Carving out a genre-defying space for themselves in our musical landscape, Elder Island captivate with shapeshifting songs wherein textures matter as much as melodies, and lyrics are littered with crypticism. The trio’s music cherry-picks and transforms elements from genres as diverse as electronica, house, pop and neo-soul. The result is a web of sound that threads poetic lyricism and unfamiliar instruments over a backdrop of electronic elements and synth-heavy dance beats.

Elder Island are vocalist and cellist Katy Sargent, bassist and beat maestro Luke Thornton and guitarist and synth virtuoso David Havard. Their backgrounds in fine art, photography and graphic design brought about the trio’s introduction in Bristol’s art milieu, and continue to provide the band with its diverse creative influences. Turning their artistic focus to music seven years ago, the genre-splicing music scene in Bristol, where the trio still reside, provides fertile ground for inspiration.

In 2014 the band released an eponymously titled debut EP, an ambient soundscape of field recordings, loops and percussive elements. This was followed by 2016 EP Seeds In Sand, on which the band found their sound in cohesive collection of five dance-influenced tracks. Following the success of these early releases, the band’s extraordinary debut album ‘The Omnitone Collection’ was streamed over 15 million times within the first year of its release in 2019. Describing the album as an “integrated concept”, the band created bespoke artwork to accompany each song, evidencing the detailed focus the band applies to all aspects of Elder Island’s creative output. When finishing the album the band invited producer Ali Chant (Portishead, Perfume Genius, M.Ward, PJ Harvey) to assist with the final development and worked with him to refine tracks at his Bristol-based studio, Playpen. The Omnitone Collection’s ten tracks come together to form a sweeping soundscape weaved with ambition. Wrought with powerful synths, soaring vocals and ear-worm-catchy guitar riffs, they are songs to be swept away by, but also to decipher and contemplate on repeat listens. Spring 2020 saw the release of The Omnitone Collection Remixed, with mixes provided by collaborators and artists admired by the band, such as Shigeto, Matthew Dear, and former tour companions Dirty Nice.

Their live shows have taken on a shape and reputation of their own; refusing to rely on electronic backing tracks or pre-recordings, the band create unique and atmospheric experiences where multi-layered beats and melodic broodings stir emotions and never fail to get crowds dancing. The collaborative nature of their work shines during live performances where Katy, Dave and Luke’s charismatic friendship radiates as much from their music as from their on-stage interaction. UK headline tours have been a sold-out success, and 2019 saw Elder Island take The Omnitone Tour to Europe and North America twice, with over 60 dates in total. This included selling out shows in New York’s Bowery Ballroom, LA’S El Rey Theatre, and the London Roundhouse. In February 2020, the band played as special guest co-headliners alongside Maribou State to a sold-out crowd of 5,000 fans at London’s Printworks, and the band have now set their sights on 2021 touring.

Paying deference to the experience of touring and the energy of their fans, in June 2020 the band released a short documentary film made during the Omnitone Tour, underscoring the special regard in which the band hold their live performances. This release accompanied the announcement of new tour dates for 2021, and with this announcement the exciting prospect of more unforgettable performances from a band who create magic when playing live.

The first glimpse from 2020’s new body of work comes in the form of an A-Side and B-Side release, as the band playfully invoke the tradition of double-sided cassette and vinyl singles. A-Side single ‘Feral’ is a driving, dramatic track that builds towards a crescendo with inexorable, synth-lead force. Juxtaposed against an incongruously light bossa nova beat, pulsing synths and assertive vocals are combined to an edgy effect.

B-Side ‘Absolute’ is a smooth, contemporary R&B lead counter to all the intensity of Feral. Executed with a cool precision, in the band’s trademark fashion Absolute becomes increasingly layered with echoed vocal harmonies and guitar riffs as it progresses, taking on a spacey underwater quality. The two tracks showcase the band’s evolution and diversity within a sound that is still identifiably Elder Island, showcasing Katy Sargent’s ability to adapt her vocals to the drama and character of each song.

Released May 28th 2021, the band’s second studio album ‘Swimming Static’ explores with poignancy our disposition towards nostalgia and reflection. Snippets of childhood recollections and falling in love are overlaid with dreamy ruminations on time and memory.

Streams of over 200 Million on Spotify alone evidence the group’s huge international fan base, who are drawn to Elder Island’s ability to create catchy, dance-worthy tracks that incorporate their otherworldly creative veracity and uniqueness. Elder Island can certainly craft a hit to thrill live-crowds, but will do so with their own distinctive artistry, drawn from a myriad of creative influences and musical styles. It is clear that the band’s popularity and critical repute grows with increasing momentum, and with the release of ‘Feral’ + ‘Absolute’, 12th November 2020 is sure to only accelerate this further.

