{"id":1798548,"date":"2026-02-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1798548"},"modified":"2026-02-28T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T06:00:00","slug":"5-acts-to-know-from-manchesters-musical-underground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1798548","title":{"rendered":"5 acts to know from Manchester\u2019s musical underground"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/977\/150-28-977-651\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439336.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69772\/1\/5-acts-manchester-music-underground-rat-heart-brit-awards-renzniro\" data-article-id=\"69772\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"maxresdefault (14)\" class=\"img\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1280\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439336.jpg\" width=\"1280\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">SILVERWINGKILLER &#8211; ROOF ON FIRE <span class=\"nowrap\">(X OVER9000)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-28T09:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"28 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"28\">28,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/scene-and-spotted\">Scene And Spotted<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/scene-and-spotted\">Scene And Spotted<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>5 acts to know from Manchester\u2019s <span class=\"nowrap\">musical underground<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As the Brit Awards touch down in Manchester for the first time in their 50-year history, we spotlight the artists redefining the city\u2019s sound <span class=\"nowrap\">right now<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-28T09:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"28 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"28\">28,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-28T09:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"28 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"28\">28,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/NathanEvans\">Nathan Evans<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This year, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/brit-awards\">Brit Awards<\/a> is going to be hosted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/manchester\">Manchester<\/a> \u2013 the first ceremony outside London in its 50-year history. However, judging from the nominees, you\u2019d think the city was cut off from the world in 1997. Zero Manchester artists will perform, and the only Manchester artist even up for an award is Noel Gallagher, who has already won Songwriter of the Year despite writing no songs in the last 365 days. <\/span><span>Now, Manchester isn\u2019t owed any nominations, and it would be ambitious to campaign for, say, Blackhaine or Andy Stott to get a performance nod. But there is no better time to celebrate the rich consolidation of scenes in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Manchester is known for its eternal grey skies, but I like to think of them as silver. <\/span><span>That sheen seems to seep into the city\u2019s atmosphere and its most exciting new music, stretching from the industrial edges of Salford to the sleepier indie shops of Stockport.\u00a0<\/span><span>In its recent history, Manchester\u2019s venue setup has become one-of-a-kind, giving the city this elusive quality that fascinates and perplexes outsiders. There is, of course, the White Hotel, which one TikToker hilariously described as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FinnMcCorry\/status\/1785624497258709064?s=20\"><em><span>Call of Duty: Zombies<\/span><\/em><span> map turned into a nightclub<\/span><\/a><span>, which has become a bedrock for experimental artists and niche club nights over the past 10 years. That same energy can be found in different regions of the city, from drinkers like the ever-changing Peste in Ancoats, to the Peer Hat in Northern Quarter and Cafe Blah in Withington.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Meanwhile, Manchester\u2019s nightclubs are changing the conversation about UK nightlife, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/65996\/1\/could-phone-free-clubs-save-nightlife-dancefloor-ambers-manchester-berlin\">the phone-free Amber\u2019s<\/a> and BYOB student gaff XLR. Then there are record shops like Eastern Bloc, Haunted Dancehall, SK1 in Stockport and the online encyclopaedia Boomkat. These places, sounds and people are far away from the outdated prescribed mainstream image of the Hacienda, Oasis and John Cooper Clarke, and slowly, the perception of a city out of time is changing. Yet, with the fast development of residential high-rises instead of affordable housing, coupled with a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/62029\/1\/manchester-the-rentier-city-isaac-rose-book-interview-housing-crisis\"><span>renters\u2019 crisis<\/span><\/a><span>, many are enjoying it all as though it could vanish tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The current sound