Catch Wilson Noir at Castle Arcade on 16 and 17th October 1-3.30pm
CARDIFF, WALES — You can hear the history in the beat, but the energy is brand new. Wilson Noir isn’t just an emerging talent; he’s the direct, dynamic inheritor of South Wales club culture, and he’s lighting up dancefloors across the region.
Blending family legacy with a fresh underground edge, Wilson Noir is bringing new energy to the South Wales DJ scene — bridging the golden era of Catapult Records with the forward-thinking sounds that define his dancefloors today. Emerging from the heart of South Wales’ vibrant underground, Wilson Noir is fast becoming one of the region’s most exciting new DJ talents. Known for his playful, crowd-focused sets, Noir delivers a distinctive blend of vintage rhythms and modern electronic production, bridging old-school UK dance culture with today’s underground energy. Noir’s sound is the definition of New Old Cool — it’s a signature style that’s quickly making him one of the most talked-about names in the scene.
DEEP ROOTS IN THE UNDERGROUND
The store’s infamous in-store sessions became the stuff of local legend, hosting acts like Bonobo, Netsky, LTJ Bukem, Blame, Vibes, Nic Fanciulli, Drop Music, and High Contrast — who famously worked there and was discovered by Hospital Records in the basement. Known for its expert curation, Catapult helped shape the identity of Welsh club culture and nurtured countless local talents. Though its doors closed in 2014, its influence still echoes through South Wales’ dancefloors — celebrated in reunion events, online communities, and in the next generation of DJs like Wilson Noir, who carries forward that same DIY ethos, crate-digger curiosity, and commitment to keeping the dancefloor alive.
FULL CIRCLE: ARCADE RESIDENCY
Building on this legacy, this October, Wilson Noir returns to Catapult’s very first home in the Castle Arcade with a two-day residency for the City of Arcades Project, as part of the Cardiff Music City Festival. The festival — a two-week celebration of Cardiff’s thriving music scene — fills venues, clubs, and hidden corners with gigs, talks, installations, and pop-up performances. Designed to champion both international names and emerging local talent, it blends performance, education, and innovation to strengthen Cardiff’s live music ecosystem.
In collaboration, the City of Arcades Project shines a spotlight on the city’s Victorian and Edwardian arcades — once shopping streets, now cultural landmarks filled with independent shops, cafés, and creative spaces.
For Wilson Noir, performing within the Castle Arcade, where Catapult Records first took root, is a full-circle moment — a chance to bring his signature sound to the very heart of Cardiff’s musical heritage. The residency aligns perfectly with the festival’s spirit: connecting past and present, heritage and innovation, while celebrating the enduring energy that continues to drive South Wales’ electronic music scene.
Wilson Noir said:
“Growing up around Catapult Records, I could feel how music brought people together. Every set I play is about capturing that energy and creating something new on the dancefloor. To play in the Castle Arcade—where it all began—is surreal.”
Ruth Cayford, Head of Creative Industries and Culture Development at Cardiff Council, added:
“Wilson Noir embodies the spirit of Cardiff’s evolving music scene. His deep-rooted connection to the city’s musical heritage, combined with his innovative approach, makes him a perfect fit for this year’s festival. We’re thrilled to see the next generation, supported by groups like Sound Progression, taking the lead.”
SUPPORTING THE SCENE
Noir’s journey is championed by Valé, the popular South Wales streetwear label, a partnership that underscores the connection between local music, fashion, and creative culture. As a member of Sound Progression, Cardiff’s youth music development organisation supported by the Ed Sheeran Foundation, Noir is an integral part of the next generation — shaping Cardiff’s electronic music scene with bold creativity and unstoppable energy.
Catch Wilson Noir at Castle Arcade on 16 and 17th October 1-3.30pm For more information about Cardiff Music City Festival, go to cardiffmusiccity.wales
Here at We Are Cardiff, we love hearing about new businesses and ventures thriving. Tracer Booking Agency are newly in town, and we had the chance to speak to the founder. Read on!
Introduce yourself
Hi, I’m Rich, a music promoter, musician and freelance venue representative from Birmingham, living in Cardiff.
I’ve been in the music industry for around 15 years as a musician, promoter, and fan. I am the guitarist in Cardiff based Hyper-Fuzz band Death Cult Electric, and previous ticketing manager for Orchard Live, as well as working freelance for Sŵn Festival on multiple occasions.
What was your motivation to start this new venture?
I’d been out of the promoting world since January 2023, where I was running Tone Deaf Creatures promotions (along with my business partner Ethan John who now runs HMG promotions. Shout out to Ethan!) and I felt now was the time to get myself back into doing what I love, bringing my favourite bands to Cardiff and try to run the best events I can.
I was working for Orchard Live, working on the biggest and best events Wales had to offer. These included Queens Of The Stone Age and Bryan Adams in Cardiff Castle throughout 2022/23 and I’d learned a lot from my time there from everyone I came in contact with. I felt I needed to put all of this into a project of my own.