As Warp Records longest serving signing N.O.W opened doors to new sonic landscapes for countless producers and musicians. Via his father and juxtaposed with soca from the islands, young George’s imagination was captured by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Sarah Vaughan and Quincy Jones. In his early teens, inner city bass heavy reggae sound systems would also make their mark. But it was the arrival of hip-hop in the UK, complete with its loop, sample, cut ‘n’ paste aesthetic that would provide the icing on the cake and a way forward. George alongside then writing partner Kevin Harper made his first contribution to the sonic continuum with two defining singles of the emerging rave scene, 1989’s ‘Dexterous’ and 1990’s ‘Aftermath’. This was closely followed by N.O.W’s 1991 debut album ‘A Word of Science: The First and Final Chapter’ for which George parked his techno sensibilities and mixed in more hip hop with a down tempo vibe. Its combination of loops and sample driven dubbed out funk, soul and hip hop would really establish the sound of N.O.W. 1995’s ‘Smokers Delight’ saw this downtempo vibe taken to a whole other level. Essentially designed to kick back and relax it pioneered what would become known as ‘chill’. To bookend the nineties came 1999’s ‘Carboot Soul’, the third chapter in a series of albums that for those of a certain persuasion perfectly captured the spirit of the decade – and you don’t stop...

Norman Jay is unquestionably one of the most respected and popular DJs in the world today. Co-founder of the legendary Good Times Sound System and London dance music station KISS FM, Jay fostered the ‘Rare Groove’ scene pushing the boundaries of the UK’s emerging club culture. Awarded an MBE for services to deejaying and music, in 2017 he released ‘Mister Good Times’ capturing the true spirit of Good Times, and is currently taking his legendary Good Times party to selected venues around the UK, continuing to convert generations of clubbers to the cause, championing new sounds, yet never forgetting his musical roots, thus guaranteeing nothing but ‘Good Times’

Erol Alkan is not susceptible to cliches, but amid a life devoted to alternative and electronic music culture, one just might be true; he is an artist who needs no introduction. Alkan's creative life as a DJ, producer, label owner, radio host and collaborator has spanned decades. His exhaustive history reads almost like mythology; the shy son of first-generation immigrants, who snuck out of his bedroom window to play indie records to ruthlessly unforgiving crowds, and ended up transforming the London club scene, bridging disparate scenes with experimentation and abandon. Decades later, everything and nothing has changed. Whether in the DJ booth, in the studio or on the radio, Alkan continues to rely on a unique alchemy driven by instinct and the pure, infectious love and knowledge of music he has carried since his childhood. Phantasy, the label he founded in 2007, stands as a forward-thinking beacon, representing the values of his legendary club Trash, which ran every Monday in London for a decade, which Alkan shuttered it at the peak of its popularity and cultural cache.

Gina Breeze is a music producer & DJ based in Manchester, a city influential in the shaping of modern day electronic music.

Living and breathing all Manchester has to offer, taking inspiration from the history & rave culture embedded in the walls & cracks in the pavement. Gina is surrounded by DJ’s / artists at the forefront of the scene & has become a familiar face around the city. A proud HomoElectric Resident, you can find her playing frequently in venues like Hidden & The White Hotel.

DJing for the past decade, starting off as a SpeedQueen Resident in Leeds, gigs have now progressed internationally. The last few years have seen debut sets in NYC, Berlin, Paris, Lyon, Helsinki, Croatia, and a Boiler Room debut with HomoElectric.

Roni Size’s whole life has been about building something new from whatever was around him. From Bristol youthclub parties, through the white heat of rave and the founding moments of jungle and drum’n’bass, to transforming underground electronic music into something that could be played by a live band on the biggest arena and festival stages, he has at each stage created completely afresh - not just a sound or style but an entire methodology of how music can be made. And each time, that new creation has reflected his heritage, his surroundings and the precise moment in which he’s operating.

20-years ago, The Mercury Prize win for his ‘New Forms’ album brought D’n’B to the forefront of dance-music news, making even the rest of the industry – where reactions had up until that point been bemused – sit up and pay attention. For several years thereafter Roni and team were on top of the world, succeeding as solo artists as well as a collective, maintaining underground credibility yet receiving Brit awards and even collaborating with some of the biggest names in hip hop.

