We’re extremely excited to be able to announce our involvement in Bluedot festival which takes place at Jodrell Bank Observatory in July.
We’re thrilled to be included on a line up that features some of our favourite current acts such as Stealing Sheep, Lonelady, Floating Points, and Cowtown.
Hope to see you there.
Stargaze Records Presents…..
MR TC (Optimo / Glasgow)
DIE WILDE JAGD (Dusseldorf)
GALAXIANS
XAM
GAME_PROGRAM
Wharf Chambers
23-25 Wharf Street
LEEDS
07.05.16
£6.00
9pm til 3am
MR TC
MR TC aka Thomas Clarke is a DJ and musician based in Glasgow. Another affiliate of the city’s prolific Green Door studio, he has immersed himself in the city’s electronic music scene since arriving 6 years ago, running the Night of the Jaguar parties out of The Art School and DJing around the city.
His music and DJ sets encompass Left-field Disco, Tropical Oddity, House and Techno whilst channelling the spirit of a youth spent playing in psychedelic rock bands in Luxembourg, listening to krautrock and worshipping Lou Reed and David Bowie.
His debut EP ‘Soundtrack For Strangers’ was released on JD Twitch’s Optimo Music Imprint in November 2015, receiving support from the likes of Red Axes, Rebolledo, Ivan Smagghe, Trevor Jackson, Christian S, Hugo Capablanca, and Manfredas and proceeded to sell out all 300 copies of the initial pressing within three weeks. There is a repress on the way.
DIE WILDE JAGD
Ralf Beck and Sebastian Lee Philipp first met in 2006 in Düsseldorf’s Salon des Amateurs, a meeting place for new and established experimental musicians and artists, also known as Germany’s “postpunk Hacienda”.
It seems no coincidence that Düsseldorf is the duo’s founding city: their music is full of subtle references to local acts, such as Kraftwerk, NEU!, DAF, Liaisons Dangereuses, Pyrolator, the Krupps and Propaganda.
GALAXIANS
Fresh, future-boogie duo Galaxians are equal parts Hacienda and Paradise Garage, and, having already released two records on Brooklyn New York’s Dither Down imprint and Atlanta’s Rotating Souls Records respectively, they will present their debut album in 2016. Now a trio, having recruited singer Emma Mason as a result of recent studio collaborations.
XAM
XAM is the solo project of Matt Benn, one Hookworm, whose move to this kind of generative and rigid electronica is not too surprising, given the well-patterned psychedelia of his band. Comprised of three longforms, he stretches out warm tones and lets generous beats synchronise with the gliding atmosphere. Think Jonas Munk’s polished ambient tunes given Harmonia’s meandering but maintained drum machines and you’ve got “Werk & Play”, which does just as its title tells it to: it’s mechanical but wide-eyed.
“Coke Float”, which is easily the best named song of all time no contest (to quote JME, don’t @ me), goes a bit harder, shuffling in with a grittier beat that skitters over a forever kind of melody. The tune’s simplicity doesn’t stop it from being big on the detail, with effects pouring in, creating the feeling of crickets chirping on the moon. Finally we’re left with “Lifer”, whose patiently growling drone becomes both transcendent and loopy, climaxing with the twinkliest of synth sounds, content to wander forever beatless. You’ve had a dance — now be raptured to a place where dancing is sleeping.
GAME_PROGRAM
Jon Nash is primarily known as a talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from bands like Hookworms, Cowtown, and Nope. But he also does Game_Program, a one-man electronic soundtracker of imaginary 80s high school coming-of-age dramas. GP evokes sun-drenched Miami beaches, palm trees, and teen dreams and evokes sounds reminiscent of College, Giorgio Moroder, and Mr Fingers.
*** Wharf Chambers Co-operative Club is a members’ club, and you need to be a member, or a guest of a member, in order to attend. To join, please visit wharfchambers.org. Membership costs £1 and requires a minimum of 48 hours to take effect ***
Galaxians have been announced, along with acts Gang Of Four, Los Campesinos, Field Music and more, for Wakefield’s Long Division festival in June 2016.
Long Division is a weekend music and culture festival that takes place in Wakefield City Centre each year in June.
“It was the existence of Long Division that gave me the confidence to bring back Unity Hall as a music venue.” – Chris Hill (Unity Works Developer).
Since its formation in 2011, Long Division has led the way in develping Wakefield as a respected and revered musical and cultural destination. It is run by a very small but dedicated group of people who wanted to showcase Wakefield’s often overlooked musical talents to a wider audience.
“Absolutely invaluable to us, the biggest showcase of the year for bands and venues in the city. Makes me proud to tears every year.” – Rob Dee (Philophobia Music, Wakefield).
