• Richard Dawson at Empire Music Hall

    Alright, here’s the craic: Richard Dawson isn’t just in a league of his own when it comes to trend-flattening experimental folk: he is easily one of the greatest living musical artists. He first confirmed that fact with the release of Nothing Important back in 2014, and to the contrary, it felt very important; seismic even. On that album and follow-ups Peasant and 2020, the Newcastle artist took the imprint of everything from Kenyan folk traditions and Captain Beefheart, to Sun Ra and Sufi devotional music to fathom a careening, unfuckwithable folk genius all his own. See also: last year’s sprawling opus The Ruby Cord. During that time, Dawson had few more…

  • Omni Selassi Weekender at Anseo

    This weekend, Dublin’s soundest independent imprint and promoters Little Gem host the debut Irish shows by Swiss trio Omni Selassi. Taking over Anseo on Camden Street from Saturday 20th to Monday 22nd May, expect three evenings of top-tier experimental sounds including Little Gem Band on Saturday, Neitherman on Sunday and Feral Kittenz on Monday — plus special guests. Very accurately described by Little Gem “as Björk meets Beefheart on a NEU! trip,” delve into Omni Selassi’s catalog here and pop by Anseo this weekend. Doors are at 8pm each evening with a suggested donation of €10. What We Talk About: Omni Selassi by…

  • Dream Baby Dream at Lighthouse Cinema

    No longer just simply one of the greatest tracks by one of the greatest acts of all time, Dream Baby Dream is one of the most downright unmissable marriages of sound and vision that you’re likely to encounter on these shores. Co-curated by Letterkenny’s Regional Cultural Centre and promoter, broadcaster and all-round champion of forward-pushing sounds Leagues O’Toole (Foggy Notions), it’s an event of new short film and live music that will take over Dublin’s Lighthouse Cinema on Thursday, 11th May. Kicking off at 7pm in Screen One, the showcase features three world-beating Irish filmmakers – Bob Gallagher, Laura Quirke and…

  • Output Belfast x AVA 2023

    Ireland’s leading music conference Output is teaming up with AVA for its 2023 return. Once again taking over the MAC and the Oh Yeah Centre on Thursday, 1st June, this year’s outing will see organisers join forces with the world-beating Belfast electronic music festival AVA. With more than 800 delegates expected to attend over 30 sessions, workshops, masterclasses, panels, keynotes and state of the nation addresses across all aspects of the music industry, it’s set to be the most diverse music industry education and networking programme the city has ever seen. As well as opening keynotes by CMU founder and…

  • Flotations 2023

    The third installment of experimental music series Flotations has been announced. Programmed by Foggy Notions in association with NCH and Imbibe Coffee Roasters (who come very highly recommended) its return to Dublin’s National Concert Hall throughout 2023 for will feature some downright unmissable contemporary and ambient performances. Kicking off on 14th April with long-time TTA favourite Elaine Howley, who released our Irish album of the year last year, the series will also the equally legendary feature Eiko Ishibashi and Jim O’Rourke (pictured), acclaimed Japanese artist Ichiko Aoba performing her opus Windswept Adan with support from Aoife Wolf, and the Godfather of Irish electronica Roger…

  • Brilliant Corners 2023: A Festival of Jazz in Belfast

    Belfast’s finest annual jazz event is back this March for its eleventh outing, courtesy of the perennially-reliable Moving On Music. This year’s Brilliant Corners festival features thirteen concerts – and two free events – across nine days from March 2nd-11th set predominately in the Black Box and Accidental Theatre. As ever, the programming will appeal to all manner of audiences, from the pure experimentalism of Belfast’s monthly Handmade Music, to the futuristic, urgent eclecticism of Run Logan Run and Sarathy Korwar, to rising masters of pure jazz like Binker Golding and Fergus McCreadie. The full schedule for Brilliant Corners is as follows – with each concert set to begin within 20 minutes of door times: Thursday 2 March…

  • Sound Studio Residency at Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny

    Letterkenny’s Regional Cultural Centre have made an open call for applications for a new residency series. Throughout 2023, the vital North West cultural hub will invite electronic musicians, composers, alternative producers and creative designers to take up residency in their new Sound Studio. Rather than a traditional record studio, it’s a creative space equipped with an iMAC PRO, audio interface and a wide range of acoustic and electronic compositional tools including a baby grand piano, church organ, Moog One 16, SOMA Pulsar-23, Behringer Odyssey, Dave Smith Prophet Module, Arturia PolyBrute, NORD Stage 3 and “many more weird and wonderful noise-makers”.…

  • Quasi at Ulster Sports Club, Belfast

    We’re delighted to be hosting U.S. indie rock legends Quasi in Belfast next month. Off the back of the release of their tenth album, and Sub Pop debut, Breaking The Balls of History, Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss will play their first show in the city in 17 years at the Ulster Sports Club in Belfast on Friday 5th May. Taking place as part of this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, and featuring support from Leeds band Cowtown, tickets for the show are available here. After nearly three decades of launching drums and distorted pianos through the shifting interzones of harmony and chaos (moonlighting…

  • God’s Waiting Room: Panda Bear & Sonic Boom w/ David Holmes DJ Set

    We know: it’s probably far too early to be asking the question “gig of the year?” but bear with us. Five months on from releasing of last year’s finest records, Reset, Pete Kember aka Sonic Boom and Panda Bear of Animal Collective will team up for a live show at David Holmes‘ legendary God’s Waiting Room at the Banana Black in Belfast on Friday, 21st April. Sealing the dealing and then some will be a DJ set on the night by none other than Holmes himself.  Tickets are sure to fly out for this one so be sure to snap…

  • Out of Place: Film Screening Tour

    Off the back of being nominated for Best Documentary at the Irish Film Festival London last November, Féile na Gréine documentary Out of Place will hit the road for a selection of screenings later this month and into February. A self-described “meditation on the role music plays in building community, exploring the tensions that emerge when musicians struggle to carve out a space for themselves in their city,” the Graham Patterson-directed documentary features performances from Denise Chaila, God Knows, Hey Rusty, His Father’s Voice, MuRli, and Post Punk Podge & the Technohippies, providing an intimate portrayal of a local music scene…