EXCLUSIVE ALBUM STREAM: "4" BY HAQ123

Dave from noise/doom/strange rockers,  Haq123 sent me their latest release "4" and boy did it make me smile, the first track is called "The truth according the Graham Dyer" and if you don't know who is, then you are probably reading this article by accident. "4" is a weird, creepy, little record which has just full of weird shit that makes you smile. It's full of pure joy from start to finish.

It was recorded in Wales too, which gives me an extra soft spot for t.

I'm delighted to be streaming it in his entirety right here, spin the living shit out of it and then grab a copy on October 30th from their Bandcamp page.

COSMIC INTRODUCTIONS: THEE ALCOHOLICS (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO STREAM)

Good old Joe from Hey Colossus has done what many of us always talk about doing but never do, started a label. A bloody good one too called Wrong Speed Records.

He gave me some future releases to listen to and this one by a brand new band called THEE ALCOHOLICS absolutely floored me. It took me back to the days of bands like Todd and Men of Unitus mixed with a Pharoah Overlord kinda' vibe. Motorik filth!

I started quizzing him about the mystery peeps in this seemingly accomplished act who have come from nowhere but he stayed shtum! 

From the label:

"This album ten track 25-minute rager from South East London. Aggro noise rock boiled down to its essence, no messing about. Recorded in a flat overlooking the South Circular road May-June 2020.

Two guitars, key-bass, drums, voice, and a couple of guest appearances. The gnarly big muff energy of early Tad and Mudhoney mixed with the industrial crush repetition of Godflesh. Vocals ugly and buried like the Brainbombs. Mastered by Jon Hamilton outta Part Chimp. 50 cassettes. Pay what you want download. You need this in your life.

Speaking as the label person, this is the shit that make you want to punch holes in the wall.  This label is for the music that has an outsider energy. It doesn't matter what genre, if it's got a zip about it I can tell. Thee Alcoholics are the shit. Tuck in. Hope they play live at some point".

It's a total honour to be announcing the existence of this band and check out the exclusive stream of their video for "Karens God Plan", what a fucking rager!

The album comes on this Friday through the Wrong Speed Records Bandcamp. Limited to 50 tapes (£5) and digital (PWYW).

I'm so glad bands like this still exist.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO STREAM: "It's a Hard Life if You Don't Weaken / It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken" BY HAQ123

EXCLUSIVE ALBUM STREAM: "SERVICE PROVIDER" BY MODERN TECHNOLOGY

If 2020 wasn’t such a complete twat, next weekend we would have had an incredible London based 2 piece called Modern Technology headlining Cosmic Carnage at The Moon. It would have been fucking class, we would have drank Red Stripes,  pumped our firsts to some colossal riffs with purpose and be oblivious to the term social distancing (we probably would have guessed it meant staying home and having a few spliffs or something). This obviously couldn’t happen but with the heart-breaking lack of live music this year, at least new releases are still trickling through and I’m delighted to be providing an exclusive stream of their monstrous new album, “Service Provider” right here.

Their first full-length, recorded by cosmic hero, Wayne Adams of Big Lad /Petbrick at Bear Bites Horse Studio and Mastered by James Plotkin of Khanate / OLD. Their setup is vox/bass/drums and they make an infectious racket. Think a Big Business sort of vibe but more grumpy.

Their music explores themes of mental health, austerity and inequality and these guys also run label/night Human Worth which raises money for such causes, fucking heroes!

‘Service Provider‘ comes out 4th September 2020 through:

CruelNature Records (on limited edition cassette)

HumanWorth (on limited edition vinyl) – A new charitable label raising funds throughtheir shows and releases for those in crisis.

20% of all proceeds from the record go to mental health support charity Black Minds Matter and The Trussell Trust, who provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty.

Now stream the living shit out of it, then buy it!

EXCLUSIVE ALBUM STREAM: VICIOUS VIRTUES BY WE WILD BLOOD

A good few years ago, I put on a fairly last minute cosmic blowout at the Camden Unicorn. Something happened that night, I got more drunk than usual and I got thrown out of my own gig. Luckily enough, it wasn't before We Wild Blood took the stage who were sensational.

This North London based 4 piece are a tricky band to describe. It's not quite psych or noise rock but all I know is that they make an incredible racket and have braced the Cosmic Carnage stage since in both London and Cardiff. Front man, Andy always has a trouble-making glint in his eye and you never quite know what will happen next.

 It's been wonderful to see things take off for them a bit a lately, playing with Oneida, Deafkids, John and Rainbow Grave. They were meant to be playing Raw Power and Cardiff Psych and Noise fest but as we all know, 2020 has been an absolute twat.

I'm delighted to be streaming their brand new album, VICIOUS VIRTUES in its entirety right here. What a deranged monster of a record, they are sounding like true world beaters. An epic vibe which constantly morphs an swirls into some other brain frying noise.

The album was recorded at the legendary Wayne Adams (Petbrick, Big Lad) Bear Bites Horse studio and is released on July 17th on vinyl and digi download on Hot Fools Records, right here! You can pre-order the fucker right now.

Photo of We Wild Blood @ The Moon, Cardiff by Jose Caamano

EXCLUSIVE ALBUM STREAM: "BEST IN SHOW" BY LOVELY WIFE ON CRUEL NATURE RECORDS

I fucking adore Lovely Wife, been putting them on for years. They are a unique weirdo blend of improvised doom with a drunken psychedelic vibe which is anywhere between THRONES to The Melvins to a very pissed off Butthole Surfers. They normally play as a 3 piece, with bass, drums, a little sax and vocals which sound like they are coming out of someone's mouth who has been trapped in a basement for 20 years and staying alive by licking the mould that grows on beer barrels.

I'm delighted to be streaming their brand new album "Best in Show" right here, which is out on Friday, July 3rd on Cruel Nature Recordings. Here they've enlisted the drumming duties of Rob Woodcock (currently with Fret!, previously of Bong and many other acts) and it's absolutely fucking ridiculous. Do yourself a favour and blast the shit out of it whilst rolling around on the floor crying.

You can purchase it right here on the Cruel Nature Records bandcamp [link], on limited edition cassette or digital download. Great band, great label, support our wonderful scene.

Photo of Lovely Wife playing The Moon Cardiff by Jose Caamano.

COSMIC RAFFLE

Photos by Jose Caamano taken at the (Windmill) above and the Moon (below)

EIGHT INCREDIBLE RELEASES, TO HELP US THROUGH THIS TWAT OF A VIRUS

A few weeks ago, I put together a summary of what a twat this virus is but there was great music to help us through it. Since then, not much has changed, the virus is still a twat and more and more great music keeps surfacing so I thought I’d do another one. Got a problem with that? There’s even an exclusive track streaming from one of the most exciting bands in the country, get stuck in people.

