Author: Markus Hetheier

Thank you Danny H., Snuggle Ninja, Renee Stormz and The Silver Field for bringing so much joy and inspiration. Special thanks to Alex Booth and Fuel Cafe Bar and of course thank you to the audience.

Thank you to everyone who came to FLUFF #8 and for continuing to create a warm, inviting space for queer electronic musicians to perform their music live. Thank you 4xi for shaking all the molecules in our body with your thrilling opening set. Thank you Mikey P for allowing us to witness your first live gig and hear recently finished versions of the beautiful songs you started writing in the 90s. Thank you Cynthia’s Periscope for choosing this occassion for your first live gig in three years and delivering such a dynamic performance. Finally, thank you Knowing the Oak Tree for creating such an intimate and captivating performance merging electronica with classical instruments, gracefully merging folklore, abstract soundscapes with hot beats, saxophone and violin solos with delicate vocals, all delivered with grace and humour. It was a joy! Thank you Heidi for sorting the sound and Fuel Café Bar for hosting us again. Until next time!

All photographs by me except last one by my FLUFF wive Norrisette.

This year Norrisette and I took FLUFF on tour for the first time, to Sounds from the Other City festival. FLUFF was established in December 2021 and has been running since as an act of resistance in the precarious post-Brexit and post-Coronavirus music economy with the aim to create a resilient space for queer electronic musicians despite the challenging economic situation. In addition, we aim to reclaim the queer origins of electronic music through focusing on and supporting the queer community. 

FLUFF is a night of queer live electronica organised by Anna Appleby and I (performing as Norrisette and Industries respectively) and takes places at Fuel Café Bar in South Manchester, usually on a Thursday night every two to three months – the next one will be on June 1^st, mark it in your diaries. Since we started the night FLUFF has become a community driven network which fosters collaborations amongst the different performers, some of whom have had their first gig there.

An example of a collaboration which has developed from FLUFF is our invitation to programme and promote a stage at the Salford-based Sounds from the Other City festival this year together with Tales From Other Worlds, a Manchester-based promotion company run by Lavender Rodriguez who had their first ever gig at FLUFF performing their original productions. This collaboration led to FLUFF being acknowledged in a Guardian article about the ‘DIY music scene pushing Manchester music forward’.

The FLUFF x Tales from Other Worlds stage was at the Old Pint Pot downstairs. We kicked off the day with Is33n who rapped over their glitchy beats, gracefully moving between more experimental and more poppy moments. Dayzee Chain delivered pure experimental electronica transporting us into an otherworldly industrial sounding soundscape. Nøelle presented her carefully produced beats and masterful vocals through which her beautiful melodies shone through. Caitlin LM  brought her band and switched between singing, playing the flute and saxophone, creating a magical atmosphere which definitely brought the feels. Rosé Gold then played their joyous dance tracks including Emma Wheeler’s gorgeous vocals during what was their second gig ever. As headliner, Phia Sky definitely delivered a versatile engaging set even including a little bit of performance art, a wide range of electronic instruments and sounds, great vocals, creating a very engaging organic electronica pop set. In between the live sets, Norrisette, Lavender Rodriguez and me (Industries) played DJ sets containing some of our music – Norrisette’s set had a hyper pop energy, while Lavender’s set brought two step and afro futurist vibes and my set contained ambient techno and minimalist left field electronica with a focus on percussive elements.

Thank you Mike Plunkett for capturing my DJ set at Sounds from the Other City Festival this year through his photographs. It was a pleasure to not only curate the FLUFF x Tales from Other Worlds stage with Norrisette and Lavender Rodriguez but to also play my own electronic music productions including my remix for Flowers of Evil, collaborations with Indigo Jung and Northworks as well as tracks by my sister raaz — thank you for listening!

Thank you as well Ashley Garrod for this review of my DJ set.

Thank you for everyone who came down to the Sounds from the Other City festival (SFTOC)Takeover at Feel Good Club on Easter Friday. Anna (Norrisette) and I had lots of fun deejaying for you. Don’t forget to come to SFTOC on April 30th and see our FLUFF x Tales From Other Worlds stage promoted by Anna (Norrisette), Lavender Rodriguez and me. The performers will be three of our FLUFF artists (Phia Sky, Rosé Gold and Dayzee Chain) and three artists selected by Tales From Other Worlds (Nøelle, Is33n and Caitlin LM). Anna (Norrisette), Lavender Rodriguez and I will deejay in between the sets. Grab your tickets here: https://soundsfromtheothercity.com/tickets/.

I loved premiering new material at FLUFF #7 and am so grateful for our receptive and supportive audience that keeps coming back, it is truly inspiring and energising! Thank you Bella @baabybelles for these wonderful shots and Norrisette for organising this one. We’ll see you for our Sounds From The Other City showcase on April 30th (save the date)!