- This year, Simple Things marked its fourth addition with arguably its most ambitious lineup to date. What used to feel like a dedicated electronic music event with a sideline in low-key bands now offers a mature balance of styles from across the spectrum of alternative music. If you wanted to, you could follow a grand arc from shoegaze to indie-pop to leftfield techno to monolithic post-rock, ominous drones and party-starting house music. If that sounds like a dizzying cocktail, then you're not far from the feeling of careering round Bristol all day and night for Simple Things.
This year's venues were spread across reasonable distances to alleviate the queueing issues that hampered crowd movement in 2013. Colston Hall was once again the epicentre of the larger acts, hosting Mogwai and an easygoing if somewhat unexciting live set from Nightmares On Wax. The place was gently buzzing from early afternoon, with local act The Fauns warming up the concert space for the ghostly pop of How To Dress Well. Invada Records brought a hefty chunk of their roster, plus purveyor of all things ominous The Haxan Cloak. Up on the roof terrace, DJ Sprinkles made a surprise appearance amidst a cast of local house DJs. In the foyer, Onra threw down his low-slung MPC beats.
The Island was a more pared down operation this year, sharing its club-orientated acts with Lakota, a sprawling party complex up the road. In the former, the Shapes Courtyard rumbled to the EBM-infused techno of October and a much-hyped session of more militant techno from DVS1. The Firestation looked after Red Bull's acts, among them the steamy house-funk of Seven Davis Jr., the chunky soul of DJ Nature and an anticipated turn from DJ Harvey.
L.I.E.S. and Hyperdub did their thing over in Lakota, with Laurel Halo particularly shining with her uncompromising live set. Deeper into the building, new spaces appeared, each more wonderfully grubby than the last. With the right timing, you might have stumbled upon Actress tearing out old-school Detroit sounds, Max Graef dazzling with his plush, sample-rich house and DJ Sprinkles coming into her own with a bewitching late-night dive into the furthest reaches of deep house.
In a way Simple Things felt like an insurmountable mountain. That's hardly a criticism—organisers have done a great job of not compromising on the quality of the line-up. On a personal level, though, it felt like an intense rush of musical experiences without the coherent satisfaction of a really good night out. Still, the fourth edition of Simple Things can only can described as a resounding success, even as it edges further away from the meaning of its name.
Photo credits: Harry Leath (cover) Kane Aaron (DJ Sprinkles), Shot Away (Onra)