SHUCK – PETRICHOR & RAINBOWS (HOMINID SOUNDS)

First up we have Manchester-based SHUCK (feat.  members of Ghold, Gnod & Lake of Snakes), with their debut album on the ever-reliable, Hominid Sounds. They play energetic, Big Business-esque heavy rock and it contains nothing but out and out bangers. It’s no mystery why they’ve done so well for themselves in such a short period of time, touring with Mutoid Man and spots at up and coming postponed festivals such as Raw Power and Desertfest. This is the exact type of music I like, I suspect they will get massive and I have an extra soft spot for them as they were the last band to play Cosmic Carnage before everything in the world was cancelled. The album is up for pre-order tomorrow on the Hominid Sounds Bandcamp with 10% of sales going to Hackney Food Bank. Do it!

Here’s an exclusive stream of “Dissolve in Piss”, get your little ears around it, you have nothing better to do:

THIS IS WRECKAGE – I DON’T LIVE, I EXIST (FORBIDDEN PLACE RECORDS)

Since I moved back to Wales 3 years ago, I quickly found out that our delightful little corner of the Earth is packed to the brim with underrated bands, a bubble of the ignored. For example, here is THIS IS WRECKAGE, based in and around Cardiff, a 3 piece who play Jesus Lizard/Mudhoney/Mclusky inspired noise rock. This, their second album and it’s a rather hard-hitting powerhouse of a thing. Not the most diverse album you’ll hear this year but they have their style and they stick to their guns. What really brings it to life is the quirky little changes, littered throughout which vanish before you have worked out what happened and moments where they seriously just rock the fuck out, the end of “29 Needles” being a prime example. Class!

TWIN SISTER – S/T (GOD UNKNOWN RECORDS)

Last month, God Unknown records released an insanely great kraut album by Bushpilot and here this wonderful label is again with another release that’s just a real fucking jaw dropper. Featuring members of Sex Swing, Mugstar, Bonnacons of Doom and Dead Neanderthals, these drone rockers seriously don’t fuck about whilst they pummel you to a level that’s downright assault. If you can imagine Swans covering Bongripper, you’re not a million miles away. I listen to this album a hell of a lot, it has real magic and you can just get lost in it. Unbelievable.

BLÓM – FLOWER VIOLENCE (BOX RECORDS)

This Newcastle based 3 piece punk band have a very energetic and chaotic vibe, almost improvised. This debut release is all over of the place, wonderfully disorganised and dangerous. I have no idea what she’s ranting about but it’s delivered in such a vibrant way, I agree with every fucking word. If you’re looking for a band that can sound anywhere between Lightning Bolt and Cocaine Piss then look no further. They were meant to be touring the country right now with Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs but as I said, this virus is an absolute twat.

ZOLLE – MACELLO (SUBSOUND RECORDS)

Italiain 2 piece rockers Zolle are just fucking amazing. They play a unique blend of math rock and punk that just straps a big fat smile on your stupid little face. This new release sees them expand their sound to incorporate snippets of vocals and other delicious little pockets of joy that makes them such a diamond of an act. There are moments where it feels like they are playing pure dadrock, such as Whitesnake which has been pushed through their Zolle machine. The last time I saw them play was in a living room in Cardiff, it was not only the most insane gig I have ever seen, but the most insane thing I have ever seen, no matter the context. They were meant to be playing Cardiff Pysch and Noise Fest late May, it has not been cancelled yet but as I’ve said, this virus is a real twat.

SUGAR HORSE – DRUGS (SELF RELEASED)

SUGAR HORSE, is a rather friendly name for a band that play seriously gnarly post metal. This Bristolian four piece have really created an album that feels quite epic, it’s delightfully ferocious and could give bands such as Bossk or Cult of Luna a run for their money. It’s not all just heaviness, it’s quite a varied piece of work that offers all sorts of treats such as shoegaze, punk and 80s pop. A hugely enjoyable record that packs a real punch. Try drugs people!

HAQ 123 - EVIL SPIRITS WHO PROWL ABOUT THE WORLD SEEKINGTHE RUIN OF SOULS (SELF RELEASED)

Have you heard about that great band with kids in it? This is them, if you’re thinking this will be some sort of novelty record, you can fuck right off! This album, is fucking weird, it’s all over the place and downright terrifying at times. Anywhere between the Butthole Surfers, Pink Floyd and Acid Mothers Temple. It’s an absolute nightmare of a listen which explores seriously bizarre subject matters such as, I don’t even fucking know but it’s made me whitey. Tommy from The Moon said they were in the top 10 bands that he’s seen play there, we’re talking literally thousands of bands there, rightful high praise.

ORANSSI PAZUZU- MESTARIN KYNSI (NUCLEUR BLAST RECORDS)

I saw these guys in Roadburn a few years ago, but I was at Roadburn so don’t remember a thing apart from swirling green lights. However, this record is nothing short of ridiculous. Black metal, mixed with psych and almost disco at times. It’s dark, it’s euphoric, varied and genuinely a metal album which will be seen as a classic and talked about for decades to come. I don’t know why bands from Finland seem to be able to tear bands from everywhere else a new one in terms of blending weirdness and creativity but they just do. A total triumph, listen to the living shit out of it.

SEVEN MAGNIFICENT RELEASES TO HELP YOU FORGET ABOUT THE PERIL

Well, the world’s gone to shit hasn’t it? One minute we were living our lives like regular tossers and now the idea of going to a gig or even a café feels like some distant utopia. We’re all shitting it about loved ones, our livelihoods and generally feel a constant sense of terrifying impending doom (which isn’t as fun as it sounds).

To say this decade has been an absolute pile of shite so far would be the understatement of the century. However, some of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time have been released around all the bleakness in the real world. I’m talking absolute fucking jaw-droppers that we’ll be hammering until the end of time. It’s a real shame for these bands that they aren’t touring and promoting the living shit out of them but we can still crack open a beer, crank them loud and dream.

These magnificent seven acts are mainly bands who have played Cosmic Carnage for many years. The fact that such quality releases have come in such short succession shows what an incredible scene we have in the UK and how special it will be when we can start hanging out and diving off stages again.

Michael – Tell Your Friends (Crackedankles)

London rockers, Michael have been knocking around a couple of years now and their energetic live performances have been leaving punters firmly on the floor and covered in shit. Their debut release “Tell Your Friends” matches the live performances, it’s an absolute rock‘n’roll monster packed full of killer riffs and unbelievable drumming. The vocals are top fucking class too. It’s hard to describe what this is, somewhere in between The Melvins, ZZ Top and WASP?  That sounds shit but ignore me, I seriously can’t recommend it enough.

