• Festival Mixtape: Knockanstockan 2016

    July 19, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of its highly-anticipated return to Blessington Lakes in Wicklow this weekend, we’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring twenty artists we highly recommend checking out at this year’s Knockanstockan. Celebrating their 10th outing – a huge accomplishment by any stretch of the imagination – here’s our recent interview with Bettine McMahon and Graham Sharpe from the fiercely independent, homegrown Irish festival right here. And here’s Holly Pereira’s rather pretty Knockanstockan 2016 Festival Map.

  • RIP Alan Vega: The Elvis of Psychosis

    July 17, 2016 - By 

    Like many who would become fans, I can vividly recall discovering Suicide. I was barely eighteen, having returned home from yet another ill-advised rural Northern Irish Saturday night out. A few days before, a classically myopic Nirvana devotee a tad too immersed in late-teen hubris, guitar angst – I seem to have told myself – just wasn’t cutting it much anymore. Suddenly gluttonous almost to the point of panic for musical discovery, I had recently spent several consecutive late nights in the back room downloading countless vigorously recommended albums by two sonic savants I recall swearing by then, Piero Scaruffi…

  • Inside Moves: Dan Shake @ T13, Belfast

    July 16, 2016 - By 

    Following on from their stellar first birthday with Maurice Fulton at the Empire last month, Inside Moves will take over Belfast’s T13 on Friday, July 22 to host London-based producer Dan Shake. With the esteemed fortune of being the first ever non-Detroit artist to be signed to Moodymann’s Mahogani imprint, Shake tips his hat to everyone from afrobeat pioneers Tony Allen and Fela Kuti to contemporary producers such as Motor City Drum Ensemble and the downright legendary J Dilla. With support on the night coming from the Inside Move resident DJs, this is set to be another memorable showcase in one…

  • Watch: Hilary Woods – Sabbath

    July 14, 2016 - By 

    Back in May, ex-JJ72 bassist and solo artist Hilary Woods released easily one of our favourite Irish of the tracks of the year in the form of ‘Bathing‘. Following on in perfectly sanguine repose, ‘Sabbath’ – the second track taken from her forthcoming Heartbox EP – is a masterfully meditative six-minute effort from the Dublin musician, melding sparse rhythms with a serene fog of softly swirling piano lines, synth and more. Accompanied by wonderful visuals courtesy of Joshua Wright, it’s a spectral combo that burrows deep. Heartbox is released on 7″ vinyl on Monday, July 18. Pre-order here.

  • Interview: King Kong Company

    July 18, 2016 - By 

    Not merely one of the country’s most singular, genre-warping acts, Waterford six-piece King Kong Company are right up there with the very best live propositions around. Having just released their emphatic self-titled debut album, Brian Coney talks to the band about working with The Prodigy producer Neil McLellan on the release, capturing their live energy in the studio, their diverse range of influences and what the future holds in store. Hi guys. You’ve been getting some great reviews for your new, self-titled album. It was originally set to be released last year. Was perfectionism (or at least only wanting to release something you were…

  • Another Love Story Reveal Final Line-up

    July 13, 2016 - By 

    Easily our favourite small Irish summer festival, Another Love Story returns to the sublime Killyon Manor in Co. Meath from August 19-21. With just over a month to go until this year’s outing, organisers Happenings and Homebeat have revealed their final line-up, including their first ever international act, Sweden’s Badlands. With a host of live acts and DJs including Talos, Slow Skies, SlowPlaceLikeHome, Lastertom, Somadrone, Carriages and Ships set to make an appearance, the return of The Library and a veritable cornucopia of theatrical and artistic happenings (see full line-up poster below) will take place over the weekend. Tickets are priced…

  • Premiere: Guilty Optics – The Kayapo Ghosts

    July 13, 2016 - By 

    Since featuring as an Inbound act in the sixth issue of our magazine last year, Dublin’s Guilty Optics have been a little on the quiet side. That said, with their Ben Moore-produced debut album set to drop at the end of the year, the punk trio of Al Finnerty, Lewis Hedigan and Richie O’Reilly are back with an emphatic teaser of what lies in store in the form of ‘The Kayapo Ghosts’, a virulent post-punk throwdown that lyrically tackles the destruction of Amazonian rainforests and the forced removal of indigenous Kayapo tribes. Have an exclusive first listen below.

  • Launch: New Series ‘The Sunday Edition’

    July 12, 2016 - By 

    The first in a series of art talks called The Sunday Edition took place in the Dean Hotel in Dublin last Sunday. Brainchild of designer, curator and mural artist, James Earley, the aim of the talks is give “an insight into the work ethic and inspiration that drives some of Irelands best contemporary artists practicing in this country today”. Earley explained before the event that “the first talk in the series plans to educate and excite the public on established and emerging Irish artists”. Two artists, both part of the online gallery run by Earley called Iverna, were presented to…

  • Festival Mixtape: Longitude 2016

    July 12, 2016 - By 

    Set to return to Dublin’s Marlay Park this weekend, the three-day line-up for this year’s Longitude is easily one of the strongest of the Irish summer festival calendar. Headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer and The National – as well as featuring the likes of Jamie xx, Father John Misty (pictured), Run The Jewels, Laura Mvula, Courtney Barnett, Vic Mensa and Kurt Vile & The Violators – organisers have struck a keen balance with both genre and the ratio between homegrown artists and much bigger acts. Ahead of what’s set to be yet another memorable weekend for the MCD-run festival, stream our 30…