As seasoned visitors to Sounds from the Other City will attest, a day out at our Bank Holiday Bonanza always throws up at least a few surprises.

Over the past few months we’ve been working with friends and partners here in Salford to develop a couple of extra special projects that you’ll be able to see and feel for the very first time here at SFTOC 2024…

R.AGGS – new music and live show

First up is RAY AGGS, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based in Glasgow who performs under the name R.AGGS. As well as their solo work, they have previously led collaborative groups Trash Kit, Shopping and Sacred Paws.

As part of the Samarbeta Music residency program, Ray will spend 10 days in Salford in the lead up to the festival — creating new music and a live performance surrounding a new type of exploded folk song. Ray will be exploring ideas around ‘roots’ music, appropriation, belonging, identity and the black diaspora. You can catch the debut of this work at Sounds, as well as the opportunity to participate in workshops and an artist talk in the weeks preceding it.

The Conductor is a brand new artwork conceived by Manchester based artist Mishka Henner. Developed as part of University of Salford Art Collection’s artists’ residency at the incredible  Energy House 2.0, The Conductor will attempt to channel all the world’s thunder strikes through a single percussionist beating a drum each time a lightning strike is recorded.

Utilising data from a global network of sensors maintained by the Blitzortung.org project, the experience is a unique physical and sonic event connecting audiences to global climatic events in an intensely visceral way. The project will debut at SFTOC 24 and you can be part of a unique moment in time when humanity first experienced a planetary connection to climatic events

In an update to the programme, sadly Ruf Dug is unavailable to be part of SFTOC this year, so has handed the baton over to the ever so fabulous synth queen Sarah Bates who will be leading the balcony party over the Islington Mill courtyard. Joining Sarah is an amazing group of selectors; Julie Wills, Jimmy Turnbull, Private Joy & Kickin’ Pigeon to bring you al fresco good times.