NOBODY IS LISTENING

Andrea Cockerton, curator of In the Dark, reflects on building an immersive auditory experience that removes visual cues and places listening at its centre.

She talks about what it's like coordinating 30+ live musicians in real time, hopes for scaling the project, and funding and employability within the arts by creating sustainable futures for live culture.

Read the full article here: nobodyiswatching.co.uk

Suresh Singh, better known as The Cockney Sikh, reflects on growing up Sikh in 1970s East London and becoming the UK’s first Punjabi punk.

He talks about drumming in hostile punk spaces, being guided by his father’s advice 'not to lose his dharm,' touring with Spizzenergi and Siouxsie and the Banshees, and how music became a means of survival, discipline, and spiritual grounding.

After his signature track ‘Make Me’ unexpectedly went viral back in the late 2010's, Borai talks about navigating the space between underground culture and mainstream attention.

He reflects on bootlegs, sampling, staying independent within major-label systems, and why projects like Club Glow keep his practice rooted in Bristol’s sound system ethos.

Sir Hiss talks about the evolution of his sound from grime to electro, and how Pineapple Records gave him the freedom to explore and refine his debut album Time Dilation. 

He reflects on hardware experimentation, translating grime energy into new textures, and how Sam Binga’s guidance and the label’s support helped him find the right home for his genre-bending vision. 

Tokio Station’s Blake and Alex discuss how their Bristol-born jungle-jazz collective has grown into a touring live project blending DJs, improvisation, and soundsystem culture. 

They explore the origins of Tokio Station, how jungle and jazz interact on a live dancefloor, and why Bristol’s jam scene is central to their sound. The duo also talk about collaborating with trumpet legend Takuya Nakamura and the future of genre-blending club nights.

Weval discuss stepping into their 'yes year' and how embracing discomfort shaped their latest album, Chorophobia.

They talk about moving towards the dancefloor without losing their atmospheric identity, learning to finish music before overthinking it, and inviting listeners directly into their creative process. 

What does quiet radicalism sound like? For Anika, it’s unapologetically personal.

From early recordings with Geoff Barrow of Portishead, to collaborative projects in Berlin and Mexico City, we explore how she continues to make music on her own terms.

Takuya Nakamura talks about finding his musical voice through the trumpet and discovering jungle and sound system culture as a young musician in Boston and New York. 

He reflects on the challenges of navigating an elitist jazz scene, learning from clubs rather than classrooms, and developing a horn style that moves with DJs and the energy of the dancefloor. Nakamura also discusses the post-pandemic revival of jungle and drum & bass and the global reach of music rediscovered online. 

Massuma talks about his new path in UK Afro house, moving from accomplished grime producer to a sound that’s hypnotic, global, and feels more like his own.

Instead of following trends or expectations, he speaks about surprise, presence, and the self-directed discipline that shapes his sets. We get into his early DJ frustrations and feeling like a human jukebox, the DIY grind of honing his craft, and the thrill of creating music that moves people. 

Rob Birch talks about staying creative without clinging to the 90s legacy that follows Stereo MCs wherever they play. 

Instead of nostalgia, he speaks about energy, presence, and the quiet discipline that’s kept him moving for more than three decades. We get into the early DIY days of digging through bins for samples, the disorientation of sudden success, and the challenge of making work that still makes you feel something - in a world flooded with music. 

Tickets for all shows are available here.