Capsule took a jaunt to Newcastle last weekend for the always brilliant Tusk Festival. Now in its third year, it’s a heady mix of noise, outer limit beats, psych and an ever expanding talks and film programme.

Highlights for us included a wide grin inducing improv set from Oren Ambarchi, Neil Campbell and Mick Flower, Jessika Kenney & Eyvind Kang, Basic House and Richard Dawson (who you can see at Bring To Light and a special Kids Gig performance next weekend) and Mark Fell’s series of sound installations at Baltic 39.

Capsule, Tusk and Bristol based Qu Junktions have formed Y Music, a consortium of UK

organisations supporting adventurous music. Expect to see Y Music activity in the future, in the meantime check out last year’s Y Music podcast.

Next month, a stellar collaboration comes to Library of Birmingham – Rhys Chatham & Charlemagne Palestine perform in collaboration, this performance will be a UK exclusive. Two giants in composition, this show will be unmissable. Selftitled Mag have published an interview with Rhys Chatham, touching on his part in the No Wave scene during the 1970s, his iconic mass guitar ensembles and his admiration for bands like OM and Sunn0))).

“When I was in the no-wave scene, that was a curse word—’composer’. People like Lydia Lunch and James Chance would beat me up after a concert, like, ‘Oh, you conservatory musicians, we don’t want to hear anything about you!’ So I had to prove myself.

I’m essentially

a minimalist composer though. I studied with La Monte [Young] and worked with people like Tony Conrad, so I’m definitely coming from that background, although now I just don’t care. I’m a composer/performer, you know? In the same tradition as Terry Riley, who was the model for us all.” Read the full article

Saturday 2nd November, 8pm.
Rhys Chatham & Charlemagne Palestine
Ex Easter Island Head Large Guitar Ensemble
Library of Birmingham
Tickets are available from www.birmingham-box.co.uk

Thanks to all who came to the Rise of Birmingham show at the library last Wednesday. Such a great crowd, and four brilliant performances. Photos by Katja Ogrin.

Free School

Free School were joined on stage by three different vocalists, Greg Bird, Sigmund Frued and Tomlin Mystic

Victories at Sea

Victor

Youth Man

This is Tmrw DJ set

HTF Media created this video of the night…

The next music event at the library is Bring To Light 25-27 October- think of it as a mini Supersonic and a real celebration of new and adventurous music. Weekend and day tickets are available via theticketsellers.co.uk and at Milque and Muhle record shop, Custard Factory, Birmingham.

This Wednesday 2nd October, four brilliant bands from the region will invade the new Library of Birmingham. Free School combine the sunny Balearic sounds of summer and the icy kosmische sounds of winter, Victories at Sea cite influences as wide and diverse as Slowdive, Boards of Canada, and M83, Victor bring big choruses and dangerously boisterous breakdowns and here’s a brief intro to

Youth Man…

“They generate an infectious energy during their intense live show as three individuals grapple with their instruments to whip up a reckless tornado of sound, flailing limbs and musical angst that is a feast for the senses.

“These riotous noise-makers bring a shambolic edge with their Pixies-influenced setup. This young three-piece encapsulate everything exciting about Birmingham music right now with frontwoman Kaila Whyte sporting a reputation for the raucous.” Brum Notes

Four bands for £5 – get your tickets via www.birmingham-box.co.uk/event/rise-of-birmingham/. Doors are 8pm.

These stunning posters have just been designed for us by the very talented David Hand for our forthcoming Shellac and Om shows which will take place in November. They form part of a series of artwork featuring sadly departed animals.

The next live show in the Discovery season sees some of Birmingham’s finest young talent perform in the library. At Rise of Birmingham on Wednesday 2nd October, you’ll see kraut/disco, noise rock, post punk and more.

Check out Victories At Sea, a three piece who have recently signed to Static Caravan. They’ve played support slots for Savages, Teeth of the Sea and Editors.

“I’m not entirely sure what but there’s definitely something in Birmingham’s waters lately as yet another promising new band emerges on to the circuit. Victories at Sea provide an enticingly refreshing outlook on the standardised Indie Popsters that are flying at us left, right and centre from the city. With brooding guitars shadowed by hauntingly dark percussion they prove to be a stark contrast to the crystallised pop we’re used to hearing from the current Midlands scene.” www.sos-music.co.uk

Tickets are only £5 for four great bands – Free School / Victor / Youth Man / Victories At Sea. You can get them in advance via www.birmingham-box.co.uk

Wow! A firm favourite of Capsule, the mighty SHELLAC will play Birmingham on Monday 25th November. They’ve not been in town since the Release the Bats show (with Lightning Bolt, OM) back in 2008 so please do give them a firm welcome back!Tickets are £15 from www.theticketsellers.co.uk

“Shellac played its first shows in Chicago in 1993 and has done a lot of stuff since then, including playing on a party boat in Serbia and a record 74 times at various ATP events. Bob has one wife, a yellow bike and is acquiring more cats; Todd has one dog, no wife, a silver Telecaster and two blouses; Steve has three cats, a fiancee and a PT Cruiser, which is quite roomy and not dorky or a mom car fuck you guys.  The band members all work for a living, and playing in the band is their pastime. Because of this, they don’t tour often or for very long. Todd, Steve and Bob love playing music together. We assume that the band will continue to release albums and play live at the same sporadic pace indefinitely. You should be so lucky.”

Support will be from cellist Helen Money, a Los Angeles based cellist who has become known for her unique sound, bold compositions and compelling stage performance.

and it’ll be a great few days as Sunday 24th November the Adrian Utley guitar orchestra will perform at the library, and Tuesday 26th November, OM + ORE play the Rainbow.

We’re really pleased to invite doom tuba group ORE back to support the mighty OM on Tuesday 26th November. Last September, ORE set the perfect opening atmosphere for a gorgeous OM set at the Rainbow, and their brass take on doom left a real impression on OM who requested their return!

Just three years into their dual-tuba project, Birmingham’s ORE continue to evolve rapidly. From early drone/doom beginnings their music has lately drawn inspiration from Indian classical music and other improvisational influences to become something much more difficult to define.

Autumn 2013 sees them celebrating the release of their new double A side 7″ in collaboration with Japanese noise master KK Null on Endtyme Records (a record born from their Supersonic 2012 collaboration), and for this performance they will be joined on drums by regular live collaborator and jazz percussionist Lydia Glanville.

OM and ORE will play the Rainbow Warehouse on Tuesday 26th November, tickets are available via www.theticketsellers.co.uk