NL premiere

Composer, sound designer, and interdisciplinary artist Nontokozo F. Sihwa creates potent electronics under the moniker of Venus Ex Machina. With her albums Lux (2021) and Doxa (2022), on label AD 93, Venus Ex Machina made a name for herself as a masterful producer of divergent synthesised soundscapes that spanned forlorn ambient, krauty experimental electronics, lo-fi techno, and energetic dark wave. Her new music takes an aurally ominous twist into the realms of dark industrial techno and foreboding dungeon synth, while remaining true to the rhythmic intricacy, textural breadth, and melodic inventiveness that made Doxa so compelling. Venux Ex Machina brings a live performance to Rewire that draws from her forthcoming album, where her vocals take a more prominent role in the productions. Ritualistic chanting, burgeoning growls, metallic R&B melodies, and tense operatics splay the music open. Its wistful, crawling ambience is accompanied by noisy club percussion and distorted bass.