New Bristol Music: 26 September–2 October 2026

“In Me” is our way into STARSEED, the seven-track album from Bristol’s Southsection, fronted by vocalist, MC and producer Wayne Muscat. The project moves through dub, trip-hop and electronic music; we love the album’s vibe and would recommend spending time with the full record after this pick. STARSEED arrived on 28 September.

A plea for peace and love gives “Hope” its centre: September Song’s John Douglass and Steve Hogg turn a response to difficult times into an invitation to keep looking forwards. Recorded at J&J Studios in Bristol, it introduces The Perfect View, produced by Douglass and Mark Aubrey, with an extensive cast of local musicians. We’re especially drawn to the care in the production. The music is listenable on Bandcamp now; the page lists 11 October for “Hope” and 18 October for the album, so this is an early independent pick.

Bristol-born, Brighton-based Alina brings five songs into a pop-rock setting on her second EP, out on 2 October. The first half tackles self-preservation after difficult relationships; the second turns towards the anxieties of a new one. Jack Grace’s studio instrumentation sits alongside a striking exception: “I Think…” keeps its original one-take cabin vocal and the birds captured with it. Begin with the title track below, then hear the complete EP.

Sam Eason’s new single is a fresh starting point. The Bristol songwriter says his Good Times Live support slot on the Madness bill rekindled the urge to write, and this was the first song of the resulting collection. His focus on personal stories and melodies that can move from fragile to anthemic makes this a fitting introduction to With Feeling, Once More. The single is out on 2 October; the longer project is still forthcoming in October.

A fast-punk detour from Bristol’s Absolute Unit. “Stranglehold” comes from the self-titled release dated 27 September, placing the band’s hardcore-punk approach in a compact, direct setting. A good point of entry for anyone wanting the guitars in this week’s selection to bite.

“Pincors” opens a door into Ramu’s Gargantua EP, released on 26 September. The Bristol page places the project among acid, breaks, electro and house: a useful pick for listeners who like their electronic music to cross club boundaries. Follow the track through to the EP for the wider picture.

Axle pairs “Snooker Effect” with “Last Orders” on PIVOT002, dated 28 September. The Bristol producer’s page spans dubstep, garage, grime, breaks and techno, making this two-tracker a natural stop for the bass-music side of our weekly listening. Start with the supplied A-side, then give its partner a turn.

One of our heavier picks, “The Outside” puts alienation, anger and social pressure at the heart of its lyrics. It belongs to Cycles of Despair, released on 29 September, and shows the darker side of Bristol musician Rob Lock’s work across rock, metal and other arrangements. The confrontational subject matter is as central to this selection as its weight.

RANK’s new eleven-track LP is a sharp blast of Bristol hardcore, with “The Spoil” supplying a bleak view of where supposed progress leads. The record’s short songs keep the focus tight, while its lyrics move through grief, anxiety and political disillusionment. James Atkinson recorded, mixed and mastered the music in Leeds; Bri Doom recorded the vocals in Bristol. Out digitally on 2 October, with the vinyl shipping date listed separately for 16 October.

The festival-energy pick: “Crustacean” moves from a half-time opening into tearout breaks, bass stabs and a faster jungle attack, as described in Hardcore Energy’s own release notes. It sits on Constrict’s four-track Owsley EP, which travels between darker jungle and euphoric hardcore. Out on 30 September. The album notes and Spotify establish Constrict as the artist, despite the awkward title formatting on the Bandcamp track page.

Lucian Lacewing offers a psychedelic pause in the middle of this week’s heavier material. The Bristol artist describes a practice that brings synthesizers together with voices and instruments including handpans, sitars and cellos; the track’s page points towards harp, oud and vocal textures. “Freedom From Forever” is a pick for the headphones, dated 27 September on Bandcamp and 29 September on Spotify.

“I Am” is a route into Roxane Barrow’s seven-track The Last Dance on Bristol label Tutamen. The label’s electronic, lo-fi and industrial setting gives the selection a different angle from the week’s drum-and-bass releases. Bandcamp dates the album to 2 October, although its purchase panel still shows pre-order wording at the time of our check; the featured track is already available to hear.

Milo (UK) joins this week’s listening through Ransaked Records, whose Bristol page champions drum and bass and jungle. “Chongo Bongo” is a standalone pick in that sound-system-facing catalogue, with the official artwork shared across its two listening pages. Spotify dates it to 30 September and Bandcamp to 1 October; both fall inside this edition.

