Psychic Dancehall is a new electronic and experimental music festival in Derby, UK
Back in 2023, Scottish record label Werra Foxma wanted to hold an event in the Midlands and were convinced by Derby-based music journalist, promoter and DJ James Thornhill to hold it in his home town.
So in March 2024, WFR Central hit Derby with the likes of Altern 8, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Field Lines Cartographer, Maria Uzor and Matters hitting stages in Deda (RIP) and Dubrek Studios.
It was a success, but it was also Werra Foxma’s last hurrah. It needed to happen again, so with help from partners at the University of Derby, Derby Museums, Dubrek Studios and local culture charities, a bid was put together to launch it as a standalone event for Derby - Psychic Dancehall festival was born.
Taking place over three stages, in two venues (The Wardwick and Dubrek Studios) the festival will bring an exceptional line up to Derby from across the electronic and experimental music spectrum with top-tier production and curation from James Thornhill and curation partners Kikimora records from Birmingham (who take over Dubrek).
This is just the beginning…
Our curation partners…Kikimora records
Introducing Kikimora Records, a fresh, independent label, promoter, and creative ecosystem dedicated to imaginative, amorphous music from Birmingham and beyond.
They are joining forces with Psychic Dancehall as curation partners for the debut festival, bringing a lineup of electronic artists from across the UK to Derby - featuring sounds that are hard to define but impossible to forget.
Founded in 2023 by composer-performer Rosie Tee and multimedia artist Emily Doyle, Kikimora Records cultivate a vibrant community of artists and listeners who celebrate experimental music. From the roots of folk to the outer reaches of electronica, they draw inspiration from their heritage (Polish and Irish, respectively) to explore playful, unusual sounds.
Producing enchanting events in unconventional spaces across the Midlands, Kikimora co-creates Nightgarden Festival - an audiovisual adventure in Manchester’s hinterland and In The Bellows, a folk/electronic gig series held in Lichfield’s historic Victorian waterworks.
At the heart of their programming is a commitment to warm, inclusive atmospheres for gig-goers, establishing their community around innovative, genre-blending music.