Why did you choose the name ‘Tracer Booking Agency‘?
The name had been on my mind for a while, but had recently changed its meaning. The name represents tracing over everything I have done and learned in my 15 years of being in the music industry. Start with all of that expertise and skills I have picked up and then build a bigger picture from there.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself
I have actually ‘Hassled the Hoff’ in a very bizarre situation including an angry taxi driver and a card company awards ceremony. That’s all you’re getting on that!
Any future plans for expansion?
I intend to move into artist management once I have a few more shows under my belt as Tracer Bookings, but I am always happy to offer advice to any musician or artist who needs it.
We will be expanding the team also, looking to bring in another person who has a passion for booking artists on tours and big support slots. Watch this space!
Any exciting upcoming gigs?
I’m super excited to be bringing one of my favourite bands, and good friends of mine, JOHNNY FOREIGNER to Clwb Ifor Bach on 12th June. Support comes from Cardiff favourites MY NAME IS IAN and Math-Pop newcomers GOOD THINGS (featuring members of SAMOANS, ROUGH MUSIC and MATTERS). Tickets are on sale via GIGANTIC and CLWB.NET.
We are working behind the scenes on some exciting shows at a venue I’ve been looking forward to be working with for some time, but you’ll have to wait for that!
How can people get in touch with you?
We are on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us with you EPK or any press releases on TracerBookingAgency@gmail.com. I always love discovering new bands, so if you’re noisy, shouty, or have good riffs, please send them over!
Okay kids. We don’t often do last minute TONIGHT style announcements, but here you go. TONIGHT (22/3/2024) at CultVR Lab, don’t miss this unique live performance.
Das Koolies, returned to their rave roots last year with their expansive debut album DK.01 taking an extended road trip through the former Super Furry Animals’ techno, pop, krautrock and psych influences before hitting the road for real on a sold out UK tour.
Now, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan and Guto Pryce are back in Cardiff for a unique live performance, in collaboration with immersive studio 4Pi Productions and Dah Dit Dit, the creative minds behind their groundbreaking music videos.
Supported by Welsh Government, Cardiff Council and Cardiff Music Board, the Soundspace Session on Friday 22nd March will see the bands’ sonic adventures and poignant beats bound songwriting enhanced by immersive visuals, under the dome at experimental digital arts centre, CULTVR.
Das Koolies:
“Home sweet home, yet unfamiliar territory to all of us, as we turn the Das Koolies’ sounds into something altogether otherworldly at only our second Cardiff live outing. Our album, DK.01, recorded in the secrecy of our HQ in Cardiff Bay, is made of our shared imaginations and experiences but, beyond our own imaginations lie possibilities unexplored. Something unexpected. For perhaps one night only, DK.01 becomes an immersive experience at CULTVR and together we’ll find out what that world looks, sounds and feels like.”
Matt Wright, Artistic Director of 4Pi Productions:
“Over the past decade, 4Pi has been at the forefront of innovation in immersive creativity and live performance. Through this live XR experience, we aspire to offer audiences a deeper insight into the band’s artistic vision.”
The Blackout, a Welsh rock-band from Merthyr Tydfil, said their farewells back in 2015 leaving many young emo hearts broken. But in the year 2024, they have reunited once more and gone on the road to mend those broken hearts.
Joining the boys on the road were Dead Pony and for their Cardiff show, they welcomed De’Lour to the stage to open the set. Each night a local band open the show and for Cardiff the five-piece band were selected. They thrashed out banger after banger with the songs, Suncrusher, Cold Decisions and Crown. We recommend giving these guys a listen! Dead Pony were second on. They are a Scottish rock-band from Glasgow. Sean Smith said on stage that he is in awe of their chosen band name as it sounds incredibly punk rock. These are another band to keep an eye on – their new single RAINBOWS is out now!
Uproar and nostalgia filled The Great Hall in Cardiff, the moment The Blackout jumped onto stage. Opening the set with This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, the boys had the audience eating from the palm of their hands immediately. Frontman Gavin Butler, injured his achilies during the Manchester stop on the tour so performed the show in a boot, but props on his for continuing the tour despite the circumstances!
Cardiff successfully made Sean Smith cry three times in total and had poor Bob (James Davies) sat on the floor as he patiently waited for the crowd to stop chanting We Are The Dynamite. During I’m A Riot, You’re a F**cking Riot, there were actual riots in the crowd. The mosh pits got heavy and security intervened at one point but everyone kept each other safe and made sure they were all having the best night. They ended their set as they always do with Save Our Selves (The Warning). It’s usually at this point where Sean Smith would ask the audience to get down but the crowd knew exactly what was expected of them.
We’re so glad to see The Blackout’s return and feel like society has been restored in South Wales. We look forward to see where the boys continue and how they perform at Slam Dunk this year!
