Infest (originally stylised as InFest) is an annual three-day music festival held at the
University of Bradford Union
The University of Bradford Union (UBU) is the students' union for the University of Bradford in Bradford, England and is a registered charity.
Organisation
UBU, referred to in full as The University of Bradford Union of Students, is led by an ex ...
in the United Kingdom, featuring alternative
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...
futurepop
Futurepop is an electronic music genre that has been characterized as a blend of synthpop, EBM and dance beats, based on trance and techno.Peter Matzke, Tobias Seeliger: ''Das Gothic- und Dark-Wave-Lexikon.'' Schwarzkopf und Schwarzkopf, Berlin ...
,
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
and power noise. The event usually takes place on the August
bank holiday
A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or h ...
weekend.
History
Background
InFest was born in early 1998 through the efforts of three students of the
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...
– Gareth 'Gadge' Harvey, Chris 'Crusty' Molyneux, and Max 'Maxi Slag' – and the
Students' Union
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to ...
Entertainments Manager, Floyd Peltier. The concept of the festival was originally envisioned as a one-day event for local goth bands in
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, but the crew were able to also onboard much bigger acts, such as
gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
Alien Sex Fiend
Alien Sex Fiend are an English gothic rock band, formed in London, England in 1982. The current lineup of the band consists of Nik Fiend and Mrs Fiend. Five of the group's albums and 12 of their singles reached top 20 positions in the UK indie ...
. The student organisers were already fans of the
Whitby Gothic Weekend
Whitby Goth Weekend, abbreviated to WGW or nicknamed Whitby, is a twice-yearly music festival for the gothic subculture, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, organised by Jo Hampshire.
Summary
Whitby Goth Weekend is an alternative music fes ...
and took the idea for Infest to the
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cl ...
festival-goers and traders to gauge how popular the show might be. The response was positive and the first Infest festival was confirmed as 14 and 15 August 1998.
The following year (1999), the festival paid more attention towards the electronic side of the goth and industrial scene by booking Apoptygma Berzerk for their first UK show.
Reinvention
By 2000, the University of Bradford's Students' Union felt that they could not carry the costs of the festival any longer. However, an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
goth/industrial promoter and DJ named Mark 'Gus' Guy (former drummer with the indie band
Kerosene
Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning " wax", and was re ...
), who had been advising Molyneux during the show's early years, stepped in to fill the void. As a result of the heavy involvement with Guy and his Terminal Productions company, Infest took the form it is recognised as today: the festival's theme has moved from goth/industrial
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
to alternative electronic, with a greater emphasis on power noise, futurepop,
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
and electronic body music. However, occasionally more Dark wave-style goth bands do still appear on the line-up.
The stylisation of the name had changed in 2003 to be "Infest", and from this time has grown significant international recognition. The show continues to provide a market for traders, which helps to bring the music and the lifestyle of the show's fans together. There is also a full festival program where nightclubs, DJs, bands and businesses can make their voices heard. Infest has been supported by a number of electronic
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...
Artoffact Records
Artoffact Records is a Canadian/ Icelandic record label that concentrates on industrial, postpunk, heavy metal, and electronic music. The label was founded in 1999.
History
In 1997, Jacek Kozlowski laid the groundwork for Artoffact Records.
...
). Support outside the scene has also come from software publisher Ableton, and drink manufacturers Jägermeister and Barr.
In July 2013, the festival organisers announced that "it is highly unlikely that there will be an Infest in 2014"; but following "an avalanche of messages of support" the organisers have decided to "throw caution to the wind and go ahead with Infest in 2014 (The reason for announcing that infest 2014 was highly unlikely was due to AltFest being proposed to occur a couple of weeks before Infest in 2014. In the end Altfest was canceled due to lack of ticket sales and financial insecurity for the viability of a new big festival that had no history on the alternative music scene)."
Today
Today, Guy has a small team of people at his side, including Molyneux (the remaining member of the founding team), graphic designer Richard King, Ticket Office Manager Lee Thornton and a crew of volunteers and live production professionals.
The festival celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2018, adding an extra day that year for the occasion.
Performers
1998
*
Alien Sex Fiend
Alien Sex Fiend are an English gothic rock band, formed in London, England in 1982. The current lineup of the band consists of Nik Fiend and Mrs Fiend. Five of the group's albums and 12 of their singles reached top 20 positions in the UK indie ...
Horatii
In the ancient Roman legend of the kingdom era, the Horatii were triplet warriors who lived during the reign of Tullus Hostilius. The accounts of their epic clash with the Curiatii and the murder of their sister by Publius, the sole survivor ...
Nekromantik
''Nekromantik'' (stylized as ''NEKRomantik'') is a 1988 West German horror exploitation film co-written and directed by Jörg Buttgereit. It is known to be frequently controversial, banned in a number of countries, and has become a cult film ov ...