Bushpilot – Already! (God Unknown)

I keep a close eye on God Unkown records closely. Its releases are so consistently amazing that it would be foolish not to. Like this one, Bushpilot from Leeds! I had a listen and it sounds like Can but more hard rocking and the level of songwriting is just incredible. I thought they were a new band but they’ve been around since the early 90s apparently, shows what I know. I would tell you more about them but I’m not like a journalist or anything, look them up your fucking self. What I do know is this is an album to blast for any occasion and I’m going to listen to it forever because it’s absolute kraut wizardry.

Casual Nun - Resort For Dead Desires (Hominid Sounds)

This album is ridiculous. Sounds somewhere in between like DEAFKIDS jamming with Motorhead, fucking WILD. Casual Nun have been around about 6 years now and they’ve established themselves as one of the best bands in the scene. This feels a bit more straightforward and hard-rocking than their previous releases and sounds all the better for it. “A Light Plague” is my COVID-19 soundtrack and I for one will start the biggest circle pit to it that the world has ever quite seen when I’m allowed to touch people again. You’re all fucking in for it.

Bruxa Maria – The Maddening (Hominid Sounds)

Sticking with Hominid Sounds, come from London noise punkers Bruxa Maria. Listening to the first few seconds right now, I SAID LISTEN! It’s so heavy that it’s just fucking sinister. This is a relentless beast of a record that digs into your spine and doesn’t let go. It rocks so hard that I can’t really tell you what’s going on. I can’t make out a single lyric but if I know Gill like I think I do, she’s screaming about injustice and telling all the cunts in charge to go fuck themselves. She’s da best.

Luminous Bodies – “Nah Nah Nah Yeh Yeh Yeh” – (Box Records)

This album has been in the pipeline for what feels like decades but it’s finally here and the world is all the better for it. The double drumming noise rock machine that is Luminous Bodies are sounding better than ever as they take you on a crazy ride through the best part of town where all the booze and drugs are. By the time you’re through with it, you’ll probably end up feeling tired, confused and wondering if you’ve been to bed in a week… this feeling is called “Luminous Bodied”. They are the ultimate band for any party and back it up with great song played with sheer intensity. Essential!

Obey Cobra - Oblong

Obey Cobra have gained a reputation for being one of the very best bands in Cardiff over the last couple of years, not that I think any of them live in Cardiff any more. However, these psych-rockers have developed a magical set of songs and their sound can only be described as fucking dreamy. There are moments where you feel like your having a mug of cocoa on a cloud and the next you are being tortured by some seriously pissed off demon. I’ve got a sneaky feeling big things are going to happen for Obey Cobra and this release is only just the start. See you by the bins!

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs  - Viscerals (Rocket Recordings)

This isn’t actually out until tomorrow but I’ve been lucky enough to have been spinning for a good while. And guess what? I have not fucking stopped. It’s truly remarkable how much success they’ve had and it’s fully deserved, next year they have a residency at the Electric Ballroom which will no doubt be sold out months in advance. That’s fucking NUTS! “Viscerals” sees them bring much more variety to their sound, “World Crust” and “Crazy in Blood” sounds like fist-pumping anthems that could be on regular rotation on every jukebox in every metal bar across the world and no doubt they will be. It’s a perfect rock album, what more do you want during the apocalypse you lucky sods?

COSMIC ROUNDUP: ALEX BODINGER OF ESTUARY BLACKS

I love Estuary Blacks and their gentle, post-rocky heaviness. Was lush to put them on with Slomatics earlier this year. I assumed Tom would do this interview but Al replied, all good.

Hi Tom, how are you?

It's Al here. Toms currently on a quest to the find the perfect taco in Mexico. 

Tell us the history of Estuary Blacks. How you met/formed etc.

We all went to school together and were mates from then. I've been playing with Dan since we were 14 or something like that. Tom and Jonny roughly the same. In maybe 2013 Dan and Tom got chatting about doing something in the same vein as Bomb The Sun (our old band) we were all keen to play something on the heavier side again. We asked Jonny to come in as another guitarist last year as we thought he'd compliment band well. Also we'd just recorded the album and realised we'd added loads of guitar parts and just couldn't play them live. I probably got a bit carried away with the overdubs haha

The Gower is a very beautiful part of the world. Is that what your songs are about?

I wouldn't necessarily say they're all about the Gower. They're certainly inspired by it though. There's quite a few places which can be really unforgiving and harsh when the weather's bad but equally beautiful and peaceful when the weather's good. We've always tried to incorporate that contrast in our music i guess. Theres also all the history - smugglers, shipwrecks etc which we've always found interesting for song ideas too. 

Is there another album in the works?

Yeah! We're getting there slowly. The last album felt like it exhausted a good few years worth of ideas. We had the core songs and then used quite a few ideas that had been hanging around for years so it really was back to the drawing board so to speak. We're also really picky with ideas so sometimes we'll be working on something for weeks then it's thrown out because we don't think it works. Jonny only joined the band last year and no doubt he's spent a lot of time thinking 'how the fuck do these guys get anything done!!' haha. Actually he probably still thinks that. We're in no rush though. It's ready when it's ready!

Give us some great bands from the Swansea area to check out.

I'm guilty of not going out to gigs too often so there's no doubt loads of bands making good music who I don't know about. A few I do like at the minute are Sigiriya, Hwdu (Jonny's other band)  People & Other Diseases, Cities, Suns of Thunder, Prosperina, Mines, Hot Mass, Picsel. 

What was the best gig you played in 2019?

For me it was Swansea Fringe in October. Good crowd and good sound. 

Best gig you attended?

Tom and I saw Ty Seagall in London a few months ago. Incredible show. Such a good songwriter. Oh Sees in the Tramshed was also up there. 

Best festival you attended?

Swansea Fringe Festival. Didn't get to any major festival but rarely do anyway. 

What are your favourite releases from 2019

Floating Points - Crush

Ty Seagall - Taste

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizzard - Infest The Rat's Nest

Nick Cave - Ghosteen 

Wand - Laughing Matter

Richard Dawson - 2020

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies

What the hell are you up to next year?

Finishing another album is the only real focus we have at the minute. Playing some more gigs outside Swansea would be great too. I don't think we've ever got further than Cardiff!

COSMIC ROUNDUP: KUNAL FROM CHAOS THEORY

Kunal has been relentlessly putting on varied gigs for nearly 10 years. Legend. Next year appears to be the biggest with a takeover at the Dome on February 29th for a 10 years of Chaos Theory party. I'll be there spilling stuff, let's see what he thinks about things and stuff.

Hi Kunal, how are you?

Alright. Feel a bit gassy.

For those that don’t know. Tell us more about Chaos Theory, the history and the ethos.

