Dead Rat Orchestra is a UK-based experimental folk collective whose work has consistently blurred the boundaries between traditional music, performance art, and sound-based research. Emerging from early durational experiments, the group first drew attention with pieces such as I Fear Nothing but God, a six-hour exploration of a single sustained note that foregrounded endurance, perception, and the physicality of sound.

From these beginnings, their practice expanded into site-specific and research-led projects that combine music with psychogeography and historical inquiry. Works like Tyburnia, The Cut, and Free Folk in Brexit Britain reflect a deep engagement with place, tracing hidden narratives through walking tours, performances, and publications that reimagine folk traditions within contemporary political and spatial contexts.

Dead Rat Orchestra has toured extensively across the UK and internationally, including appearances at major festivals such as Roskilde Festival and Fano Free Folk Festival, as well as performances throughout Europe and North America, including Montreal, Quebec, Madrid, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Scotland. They have supported acts such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Coco Rosie, and toured alongside artists like Eric Chenaux, while also sharing stages with distinctive performers such as Baby Dee.

Collaboration is central to their work, with notable partnerships including projects with James Holcombe (Tyburnia), C. Joynes (Furlong Bray), and Lisa Knapp (Tyburnia). Their output also extends into composition for film and visual art, including the BBC Scotland soundtrack Guga Hunters of Ness and numerous scores for contemporary artists.

They have also extensively performed a live sound track to Robert Flaherty’s film Nanook of the North.

Alongside performance and recording, the group has been active in education and curatorial contexts, serving as course directors at Dartington Summer School and maintaining a regular presence at London’s Café OTO. Across all these activities, Dead Rat Orchestra continues to redefine what folk music can be—expanding it into a multidisciplinary, exploratory practice rooted in sound, place, and collective experience.

Link: https://www.deadratorchestra.co.uk/

Lost At Sea: An Interview With Dead Rat Orchestra

→ Long-form interview touching on their experimental practice (pigeons carrying tuned whistles, durational sound, etc.)