Halina Rice Stuns Liverpool Arts Club with Her Audio-Visual Spectacle [Show Review]

Halina Rice is a London-based electronic music and A/V artist who has been touring her stunning show for some time now. At last, she has arrived in Liverpool.

The Arts Club is a perfect venue for the show with its deceivingly large backdrop on which to project the visuals that are so integral to the performance.

@sulkrooms provides support. A one-man journey into sonic hyperspace, mixing dark loops with hypnotic beats. Knob twiddling is mixed with sporadic guitar playing and some retro reel-to-reel backing. It’s a thoroughly spellbinding set that pulls you in and holds you there. Whilst not necessarily low-key, this acts as a taster for the head-mashing set that is to follow.

Halina’s show is introduced by slowly turning silver-white doors that revolve projected onto the back wall, accompanied by ambient sound. Once she arrives, we are treated to a set of mostly high-octane dance beats played out over a range of animated mood pieces. From metamorphic/geometric shapes to ghostly faces and technicolour digital fireworks.

New methods in 4k digitals and AI mean that often the visuals are overwhelming. It might not be U2 at The Sphere, but there are moments when the images are stomach-churningly vivid and unnerving. At the other end of the scale, there are moments of bliss, with gentle, transformative shapes accompanying Halina’s quieter moments.

Highlights tonight include “Terrain,” a blissed-out techno dance piece accompanied by floating islands and craggy peaks set against a blinding silvery background.

Late in the set comes “Breaks,” which literally puts Halina in the picture. Choppy electronic drums pierce eardrums as we are flown through a virtual art gallery displaying the artist’s face amongst animated bodies and cubist screens.

I was saddened tonight by the audience. To fully immerse yourself in the show, you need to almost reach a meditative state. This proved impossible due to incessant talking from people who clearly wanted to be seen at the event, with little interest in the show itself. Inane and pretentious conversations filled the air, commenting on previous events attended and work-related affairs.

Sadly, this does appear to be quite common at such events, particularly in Liverpool. I’m from Liverpool myself, so this saddens me even more. One small group of thirty-somethings spoke loudly throughout the whole two acts, oblivious to the enjoyment of others. Whilst there appears to be a growing crackdown on use of phones in venues, maybe it’s time to crack down on blabbermouths, too. Artists such as those onstage tonight deserve so much better.

I would love to see this show again with a more respectful audience in attendance. For more information on Halina and her work, head over to her official website.