Over three decades of continually evolving line-ups, ever shapeshifting combinations of genres and a dozen studio albums, Archive have established themselves as one of the most enduring and exploring British bands of the last 30 years. They have amassed a huge following in Europe, where they play 3000 or 4000 capacity venues - twice, over consecutive nights, in the bigger cities. However, in much the same way as Seattle’s Jimi Hendrix became a star in the UK before his American homeland and Kraftwerk experienced a slower journey to success in their native Germany than further afield, in Britain Archive remain a relatively-well kept secret. Despite the enormous press acclaim lavished on their genre-busting 1996 debut, Londinium, their profile at home is dwarfed by that in Europe and many of the albums that sell so well on the continent haven’t seen a British release at all.

“We had a lot of record company and personnel problems at the beginning,” sighs co-founder Darius Keeler. “We put so much energy into making Londinium we actually split up. We were very difficult to deal with, but then the label phoned up a few months later to say we were selling in Europe and that the French thought it was the best album since [Nirvana’s] Nevermind. We did three days press in Paris and everything went nuts. The European labels had never suffered any of the politics the British ones did - all they knew was success and sales. So we concentrated on Europe, which was probably the best decision we ever made. We’re bigger now than we’ve ever been.”

Lately, British audiences have started to catch up, a situation that should gain further momentum with new album Glass Minds. Released on British-Belgian label PIAS, the 13th Archive album is a sonic and emotional odyssey through electronics, motorik rock, subtle dance grooves and beautifully heartfelt songwriting. As with so many of their albums, it sounds different from its predecessors and yet is somehow recognisably, inimitably Archive.

JOYCUT is an Italian-born, internationally active project devoted to long-form sound research and exploration. Formed in Bologna, the band has developed a distinctive language built on dual drumming, electronic architectures, orchestral saturation, and immersive dynamics.

Through sound, JOYCUT gives voice to violated nature. Their work unfolds through extended instrumental compositions shaped by tension, repetition, and physical presence, often moving beyond the conventional concert format. Sound remains central and uncompromised—treated as an autonomous space for listening, capable of holding the weight of the real without explanation.

Over the years, JOYCUT’s research-driven approach has led them to present works in major international cultural contexts, including the debut of the six-act opera KOMOREBI at the Biennale di Venezia. In 2023, the band premiered Wall of Humanity, performing with a 50-piece philharmonic orchestra in a sold-out concert exploring pure analog feeling, imagery, and collective responsibility.

JOYCUT were personally invited by Robert Smith to perform at the Meltdown Festival in London, an experience documented in the award-winning film One Step Closer to the Moon. They were later selected by Brian Eno to contribute to the EarthPercent project with the track ThePlasticWhale, further extending their sound research into environmental awareness.

More recently, JOYCUT contributed the remix Drone:NoDrone to Mixes of a Lost World, a project curated by Robert Smith featuring reinterpretations of The Cure’s latest album. The upcoming U.S. co-headlining tour with ARCHIVE brings together sound, space, and human presence in a shared act of listening.