In a nutshell, it's a collective of people who help to organise, promote and manage gigs that focus on musicians trying out new ideas, or combining existing ideas in new ways, at the very least. We don't focus on any genre because that's too limiting and increasingly difficult to define anyway. It started off with just myself trying to hold things together, then, over the years, these masochistic creatives and supporters started throwing themselves into the mix, and now we have a team of amazing individuals who take something they're passionate about and use it to help promote great things made by other passionate people. It's also very much about who we promote to. We are fueled by the hardcore scene fans who know where to find the most obscure gigs, and we're fueled by the open, positive curious types who have no idea what they're about to see but want to feel something different. We want to make sure that everyone feels that they'll be able to show up and enjoy gigs on any level. Snobbery is a barrier to connecting audiences, so that's something that we don't get from any of the artists, crew and audience involved. We want to make the events as inclusive as possible, because we want to see more people out at all gigs and experiencing art and music in the flesh.

Chaos Theory seems to have evolved recently, fewer gigs but much bigger. Was this a deliberate move?

It's a chicken and egg sort of thing. Obviously we've seen quite a lot of venues shutting down over the years, as the desperate government claws at cash from developers (just stopped myself from a ten-page rant, back on topic), while the venues that remain have made some serious investments to keep them afloat. Some venues I used for regular smaller gigs had to charge more as a result, which became a bit costly for unknown bands, as not enough people would be motivated to come for the ticket prices I had to start charging. This is not a problem with the venues, they're doing what they can, it's just the way it goes in a system so open to greed on an industrial scale. So in that sense, the ever-changing landscape of London affected that decision. But also, we started doing more album launches, special shows, etc and I found myself in a position where I needed to promote a big show in three months, but had three monthly slots with another venue to fill, even though no one was really asking for gigs on those dates. There was a time when all our monthly (and weekly, once upon a time) gigs were helpful in building up interest in coming out to see new bands, but now it seemed to be taking energy away from what we really should be focusing on. So it kind of just progressed naturally and made sense to grow this way.

Tell us some new killer bands in London that we should be keeping an eye on.

A Sweet Niche are the ones to watch. They've evolved from a trio into a nine-piece band, have some serious compositional skills and fuse punk, jazz and rock in ways I've not quite heard done before. They're on about incorporating visuals in future as well. I advise everyone to make time to see them if the nine of them manage to get together on a stage. I also saw X'ed Out play their first gig at Human Worth last week. They were excellent. I'm very intrigued about Lia Mice, and totally love the perfectionist attitude and anarchist approach of producer Metalogue. Nøught have been going for over twenty years, but that band has less on record than any new band, so still worth a mention. Just see them live and maybe a new album will come one day.

The 10 Years of Chaos Theory Festival looks insane, tell us more about it.

Thanks. Funnily enough, it's a one-day festival to celebrate the music, the people, the scene that Chaos Theory has been a part of for ten years. It's kind of like a taster for the types of gigs we organise throughout the year, although we never manage to cover every scene we work within these annual events. This one is the biggest event we've ever run or been a part of, featuring bands we've worked with, bands we've always wanted to work with and some special new projects, comebacks, UK premieres and UK exclusives. Even with artists we're familiar with, it's very flattering that some of them are preparing special sets for this one, which will make it a new experience even for long-term fans like me. I am also very happy with myself for realising early on that I would want to party like mad with everyone who's there by the end, so underground IDM clubnight promoters Towards Collapse kindly agreed to the Towards Collapse Takeover from 11pm, with a lineup of weird and jawgroppingly banging producers from around the world. It's going to introduce us all to another great scene in London. 

What was the best gig you put on in 2019?

All of them.

Best gig you attended?

Too many great moments. I had a really great night in by myself once; low lights, watching bleak-ass films, learning how to make miserable dronescapes, eating vegan Ben & Jerry's (I'm not vegan but tastes as good so screw it). That's really much more newsworthy. I don't make time for nights like that any more, because there are just so many great gig, club and artistic experiences happening in London all the time.

Best festival you attended?

Cardiff Psych & Noise Fest. Relentlessly great bands all weekend. Three venues on one chilled street, where everyone was hanging out, super easy, great, great music, enough variety for people to have totally different experiences from each other. It's a community, a scene, but well run and amazingly curated. It's what I wish every city festival was like in the UK, reminds me of early Desertfest days before they had to start spacing out the venues. 

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

E-L-R - Mænad

Zu - Terminalia Amazonia

Teeth Of The Sea - Wraith

Ithaca - The Language Of Injury

Memory Of Elephants - Beachballin'

Ante-Inferno - On The Precipice Of Life & Death

Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

Amon Tobin - Fear In A Handful Of Dust

Kali Malone - The Sacrificial Code

Jøtnarr - Jøtnarr

Metalogue - Icon Of Extinction

UKAEA - Dead Paths

PSOTY - Sunless

Colossal Squid - Swungert

What the hell are you up to next year?

Organising 10 Years Of Chaos, got a few gigs already lineup up from March to May, and will be announcing stuff later in the year soon. Generally keeping on with gigs. I'd like to revisit an idea I used to try in smaller venues up until about 2014, and try to work with visual artists and lighting engineers to create more of an experience and make the events about other types of creativity on top of music. Maybe more performance art events too. Who knows? Let's just see what happens. Generally, I want to keep trying to open doors for artists of all types and fans of "something different", and see what comes of it. I'm also getting invited to DJ at all Cosmic Carnage gigs going forward. 

Photo by Chris Purdie from Riff.Underground

COSMIC ROUNDUP: LAUREN MASON OF TORPOR

It was a pleasure to put on Torpor in Cardiff back in July, they are heavy as fuck and super nice guys. They've had an incredible year with the release of "Rhetoric of the Image"and done a fuck load of touring to boot.

Let's find out what is in Lauren's brain.

Hi Lauren, how are you?

Hello! Default-tired, but otherwise good! 

Torpor have been busy with the release of the feel-good album of the year “Rhetoric of the Image”. Have you been pleased with how it’s been received?

Absolutely! To be honest, we didn't have any expectations about how it would be received, we were all just really happy to finally have it out in the world...anything else is a bonus. 

You’ve done a fuck-load of touring this year. How was it? Any funny stories to tell us?

Yeah, it's been great to play a decent amount of shows. We are too dour to have fun though. There was this one promoter in Cardiff who foolishly tried to make us have a party, he shut us in his basement and made us play ping pong all night...we were begging to go to bed! 

You’ve been booked for Roadburn and Raw Power next year. You must be over the cowing moon?

We're still pinching ourselves about Roadburn to be honest, it's an absolute dream! I'm really excited about Raw Power too, I much prefer playing on eclectic lineups...there's only so many hours of doom riffs I can handle before I want to die. 

Two of you have recently moved to Bristol. Have you been getting involved in the local scene? How is it different to London? Any Bristolian bands we should be keeping an eye on?

The Bristol scene is great, people are saying that it's in good health right now compared to maybe 5 years ago. There's definitely a lot going on, and some great promoters and venues.  We already knew a few people, so it's been pretty easy settling in.  The main difference is that everything is much closer together, it's still a novelty to be able to walk from one side of a city to the other! As far as Bristol bands, I'm looking forward to hearing the new Cegvera record, Levitas are doing good things, and Sonance are always incredible live. 

What was the best gig you played in 2019?

Doomlines in Sheffield was amazing! So many fantastic bands, great venue, and we met loads of lovely people.  That was the last night of our tour with Surya, and it was the perfect way to end it. Best gig you attended?

Lingua Ignota at Rough Trade in Bristol -- she is such a compelling performer, and to see her in a tiny room like that was magical. I had goosebumps!

Best festival you attended?

Roadburn, even though I got ill and was trying not to puke for most of the weekend...!  Thou, Daughters, Lingua Ignota, Old Man Gloom, so many highlights. 

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

I'm awful at keeping up with new releases, but Human Leather 'Succulent', Opium Lord 'Vore', Surya 'Solstalgia' are all ace. I've had a year of listening to mostly old stuff...I went through a long phase of only wanting to hear Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'...haha. I tend to get really into an album and listen to nothing else for ages, which means I miss a lot of things or only get round to listening to them years later.  

What the hell are you up to next year?

We'll be doing an EU tour around Roadburn, ending with Northern Discomfort in Copenhagen. And planning a short northern UK tour in March. Our personal lives are kind of in disarray at the moment, so we're smothering our sorrows by playing all the gigs. Please book us. 

COSMIC ROUNDUP: DARREN KASKIE OF DEATH OF MONEY AND GOD SPEED YOU PETER ANDRE

Darren is a lovely human being and I hope one day that he moves back to Cardiff. It was a pleasure to put on Death of Money a few weeks ago. Here's what he had to say for himself

Hi Darren, how are you?

Noswaith dda! That's good evening in Welsh (according to google translate), I'm pretty decent, having a glass (bottle) of wine to do this.

Tell us about The Death of Money How did you meet and how long have you been going etc. You’ve been around fucking ages haven’t you?

We first started properly in 2004, we'd met in Rhymney comprehensive school when we were literally children, me and our drummer Ian have been friends since nursery. Our original bassist Nicky taught me how to play a power chord and handed me a distortion pedal when we were all 15/16 years old and thats exactly how it all started circa 1998. So yeah, fucking ages. 

****Around 2008 Alex Morgan joined us on bass and toured with us many times over the years, though he has recently left us and hung up his sludge boots to explore more natural highs like flying (paragliding), he’s still coming to all our gigs boasting that it’s more fun watching. On bass duties now we have the godfather of our band in Jimbob from legendary South Welsh bands Taint and HARK. If it wasn’t for Taint this conversation probably wouldn’t be happening. 

Do you have any new releases planned?

We've just recorded our fourth album which I'm currently mixing at my home studio, that's all I can say right now. No final song title's, no labels, no release dates nothing, just old familiar TDOM noise that YOU WILL LOVE.  

Tell us about God Speed You Peter Andre. I saw you play and wasn’t sure if I was joyous or terrified. Is that what you’re looking for?

HAHA! You were right to be terrified! You’re lucky to be alive man. ;) GY!PA is me and Emer Thompson who is an iconic Manchester promoter and curator under the titles Fat Out and Samarbeta, TDOM played one of the very first Fat Out gigs in Manchester like 2008ish so we go way back, and like TDOM, GY!PA began in a very organic way, just best of friends having fun making music, back in the Islington Mill days when anyone would drop into my studio and get on it we would be jamming all night doing exactly what we were mean’t to be doing. GY!PA rose from those wonderful times. No one has a clue who came up with the name but it gave Lauren Laverne and right belly laugh live on 6music once.   

You’ve been described as a true stalwart of the Manchester scene. Tell us more about the Manchester scene, what’s great about it and what it means to you.

Have I? That’s nice to hear, I think everyone in the Manchester scene is a stalwart of the Manchester scene, and that’s why it means so much to everyone. I think for me personally when I first moved to Manchester about 5 years ago I was excited to be surrounded by so many powerful female musicians and artists than I had been in the South Wales scene.  So most of my collaborations since I’ve lived here have naturally been with female vocalists, performance artists and poets, , and I guess the reason for that is they bring something to a sound or composition that is genuinely impossible for me to bring. 

I think there has always been a feminine element to my music even when its at its most masculine sounding, I guess that’s why TDOM have never really fitted into the long standing post metal/post hardcore/post goal posts boys club. Too morbid for most, too heavy for metal.  

What was the best gig you played in 2019?

Mine and Emer’s GY!PA set at Supernormal Festival was truly special, I’d been travelling America for a while before so we hadn’t rehearsed at all and Emer was seriously nervous but we clicked straight back together and we killed it! Everyone was joyous and terrified in equal measure.  

Best gig you attended?

Best musical experience I had was TOOL at Download festival, not a gig but nothing even came close to the transcendence I experienced watching those pretentious old farts.

Best festival you attended?

Easily Supernormal Festival, that’s my festival family, there are some people I know who I only ever see at this festival, we don’t contact each other I just know I’ll see them in August at Supernormal and everything’s put in it’s right place. But especially I have to applaud the amazing crew, programming, building, the amount of work put in, just true magic, it was sorely missed when they took a year out in 2018.   

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

Can’t stop listening to the new Swans album, DIIV’s album is great, constantly banging new Giant Swan, Gum Takes Tooth, That incredible Daughters album, (might’ve been 2018) 

Girl Band’s album is sick! Drab Majesty, HIDE, Boy Harsher, Tropical Fuck Storm, there’s so many more my head will explode. Music is annoyingly healthy. 

What the hell are you up to next year?

Gonna get this TDOM album finished and released, got a few shows with our new friends Dystopian Future Movies and Grave Lines, more touring with GY!PA and AJA for sure, GY!PA have something pretty special in the pipeline.

Photo taken at The Moon Cardiff by Jose Caamano

COSMIC ROUNDUP: JOHN NEWTON OF JOHN

The first time a saw John, it was to absolutely nobody in the Blackheart a few years ago and now they are taking over the world. I'm so proud of them it's unreal. Here's what drummer/vocalist thinks about it all.

Hi John, how are you?

Hey Rich, I’m good thanks, just preparing for the last shows of 2019. I know that a lot of bands have already wrapped up for the holidays but we still have three to go.

You've had a ridiculous year. You've gone massive. Talk us through it all.

It’s certainly has been a special year for us, getting to see the gradual reaction to the release of our second album ‘Out Here On The Fringes’. It has been humbling - and in someways surprising - especially with all the radio support, which lead us to a live session at BBC Maida Vale, and gained a play from Iggy Pop, I haven’t quite got over hearing his voice say a combination of words that I wrote on my phone notes! 

