Muse ’til Midnight is LACMA’s signature late-night summer party, when the campus is transformed into an immersive landscape of unforgettable musical expression and one-night-only activations. Guests are invited to participate in hands-on art-making workshops and treated to after-hours access to the must-see exhibitions that inspired the evening’s live musical performances, DJ sets, sound installations, and visual projections.
What sets this year apart from all others is the collaborative partnership with internet radio pioneer dublab and independent record label Ninja Tune. Together with LACMA, they’ve produced Muse ’til Midnight: The Allure of Music—a special event that pulls out all the stops in celebration of the exhibition The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China.
Last year LACMA invited dublab, a nonprofit dedicated to “the discovery and proliferation of next-wave music, arts, and culture,” to curate Muse ’til Midnight. Our collaboration continues this year, with dublab celebrating its 20th anniversary. After two decades of being on the airwaves, what began as a small, local creative firebrand has grown into a well-known platform with international reach.
To strengthen the collaborative nature of the event, dublab partnered with Ninja Tune to curate musicians that fit the theme of material, global art. Ninja Tune put together a lineup for this year’s event that perfectly fits the bill—these artists are at once difficult to neatly define and are expansively creative in their output of danceable, mesmerizing, and elevated electronic music that pushes artistic boundaries.
Read on to find out more about Ninja Tune’s international lineup for this year’s party.
Actress
Headlining this year’s event is critically acclaimed UK-based electronic musician and Detroit techno devotee Actress, who compares his approach to music-making to that of a visual artist: “I create sketches, essentially like these fabrics, and I collage them together. Once I see the picture, it’s embellished further and the process repeats.” A celebrated DJ and producer, his music has been released by numerous record labels, including Ninja Tune, Honest Jon's Records, Nonplus Records, and Werkdiscs, a label he co-founded in 2004. Known for his eclectic, experimental, and dark electronic sound, Actress’s live performances are widely praised, as are his frequent collaborations with visual artists.
Octa Octa
With a vibrant sound profile that touches on house, techno, and breakbeat, Mixmag's "Artist of the Year 2018" Octo Octa has established herself as one of dance music’s most in-demand DJs and producers. The New Hampshire-based artist’s debut EP Let Me See You was an instant favorite on dancefloors worldwide and brought international attention to the Los Angeles-based underground house label 100% Silk. Now signed to Ninja Tune, her recently released song “I Need You” was rated as a Best New Track by Pitchfork, which also called it “unquestionably the most perfect moment yet for Octo Octa.”
Yu Su
Composer, DJ, and sound artist Yu Su recently signed to Ninja Tune’s imprint Technicolour and will open for Octo Octa and Actress with slippery house grooves and sensuous new age tones. Following a relocation from her hometown of Kaifeng, China, to Vancouver in 2013, she started producing music under the You’re Me moniker with fellow musician Scott Johnson Gailey, before going on to release her solo work under Yu Su. A proficient multi-instrumentalist, she grew up learning classical piano and has cited the likes of Terry Riley, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Yasuaki Shimizu, and Laurie Anderson as inspirations.
Julianna Barwick
Headlining the live ambient performances within the exhibition The Allure of Matter, Brooklyn-based electronic musician Julianna Barwick will share lush songs made in real time from layering loops of short vocal and musical fragments into overlapping reverb-drenched compositions. Pitchfork hails her contemplative, blissed-out sounds as “among the best and most artful ambient music made today.”
Complementing Ninja Tune’s curation, dublab completes the music billing with three additional Los Angeles-based ambient artists: Ana Roxanne, Ki Oni, and Jeremiah Chiu. These artists will all play live within the galleries of The Allure of Matter, taking attendees on a sonic journey as they pass through the exhibition space. Ambient singer and composer Ana Roxanne blends powerful hymn-like vocals with drawn-out synth notes, field recordings, and expansive sounds. Ki Oni uses samples and field recordings to create layers of textural loops that seem to float in an infinite wave of bliss. Jeremiah Chiu creates improvisations using modular synthesizers with sampled voices and rhythmic textures that interlock in polyrhythmic grooves.
Rounding out the music programming at this year’s Muse ’til Midnight are DJ sets by Maral and Hello DJ. Los Angeles-based artist Maral explores and transforms traditional Iranian music through a unique sound that has been coined “folk club.” Hello DJ is the founder and resident DJ of Los Angeles-based collective Directory Service, and is known for their optimistic, joyful sets that span genres from disco and funk to house and techno.
This year’s Muse ’til Midnight is not to be missed! Be sure to arrive early to check out the SHOWTIME® photo booth and bar for a complimentary signature beverage and interactive photo booth memento. LACMA members enjoy discounted admission, complimentary parking, and exclusive access to a members-only lounge courtesy of Max Mara.
All sponsored giveaways are subject to availability and capacity. You must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages.