Open Cypher

Confessions wrapped in an indie-folk-pop style… Born and bred in London, Nicky Phillips felt the pull to move north; she shares her open-hearted songs on both guitar and piano through intimate performances across North West England.

Although Nicky had previously been active on the music scene, it was 2021 that pulled her back with her first ever release and self-titled debut EP with sold out shows in both Cheshire and London. The EP saw success in ‘Home’, which was a semi-finalist in the UK Songwriting Competition and was featured on Indie Folk Central’s first ‘Women of Indie Folk’ compilation. Another song from the EP, ‘The Dark’, was featured on BBC Music Introducing. Nicky has just finished her first tour in May 2024, including London, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester.

Born in South Africa in 1996 to a Zimbabwean mother and Malawi born British father, London based artist Tanya Nonthando Wilson combines the two halves of her identity by juxtaposing traditional methods and contemporary themes into experimental and personal expressions of her lived experiences. As a graduate of Fine Art: Drawing and having recently been shortlisted for the Cordis 2021 Tapestry Prize while also having her work shown in numerous galleries and events in London, Tanya wishes to express how she views the world through multi- disciplinary mediums.

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Adela

Good vibes curator with infectious positive energy, Adela enjoys mixing spicy tracks and hidden underground gems.
Originally from Romania, she took the leap into DJ-ing in early 2023, half a decade after moving to London and discovering the incredible electronic music scene here. Her sets are typically a journey through multi genre sounds aiming to keep you on the dancefloor for as long as possible.

She is a DJ, event producer and a rave community leader with the mission to connect people with similar interests for good music.
You can listen to her monthly radio show on Patchouli Deep Radio every last Tuesday of the month.

Exploring the dark and divine through the lens of surrealism

Sami Rhymes is an Award-Winning Spoken Word Artist, Poet, Author, Facilitator and Creative from London, UK. Since summer 2019 she has performed and headlined at a number of public and private events/festivals in London, nationally and abroad in Malaysia.

2022 saw Sami pick up “Best Female Spoken Word Poet” , perform nationally and also marked the release of her Debut EP “Triple Threat”. Media features include BBC Radio London, ITV news and S1:E3 of the BAFTA winning Sky Arts commissioned TV show Life & Rhymes to name a few.

Her poetry touches on everything from identity to relationships to mental health, injustices and day to day experiences.

Her debut collection “20 Something” is available on Amazon and her next book and EP is in progress.

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Kieran is a 20 year old music producer who has had influence from many genres along his way. He started as a saxophonist exploring jazz and blues, then he proceeded to play the upright bass and learnt about the art of classical music. He has also dived into gospel and hip hop later on in his years. Kieran likes to collaborate and has a lot more music waiting to release.

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Özten is a genre-blending DJ and producer who focuses on mixing niche and cultural sounds from her own and the world's. Her sound is a harmonious blend of her Anatolian roots, rap music and contemporary electronic. One of her signatures is breaking the boundaries between Eastern grooves and Western beats, incorporating traditional instruments like the *bağlama* and *ney* into the vibrant realms of techno and house music. Drawing inspiration from the dynamic energy of UK rap, garage, jungle, and drum & bass, Özten infuses her sets with the spirit of community she experienced at events in Bristol and London.

Check out Özten's regular live show on Brixton Radio, where she displays her unpredictable yet satisfying music, blending all the way from house and drill to arabesk and bass music.

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Lloyd Barwood is a U.K. based artist that has been deeply engrained into the underground dance music scene for the last decade, with an unrivalled love and passion for the music that is clearly expressed in the energy he radiates as an artist. Taking influence from all corners of the electronic music world and beyond, Lloyd isn't constrained by boundaries and this shines through in his own productions and DJ sets, focussing on sharing the music he loves and building a soundtrack that captures the moment. He is also the co-founder and resident DJ for Pick & Mix Sessions, an events label and music sharing platform that is centred around sharing a love for underground dance music.

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Arguably iller than the thriller in Manila, Fintan O’Kane is one example of a DJ who has taken the dedication to their craft to the next level; having forsaken all his earthly possessions, Fintan took a vow of silence for a year whilst he studied at the ancient Alter of Breakbeat Badness.

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“We’ve never liked the idea of being ‘just another indie band’,” say King Kuda. The Brighton-based four-piece, whose sound has evolved from classic indie numbers to incorporating “creamy guitars, big hooks, and hypnotic grooves”, first met at university and started jamming in the living room of their shared house. Their 2018 debut single Wildflower’ was packed with spangly guitars and wistful vocals, and now boasts almost half a million streams. New banger, ‘Bloodstream’, however, is reminiscent of electronic artists Dusky and Bonobo, who the band count as recent influences on their sound as well as indie gods, Foals.

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