Alpha Maid is a guitarist, vocalist and producer from South London whose compositions form lines between avant-garde and pop. Over the course of EP releases in recent years via CURL and C.A.N.V.A.S, as well as a self-released joint EP with Mica Levi called spresso (now the name of their power trio band with drummer Zach Toppin), Alpha Maid has developed an aesthetic that draws from grunged-out guitar, lo-fi glitch, noise audio sample electronics and potent yet controlled vocal hooks – in the process becoming a key figure within London’s subterranean music community. Following the release of solo EP Shed via ATATA in April, the debut Alpha Maid full-length arrives later in 2025, to be toured with a brand new live formation.
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Black Zone Myth Chant is a project of Afrocentric psychedelia and hypnotic footwork by psych-drone artist High Wolf. Sometimes described as “Sun Ra meets Dj Screw”, various Black Zone Myth Chant releases have been released on Low Jack’s label Editions Gravats, including Mane Thecel Phares (ranked 33 in the 2015 albums of the year Boomkat’s charts).
The story of the project starts in 2011. Back from the US where he spent some time touring, hanging out with friends and listening to DJ Screw, High Wolf sat down in his studio and, without any plan, recorded Straight Cassette within a couple of days. It was kind of a weird mix of free jazz influences, pitched-down vocals and ambient synthscapes – this first album came out on tape on High Wolf’s DIY label Winged Sun.
Only a few copies of the debut recording were produced and there was no promotion; it was meant for the tape to be ignored and forgotten. But for some reason it slowly gained quite an obscure reputation which lead to a vinyl reissue on the French label Laitbac in 2014. Since then, it’s been more widely rediscovered, and with perfect timing: after thinking Black Zone Myth Chant was the buried project of a sole record, High Wolf, under the influence of Editions Gravats owners Low Jack & Jean Carval, had started to work on a follow up. The said album came out in 2015, entitled Mane, Thecel, Phares. Successfully received both by the press and the audience, it was time for Black Zone Myth Chant to make his live debut. Black Zone Myth Chant kept touring Europe in 2016, booked by clubs as well as by festivals or DIY experimental venues. The live set was developed rather differently from the record but remained true to its spirit: complex but physical drum beats, modular synth experimentation, airy melodies and his deep signature vocals.
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Ailie Ormston is a composer and musician from Scotland who makes electronic music and music for ensembles that experiments with timbral abstraction, temporality, assemblage and improvisation. Over the years, Ormston has received commissions from Counterflows (2018, 2021, 2024), Tectonics (2022), Cryptic (2022) and the Barbican (2024). They have worked collaboratively with Tim Fraser on It Changes (bison; 2022) and Finlay Clark on Sunflowers Face The Sun (33-33; 2020), as well as two solo releases; The Sedate/Tony Soprano Fashion Inspo. (50% PURE; 2018) and most recently Frames that lean, pictures that roam (Akashic Records; 2025). They are currently writing a string quartet for New York’s JACK Quartet as part of their JACK Studio programme and recently toured a new solo project in the NW Highlands and Islands, supported by label/programmer OVER/AT.
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Benicio Del Trainwreck aka David Moré is a total mensch, ever-ready to debase and open up your expectations for what sound art can be… together with Fritz Welch, David organises the monthly Baked Beans on the Doorstep night at Old Hairdresser’s as well awesome events at Exit.