In It Together Festival will return to Old Park Farm, Margam in May 2024. Alongside the big three headliners over the weekend, they will be joined on stage with other names like Eurovision and Tik Tok star Sam Ryder, Newton Faulkner, Scouting For Girls, Blue and many many more!
Based in Wales, this festival is known for championing Welsh music and this year they continue to give local artists and names a place on their big stage. Artists like Eleri, Banshi, Niques, Half Happy and ADJUA have been given the opportunity to perform in front of a potential 50,000 people over the course of that weekend. An opportunity that doesn’t come lightly for smaller local artists from the Welsh valleys.
I spoke to these few artists and asked how they felt about being able to be part of In It Together:
“I’m feeling really excited about my first In It Together festival! I can’t wait to see all the amazing artists on the line-up as well!” – ADJUA
“I’m so excited to be playing In It Together again after playing at the first one in 2022. It’s amazing to have a festival of that scale bringing big artists to Wales, and the Paddock Stage with local artists alongside the big names is such a good idea!” – Eleri
“I used to want to perform at this festival and I set it as a goal to get on the line-up, so to be on it now feels so rewarding.” – Niques
Eleri photographed at Tramshed, Cardiff by Chloe Michelle Photography
Niques photographed at Porters, Cardiff by Chloe Michelle Photography
Encouraging local music artists is crucial for fostering a diverse and vibrant cultural landscape. These emerging talents often bring fresh perspectives and innovative sounds that may go unnoticed in mainstream channels. Supporting them not only helps nurture creativity but also contributes to the preservation of unique regional identities.
In It Together have selected more than fifty Welsh artists alongside their star-studded line-up in a celebration of Cymru’s grassroots talent. This grassroots support fosters a sense of community, encouraging a cycle of artistic inspiration that ultimately enriches the global music scene.
“We’ll start a fire and burn some bridges and make it out of here tonight”
Welsh band, Funeral For A Friend took to the stage at Utilita Arena, Cardiff on Saturday October 14th for their penultimate show of the ‘Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation’ tour.
From Bridgend, formed in 2001, the band is made up of Matthew Davies-Kreye, Kris Coombs-Roberts, Gavin Burrough, Darran Smith, Richard Boucher and Ryan Richards.
During their Cardiff show, they were joined by American rock band Dashboard Confessional and Welsh rock band Dream State as supporting acts.
Opening the show, Dream State, fronted by Jessie Powell, gave the crowd a rock show entrance they will never forget. Performing their first arena show, Dream State were incredibly thankful to be part of Funeral For a Friend’s anniversary tour. Despite the size of the arena and crowd, Jessie held up her horns and threw herself into the audience, creating her own pit. This Welsh rock band was the perfect start to get this show on the road. Chin Up Princess is a song that will be on repeat for a while.
Dashboard Confessional were second on stage just before Funeral For A Friend themselves. The American rock band opened up with Don’t Wait and continued into songs such as Saints and Sailors and Screaming Infidelities. Bringing the crowd back down to a calm and collected level, Dashboard Confessional were able to maintain interaction with the audience with a special song request from a band member. Chris Carrabba told the crowd that each night on the tour they choose to play a random song from their discography.
Just over 2 hours after doors officially opened, the main show started, Funeral For A Friend were greeted by loud screams from their hometown Welsh fans. They opened with Rookie of the Year and continued into Bullet Theory. Lead singer Matthew Davies-Kreye was lucky enough to celebrate his birthday on home turf during their Cardiff show. Fans were jumping, pits were opened and the band’s 20th anniversary tour was celebrated in style at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff.
On the weekend of the UK’s first socially distanced festival at Gisburne Park, the music industry is in a state of uncertainty and mass disruption. Rising from the ashes of the digital apocalypse caused by file sharing and damage to physical sales in the 2000s, last year the UK music scene had grown to one of the most lucrative in the world, contributing over £5bn to the economy every year. Where artists once gigged to promote their new music, there has been a shift to releases generating ticket sales and contributing up to 70 per cent of a musician’s income, as fans flock to concerts and to buy merch. The UK has incredible international standing for both its vibrant festivals and creative talent.
Fast forward to today. Music events are cancelled, artists are struggling, the supply chain has collapsed and 90 per cent of music venues could face permanent closure. Many small limited companies and freelancers have been completely excluded from any funding, grant or support, including being furloughed. There is no current live music ‘industry’, and navigating the future means dealing with multiple complex issues. It’s clear that by its very nature live music will be the last industry to reopen, so the question is – can the sector survive? And if so, how? No one saw this coming …
But is this an opportunity to drive change and reshape the industry, specifically regarding how streaming income is shared out between different stakeholders? Low payouts to artists have been a cause for concern since Spotify launched in 2008. The Musicians’ Union and The Ivors Academy have called for the government to intervene. The UK government’s Department For Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has been called to “investigate how the market for recorded music is operating in the era of streaming to ensure that music creators are receiving a fair reward”.
