Named after composer Erik Satie’s infamous composition that was banned because it was deemed too unsettling to perform live, Vexations create frenetic and off-kilter post-psych, with dissonant layered guitars, unorthodox song structures, and vocals that oscillate between spoken word and emphatic screams, to give a punchy yet unearthly sonic experience.
Formed in Edinburgh in 2023, Vexations brings together the diverse contributions of Calum (guitar) whose angular and disjointed riffs steer the band, David (guitar) whose distorted cacophonies of noise provide the sonic texture, Bradley (drums) whose warp-speed frenetic percussion drives the energy, and Rayhana (bass/vocals) whose ethereal yet punchy spoken-work and then screaming vocals punctuate the tracks and arrest attention with her abstract and otherworldly lyrics.
The result is a high energy, emphatic, off-kilter and distorted wall of sound experience that contorts the sense and captures that feeling we all have that something just isn’t quite right – amply demonstrated by our premiere ‘Armbreaker’ as it transitions from a brooding groove, punctuated with disjointed blasts of noise, which builds into a crescendo before dissipating and then suddenly startling listeners with an unexpected second sonic journey.
Video created by Joana Malagueira
Since forming, Vexations have become a relentless and immersive live project, playing numerous headline and support shows across Edinburgh and Glasgow’s scuzziest venues, honing their distorted and hook-laden sound, and building a loyal following.
Vexations‘ debut EP, A Dream Unearthly, releases on October 17 2025 via Cruel Nature Records and is available as a limited edition cassette or a download via Bandcamp.
