THE FUTURE IS FEMALE | LIVE REVIEW
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Sat 7 Oct
Organised by From Now On, who already have a great track record through their annual experimental music festival at Chapter, this wasn’t just a day filled with sweet electronic sounds, punk rock, engrossing visuals. The Future Is Female also created an incredible environment which showcases new artists at the forefront of feminist creativity, and challenged ideas of gender identity.
There were many free events on during the day, including a very interesting discussion called ‘More Baby In My Monitor Please’ hosted by Welsh musicians Lisa Jên, Gwenno and TFIF’s Emma Daman Thomas. The sit-down discussion focused on demystifying and normalising motherhood in the music industry, something important in today’s work environment.
Kicking off the programme in style were the Welsh language Accü, whose trance-inducing vocals carry their powerful synth and drums through your body. The real standout of the day, meanwhile, was The Lone Taxidermist [below] – whose electrifying electropop beats, accompanied by hellishly surreal vocals, almost gets overshadowed by her marvellous all-encompassing stage presence. Wearing what can only be described as a suit made of inflatable hands and a boxing headguard, the set was full of noise, electronic groans and light.
Other highlights of the night included feminist dance-punk band Charismatic Megafauna [top], Carmarthenshire trio Adwaith, the bearded bellydancing of Shrouk El Attar’s Dancing Queer [below] and Bishi. Bristol-based producer Kayla Painter’s AV set [above] was visually stunning, inviting you into a Tron-like world using back and front projections. Her intricate electronic sounds washed over the crowd like waves as they sat cross-legged and totally engrossed on the floor.
The whole day generated thought-provoking discussions and amazing music from some of the most talented artists around. The only thing I can hope is that events like The Future Is Female can become the norm and happen regularly.
words JAYDON MARTIN photos ADAM CHARD