Initially conceived as a lockdown radio show in 2020, Coastal Electronauts has developed into a popular monthly live event held at the Umbrella Centre in the East Kent seaside town of Whitstable.
With its ever-growing reputation as a space for presenting electronic and experimental sounds, a rotating regular collective of local artists that include Shape Navigator, Sophie Sirota, John Gallen and AnalogueMechanic, plus invited guest acts, perform short sets each month accompanied by live visuals from @diz_qo.
Having issued its first compilation 2xCD and digital album in late 2024, John Gallen and Sophie Sirota have had their own artist debuts appear on the Coastal Electronauts label in 2025, with a highly anticipated debut by Shape Navigator to follow in early 2026.
Meanwhile, ‘Coastal Electronauts Vol. Two’ is a brand new 2xCD and digital compilation that features a dozen live recordings of artists performing at the event in 2025, a year that began with a relocation to the Umbrella Centre from its previous home at the Waterfront venue.
With every event live-streamed, the reputation of Coastal Electronauts has grown in both the UK and internationally, providing a springboard to larger events that include an annual International Drone Day in nearby Canterbury, synth and electronic music soundbaths elsewhere, plus a ‘Kentronica’ festival taking place in 2026.