The Crescent Arts Centre is renowned for its of hosting electronica events. trans:mission presents six of Ireland’s top electronic talents playing live sets alongside a special Belfast edition of the world’s most famous art battle: Secret Wars.

Psycatron
A Belfast duo that have truly taken over the world with a string of high profile productions released on some of the world’s most respected labels, receiving props from some of the biggest names in the business and their sales flying high in the Beatport charts.
“dancefloor killa, full support!” Laurent Garnier
www.myspace.com/psycatron

Barry’s Electronic Workshop
Experimental/electronic producer Barry Cullen blends sounds and images from old junk with hi-fi sounds and graphics, trying to find a balance between creating something new and making it fit along with something recycled. www.myspace.com/barryselectricworkshop

Nouveaunoise
Nouveaunoise have been making waves on the European electronica circuit with an ever evolving live show with a drummer/samba band, old samplers, synths, broken toy keyboards, homemade effect boxes and more… but they always leave their laptops at home.
www.myspace.com/nouveaunoise

kab driver
Formerly known as Filaria, he sits somewhere between IDM and the bass spectrum but is most noted for his intense musicality and an obvious love of funk and soul.  (Chris Jones, AU Magazine).
www.myspace.com/kabdrivermusic

Men in Speedos
From downtempo to techno, from electronica to drum’n’bass, Men In Speedos vary as much as the samples that intersperse their albums and sets. Their tunes have been played all over the world from John Peel to Rob Da Bank.
www.myspace.com/meninspeedos

Toby kaar
Toby Kaar is a producer from Cork city. A hugely varying taste in music can be heard in his tracks, which range
from banging techno to ambient noise to folky hip hop. His music, combined with a great live show,
have seen him play support to both Nathan Fake and Ben Frost.
www.myspace.com/tobykaar

SECRET WARS hits Belfast!
Secret Wars has built a reputation as The Worlds Premier Art Battle.
Normally held in the dark corners of cities, artists gather with black paint markers to follow the simple rules of drawing live against each other for 90min. The winner is decided by crowd reaction and the votes of two judges. Held all over the world in New York, London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Moscow, and Dublin – it is now time for Belfast to smash it!

Daytime Event Creative Industry Showcase & Open Music Media belfast speed networking

3pm / free
Open Music Media Belfast hosts a casual networking session for anyone working in the music/media sectors. A meeting of creative minds in an informal setting allows companies and entrepreneurs to forge plans, form partnerships and find new business opportunities.

Because trans believes that music belongs to everyone, all trans:mission events held at Belfast Waterfront are for all-ages.

Not Squares
Not Squares were born out of intensive improvisation and have evolved through an organic and democratic process of producing music that makes dance an ideology. Over the last year Not Squares have carved themselves a name as an exciting live act throughout UK and Ireland, bringing the party to every place they play. It’s not just about dancing; it’s about dancing with people.
www.myspace.com/notsquares

Kowalski
Kowalski bring together their echo-laiden guitars and sythesizers to create an upbeat shimmering dream pop for the modern age.
www.myspace.com/wearekowalski

Pocket Billiards
A Belfast-based 9-piece band that fuse ska, reggae and dub with punk rock and heavy riffs, creating an energetic and powerful sound.
www.pocketbilliards.co.uk

Kasper Rosa
An instrumental four-piece with epic soundscapes and thundering, post-rock melodies.
www.myspace.com/kasperrosamusic

Continuous Battle of Order
A guitar and drums duo mainly playing guitar and drums. They also play drums and drums, clapping and shouting and guitar and guitar. The band are an experimental polyrythmic duo formed from the ashes of Belfast band, We are Knives.
www.myspace.com/continuousbattle

Girls Names
Girls Names play disposable noise pop songs. Lauded by the likes of Pitchfork and bloggers all over the UK and Ireland, they recently released their debut mini album You Should Know By Now.
www.myspace.com/girlsnames

