Tokyo Tea Room are a dream pop band from Margate UK, who endeavour to create music inspired by human emotion, exploring themes of longing, nostalgia and the ephemeral nature of existence. Dreamy moody groovy sound with introspective lyrics.

Contact: tokyotearoom.c3u@gmail.com

Since they formed, Brighton’s PROJECTOR have stubbornly gone their own way. Bringing angular industrial drum machines to hook laden alt-rock, and lush melody to frenzied post-punk, the band have never hesitated to prioritise sonic breadth and an experimental attitude to pop. It’s this confidence in craft that have lead them to tour Europe with rock giants Cleopatrick while simultaneously haunting the airplay of BBC Radio 6’s left field Steve Lamacq and Amy Lamé shows.

PROJECTOR deal in nuance of expression and the true insanity and grit of modern life, psyche and politics (although they don’t like to talk about lyrics.) With the same attitude to recording, PROJECTOR have kept a firm grip over their creative output by producing and recording themselves for the last few years.

PROJECTOR’s debut album ‘NOW WHEN WE TALK IT’S VIOLENCE’ moves effortlessly between artful derangement, aggression and the pop hooks that have regularly seen the band gatecrash the mainstream rock scene. At times it’s drenched in the dark, industrial brutalism of Joy Division, at others it’s a spectacular of hyperactive, Squid-flavoured rant-pop. The album features climaxes that stagger into acid-soaked country, warped with drum machines and lush harmonies, before leaping into blisteringly paranoid Incesticide-era grunge, topped with melting Lana Del Rey-flavour choruses.

Above all, the band’s tightly wound intensity drives the album with the strange fervour of early Pixies that reflects the energy of their live show. PROJECTOR will celebrate their debut with a UK and EU tour, starting February 2024.

the anthrax of indie rock

loaloauk@gmail.com

Cutting together malign heaviness and borderline nihilism, with acidic melody then tied into place by the reigns of contagious pop. Sick Joy's blood is dirtied with echoes of Nirvana, Pixies and Smashing Pumpkins. Although birthed in Newcastle, Sick Joy moved south to Brighton in September 2016 and played their first show to a sold out Patterns with fellow north-to-Brighton bands Demob Happy and Tigercub.

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