1. Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuydervelt) is one of the most exciting, diverse and prolific artists working in experimental music today. With over 100 multi-format releases in the last five years for labels such as Type Records, Lampse, Digitalis, Staalplaat (Mort Aux Vaches) and 12K, his resonant work has amassed a dedicated audience all over the world. [http://www.machinefabriek.nu/]

"His work nestles tantalising between genres, counterbalancing immersive swathes of ambient sound with astringent textural challenges and offsetting a predominantly electronic mode of production with an emotionally-charged smattering of found sounds and naked instrumentation." (The Wire)

2. Since 1996 Jazzfinger (Ben Jones, Hasan Gaylani, Sarah Sullivan) has been pushing the boundaries of avant-garde music with an approach to structure, feedback and fidelity that has seen the band add an essential catalogue of record releases to their worldwide reputation for variant and vital live shows. [http://www.myspace.com/jzzfngr]

"One of the best free / avant / drone / primitive groups in the UK." (David Keenan, The Wire).

3. Preslav Literary School (Adam Thomas) makes live tape collages using sounds drawn from an ever-growing archive of self-generated or discovered outsider noise, found sound and spoken word cassettes. A process of transference, overdubbing and live manipulation reworks these source materials into compelling, ambient broadcasts. Adam has released three albums, numerous live CDrs and played at venues and festivals throughout Europe.[http://www.preslavliteraryschool.co.uk]

"Like William Basinski's Disintegration Loops, Preslav Literary School focuses on creating something new and personal out of found sounds and dull, everyday happenings... wonder and amazement is conveyed through the sounds and a sense of otherworldly significance is given to the simplest of actions." (Sputnik Music)

4. Since visual artist and experimental musician Poldr (Benjamin Laurent Aman) relocated from France to Berlin, he has become one of the rising stars of the capital's established underground scene, marking himself out as a performer who deals with texture, frequency and field recordings with a distinct and unafraid ear. Founder of the cult Razzle Dazzle label, Benjamin is also one half of the French/US improv-duo Crystal Plumage. [http://www.benjaminlaurentaman.com/]

"Drawing equally from a contemporary droned madness and a hypnotizing minimalism.... A dense and harrowing musical experience." (Tomentosa Records)

5. Newcastle-upon-Tyne's Posset redefines cassette-based music for a new century. Freely releasing CD-Rs and tapes of sonic experiments, magnetic interruption and dislocated environmental recordings, Posset filters everything through a C60 haze that transforms the listening experience into something fragile and compelling. [http://www.myspace.com/iamposset]

"An impressive combination of hands-on tape manipulation and outsider guitar self struggle, leaden chime, bursts of tape movement and strung-out muzzled feedback." (Rock-A-Rolla)

6. Jamie Charlton is interested in all areas of sound manipulation but has a particular interest in analogue sound. His experiments with four-track tape recorders and cassette manipulation attempt to remove sounds from their original contexts and turn them into something different. Recently, he has been collecting field-recordings of everyday things and juxtaposing these sounds with instrumentation. [ www.myspace.com/jamiecharlton]

7. Benjamin Freeth's artistic practice explores the themes of movement, desire, the infinite and the finite, intimacy, emotions, ritual, delay, drone and significant memory. He performs with Helictite and has played alongside Faust, La Foxe, Aki Onda and Sunn O))). Ben is currently studying an MRes. Digital Media at Culture Lab, Newcastle University. [ http://www.filmmustburn.com]

8. WAMA is a multi-media collaboration between artists Bethan Maddocks and Steven Walker. Working together they share a desire to embrace concept and ethos over discipline. WAMA explore multiple artforms, creating new relationships between text, psychology and contemporary art production, with the aim to produce audience interventionist artworks. [http://www.50ftlonghorse.com]

9. Nick Williams completed a BA in Music and the Creative Arts with Performance Technology in 2001 and is currently researching electronic music in cross-
disciplinary performance for his PhD at Newcastle University. Nick has been co-
director of the interdisciplinary performance group theybreakinpieces since its formation in 2004. [ www.virb.com/njw]