This October, the Science and Industry Museum is set to hold a special after-hours event, The Future of Sound – celebrating music and sound innovation in Manchester through live performances, demonstrations, media and an ‘in conversation’ with the legendary Peter Hook.

The ticketed event will take place on Wednesday 6th October from 7pm and has been inspired by the current Use Hearing Protection: Early Years of Factory Records exhibition and the impact the Manchester label had on the creative industries. It will explore how Factory Records reclaimed the city’s industrial past and spearheaded a new wave of creative industries in Manchester, as well as what innovation is happening across the city and what the future of sound might look like.

For one night only, music lovers will be able to immerse themselves in all aspects of the musical arts – past, present and future thanks to a packed programme of activities. Featuring an ‘In conversation’ with Peter Hook, a live music programme in partnership with Brighter Sound and From the Fields, the unveiling of a brand new short film about Factory Record’s influence, and demonstrations showcasing the exciting future of music technology from Salford University and Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Arts (SODA).

Investigate the impact of Factory Records through a specially commissioned film premiering on the night, featuring Peter Hook, Dr Kirsty Fairclough of Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Arts, artists Mr Scruff, Pops Roberts and LoneLady, as well as Rivca Burns, Creative Director of Sounds from the Other City. The film tracks how Factory Records regularly invented and experimented with new ways of creating sound; the innovation they inspired in the Manchester music scene; and what is happening right now in the Manchester creative industry over 40 years on since the label’s inception.

Enjoy a live music programme in partnership with From the Fields, creative and music programmers behind Bluedot, Kendal Calling and Off the Record; and Manchester creative music charity Brighter Sound.

Celebrate the incredible female and non-binary talent coming out of the city today and imagine what Factory Records might have looked and sounded like in a more gender equal world. Enjoy new music by talented Brighter Sound Manchester artists Hannah Ashcroft, Chesqua and Lady Ice, created in-residence at the museum and inspired by the Use Hearing Protection exhibition, in addition to the award-winning work of Manchester sound and electronic media artist, Vicky Clarke, who uses sound sculpture, DIY electronics and human-machine systems to explore our relationship to technology through sonic materiality, live audio-visuals and browser-based artwork.

Experience the latest in audio recording technology with the Music and Sound Design team from SODA at Manchester Metropolitan University, who will showcase the world of immersive 360-degree audio through introductions to Ambisonic microphones and Virtual Reality. See how this technology is being used in industry to record live music for the online era and how we can use it to create soundscapes for the next generation of immersive music experiences.

Take part in ‘Your Brain Is The DJ’ demonstration from Salford University lecturer, Duncan Williams. Specialising in Acoustics and Audio Engineering, Duncan, who has appeared on C5’s Gadget Show and BBC 1’s The One Show, will get you imagining how your brain curates new music based on your feelings, goals, or memories. As well as illustrating how brain-computer interfacing technology can be used to monitor our brain activity and select music to match, or challenge, our current state by showing how brain activity responds to various tunes. Made over years of research, this technology could change how we listen to and make use of the power of music in future.

A limited number of additional tickets are available for £3 each to join bassist and co-founder of Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook in conversation as he discusses his incredible career and the innovation that Factory Records brought to the world.

Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum said: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring The Future of Sound – Late event to the music lovers of the North West. It has an incredible line up and is one that fans of Factory Records and music in general will not want to miss out on.

“Factory Records was always distinctly and proudly Mancunian, and the music it generated helped define our city, inspiring countless other bands – proving revolutionary in all sorts of ways – from design to music technology. So this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the pioneering label and look at how far the city has come since. We’re honoured to welcome Peter Hook, From The Fields, Brighter Sound and our partners at SODA and Salford University as part of this special evening.”

Peter Hook added: “When I saw the exhibition of these first fifty releases of Factory Records, I realised how much of my personal history was entwined with them. It was very emotional for me and I’m looking forward to the next instalment. It was enjoyable to contribute to the film and I expect a lively Q&A in October. It’s always interesting to see who’ll turn up in Manchester.”

The Future of Sound – Late event will take place on Wednesday 8th October 7pm-10pm.

Free tickets for the event are available now for those aged 18+ only. A limited number of tickets to see Peter Hook ‘in conversation’ are available for £3 and tickets for the Use Hearing Protection: Early Years of Factory Records exhibition are half price for the evening costing £4 for adults and £3 for students and concessions.

For more information about the late event or to book tickets, visit www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/future-of-sound-late

 

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