We are a long way from the 1994 Monopolies and Mergers Commission’s Investigation of the UK Music Market, which was prompted over concern about the high price of CDs and the huge associated profits being made. Post the heady heights of HMV and Virgin retailing, the shutdown of live music is a good time to put the spotlight back on the value of music and address perceptions of it being “free”.
The creative process has been further degraded by recent comments from Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on the rate of album releases, stating it isn’t enough for artists to “record music once every three to four years”. The industry has to be nurtured, it does not serve to churn out hits, but when it does there, should be a comprehensive mechanism for monetisation.
Without doubt, the future will see a blended experience of live music; there is no substitute for physical connectivity, but there are opportunities to engage new audiences using technology. Covid-19 has accelerated this reach. In the first instance, barriers and obstacles to physical attendance at gigs have been removed, with virtual events opening up wider access, inclusivity and diversity. This has to be a good thing.
Going forward, forms of virtual access could run simultaneously to live festivals and gigs for those that can’t or don’t want to attend, ideally with interactive elements. There is a sense of fatigue surrounding live streams but new ground is being broken by events that can really bring a sense of “live”. Step forward Lost Horizons (3-4th July 2020) a fully interactive festival attracting 4.36m viewers, from over 100 countries which took place over six stages built-in VR events platform Sansar. More than 70 DJs and artists, including Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox and Frank Turner, performed and those who attended the festival in Sansar could visit six virtual worlds, with nine camera angles apiece, purpose-built for the occasion.
While it’s not everyone’s bag, and there can never be a replacement for the energy of physical live music, my mind turns to next-generation gig goers, the ones more used to inhabiting virtual worlds. Video games have been an important platform for discovering and consuming music since the early 1990s, and there’s an entire generation of players that owe their music tastes to games such as FIFA, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Grand Theft Auto. Virtual concerts are the next logical step in the relationship between video games and music and there’s certainly an appetite with more than 12 milliontuning in for Travis Scott’s ‘Fortnite’ event. Gaming platforms have the capacity to reach millions as well as generate creative new forms of consumer consumption.
There’s plenty of food for thought and experiments already underway, but the horizon can’t all be about tech. At some point, the industry needs to get back on its organic feet and we must ensure that the music industry ecosystem remains when the pandemic has finally passed. Creativity, determination and passion in our community have driven numerous successful campaigns during Covid-19 that raise awareness of the resolute need for more support from the government so that the industry survives in these desperate times. The huge societal response demonstrates just how important music is to our economy, culture, wellbeing and heritage. It can’t be sidelined.
Creative Republic of Cardiff is a non-profit organisation that plans to rejuvenate Cardiff’s live music and creative culture. It was been set up by former staff & friends of The Full Moon, which closed in April 2017.
They set up an Indiegogo campaign which raised £14,000 in two weeks, which helped them to take on the building’s lease and open at the end of April 2017 as a new community-led, non-profit venue & arts space called THE MOON.
eg – securing the lease; licenses; insurance; tills; stock; accounting; legal; security; design & signage; plumbing & electrics; continuing refurbishment – painting, carpentry, tiling, loads of odd jobs and fixing stuff, lights replaced, little cloakroom/space for band gear; & everything else associated with maintaining a fully functioning venue!
Additional funds will allow us to improve the venue, carry out maintenance and provide them with basic working capital.
Creative Republic of Cardiff will use the venue to establish an environment of collaboration, networking and knowledge sharing. It will nurture, develop, organise and showcase talent from Cardiff and beyond.
The Moon has been an powerhouse for supporting grassroots artists, and supporting them is support for our independent music scene!
They’re currently offering two levels of support: £7.50 per month, or £20 per month. Here’s how they break down:
$10 (£7.50) or more per month:
Moon ‘Saviour’ T-Shirt
10% discount at the bar FOR LIFE any time you come in wearing your Saviour t-shirt
Your name will also be placed on the wall plaque of saviours
$25 (£20) or more per month:
Saviour t-shirt
10% off at the bar for life when wearing Saviour t-shirt
1 free gig per month at The Moon of your choice (subject to ticket availability)
Today we welcome Hannah Weiss to introduce the Ladies of Rage, a new Cardiff musical collective. All images here by Aiyush Pachnanda. Enjoy!
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The Cardiff collective Ladies of Rage (LOR) was established by radio DJ Ffion Wyn Morris, to unite women in the Welsh music scene. The group is 80 members strong, the group welcomes anyone interested in learning to mix tracks or take their turn on the mic. Whether you’re into D’n’B or old-skool hip hop, writing lyrics or beatboxing, there’s a place for you here.
