Kahn and Autumns are re-visiting punk and sound system culture’s shared heritage
‘That’s where the good shit happens, for sure’, Kahn nods assuredly. He and Autumns – real names Joe McGann and Christian Donaghey – are sharing in their enthusiasm for the music of late seventies Britain when bands such as Bristol outfit The Pop Group would integrate elements of dub, disco and funk into their trailblazing strain of post-punk. They land on The Pop Group’s founding member, Mark Stewart, as their most significant mutual inspiration, citing his ‘genuine excitement for music’ and ability to ‘resist distinguishing between genres’ (McGann).
Throughout our conversation, the two artists meet at numerous other sites of crossover between their solo work. Donaghey recognises the impact that discovering bands on Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound imprint, and experiencing The Bug’s Pressure sound system has had on his post-punk electronics. McGann, on the other hand, emphasises the inextricability of dubstep’s ties to punk: ‘although it may not always be as apparent in the work I do, punk was a really crucial launching pad for sound system culture.’
Kahn & Neek at En Masse 2021
The two artists are in the process of preparing their live show – an exclusively commissioned collaboration which will premiere at this year’s En Masse festival. They are set to perform on Thursday night at Bristol Temple Meads underworld venue Loco Klub. ‘It’s really interesting that [En Masse curators] Omar and Georgia paired us together’, Mcgann muses. ‘In fact, we’d already spoken about collaborating. We’ve never made that intention public but they were obviously able to see the connection between our sounds’.
The commission forms part of En Masse’s mission to create the ideal conditions for discovering new music and to cultivate a space for collaborative experimentation. Thursday night’s Loco Klub programme features two more artists who are equally as musically distinct: France-via-London violinist Vanessa Bedoret and Bristol’s own experimental multi-instrumentalist Silver Waves who, for the first time, will play alongside percussionist, Dan Johnson and bassist Jo Kelly as a trio. In a recent interview with En Masse’s curators, festival co-founder Omar McCutcheon – AKA Batu – gave an insight into their programming decisions: ‘we’re always looking to strike a balance between cohesion and contrast. Hopefully it means people are exposed to something new, making for an all-round more enriching experience’.
‘It’s like throwing each other curveballs and waiting to see how the other swings back’ - Autumns
As it happens, it was a Bristol institution at which McGann and Donagheys’ paths crossed in the first place, back in 2020 when McGann was preparing a show for his residency on local broadcasting station Noods Radio. ‘I remember coming across Autumns on Bandcamp and thinking this is just fucking raw as hell! There’s this attitude and aggression to it, but also a sense of humour’. ‘It was raw because I didn’t have studio monitors!’ Donaghey interjects. ‘I would listen back and I be like fuck, there’s no bass!’.
But the roughness and grit that McGann identified in Donaghey’s production signified an attitude that chimed with his own; a shared sonic heritage and a consciousness of the musical lineage to which both punk and dubstep belong. ‘Actually, it’s something I often worry gets lost nowadays. I’ve been to lots of punk shows recently which have been amazing in terms of performance, but the link to sound system culture seems to be forgotten. It’s one of my dreams to do a goth night and book the Iration Steppas sound system’.
Autumns - Rachel Deakin
Donaghey shares McGann’s conviction in the connectedness of their solo work, and celebrates the opportunity to explore it through collaboration. ‘Coming across Joe’s music opened up this whole new world to me. The world I come from is very much like shove-as-much-into-two-minutes-as-you-can, so it's been good practice to work with sparser, more bass-heavy productions’.
The two have spent the past few months deconstructing elements that characterise their respective bodies of work, and experimenting with ways to combine them. Working remotely, they liken their process to remixing, exchanging impressions of tracks which are clear enough to distinguish, but leave space for the other to put their own touch on it. Not only have they been inspired by each other’s distinct methods, but also the act of collaboration itself. ‘It’s really refreshing’, Donaghey reflects. ‘I will send something to Joe and he will come back with something completely different to what I’d expected, or what I’d do myself. It’s allowed me to escape my own set ways. It’s like throwing each other curveballs and waiting to see how the other swings back’.
'It’s really important for festivals to push those boundaries’ - kahn
As well as integrating distinct practices and styles, this collaboration demands one artist in particular to step out of their comfort zone in terms of performance. Whilst Donaghey has recently acclimatised to nightclub environments, for McGann, live performances are unchartered territory. ‘I’m definitely stepping more into [Christian’s] realm with this show’, he admits. ‘But it’s really exciting for me. I’ve wanted to do a live show for ages, and this has been the push I needed’. But whilst both artists are keen to embrace the opportunity to explore the intersection of their respective sounds, they recognise the pivotal role of an open-minded audience. ‘For a trad dubstep crowd, it might initially be a little jarring to come and hear something more punky’, McGann admits. ‘But it’s really important for festivals to push those boundaries’.
Fortunately, they share a confidence in En Masse’s audience. Donaghey recalls the last time he played in Bristol – at Strange Brew, another of En Masse’s 2024 venues – celebrating the ten year anniversary of party series and now-iconic Bristol institution, Schwet. ‘Honestly, I didn't expect people to be so into it’, he recalls. ‘I played at 11:30PM and people were going absolutely mental, so I have high hopes for this show!’ McGann, having DJ’ed at En Masse’s 2021 edition alongside long-time collaborator, Neek, confirms. ‘Last time the crowd were really responsive and open to different things’.
When asked what we can expect from next month’s show, the early music of Sheffield outfit Cabaret Voltaire arrives to the artists as an apt reference point, given the mercurial three-piece’s incorporation of guitar, drum machines and mangled vocals, and their DIY aesthetic. But, as is vital with any kind of live performance, McGann is open to ‘just seeing what happens’. Besides, Donaghey emphasises, ‘it’s just about whatever feels fun at the time. If something's not feeling good in the moment, you can just – I don’t know – start kicking the guitar away or spit on yourself or something’. ‘It’s art, man!’ McGann concludes.
Buy tickets for En Masse’s Thursday night event at Loco Klub with Kahn & Autumns, Vanessa Bedoret and Silver Waves Trio on Headfirst. Or buy a festival pass for access to all the shows.