Behind the Light II @ The Ark, 31 Oct

Halloween is one of the most fun celebrations on the calendar – no crass commercialisation and no mass marketed mascots – just one night where all the ghosts, ghouls and goblins get to come out and play while us humans get to embrace our dark side. And what better playground to do so than Behind The Light, returning for a second year with a stellar line-up of strange, groovy, mystical and awesome sounds. Joe Acheson Quartet blur the boundaries between post-rock and cinematic trip-hop with their epic soundscape excursions, fuelled by two drummers and string section. Slam champions the Chemical Poets will be celebrating their book launch with their Big Band thermo-nuclear trip-hop in a rare last chance to experience the thunderous trance of their live show before an extended sabbatical. Support comes in the form of vocal-loopy folk psychedelia from Wounded Knee and mad scientist wormhole improv from the Monosynth Orchestra. Be there, don't be scared.