The LOR had a showcase at The Moon in December, which was a real success. The ladies had honed their skills through a series of monthly jam sessions and workshops, ready to take the stage for the first showcase.
The Moon is Cardiff’s prime space for up-and-coming indie acts and the perfect place for the Ladies of Rage to make their debut: large enough to pack a solid audience, small enough to allow each performer to connect with the crowd. There was a mix of men and women; a healthy cross-section of supporters in the scene, people looking for a good show and a handful who wander in throughout the night, drawn by the music to find out more.
Stella Marie and Trishna Jaikara Shan kick-start the showcase. Both DJs are here to demonstrate their skill on the decks, and each brings her own flair to the hip hop mixes they’ve come to play. People drift from the bar to the stage, as the hype builds for the first emcee.
First on the mic is Becky Cee, a new rapper who found performing through poetry. This is evidenced by the compelling lyricism of her words, as she explores anger and anxiety. At times her delivery is backed by music, at others she lets the timbre of her voice fill the space. Each of the trio of tracks is deeply personal, a timely reminder of the purpose of the night: enabling women in music to make their voices heard.
Following her is Judy Price, the leading lady on tech for the night, who blends her words with a self-composed mix that gives her set a smooth, bluesy vibe. There’s a steady confidence in her delivery that matches the evocative self-awareness of her lyrics.
Amelia Unity is up next, an OG in Cardiff’s hip hop scene. The spoken word poet, graffiti artist and B-girl takes the stage to give The Moon a taste of the talent that won her first place at the Swansea Poetry Slam last year. She’s ready with an arsenal of talking points, from the personal to the political. Quoting the ‘colour war on the high street’ and ‘a gambler who couldn’t play her game’, Unity flips from uncovering cracks in Cardiff’s hip hop community to smoking public discourse on beauty standards and aging, taking her audience on a vivid ride through her experiences of life and art.
Lyrical depth is a clear strength these women share. Leah Hutchinson shifts into a more introspective tone with her mix of singing and spoken word, showcasing her flair for flow and a unique vocal tone. She welcomes the audience into her world through four tracks that unfold in a gorgeous string of metaphors referencing nature, poetry and religion. Framing both her fellow performers and the audience in the statement ‘we are all an expression of infinite art’, she encapsulates the purpose of the night in one beautiful turn of phrase.
Building on Leah’s tentative step through the divide between poetry and music, singer-songwriter Asha Jane dives into a soaring R&B set of self-penned tracks. ‘If you fall in love with a storyteller, you might be in love with the stories’, is the haunting refrain of stand-out track ‘Oyster’. Asha spins a soulful tale of love and loss, while the hype of the audience around her stills to rapt attention.
Asha stays on stage to collab with battle rapper Shawgz, who transforms the crowd’s focus into a flare of energy with a rapid-fire salvo of tracks from her new BLK Tape EP. The pair play off each other’s strengths, letting the tempo rise and fall as they shift flow in perfect sync. Shawgz owns the stage with flair, demonstrating her freestyle chops as she ribs with the audience.
The vibe stays at a simmering high as Lady SP hits the stage with a flow so fast it ricochets around the venue like gunfire. If the first half of this showcase drew the audience in through the ladies’ lyricism and exchange of shared experiences, the latter sets are a performance of sheer power.
The strength of the collective really hits home when Tasha, better known by her moniker TT, rallies for her first time on stage. The other women gather, ready at her back, while the crowd before her chants their collective support to welcome her onto the scene.
The full roster of emcees, singers and DJs share the stage to swap verses in a friendly-fire cypher that rounds out the night with a display of unity and mutual respect. Every women takes her turn on the mic, the hype of the others around her never letting up.
Lubi J and Stella shift the showcase from performance to party, taking turns on the decks to play some D’n’B, with emcee Missy G stepping up to the mic to freestyle over the mix. Before the night comes to a close, the ladies present founder Ffion with a birthday present as she thanks the audience for their support, giving a shout out to each performer’s tenacity and talent, and a nod to Amy Farrah’s photo exhibition. Headshots of the performers line the walls, accompanied by words, as each gives her voice to the need for this new era in music.
The Ladies of Rage showcase is a clear demonstration of the treasure-trove of talent among women emcees, DJs and musicians in Wales. It’s not just a performance, but a call to arms. This is the first time several performers stepped from the edges of the underground scene to go onstage. How many women in the audience, you wonder, might be inspired to pen lyrics and experiment with mixes after watching the skill on show that night?
It’s those women in the crowd the Ladies of Rage came for. The ones who haven’t yet dared to test their skills. Now when they do, there’s a full collective of women ready to share their experiences and stand alongside them.
Are you a fan of trip-hop? Dense lyricism? Modern gothic aesthetics? Have you spun Mezzanine by Massive Attack a bit too many times? Then check out Agiris, the musical project of poet turned musician and Cardiff resident Ryan Draper. His sound skirts the border between poetry and trip-hop, delivering a sound that pushes electronic music to catharsis. Ben Newman sat down with the songwriter to discuss all things music, poetry, lyrics and metropolitan life.