I got invited to a John Fan Club Facebook group the other day. How are you coping with your new-found fame?

It’s very warming to know that there are people who really affiliate with the outlook of the band. We, personally, haven’t really changed anything about our approach, so we’ll just keep our heads down and continue enjoying writing and performing. We know that the music is first and foremost, so we’ll just keep exploring on that front.

You've done a fuck load of touring. Are you sick of the sight of each other?

Up until recently, I lived in the house where Johnny rented a workshop, so we really couldn’t escape each other (even post-tour). We’re pretty good at knowing each other’s idiosyncrasies after so long, so you just try to be accommodating especially when spanners get thrown in the works - which is quite often when in a band.

Any shit hot bands you've played with that we should be keeping an eye on?

It’s always great to come across like-minded bands/people throughout the journey. We played with a German band from Berlin/Leipzig called Pigeon - who we both really enjoyed. Johnny also recently did some tech work on Tom from Dry Cleaning’s guitar - only to realise he lives down the road. They’re a great band and it’s been nice to hang out off the back of these musical encounters.

What was the best gig you played in 2019?

What a horrible question... We’ve had a lot of special shows this year, whether that be supporting peers such as Mclusky* and METZ, or selling out some of our own headline tour shows. I can’t choose between children, but the album tour in October was genuinely overwhelming.

Best gig you attended?

I haven’t been to that much of late because of all the tour shoes, but I did finally catch and enjoy Girl Band as I was too slow to catch them in the earlier days. As a drummer, it’s pretty captivating to watch how meticulous Adam Faulkner is. I bet his flat is spotless. Best festival you attended?

I grew up going to 2000 Trees (as it was the closest festival to my hometown) so it was special to get the chance to be on the other side of the barriers this year. The lineup included lots of friends so it was nice chance to catch up with them alongside an enjoyable show in a packed out tent. 

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

Amongst others...

Dry Cleaning - Boundary Road Snacks And Drinks

Christian Fitness - You Are The Ambulance 

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen

Drahla - Useless Coordinates 

Girl Band - The Talkies 

What the hell are you up to next year?

We have a UK tour booked in for late January/early February followed by lots of the earlier spring festivals. From there it only looks to get busier. We’re even off to Greece for a special one off show in Athens at the end of February, who would’ve thought it eh?

Photo by Paul Grace

COSMIC ROUNDUP: JIMMY MARTIN OF TEETH OF THE SEA, ANGEL WITCH AND SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL

I've known Jimmy for quite some time. I went to see a band called Todd play at the Wilmington Arms (not there anymore), Todd weren't allowed to play because they had a row with the venue but Teeth of the Sea played and I've been hooked since. Teeth of the Sea have had a great year with a stunning album release, he's also in Angel Witch who have also had an album release this year and if that's not enough, he's also one of the curators at the AMAZING Supernormal Festival. Let's chat to this busy chap.

Hi Jimmy, how are you?

Not too shabby thanks Rich,  Still somehow staving off self-inflicted madness and bankruptcy 52 weeks at a time. 

You’ve had quite the year with the release of WRAITH? Were you pleased with how it was received?

Definitely, we went all out to make this the most full-on, shamelessly self-indulgent TOTS record we could whilst still making it coherent, and it was pretty gratifying to see that people were up for that. We've had plenty of ups and downs as a band in the last decade and somehow there still seems to be an audience for this mutant racket, from a band who've never really fitted in anywhere, It's bolstered our confidence for sure.

Your album launch was completely sold out. How was it?

The whole night was kindof like an out-of-body experience, in a good way. It was rammed to uncomfortable degrees, nerve-wracking even stepping out of the dressing room, and we had an amazing bill what with Petbrick and Valve giving us more than a run for our money, and then Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi playing avant bangers til the small hours. It was a brilliant collection of heads present, and it took us a fair while to come down from that one. Playing wise, if we've learnt one thing from that gig it's make your album launch the end of your tour not the start of it. 

You’re in Angel Witch now, who have just released a new album. Can you quite believe it?

We went up to Leeds in March for three weeks to record Angel Of Light, lived in a strange Monkees-meets-Groundhog-Day style enviorment with the whole band in an AirBnB then heading down the studio to graft away hard every day then relaxing watching classic horror movies and The Thick Of It in the evening - it's been nothing but a blast and an inspiration being involved with the whole thing. To be honest (basic though it sounds) the best aspect about Angel Witch is just getting to play tunes of this kind of calibre, and that goes for both the classics and the new stuff alike. One thing I should say is I'd heartily recommend James Atkinson (who's done time in Gentleman's Pistols and Voorhees amongst others over the years) at the Station House to anyone looking for a studio in Yorkshire or thereabouts -it's a great gaff and he did an amazing job on the record 

I was lucky enough to attend Supernormal for the first time this year. How was it from your side?Are you plotting away at Supernormal 2020?

I feel like it's not for me to say what Supernormal is all about somehow, I'd rather leave it to the people who come and who play it. I mean I could waffle on all day about the idealistic principles  creativity and spirit of this thing, but there was one moment in particular, when we burning the 10 foot tall cosmic spider that had been made by Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich for the fest on an enormous bonfire (should be displayed above) to the strains of 'Come To The Sabbat' by Black Widow that somehow summed it up. To use a well-worn cliche, we would have had a hard time explaining to any aliens who'd landed at that point exactly what was going on. 2020 is indeed in the works, here's hoping there'll be even more difficult-to-explain situations involved there.

Best gig you attended?

I've actually been to less gigs than usual this year unfortunately just owing to being busy with everything else, but Deaf Kids at the Lexington and Björk at the O2 were both pretty special for different reasons. The latter especially took me by surprise really; I'm no big fan of arena shows in general but everything about it from the staging to the visuals to the arrangements to the emotional impact of the whole thing were absolutely off the chain

.Best festival you attended?

Done some good ones with Angel Witch; we played Metal Magic in Denmark and that was pretty cool, a bit more raw, underground and spit-and-sawdust compared to yer average metalfest and done with a lot of love. Watching Impetuous Ritual and Tormentor play at that was a right laugh. Plus at Rock The Coast in Spain we played in a medieval castle at midnight under a full moon, which was a pretty heavy metal moment by and large.

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

I've really enjoyed GAME-No One Wins (amazing '80s-metal tinged punk iconoclasm) DEAF KIDS-Metaprogrammacao (consistently the most exciting band of the last couple of years) VANISHING TWIN-Age Of Immunology, the Chernobyl soundtrack by Hildur Guðnadóttir, The Baneful Choir by TEITANBLOOD, För Meditation by CENTRUM and Mezzi Umani Mezzi Machine by KINLAW & FRANCO FRANCO, Have to give props to Noel Gardner's columns for The Quietus here, which I've discovered a whole mess of great stuff from in 2019

What the hell are you up to next year?