More than Conquerors
More Than Conquerors gathered to create music with a united purpose and a shared vision. The dirty yet rhythmic guitars lead the innocent on-looker into a frenzy of intricate ups and downs, while the mix of impactive beats and hard-hitting basslines make sure the audience’s feet stay nailed to the ground.
www.myspace.com/morethanconquerorsni

The 1930s
The 1930s write catchy tunes with relevant lyrics and having only been around a short period of time they have already made an impact on the local scene.
www.myspace.com/the1930sni

Afternoon Event Metal In The Afternoon

2pm / £3
Gacys Threads / Metalcore to rip your face off
interrogate / hardcore, hard rock metal
Ossia Music School / www.ossiamusicschool.com
This years Black / no-holes-barred, explosive brand of home grown metal.

AU after Show Party

AU presents the trans:mission after party. Following in their tradition of throwing special, messy and down right dangerous (in a good way) shin digs, AU will be ensuring that the party doesn’t stop when trans:mission is complete. Taking place at a secret location, you can expect good music, good people and good times. Keep your ear to the ground.

// Official trans:mission aftershow party //

Submerse is a rising star of what has been dubbed the ‘Future garage’ movement. With a string of releases on L2S and Nightaudio, Submerse has shaped the emerging sound with releases that draw on influences from garage, dubstep and old skool rave. His radio show on SubFM has become essential listening for anyone who wants to hear the freshest dubs, with Submerse’s unique take on the flourishing bass movement.

In his early twenties, Submerse is not only a hugely talented producer but his recent podcast for online magazine Big Up, showed his talent on the decks with a set list compiling unreleased tracks of his own and tunes you are destined to spend the next year looking for. If you have been to any Ecker nights in the last year, you will have spent some time throwing shapes to Submerse records!

http://www.myspace.com/submersedubstep

http://eckerbelfast.blogspot.com/

Up In The Attic (UITA) opened its doors in Auntie Annie’s over five years ago and since then has established itself as the best place in Northern Ireland to find new and emerging talent. Helping to launch the careers of bands like Panama Kings, Kowalski, Strait Laces, And So I Watch You From Afar, General Fiasco, Joe Echo and Two Door Cinema Club, over 300 bands have graced the stage since March 2005.

This is the 100th show for UITA and they’re celebrating in style, inviting back ten previous performers for a one off show in Belfast’s Limelight.

There will be promotions and competitions running throughout the night.

www.bruisedfruitpromotions.com

In 1989 Chris Duckenfield got his first residency and learnt the art of making people dance, playing at raves for 12–15,000 people. Later in his career, while working at WARP, he met Richard Brown and subsequently started the SWAG project, making tunes, remixes and releasing records.

Over the years he has DJed at thundering cathedrals of rave like Fabric as well as such bastions of House Music as the Sub Club in Glasgow, Back To Basics in Leeds and Mad Racket in Sydney, not to mention temples of soulful sonic wizardry like The Electric Chair (RIP) to name but a few.

Upfront cuts jostle for their place alongside timeless classics as these DJs dig deep into their collections for this party. If you’re a music lover in need of something fresh and intimate in Belfast, or like to start moving your feet from the second you arrive at a venue, then this is the night for you.

In July 1990, three young men from Larne made a noise, and it echoed round the world. They were Therapy?, and it’s been 20 years since the release of their debut single, Meat Abstract.

At a time when music in Northern Ireland still meant The Undertones and Van Morrison for most people, Therapy? exploded onto the UK music scene, quickly emerging as one of the most exciting and vital bands in the country.

Quickly gaining a commercial foothold, singles such as Teethgrinder and the legendary Shortsharpshock, featuring Screamager put the band – and Northern Irish music – on the map.

Classic albums like Troublegum and Infernal Love remain pivotal albums for 90s rock music, whilst more recent efforts such as Crooked Timber prove that the band still have the edge that took them all the way from Larne and put them on a world stage.

