Sounds From The Fringe

Splitting The Atom IX is a Free Experimental/Noise music ‘all dayer’ that looks to be a delight for all interested in left field music and sound art. The H.O.T geek Nick Weekes explains.

Sunday the 30th September promises to be a very unusual afternoon. That is, if you’re within earshot of The Tubman in Cambridge Road and especially if you’re inside it. From 2pm a collection of experimental musicians and noise makers will be gathering there, performing and reporting their experiences in the uncharted regions of sound. Expect awesome free jazz frenzies, home made instruments and ‘circuit bent’ electronics, intense dub music, aural landscapes, poetry, performance art, dark and deep drone sounds, Phonography, oddball costumes, large quantites of good humour and outrageous feats of amplifier sacrifice!

That’s not to say the whole event will be an onslaught of loud racket though. The use of the word noise describes a method of music making with sounds from unusual sources, blurs the distinction between noise and music in how it’s created and perceived and under expert control immerses the listener as music does with loud and quiet passages.

These collective shows have been running regularly in Brighton and this will be the first satellite event. Hastings has quite an eclectic and active musical culture but this is a little different and a few might be shocked or surprised. It fits in nicely with the town’s established crazy goings on though, the pram race and the bird-man competition (’twas a regular event on Hastings pier) for example are known to nudge the envelope of sensible entertainment. Maybe “Shoot the Poets” is a better comparison or the “Eastbourne Fringe”.

Graham Newbury began Splitting The Atom three years ago in Brighton so i asked him some quick questions:

NW: Why?

GN: “The aim of Splitting The Atom is to bring a wide range of experimental/ free/”niche” musics together under one roof and expose interested people to as much of it as possible. This is why we keep the events free even though we have no funding as yet.”

NW: What motivated you to bring the show to Hastings?

GN: “The initial reason for coming to Hastings is a friend called David Francis who is/was involved with the Tubman venue and runs many events in Hastings asked us to bring some Club Zygotic events from Brighton and we had such a great time and reception at the gigs we put on there that we talked about bringing STA (Splitting The Atom) down and so the 1st one will be 30th sept. There is already a 2nd planned for sun 25th Nov and hopefully it’ll be bi-monthly alternating with our STAs in Brighton.”

NW: Have the shows been popular?

GW: “In Brighton they have been pretty popular and have carved out a solid reputation over the last 3 years on a par with Spirit of Gravity and Colour Out Of Space.”

“We are putting together plans to take STA to Leeds, Southampton and Bristol in league with the Bang the Bore people and possibly we may be at the next Supernormal festival.”

NW: That’s Exciting!

Some local practitioners are on the bill, “Bear Aneurysm” and “Warrior Squares” both lurk in the Hastings underground music world and this will be a rare chance to see them performing. For Warrior Squares this is quite a milestone, they’ve been curating similar events for the last three years too, inviting Mothers of the Third Reich and Noteherder & Mc Cloud to Hastings. Their “Freekender” mini festival in 2010 showcased “niche” musics from the south coast over a weekend at The Roomz (formerly known as The Rooms), St.Leonards.

So could this be a fringe event to Coastal Currents? It’s definitely a perfect adjunct to it so pop down to The Tubman for a pint on Sunday and prepare to get your ears more than tickled!

Splitting The Atom IX, 3oth Sept 2pm – 10:30pm Free admission! The Tubman, Cambridge Rd, Hastings.

Also in: Music & Sound