 This is the sound of National Screen Service, the drone gaze project of Mick Harrison, bass player in schizoid hypno shouty noise band Prolapse.

“Gorgeous” - Miranda Sawyer, The Observer

“Beautiful rich melodies are never far away, summoned up by her skilled fingers. Remarkable sonic textures rub up against each other to the extent that the instrument's true voice is unleashed - she makes her instrument speak in tongues” - Ed Pinsent, The Sound Projector

Bela Emerson is an innovative and prolific cellist (acoustic, electric, fx), who creates passionate, evocative, and highly personal music of no definable genre, influenced by her work in genres such as riot grrl punk, electronica, rock, avant garde, techno, and jazz.

She's been performing solo since 2003; her first CD, Kissing Nettles, was broadcast on release in 2004 by Radio 3’s Mixing It. Since then she has performed extensive headline solo tours in the UK, North America & mainland Europe, plus at Supersonic, Glastonbury, Latitude, worldwide Ladyfests, Bestival & Big Chill festivals. This earlier body of work was fully-improvised: composed completely in the moment (see below for more details of releases, achievements, and collaborations). 

From 2013-2024, Bela focused mainly on supporting others' wellbeing and self-expression, founding community music organisation Brighton & Hove Music for Connection and working in hospital settings with Wishing Well Music for Health. 

Since 2024 (alongside her community / healthcare work) she has been developing her own artistic practice, via an Arts Council Enlgand DYCP grant, and three artist residencies in 2024/5. This work is composed, and informed by the body: movement-inspired (including Contact Improvisation), process-/enquiry-led, and directed from internal impulses rather than a requirement to entertain. While positive audience responses are not central to this process at this point, they have been affirmingly positive. 

Bela is currently developing this work and practice through live performances and recording, with a planned album release date of early 2027. 

***

Previous work: 
Bela has four solo releases (including 7” vinyl), the most recent of which, Hespera, a full-length studio album, was released on BiP_HOp.

In July 2011, Bela had a live set broadcast in full on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction, plus has had several tracks and sessions broadcast on BBC Radio, Resonance FM (including live broadcasts), many European national terrestrial radio stations, and countless times on the web.

In addition to her solo activities, Bela has worked with innumerable other musicians, such as Tim Exile, The Damned, British Sea Power, Rhodri Davies, Dead Voices on Air, Nick Pynn, Lianne Hall (including four John Peel sessions for Radio 1), and with Stomp’s Lost & Found Orchestra at Sydney Opera House & the Royal Festival Hall.

She also plays for dance, circus, and films live &amp; recorded - recently for the award-winning Tereza Buskova & SchMovies - and in collaboration with Philippe Petit & Randall Frazier she featured on The Wire’s front cover giveaway CD in March 2010.

“If anyone really does live by those Things To Do Before You Die lists, slot 'see Bela Emerson live’ somewhere into the top 50” 
Julian Owen, Venue magazine

“When the performance finished, the audience looked as if struggling to come back to the reality they had been beforehand. Truly, Bela manages to transcend the ordinary and offer a journey through sounds and music that most contemporary artists fail to achieve” LucidSawnDream

“A skilled and eclectically minded performer” 
Boomkat

“Bela hurls her sampled electric cello virtuosity between two processors in a manner that could shatter protons in a head-on collision…a freewheeling engine of grinding physical energy” 
Sonny Chaplin, Brighton Life

“Excellent!” Mark Russell, BBC Radio 3

RELEASES: Hespera (BiP_HOp 2008) 
Laurasia (Drama Queen 2007) 
Subaqua (Gruenrekorder 2006) - track on AudioArt03 compilation 
Scythe 7" vinyl (The Slightly Off Kilter Label 2005) 
Cables (Quiet Records 2004) 
Kissing Nettles (Drama Queen 2003)

Simone Ivatts is following