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mara simpson
Mara Simpson is a multi-instrumentalist, performing artist, songwriter, producer and composer. Her work seamlessly blends electronic, acoustic and orchestral instruments, exploring her love for tape delays, analogue synths and field recordings. Her fourth studio album Living Matter, written and engineered in the Stroud, Gloucestershire recording studio she
handwrought, was released on the 30th May 2025 via Republic of Music with the vinyl featuring liner notes by DJ, presenter and podcaster Edith Bowman.
Living Matter is a unique album written in response to a set of poems by celebrated poet JLM Morton (published in her book Red Handed). Born out of a mutual admiration and a friendship fostered in wild swimming, Simpson produceda live score for the performance of her and writer Emma Kernahan’s book, Glos Mythos. This collaboration planted the seeds for what would blossom into a full length album.
safe operating space
Safe Operating Space is a strange and compelling sonic world — a sequence of original works where contrasting influences collide and transform. It is a hotbed of creative production, blending intricate studio craft with enthusiastic, meditative performance. There’s a sense of an information-age soundscape: dystopian textures meeting moments of optimism, all conceived with an exploratory, DIY spirit. Each track unfolds like an abstract story, becoming a room the audience can step inside and inhabit.
Led by Tullis Rennie — composer, trombonist and DJ — Safe Operating Space sits at the intersection of improvised music and club culture, fusing acoustic performance with electronic production into a fluid, genre-defying experience.
“This music is inspired by the beautifully human endeavour of trying to grab hold of unrepeatable moments”, Rennie explains. “A second of magic within a spontaneous musical improvisation, or during a jungle tune breakdown on the dance floor of an intimate club space. When a light hits something and you freeze, wanting to make it last an age... but the reason moments like these are so alluring is precisely because they’re so fleeting.”
Haiku Salut
Haiku Salut are an instrumental trio from the Derbyshire Dales combining elements of folktronica, minimalism and contemporary classical music. The group consists of multi-instrumentalists Gemma Barkerwood, Sophie Barkerwood, and Louise Croft. Between them, Haiku Salut play accordion, piano, glockenspiel, trumpet, guitar, ukulele, drums, and melodica. influenced by the evocative film soundtracks of Yann Tiersen and Benoît Charest, and the genre-melting electronica of early Múm, their music blends folk traditions, with otherworldly found sounds and future-forward “loopery and laptopery”.
"Haiku Salut work as an unspeaking, instrument-swapping unit. A trumpet, an accordion and a ukulele are impassively passed around, as if Kraftwerk had been an English demi-folk band."
The Guardian
rave at your fictional borders
Rave At Your Fictional Borders was born in a week-long studio residency in Morocco that was transmuted into a manifesto, a living, mutating document of free improvisational chemistry. The trio came together with a single, immediate pact: improvise without borders. What emerged was a raw, daily ritual - improvise, listen, refine without words. A potent animalistic core - a sound that feels both ancient and futuristic: a trance state built from analogue signal paths, where ecstatic repetition meets meticulous, unexpected detail. Salim Akki's deeply inherited Moroccan rhythms, Marius Mathiszik's sprawling free-improv guitar sensibilities, and Dave De Rose's foundational affinity for heavy, exploratory grooves fuse into what the band defines as Global Experimental Music.
At its core, the project is an act of belief. "We are very tired with the stuffy concept of the world being divided by artificially drawn state borders," says Marius. "Our deep belief is that if people meet in a truly open and empathetic way, these concepts are not only intellectually obsolete but frankly against nature."
Rave At Your Fictional Borders won't redraw the maps, they’ll make you forget they ever existed.
voka gentle
Voka Gentle are Imogen Mason, Ellie Mason and William J. Stokes. With the studio as their playground at one end and a live show bursting with raw, manic energy at the other, the trio craft viscerally off-kilter songs infused with motorik electronics, intricate psychedelia and experimental sound design. The critically acclaimed band’s third album Domestic Bliss, released earlier this year on state51 recordings, is the trio's most refined record yet, treating the recording studio like an instrument itself.
'...horror and beauty occupying the same frame' - The Quietus
balladeste
Balladeste are forging a distinctive sound at the meeting space between contemplative minimalism, Indo-Baroque and alt-folk.
Violinist Preetha Narayanan and cellist Tara Franks have cultivated a deeply intuitive musical partnership over more than a decade of improvising and writing together. As performer-composers, they reflect one another's voices, revealing the rich expressive potential of just two string instruments.
Their original works unfold like songs without words — ancient yet contemporary, devotional yet pastoral.
Drawing on influences from the visionary lyricism of Hildegard of Bingen, the modal clarity of Arvo Pärt, the harmonic world of Purcell and Philip Glass, the experimental freedom of Caroline Shaw and the multicultural fusion of Silk Road Ensemble. Vibrant, melodic and exploratory.
