Sonics 2020 announce a programme of diverse experimental music that brings together artists from across Europe and the East Sussex local area. Returning to present a series of workshops, talks and live events at Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival, their curation covers sounds from a wide scope of genres including jazz, hip hop, punk and experimental electronics. These will be presented in transformed Hastings venues Black Market VIP and St Mary In The Castle, incorporating visual art installations alongside the experience of the music.
Warp artists Plaid headline Saturday night with the impressive Live / AV show that they have toured worldwide on the back of their 10th studio album Polymer – high energy break-outs and warming melodic moments should be expected from one of the UK’s best loved electronica acts. Fellow Warp stalwart Leila will return to the scene of her 2019 August Bank Holiday DJ battle with Graham Massey (808 State) bringing another explosive set of breaks, glitches and haunting melodies. Brighton’s Johanna Bramli, founder member of visceral vocal group The Larsens, will be transporting her live set of sensitive yet sonically assaulting textures along the coast to Hastings, while Geneva based post-punk trio Massicot will start the show in a blur of motion and energy.
Sunday evening sees Ninja Tune’s DJ Food present his “Kraftwerk: Klassics, Kovers & Kurios” AV DJ Set. The show takes the band’s various eras, looks and line ups and combines them into a 60 track, 90 minute collage of Teutonic Techno, European Electro, Kraut Crunk and more together with the visual history of the group from all their eras. Tru Thoughts’ signings Gawd Status (aka King Kashmere and Joker Starr) are set to perform live with their off-kilter combination of hip-hop, psychedelia and soul influences. World-respected turntablist Mr Thing will be showcasing another side of hip hop culture and technical capability in a DJ set, with local new wave and jazz group The Village Metronome kicking things off.
The Sonics 2020 programme also includes two FREE afternoon programmes. These feature live sets by acclaimed improvisatory duo David Toop & Rie Nakajima, alto sax legend Trevor Watts with pianist Veryan Weston, Grassy Noel & APE and local teenage freaks Crunchy Bat, cinematic soundscapes from Abstract Source and Mordant Music: Travelogues, a very special live performance and production workshop from Tim Exile, and an exhibition of artefacts from Project Dark. Further activities include a young people’s DJ workshop, panel discussions and talks.
Sonics 2020
Saturday 22nd February
1pm – 5pm – FREE ENTRY (venue: St Mary in The Castle)
Abstract Source
Crunchy Bat
David Toop & Rie Nakajima
Trevor Watts with Grassy Noel & APE
Sonics DJs & more TBA
8pm – 2am Black Market VIP (Ticketed)
Plaid (Live A/V Set)
Leila
Johanna Bramli
Massicot
Sonics DJs
Sunday 23rd February
Black Market VIP
1pm – 5pm – FREE ENTRY
Tim Exile – talk/Endlesss workshop/live set
Pocket Sonics DJs
8pm-2am (Ticketed)
DJ Food – Kraftwerk: Klassics Kovers & Kurios (DJ/AV set)
Gawd Status
Mr Thing
The Village Metronome
Sonics DJs
Tickets: Day tickets and weekend saver available here