Now, to celebrate 20 years of the music of Therapy?, BBC Introducing in Northern Ireland is inviting 13 bands to share the stage of the Oh Yeah Music Centre to play their renditions of their favourite Therapy? tracks from throughout the career of the Northern Irish rock legends.

Already confirmed are Mojo Fury, Axis Of…, Kasper Rosa and Rupture Dogs with a few surprises to be announced.

Full bar available.

A Punk-Rock, Hip-Hop, Jump-Up Ska Soundclash from Manchester.

From Manchester’s dynamic musical landscape comes Sonic Boom Six, the most compelling soundclash to rise from the underground for years. Described by Kerrang! as a hefty shot of ska-punk, hip hop, reggae and jungle, not to mention big, sinuous rock dynamics and hooks SB6 play firmly for the dance-floor while retaining enough power and aggression to be an active fixture of the UK’s punk scene. A true product of their city-centre environment, The Boom’s sound is as authentic as it is unique. Looking as at home on a festival stage as they are playing at a warehouse party, the band are retaining their grassroots ideas and positive, unifying message as their music steadily permeates a wider international audience.

‘They’re one of the most truly stimulating live bands ever to whip an apathetic crowd into devotion, and their grassroots army of support stands testament to that. What’s more, their billing is a victory and inspiration for everyone who writes songs with their mates and dreams of something better’ Ben Patashnik – NME, Going underground

Oneman plays a lot of old tunes, an exception in a scene obsessed with the perpetual ‘moving forward never backwards’ motion of dubplate culture.

Oneman has moved ahead of the rest of the DJ pack, getting booked for London’s two flagship clubs, Forward (in the warm up slot) and DMZ (in the closing slot) and building up a considerable following with his show and sets at underground raves like house and chicken.

‘Oneman has almost singlehandly reinvented old school garage – taking the art of djing to a new level – recontextualising 2 step garage into dubstep, grime, ‘wonky’ and beyond. He is still the only artist ever to appear on Mary Anne Hobb’s BBC Radio 1 show without releasing a single record.’ Cargo, London

www.myspace.com/1mandj
www.mixcloud.com/pressurebelfast

Back for the fourth year, Money Back Guarantee does exactly what it says on the tin.

For the £5 entrance fee, musicians, comedians and puppeteers from across Belfast provide a multi-disciplinary feast with a difference. Tonight they are quite literally singing for their supper as we give you your money back at the exit and you decide who, if anyone, deserves your hard earned cash.

It’s about breaking down the barrier between audience and artists, and giving artists a novel and tangible new measurement of how the performance went.

This year’s performers include:

Yes Cadets – Spectral synths and jagged guitar lines swirl around a foot-stomping rhythm section and fiery boy-girl vocal that would fill any dance-floor at the drop of a heartbeat. All the right influences are taken and zapped with ten thousand volts worth of electric attitude and charm to make even the coolest headed indie aficionado pump their fist in the air.

Strait Laces – Chunky ballsy and a little bit sinister, Strait Laces are the cheeky little brother of punk rock. Formed in early 2008, they recently took SxSW by storm and are wreaking havoc and delighting audiences all across Ireland and the UK.

Brothers Dimm – Be welcomed into the world of twisted puppetry and anarchic fairytales. This show is strictly adult’s only and will make you look at puppets in a whole new light.

Anne-Marie Mullan – Since attending Big Laughs comedy workshop as part of last year’s Urban Arts Academy Anne-Marie has been a regular on the Belfast comedy circuit gigging at Big Laughs, Voicebox, various coffee shops and art ‘happenings’. Her stream of conciousness style is as natural as it is awkward, inviting you into her comedic world which elevates the most mundane everyday trivia into a bizarre celebration of the ridiculous.

Come and raise funds for the Jigs ‘n’ Rigs festival on Rathlin Island.

Featuring Team Fresh with more bands, DJs and acts to be announced.

For a flavour of what to expect, listen to songs at music.escapeact.com

Special guest performances will also take place during the show, which will take place over two ‘acts’.
Tickets will be strictly limited, and the performance starts at 9.30pm.