IONA KAYE
Iona Kaye is a Sheffield based singer-songwriter and improviser originally trained in classical music at the Royal Northern College of Music. Her songs blur classical and folk, pairing warm, expansive vocals with delicate guitar and piano. She invites you into a world of purple moons and trampolines, of howling wolves and salt poured into grazed knees. Her poetic landscapes are tender, wild and raw - they make you lean in and listen.
Iona writes to understand her own humanness. She performs with presence and heart, baring all her joy and all her shadows, offering a place for others to feel theirs too.
Alongside her solo project she is Co-Artistic Director of NOMAD, a flexible ensemble who create
intimate storytelling performances.
seas of mirth
On the waves to greatness, washed up has-beens Seas of Mirth were reinvigorated by a chance encounter in a back sea-cave in the spring of 2020. Once a laughing stock of the seven seas, disgraced front man Al Judders was recovering from an embarrassing addiction to aquatic puns, emanating the fishy stench of dated Deep Sea Prog, when the tides finally turned. Zorba the Greek was wallowing in a stagnant pond counting tadpoles, The Barrel desecrating the walls of Atlantis with his juvenile 'artwork', and Smitty Clamhands anxiously looking over his shoulder for great white loan sharks.
But an inspirational new direction came when Judders met legendary nautical sound-sculptor and renowned octopus-wrangler Mickey Bubbles. Bubbles lifted the depressed and humiliated ex-buccaneers from the seaweed infested trenches of Beeston Marina and launched the nautical drop-outs into the 21st century with his cutting-edge whale sound effects and futuristic bong samples. Humble to the core, he says,
'It's not all about me... I'm just a channel for the infinite torment of Poseidon and the sensuous breath of Aphrodite as she rises, resplendent, from the ocean waves’
Target audience: kelp infested dreadlocks, mermen, and jellyfish watchers.
kikimora records takeover
Kikimora Records is an independent Midlands label /promoter championing imaginative, amorphous music and known locally for hosting shows that are friendly, fun and wondrously wonky. Find them on Friday 8 May partying up on the garden terrace at the 2026 edition of Lost In The Hills, where they’ve concocted a folkloric fete with live music, a workshop and a DJ set that unfolds as dusk settles in...
Expect Ukrainian folk songs reimagined through electronic textures, improvisation and contemporary songwriting from acclaimed performer GANNA - a rare chance to catch her on a UK mini-tour. You’re also invited to warm up your vocal cords and join Polish musician Karolina Węgrzyn for a cathartic Slavic singing workshop - earthy, open-hearted and no experience required. Then the takeover closes with a Kikimora DJ set of psychedelic disco treats - there won’t be mushroom on the dancefloor! 🍄
A rare opportunity to see GANNA, the acclaimed Ukrainian singer-composer, live in the UK. Using loops, effects, samples and synth, GANNA builds vast, living soundscapes in real
time, blending the raw authenticity of Ukrainian village singing with modern composition, improvisation and electronic texture. The result is unearthly yet deeply human. Her repertoire draws from research trips across Ukraine, where she collected songs and stories from elders in the Carpathians and villages near Kyiv and Poltava. On stage, those field-gathered fragments become something electric - tradition carried forward as wildly magnetic performances.
The HYBRID SESSIONS
Want to be part of something unforgettable and momentry?
Manchester’s The Hybrid Sessions are bringing their signature electro-acoustic jam experience to Lost in the Hills — and this is no ordinary open mic. This is a fully immersive, curated collaboration where electronic textures meet live instrumentation in real time.
Founded by Manchester-based drummer Laurie Agnew The Hybrid Sessions reimagine what a jam session can be. Inspired by boundary-blurring artists like Floating Points, The Cinematic Orchestra and Bonobo, the project fuses deep grooves, ambient electronics, and organic musicianship into one evolving, collective sound.
Expect lush synth layers, live drums, soulful improvisation, and spontaneous musical conversations — all unfolding beneath the Geodome canopy.
This is one of the weekend’s true highlights: a moment where inspiring artists come together to experiment, collaborate, and discover something unique. In a world that often feels divided, The Hybrid Session is all about connection,.. something shared, alive, and entirely in the moment.
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Do you want to get connected?
Send us a message or email to get involved.
Raahiya duo
Preetha Narayanan is a violinist, composer, and educator whose work bridges countries, cultures, and genres. Trained in both Western and Indian classical traditions, she has performed internationally with artists including Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh, and Kae Tempest. Her practice is deeply informed by research, collaboration, and a longstanding engagement with yoga and spirituality.
Camilo Tirado is a British-Chilean producer and sound engineer with over 20 years of international touring and recording experience across world, jazz, folk, and electronic music in studios including Real World, Abbey Road, and Metropolis, and with artists such as Yoko Ono, Terry Riley, Anoushka Shankar, Talvin Singh, James Holden, Kathryn Tickell, Portico Quartet, and Nitin Sawhney. His work is driven by a fascination with synthesis, psychoacoustics, and the mathematics of sound.
