There could hardly be a more fitting venue for BackStage Music’s showcase, Children of the Resistors, than Oxford Art Factory. As audiences descend into the smoke-filled basement, they know exactly what awaits them: grunge, lo-fi experimentation and techno – a permissive playground for Sydney’s most adventurous sound artists.

Curated by Damian Barbeler, the bold lineup brings together emerging and established experimental voices, each encouraged to push beyond familiar territory. The program ranges wildly – from a Pink Floyd cover band to heat-endurance performance art, and almost everything in between. With such an eclectic bill, the audience arrives tentative, unsure of what lies ahead. Yet as the night unfolds, the increasingly radical nature of the performances draws listeners into the exhilarating chaos of experimental sound art.

CAxRA opens the evening with her highly cinematic project Inversion/Refract, where ambient synthesised chord progressions gradually evolve into a lush lo-fi soundscape. Audio-reactive visuals ebb and flow in tandem with the sonic narrative, enveloping the audience in an immersive audiovisual experience. BATTERIE, the project of Jared Underwood, follows with a performance that is utterly quirky and playful. Infusing organic and manipulated gaming samples with live drums, Underwood embraces a spirit of true retro-futurism.