Belfast alt-pop four-piece Escape Act present their new album in an immersive performance taking place in McHugh’s basement bar.

The band have spent much of the last 12 months writing and recording their follow-up to 2008’s Loosely Based On Fiction. Released on 5 July on Volte-face Records, Balance is a further step up for this ambitious group. Moving away from the usual gig format, Escape Act’s performance will capture the diversity and depth of the album and involve the listener in the journey of creation and performance.

Three up-and-coming banderos have picked up their instruments and embarked on the long journey North to show us their musical wares. To make them feel at home we’re celebrating with a Mexican style fiesta with piñatas, sombreros, dancing and much revelry.

Enemies

Enemies started in April of 2007.  In April of 2009 enemies set out on there first UK tour which found them playing with bands such as And So I Watch You From Afar, OSO and many more.  After five successful dates in the UK, Enemies announced a Japanese tour with the highly acclaimed post rock band, Toe, in June of 2009. With two sold out shows in Tokyo and nine astounding shows with bands such as Toe, Mouse on the Keys, Low Pass and Kowloon.

After a busy start to 2009, Enemies have now gone back into there rehearsal room to start writing for there debut album, which is set to be released in early 2010.

Smashing post-rock from Wicklow – Irish Times

At Last An Atlas

At Last An Atlas is the music of Greg O’Brien. Greg was born and lives in Dublin Ireland. Currently he writes and records music in the house he grew up in using an organ, synths, sampler, nylon string guitar, vocals, noises and field recordings.  In late 2009 Frances Downey joined Greg and became a member of “At Last An Atlas”.

At Last An Atlas’ debut album “From Which We Were Raised” was released on February 6th 2010.

…an inspired debut of open-hearted stories, fey angles and musical left-turns – 4/5 – The Ticket (The Irish Times)

First Music Contact is a free information and advice resource for musicians at any career level. They offer free consultancies, industry clinics around the country and an annual demo dip day. They run the Hard Woring Class Heroes Music Festival and run the incredibly successful Breakingtunes site which currently hosts 1400 band profiles from North and South of the border. FMC, in partnership with Culture Ireland and IMRO deliver the Music From Ireland project showcasing Irish acts at 8 international music festivals including Midem, The Oscar Wildes, SXSW and the Great Escape.

Craig Richards has realised worldwide recognition by staying in one place. His residency at Fabric is an unparalleled success.

Each and every week he creates an inspiring soundtrack for the club, never the same and always challenging, his early morning sets are legendary.

As artist in residence and musical director for Saturday nights at Fabric he is responsible for the inspired approach taken to programming by the club.

www.fabriclondon.com
www.myspace.com/iamcraigrichards

Silk Flowers (NYC / Post Present Medium / Captured Tracks) couple the bittersweet, emotional shadings of singer/multi-instrumentalist Aviram Cohen’s baritone voice with rough-textured, electronic music steeped in the darker recesses of pop past, suggesting Scott Walker fronting an early Mute Records group.

Skinny Wolves is a Dublin based record label, booking agency, and club. Inspired by music from the Post-Punk, No/New-wave, Krautrock eras and everything it has inspired and influenced since, they have helped forge a new DIY underground in their hometown.

The Bop Yestrum moth took flight in 2006 with a singular blend of masked mayhem, communal percussion and whacked-out visuals. Playing strange and beautiful little-heard gems, the sights are still set on dancefloor abandon.

Tonight, Yestrum and The Wolves join forces to bring you a night of post-punk, psyche, dark-pop and whacked-out visuals for your listening and dancing pleasure.

www.skinnywolves.com
www.bopyestrum.tumblr.com
http://www.myspace.com/silkflowersnyc

More Info to follow

John B

Classically trained at a young age, this British superproducer has gone on to become one of the most eclectic and unique individuals working within electronic music today. Consistently escaping categorization, John’s genre-defying catalogue spans the worlds of Electro, Trance, Drum & Bass, and a few other spaces across the BPM spectrum.

