Barbican Estate

Barbican Estate play The Green Door Store on Friday 20 November, starting at 19:00. The trio formed in Tokyo back in 2019, and the name is a bit of a red herring: none of them grew up on a Barbican estate, they're just devoted fans of Brutalist architecture. It's a psych rock outfit, but that's a broad label for what they actually do.

Their sound pulls from a few different directions: Japanese psychedelic and noise rock, US experimental bands, and classic cinema. The songs are built from drones, psychedelic soundscapes, driving rhythms, and vivid lyricism, so it's as much about the atmosphere as it is about the riffs. They don't shy away from high-culture references, either. The Beat Generation, William Blake, Greek mythology, and the Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky have all been cited as influences, and those names give you a fair idea of the kind of territory they're working in.

The band consists of Kazuki Toneri on guitar and sitar, Miri on bass and vocals, and Koh Hamada on drums and percussion. That sitar in the mix is a good detail to keep in mind, as it points to the more psychedelic, drone-heavy side of their sound. Guitarist Kazuki Toneri has said the band seeks to embody an art that isn't limited by the concept of music, which is a useful way of framing it: they're more interested in the overall effect than in fitting into a particular genre.

It's a single-act bill, so the whole night is theirs. The gig is on Friday 20 November at The Green Door Store on Trafalgar Street, with the set starting at 19:00. Tickets are £11.