Category Archives: Film

The Gasman

The Gasman

Portsmouth resident Christopher Reeves is the man behind the eerie, playful electronica of the Gasman. A teenage fan of breakbeat rave music, early Aphex Twin, and the output of the Rephlex label, Reeves began creating music using a programmable Yamaha keyboard as well as samples from records, tapes, and the radio. Some of his music was built from reel-to-reel tapes of classical music run through a computer. In 1998, he began using programs Soundforge and Acid to create tracks. Gradually, he developed a style which blended sophisticated, Baroque-influenced melodies with chopped-up breakbeats, all covered in an ethereal, glowing echo.

Since then, he has released material on Planet Mu, Sublight Records, Terminal Dusk, Warp, The Centrifuge and Believers Roast as well as his own GasmanMusic, with his most recent album, 2016’s Aeriform, being released on Onomatopoeia. He has a number of other alter-egos including Synthia, Wiggy, and Meatman.

The Gasman will be bringing a show reel of his brain wobbling videos for your late night delectation. Such as the video to Museum from 2014’s Hiding Place #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOHc1LxXXFc

Read more about The Gasman on his website: http://gasmanmusic.com/
Listen and buy Gasman music at https://thegasman.bandcamp.com/

2016 (What The Fuck Is Going On?)

Forever Justifed and Ancient

2016 (What The Fuck Is Going On?). Last year on the eve of Harpo Marx’s assassination the Cube Cinema in Bristol made a time-stretched and burnt sample offering to one of the all time best pop bands in the world. Forever Justified & Ancient.

Along with the burning of 1K that night, an hour long mysterious mix of K related footage flickered onto the cinema’s screen. The 3rd Eye space now & for eternity presents a rare chance to reView.

The Cube is a Microplex Cinema, Arts venue, adult creche and progressive social wellbeing enterprise in Central Bristol, England. It was formed in 1998 by 4 artists who had no idea what they were getting into. Idealists, amateurs, fools, material positivists, stilt walkers, film directors, screen writers, occultists. But not even running illegal cinema speakeasy events in Bristol (Club Rombus) could prepare them for the monster they gave birth to one cold and rainy October evening in 1998.

A very special contribution from Alan Moore

So here’s another big one you lucky people. Drum roll please…

 

Mr Alan Moore. That’s right THE Alan Moore! Writer, mage and counter culture aficionado. The term genius is often bandied around but here at Festival 23 we feel it’s an apt appellation for the man frequently described as the best graphic novel writer in history. His work in the 80s on works such as the ‘Watchmen’ series and ‘V for Vendetta’ made an entire industry shift focus, causing publishers to target comics at adults as well as kids. Always demonstrating the highest integrity, and firmly embedded in the underground, when wider audiences picked up his writing he edged away from the mainstream, developing such an aversion to corporate America that he has since declined large payments for Hollywood adaptations of his work.

Alongside writing, Alan is an occultist, ceremonial magician and anarchist, and these themes feature in such works as ‘Promethea’, ‘From Hell’, and most recently his Lovecraft inspired ‘Neonomicon’. Alan’s work outside the comic world includes novels (Alan is currently finishing the million word novel ‘Jerusalem’) performing avant-­garde spoken word occult “workings” and writing scripts including ‘Show Pieces’, a short film series directed by Mitch Jenkins.

His personal take on art as magic, his concept of ideas space and his passion for speaking his mind mean it’s always a joy to hear his take on the world. Alan is recording an exclusive interview for Festival 23, which will be aired on the weekend. We’re so pleased to have his patronage and can’t wait to hear what he has to say.