of Manchester\u2019s underground exists in many different, and often interconnected, corners. Below, we\u2019ve picked acts from five of them \u2013 these are obviously not the <\/span><em><span>only<\/span><\/em><span> five sonic corners of the city, just those that are taking hold at this very moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tomboogizm\/?hl=en\"><span>RAT HEART<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html-embed\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Tom Boogizm is widely regarded as one of Manchester\u2019s most adventurous DJs, once playing for 10 hours straight at his $hotta Rave party. His solo project, Rat Heart, reveals the other side of that esotericism, funnelling what feels like his entire record collection through the River Irwell. Early releases sound as if Prince had made <em data-start=\"474\" data-end=\"486\">Dirty Mind<\/em> while holidaying in Detroit\u2019s pioneering techno clubs. Skip past a few Kanye and Drake freestyles, and you\u2019ll land on the ice-dried flamenco guitar of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yOKpUQf26gE\">The Done A\u00a0Number On Us<\/a>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Rat Heart fully flourished with last year\u2019s <em data-start=\"152\" data-end=\"176\">Dancin\u2019 in the Streets<\/em> LP, stripping things back to their starkest form yet. Boogizm has an evasive, piss-taking streak \u2013 he rarely gives interviews and favours titles like \u201cRatty Rids The Clubs From The Evil Curse Of The Private School DJ\u2019s\u201d \u2013 but sink into the bleak gallop of the piano on \u201cNot 2Nite\u201d, twining with night-calling electric guitar, grime-soaked gulps and Causa Kandemir\u2019s smouldering vocals, and that fa\u00e7ade falls away.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/renzniro\/?hl=en\"><span>RENZNIRO<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"2NoxK39HzTs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2NoxK39HzTs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In one of the most distinctive developments in UK rap, local artists like Blackhaine and roop draw on Manchester ambient to set the stage for drugged-out, confrontational storytelling, occupying the same weightless space as Space Afrika, Demdike Stare, Kop-Z and LINTD. Rapper and producer RenzNiro looks to bridge the HS2-sized gap between this sound and the London-centred <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/uk-ug\">UK Ug<\/a> scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Placing propulsion beneath beds of thin strings, padded chords and reversed vocals, he raps as if trying to lift the weight of the world from his shoulders, recalling early Chip, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/wiley\">Wiley<\/a> at his most motivational. His exacting gaze lends his voice gravity, as when he smacks his lips and inhales before declaring, \u201c<em>I gotta keep my cards close to my chest \/ I can\u2019t ever waste a word<\/em>,\u201d on the trudge-stepping \u201cSIXTEEN\u201d. A recent performance at Stoller Hall, backed by a live string ensemble, makes his ambitions unmistakably clear.<\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shell____company\/?hl=en\"><span>SHELL COMPANY<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html-embed\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The walk home from the White Hotel to the city centre, with its broken glass, security dogs and flickering streetlamps, is really the red carpet for Manchester\u2019s music rats. Spoken-word post-rock trio Shell Company make music seemingly for this route. Frontwoman Rosabella Allen\u2019s poetry sounds like it\u2019s being recited through an old payphone, propping tales of decaying relationships with details of dirty tunnels, brightening clouds and empty bus stops. \u201c<em>I can no longer adorn my life with you<\/em>,\u201d she deadpans on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=csuV23wh3us\">Adorn<\/a>\u201d as the instrumental echoes like a dream pop song that\u2019s been hollowed out and heatlamped. Shell Company has released three EPs so far, including one of deadpan duets with Lisbon-based poet Older Brother. But like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/17875\/1\/4ad-the-hidden-gems\">4AD collective<\/a> This Mortal Coil, their music is linked by a sense of stillness amongst the noise, noodling and nocturnal poetry. It\u2019s 5am somewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yyre___\/?hl=en\"><span>YYRE<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"fHjRaqDhvJs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fHjRaqDhvJs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Yyre pulls together delirious 160 BPM sets of jungle, breakcore, footwork and speed-boosted grime in a way that only the 2020s could make sense of. As one of the original founders of Tough Act \u2013 a White Hotel-based club night built around queer aggression, hardcore rave and deep-fried shitposts \u2013 Yyre flipped the script by playing the sounds that weren\u2019t being heard at Manchester\u2019s queer nights. That it became such a beloved party is a testament to the scene\u2019s capacity to embrace new ideas, supported by gracious venues like the Derby Brewery Arms and Soup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Since the party\u2019s closure, Yyre still consistently enthrals while staying in a tight BPM range. Their philosophy is that \u201cthere\u2019s no tune that doesn\u2019t sound better sped up by 25 per cent\u201d, and they\u2019ll leave you panting \u2013 for breath, and for more.