One of the first impressions one gets after spending some time in Brighton is that everyone is in a band (or at least knows somebody who is). Few towns in the UK are as obsessed about music as Brighton. It boasts several excellent live music venues, some of the most popular club nights and music festivals in the UK. Moreover, with the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM) regularly cited as one of the top music schools in the UK, there is no shortage of talent rising to the surface each year.
Anyone vaguely interested in the current rock/alternative music scene would have heard of bands like The Kooks, The Go! Team, British Sea Power and the Pipettes. These are all bands currently enjoying international success and all hailing from Brighton. Lesser known artists but just as important to the local music scene include the wonderfully named and genre defying Twelve Stone Toddler who are gaining a strong cult following as well as Joseph Mount better known as Metronomy who is one of the artists at the forefront of the current electronic scene.
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It isn't just rock bands that make Brighton a leading player in the UK music scene. In the past Brighton has also spawned some legendary DJs including Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim, who from humble beginnings as bass player with the Housemartins has since hit the top of the charts with Beats International ("Dub Be Good to Me"), Freak Power ("Tune in, Turn on, Cop Out") and most recently as DJ Fatboy Slim ("Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars"). And label boss Damian Harris, aka Midfield General, is the head of Skint records, which also includes local boys the Lo Fidelity Allstars on its roster. He is also signed to his own label under the DJ moniker of Midfield General. Skint are sponsors of local football team Brighton & Hove Albion. Other local DJs include techno superstar Luke Slater and Chris Coco who is famous for his chillout sets.
Another Brighton based music label that has become a recognisable brand of musical quality worldwide is undoubtedly Tru Thoughts with acts like Quantic, Alice Russell, TM Juke, Nostalgia 77 on its books, as well as its sister label Zebra Traffic specialising in hip hop. Tru Thoughts is run by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas and has been around since 1999.
Brighton has a lively music scene that caters for most tastes with lots of internationally renowned festivals and events. If you would like to combine an English language course with some great gigs and club nights then EC Brighton is definitely the place for you.
By Jes Camilleri, General Manager, EC Brighton
