The low lights, the simultaneously nefarious but comforting red walls and the general atmospheric qualities that Alex’s Bar exude were appropriate for the mind-altering ambient session that took place on Thursday night. Breatherrr took the stage first, delivering a mesmerizing, spacey sequence of songs. The instrumentals tended to lull you into a state of transcendence before bringing you back to reality with the unexpected. I/O’s dreamy, darkly bohemian songs each built up with intriguing layers and their set was truly dynamic, incorporating upbeat, dark, dreamy and aggressive elements.

Litronix closed the show with their interesting blend of psychedelic electronica, which created an enigmatic, energetic atmosphere reminiscent of a cult meeting (in the best way possible). Absorbed, the audience danced along to the beat and enthusiastically participated when the singer came offstage to dance with some and stare penetratingly into the eyes of many in the crowd. When the bright lights came back on, it took some time to adjust to the absence of other-worldliness that ambient music provided, and for a few moments we stood blinking, as if woken from a trance. - Lauren Weiherer

Last Friday, the 19th century home-turned-venue Historical Monument 157 (hm157) was host to several eclectic electronic acts including Litronix, Geneva Jacuzzi, and Future Shoxxx — our attention was focused on the haloes emanating from CELLARS, the synthpop project of singer/keyboardist Allene Norton.

Despite technical difficulties that plagued the first several minutes, Norton worked quickly with hm157 staff to reroute her signal chain through a DI box. She was not shaken; Norton traded banter as she worked, even quipped about her debut as a noise artist. At once, dense synth waves flooded the monitors and stirred the audience back to life as Norton lit a quick cigarette. And she tore through the cold with songs from her 2015 debut Lovesick like "Computer Simulation" and "Beat Of Our Love". Glowing from the backdrop of Wes Johannsen's visuals, she stepped down from the stage for a brief moment to connect with her friends. Norton's electric youth had bested a performer's worst nightmare, and primed us for the release of her sophomore album Phases. - Ryan Mo 

Although an out-of-towner was the catalyst for the show, local acts shined on January 3rd at Pehrspace. The event was curated by the prolific LA label Folktale Records, famous for its handmade releases and roster of intimate, visceral musicians. The night started off with a set from Moomaw, a one man electronic symphony. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he performed, setting a groovy mood for the evening. Litronix followed, a duo fronted by the theatrical Kevin Litrow, backed up by the guitar-scapes of Avi Zahner, known to many as Avi Buffalo. Litrow barraged the audience with eye contact, managing to be both intimidating and inviting, like a space-age preacher using fancy footwork to tempt you into joining his cult.

Nashville's Night Auditor took the stage next, and gave what should go down as one of the most passionate performances of 2016 (yes, even though it's only 3 days in). Frontman Hilal Omar Al Jamal's booming voice startled everyone during the soundcheck, and he continued to push boundaries during the set, aggressively hitting himself with a tambourine as he sang. His bandmate switched between playing guitar and adding electronic flourishes atop funky beats. Closing out the show was West Covina-based band Math. Once a bedroomy solo project, Math has expanded to a four piece, with Josh Lopez's straining, emotive vocals now backed by familiar San Gabriel Valley musicians, such as Gio Chumpitazi of Stupid Bummed. The amount of gloom one comes to expect from one of Lopez's sets was a bit toned down with the new instrumentation, except for the final song which he did by himself, utilizing loops and vocal effects to create a haunting cautionary tale. - Brittany Scheffler 

The androgynous alter ego of Andrew Clinco (Marriages, Black Mare), Deb DeMure, is not drag — bluntly put, it's a genderfuck medium that channels a windfall of ideas. The occult scholar sees DeMure's physical manifestation as an oracle for Drab Majesty, a growing collection of self-produced music bearing marks of late '80s dreampop, new wave, and post-punk. The project's newest album Careless envelops listeners with modulating guitars, grand cathedral reverb, and effected baritone vocals that hearken back to acts like Asylum Party, Xymox, Cocteau Twins — gothically elaborate, it coalesces the masculine and feminine, the Abrahamic and the arcane. And DeMure takes no credit for the songs' conception.

Says Clinco in a Noisey interview: "We’re just vessels channeling these ideas and making sense of them."

Drab Majesty performs at the LA Psych Fest on September 20th with JJUUJJUU, Earthless, Litronix, and more. Listen to "Everything Is Sentimental" off the newest album Careless, with a second vinyl pressing on Dais Records early October. - Ryan Mo