Despite undergoing some technical difficulties, avant-pop star SOPHIE livestreamed a triumphant 20 minute set of new material. Accompanied by an electrifying array of neon laser visuals by the artist Pieterjan Ruysch, SOPHIE’s performance had originally been slated to stream on Twitch for the 3rd of July as an online incarnation of Heav3n, an online clothing store turned party collective based in Los Angeles.
The event aimed to raise money for people from the black trans and queer femme communities, but before the broadcast could even start it was banned by Twitch, for reasons that are still currently unknown. It took a few days for Heav3n to regroup, but fortunately for us SOPHIE was able to take to the airwaves last night, with the set streaming jointly on her Twitch and YouTube channels. Both the YouTube and Twitch uploads encouraged viewers to donate to the Black Trans Lives Matter Youth Fund, Marsha P. Johnson Institute, NAACP and Black Cultural Archives.
Our twitch ban is lifted!! ^.^ — HEAV3N (@heav3nparty) July 8, 2020
Since the unanimous acclaim for her 2018 debut album Oil of Every Pearls Un-Insides, the anticipation surrounding what the Scottish producer does next has been steadily mounting. It’s safe to say “HEAV3N SUSPENDED” (the tongue-in-cheek title of her delayed Heav3n set) did not disappoint. Spaced out arpeggiated synths cranked the mix into motion, before breaking into robotically unflinchingly techno overlain with sexually explicit spoken phrases delivered by fellow Brit Shygirl, with whom SOPHIE made a guest appearance on Arca’s recent album KiCK i. Watch the full set with the visuals below.