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/slvrwngkllr\/?hl=en\"><span>SILVERWINGKILLER<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"co95-ufp1Eg\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/co95-ufp1Eg\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>With just a single EP to their name, SILVERWINGKILLER have already become one of the best live bands in the city. Raising merry hell with little more than a drum kit, a laptop and a mic, the duo whip a blizzard from the caustic squelches, overblown IDM jitters and happy hardcore melodies of 90s rave. It engulfs vocalist Yushang Ni as she bellows one-line hooks like, \u201c<em>Stick with who you are \/ just don\u2019t fuck with my desire<\/em>,\u201d on \u201cROOF ON FIRE (X OVER9000)\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>With vocalist Yushang Ni coming from Shanghai and counterpart James Baca hailing from Peterborough, SILVERWINGKILLER embody the transplant energy that makes Manchester such fertile ground for unlikely teamups. Buoyed by the international success of artists like Mandy, Indiana, club-adjacent bands redlining on electronics have become de rigueur in the city \u2013 count fellow upstarts Another Country $ and Crimewave among them. We\u2019re spoiled up here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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Find out in this new video<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69751\/1\/thug-metal-band-empty-shell-casing-texan-diy-scene\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Empty Shell Casing\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-2048-1362\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439026.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018Thug metal\u2019 band Empty Shell Casing are the nu kids on the block<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69748\/1\/rio-carnival-photography-yushy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"YUSHY - BRAZIL CARINVAL -39\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1051-1996-1327\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438817.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These evocative photos depict the in-between moments at Rio Carnival <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69724\/1\/deviation-benji-b-judah-afriyie-these-are-the-levels-photography\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"251022_BENJ_Deviation_Interior_353-400_4-4_Colour_\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-432-1652-1099\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438462.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These photos straddle \u2018pre and post-iPhone\u2019 London nightlife<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69738\/1\/dazed-mix-evissimax-milan-blade-black-vampy-sexy-dj\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lead Image 16x9 \u2013 10\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438661.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Listen to Evissimax\u2019s \u2018Black, vampy and sexy\u2019 Dazed mix<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69722\/1\/soft-pop-spanish-gabriela-richardson-internet-obsessions-isola\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gabriela Richardson\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438512.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Pop dreamer Gabriela Richardson shares her internet obsessions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36726\/0\/what-s-poppin-two-shell-meet-jack-harlow-at-phonox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"two shell jack harlow phonox\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2600-1729\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438399.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What\u2019s poppin\u2019? Two Shell meet Jack Harlow at London\u2019s Phonox<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This year, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/brit-awards\">Brit Awards<\/a> is going to be hosted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/manchester\">Manchester<\/a> \u2013 the first ceremony outside London in its 50-year history. However, judging from the nominees, you\u2019d think the city was cut off from the world in 1997. Zero Manchester artists will perform, and the only Manchester artist even up for an award is Noel Gallagher, who has already won Songwriter of the Year despite writing no songs in the last 365 days. <\/span><span>Now, Manchester isn\u2019t owed any nominations, and it would be ambitious to campaign for, say, Blackhaine or Andy Stott to get a performance nod. But there is no better time to celebrate the rich consolidation of scenes in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Manchester is known for its eternal grey skies, but I like to think of them as silver. <\/span><span>That sheen seems to seep into the city\u2019s atmosphere and its most exciting new music, stretching from the industrial edges of Salford to the sleepier indie shops of Stockport.