News

ANNOUNCING SONICS 2022

September 12, 2022
Sonics 2022 is a 3-day festival of ground-breaking experimental, electronic, and underground culture to take place in the iconic and newly renovated space, The Observer Building, Hastings, across the weekend of 21/22/23 October 2022.

Sonics 2022 is a 3-day festival of ground-breaking experimental, electronic, and underground culture to take place in the iconic and newly renovated space, The Observer Building, Hastings, across the weekend of 21/22/23 October 2022.

The three-day October event presents a diverse and vital line-up ranging from internationally renowned and legendary live acts to cutting edge, underground musicians, artists and DJs. 

As previously announced our Friday and Saturday headliners are two highly influential artists in the world of electronic music. On Friday 21st October, Detroit electro visionaries Dopplereffekt present their new live AV show ft. Maria Mendes while on the evening of Saturday 22nd October, Ceephax Acid Crew aka Andy Jenkinson brings the acid rave to a town that knows how to party.

Joining them over the weekend are:

  • Elijah – Talk/Q&A – artist, writer, DJ, manager and curator who ran the influential grime label Butterz. Daily ‘yellow squares’ project on social media (19.3k Instagram followers) raising important questions about creativity and being an artist right now.
  • Mariam Rezaei –  Newcastle based experimental turntablist, composer, improviser, and curator (TUSK Festival). Sampling, glitch, club culture deconstruction. 
  • Zavoloka – Ukrainian (Berlin based) composer, sound & visual artist – First UK appearance of hypnotic live experimental techno audio-visual set she has performed across Europe in 2022.
  • Kerrie – DJ set – Manchester based techno/electro DJ and producer, linked to influential Eastern Bloc record shop. Distinct raw sound with recent sets at Tresor & HOER in Berlin.
  • Bafotoya – Unique, boundary pushing UK based jazz quartet of formidable players including Jean Touissant (ex-Art Blakey Jazz Messengers) and Jason Yarde. Respecting traditions while seeking new ground. 
  • Meemo Comma – critically acclaimed 2021 album on Mike Paradinas’ influential Planet Mu label – live experimental electronics with breakbeats, vocal samples and ambience.
  • Fiyahdred – DJ set – London based DJ with releases on influential label Hyperdub. Percussive, funky amapiano vibes. Numerous 2022 club and summer festival appearances (We Out Here Festival) plus incendiary B2B sets with Yung Singh and Scratchclart.
  • Pozi – London based energetic post-punk and weirdo pop.  Big BBC 6 Music favorites of Marc Riley, Lauren Laverne et al. Recent UK festival appearances and tours with Warmduscher.
  • Ehua – DJ set – Italian-Ivorian, UK based, producer and DJ. Underground experimental bass music and global techno, regularly plays clubs and festivals across Europe (Berghain, Sonar, Draimollen). Rinse FM resident with solo releases & remix work on Nervous Horizon, Cut Cross and more.
  • Richard Norris – Music for Healing extended DJ Set – long form ambient and immersive tracks from the electronic musician’s electronic musician and one half of Beyond The Wizard’s sleeve w/Erol Alkan.
  • Floating World Pictures – London based duo of Chestnutt (Snapped Ankles) and renowned graphic artists Raimund Wong. Fourth world ambient soundscapes and improvisations. Debut album on Friendly Recs. includes guests such as Alabaster De Plume with sell out album launch shows at Cafe Oto and Bristol’s Cube.

Soon to be announced is the schedule of hands-on music workshops, live podcasts, talks and discussions which audience members can register for in advance. Plus the weekend will include sets by Sonics DJs, showcasing players from the myriad underground music scenes in the town. 

Sonics is produced by Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival. The event was originally conceived as Thee Sunday Sonics by local artist Danny Pockets in 2015 to bring together and showcase the underground and experimental art and music scenes in the town. It provided an opportunity for the wider Hastings and St. Leonards-on-Sea community to discover the diverse range of experimental music, art, installations and more in the town. The event has grown from a one-day session to a multi-venue event across the Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival weekend. 

Sonics 2022 is the first time the event has stood alone as a unique festival of its own, building on the success of three previous events earlier in the year: a locally focussed Sunday Sonics all-dayer during the Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival and two one-off shows with Dhangsha, Yao Bobby & Simon Grab, Codex Serafini & Slum Of Legs. 

The underlying commitment and focus of the Sonics team remains that of offering audiences an event that is open and accessible to all, diverse, exciting and fun. 

Daytime music sessions remain FREE entry while the evening sessions will be ticketed and run into the early hours. 

ENTRY

Weekend tickets, which include both evening events, as well as guaranteed priority entry to all free daytime music sessions, are £35 for the whole 3 days HERE. These Weekend Tickets are limited to 300 in total.

Tickets for the Friday evening event with headliner Dopplereffekt live/AV ft Maria Mendes are available for £20.

Tickets for the Saturday evening event with headliner Ceephax Acid Crew are available for £20.

All daytime music sessions are free entry but limited capacity – a free ticket must be obtained. 

All tickets available HERE. Full Ticket link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/386794210897

Talks and Workshops have limited capacity and a space must be reserved HERE. (Weekend tickets do not include talks and workshops).