Stereoboard Preview Supersonic Festival 2011 (Supersonic Festival Feature)
Friday, 14 October 2011
Written by Jack Pudwell
Connoisseurs of the noisy, avant-garde and downright obscene will no doubt already be aware of this year's rapidly approaching edition of Supersonic festival (held at The Custard Factory in Birmingham from October 21st to 23rd). However, for the few amongst us who remain blissfully ignorant to this unrelenting sonic onslaught, Stereoboard has a wee taster of what's in store for punters over the course of the event. If we do say so ourselves, we've concocted such an unbeatable list of things to check out over the weekend that you'd be foolish to follow even your own thoughts or instincts in preference.
ENVY
If you plan on doing anything at all over the course of the festival, be absolutely sure to catch these guys. By deftly mixing delicate post-rock soundscapes with utterly heartbreaking screamo for nearly two decades, these Japanese mentalists have built up quite a reputation for themselves to say the least. Miss this rare UK appearance or, well, be a ballbag I guess!
SLABDRAGGER
Having put out what is quite possibly the most impressive metal debut of the year with 'Regress', Slabdragger's already well-crafted brand of stoner sludge is sure to bring Friday's proceedings to the most revolting start possible, and in the best way imaginable. The sonic equivalent to punching a ten tonne mammoth in the fucking head, basically.
THE SKULL DEFEKTS
Having honed a sound that resembles an unsettling mixture of krautrock and noiserock with a pinch of brooding uncertainty, with any luck these unsettling Norwegians should turn in a set that's both frenetic and mesmerising in equal measure, whilst proving possibly just a tad arousing.
TURBONEGRO
Although many were somewhat disheartened and uncertain as to whether or not the undisputed kings of deathrock could continue when the mighty Hank Von Helvete left the band last year, just one quick glimpse at footage of the band's comeback show with new vocalist Tony Sylvester a few months back single-handedly erases any doubt that may have been lingering in the minds of the ever faithful Turbojugend. Rest assured, their UK comeback is going to go off big time.
ELECTRIC WIZARD
Does there even need to be a description here? This band wrote the album 'Dopethrone'. 'Nuff said.
CIRCLE
You may be forgiven for thinking of corsets, keyboard solos and unbearably pompous symphonic metal when you try and picture Finland's musical landscape. Thankfully this bunch of hypnotic krautrockers are here to remedy that stereotype. If you've found the barrage of laptop noise a bit too much over the weekend, be sure to go and lose yourself in the entrancing musical lava lamp that these guys have to offer.
SECRET CHIEFS 3
Being the most eclectic band on a bill as diverse as this one is no mean feat, but if a band could embody the very spirit of Supersonic itself within its music, Secret Chiefs 3 would most probably win the gold. With Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle fame in tow and drawing from such a rich pallet of influences that range from the Middle East to film scores and alternative metal, this should prove to be one of the most fascinating performances of the weekend.
Naturally, Supersonic isn't ALL about the music, though. They've got an absolute abundance of extra-curricular activities on offer if, heaven forbid, you fancy a break from the music at some stage. Fancy some more recommendations? Sit tight...
FILMS
If you intend to catch a movie over the weekend, we at Stereoboard recommend the fascinating documentary 'Blood, Sweat & Vinyl'. Packed with bundles of live footage and in-depth interviews with the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, Neurosis and Isis, it'll no doubt strike a chord with the majority of the festival's clientele. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, there's always '$100 And A T-Shirt - A Film About Zines', documenting the history of zines, the people who make them and their impact upon society. Check out the official Supersonic website for even more films being shown over the festival.
WORKSHOPS
These often prove to be some of the most fascinating experiences the event has to offer. This year you can learn to screen print, create your own noise box courtesy of Mute Synth or even learn how to document your experience of the event thanks to Imperfect Cinema. Be warned though, you may need to book places in advance as these always prove highly popular.
CAKES
Yep. Supersonic even has a variety of cakes for sale. It's been scientifically proven that Victoria sponge and Wolves in the Throne Room go hand in hand, probably, so be sure to pack your body to capacity with butter cream and jam before tackling some extreme atmospheric black metal head-on.
More information on the event's line-up, films, workshops, extra-curricular activities and exhibitions can be found at www.supersonicfestival.com.
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