2020's already looking pretty mental, a lot of killer stuff I can't really mention yet but already looking forward to doing the Chaos Theory Ten Years Of Chaos bash with Teeth of The Sea plus working on new material, and Angel Witch are already booked to do Rock The Castle near Verona with Judas Priest and Saxon, plus of course Supernormal 2020 as mentioned. Growing ancient disgracefully, generally I hope.

COSMIC ROUNDUP: ALASTAIR MELLOR OF THE OTHER WINDOW

There wasn't many gigs weird/heavy gigs in Leicester, then Alaistair took a stand and now there's a healthy scene. Thank fuck for people like him, he's a nice guy too. 

Here's what he thinks about things and stuff.

Hi Alastair, how are you? 

I’m good thanks bud. Looking forward to taking a break over the Christmas period. How are you?

Tell us more about ‘The Other Window’, how did it start and what have you been up to? 

So for years I’d been travelling the length and breadth of the country to listen to the type of stuff that I enjoy. Leicester has never really catered for it on a consistent basis. For sure there were times when something tickled my fancy but not enough. I’d been threatening to do it for years but never went through with it. It was getting a bit knackering travelling 200 plus miles sometimes 2-3 times a week and then going into work the following day to do my 9-5 day job so I just thought screw it! Let’s give it a bash! The name comes from a song by Wire on their album 154. I began doing it on my own, totally DIY from creating the posters (to the best of my limited abilities) to cooking the food for the rider. From doing the door to accommodating the bands. The first gig I did was The Cosmic Dead in conjunction with a friend who’s been a long term promoter. We only had two weeks to set it up as they were looking for a gig having had one cancelled at the last minute. It was on a Sunday and I’d sold no advance tickets. I was shitting bricks and thought it was going to be a complete disaster. I couldn’t have been much further from the truth. Loads of people turned up and we ended up losing twenty quid between us. I was so full of joy! After a while my good friend and music aficionado Andy Kew joined me and then this year we became three when we linked up with Ben Moore. Ben does some solo synth work under the pseudonym Early Remains. He had previously provided support for the JuJu and Gum Takes Tooth gigs.

Have the people of Leicester been loving it? 

They have! We get a lot of regular support from likeminded people but also have people visit from neighbouring places like Nottingham, Derby and the West Midlands. Leicester’s a small city and whilst it has it’s scenes such as Hardcore, Progressive Rock and Drum N Bass it can be a tad too Indie (ugh). But we’re trying to change that!

What would be a dream line up for one of your gigs? If we were to talk about yesterday’s music heroes, whether they’ve since passed away or still around then I would say;- The Fall, Suicide, Wire. But if we’re talking about my heroes of the here and now then I would say;- Gnod, Circle and Teeth of The Sea.

What advice would you give new promoters based on what you’ve learned so far? 

You’re not going to make much money out of it, if any at all so try to do as much stuff in house to keep your expenses to a minimum. Accommodation and food for the bands rider can be expensive so if you’re able to, put the band up and cook for them yourself. Do the posters yourself or if you have friends who can help with this then reach out to them. Our ethos is that we will only put stuff on that we like, we are non profit organisation and if we ever turn over a profit we make sure the local support acts receive payment too. Respect the artists and always make sure they get paid - even if you’ve not had a good turnout and it costs you a bob or two. These guys put their heart and sole into what they do and touring is tough work. When you think what it takes for a band to get on the road -the hire of the van, the cost of the fuel, the time on the road, the amount of people in the band etc. The fee really doesn’t justify what goes in to it all. 

What was the best gig you put on in 2019? 

I could go with the obvious and say Teeth of The Sea. I’ve been a fan of them since their early days and have had the pleasure of putting them on a few times. But I’m going to say Gum Takes Tooth was the best one we did this year. How Jussi and Tom combine to make the sounds they do is truly mesmerising. It was a cold February weekday evening with a small intimate crowd. But those who were there really fed off the sounds that GTT created. It was a great vibe, full of energy and I think it was reciprocated by GTT.

Best gig you attended? 

Oh geez, that’s a tough one! There’s been so many! I would say Deaf Kids and RAKTA at The Lexington. Petbrick joined in with Deaf Kids towards the end of their set and it was insane!

Best festival you attended? 

Easily Raw Power. It’s permanently marked in the calendar -Two/three days of pure magic. Great venue, great bands, great people - just an all round good vibe. I’m a diehard Gnod Fan and have seen them so many times than I can recall but that set at Raw Power! The best yet - Face Melting!

What are your favourite releases from 2019? 

At the end of each year I do a mini round up of my favourite albums on Instagram. Due to Instagrams photo formatting I do a top nine but I base it solely on albums I have purchased. Clearly I listen to much more and if I had the cash I’d certainly buy more albums so here’s my list in no particular order;- The Ecstasy of Infinite Sterility by Krause, I by Petbrick, The Limit Experience by Errant Monks, Arrow by Gum Takes Tooth, Metamoros by USA/Mexico, Wraith by Teeth of The Sea, Gentle Persuaders by Sly & The Family Drone, 5 by Pharaoh Overlord, Passionate and Tragic by Cocaine Piss.

What the hell are you up to next year? 

Hopefully more of the same. We have a few gigs lined up for 2020 but we haven’t announced them as they’re not set in stone yet. One gig that is confirmed is 72% which I’m really looking forward to indeed! They sound immense and I understand their latest album was produced and recorded by Wayne Adams - in my book you can’t get much better than that at this current moment in time. I’ll also be getting around to the usual haunts and festivals and I’m giving some serious thought to attending Roadburn. I’m also trying to help a local band called The People Assembly to get on the road and playing out of town. We’re hoping to do a mini tour around the UK early next year and so far there is a bit of interest. So if there are any promoters reading this and would like to facilitate then please hit me up!

COSMIC ROUNDUP: DAVID FOLEY OF ZINC BUKOWSKI

Zinc are one of the finest bands in South Wales with their blend of noise rock and punk, which is channeled through a pretty unique groove that makes you want to boogie. They've just released an INCREDIBLE new album on wax (quite a rarity in Wales) so I thought I'd chat with guitarist/vocalist Foley to find out 'sapnin.

Hi David, how are you?

Alright Rich how’s it going ? All good  myself, hope you're well.

Tell us about Zinc Bukowski. How did you meet and how long have you been going etc?

The band formed about 7/8 years ago with a variety of different line ups over the years. We recorded our first full album “nature finds a way in the face of woe” ourselves and released it ourselves DIY style. 

It was our then drummer and friend Darren who recorded it in his home. After another line-up change down the line, we went on a hiatus then for about 3 years. 