Using a range of city centre venues, it now attracts 3000 people each year, showcasing local talent by placing them alongside national artists. It has consistently produced line-ups amongst the strongest and most value for money across the whole country.
“Made by Music fans, for Music fans.” – Louder Than War.
Galaxians have been included in the first wave of acts announced for Dimensions festival, which takes place in a Roman amphitheater in the centre of Pula in Croatia between the 24th and 28th of August 2016.
https://www.facebook.com/DimensionsFestival/videos/787681908005065/
Matt spoke with Leeds-List and Independent Leeds about JUX festival, which takes place at the Brudenell Social Club on 20th February.
LEEDS-LIST
Matt spoke to Joseph Sheerin…..
“Brudenell Social Club is set to host a day of the best and brightest musical talent from the North as Jux Festival comes to Leeds.
Leeds’ newest all-dayer, Jux Festival is all about, believe it or not, juxtapositions. They like contrasts, placing musical brilliance side by side, just because they can – and with a line up like theirs, they’re doing a pretty bang-up job of making it a must-see.
It’s curated by two Yorkshire musicians, Matt Woodward of Galaxians, Azores, and the renowned Release Yourself parties, and Michael Ainsley of Yard Wars and The Ainsley Band. They’ll be taking over Brudenell Social Club on Saturday 20th February 2016, bringing some of the North’s finest musical talents under one roof.
Woodward told us just why they’re doing Jux Festival, “A festival is a good way to bring together bands who might never share the same stage, perhaps as a result of not being part of the same genre sphere, belonging to a different creative or communal ideology, or simply having stylistic differences. I think that in very simple terms we’d like to use the festival as a platform for bringing communities together, helping people to make new friends and creating awareness of different cultural movements.”
Topping the bill at Jux Festival is electronic duo Shift Work, who get their mitts on all kinds of weird and wonderful equipment to create addictive jams such as ‘Abandoned Hands’ and ‘SBFM. Having released on both Optimo Music and Houndstooth, their stock is strong, and they’re definitely a group you have to see live.
They’ll be joined by Woodward’s Galaxians at Brudenell Social Club, a local group that’s played nearly every venue in the city with their infectious brand of live dance, and Sheffield’s finest Blood Sport, who blend punk and afro-beat in a delicious manner you’ve probably not come across before.
Coming across from the other side of the Pennines, in Wigan and Chorley, Cactus Knife will deliver some heavy psychedelia at Jux Festival while Makanitza offer the chance to catch some vibrant Romani and Eastern European tunes, something that likely doesn’t crop up too often.
Milk Crimes is another Leeds band that’s played all over the city, and their irresistible punk hooks will make them a blast at Brudenell Social Club, playing alongside the inimitable Joanne, a live coder, who creates live music using computer software.
Michael Ainsley’s Yard Wars offer up some indie goodness at Jux Festival, Wakefield’s Mi Mye promise flashes of their remarkable alternative tunes, emerging Leeds group Take Turns show off their burgeoning talent and Jonathan Nash returns to the city with eclectic solo project Game_Project.
It’s easy to see why it’s called Jux Festival. There’s so much going on here that you’re sure to fancy something from what is without doubt an incredible line up of diverse musical talent, from all over the North – here’s hoping it’s the first of many.
INDEPENDENT LEEDS
Matt spoke to Jed Skinner…
“This February will see the launch of JUX, Leeds’ newest festival of music, bringing together active participants of some of the vibrant musical communities across the North and London.
Taking place all day on Saturday 20 February at the Brudenell Social Club, JUX will create a broad palette of music by juxtaposing artists who would be unlikely to play together on the same bill.
Co-organiser Matt Woodward explains the reasons behind putting in the hard work to create a festival which brings such a mix match of artists together;
“We felt tired of generic and unchallenging festival programming: many of the same bands play the same festivals, and only artists who share a common sound are suitable to share a stage or a festival billing.
“We decided to create JUX to juxtapose bands who are musically diverse; to bring together acts that exist in separate communities, but might share some ethics or philosophies about creating art and producing music.
“Also, the word ‘Jux’ is sometimes used as a slang word meaning to rob or steal! We thought that might serve well as a double meaning, as a cheeky dig at festivals that don’t leave you feeling that they’re worth the ticket price”.
Just a few of the bands which will be taking to the iconic stage on the day are, Game_Program, Galaxians, Blood Sport and Shift Work – two guys from London, working on analogue gear out of a studio built in a former stable. They’ll be bringing hypnotic, looped vocal oddities, spiralled drum machines, strained key stabs and deftly arranged percussion. It’s a line up which definitely requires you to bring your dancing shoes!
© Galaxians 2012-2025