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is a stele composed of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Anci ...
(cancelled),
Sneaky Bat Machine
Sneaky Bat Machine (1997–2000) were a Bristol, UK based Cybergoth band who gigged heavily and released one album in the late 1990s. The band consisted of Sneakybat ( Ross Tregenza), Crash (a.k.a. Clive Lewis), and Maxislag (a.k.a. Maxi). Maxi ...
,
Squid
True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...
Sneaky Bat Machine
Sneaky Bat Machine (1997–2000) were a Bristol, UK based Cybergoth band who gigged heavily and released one album in the late 1990s. The band consisted of Sneakybat ( Ross Tregenza), Crash (a.k.a. Clive Lewis), and Maxislag (a.k.a. Maxi). Maxi ...
In Strict Confidence
In Strict Confidence is a German electro-industrial band. Formed in 1989, they were known as ''Seal of Secrecy'' until 1992. In Strict Confidence has been signed to several record labels, including Metropolis Records and WTII Records.
History F ...
,
Dream Disciples
Dream Disciples were a Scottish band, formed in 1990 by Col Lowing (vocals), Julian 'Sid' Bratley (guitar and keyboard) and Stephen McKean (bass guitar). Soon joined by Scott Prentice on drums, they made their debut with the mini-album ''Veil of ...
Dive
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
Goteki
Goteki () are a British electro band. They are the musical brainchild of composer Ross Tregenza. They were heavily involved in the development of UK electronic body music (EBM) and cybergoth genres in the early 2000s. Goteki split up in 2006, ...
Funker Vogt
Funker Vogt () is a German electronic-industrial music project with an aggressive style, formed by vocalist Jens Kästel and programmer Gerrit Thomas in 1995. Other members of the band are keyboardist/manager Björn Böttcher, live guitarist Fr ...
,
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...
Neuroticfish
Neuroticfish is a German musical project whose styles are borrowed from electronic body music, futurepop, and synthpop, as well as other types of electronic music. It has released music on the Dancing Ferret Discs record label.
On July 20, 2012 ...
Synthetic Synthetic things are composed of multiple parts, often with the implication that they are artificial. In particular, 'synthetic' may refer to:
Science
* Synthetic chemical or compound, produced by the process of chemical synthesis
* Synthetic ...
God Module
God Module is an American dark electronic band founded in 1999 from Orlando, Florida. Since 2006 they have been based out of Washington state. God Module is currently signed to Metropolis Records.
History
God Module was formed in 1999 by Jasy ...
Seabound
Seabound is an electronic music duo from Germany. Their lyrics are in English and for the most part explore the human psyche and the way that everyday events can affect a person psychologically, hence the band's slogan: "Seabound: Journey into ...
Plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adapta ...
Angel Theory
Angel Theory is an American actress, known for playing Kelly on the series '' The Walking Dead''. She is also a dancer and choreographer.
Life and career
Theory was born in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. Her mother is Anna Simpson. Theory tr ...
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .)
Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the ...
Sara Noxx
Sara Noxx is a German musician and member of the alternative music scene. She is also a member of the band Essexx, who in 1997 were the winners of the ''Zillo'' band contest.
Career
Noxx's debut solo release was the 1997 mini-album ''Society ...
Rotersand
Rotersand is a German electronic music act, formed in September 2002 by musician/producer Gun and singer Rascal with dance music producer/DJ Krischan J.E. Wesenberg joining them shortly after. Rotersand's music can generally be described as fu ...
,
Architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly (FLA) is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. FLA has developed its own sound incorporating elements of electronic body music and electro-industrial. The band's membersh ...
Caustic
Caustic most commonly refers to:
* Causticity, a property of various corrosive substances
** Sodium hydroxide, sometimes called ''caustic soda''
** Potassium hydroxide, sometimes called ''caustic potash''
** Calcium oxide, sometimes called ''caust ...
,
Faderhead
Sami Mark Yahya, professionally known by his stage name Faderhead or also under the pseudonym Sam Nordmann, is a German electronic music producer and vocalist from Hamburg, Germany.
History
After releasing the track "The Protagonist" as a one-of ...
Soman
Soman (or GD, EA 1210, Zoman, PFMP, A-255, systematic name: ''O''-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate) is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a nerve agent, interfering with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system by inhibiti ...
Grendel
Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem '' Beowulf'' (700–1000). He is one of the poem's three antagonists (along with his mother and the dragon), all aligned in opposition against the protagonist Beowulf. Grendel is feared by ...
Tyske Ludder
Tyske Ludder is a German Electronic body music, EBM band. Their members include Claus Albers, Olaf A. Reimers, Ralf Homann and Sebastian I. Hartmann. In 2008 they appeared at the Infest (festival)#2008, Infest in Bradford. And in May 2009 they a ...
