An electronic music collective is presenting a free showcase of innovative sounds at a venue in Oxford city centre this Sunday evening.
The event, staged by EMOM at The Handlebar on St Michael’s Street, will feature performances from multiple acts across the electronic music spectrum.
Among them is Sebastian Reynolds, a well-known figure in Oxford’s music scene through his work with The Flights of Helios, The Keyboard Choir, and his solo projects.
Reynolds will present a set combining trip-hop and ambient textures.
The lineup also includes Albedo, an Oxford-based act performing for the first time, alongside Demesne Furze, another Oxford group specialising in ambient and drone music.
Southampton act Dub Kaizer brings dub-acid-techno to the programme, while MindSpikes represents London.
Aylesbury contributes Morph with melodic techno, Reading sends Neurish performing Detroit-influenced techno, and London is represented by Wild Marsh East delivering beat-less cinematic soundscapes.
TAD Live from Oxford will manage multi-camera live streaming for the event, incorporating a thermal camera.
Iridiphore, a Reading-based audio-reactive visuals collective, will provide visual projections throughout the night.
According to the venue’s Tom Warner, attendees can expect an array of cables, homemade synthesisers, laptop-based setups, drum machines, and unconventional items such as ironing boards and electric toothbrushes repurposed as instruments.
Each performer receives a twenty-minute slot.
The sole restriction involves acoustic guitars, which are permitted only when processed through effects to create soundscapes.
A DJ will fill intervals between sets with hypnotic techno while immersive visuals accompany the performances.
The event attracts attendees with varied interests, from those interested in equipment to those seeking to dance or simply absorb the atmosphere and socialise.
Thames Valley EMOM operates as part of a broader EMOM movement that has developed across the United Kingdom over approximately ten years, with independent collectives running comparable nights in cities nationwide.
The initiative originated with Manchester musician Martin Christie, who observed that open mic nights primarily catered to singer-songwriters and guitarists, leaving electronic musicians without opportunities to perform live.
Christie began organising nights where anyone with equipment could secure a performance slot.
The Oxfordshire and Berkshire collective behind TVEMOM comprises individuals from diverse backgrounds, including programmers, music educators, drummers, DJs, visual artists, and computer game designers.
These events are staged without charge for enjoyment, to provide equal platforms for emerging and established artists, and to maintain accessibility rather than exclusivity.
TVEMOM has previously held events at AKA in Banbury, which hosts the next programme on November first, and at the Biscuit Factory in Reading.
The collective’s approach addresses the prevalence of solo music production at home and the proliferation of AI-generated content shared online.
The response involves gathering people in a shared space to witness musicians constructing sound in real time.
The event runs until ten in the evening with free entry, though attendees were requested to register through the Eventbrite platform at the address tvemom.com, where artists can also submit applications for future performance slots.