• Open Ear ’24 Preview: A Q+A with Elaine Howley, Andrew Morrison & Dion Doherty

    May 1, 2024 - By 

    It’s just over four weeks until Ireland’s finest festival, Open Ear, returns to Sherkin Island in West Cork From May 31 to June 2, the festival, now in its sixth edition, will be another world-beating celebration of experimental and electronic sounds, from these shores and beyond. As well as unmissable sets by the likes of Hilary Woods, GNOD R&D, da Googie, Lesko, Brian Not Brian and Caskré, this year’s outing doubles as a trove of specially commissioned collaborations between two artists that have not previously worked together. Right up there with the most essential of these is long-time TTA favourite…

  • A Litany of Failures: Volume IV is Announced

    August 9, 2023 - By 

    Irish compilation series A Litany of Failures, which features independent acts from all corners of the island, has just announced the pre-order and tracklisting for its fourth volume.  Set for release on double vinyl and digitally on September 8th, it’s available via Bandcamp. The compilation features 22 brand new, exclusive tracks from some of our favourite acts on the island, as well as some exciting new prospects. The double vinyl set once again features artwork by Pipe & Pallet, and the first 30 pre-orders feature a bespoke print from Belfast-based artist Phantom Powered Pixels.  The Litany of Failures series aims to document the grassroots music community…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 19th May

    May 19, 2023 - By 

    It’s been another stacked seven days on the new Irish music front. Here’s the best tracks and releases of the week, from Elaine Howley, Roger Doyle, Shiv, Swimmers Jackson & more Elaine Howley – Live As I Saw It Roger Doyle – Skin Care Swimmers Jackson – Borrow Sorrow Shiv – Heavy Water Anna’s Anchor – Hotel Dom Pancho Anderson Nightmare – Sleep Exhalers – Meat Clown MEAT CLOWN by Exhalers Drew Makes Noise – Hey Christian Cohle – Wetlands WETLANDS by Christian Cohle Stik Figa & The Expert – The Green Monster Stephen Shannon – Fathoms Sasha Samara –…

  • Dream Baby Dream at Lighthouse Cinema

    May 10, 2023 - By 

    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…

  • In Striking Distance: An Interview with Elaine Howley

    August 13, 2022 - By 

    Following the release of her sublime debut solo album, the Cork experimental artist talks to Eoghan O’Sullivan about her process, how she’s surprised to even be making music, and coming to terms with her ambition Photos by Celeste Burdon Elaine Howley, along with partner Cathal MacGabhann, fronts The Altered Hours, one of the most thrilling bands in the country. However, it is but one facet in Howley’s creative output. A youth worker, she also makes music with experimental acts Crevice and Howlbux, hosts the experimental show Cosmosis on Dublin Digital Radio, which has been running since 2014, and in the…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 12th August

    August 12, 2022 - By 

    With new EPs and albums from the likes of Elaine Howley and God Knows, and some incredible new singles from the likes of Anna Mieke, Stratford Rise, Kyoto Love Hotel and more, get a look at our picks of the week. Elaine Howley – The Distance Between Heart and Mouth The Distance Between Heart And Mouth by Elaine Howley Kyoto Love Hotel – Settling (July) Settling (July) by Kyoto Love Hotel Local Boy – Get Up (Out of Bed) Stratford Rise – Water Running Through Faucet Anna Mieke – For A Time God Knows – We Move The Needle EP…

  • Playlist: The Songs That Inspired Body & Soul’s Ériu’s Threshold

    February 17, 2021 - By 

    Created entirely during the Stage 5 Lockdown, Ériu’s Threshold is a majestic, multi-disciplinary project by the team behind leading Irish festival Body & Soul. Originally conceived by festival founder Avril Stanley and Creative Director Mary Hickson during a site visit at Ballinlough Castle, Co. Westmeath, the project “interprets the past in response to the current global pandemic” via an outstanding cast of renowned Irish female talent from the worlds of theatre, dance, music, film, literature and fashion design. Presented as a film, filmed by award-winning director Mia Mullarkey, the project features a re-interpretation of Henry Purcell’s aria Dido’s Lament, which…

  • Various Artists – The 343 Vol.1

    June 25, 2020 - By 

    Named for Le Manifeste des 343,  a brave act of civil disobedience by French women who dared sign a Simone de Beauvoir penned petition, publicly declaring that they had undergone illegal abortions,  The 343 is a feminist-led, Queer art space that has swiftly become a thriving and vital corner stone of the Belfast music scene. Having  garnered a glowing reputation for its community-driven ethos and unflinching dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA artists, The 343 has now put together its first compilation album. The 343 Vol. 1 brings together a vibrant range of experimental artists associated…

  • Stream: The 343 Vol 1

    May 1, 2020 - By 

    In virtually no time at all, Belfast’s 343 has established itself as a vital part of the city’s creative community. An artist-focused, feminist-led, queer art-space in East Belfast, it’s one of many venues fighting to survive during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Currently fundraising as part of a national initiative launched by the Music Venue Trust, the 343 are going one further with the release of the aptly-titled The 343 Vol 1. Across fifteen tracks, it’s an endlessly listenable, perfectly genre-traversing compilation, featuring TTA favourites Rising Damp, Natalia Beylis, Elaine Howley, Gross Net & Fears and more. Best of all, seeing as Bandcamp…