• Michael Rother Set for Button Factory

    Living legends don’t come more legendary than Michael Rother. Thanks to Foggy Notions, the founding member of NEU!, Harmonia, and early Kraftwerk will perform a career-spanning set at the Button Factory on 19th September, drawing from NEU!, Harmonia, and his solo work. Expect deep dives into the Motorik grooves and ambient experiments that have made him a godfather of forward-pushing sound. From the Autobahn to the outer reaches, Rother’s influence runs deep – Bowie, Eno, Sonic Youth have all tuned into the frequency he helped invent. Joined by Hans Lampe (La Düsseldorf), Franz Bargmann (ex-Camera), and the brilliant Vittoria Maccabruni…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 2nd May

    Elaine Howley, Search Results, NewDad, Tolü Makay, YINYANG, Anthony Layde and others all hit the mark this week, but let’s not kid ourselves. The real headline is Mark McCabe, back behind the decks with the 25th anniversary of our de facto national anthem, ‘Maniac 2000’. Sambuca? Mark McCabe – Maniac 2000 (25th Anniversary Edition)

  • Shining Light: A Tribute to Conor Biddle

    All of us at The Thin Air are deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of lighting designer Conor Biddle. Conor’s work shone brightly across so many stages, lighting up live performances from some of the best acts in the country. We’ve gone through our photography archives to share this tribute to Conor and some of his beautiful work. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his husband Sean, family, friends, and the many colleagues across the music industry who were so lucky to work with him.

  • Truth Told Slant: An Interview with Iona Zajac

    Fresh from a 25-date run supporting Alison Moyet, Iona Zajac finds herself at a powerful threshold. A singular voice in contemporary folk, she’s about to step into an even brighter spotlight, joining The Pogues as vocalist on their sold-out UK tour, which kicks off today, before heading stateside later this year. And while the stages keep growing, so too does her voice – fierce, precise and haunted by light. Off the back of her sublime single ‘Summer,’ and with new music around the corner, spoke to her about stillness and intensity, funeral marches and murder ballads, and why singing with…

  • Groove Communion: Meet Deeply Armed

    Belfast’s Deeply Armed have been making subterranean waves for a while now. Tracks passed hand to hand via samizdat channels. Whispers between heads. Andrew Weatherall was an early booster. David Holmes played out a psychedelic version of one track at select ritual-like occasions. But now the trio break cover with ‘The Healing,’ a debut 12” that feels like a signal flare from a long-dormant dream. The release comes bolstered by remixes from Andrew Innes (Primal Scream) and Brendan Lynch (Paul Weller/Lynch Mob) and Keith Tenniswood (2 Lone Swordsmen/Radioactive Man), a trio of producers who know a thing or two about…