Then by chance myself, Carl Richards “now drummer” and Chris Baker “now bassist” decided to jam some old zinc songs around January 2018, and then carried on from there and started writing new material.

Tell us about your new release “CAREFORTHIS?”. Where did you record it and what direction have you taken the band?

Care For This? was recorded in March/April 2019 and with Phil Smith at One Louder Studios, Newport 

We weren't aiming for any particular direction as such, just that we were writing and progressing naturally as a band and starting to gel.

We formed ideas from the older stuff and formed new tracks. It was great to record a combo of changed older songs mixed in with the new song. The newer stuff is a bit more aggressive and layered.

The record covers a number of themes along the lines of cutbacks, dystopia times and gentrification in general in its ways to dumb down and eradicate the human psyche.

Who are currently your biggest influences?

The Fall, Fugazi,nBig Black, Sonic Youth, Unwound and Hot Snakes to name a few. 

Tell us about the South Wales scene and your favourite local bands etc.

We are pretty lucky here in South Wales in all fairness with the sheer amount of underground talent that is here, from bands and artists covering many different genres.

It’s shame tho each year more and more venues seem to be struggling or closing here. It’s the same across Britain unfortunately with the exception of the bigger cities.

As favourite local bands here’s a few from the top of my head, no doubt I’ve missed loads out apologise in advance . 

Excellent skeleton 

Infinity forms of yellow remember 

Made of teeth 

Laceratilla 

Die ! Chihuahua! Die! 

Death of money 

Kong lives 

Eva Bartok

Obey cobra 

Disjoy 

This is wreckage

Not since the accident 

Shishu 

What was the best gig you played in 2019?

Would have to say it was the Cosmic Carnage gig at The Moon in which we supported the excellent JOHN (TIMES TWO) and Think Pretty opened. Was a brilliant gig/night and a full packed house. 

Best gig you attended?

Viagra boys in Clwb Ifor Bach in May.

Best festival you attended?

Tough question possibly Cardiff Psych & Noise Fest this year due to the value you for money, the amount of bands and the atmosphere all weekend. 

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

Off the top of my head 

Crows - Sliver Tongues

Hey Colossus - Four bibles as is their single Carcass/ Medal 

Imperial wax - gastwerk saboteurs

USA Nails - life cinema

JOHN -Out here on the fringes.

The twilight sad - It Won/t Be Like This All the Time. 

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Self titled. 

What the hell are you up to next year?

We have just started writing new material to follow up to “Care for this” in which we hope to finish and release on 7inch at some point in 2020 and hopefully play more gigs/festivals further a field in the future.

Photo by Jose Caamano @ The Moon, Cardiff

COSMIC ROUNDUP: TAZ CORONA-BROWN FROM UNDERSMILE, DRORE AND BASIC DICKS

It was totally lush to put on Drore at the Moon back in Jan and hang with Taz at Supernormal Festival in the summer. Recently, a huge Undersmile reformation gig got announced at The Dome, Kentish town on Feb 29th as part of the 10 year Chaos Theory spectacular. Here's what's going on in that brain of hers.

Hi Taz, how are you?

Hi! I am very well thanks, pal

Undersmile have announced a big show in London next year. Tell us what the hell is going on.

Yes! We are extremely excited to be bouncing back, like Alan Partridge before us... Hel has been studying for her degree for the last three years and has just graduated, so it felt like the perfect time to have another bash. Undersmile is our collective doom-baby and we really missed writing and playing together, so we can't wait to get back out there. Our first show is going to be the 10 Years of Chaos Festival for the sublime Chaos Theory alongside some incredible bands like Arabrot, Zu, Vodun, Nought plus loads more... 

Are you going to record?

Frankly, we cannot wait to record again! We have material, some old and some still being written, but are currently re-learning all our old songs, a lot of which haven't been played in 3 years or more!! Once we have our old set rehearsed though, we will be straight onto writing a new album, which we are all very keen to do!

Tell us what your other bands Drore and Basic Dicks got up to in  2019.

It has been a dramatic year for both Drore and Basic Dicks actually! We lost core members of both bands, with Tom and Olly stepping down from Drore and Robbie and Oli leaving Basic Dicks (all amicably and full of love!). We played some great gigs this year though! Drore came down to play for you and Noel with Casual Nun, (who blew me away!) And we played a couple of shows with our pals in Gravelines, who we love. Basic Dicks went on tour in April with the phenomenal Scrap Brain and Negative Space which was a sheer joy. We were also honoured to be asked to play Supernormal Festival, which was simply dreamy, as always!

I should add that we have been extremely lucky in finding new members for both bands with Camille (Scrap Brain) and Joe (Worry) joining Tom and I in Drore, and Sarah and Zahra (Despicable Zee) joining me, Loz and Jenny (Junk Whale) in Basic Dicks. Check out all their bands as they are all excellent! 

Are there any new bands in Oxford that we should be keeping an eye on?

Yes! Lots of great stuff! Worry, Junk Whale, Dream Phone, Misery Guts, Despicable Zee, Edward Fox... I have probably forgotten loads...

What was the best gig you played in  2019?

This is too hard because we played some corkers, but a stand-out was the last ever Smash Disco gig in Oxford when Basic Dicks played with Gimp World and Livid (who were both amazing) and also with lots of our Oxford chums in Misery Guts and Cowley Chainsaws. It was all very lovely and emotional! 

Best gig you attended? 

I took my 8 year old son, Hiro to London to see Better Oblivion Community Centre as he is a massive Phoebe Bridgers fan, so that was pretty special. It was the first gig he has ever chosen to go to, even though he has been to loads of great gigs and festivals with Undersmile - including Desert Fest, 'kin 'ell Fest and Supernormal - but those were all against his will!!! 

Best festival you attended?

Supernormal is always the best! You know, you were there! 

What are your favourite releases from 2019?

This year I have been obsessed with the Big | Brave album, A Gaze Among Them, Scrap Brain - A Journey Into Madness and Negative Space - Cruelty,  LINGUA IGNOTA - CALIGULA 

What the hell are you up to next year? 

Lots and lots of Undersmile I expect!! 

COSMIC ROUNDUP: ANTHONY CHALMERS OF BABA YAGA'S HUT

Anthony is the man behind Baba Yaga's Hut and Raw Power Festival. In my London days, I'd regularly be seen stumbling around and spilling stuff at his gigs, Always full of familiar faces, a true community based on great music. Londoners are lucky to have someone like Antony, relentlessly pushing out insane lineups. Here's what he has to stay about 2019,

The shows at the Round Chapel with Bohren & der Club of Gore and Colin Stetson were cracking.

COSMIC ROUNDUP: ANDY CLYDESDALE OF WE WILD BLOOD