2016 was a vintage year for Roni. Live shows included Ram Records’ NYE show at O2 Academy Brixton, a headline show at the BBC 6 Music festival and a summer festival season that began at Love Saves the Day with a curated Full Cycle Stage Takeover for Arcadia Afterburner and included Secret Garden Party, Evolution, Glastonbury, Blissfields, NASS, EDC, Dour, Boomtown, Frequency, Lowlands, Creamfields, SW4, Outlook, and many more. Roni relaunched Full Cycle Records with fellow co-founder, DJ Krust, with the releases drawing praise from The Wire, Dummy, UKF, Mista Jam, 6 Music, Gilles Peterson, Radio 1, 1Xtra, DJ Mag and beyond.

It was in 2017, as we fully appreciated the legacy that Roni has created for drum’n’bass, that the next chapter began. Roni toured his groundbreaking new audio visual live show, a combined live instrument and hardware show that features state of the art production and 3D effect projection mapping celebrating 20 years of New Forms. Roni took the groundbreaking live show on the road to festivals in the UK and Europe as well as on extensive tours of the US, New Zealand and Australia with no let up as he also DJ’ed at the very best clubs and festivals throughout the globe.

The anniversary re-release of New Forms (on Universal and featuring the live set together with brand new remixes, edits and tracks) garnered huge support across digital and print media as well as on radio. With premieres from MixMag and Tsugi, rave reviews and coverage by NME, Fact, DJ Mag, Clash and many others along with multiple plays on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1 Xtra, Roni cemented his position at the top of the game.

The man from Bristol showed no signs of slowing down, as he took to the road with UK and European live tours in 2018 and continued to travel to all corners of the globe to play clubs and festivals including Dirtybird Campout, Noisily, Blue Dot, Output, Creamfields and SW4. Roni finished 2018 with a remix for rising star Paris Green on Get Physical and played shows in Europe, the US, Australia, Asia and Brazil as well as appearing on guest spots across BBC Radio and continuing to contribute to charity projects and support the grass roots scene in his home city of Bristol.

2019 continued on a high. Roni worked on huge collab track “Calling” with Rag n Bone Man, which was selected as the “sound of summer” by Sky Sports and broadcast repeatedly across their channels. Roni appeared on BBC TV as well as regularly on radio and had his music chosen by Virgil Abloh to curate the designer’s Off White runway shows. Meanwhile, Roni played the likes of Printworks, Tomorrowland, Eastern Electrics, Fabric, Untold Festival and countless others. Roni ended 2019 as the face of highly-respected music tech brands Waves and Krotos, recognised for his contribution to the industry and his knowledge and skill as a producer.

Beginning his career as an original Sheffield house young blood in the mid 1980’s Luke moved to Manchester and his partnership with fellow Unabomber Justin Crawford saw the birth of Electric Chair, a cornerstone cult night in the UK underground club scene, Luke was one half of the production team of The Unabombers, whose electric souls edits gained a loyal following. Luke and Justin created Electric Elephant, a Croatian festival paying homage to their wild eclecticism from Balearic, to Brazilian to E soul, House, Disco and Techno. Luke’s much loved, long running Homoelectric night and more recently Homobloc sell out festival for 10,000 souls has been at the forefront of Manchester’s LGBTQ cultural landscape. Lukes Friday new evening show on WorldwideFm has captured imaginations and has already become a cult 4 hour must listen to monthly journey with fans all over the world. Today Luke remains, as ever, at the forefront of a changing scene, pairing the momentous legacy of Manchester’s 80s and 90s scene with the delivery of what today’s club communities need to get down. A force to be reckoned with in the perpetuation of UK club culture and the owner of a singular Instagram account.

Helmed by producer and saxophonist Pete Cunningham, Ishmael Ensemble’s richly inventive 2019 debut A State Of Flow marked them out as an explosive new force in UK jazz, imbuing lush cinematic compositions with left-field dub and electronic sensibilities redolent of Bristol’s vital musical landscape. Named The Guardian’s ‘Contemporary Album Of The Month’ and MOJO’s ‘Jazz Album of The Month’, it saw the group perform Maida Vale sessions for both Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft, as well as feature on compilations for Brownswood Recordings and Soul Jazz Records. Cunningham’s rise as an in-demand producer has led to remixes for the likes of techno royalty Carl Craig, as well as legendary jazz label Blue Note Records alongside a plethora of the UK’s finest musical talent on Blue Note Re:Imagined.

Ishmael Ensemble has since become a platform for Cunningham to subvert the conventional notions of producer/artist relationships, unsettling genre tags, and transcending the familiar landscape of UK jazz itself.