Boxing bands into genres might be one of the most difficult things to do in today's vibrant music scene. With artists experimenting between the folds of fringe rock music and avante-garde weirdness, it can be nigh-on impossible to describe what one band to the next actually sounds like.

Enter Squid, a five-piece from Brighton who have managed to slide their slippery tentacles into just about every part of the musical sphere.

Ahead of a sold-out performance at Margate's burgeoning music venue Elsewhere, I sat down with the band to see if I could tease out a simple way to describe their sound..

Instead I got the following: "Disorganised...patchwork...shambolically unshambolic...a big muddle...an organised mess."

Bassist Laurie Nankivell had an altogether more intense visual metaphor prepared.

He said: "My dad's friend said seeing a live set was like eating thick porridge. And then slowly thinning out into water and turning into thick porridge again."

"That's disgusting," replied keyboardist Arthur Leadbetter.

Disgusting it may be, but also a surprisingly accurate way of describing the experience of watching this exciting young band.

Over the course of an hour, they smashed their way through breakneck drumbeats, spoken-word squawking from singing drummer Ollie Judge, and haunting passages of ambience lead by a reverb-drenched horn lines.

The ability the group have to suddenly switch the mood from one section to the next seemed to keep the keep the crowd in raptures throughout, despite a few confused-looking faces making their way to the exit after 30 minutes.

As they blasted through tracks like Match Bet and The Cleaner from their recent EP Town Centre, it became clear those not-so-helpful descriptors might the perfect way of selling this band.

There is a compelling messiness to the quintet's performance style - they feel rough around the edges which keeps the audience on tenterhooks from one moment to the next.

Watching them feels like you're witnessing the spiritual successors to those revered innovators of 20th century post-punk, like Manchester's The Fall, Gang of Four or even Talking Heads.

In the past year the five-piece have gone from relative obscurity to a must-watch act on the gigging circuit, partly due to the success of their DIY label Speedy Wunderground.

The band are often associated with fellow label-mates Black Midi, who recently shot into the mainstream consciousness after being nominated for a Mercury Music Prize earlier this year.

Rest assured though, Squid are very much their own beast - a glistening, amorphous creature that will wrap you in its tentacles and squeeze until you turn blue.

The group were happy to be part of an increasingly-impressive line-up at the Margate venue, which celebrated its year anniversary last month.

Guitarist and vocalist Louis Borlase said: "You just need to look at the posters around this place, and see there's loads happening. It's amazing."

Sammy Clarke, co-founder of Elsewhere, wanted to give the town a place for exciting bands like Squid to visit and perform.

He said: "It's a fully dedicated music venue, which is something that Margate hasn't really had before."

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