Andrew Ellis: New Music Plus

Commissioned by:

Bluecoat

Find out more by visiting:

www.myspace.com/samizdatpromotions

Andrew Ellis, a.k.a. Samizdat, has acted as a conduit for new and interesting music in Liverpool for the past five years. He has booked early shows for exciting emerging acts such as Foals and Deerhunt as well as acts from the independent music canon such as Liars and Charles Hayward, making Samizdat a hub for independent international acts in the north-west.

 Andrew chooses to work with independent arts spaces such as the Kazimier and the Static Gallery, spaces befitting both the performing artists and their audience. Andrew is always keen to be involved with interesting events in the city and so often collaborates with festivals such as Sound City and Liverpool Music Week (for example to bring Daniel Johnston to the city in November) as well as other local promoters. These collaborations, along with the tight knit music community in the city, have been vital to Samizdat’s success.

In addition to independent music based events Andrew runs Samizdat Records (a vinyl-only record label), a regular music documentary night at arthouse cinema FACT, and can also be seen playing records at Blue (Collar) Mondays and various nights across Liverpool. With a great deal already in the pipeline both with his host organisation for New Music Plus, the Bluecoat, and elsewhere across the city, 2010 looks to be a great year for Samizdat.