A-Sun Amissa & Lauren Mason / Ancient Hostility @ The Peer Hat, Manchester, 3rd March 2026
After reviewing Water Scores, I was extremely intrigued to find out how they would recreate the music in a live setting. The textured and layered sounds throughout the thirty-eight minutes were quite bewildering at first, so I set off to The Peer Hat in Manchesterfor Gizeh Recordsand The Black Circlepromoted night of discovery.
Support for tonight was Liverpool’s Ancient Hostility, which comprises Ash Luddon vocals/concertina and Simon Barron vocals/violin. Their folky sounds are set against political musings, with most of their songs following a similar pattern, opening with a musical interlude before they revert to harmonised vocals.
They have songs about ‘doing illegal things’ called Night Terrors and the heartfelt song Leaving about ending a friendship because it was bad for both parties. The vocals are sung with feeling, and the crowd join in with the impassioned chorus on Immigration Van. They include the Bob Davenport cover Police Patrol before ending with The Ballad Of John Birch, an emotional song about a friend who died from complex addictions.
I knew vaguely what to expect tonight from A-Sun Amissa and Torpor‘s Lauren Mason. One song, roughly thirty-eight minutes in length, with a kaleidoscope of sounds confusing my senses. However, with two screens and projectors, the sensory overload was taken to another level. It’s atmospheric and, in parts, due to the clarinet from Claire Knox, scary and haunting, but it’s all moulded together incredibly well.
There are synths and samplers galore, and I’m amazed by the number of FX pedals on display, with Richard Knox having several that enable him to create a whirlwind of noises. Both he and Luke Bhatia use a violin bow on their guitar strings at different times that adds to the myriad of noises which stir the emotions to another level. The crowd are transfixed, some in a hypnotic state as the minimal lighting keeps the brain focused on the music.
‘Now listen in deeply’ chants Laurenas rolls of thunder are heard while she manipulates the sounds through her latop and FX board. I was focused on Claire’s soundscapes as there were so many high-pitched noises coming from that area of the stage, then we are hit with a huge droning sound before another rumble. They use Lauren’s vocals on loops and playback, very reminiscent of Twin Peaks, something that is on the record that Lauren informed me when I spoke to her afterwards, something I missed when reviewing the album.
There is room for experimentation and improvisation when they play live, as they are ‘in the moment’ so to speak. If you close your eyes and listen, your mind isn’t in Manchester anymore, but some far away land. The final section is nothing short of brilliant. With Richard tapping the back of his guitar fretboard before kneeling down to tweak the sonics on his FX pedals. Claire, Luke and Lauren follow suit, crafting their art to perfection before ending an evening of harmonious symmetry.
A-Sun Amissa & Lauren Mason
Ancient Hostility
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
Photos by: Lee Edwards
