• Watch: Speed of Snakes – Backbone of Night

    Over a year on from first rearing their head, Dublin superduo Speed of Snakes AKA Rupert Morris of BATS and Vinny McCreith of Adebisi Shank have unveiled the debut video, a decidedly OTT hostage-themed mini-film directed by Stevie Russell and produced by Michael Donnelly V and Jason Foran. Starring Darren Costello, Dara O’Neill and blue-haired lead lady Teodora Sutra, the video is an ambitious visual accompaniment to the track, a dark, skittering, synth-and-effects-led electro effort, hinting at some very promising things in the making for the pair.

  • EP Stream: Haüer – Esperbyte

    Dublin electro wizard Haüer immediately grabbed our attention last week with ‘Merc II’, the lead single from his second EP, Esperbyte. “Cursed with a weakness for nostalgic 80’s music production and synth-based cinematic film scores”, the producer has concocted real retrofuturistic, synth-governed magic on the aforementioned four-track release – evoking everyone and everything from Perturbator to Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury’s Drokk: Music inspired by Mega​-​City One – set for release on Friday. Ahead of our interview with producer – as well as our review of the EP – stream the Esperbyte via Soundcloud below. Photo by Loreana Rushe.

  • Watch: Kerbdog – Electricity

    Sixteen long years in the making, Kilkenny alt-rock heroes Kerbdog released a new track, ‘Electricity’. Accompanying by a straight-and-to-the-point video of the band recording the track – a seminal moment in itself, let’s be honest – comes ahead of the release of the quartet’s Pledge campaign-funded live album, Congregation, which is set for release on October 6. Cormac Battle and co. will also hit the road in November, playing the following Irish and UK shows. November 14: Dublin Academy November 15: Manchester Ritz w/ Amplifier, Nine Black Alps, Hawk Eyes, Hey You Guys! November 16: London Forum w/ Amplifier, Hawk Eyes, Jamie Lenman, Hey You Guys! November 17: Bristol Bierkeller w/…

  • Stream: SOAK – B a noBody

    The follow-up to her breakthrough release ‘Blud’ – released via CHVRCHES‘ single imprint – Derry singer-songwriter SOAK has unveiled her new single, ‘B a noBody’. Titled in such a way to such suggest her keyboard still needs repaired, the track is a sparse yet impressively layered anti-call to arms. Reverb-ridden, edging towards a semi-inevitable crescendo, the track was recorded across a summer that saw the songwriter pen a deal with Rough Trade for her forthcoming debut album, which is currently being recorded. SOAK will play the following dates in November: November 5: London – St. Giles In The FieldsNovember 6: Manchester – The CastleNovember 7: Derry – Christ Church       November 8: Dublin – The…

  • Red Bull Music Academy Weekender

    From September 25 to 28, Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter will host its first ever Red Bull Music Academy weekender. Set to see four days of concerts, club nights, talks and film screenings with some first-rate genre-defining, forward-thinking artists and musicians, German electro-classical musician Nils Frahm (supported by Derry’s Ryan Vail) at City Hall on Sunday, September 28 stands out as highlight. Check out the full line-up below and buy tickets here. Thursday, September 25 – 10pm The Juan MacLean, Timmy Stewart and Twitch The Bunatee, Queen’s University Student Union (Tickets £6) Friday, September 26 Workshop featuring BICEP Oh Yeah Music Centre (Free Admission)…

  • Gigs of the Week: TWINKRANES, Freebase, Duke Special, Jun Tzu Album Launch

    With the new semester upon us, more and more new shows are sprouting up in the gig calender over the next few months. Focusing on the absolute immediate future, however, here’s our comprehensively genre-spanning pick of must-see gigs taking place throughout the country over the next seven days. Seven Quarters: Twinkranes, Halves – Whelan’s, Dublin; Saturday, September 13 The third installment of Dublin gig night Seven Quarters at Whelan’s on Saturday night will see boundlessly intriguing Dublin trio Halves play their last Irish show of the year alongside critically acclaimed experimentalists TWINKRANES. If you are in any way inclined towards exceptional, forward-driven homegrown music, this is not a show…