,
Marsheaux
Marsheaux is a Greek synthpop duo formed in Athens in 2003. The group is composed of vocalists, songwriters and keyboardists Marianthi Melitsi and Sophie Sarigiannidou. The name Marsheaux is derived from the first syllable of each band member's ...
, Deviant UK.
2009
* none
2010
* Friday
De/Vision
De/Vision is a German synthpop musical group formed in 1988. The band started as a quartet consisting of Thomas Adam, Steffen Keth, Stefan Blender, and Markus Ganssert. Blender left the band in 1991 and Ganssert departed in 2000. The name De/V ...
Rotersand
Rotersand is a German electronic music act, formed in September 2002 by musician/producer Gun and singer Rascal with dance music producer/DJ Krischan J.E. Wesenberg joining them shortly after. Rotersand's music can generally be described as fu ...
Agonoize
Agonoize is a German aggrotech band consisting of Mike Johnson (composition, programming, production and mastering), Oliver Senger (composition and programming) and Chris L (lyrics and vocals). The band's 2005 EP, ''Evil Gets an Upgrade'', peaked ...
Project Pitchfork
Project Pitchfork is a German dark wave, electronic rock group from Hamburg, Germany.
History First years (1990–1994)
Project Pitchfork was formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. After agreeing to work together, they picked the proj ...
,
Nachtmahr
Nachtmahr is the solo project of Thomas Rainer (also known for his other projects: L'Âme Immortelle and the now defunct Siechtum). Nachtmahr's musical style is best characterized as Techno Body Music.
History
In September 2007, Nachtmahr had its ...
,
Ayria
Ayria is a Canadian futurepop/synthpop musical project formed in early 2003 by Toronto's Jennifer Parkin following her departure from the futurepop and EBM band Epsilon Minus.
Biography
The first Ayria album, ''Debris'', was released on Alf ...
Parralox
Parralox is an Australian synthpop band formed by John von Ahlen in 2008. Originally featuring lead vocalist Rowena "Roxy" Martin and producer, songwriter John von Ahlen of dance act Nova; the band has undergone a number of line-up changes, mos ...
Code 64
Code 64 is an electronic music band from Sweden. Their music can best be described as a mixture of synthpop, electronic body music and electropop.
Biography
Code 64 is a synthpop, darkwave, electronica band that signed with the small Norwegian ...
Xotox Xotox is a solo musical project started by Andreas Davids in 1998.
History
Xotox released several self-published albums from 1998 to 2002, gaining some attention in Germany. After the release of ''Disinhibition'' in 2000, the band started perform ...
,
Hocico
Hocico () is a Mexican electro-industrial duo that was formed in 1993 in Mexico City.
History
Hocico was officially formed in 1993 by cousins Erik Garcia (aka Erk Aicrag) and Oscar Mayorga (aka Racso Agroyam), with Erik writing lyrics and perfo ...
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...
XP8
XP8 was an Italian electronic group. The band started in 2001 as a trio, composed of Marco Visconti, Marko Resurreccion, and singer Paul Toohill.
History
The group self-released an album, ''Forgive'' on MP3.com. When they signed to the Polish la ...
Absurd Minds
Absurd Minds (sometimes styled ''(ABSUЯD) minds'') is an electronic music group from Germany. It was created by Stefan Großmann and Tilo Ladwig in 1995.
History
The formation of Absurd Minds began in 1995 with Stefan Großmann (voice, compos ...
Dive
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
,
Pride & Fall
Pride and Fall is a Norwegian futurepop act from Stavanger, Norway, formed in 2000 by Sigve Monsen, Per Waagen, and Svein Joar A. Johnsen.
History
The band came about when Sigve and Svein wanted to pursue a more electronic and club-oriented sou ...
Click Click
Click Click is a British electro-industrial music band.
Click Click formed in 1982 by Adrian Smith, and Derek E. Smith, after the end of their previous rock project Those Nervous Surgeons (which formed in 1976 with bassist Tim Wilson). When W ...
Haujobb
Haujobb is a German electronic musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to ambient and techno. They have become a staple crossover act, bringing several forms of electro i ...
* Saturday
The Ladder
A ladder is a runged climbing aid.
Ladder, The Ladder, or Ladders may also refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Film and television
* "Ladders" (''Community''), the first episode of the sixth season of the sitcom ''Community''
* ''Ladders'', a ...
, Be My Enemy, Xenturion Prime,
Architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Juno Reactor
Juno Reactor is a multi-national musical and performing group, primarily based in Brighton, UK. Known for their cinematic fusion of electronic, global influences, and orchestral symphonic approach, collaborating with composer Don Davis and compo ...