\u00a0<\/span><span>In its recent history, Manchester\u2019s venue setup has become one-of-a-kind, giving the city this elusive quality that fascinates and perplexes outsiders. There is, of course, the White Hotel, which one TikToker hilariously described as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FinnMcCorry\/status\/1785624497258709064?s=20\"><em><span>Call of Duty: Zombies<\/span><\/em><span> map turned into a nightclub<\/span><\/a><span>, which has become a bedrock for experimental artists and niche club nights over the past 10 years. That same energy can be found in different regions of the city, from drinkers like the ever-changing Peste in Ancoats, to the Peer Hat in Northern Quarter and Cafe Blah in Withington.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Meanwhile, Manchester\u2019s nightclubs are changing the conversation about UK nightlife, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/65996\/1\/could-phone-free-clubs-save-nightlife-dancefloor-ambers-manchester-berlin\">the phone-free Amber\u2019s<\/a> and BYOB student gaff XLR. Then there are record shops like Eastern Bloc, Haunted Dancehall, SK1 in Stockport and the online encyclopaedia Boomkat. These places, sounds and people are far away from the outdated prescribed mainstream image of the Hacienda, Oasis and John Cooper Clarke, and slowly, the perception of a city out of time is changing. Yet, with the fast development of residential high-rises instead of affordable housing, coupled with a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/62029\/1\/manchester-the-rentier-city-isaac-rose-book-interview-housing-crisis\"><span>renters\u2019 crisis<\/span><\/a><span>, many are enjoying it all as though it could vanish tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The current sound of Manchester\u2019s underground exists in many different, and often interconnected, corners. Below, we\u2019ve picked acts from five of them \u2013 these are obviously not the <\/span><em><span>only<\/span><\/em><span> five sonic corners of the city, just those that are taking hold at this very moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tomboogizm\/?hl=en\"><span>RAT HEART<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html-embed\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Tom Boogizm is widely regarded as one of Manchester\u2019s most adventurous DJs, once playing for 10 hours straight at his $hotta Rave party. His solo project, Rat Heart, reveals the other side of that esotericism, funnelling what feels like his entire record collection through the River Irwell. Early releases sound as if Prince had made <em data-start=\"474\" data-end=\"486\">Dirty Mind<\/em> while holidaying in Detroit\u2019s pioneering techno clubs. Skip past a few Kanye and Drake freestyles, and you\u2019ll land on the ice-dried flamenco guitar of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yOKpUQf26gE\">The Done A\u00a0Number On Us<\/a>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Rat Heart fully flourished with last year\u2019s <em data-start=\"152\" data-end=\"176\">Dancin\u2019 in the Streets<\/em> LP, stripping things back to their starkest form yet. Boogizm has an evasive, piss-taking streak \u2013 he rarely gives interviews and favours titles like \u201cRatty Rids The Clubs From The Evil Curse Of The Private School DJ\u2019s\u201d \u2013 but sink into the bleak gallop of the piano on \u201cNot 2Nite\u201d, twining with night-calling electric guitar, grime-soaked gulps and Causa Kandemir\u2019s smouldering vocals, and that fa\u00e7ade falls away.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/renzniro\/?hl=en\"><span>RENZNIRO<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"2NoxK39HzTs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2NoxK39HzTs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In one of the most distinctive developments in UK rap, local artists like Blackhaine and roop draw on Manchester ambient to set the stage for drugged-out, confrontational storytelling, occupying the same weightless space as Space Afrika, Demdike Stare, Kop-Z and LINTD. Rapper and producer RenzNiro looks to bridge the HS2-sized gap between this sound and the London-centred <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/uk-ug\">UK Ug<\/a> scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Placing propulsion beneath beds of thin strings, padded chords and reversed vocals, he raps as if trying to lift the weight of the world from his shoulders, recalling early Chip, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/wiley\">Wiley<\/a> at his most motivational. His exacting gaze lends his voice gravity, as when he smacks his lips and inhales before declaring, \u201c<em>I gotta keep my cards close to my chest \/ I can\u2019t ever waste a word<\/em>,\u201d on the trudge-stepping \u201cSIXTEEN\u201d. A recent performance at Stoller Hall, backed by a live string ensemble, makes his ambitions unmistakably clear.