Event: ArcTanGent Festival

Where: Fernhill Farm, Bristol, England

When: Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th August 2023

Ticket Info:
3 day ticket: £190.50

Full ticket info and options (including day tickets & VIP packages) are available on DICE

General Info:
We’ve been keeping tabs on independent alternative festival ArcTanGent for a few years now, and their 2023 line-up looks better than ever! Described by Metal Hammer Magazine as “a haven of progressive music across the spectrum of all things heavy,” the festival aims to showcase an eclectic array of artists and bands across five alternating stages.

Things kick off early on Wednesday 16th August with special guest performances from a diverse range of upcoming alternative artists, but the official line-up starts on Thursday 17th August. There’s also a silent disco on each night from 11pm-3am.

Who’s Playing: Check out the full line-up here

There are so many excellent bands playing at ArcTanGent this year, it’s hard to pick favourites! As you all know, at Get In Her Ears, we focus on female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ talent, so beneath the official line-up poster below, there are some in depth recommendations about bands who we have championed via our website, Soho Radio show or live nights in recent years.

We have no doubt that these artists will put on a phenomenal show too: HEALTH, Devin Townsend, Russian Circles, SWANS, CONVERGE, Spurv, Deafheaven, PETBRICK, A Burial At Sea, Loathe and Birds In Row. You can get to know them all better by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist at the end of this feature.

BRUTUS

This heavy trio from Belgium will definitely be a festival highlight. We spoke to Brutus’ drummer and vocalist Stefanie Mannaerts ahead of the release of the band’s third album, Unison Life, back in 2022 and she spoke eloquently about the sheer determination that went into creating their strongest record to date. We also caught Brutus’ live at The Garage in London on their UK tour later that year, and they blew us away with their thunderous, triumphant, self-possessed sound. We overheard someone refer to Stefanie as “Bjork on drums,” which we think is an immense compliment. Read our full interview with her here.

CLT DRP

It feels cliche to say it, but Brighton trio CLT DRP (pronounced ‘clit drip’) are a band that need to be seen live to be fully appreciated. Blending punk vocals with wild, idiosyncratic guitar FX and phenomenal drumming; Annie, Scott and Daphne have an unparalleled energy when performing on stage together. We got caught up in the mosh pit for one of their four(!) sets at The Great Escape Festival in May, and we’ve only just recovered from it. We can’t wait to hear their upcoming album, Nothing Clever, Just Feelings, in full when it’s released in September.

STRAIGHT GIRL

This Leeds-based electronic artist is responsible for the first ever stage invasion at a Get In Her Ears gig! if that’s not incentive enough to turn up early for their DJ set on Wednesday, we don’t know what is? They filled the room with candid, chaotic queer joy and fierce synth-driven noise when they headlined for us at The Shacklewell Arms in East London in July. Checkout out some excellent pics that photographer Cassie Barnard took of them here.

TOKKY HORROR 

We still haven’t seen the formidable TOKKY HORROR play live, but we’re sure their wild blend of punk, rave and dance music will be a sensational experience not to be missed. We spoke to producer Zee earlier this year about the band’s latest EP, KAPPACORE, and the their ethos of making space in music for marginalised folks and making the mosh a safe and inclusive place. Read the full piece here.

ROLO TOMASSI

After almost two decades of playing together, Sheffield-based five-piece Rolo Tomassi have a distinctive sound that keeps their fans coming back for more. We caught them live at Camden’s Electric Ballroom in February, and we were dazzled by Eva Korman’s elastic vocal range, which was made all the more potent by the crystalline, visceral walls of sound her bandmates conjured.

We were also deeply impressed by their support act; genre-defying, Phoenix-based four-piece Holy Fawn. They have a collective intuition for balancing perfectly timed, blissfully noisy drop-ins alongside more shadowy, majestic sounds. This state of emotional flux is something the band captured on their recent album Dimensional Bleed, and it’s one that translates beautifully in a live setting.

NEW TALENT

These artists are completely new to us, but we recommend you check them out too:

GGGOLDDD, Chinese Football, Cultdreams, Svalbard, Bones Of Minerva, Pupil Slicer, LOS SARA FONTAN, Mountain Caller, Other Half, Parachute For Gordo, Heilung, Liturgy, Ashenspire, Lack The Low, Lys Morke, Witchsorrow, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, The Callous Daoboys, fakeyourdeath, Naut, Every Hell and Thought Forms.

For more information visit the ArcTanGent official website

Check out our ArcTanGent Playlist below, led by tracks from some of the female & non-binary talent playing the festival this year!

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

LISTEN: ALT BLK ERA – ‘Misfits: SOLAR’

Combining jagged electronics and racing beats with their raging lyrics to create another alternative statement of self autonomy, genre-defying sister duo ALT BLK ERA have shared their latest single ‘Misfits: SOLAR’. Taken from their upcoming EP, Freak Show, which is set for release on 1st September, the track is a frenzied anthem fuelled by the band’s antagonistic, youthful spirit.

Formed of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, ALT BLK ERA create tenacious alternative tunes designed to showcase their vivid personalities. Inspired by the likes of Ho99o9, Nova Twins, Hacktivist, The Prodigy and Billie Eilish, they blur the boundaries of pop punk, nu-metal, rap and electronic music to form their riotous sounds.

Refusing to be pigeonholed, the pair explore and vent their frustrations about life through their music, with latest single ‘Misfits: SOLAR’ flowing in this vein. Unapologetic until the last breath, the track is a vehement warning to those who stand in ALT BLK ERA’s way: “If you treat us wrong / we won’t hold our tongues”. With their raucous dual vocals, the duo continue to reinforce their narrative of independence and celebrate their alternative outlook, pushing back against the haters and the gatekeepers.

ALT BLK ERA have a busy summer of live performances ahead of them. Fresh from playing Glastonbury Festival and supporting STRAIGHT GIRL for our GIHE July gig at The Shacklewell Arms (check out some amazing photos from the night here) they’ll be playing Reading & Leeds festivals at the end of August, as well as two headline shows in London and Nottingham in September. Full dates and details below.

Listen to ‘Misfits: SOLAR’ here:

ALT BLK ERA UK Tour Dates 2023
Aug 25th – Reading Festival
Aug 26th – Leeds Festival
Sep 13th – The Grace, London (Headline Show)
Sep 16th – Beta, Nottingham (Headline Show)

Follow ALT BLK ERA on bandcamp, Spotify, Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Fabrice Gagos

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment