ArcTanGent 2026: BoolinTunes & Dark Matter’s Ones To Watch

Destined to perform at ArcTanGent if only thanks to their unhinged name, Erotic Secrets of Pompeii are an oddball rock band local to Bristol fusing elements of art, glam, and post-punk. They move in a shambling stride in the footsteps of Cardiacs, Devo and Oingo Boingo together with the atmosphere of a dimly lit lounge. In their most intense moments when angular riffs come flying, they could be mistaken for a cabaret form of The Mars Volta with their sprinkling of prog and math elements. Amid all this weirdness they’re highly capable of writing absolute ditties, with the likes of “Bring Me Back from the Black Beyond” and new single “Crowstepper” being downright infectious. – Dobbin T

Presumed Zapp Brannigan enthusiasts You Win Again Gravity have gone on record in saying that the fields of Fernhill are a “dream festival” for them to have the privilege of playing; And one year on from a release like Don’t Leave Me Here, Pt. 1, it’s not hard to see why. Any act that commits themselves equally to the yin-yang balance of dream-like, picture-painting ethereality and lanky post-prog noodling as readily and confidently as such deserves to have their ATG hall-of-fame spot reserved until they’re ready to set up and consequently knock down some masochistic music nerds. To this effect, it’s frankly a wonder that the band’s ArcTanGent debut hasn’t dawned sooner in their now several-decade long trek through the trees of temporal rhythm, given the ranks of those that many would consider to be their ‘peers’ – as recently as February, they even opened for prog-metalcore titans and ATG 2025’s dual-set doyen Between the Buried and Me and certifiably won over each and every room of the tour, but hey: better late than never, right? The only stipulation that naturally comes to mind being that the security team should really come up with a contingency plan for audience members who unwittingly begin floating in an ascendant fashion mid-set. – Jack Crosby-Griggs

After more than 20 years (and 14 following the release of their last album), mathcore veterans The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza are finally gracing the UK, with their first ever international appearance being ArcTanGent. One of the most venerated, and certainly most hyped amongst the ATG crowd, especially on the techy end, Danza’s UK debut on the Yohkai stage will almost certainly be to a packed tent bursting at the seams. It’s not yet known if legendary guitarist Joshua Travis will be making an appearance with the band, but it’s certain to be amongst the most belligerent sets of the weekend regardless. – Maximo David

Having said at one point that 2026 would be a year-off from international tours, Michael Cera Palin are here to surprise the UK with another visit. Their story is one that should be the envy of DIY bands everywhere: they began with a short stint from 2016-2021 dropping two EPs that garnered a sensible wave of respect. One pandemic later, and thanks to the world’s bedroom community, those EPs became some of the most significant releases in “late-fourth-wave-Midwest-emo” (or ‘sad rock’ for those of you who shower). On the back of this momentum they reunited and hit the road again and again to larger and larger audiences, always bringing enthusiasm for the scene they were joining, with so much respect in particular for the UK’s DIY underground. The crown of this arc has been their first ever full-length album, We Could Be Brave. Maybe they really will take a break from touring next year – don’t miss their set if you can’t take that risk. – Dobbin T

There aren’t many bands that play ArcTanGent three years in a row. Yet another curio from Bristol, Sans Froid take the wobbly instrumental irreverence of the likes of Battles and And So I Watch You From Afar and write for immediate impact through Aisling Trafford’s spellbinding keys and vocals. Booker James Scarlett has boasted on 2P1P that he was the one to have pitched the band to Church Road Records, so as he might well put it, the rest is history. Their second and latest album, Back into the Womb, is a varied journey with moments that are breakneck (“The Exploiter of Art”) and reflective (“Sorbet”), with unexpected compositions and through-composed tracks all over the shop. It’s a worthy poster child for the UK’s oddball rock underground. – Dobbin T

The unassumingly named Bucket are jetting in from Dublin to set the PX3 alight with a mix of industrial, post punk, and noise rock. Off the back of two EPs, Mosaic and Muck, they’re garnering international momentum with international fests and even a Knocked Loose support slot. They’re terrifying in terms of sheer noise and precision, yet will surprise you with their imperatively-delivered vocals and rampant ability to groove. The leads are all coming out of guitars but they more often sound like ten other things before any stringed instrument comes to mind. This is music made for oppressive strobe lighting and frenetic mosh moves. – Dobbin T

ArcTanGent 2026 features many powerful atmospheric songwriters, plumbing the depths of the human spirit whilst unravelling new worlds: Lili Refrain, Eivør, A.A. Williams, Kathryn Joseph, Sara Zozaya, Otay:onii, and of course headliner Chelsea Wolfe (to name just a few). An artist who goes just as deep without a single word is Jo Quail, a solo cellist who explores looping and effects, making incidental sounds into echoing centrepieces. Quail graced us with a stellar solo studio record last year, finally bringing some of her live staples like “Rex” to the masses. She’s a prolific collaborator, including an appearance with God Is An Astronaut last year at the festival, and has supported key sonic explorers time and time again. This year she finally takes a deserved place on ArcTanGent’s main stage, composing Notan for an ensemble of brass and percussion. – Dobbin T

UK DIY punks itoldyouiwouldeatyou are nearing 10 years since their significant record Oh Dearism, a key release in the annals of late 2010s midwest emo. Their re-activation following the mandatory 2020 lull has put forward an even more diverse sound, still grounded in math and emo elements, but now with an unexpected edge that goes beyond straightforward descriptors like ‘avant’ or ‘prog’. Lyrically, they’ve always stayed true to their roots, offering radical perspectives on progressive politics and queer life amid the UK’s ever-lost futures. – Dobbin T

Somehow Aussies Battlesnake have become a mainstay of the UK’s festival circuit, playing everything from Motocultor, 2000trees, Copenhell, Freak Valley, and even ArcTanGent 2025. Acknowledging the divisive goofball elements of Ghost and Avatar, they punk-ify them with their ear for all that’s good in rock & roll, and run with it into the hills. They have a penchant for lyrics that chuckle at all the ironies of heavy metal, making all their records sci-fi concept albums because ‘why not’. Above all they seem to be known for their bombastic stage presence; maybe put it this way, last year they played in the slot that clashed with Godspeed You! Black Emperor. So they’re the opposite of whatever that is. Perhaps it’s fitting they are playing a ‘post-watershed’ silent disco set, since (based on every festival appearance from the band so far) they always seem to end up in their pants by its end. – Dobbin T

In a world of endless genre-smashing played-out or otherwise, the terms ‘psych’ and ‘sludge’ still manage to habitually spark excitement: as by their very nature they imply something both delightfully absurd and absurdly delightful. Enter Birmingham’s Meatdripper, of whom some may recall being heavily featured in the livestream edition of Black Sabbath’s ultimate Back To The Beginning event, perhaps signalling the rise of yet another heir to the throne of brilliant and bold brummies. Despite having but four (particularly soul-spiralling) tunes to their name as of right now, Meatdripper have accumulated quite the entourage on both ends of the spectrum, they have worked alongside the likes of the aforementioned Black Sabbath (from which they evidently channel some inspiration), are set to share London’s Downstairs At The Dome with the ever-trendy Battlesnake and interestingly enough, also lead the charge of Adidas’ “Size?” campaign: which can’t even be said for a majority of scene mainstays – let alone an up-and-comer. So if you fancy catching this particular vortex of fuzz and trippy licks before it inevitably outgrows us all, pop down to PX3 on Saturday to be consumed body and mind. – Jack Crosby-Griggs

Is it just me or were Forlorn and ArcTanGent always destined to be a match made in Summerland? Perhaps it’s the mutual outdoorsiness and emphasis on folklore, or the common threads of expressionism and being ‘othered’ but for as long as they’ve been around, the sentiment has always been that they’re a natural choice for the fest for us. Whilst much of their connective tissue can be traced back and compared to the heavy hitters (Meshuggah’s uncompromising groove, Type O Negative’s gothic horror aura, Sleep Token’s commitment to visual and musical storytelling etc), the end product is something entirely unique and in a league of their own. Everything that Megan & Co. do is drenched in such exquisite, ritualistic spirituality that carves the way forward for not only their style but also their one-of-a-kind live presence: which is every bit as spellbindingly immersive as the atmosphere that drives their sound forward. Church Road, as always, have played yet another blinder with this one; and I’m truly elated that their destiny is set to intertwine with a setting that will fully embrace them. – Jack Crosby-Griggs

Here at Boolin Tunes, bigging up Conjurer is simply routine for me: I clock in? I big up Conjurer, looking to conduct an interview? I big up Conjurer, rounding up releases for an end-of-year extravaganza? I big up Conjurer, need some festival coverage? I. big. up. Conjurer. So you’ll be surprised to hear that here I am… bigging up Conjurer (or UK Riff Music LLP, if you prefer) who are at this point part of the furniture; The 2026 edition of ‘Camping For RYMers’ marks the band’s fifth set on sacred ArcTanGent soil, ninth if we’re including the Fernhill-bred Curse These Metal Hands supergroup alongside members of Pijn – so it’s safe to say they know their way around. Be that as it may: this number could frankly be twice as high and there would still be no good reason for lovers of razor-sharp post-metal, nauseating sludge and pulverizing atmospherics to give the Rugby renegades a miss, especially given latest effort Unself’s contribution in expanding that margin with a light seasoning of queercore and progressive metal to taste. Not to mention the matter of their upward climb to the rung of the main stage, which will without doubt elevate their already ravenous presence whilst exposing some newcomers to their new favourite band in the process. – Jack Crosby-Griggs

It’s been almost a decade since legendary Iceland prog rock outfit, Agent Fresco, have graced our shores. Even more absurd, it’s been well over a decade since their last output, Destrier, released to critical acclaim, and rightfully earned now-cult classic status. In the years since (and shortly prior), Arnor Dan has certainly been busy – a frequent collaborator of storied composed Olafur Arnalds, no less – but it’s starting to feel like time for that fabled Agent Fresco album #3, and perhaps the band’s short festival circuit and much-hyped return is a sign of things to come. Regardless, whether it’s the oldies, the debut of some new material, or a mixture of both, Agent Fresco’s appearance on Yohkai is an easy bet for one of the most electric and emotive experiences of the festival. – Maximo David

One of the most exciting picks of the festival, Ireland’s newcomer metallic hardcore darlings, Worn Out, are set to absolutely tear up the PX3 tent on Friday morning. Following their recent appearances alongside bands like Knocked Loose and Kublai Khan TX earlier this year, Worn Out’s ATG debut is certainly not one to miss for any budding fans of Converge, The Bled and Every Time I Die. With it being close to two years since their last release, too, could some new material be on display and/or right around the corner for the rising stars? Who’s to say, but Worn Out’s early-riser set will certainly set the fields ablaze. – Maximo David