Agiris is a collaborative project, correct? How did this collaboration with Sunbane come about?
You’re partially right. Agiris is the solo manifestation of my artistry as a writer and performer. You could say it’s a sort of character for me to explore my creativity, but it also allows me to exhibit an artform that I wouldn’t necessarily express as just Ryan. As Agiris I’ve been working towards the completion of my first mixtape, ‘Anima’ and a lot of the work produced for this project has been a collaborative effort. I’ve worked with a range of producers including Sunbane, Jonatan Bäckelie and Bexxo, composer/pianist Ezra Nixon, photographer/videographer Seanen Middleton, make-up artist Lauren Labram and iron-cast melder Ashleigh Harrold. Sunbane has contributed a significant amount to my work and we’ve got a pretty co-operative partnership going on. As well as helping me to enhance some demos and producing some of the tracks for my mixtape, I’ve performed alongside him at this year’s HUB fest and supplied vocals for a track on his upcoming Alchemist EP (out Dec 14th), which will be my very first release to hit all the streaming platforms. Synergistic vibes all round.
Q. Do you tend to write lyrics after listening to his production or does lyric writing come first?
My mixtape has been written for a long time now. I revealed Agiris back in May of this year and the time since has been about finding the right music to dissolve the words in. There was one production that I received from Jonatan where I wrote a completely original track over it, but everything else has been lyrics first.
Q. You’ve defined your music as “poetrip” which indicates a fusion between trip-hop’s aesthetics and poetic lyrics. Aside from this genre-lyric relationship, what else does poetrip stand for?
It’s mainly that the focus is on the words. As mentioned before, most of the tracks were written and performed as poems or spoken word pieces before having the music to accompany them. The mixtape itself flows between very structured and rhythmic verses and fluid, soft spoken interludes with a more poetic delivery. I’d like to think that the reader could delve into the lyricism of any of my tracks and extract the messages or the emotions of what I’m trying to say from just reading or listening to the words alone. I suppose the music is there to enhance the experience but also act as a gateway to the lyrics. I’ve also found it uncomfortable to express what I do as rap. Rap brings to mind very specific connotations which I feel I don’t quite fit into. Poetrip, to me, suggests a more image invoking or story-telling genre and one that allows for a bit more flexibility.
Q. Considering your background in writing poetry, how have you found the transition to writing lyrics? Do you tend to follow a similar writing style/method or is it a totally different thought process?
It’s odd. I’ve always written with the rhyme in mind so that hasn’t changed. With spoken word you can sort of take the structure any where but with music I’m very aware that I need to ride the instrumentation just right and allow for more constriction. I’m discovering the art of flow!
Q. Both lyrically and sonically, Agiris tends to delve into dark sounds and textures. Who are your major inspirations for this sound? Are there any lyric-writers/vocalists you tend to look to for inspiration?
For the past few years my favourite music to listen to has been dark electronic pop and alternative R&B (FKA twigs, Banks, Abra, James Blake, Sevdaliza, Kill J). My mixtape has been massively influenced by the likes of Portishead and Tricky, but particularly Massive Attack and their Mezzanine album. I’ve always wanted to re-create its deliciously atmospheric soundscape. Lyric wise- I love the way Bjork writes. She writes without any sort of conditioning. The freedom in her lyricism is tangible to me. Lorde is also a terrific writer. I could just read her album and feel the music in the words.
Q. Out of these inspirations, who would be your dream collaborator?
I’ve actually thought hard about this because I wouldn’t want to feel too intimidated if I were to work with someone I look up to. I’d get too nervous and make a t*t of myself. So bearing that in mind, I’d have to say NAO. Some of her darker tunes are my favourite songs and I LOVE her unusual, honey-sweet voice. Her lyrics are so poetic too: “You’re a holiday, a glass of ocean slipping down my throat and landed on my hopes”. I’ve actually met her and she was incredibly humble- it was like talking to an old friend, so I think we would actually write something great together.
Q. Do you view and evaluate music a little differently now that you’re making it?
Yeah, sadly it has sort of diminished its impact ever so slightly. Before, I would be mesmerised by music and wonder how the hell the artist could come up with something in bewilderment. I still get that! But now I’m working on the software and recording for hours at a time, I’ve started to view the whole concept of music in more technical terms. Sometimes I just need to be found in the right moment and the magic comes flooding back.
Q. Your last track, Monstratum, was sonically your most challenging song yet, nodding to genres such as drone and industrial. Where do you see your sound going in the long-term? Was this more left-field and confrontational sound an indication of your future work?
