• Preview: WorldService Project

    This Friday, the second of our run of shows co-presented by esteemed Belfast tastemakers Moving on Music takes place at the Black Box, when British punk-jazz quintet WorldService Project make their first Belfast performance. Blending the third-eye-opening freneticism of Return To Forever or late 60s Zappa with an acerbic surrealist Britishness that’s one of few ties to any place of origin – look for a cameo from nightmare fuel himself, Mr Giggles. A fine example of nominal determinism, their rootlessness & contempt for genre classification has led to a confluence of math-rock, prog, punk, and the kind of contemporary, groove-laden fusion carried out by the likes of Snarky Puppy, rooted in the playfulness of Mingus & Coltrane to counteract their clearly schooled…

  • Album Premiere: Katie Kim & Crash Ensemble – Salt Interventions

    Ethereal Waterford drone-folk artist Katie Kim is one of Ireland’s most enchanting auteurs, and prolific collaborators, having worked on projects with Radie Peat, David Kitt, Milosh & The Waterboys over the last few years. She’s set to drop Salt Interventions tomorrow alongside Crash Ensemble, and we’re delighted to be able to bring you an early listen ahead of its release tomorrow. The album was recorded at the Grand Social back in 2017 in a performance of the same name by Guerrilla Studios’ Spud Murphy, with the show being performed at the likes of the Music Town and Body & Soul Festivals. Based around Katie’s Choice Music Prize-nominated debut album Salt, it…

  • Uprising: Spirit of ’68

    Bringing together some of the North’s finest artists to produce and perform new live soundtracks to films made in 1968, Uprising: Spirit of ’68 is primed to be an unmissable night in Belfast on Saturday, September 29 Each of the short films are all experimental in nature; in technique and content they reflect the spirit of the era. The event – which is held at Carlisle Memorial Church – is co-presented by Belfast Film Festival, BFI Film Audience Network and Film Hub Midlands. Off the back of appearing on David Holmes’ Late Night Tales compilation (and a run of shows…

  • Preview: Peter Brötzmann’s Full Blast

    For over fifty years, German saxophonist & clarinettist Peter Brötzmann has exemplified European improvised music. His excoriating, volatile style soundtracked a continent ravaged by division & civil unrest, tearing up convention and laying the groundwork for the defiant late 60s European avant-garde. Pitchfork describes him as “one of the most devastating forces to ever touch a saxophone”. In the first of what’s planned to be an ongoing collaboration, we’re delighted to co-present his Full Blast project, in partnership with esteemed Belfast-based tastemakers Moving On Music. Self-taught on saxophone, Brötzmann was originally a painter, schooled in the Cage-influenced Fluxus movement in before moving through Dixieland, ultimately turning his hand to…

  • Blue Whale ‘Process’ Album Launch @ The Menagerie

    Belfast experimental rock quartet Blue Whale are finally set to launch their highly anticipated debut album Process, which reins the satiating havoc of their live show into a slightly more ordered studio format. The havoc, however, will come to the Menagerie on November 9, where its launch is hosted by Moving On Music. With an aim to always been to veer away from the trappings of the traditional guitar-centric four-piece, they have experimented heavily with unconventional scales and time signatures. Their cadenced, angular and atonal compositions tread fine lines between dance and discord, chaos and intricacy, with the resultant aural tension unique in its capacity to simultaneously provoke mental…

  • FairPlé Set To Hold Two Day Festival of Music & Ideas

    The first of its kind in Irish traditional music, grassroots coalition of musicians FairPlé holds its first festival of music & ideas over Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th September was founded to address gender balance in Irish traditional and folk music, and has been expanding and rolling out an increasing number of important events across the island. A series of panel discussions are set to take place at Liberty Hall on September 8 to address the issue of sexual harassment in the arts and Irish music, with a focus on the self-employed status of musicians. Participants will explore the rights and responsibilities of…

  • SKIBUNNY Set For 20th Anniversary Show

    Fire up the indie disco DeLorean: legendary Belfast DJ duo Tanya Mellotte and Mark Gordon AKA Skibunny will make their long-awaited return for a 20th anniversary show at Voodoo on Saturday, July 28. Back for one night only, the pair will DJ alongside an unmissable live set from Torgas Valley Reds/Backwater. Spinning the very best in indie rock, hip-hop, DIY, Krautrock, folk, northern soul, electronic and everything in between, Skibunny acquired nigh on mythical status in Belfast in the early 2000s. From secret shows to well-known guest DJs, aftershows and the sweatiest of most memorable nights, it brought out the very…

  • Growing Pains: 15 Years of Out On A Limb Records

    We’re big fans of Out on a Limb Records here at The Thin Air. Back in 2013, we reflected upon their decade in the game – now, a few moons and several releases later, Limerick’s finest indie imprint are celebrating 15 years in existence by hosting Growing Pains, featuring a remarkable line-up of Irish musicians, at Dolans in Limerick on Saturday, June 9. Lining up for what’s set to be a thoroughly well-soundtracked knees-up in celebration of OOAL growing up to be, in their words, a bold teenager are: Fluffy Coke // Jogging // Junior Brother // Katie Kim // Mankyy presents:…

  • Curfew Festival Announced For Twelfth of July

    Making its return for the first time in many years, Belfast’s alternative, inclusive Twelfth of July proceeding Curfew, takes place across two of Belfast’s finest small venues – The Black Box & Voodoo. The whole day is kindly run by original runner Pete Jez’ Solid Choice Industries. In direct opposition of ‘the other one’, we don’t have to pretend to enjoy the rad tunes. The only cultural division to be seen is in the cross-genre venue booking -Voodoo is set to host the riff-centric acts, headed by Dublin’s synth-driven space-metal trio No Spill Blood, sludgy heavy rock trio Slomatics, Dublin hardcore act Destriers, space punks Wild Rocket, sludge-doom act Nomadic…

  • Spectrum @ Drogheda Arts Festival

    An outright highlight of this year’s Drogheda Arts Festival, Spectrum aka Pete ‘Sonic Boom’ Kember will perform at Droichead Arts Centre on Friday, May 4. An exclusive Irish date, this is an unmissable opportunity to catch the Spacemen 3 founding member and E.A.R musician’s decades-spanning solo project. Support on the night comes from Drogheda’s very own ethereal down-tempo pop collective We Eat Electric Light, producers and musicians driven by a mutual interest in electronic and organic music, noises and sounds. They are working towards a cassette EP release soon via Drogheda-based thirtythree-45. Tickets – very reasonably priced between €18-€20 – are available…