Break with MC Bassline

Acquiring a love for the breakbeat through jazz and funk records, Break took to the drums at a young age, learning piano along the way and taking to the turntables at the age of fourteen. A talented musician with a wide range of influences, Break looks to push the barriers in whatever he’s doing. Crisp breaks, heavy bass and strong melody are stable marks of his productions making him a firm favourite with a variety of the scene’s top DJs. Bassline combines the classic toasting MC style with boundless enthusiasm, good vibes and a deeply rooted passion for music. Equally at home in a small club or large rave, catch him on stage with the likes of Break, Klute, Doc Scott and Survival and at events including Fabric, Essence of Chi and Rupture.

www.john-b.com/
www.myspace.com/dnaudio
www.myspace.com/bassline.mc

London based DJ/producer Caspa is among the most influential figures within the dubstep community, the boss of multiple dubstep labels, and someone who helped break the genre into the mainstream. Born Gary McCann, the West London native got into drum’n’bass at a young age and took up DJing before ultimately founding the label Storming Productions in 2004, followed by the subsidiary labels Dub Police and Sub Soldiers. He collaborated with fellow dubstep superstar Rusko on the high-profile mix album Fabric Live 37 which helped shoot them both to fame. Billed to Caspa & Rusko and notably the first dubstep entry in the long-running series, the album was somewhat of a milestone for the fledgling British style. Since then Caspa’s profile has continued to go from strength to strength along with the dubstep genre as a whole. He’s among the most in demand exponents of his genre, alongside Skream, Benga & Rusko. He makes his Belfast debut at The Stiff Kitten alongside MC Rod Azlan, his long time live attaché.

Tickets available from Ticketmaster Outlets, The Kitten Bar and www.thestiffkitten.com

www.myspace.com/caspadubstep
www.myspace.com/eckerbelfast

DJ Format distinguishes himself from many of his DJ colleagues by keeping the cutesiness and special effects to a minimum, leaving the focus where it should be – on the tunes he’s selected and on his tastefully wielded turntablist technique. DJ Format returns to Belfast to play the Spring & Airbrake after selling the venue out last year.

The Willowstone festival returns to Killyleagh for another wholesome mix up of good music, art, food, drink, people and place.

Willowstone presents the only Irish date this summer for local hard rocking blues band The Answer, back home from a world tour with AC/DC and sell out Ulster Hall show. Also making music are Cashier No.9, John Shelly & The Creatures, Bocs Social (Dublin), Dark Room Notes (Dublin), Katie & the Carnival, Ruby Colley, Scorpion Jack, Colenso Parade and The Red Admirals.

As well as great music, this year’s festival includes interactive art and games including a Maze, Crazy Golf, theatre from Ponydance, live painting and much more.

Our drink sponsors, The Hilden Brewery, will be serving up locally brewed beers and ales in their Tepee beer tent. Organic food comes from the award winning Pheasants Hill Farm includes whole roast hog as well as vegetarian options.

All this, set in the idyllic walled garden of Delamont Country Park, is just 40 minutes from Belfast. Head down for the day or camp and wake up with a view of Strangford Lough and the Mourne Mountains, there’s a family area (kids under 12 go free) and proper indoor toilets, no need to rough it.

Introducing have taken the idea of the ‘world’s first completely sampled album’ (Guinness Book of Records) and turned it around by playing the whole thing live.

Hot off the heels of DJ Shadow’s opening weekend show, the worldwide phenomenon, Introducing, a band who have deciphered and recreated live each and every sample of DJ Shadow’s classic debut album Endtroducing…, play the closing weekend.

With a scratch DJ, an actor (and a vocal FX box), a bassist, a Chinese hip hop keyboard virtuoso, and a sax and flute player, alongside the founding members, Matt Derbyshire on keyboards and guitar and Mike Reed on drums, it’s a must see for Shadow fans.