Project Pitchfork
Project Pitchfork is a German dark wave, electronic rock group from Hamburg, Germany.
History First years (1990–1994)
Project Pitchfork was formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. After agreeing to work together, they picked the proj ...
)
2015
* Friday
Ctrl Alt Del
Control-Alt-Delete (often abbreviated to Ctrl+Alt+Del, also known as the "three-finger salute" or "Security Keys") is a computer keyboard command on IBM PC compatible computers, invoked by pressing the Delete key while holding the Control and A ...
Cocksure
''Cocksure'' is a novel by Mordecai Richler. It was first published in 1968 by McClelland and Stewart.
A satirical work, the novel centres on Mortimer Griffin, a middle-class Anglican from Caribou, Ontario who has built a successful career a ...
,
Empirion
Empirion are a British industrial dance band from Essex, England. They were formed in 1993, and the original line-up consisted of Austin Morsely, Bob Glennie and Jamie Smart.
Beginnings
Smart was a resident DJ at the Essex nightclubs, Osc ...
Chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of n ...
Melotron
Melotron is a futurepop and synthpop band from Germany. In 1995 Andy Krueger, Edgar Slatnow and Kay Hildebrandt left their former band, The Vermin, to form Melotron. The band found success with their first single, "Dein Meister," in 1998. Thei ...
Project Pitchfork
Project Pitchfork is a German dark wave, electronic rock group from Hamburg, Germany.
History First years (1990–1994)
Project Pitchfork was formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. After agreeing to work together, they picked the proj ...
Atari Teenage Riot
Atari Teenage Riot (ATR) is a German band formed in Berlin in 1992. Highly political, they fuse left-wing, anarchist and anti-fascist views with punk vocals and a techno sound called digital hardcore, which is a term band member Alec Empire u ...
Hysteresis
Hysteresis is the dependence of the state of a system on its history. For example, a magnet may have more than one possible magnetic moment in a given magnetic field, depending on how the field changed in the past. Plots of a single component of ...
3Teeth
3Teeth (stylized as 3TEETH or 3T3ETH) is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2013, the band currently consists of Alexis Mincolla (vocals), Chase Brawner (guitars), Xavier Swafford (keys & synth), Andrew Me ...
Displacer
A Stirling engine is a heat engine that is operated by the cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas (the ''working fluid'') between different temperatures, resulting in a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical work.
More speci ...
Vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
Rotersand
Rotersand is a German electronic music act, formed in September 2002 by musician/producer Gun and singer Rascal with dance music producer/DJ Krischan J.E. Wesenberg joining them shortly after. Rotersand's music can generally be described as fu ...
iVardensphere
iVardensphere is a Canadian band that plays a mixture of tribal-tinged industrial, EBM and power noise music, based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
History
On June 16, 2009 via Synthetic Sounds the band released their full-length album titled ' ...
,
The Juggernauts
''The Juggernauts'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''.
Plot
To escape the destruction of a medical vessel the Sixth Doctor sends his red-headed companion ...
An extra day (Thursday) was added to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event.
* Thursday
Peter Hook and the Light
Peter Hook and The Light are an English rock band, formed in May 2010 by bass guitarist/vocalist Peter Hook, formerly of the influential post-punk bands Joy Division and New Order. The band also features Hook's son Jack Bates (bass), as well ...
,
Empirion
Empirion are a British industrial dance band from Essex, England. They were formed in 1993, and the original line-up consisted of Austin Morsely, Bob Glennie and Jamie Smart.
Beginnings
Smart was a resident DJ at the Essex nightclubs, Osc ...
Elegant Machinery
Elegant Machinery is a Swedish synthpop band. Borrowing heavily from Depeche Mode, they are one of few recent bands dedicated to making traditional synthpop music. Along with such bands as Page, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethev ...
Torul
Torul is a town and district of Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 12,385 of which 4,421 live in the town of Torul. The district covers an area of , and the town lie ...
Dive
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
Due to Covid-19 the show was moved online and called Stay-In-Fest.
Three online stages were hosted by Lee Chaos, Duracell Bunny, Kark & Peewee ([Karkasaurus), and Matt Biomechanimal.
2021
A small crowd of around 80 people were invited to a social distanced show held live in Bradford. This was again streamed out as Stay-In-Fest 2021.
Friday had a small warmup party featuring Biomechanimal (DJ set), Karkasaurus and Chaos Emergency Doof Broadcast.
* Saturday live at the venue Red Meat (band), Red Meat, Bone Cult, Tapewrym, Portion Control, Tapewrym, Biomechanimal, DSTR, NOISOME
List of industrial music festivals
The following is an incomplete list of industrial music festivals, which encapsulates music festivals focused on industrial music. The list may have some overlap with list of electronic music festivals, list of gothic festivals, and list of heav ...