<\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shell____company\/?hl=en\"><span>SHELL COMPANY<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html-embed\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The walk home from the White Hotel to the city centre, with its broken glass, security dogs and flickering streetlamps, is really the red carpet for Manchester\u2019s music rats. Spoken-word post-rock trio Shell Company make music seemingly for this route. Frontwoman Rosabella Allen\u2019s poetry sounds like it\u2019s being recited through an old payphone, propping tales of decaying relationships with details of dirty tunnels, brightening clouds and empty bus stops. \u201c<em>I can no longer adorn my life with you<\/em>,\u201d she deadpans on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=csuV23wh3us\">Adorn<\/a>\u201d as the instrumental echoes like a dream pop song that\u2019s been hollowed out and heatlamped. Shell Company has released three EPs so far, including one of deadpan duets with Lisbon-based poet Older Brother. But like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/17875\/1\/4ad-the-hidden-gems\">4AD collective<\/a> This Mortal Coil, their music is linked by a sense of stillness amongst the noise, noodling and nocturnal poetry. It\u2019s 5am somewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yyre___\/?hl=en\"><span>YYRE<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"fHjRaqDhvJs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fHjRaqDhvJs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Yyre pulls together delirious 160 BPM sets of jungle, breakcore, footwork and speed-boosted grime in a way that only the 2020s could make sense of. As one of the original founders of Tough Act \u2013 a White Hotel-based club night built around queer aggression, hardcore rave and deep-fried shitposts \u2013 Yyre flipped the script by playing the sounds that weren\u2019t being heard at Manchester\u2019s queer nights. That it became such a beloved party is a testament to the scene\u2019s capacity to embrace new ideas, supported by gracious venues like the Derby Brewery Arms and Soup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Since the party\u2019s closure, Yyre still consistently enthrals while staying in a tight BPM range. Their philosophy is that \u201cthere\u2019s no tune that doesn\u2019t sound better sped up by 25 per cent\u201d, and they\u2019ll leave you panting \u2013 for breath, and for more.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/slvrwngkllr\/?hl=en\"><span>SILVERWINGKILLER<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"co95-ufp1Eg\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/co95-ufp1Eg\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>With just a single EP to their name, SILVERWINGKILLER have already become one of the best live bands in the city. Raising merry hell with little more than a drum kit, a laptop and a mic, the duo whip a blizzard from the caustic squelches, overblown IDM jitters and happy hardcore melodies of 90s rave. It engulfs vocalist Yushang Ni as she bellows one-line hooks like, \u201c<em>Stick with who you are \/ just don\u2019t fuck with my desire<\/em>,\u201d on \u201cROOF ON FIRE (X OVER9000)\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>With vocalist Yushang Ni coming from Shanghai and counterpart James Baca hailing from Peterborough, SILVERWINGKILLER embody the transplant energy that makes Manchester such fertile ground for unlikely teamups. Buoyed by the international success of artists like Mandy, Indiana, club-adjacent bands redlining on electronics have become de rigueur in the city \u2013 count fellow upstarts Another Country $ and Crimewave among them. We\u2019re spoiled up here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69772\/1\/5-acts-manchester-music-underground-rat-heart-brit-awards-renzniro&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/977\/150-28-977-651\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439336.jpg&#8221;] SILVERWINGKILLER &#8211; ROOF ON FIRE (X OVER9000) February\u00a0 28,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Scene And Spotted Music \/ Scene And Spotted 5 acts to know from Manchester\u2019s musical underground As the Brit Awards touch down in Manchester for the first time in their 50-year history, we spotlight the artists redefining the city\u2019s sound [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1798548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1798548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1798548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1798548\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1798548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1798548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1798548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}