“The Spin” comes from Mellon’s four-track Changes EP on the chikara project, out on 2 October. Alongside “Nymph”, “Import Night” featuring Khromi and “Drone Dub”, it sits in a catalogue that connects drum and bass with dubstep and ambient music. A useful gateway into the full EP for listeners drawn to the more exploratory end of Bristol’s electronic labels.

A recent discovery from Almost Human rather than a new release dated this week. The record credits Wallace’s beats and Vlad’s bars, with recordings made at Free House Studios in Bristol in 2022–23 after the songs were written in 2020–21. “In Clover” is our entry point into this underground hip-hop collaboration, unveiled on 24 September. The artist credit belongs to the duo, rather than the LS YD account name.

Five years of friendship and collaborative events have grown into a shared imprint from Transparent Audio and Yamatai. Momentum brings artists from the two labels together, including Spektiv with Dub Ten and Revan with Fearful, making collaboration the point of the record rather than simply placing separate tracks side by side. Released on 25 September, it is a recent pick from just outside this week. Mastering is by Height Sonics, with artwork by Gaijin Graphics and Mirai Vision.

Portway’s “UNITY (Choke)” reaches Spotify on 2 October, but its Bandcamp release I - Field (UNITY) dates back to 10 February. We’re including it as a new-platform discovery, with its electronic palette situated among UK bass, breakbeat, electro and garage on the artist’s page. The paired track “I - Field (Unity)” gives the Bandcamp release another side to explore.

ALR’s “Killa” is built for the dance, with ragga vocal cuts, punchy drums and a rolling bassline at the centre of Uncommon’s description. It leads the two-track Killa / Light Em Up release, with Budden joining ALR on the second cut. The Bristol-rooted label lists this Bandcamp edition for 2 October; the supplied Spotify recording was released on 13 March, so this is a catalogue pick rather than a brand-new recording.

Written for Kleu and Resist’s first joint set in Glastonbury’s Temple, this track carries a direct connection to the dancefloor that gave it its name. Char’s feature is credited on Bandcamp, while Spotify lists Kleu, Resist and Char together. Uncommon now offers it alongside a dub version on Bandcamp dated 2 October, but the Spotify recording has been available since 29 June. A festival-minded revisit from a Bristol-rooted label.

Conceived while the duo were living in Bedminster, Bayhead draws together Southern US hip-hop, synthesizer soundtracks and experimental ambient music. The label describes an industrial landscape running through its six tracks, with “Reunion” providing the available digi-dub opening. This is a forthcoming EP on Indefinite Boundary for 30 October, rather than an album released this week. Watch the official “Reunion” video alongside the advance listen.

Inner Echo bring Youthie’s trumpet and Dubsworth’s live bass into a steppers cut, with rolling four-to-the-floor drums carrying the instrumental detail. The forthcoming EchoPlex release also includes desk-mixed dub versions shaped with live delays, filters and reverbs. “Ranger” is available as an advance listen ahead of the 13 November release. EchoPlex says the digital music will stay exclusive to Bandcamp.

The old-school dubstep direction we wanted to highlight comes through WZ’s advance track for Bristol label DIMESHIFT. The label explicitly takes inspiration from early-millennium dubstep, dark garage and breaks, placing this pick in that lineage. “Aaho Backwards” is available now; the full Abandoned Roots EP is dated 4 November. Keep the EP in the diary while spending time with the track.

David Hewson’s Man at Sea project uses theatre as a way of questioning the unreal world around us on Four Major Plays. We’re drawn to his voice, and “Major Play” offers the first available route into the record, produced and engineered by Jacob Bright. The single is out on 2 October; the four-track EP follows on 6 November, according to Bandcamp. Lucy Ridges supplies the EP artwork.

Drone’s title track is already on Spotify, dated 1 October, with the full What Comes Next EP still scheduled for 15 October on Bandcamp. Its four-track running order puts this alongside “Bound”, “Chaos Reigns In Two” and “Dynamo” with GLM. A chance to get familiar with the title cut before the Bristol producer’s next electronic release arrives.

“Take Me With You” brings a vulnerable relationship story into the powerful clean vocals and breakdown-driven approach described by Bristol alt-metal band Avicide. The single is available on Spotify from 1 October and opens Respirate, their five-track debut EP scheduled for 15 October on Bandcamp. Hattie Cowley handles bass and vocals, Thomas Wood guitar and mixing, and Danny Woods drums and mastering.