Black Mound Sound Lab label showcase – Dark Star Light Star / Don Mandarin / Philip Gibbs / Tit Whistle and Broom (live at The Exchange)

Bristol
5 December 2025

Paul Horlick has long been one of the of the most influential people on the Bristol gig scene. As well as co-owning Invada Records and running the sadly missed Swarf Finger, he has been a Teenager In Trouble, part of Black Sheep and exhaustively and enthusiastically promoted shows in the city for longer than I can remember. So to hear that another label was up and running and there was to be a showcase for Black Mound Sound Lab in the cellar of The Exchange with five acts, entrance for a fiver and lots of merch available, Mic and I came running.

The cellar of The Exchange is a comfortable little room now and with about thirty people in attendance, all chatting merrily, we awaited an evening of surprises. First up were Paul himself and Dark Star Light Star, masquerading as Tit Whistle and Broom. A host of modular synths were laid out in front of DSLS and Paul was tucked in the back with a series of pedals and some little bird whistles.

Sadly they managed to melt a power supply, which dealt Paul a bit of a blow, but they soldiered on. Both Paul and DSLS produced a barrage of white noise against which they threw some articulate curlicues and a touch of whistle to keep things on a pastoral plane. Their ability to temper the more ravaging noise with delicacy was appreciated and went down well with the assorted throng; and even Paul couldn’t avoid chuckling as they grasped victory from the jaws of defeat.

Next up was guitarist Philip Gibbs, who had travelled over from South Wales to be there. He had a small-bodied electric that he played on his lap using both fingers on the fretboard, wedging a knitting needle beyond the bridge that he slid up and down to change the tone. I had only ever seen metal types like Eddie van Halen doing the two-hand tapping routine, but this was a whole other level with the him attacking the strings like it was a cross between a tabla and a piano.

There was a plan of sorts, with the guitar sitting between his legs like a cello at points with the tone of a steel drum or even a harpsichord. The crowd was rapt by the sheer dexterity and for most of the set he had his eyes closed. His enormous back catalogue covers a lot of ground, with a recent album seeing him joining forces with Paul Dunmall for a quartet outing, but it was this elegant pointillism that found us heading for the merch stand.

Next up was drone aficionado and lover of all things Eastern, Don Mandarin. On the strength of some enormous releases on Black Mound, he had chosen to recite some prose from his recent collection Mastu over an insidious drone that, although subtle, was ever-present.

The tale, which seemed to involve some of The Specials, Peter Tosh and a Nazi staff vehicle in the car park of a pub, was compelling and as he changed the sound of his voice with some sort of pedal, so the surreal reflection came to life. With a backdrop of incongruous slides, you felt transported to some other realm where logic didn’t really have much sway. It was an unexpected diversion from this unique artist and wholly in keeping with the random nature of the night.

After a short break, Dark Star Light Star returned for solo outing which entailed a much more beat-driven set than what had come before. There was an element of menace to the beats and drones and allied to his vocals, which were angry and forthright, this short performance certainly ramped up the noise but also gave those inclined an opportunity to move in time with the stomp of heavy boots.

Regardless of the noise, nothing quite prepares for Fuck Authority. Gareth Turner, long-time denizen of the Bristol scene and slammer of the noisiest electric bass possible in Big Naturals, is now solo with an electric double bass, an array of pedals and a scary mask. To be honest, the device he uses for changing the pitch of the notes is probably scarier, altering them from a runway rumble to squealing grind at the twizzle of a switch.

Bent quite low, he really moved into the sawing of the strings, seemingly imbuing them with even more resonance. It felt like being on board an aircraft carrier, but slowed down to one-fifth speed and then standing under the planes as they took off. It was a momentous set that had some of the higher notes teetering on the edge of feedback. Luckily, it was relatively short otherwise we would have all been submerged under layers of cacophonous grind; but to be honest, there are far worse ways to go.

It was a great, sprawling end to a highly entertaining evening, enjoyed by all those who ventured out. Thankfully as we left there was a scrum for the merch and a smiling Paul surrounded by well-wishers. Visit the label Bandcamp page for more inspiration and keep the Bristol label flag flying high.

-Words: Mr Olivetti-
-Pictures: Michael Rodham-Heaps-