Monstratum’s concept is about the universal capacity for evil and so I wanted music that was aggressive and haunting to convey its idea. It’s probably the heaviest moment on the Anima track listing. Anima is a very conceptual project and my aim was always to tie it together with a cohesive sound. Before Anima and Agiris, I was making music as part of a duo that was very sarcastic and humorous with simple pop/hip-hop beats. Anima was born out of a need to want to be taken more seriously and to use Agiris as a vessel in which to challenge myself and my insecurities. I was sort of hiding behind the humour before because I was afraid to be sincere and declare myself as someone with true, artistic intentions. Now that I’m getting more comfortable with it, I’m excited to continue to use eclectic sounds and maintain an alternative aesthetic.
Q. Before releasing Monstratum, you released a quote from Carl Jung’s essay ‘On the Psychology of the Unconscious’ regarding the nature of evil. Do you derive a lot of intertextual inspiration from psychology and literature?
It’s funny, it’s kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy for me. I was trying to find a stage name for myself and I kept coming back to the colour silver, the moon and the soul. Eventually I decided upon “Agiris Anima” as a sort of indirect translation for “Silver eyes to the soul”. I cut it short with Agiris but I realised that most of what I was writing about fit with the Anima title. I knew it translated from Italian to ‘soul’ before I knew of the Jungian archetype. I’d also written the basis for Monstratum before I knew of Carl Jung and then I researched some of his quotes and particularly his concept of integrating the shadow. I noticed my poetry aligning with his philosophies and the notion of the Anima became the catalyst that sort of made everything slot into place as a project. I’ve also used a snippet of a philosophical conversation between Dr. Jordan Peterson and Russell Brand. I found the dichotomy of these two individuals, who are both viewed as radicals of the left/right paradigm, just calmly talking about philosophy together to be a notable anomaly in today’s divisive political climate. I took a snippet of where they mention Jung’s alchemical axiom ‘Insterquilnies invinetur” (that which you need will be found where you least want to look) and I used it to introduce a track called “Truth Is…Vacant” which talks about how, in my opinion, the ignorance of truth has been elevated in our culture.
Q. How was HUB Festival? You’ve got lots of experience performing poetry, but I imagine performing music live for the first time was nerve-wracking. Got any live dates planned soon?
For a first-time performance, I think it went well. But it’s that thing where you know you can give it so much more. It’s going to be a challenge to deliver on stage exactly what I have envisioned in my head, but I’m determined to get there. I’m hoping to secure a Mixtape Launch gig next year.
Q. For lack of a better term, your aesthetic is underpinned by something that’s distinctly urban. How does living in a city like Cardiff affect your writing and artistic approach?
I write a lot about mundanity, pessimism and feeling stagnated. I thought this derived from the isolation of the valleys, but I seemed to write more about those concepts living in Manchester and Cardiff. I lived right in the centre of both cities and could still feel intense isolation amongst the metropolitan buzz, perhaps more so than Tredegar. Despite that, I still get motivated living in the city to want to share my work and meet other creators. I like to use Cardiff’s locations for a lot of the scenes in my music videos too.
Q. Cheeky question: when is the mixtape dropping?
If all goes to plan, it’ll be an initial free download release on the 1st of March 2019. Hopefully with a full-platform distribution to follow.
If Agiris seems to hit the right note with you, then keep your ears primed for a new single that drops December 14. For more, check out his music and keep up with him on:
With the news earlier this year than Sŵn Festival had changed hands, we were excited to hear about the line up announcement … and it’s finally here!
The final wave of Sŵn bands have been announced for this iconic Cardiff city festival, taking place Wednesday 17 – 20 October 2018. WHOOP!
Previous announcements already brought you Gaz Coombes, Boy Azooga, Drenge, Gwenno, 77:78 and Queen Zee – and now there are 30 more awesome acts …
Heavenly’s The Orielles will open Thursday’s mammoth gig at The Great Hall alongside grunge rock brothers Drenge and Melbourne’s tough surf pop outfit, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.
Jacob’s Market on Friday will be a massive night, with Cardiff homegrown Darkhouse Family curating a night of hypnotic, jazz and dance tunes with Bugz in the Attic performing live, alongside Esther and Andromeda Jones.
Cardiff-based Estrons are one of our favourites (they’ve just released their debut album You Say I’m Too Much , get yours now!) have a reputation for their bold, electrifying gigs, which means they’re certainly not one to miss this year – they’re playing on the Saturday. Joining them is Canadian artist Boniface, who unites 80s synth-pop with contemporary 21st century indie-pop to create a rare and electrifying performance.
Sŵn Festival takes place over four days (17-20 October) and 17 venues: Buffalo Bar, Clwb Ifor Bach, Fuel, Gwdihw Café Bar, Kongs, Nos Da, O’Neills, Off Track Café, The Big Top, The Blue Night Café, The Great Hall, The Moon, The Old Market Tavern, Tiny Rebel, Tramshed and Undertone.
