Lia Mice (she/her) • Multidisciplinary Artist
2021 Oram Award winner Lia Mice is a multidisciplinary artist whose works include experimental electronic music production, large-scale digital musical instrument design, interactive sculpture, live A/V performance, composition for film, and academic writing. In her practice, Mice uses new technologies to explore relationships between the musical instrument and embodied performance. Mice holds a PhD in Media and Arts Technology from Queen Mary University of London and a Master's of Music in Creative Practice from Goldsmiths University of London.
Mice's latest album Sweat Like Caramel came out on Objects Ltd on the 20th of May, 2022. Her unique productions are the result of years of studio experimentation with technology old and new including analog samplers, Pure Data, self-hacked instruments and 8-track tape. Mice's all-hardware live A/V sets incorporate large-scale self-designed instruments and voice sampling with dancers and audio-reactive visuals. Her high-energy DJ sets explore the weirder side of electro, tech-noir, acid and experimental-pop. Mice has guested on NTS and Rinse FM, and co-hosts with A'Bear a monthly Threads Radio show called EastBlenders.
Mice is a recipient of numerous residencies: Innovative Instrument Design Duxianqin International Workshop at China Conservatory of Music, Estalagem Residency for Music and Electronics at Ponta Da Sol Madeira, Automation and Me at Leeds International Festival, and Goldsmiths Palermo Summer Intensive Performance Practices in Sicily. Her work has been exhibited and performed internationally at events and venues including Ars Electronica, The Tate Modern Tate Lates, The Barbican Archives Residency, The V & A Museum Digital Design Weekend and Museum of Arts and Design. As a researcher, Mice has presented her work at IRCAM Forum, Computer Human Interaction (CHI), Computer Music Multidisciplinary Research (CMMR), Technology in Music Performance (TiMP) and the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME).
Mice has composed original soundtracks for short films A Quiet Room In Walthamstow and Every You/Every Me and her music has appeared in feature film (Viral Beauty) and TV (ABC drama 'Hiding').
Mice has collaborated on instrument design projects with Native Instruments, The Barbican and the OHMI Trust with whom she designed a One-Handed Violin concept. Mice is an advocate for accessible musical instrument design and is herself monocular sighted. Since moving to London in 2015 she has founded and curated Electrolights AV (2015-2022) - an experimental platform highlighting audio-visual artists and performers, and Lost Valley (2021-present) - a late night dance party highlighting experimental techno live artists and DJs.
INTERVIEWS
Video
"Future Music - The Track - Lia Mice breaks down 'Which Memories Will Make It'" - Future Music, May 2020
Audio
"Lia Mice" - WITCiH Creative Women In Tech Podcast, September 2020
Text
Chaos Bells And Sounds: Lia Mice Interviewed - The Quietus, May 2022
Lia Mice about Building and Hacking her own Instruments - 15 Questions, May 2022
"'We need to put inclusion at the start of the process': the disabled musicians making their own instruments" - The Guardian, July 2019
"Exploring sound, time and samples with Lia Mice" - Selekta.fm, Nov 2018
"Video premiere: Lia Mice 'Marconi's Eternal Tone Cloud'" - Kaltblut, Nov 2018