As Raahiya Duo, they explore the rich textures of Indian classical music through violin and tabla, creating performances that are both rooted in tradition and open to experimentation.
Ask my bull
The electrified wail of a raging saxophone! The distorted roar of a thundering bass! The visceral-yet-intricate
pounding of drums! An instrumental whirlwind from Manchester; with experimental textures and heavy
grooves - a musical chimera that combines the visceral energy of punk, the danceability of drum'n'bass and
the intriguing nuance of jazz: Ask My Bull is delightfully hyperactive and cinematically epic.
They push the boundaries with insane sonic textures, and smooth, versatile genre fusion. Not to mention
rocking the fuck out with bubble guns!!
Fluorescent and flirtatious or blunt and vulgar; they crackle with an infectious energy that always sends a current through the crowd.
floral pattern
Led by tenor saxophonist Mylie Noble, Floral Pattern are a powerful new presence emerging from the Midlands jazz scene. Blending composition and improvisation with a vibrant layer of electronics, their music builds toward euphoric, dance-driven climaxes that energise both band and audience alike.
Born out of the 'Greenhouse' improvised jazz-fusion jam sessions in Derby, the group draws on a strikingly broad range of influences — from the spiritual intensity of Pharoah Sanders to the contemporary groove of Ezra Collective and the electronic edge of Nerve — positioning them firmly at the cutting edge of UK jazz.
Expect virtuosic playing, psychedelic textures, deep grooves, and above all, music that demands movement.
james storm
Kenyan-born, Bristol-based singer & multi-instrumentalist 'James Storm’ has a flare for heartfelt, genre-bending performances.
His signature sound - born of a love of nature, sound-painting & imagery - delves into landscapes and elaborate canvases weaved in song. James draws upon his spiritual Jazz & sacred Choral music roots, now referencing his love for Soul, Dubstep & Afrobeat genres to underpin his dynamic, fluid yet coherent live sound world.
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Highly sought-after within Bristol's growing Nu-Jazz scene, James is working with rising artists GROVE & t l k, and has recently supported renowned touring artists Steam Down & Tara Lily.
For fans of Alfa Mist, Jordan Rakei, Nubya Garcia and Bonobo.
Kourosh, Matt & Amena
Kourosh Kanani, Matt Davies, and Amena thread the rich traditions of Iran, India, Armenia, Egypt, and the Levant into a modern jazz tapestry.
The trio create a powerful dialogue between ancient cultural legacies and cutting-edge soundscapes, merging Kourosh's virtuosic, polyrhythmic guitar work and Matt's innovative use of electronics and reimagined drums. At the heart of this sonic exploration is Amena, a Cairo-born and raised singer. Deeply rooted in her heritage, she masterfully merges the ornamentation, phrasing, and modal depth of Egyptian music into the contemporary jazz sound.
Together, they create music that is both a tribute to their diverse heritage and a fearless exploration of modern. Their sound transcends borders, time, and genre.
tokomololo
Sunny Sumptuous Electronica’ — Clash Magazine
Feel-good electronica infused with Welsh-language vocals exploring belonging, nature and home, written between the sea and the mountains. Inspired by artists such as Four Tet, Bonobo and Caribou.
In its first year the Tokomololo project has quickly grown from a performance inside a Celtic burial chamber on Anglesey — curated by Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller — to headline shows across the UK and support slots for Afriquoi and Utah Saints.
Live, the music is built in real time using looping, sampling and live vocals. With radio support from Huw Stephens and Sian Eleri, a debut album is planned for release in 2026.
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rebettingham
Through the back alleys, tavernas and hash dens of their roots, Rebettingham invite you on a journey, exploring the history of Greece’s underworld. Weaving tales of beauty, love, outlaws and life, they embrace their roots and pay homage to a sound born out of rebellion. The Nottingham based outfit perform rebetiko, a Greek urban folk music that emerged from marginalised groups and refugees and blends Eastern Mediterranean traditions with Western influences.
junkyard tornado
Junkyard Tornado is a cascade of dystopian poetry and introspective, distorted imagery. Hypnotic vocals that taunt as much as they soothe. Swaying between metallic sarcasm and subtle pleading to a backdrop of understated classical guitar, she explores themes of planetary colonisation, AI takeover, end-game capitalism, advertisement psychology and asymmetric warfare.
Working with Gordon Raphael, producer for The Strokes, Junkyard Tornado’s concept album, Septic Species, finger-points at humanity carving a route to self-destruction.
quinn
Scarlett Henderson is a composer based in Manchester with a particular interest in algorithmic processes (Pure Data, Max/MSP), live electronics, improvisation, and experimental scoring. Her work focuses on building sound in microscopic detail, creating immersive and spatialised compositions. Scarlett’s compositions have been performed across Manchester, Vienna, and London, including installations and expositions at festivals such as MUSICA and the Tage der Neuen Musik. She is also the composer for Studio Yiakoumi, a Bristol-based video game studio, where she is developing adaptive soundscapes.
