Strange Brew to host Saffron Records Artist Development showcase

Strange Brew to host Saffron Records Artist Development showcase

Posted on: 26 Apr 2022

Saffron's latest cohort of female and non-binary artists will be performing live on Fairfax Street next week.

 

Bristol-based record label and non-profit Saffron have released tickets for their latest Artist Development showcase event, set to take place at Strange Brew on Tuesday 3 May.

 

Saffron's 2021/22 Artist Development programme reflects their core mission of addressing the gender imbalance in music tech, organised to provide participants with the tools, opportunities and professional support to help develop their careers.

 

The showcase is the culmination of six months of work with five emerging Bristol-based producers, centred around a commission from MSCTY, a global leader in music architecture technology.

 

Registration for free tickets is live now via Headfirst.

 

 

For their latest artist development programme, Saffron and MSCTY came together to invite musicians and artists to compose tracks in response to locations in and around Bristol.

 

How the participants responded, and the processes they used to do so, was left entirely up to them as individuals. The resulting showcase is five totally unique tracks reflecting on Portland Square, Christmas Steps, Phoenix Wharf, Millennium Square and Bristol Museum. 

 

The project was open specifically to women and non-binary people of mixed Black heritage. The latest Annenberg report shows that less than 3% of professional music producers are women, with even poorer representation for Black women and gender minorities. 

 

As well as the paid commission for MSCTY, Saffron's latest Artist Development programme involved access to 1-2-1 mentoring, Saffron membership, and a five-day retreat in the Gloucestershire countryside organised to create space to share ideas and reflect in guided workshop sessions.

 

A short documentary produced by Bristol-based filmmaker Patch de Salis shines a light on the five artists involved and digs deeper into the Bristol landscapes and history that inspired their tracks.

 

 

Attendees at next week's Saffron showcase can expect an eclectic mix of skittering snares, distorted electronics, deep sub-bass, soulful genre-blending, experimental electronics, spoken word and more from participating artists Medis, Ratiba Ayadi, Tallulah Blue, Marla Kether and The Yard Woman.

 

Each of the five tracks produced as part of the programme can also be found via the MSCTY website. Users are encouraged to walk around Bristol and arrive at a specific location to access each artist's contribution. 

 

Free tickets for Saffron's latest Artist Development showcase are available now via Headfirst.

 

To find out more about Saffron's collaboration with MSCTY, or to follow news and updates on future projects, visit their website or find the team on Twitter.

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Article by:

Matt Robson

 

Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
 

Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.