April 16, 2019
Hidden Door exists to showcase and support new and emerging Scottish talent, and over the years we’ve helped over 200 music acts take to the stage and find new fans amongst the 36,000 visitors we’ve welcomed. Many of the bands we’ve programmed have gone on to win top awards and sign major record deals. Not bad for an entirely volunteer-run, non-profit arts organisation…
This year is no different – alongside our glittering headliners, we’re pleased to present more top local talent bound for stardom. Here’s a quick look at a few of the local acts taking to the Leith Theatre stage this year…
Chuchoter make angry, shouty feminist pop music. Emerging from Edinburgh’s underground, the electronic duo blend gripping pop vocal melodies with precise, striking synthesis. Inspired by a mix of modern Pop and Disco their deep-soul vocals, strong, self-assured lyrics and dirty production create a fresh sound with a club focus.
We were proud to have these guys play at a contributors’ party we held for our artists and volunteers four years ago, and are delighted to see them return bigger and better than ever.
Free-range, farm-fresh, bass-laden hip hop direct from the East Coast (of Scotland). Since 2016, MCs Bitta DisGrace, Pimpses hAsha and SweetHardt Dowt have been melting faces all over the floor of the Scottish music scene with their big beats, heavy flows and good vibes. Touted as “some of the most exciting new voices in Scottish rap”, last year saw their inclusion in The List Hot 100 and a nomination in the Scottish Alternative Music Awards’ Best Hip-Hop category.
The Reverse Engineer is Edinburgh’s Dave House; an electronic musician and sound artist who creates polyrhythmic soundscapes from algorithms, field recordings, sampled instruments and synthesis. His most recent release ”Euclidean Acid” was released on Paradise Palms Records earlier this year and gained wide support across the board.
Championed by Radio Scotland’s Roddy Hart and with multiple Celtic Connections appearances to her name, Zoe Graham’s understated charms will not stay below the radar for much longer.
On stage, you will find her either with band or fleshing out the instrumentation with loop pedals on solo outings. But when Zoe pares it back to just a vocal and acoustic guitar, that is when you know you’re in the company of someone very special indeed.
Hailing from sunny Dundee, these two have crafted a unique sound with strong conceptual and stylistic elements. The music itself is laced with dark tones, created by an amalgamation of jazz influenced guitar and poetic vocals, alongside other notable pop and electronic influences.
The Edinburgh duo’s 2015 debut single ‘The Road’ was lauded by the New York Times as “the best debut single from a UK band since ‘Ceremony’ by New Order”, leading to some high-profile support slots for the likes of Django Django and The Twilight Sad. Now, the band return with ‘Skin’, the closing track from upcoming release ‘Chemicals’ – a thumping affair which retains the mysticism of New Orders’ ‘Movement’ but channels Nine Inch Nails most industrial moments.
