Electroniq is a showcase of some of the best up-and-coming names in electronica. With a focus on live vocals and immersive visuals, the event puts female artists front and centre, highlighting the talent shaping the future of the scene. We caught up with our headline act Lia Mice for the July (31st) event.
Lia Mice is a self-producing electronic artist releasing on Optimo Music and Objects Ltd. Boomkat describes her music a “collision of robotic electro, demonic hyperpop, tweaky IDM and slushy Radiophonic weirdness”.
You describe your music as “slushy radiophonic weirdness” Where did that phrase come from?
I didn’t actually come up with that phrase. Boomkat wrote that in their review of my album. I do really like slushy things, the music of the Radiophonic Workshop, and weirdness, so it’s quite nice that they described my music that way.
Who or what has influenced your sound?
I think live music has influenced my sound the most. Not any particular live music, just live music in general. Going out to see live music is the thing I’ve done most in my life. I went out almost every night in my twenties and thirties. Sometimes I’d go to more than one show a night. I will go to any weird place that has live music on. Mostly I watch bands and improvised electronic live sets, but I’ll watch basically anything. So I suppose I have the bookers of DIY spaces and obscure music venues to thank for all this weird music seeping into my brain.
You build your own instruments, how did that start?
I have always been really interested in strange musical instruments. The first band I ever saw live was The Boredoms, who I saw when I was fourteen. They make their own instruments so I think they might have corrupted my mind. I started learning Max MSP about 10 years ago and I realised it’s not all that complicated to make your own digital instruments. I mean, it’s time consuming to make something complex but you can get going with a very simple idea. I always seem to overcomplicate my instruments though by insisting that they’re large, and I initially did that because I wanted the audience to be able to see what I’m doing onstage, but after making a few large instruments I’ve come to understand that large instruments make different music than smaller ones. You have to play them with your whole body and that results in different rhythms. The first large instrument I made to play live was in 2019 and I haven’t stopped since.
Tell us about your workshops. What can people expect?
I run workshops on how to make musical instruments. My next one is at the V&A on Friday 17th of July for an event called Digital Meetups: Sound Systems. I’ll have a large synth there that I made from velvet offcuts. It’s called Soft Cymatics and it’s two metres wide and tall fabric synth that plays video and audio. It’s really fun. I’ll be showing people how to play it and how it’s made.
You’re also exhibiting at the V&A in September for the Digital Design Weekend. How did that opportunity come about?
I created Soft Cymatics for a solo exhibition earlier this year at Not For Sale Gallery in Hackney Wick. The V&A senior producer got in touch with me after that and said he thought Soft Cymatics would be well suited to the Digital Design Weekend so he asked me to show it there. I’ve previously shown a few of my instruments at the Digital Design Weekend. I think the V&A first came across my work because I was part of the Augmented Instruments Lab when I did my PhD in digital musical instrument design and I think there was a connection between the V&A and the lab.
What’s your dream collaboration or festival slot?
I don’t really have one but I’ll make one up. How about a haunted house that’s also an interactive musical instrument and people get lost inside it like a maze and everything they touch is actually an instrument so they’re making the spooky soundtrack to the haunted house but there’s also lots of jumpscares. Do you think a festival would book me to do that.
What can the audience expect at Electroniq?
I’ll be playing a live AV set of tunes using Soft Cymatics. It’s a totally new set for me so I don’t entirely know what it’ll be like. My practices so far are like beats made from glitchy videos. Maybe this is ‘slushy radiophonic weirdness’?
Electroniq July 31st also features Ashkat, Leg Puppy 2.0 feat Nownois & Sophie Sirota with live visuals by Jack Hollywood.
Tickets on sale
Lia Mice socials | Instagram | Bandcamp |
Article by Mr Laurence
Keep up to date with all new content on Joyzine via our
Facebook | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads | Mailing List