Oval at Soup Kitchen

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

Oval

Soup, Manchester
14 August 2019

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Double Blind
Book now

Oval, one of the most influential forces in contemporary electronic music, will descend the sticky stairs of Soup Kitchen this August. He’s why you should join him.

Like many great creative minds, Germany’s Markus Popp aka Oval is a shapeshifter. Back in the mid 90’s, he pioneered the glitch movement with two now-legendary records: Systemisch and 94Diskont. Ambient masterpieces, these weird and dreamy creations featured the sounds of technology hitting its limits, with entire tracks built out of digital distortion and skipping CD’s. Landing like alien ships, Oval’s albums sent shockwaves through the emerging electronica landscape, and continue to inspire musicians around the world to this day.

After a long hiatus, Oval returned in 2010 with a startlingly new style, which he termed ‘hyper-real’. An EP called Oh and an album called O saw him drastically change up his methods of creation. Rather than mutilating CD’s and processing the odd samples they produced, he now met modern music on its own terms, essentially seeing how much weirdness he could get out of stock sounds, plugins, and, surprisingly, live drums. More accessible? Sure. Still future-leaning? Absolutely. Ranging from delicate pop vignettes to brutally torn, electro-acoustic oddities, Oval’s work from this period is both beguiling and challenging – in a completely different way to his early output.

This pioneer is still pioneering.

To collaborative records with Brazilian singers came next, bringing their own musical shifts, before Oval changed tact yet again in 2016. Self-referentially entitled Popp, this solo record felt like a club album from an alternate universe. A joyous information overload from beginning to end, it is, in Oval’s words, “a relentless, euphoric love letter to a long-lost musical utopia”. At times approaching Holly Herndon’s Platform, each track is stunningly complex, often inexplicable and always masterfully-produced. Representing his most outrageous reinvention yet, the album serves as an exciting reminder that this pioneer is still pioneering.

As Popp closes, an obvious question lingers…

…What next?

The answer might just lie in the basement of Soup Kitchen on the 14 August.

Where to go near Oval at Soup Kitchen

Creatures Comedy Club
Manchester
Theatre
Creatures Comedy Club

Whether you’re a die-hard comedy fan or just after a spontaneous night out, there’s something here for everyone. Open 7 nights a week.

City Centre
Restaurant
Rewind NQ

A quirky bar, paying homage to the unfortunately deceased Blockbusters video rental stores, with aptly named cocktails and a great atmosphere.

Castle Hotel pub in Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Castle Hotel

A pub with a 200 year-long history on Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, the Castle Hotel has a musical past.

Behind Closed Doors Booth
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Behind Closed Doors

A hidden den of debauchery and indulgence. A fresh take on a basement cocktail bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

Chakalaka
Manchester
Restaurant
Chakalaka

The very best of South African cuisine in an intimate, friendly space in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

UNITOM bookshop
Manchester
Shop
UNITOM

UNITOM is home to a wide array of publications on contemporary art, design, fashion, photography and counterculture, alongside an extensive range of independent magazines.

Manchester
Selina NQ1

Selina NQ1 is a creative and charming yet sophisticated hotel in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The Corner Boy
Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Corner Boy

Back in action for spring/summer 2021, Corner Boy is a welcoming, dimly-lit bar on the edge of Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter.

GET BAKED Opening Day
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
GET BAKED

Newly opened cakery in Stevensons Square, Northern Quarter Manchester. Get Baked brings all the Yorkshire charm and sweetness one of the city’s most popular squares.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Gullivers

Head north on Oldham Street and you’ll come across Gullivers, a ‘no gimmicks and no pretensions’ pub and gig venue.

Bakerie, Manchester. Courtesy Bakerie
Manchester
Restaurant
Bakerie

Bakerie in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is an open-plan restaurant which features comfy booths, ordinary tables and communal-style benches.

What's on: Music

Culture Guides

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

European Poetry Festival European Camarade
Literature Events in the North

From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.