Adam Williams, Live Manager at Clwb Ifor Bach (who are now managing the festival) said: “We’re over the moon to announce the final wave of artists for Swn Festival 2019. It’s been six months since we were asked to take on running and booking the festival and we’re super happy with what we’ve produced. Now all we have left is to deliver it!
“Sŵn Festival has been a vital part of the Cardiff music calendar for the last 12 years and it’s been really exciting for us at Clwb to build on that success – we hope we’ve created something special and that people continue to enjoy this festival for many more years to come.”
Friday, various city centre venues, £20 (general release)
Saturday, various city centre venues, £25 (general release)
Weekend, across the city, £35 (2nd release)
4 Day Golden Ticket, £60 (second release)
Full line-up (we’ve highlighted out picks in bold, in case you give a fork …)
77:78; ACCÜ; Adwaith; Al Moses; Andromeda Jones; Annabel Allum; Another Sky; Argrph; Bandicoot; Bitw; Bo Ningen; Boniface; Boy Azooga; Breichiau Hir; Bugz In The Attic; Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard; Carolines; Carw; Cassia; Castorp; Chartreuse; Christian Punter; Cosmo Sheldrake; Cousin Kula; Cowtown; Cpt. Smith; CVC; Dead Method; Dream Wife; Drenge; Drunk Yoga DJs; Ed The Dog; Esther; Estrons; Farm Hand; Fling; Frown Upon; Gaz Coombes; Giant Party; Goat Girl; Great News; Greta Isaac; Grey Hairs; Griff Lynch; GRLTLK; Gwenno; Halo Maud; Hana2k; Heavy Rapids; HMS Morris; Ivan Moult; I See Rivers; Keeva; Keir; Knowbetter; L.A. Salami; Lewys; Los Blancos; Low Island; Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard; Marged; Martha; Mellow Gang; Mellt; MRPHY; My Name Is Ian; Night Flight; Oh Peas!; Perfect Body; Pizzagirl; Private World; Queen Zee; Quiet Marauder; Rascalton; Red Telephone; RedFaces; Right Hand Left Hand; Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever; RYD; Sam Evian; Scott Xylo; Silent Forum; Snapped Ankles; Sock; Spinning Coin; Suuns; Talkshow; Tamu Massif; Teddy Hunter; The Blinders; The Death of Money; The Effect; The Gentle Good; The Go! Team; The Mysterines; The Orielles; The Pitchforks; The Witching Hour; Tigress; Tracy Island; Vive La Void; Wasuremono; Wild Cat Strike; XY&O; Y Sybs; Ya Yonder; Yassassin; Yves; Zabrinski; Zac White
Earlier this year we were on the panel helping choose the bands for this year’s BBC Gorwelion/Horizons project. We plan to do a post about all the bands participating very soon, but there were a couple of BRILLIANT, stand-out Cardiff bands that didn’t make the final 12, that we want to profile for you.
First up, meet one of our new favourite bands, RAINBOW MANIAC!
As you can see, Rainbow Maniac are proper good times psychedelic rock’n’roll – plenty of energy and catchy tunes. What more could you ask of your new favourite band? Conor from the band was even kind enough to do a quick Q&A with us.
WE ARE CARDIFF. Please introduce the band!
RAINBOW MANIAC. Well, my name is Conor, I sing and write the songs. Louis plays the guitar, Gavin plays the drums and Laura plays bass.
We’re all from different South Walian valleys/towns, We all met in Bridgend College, only me and Gavin knew each other beforehand. That’s where the band formed, as we were the only four people in the class who weren’t into metal!
WAC. How did you end up in Cardiff?
RM. I studied a sound tech degree in Cardiff and then we all gradually found work and moved here.
WAC. Give us some local bands you’re into.
RM. Well obviously there’s The Socks, The Buzzards and The CVCs, but we’ve also got into some of the newer bands coming through like Al Moses, The Rotanas, The Pitchforks, and Carolines.
WAC. What’s your favourite Cardiff venue?
RM. Cardiff University Great Hall. We’ve seen a lot of our favourite bands there. I remember seeing Pete Doherty and Babyshambles gigs there before Rainbow Maniac were even a thing, and it had a big effect on me. We’d love to play there one day in the not-too-distant future.
WAC. What’s your favourite Cardiff boozer?
RM. It’s a difficult question because there are so many Wetherspoons to choose from, but would have to say The Gatekeeper, next to Moon Club. It’s a great place to get drunk before you go in to watch a band and are forced to pay over £3 for a can of Red Stripe. Until we get a call from Rough Trade, I will not be able to afford those prices.
WAC. What’s next for the band?
RM. We’re currently sat on a bunch of new recordings, so next we’re gonna shoot and direct our own music video with help from our friends at Mono. After that we’re just gonna work on the release, and try and cause as much of a stir in the music industry as possible, play some more shows, build some more friends, and fans. And have fun!
We Are Cardiff 