Lilies on Mars at Electrowerkz

The Electrowerkz in Islington is a hotspot for the latest crop of artists to light up the electronic music scene. Surrounded in the smoky ambience of Electrowerkz’s intimate venue, the evening saw the baton passed onto Lilies on Mars, a female duo hailing from the island of Sardinia, who celebrated the release of their new album ∆GO this September.

The duo’s thirst for retro-futuristic sonic ideas was heavily pronounced in the set they performed on the night. Dancing Stars, the lead single of their new album followed the retro-psychedelic directions of Krautrock musicians such as Kraftwerk. Addictive beats and synths formed thebackdrop, while jangling guitar riffs and woozy vocal melodies from Lisa Masia and Marina Cristofalo meandered freely through the sonic universe. As the evening went on, the concluding number Stealing (just before a surprising encore) provoked an uplifting ambience that took the night to a greater galaxy. The motoring drumbeat, ambient guitar melodies and radiant synth patterns orchestrated by the sorcery of Masia and Cristofalo enticed the crowd into a sedate-but-synchronised bodily jam.

While many of the tracks during the performance gave the audience a chance to get down with the beat, It Might Be and It Was Only Smoke aroused a much more introspective affair, diverting the crowd into an audible experience under a dreamy shoegaze spotlight that was wonderfully disturbing. Withering snare beats and warped synths in It Was Only Smoke weaved through each other like liquid at their own leisurely paces, which submerged the audience in a cosmic fantasy world that felt disorienting and magical in equilibrium. Similarly, the crystalline textures and whirling synth lines of It Might Be, married with the hypnotic vocal utterances of Lilies on Mars, fell nothing short of irresistible.

On reflection, Lilies on Mars cast a misty spell and enriched the night with their wonderful array of celestial productions. Their sonic language spoke simultaneously to the human and the extra-terrestrial, which stirred up an experience unmatched by other electronic musicians.

Isaku Takahashi
Photo: Antonello Franzil 

For further information about Lilies on Mars and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Dancing Star here: